The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-06-28 00:00:00

BANQUET AT THE TRINITY HOUSE.

The anniversary dinner of this corporation took place
9fl P•atutddy lest, H:R.II, the Prince Consort (the Master)
in file 0411
The Prinee Consort Prdp6s'ed The titieeto Ithith
flrunk with all the honours:
The Princp , Consort--My lorls and gentlemen, it
to his the Prince
Of Wales, and the rest of
,the oyai
.Family. The
younger members of the Royal taniAy aid #dfldlY
growing up; the Princess Royal has already become
the foUnder of a new family, destined to mount
the throne of Pr,ussia ; the Prince of 'Wales is
following ilis academic course at Oxford, which he
proposes to complete at the sister University, Cain-
bridge—(cheers)--:While his younger broilia has, by
the prescribed apprenticeship, earned his rating as a
midshipman and, serves zealously as such in the fleet.
(Cheers.) ft will be a curious coincidence that, nearly
At the same time, a few Weeks he ice, though almost at
the opposite poles, the Prince of Wales will inaugurate,
in the Queen's name, that sttipenAiiis c-rit, the great
' bridge over the St. Lawrence, in Canada, while Prince
Alfred will lay the foundation stone. Of the breakwater
for the harbour of Cape Town. Willa vast considera-
&Ms, as regtirds our country, are brought tO our minds
in this simple fact! 'What present greatness ! What past
history! What future hopes! And how important and
beneficent is the part given to the royal family of Eng-
land to act in the- development of those distant and
rising countries, who recognise in the British Crown,
and their allegiance to it, their supreme bond of
union . with the mother country and with each other !
( toad Cheers.) Gentlemen, the standing toast, after
that of {lie Royal Mindy, at di otir public din-
ners is " The Army and Navy ;" and it is never
given without calling forth proud and grateful feelings;
for Englishmen have reason to be proud of the condi-
tion of these services, and of the deeds which they have
achieved, and cause to be grateful for the benefits which
have been sectired to them by their soldiers and sailors,
who have been draft ifom Efli inks and clasSes of
society, and have devoted their lives to their country.
(Cheers.) We bear sometimes complaints of the expense
which these services entail, and must certainly regret that
such sacrifices should be necessary ; but, on the whole,

the public spirit with which the nation is determined,
through good or evil report, to maintain the efficiency
of these establishments, is a most gratifying proof of its
soundness of heart and the shrewdness of its instinct.
(Cheers.) It has lately come forward and placed at the
,setviCe Of the quell Voiiinteet edits td det tts dii ailii-
liary to the regular army and militia in case of danger
to our shores ; and the rapidity with which this move-
ment has developed itself has been the subject of uni-
versal and just admiration. We have witnessed this
day a scene which will never fade from the memory of
those who had the good fortune to be present—the
representation of the independence, education, and in-
dustry of this country in arms to testify their devotion
td their eMintrii Arid their feddiiieSs td 10; dowfi their
lives in its defence. The volunteer force exceeds
already 130,000 men, and to what extent this country
is capable of exerting itself in real danger is shown by
the number of volunteers, which in 1804 reached the
extraordinary figure of 47§,600. We are apt to forget,
how6er, that in coritiast IVith every country' of
iroild an 64 serviees are ceniPdsed eichisively of
volunteers—the navy, coast guard, coast volunteers,
army, militia, yeomanry, and constabulary. (Hear,
hear.) May the noble and patriotic spirit, which, such
a fact revealS, remain ever unimpaired ! And may God's
blessing, of which this nation has seen such uemistake-
able evidence, continue to rest upon these voluntary
services ! (Loud applause.) I beg to couple the toast
with the names of the First Lord.pf the Adniiralty, the
Duke df Sorrieitet, arid iohti Ildroytie. (Cheers.)
The buke of Somerset responded ; as did also

Sir John Burgoyne, who said,—l cannot, when
talking of the force of the country, help adverting
to that splendid display which was witnessed a few
hours ago in Hyde-park. Your Royal Highness has
described in very beautiful terms the movement of the
volunteers, and to which I can add nothing eVith ahy
effect ; but as one of the eia.,6l, Oinceis of the army—
perhALA I,lie oldest-4 wish to add my mite of respect.
(Hear, hear.) The strength of the force that was exhi-
bited to-day may not perhaps be thoroughly known yet,
and it is a matter of very great doubt to me whether
you will be able to ascertain it by the returns that will
be given ; but I made. a little observation myself that, I
belieVe; is not 64- frond correct. f o Eetbed thit red Alen
passed hht gajesty every minute ; they were occupied
sixty-five minutes in going by, and that brings the total
number to nearly 20,000 men, which I think very near
the number. (Hear, hear.) Those men, sir, are full
of ardour. They have an ardour that does not require
to he stimulated—on the contrar, I think it requires to
be moderated ; I think myself they have been going on
rather too fast. lam sorry to see them going out and
getting wet through clay 4ftei if ettr;;' ailcl
langhter.) Y she td batis6 'O4 n silCh hurry. They
tA., dtt ieililikahiy well without proceeding quite
so fast. It is like learning to swim—everything
they learn will rest by them ; and if they go on
progressively, you may depend upon it that in a
very short time they will become excellent soldiers,
and equal to any emergency that may arise. (Cheers.)
The next toast was his Royal Highness Prince Albert,
The Prince Consort, in responding, proposed 'We health
of the Deputy 11tditnt; *11.6 neiiiioNdledged the compli-
nicht.

