The Express.
London, England, 1863-07-02 00:00:00

(Stamped, Id, AdditiomaL)

[TWOPENCE

or wetblanketted, or laughed out of the house
by the government twat. The noble lord (Palmerston) at
the head of the government has obtained some renown as •
liatellnla. std I give him credit for every qualification
which is attributed to him. I give him credit for his du-
i tint! and youthful spirits_(laughter)—for as elasticity
I which almtat keeps pace with the elasticity of his political
principlee (Laughter and cheers.) I give him credit, also,
fora detain modest assurants wbish in this country goes
by the mum of pluck, sad to which grist respect is dew
attached by, and which always attracts the sympathy of, the
British public. That noble lord, too, has the merit of always
standing by his supporter, and friends in the numerous
• scrapes into which they continually get themselves. It is
mid that it is a pity to disturb so good • conservative as
, Lord Palmerston has proved loan& in office ; and perhaps
it is as well, so long as the &deemed liberal party is contest
to see their pet projects laughed away by the government,
that the conservatives should remain satisfied with such an
arrangement ea the parent. Ido not say that sash an
arrangement in entirely eatistaciory, because it is always as
d.ciflcibretiafinetact:hanbdovisdatata.
iisAosof"ittihein,:thwe.7wpreshene:P:ttwgovieruernan.d.me.onitisaailt::i
and depends on the support of the opposition for the per-
formance of its 'motions se a government ; sod yet the op-
position is not so numerimlly strong M the House of Corn-
mons as to justify it in taking office. But if you ask me
whether I would rather be connected with a strong
opposition than with a weak government, I say at
once, for the benefit of the country, let us not be a weak
government but a strong oppoeition, able to simnel the
action of ministers ; to bold ourselves forth as • bugbear
to the advanced liberal party, able to the
Ile:are7illCASOt Poliebtie
I may be asked, How long ia this to continue!
That is a question which I cannot answer. The
answer rests with the CooltitUrocien of the country. We
are approaching the dm of a by no means active, and • not
by any means, useful amition, in which the goveasnest have
sedeavoursd to secure themselves against defeat by bring-
ing in no measures. (Hear, hear.) Ido not believe that the
month of July has ever yet arrived when we have bad to
look back to such • Buren session. We are, however, en-
tering on • month of eminent political imixitt-
ance. This is the month in which we should
remember the advice of • deceased statesmen
contained in the words, "register, register, register."
(Hear, bear.) This is the mouth is which, if they wish to
give us power to obtain and to retain aloe, the cooed-
tummies must put forth their strength, and place represen-
tatives in parliament who will do what they wish to see
accomplished, but they moat understand that this result
depends on themselves alone. I my emphatically in this
plate, that in the metropolis aa example may be given of
the manner in which the emetitueocias can mend their
way,. (Hear, bear.) I will say nothing of the four gen-
tlemen who now represent the City of London, except that
they are all freetraders, all opposed to monopoly, sad yet
they themselves are mostopolista et the representation of
this great city; and 1 believe that a little energy on the
part of the oeastittieney of the City would relieve it from
that miarepreeematioe from which, with all respect to those
four gentlemen, I will venture to say that it sow suffers. I
am convinoed that a due regard to the registration by the
conservative party would result in their seeing those pria-
°mks to which they and I are attached prevail But there
can be no greater misfortune to the conservatives than
that we should come into office with only such a body
of supporters in parliament as would place us day
by day in the power of combinations of parties,
which, if they do not agree as • government, us
at least united in their opposition to us when in power.
I feed I have encroached too long upon your time -(no, no)
—but at the same time Ido foal that It was my duty to
offer my grateful acknowledgements on the part of the great
conservative party, which honours me with its confideoce,
for the boom/ you have done it this evening, and which I
think it fully deserves, from the calm, steady, and forbear-
ing course it has pursued under circumstances from which
any other party would have shrunk. lam sure that at no
distant period it will reap its reward, as the country at large
will reap it in obtaining its valuable services, which will be
more easily retained than it would be if the conservative
party was in a greater harry to grasp the prise earlier,
which would have been mustily ready to fall from its
