The Express.
London, England, 1855-02-05 00:00:00

THE EARL OF ELGIN AT DUNFERMLINE.

The Earl of Elgin, lat• Governor-General of
Canada, was entertained M a public dinner In the Music
Hall, Duafermline, on Friday last, by helium 300 and 400
radiomen. The oompeny chiefly rienshisel of the landed
proprietors and tenants of the weseems &keit of Fife, sod
the burgesses of Danfermline. Provost kottaarsow, who
presided, 'reposed the Mast .f the seeable.
The Berl of Rums, in reply, proceeded to speak
of hie experience in Jessica end Caserta, and illus-
trated from the hots of his administration in those
'Monies the advantage of giving free play to the
Ott/omelet tesiencies and of Englishmen.
Elgia &el continued would not wish to
inflict os you a dinmetation on ealuisl polities here—
bet, as I have been so long abet frees home, and
u yes have gives me es kind a woke.. is ai7 return,
think las ia date bowed to show yen how I hove teen
engaged deriag my ebeesee—ia what school I have been
stadyiag—sad hew far the dise-ipline to which I have been
subjected is likely to make me a peeper and sandal meant
youreelyea. (Applause.) I wish to say, further,
that stun fetabsessafty with a etreoger conviction thee
I had, eves Win I kit, ea one se two plats. I. the
dam gdmm, I haws a simnel hi* hi the good erns
sod la the powers of self-govinument of my fellow-
gegatergen. (Hear, and applause.) And, gentlemen,
I have not bees a dilettanti on this subject; I have put
the thin to the test. The I have also a stronger con-
Medea, if passible, even than I had before, of the nips-
riority foe all practical purposes of our own institutions
over these of say other country. Ima sot Wkiag of
Easopean soustries manly—l suppose we are all
at awe ea that poise, for say controveny thateould be raised
as that subject would be one wholly out of date—but I have
bad opportunities greater, perhaps, than any man ever
before enjoyed, of contrasting the working of our institu-
tions with those of our great neighbour is America, the
United States, I hays had this very remarkable °poor-
tuaity that, em the soil of the continent alosgside of the
United States, with • social 'audition to deal with quite as
democratic sae the social erudition of the United States. I
have bees working the English system tipsiest the spoon
of the United States; and I do say that, in many regions,
we have die advantage over them, though, at the same
time. Ido wish Wm all respect to the hafted States. I
have received very great kiadaem in that country ; and I
must say I think ait constitution of the United States is a
eery marvellous work of wisdom, exasidering the circus-
steno's nadir which it was formed. Is the Snit place, I
thick that oar aleaarchiad system gives us this very great
advantage, that the bead of the state represents the
unity of the 'miles—represents those gust and para-
mount interests which unite us, and which is that re
suet are distinwahbed from those which divide as. In all
Rae countries those Interests and considerations that divide
us naturally obtain a very important place. Earnest men
form themselves foto parties, with the object of prennotlag
their own particular Mews of what tic", consider for the
public interest, and ambitions men form themselves into par-
ties for the sake of promoting personal objects; and our great
advantage over the United States is this respect is this, that
whereas, in their republican system, the bead of the state is
necessarily the type and embodiment of party interests, the
head of the state, seder our system, is the embodiment of
the national and rural interest. (Loud chum) And I
can tell you the pretties' way in which that odes/sums tells.
There is only one way in a republic in which
_you can get
absolute salty of sentiment, and that is by effectine hosti-
lity ageism a tonic country. A suceeseful general *situ
the sullies' of tbe whole or the patriotie people; but it is
impsidlis. is that free country, that any party man, is
tuagenedems of deuestie_policy, should ignite together the set.
pespie. Est there is another advantage we pos-
e.= war Ibis. ebki bar different ebaracter, and which
will, perhaps, OM bases t. the sympathy of people
representing all mower of opinion.in this room—se I hope
MI manner of opinions are represented here. (Applause.)
The truth is that we, the popular will, tell on the execu-
tive government mach mere immediately and directly
under our system than the popular voles does in the
United States. You could not have a non curious
exemplification of the difference between these two sys-
tems than you have at this moment. We have been
drinking the ministry to-night —we know not who
they are; but • short time ago we had a government
in this country which up to a recent period had received
sertaialy a large share of parliamentary support, and
which used to command the confidence of parliament.
I do sot say whether it ought to have lost the confluence
of parliament or not; I am not entering into that ques
dos; but we Sad that when a motion was brought for-
ward by which the confidence of the parliament in the
government was tested, and when that moti a was car-
ried against them, that government retired, and the go
'transept of the country will now be committed into other
hands. But what would bays been the state of matters
is America? Why, there never was • president who was
elected with a greater aypearance of popular support than
the present President of the United State., and I venture
. .

M 04 dna dhow Now was as administration which seemed
to be mana Ws* ileureditad smart all panics than the
tomcat in the United State; bat you will

ibeerve that under the American system they are saddled
with that gentleman for four years, and I defy t►em to get
rid of him, or his ministers, if he chooses to keep them
Now, we have in this country that privilege which in social
life is only supposed to be enjoyed by the ladies--and I am
not quite sure that that privilege is not restricted to the
ladies of Aberdeen—(a langh)—we have the privilege et
changing our minds, whereas under the American system
they are not able to de so except once in four years. (Ap-
plum.) The noble lord then concluded by proposing the
Provost and Magistrates of Dunfermline, and prosperity to
the trade of the town.