The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-09-03 00:00:00

THE DINNER.

The annual liinuer of members and friends took place
in a large marquee fitted up in the show yard. The
dinner wan provided by Wickham end Pickmore, of the.
minghain. Covers were laid for between 300 and 400
persona. The Earl of Dudley, President of the Society,
occupied the chair. There were also p t Mr. R. T.
Hill, High Sheriff of the County, the Marquis of
Queenabory, Sir John Packington, Bart., M.P., J. S
Packingtoo, Lady Diana Paekington, Sir TN. Winning.
ton, Bart, the Hon. C. G. Lyttelton, M.P., Dowdes.
well, M.P., H. W. Knight, M.P., R. P. Amphlett, M.P.,
H. F. Vernon, W. C. Hewing, C. P. Noel, C. Noel, F. D.
L. Smith (Halesowen), W. Cowen (Mayor of Kiddermin.
ster), Allsop, R. Woodward, G. B. Hudson, J. P.
Lord, E. Moreton, H. T. Woodward, Major Cocks, W.
Nutt (Mayor of Droitwich), B. Brookes, E. Stringer, R.
Collis, G. Collis, J. Mick (Droitwich), W. Williams,
Coacher, G. B. Hudson, T. Harris, B. Wooldridge, Col.
Barrows (Hagley). Rev. Canon Melville, Rev. G. D. Boyle
(Kidderminster), Rev. R. P. Turner (Churchill), .ke.
The noble Chairman having proposed the health of her
Majesty, next gave the " Prince and Princess of Wales.
in doing so, his lordship made reference to the fact that
her Royal Highness had only recently returned from the
Continent, and expressed his pleasure that she had come
home again. It seemed to him, he went on to nay, to bi
a very curious feature of the present war that though at
the time this country was prepared to uphold Denmark
in the war with Germany,if our great neighbour, France.
had not taken umbrage at certain political facts which
had taken place before, and refused to iiasist, in all prob.
ability certain nationalities, which were by no means
inclined to belong to the great German nation would not
have bad to grieve at their separation from Denmark.
And if, as in all human probability was likely, the French
arms had succeeded, then that Rhine, so much coveted
—that Rhine which in all human probability would now
never be French—would have become French with the
full consent of England at large. If successful in the
course of a war, there could have been no objection to
the French taking, and it would only have been under
such exceptional circumstances that France could have
taken, and become the possessor of that which she had
always wished as her border and limit. He had always
thought that that was the one opportunity which, once
lost, was never likely to be recovered ; and, at all events,
looking at things as they were now, the chances were far
further removed than they were at the time he had
alluded to.

The Chairman next proposed The Bishop and Clergy
of the Diocese," coupling with the toast the name of the
Rev. G. D. Boyle, of whose labours as Vicar of Kidder.
minater he spoke in eulogistic terms.
The Rev. ii. 1). Boyle briefly acknowleged the toast.
The Chairman, in proposing `) The Army and Navy,"
said that it was the conviction of everyone that it their
services were called upon, they would distinguish them.
selves as they had already. He would venture, in ad-
dressing them that day, to make a prophecy, and if
matters should thin out as he predicted, he hoped that
in days to come they would not forget that the prophecy
he made was a true one. The prophecy was this—that
armici for the future would be of very little value. Its
believed that this would be the last great European war
they would ever see—(cheers). He most sincerely
trusted that in that respect he would be a true prophet_
(hear, hear). He ventured to prophecy an this ground
that it was quite imp.asible even for Governments who
had the power to draw upon the entire resouycea of the
country to which they belonged, to go on uaingup men
and treasure at the rate now seen on the continent of
Europe. Human wealth, in flesh and in finance. was not
equal to such demands upon it as were now made.; and
exactly as armaments were brought to the perfection to
which they hail now apparently nearly attained, he honed
that that perfection would lie admitted, and that the cxvi.
heed world by common consent would admit it waa

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Saturday. September 3,1170.