The Prince Consort—Gentlemen, we are honoured by
the presence of her Majesty's Ministers. The corporation
is much gratified at their having found it possible,
amidst the many avocations and duties Which so pecu-
liarly press upon them during the Parliamentary season,
to devote an evening to the Trinity House. I propose
to you to drink their health. "Wie can Wish thEhn
nothing better than good health to enable them
to Withstand the fatigues of their laborious and harass-
ing life, and, by making the fullest use of their talents
and energies, to gain that public recognition and confi-
dence upon which so much of their sucoess and useful-
ness must depend. This is not a political meeting, and
we cautiously abstain from alluding to politics. (Hear,
hear.) While, therefore, the Ministers escape our criti-
cism, they must also forego our praise--(great laugh-
ter)—but we can give then Whit may be more valuable
to then than either,—the eipression of oar esteem alid
(Cheers.) " Lord Pabileiatiin and her
Majesty's "Atinisteit." (iteneoied cheering.)
Nord Palin'crstUn (who, on rising, was greetei with
gteht blitering) in returning thanks, said,—Your Royal
Highness and Gentlemen,—l beg, on behalf of her
Majesty's Ministers, to tender to your Royal Highness
and the company here assembled, our most grateful and
hearty thanks for the kind manner in which you, sir,
have been pleased to propose, and the company have
been pleased to receive, that toast ; and t cad eslife
you, sir, the testimony of your goda wilt must be always
of the highest value Yo thoto to Whom you are pleased
to address It. (1/ear, hear.) We may feel, perhaps,
also that we have been, even before your Royal Highness
gave that toast, indirectly included in the compliment
which you very properly paid to the volunteers of the
country—(cheers and laughter)—for we belong to a
corps of volunteers who undertake arduous duties, and
as your Royal Highness has mentioned, without any
sort of compulsion, and with the purest good-will.
(Renewed laughter and thetriilg.) There is this
peculiar circurastaate connected with that corps of
volunteers, that there is always going on a little sort of
internal war between the members, "Flectintur inquam,
et resurgemus." (Laughter and cheers.) But there is
this comfort for the country, that when one of the
detachment goes off duty, there is always another
ready to take his place, so that the public serviet
is never injured. (Laughter.) what pabaps we
might complain of is, that out period of service is
not quite so long or so certain as the period of service in
the army and army; but as your Royal Highness has
mentioned the fatigues which are incident to the per-
formance of our duties, it is well that we are sometimes
relieved from them before human nature renders us
unequal to the continuance of those duties. (Renewed
laughter.) We must always feel great interest in the
corporation whose hospitality we are this day enjoying/
because the duty of this corporation is, to erect lane-marks,
and beacons, and buoys to guide the voyager, to point
out quicksands, shoals, and rocks, and no set of people
are more in need of those warnings to guide them than
the persons who from time to time are included in the
toast which your Royal Highness has proposed. (Shouts of
laughter.) But sir, we really do most sincerely take the
greatest interest in the prosperity of the corporation.
Everybody must feel that the life of this nation is
almost as much on the waters as it is on land. (Cheers.)
We do not live like the Chinese, on stagnant pools and
canals ; but, wherever the waves of the ocean roll, in
the most distant parts of the world, there you will find
those waves wafting British life, British industry,
British enterprise—things which constitute the vital
functions and powers of the English nation ; and, there-
fore, I am sure you will understand that those who may
from time to time be charged with the conduct of the
affairs of this great country, must take a lively and
sincere interest in the welfare and prosperity of this
great corporation. (Loud cheers.)
Lord Taunton : May it please your Royal Highness,
in compliance with the command which you have been
pleased to lay upon me, I rise to propose the next toast
which usually stands on the list on these occasions. It
is " The Maritime and Commercial Interests of this
Country," and connected with it the President of the
Board of Trade, Mr. Milner Gibson. (Cheers.)
Mr. Milner Gibson responded.

The Prince Consort : Gentlemen, we must not omit
to acknowledge the presence of some of our honorary
brethren, whose admission to our body sheds lustre upon
the Corporation. The known presence of their names
upon our roll gives the public an assurance that we are
well thought of, and well looked after by some of the
best in the land. I beg to drink to the health of the
Earl of Derby and the honorary brethren. (Cheers.)
The Earl of Derby—Your Royal Highness, my lords
and gentlemen, it becomes my first and most pleasing
duty to retura nay grateful thanks to your Royal iligh.