hands. (Cheers.) I thank you for the honour you have
done the greet conservative party, and for the hospitality
with which you have received us this evening. (The noble
lord concluded amid bond cheers.)
The LOUD Mania then proposed " The House of Peers,"
which was seceded to by the Duke of BUCKINGHAM.
TIN LORD TOR then proceeded to give the tied of
"The House of Commons, coupling with it the name of
Mr. Disraeli. In doing so he referred to the great assistance
which the corporation of London had received when as
attack wee wads on its rights and privileges by the very
minister who, m his recent progress in the north, had spoken
in praise of municipal institution in toms of the highest
commendation. Who he applied to Mr. Disraeli for sup-
port on that occasion that right hon. gentleman had asked
whether the liberal members for the City would not sup-
port the corporation. It was true they had undertaken to
do so ; but they were all liberals mid support's of the go-
vernmeot, and but for the assistmos which was received
from conservative members local self.governinent would
have received its death blow from the hands of one who had
au lately passed • glowing eulogy on those institutions. He
believed that the Howse of Commons represated the in-
terest, of the country, and the country was not desirous of
seeing any change Ia its constitution.
Mr. Du:maim (who was received with loud cheers) said—
Oa the part of the House of Commons I have the honour to
return you our acknowledgments for the Bettering dishes
tioa you have conferred upon us. I believe 1 may say on
the part of the House of Commons that at present its health
is pretty good. (lesighter.) It is not so full of vigour
naturally as it wee mine years ago, when in this hail I was
called on by the chief magistrate of the (IV of London to
return thanks for it. It was then full of youth, and hopes
and promises, butte youth has been exhausted, its hopes
defeated, and its promises not fulfilled. (Bar, hear, and
laughter.) I acknowledge that it has acquired that which
individuals in the sunset of their days also ac-
quire, a character for respectability. (Hear, hear,
end laughter.) Looking to the mums it btu pur-
sued in the present sesaion, to the moderate exertions it
Lae mode, and the early hours it has kept, I have every
hope that it will arrive at • green old age and I do not
think that its speedy dissolution, which has i been reported,
will be realised. I trust that it will reach a matured
age, and I think I see some sigma of that repentance which
often accompanies old age. (" Hear," sad laughter.) I
believe that in that house, whoever may be our successors,
there will be found a want of proper spirit. I believe
that there will be no want of conservative can-
didates for any future parliament, and I hops,
when the proper boor arrives, having taken their
cue from my noble friend, after due examination,
the conservatives wall be found at the head of the poll.
You, toy Lord Mayor, bare remiuded us of the great diffi-
culty which yon say you have been able to escape from
through the aorta of the conservative party is the House
of Commons. 1 czar only aver fur myself that no assistance
could be given with more sincerity than that which I prof.
[erred epos that common. (Cheers.) I have always been
of opinion that the cause of self-government, of which my
Lord Mayor reminded us, is intimately connected with the
maintenance of the privileges of the City of London.
(Cheer..) In fact I would even convect the cause of self-
go:eminent with meetings like this. I think that there is
a connection btAween self-government and those magnifi-
cent banquets given to us by the chiefs of this ancient cor-
poration. (Cheats.) There is no doubt that self-cootidence
is necessary for self.governmeot, and everybody will agree
with me afterdioner that self-ooufidence is elmys increased.
(Cheers and laughter.) Another reason is that these festivi-
ties induce that cordiality and forheatanoe towards your
neighbour which is otorof the elements by which the practical
character of, the Ithelish people has been formed. (Loud
c'emrs.) Under these steamships.* Ido assure you that I
always felt that we were only doing our duty io supporting
this ancient institution ; and I trust that, whatever may
be the vicissitudes of our political life—whether my
noble friend Lord Derby may occupy that position for
which he is eminently qualified, or whether be may merely
retain that which he now fiddle so well, that of acting in a,
comparatively speaking, less respousi Ide office, utheguardian,
of the people by watching over their interests in
opposition-1 feel we shall he always glad to contribute
our assistance in support of self.guverowent, which has
acted an buns a part in the formative of the English
character. (Load