The Express.
London, England, 1852-05-10 00:00:00

HER MAJESTY'S MINISTERS AT THE

MANSION-HOUSE.

On Saturday evening an entertainment on far
more than tho usual scale of civic magnificence was given
by the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor to nearly the whole of
her Majesty's ministers in and out of the cabinet, all the
foreign ambassadors, a great number of distinguished
naval and military officers, and a brilliant assemblage of
ladies and gentlemen whose social position or municipal
connexions entitled them to the entrte of the Egyptian-hall.
The display of uniforms, naval and military, court and
diplomatic, foreign and civic, was extraordinarily varied
and brilliant. The entertainment itself was worthy of
so distinguished a company. Several novelties in
arrangement had been judiciously borrowed from the
grand banquet at the Hotel de Ville, especially a profuse
and tasteful display of natural flowers, which running along
the centre of the table', imparted much of that graceful
lightness of decoration of which our Gallic neighbours
have hitherto enjoyed almost • monopoly. Music, vocal
and instrumental, was provided under the direction of Mr.
Francis, and the wines from the Lord Mayor's own cellars
left nothing to be desired either in quality or abundance.
Among tho company were :

leis Royal Highness tho Duke of Cambridge and Lord
William Powlett, the French Ambassador and the Countess
Walewski, the Earl and Counties of Derby, the Earl of
Lonadale, Marquis and Marchioness of Salisbury, Right
Hon. Spencer Walpole and Mrs. Walpole, Earl and Coun-
tess of Malmesbury, the Right Hon. Sir John and Lady
Pakington, the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland, tho
Chancellor of the Exchequer and Mrs. Disraeli, Right lion.
J. C. Hurries, President of the Board of Trade soil Mrs.
Henley, Earl and Countess of Hardwicke and Lady Eliza-
beth Yorke, the Duke and Duchess of Montrose, the Mar-
quis of Exeter, the Prussian Minister and Madame Bunsen,
the American Minister and Mrs. Abbott Lawrence, the
Sardinian Minister, Marquis D'Azeglio, the Greek Minister,
M. Tricoupi, the Turkish Minister and Madame Musurus,
the Portuguese Minister and the Countess Lavradio, the
Brazilian Minister and Madame Macedo, the Sicilian Mi-
nister, the Danish Minister and Madame Bille, the Persian
Charge d'Affaires, the Count de Gaudin and Mona.
Jules de Sato, secretaries to the French Embassy, Major
Mina Malcolm, Marquis of Blandford, Marquis of
Chula* Earl and Countess of Jersey, Earl and Countess
of Desert, Earl Talbot, Earl Cadogau, Earl and Countess
of Wilton, arl of Verulain, Lord Henry Gordon
Lennox, .P., Lord Geo. Gordon Lennox, Viscount and
Viscountess Barrington, Viscount and Viscountess Galway,
Viscount and Viscountess Combermere, Viscount and Vie-
countess Hardinge Viscount Newport, Lord Naas, Lord
Claude Hamilton, Lord De Roe, Lord Saltoun, Lord and
Lady Sondes Lord and Lady Southampton, Lord Crofton,
Lord and Lady Colchester, Lord Templemore, Count Ben-
tivoglio, the lion. W. D. Talbot, Major the lion. S. Cotton,
M.P., &c.
The first toast was, of course, " The Queen," which tho
Lord Mayor briefly introduced by an allusion to the ready
welcome with which her Majesty's health is received in
every assembly of Englishmen, and nowhere with greater
demonstrations of affectionate loyalty than in the good city
of London. Even beyond the British empire he was wil-
ling to believe there were few who would not willingly
join In pledging, " Long life, happiness, and prosperity to
Queen Victoria." (Loud cheers.) The toast was enthusi-
astically responded to, especially by the foreign guests, who
were most marked in their courteous demonstrations.
His LORDSHIP then gave" His Royal Highness Prince
Albert, Prince of Wales, and the rest of the Royal Family,
including his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge,
their honoured guest." Having done full justice to the
exalted position, both at home and abroad, of his Royal
Highness Prince Albert, whose character and acts formed
their own eulogium, his lordship congratulated himself
upon having as one of his guests, so distinguished a mem-
of the Royal Family as the illustrious Prince who .at on
his right hand (the Duke of Cambridge). That distinguished
prince was endeared to the city of London by his charseter,
by the memory of his illustrious father, and by his connex-
ion with more than one of the great city companies. (Loud
cheers.) He felt the day to be a proud one in which be
had the honour of proposing such a toast, in such a com-
pany, and be felt sure the company would sympathize with
him In giving it a hearty welcome. (Great cheering.)
The Duke of CAMBRIDGE rose to return thanks and
was again loudly cheered. His royal highness said—My
lord mayor, ladies, and gentlemen, I certainly had hoped
that it would not have been necessary for me to have ad-
dressed you at all, because I feel that in the presence of
many who surround me, whose remarks you will he much
more gratified to listen to, anything I should say would
occupy your time very unnecessarily. At the same time, I
should feel myself wanting in respect to your lordship and
the company 111 neglected to express to you the sentiments
I entertain towards the Lord Mayor of this great City for
the compliment he has paid me, and the manner in which
he has referred to me. I feel extremely flattered that he
bee done me the honour to invite me on an occasion such as
this. I feel flattered because I see around me the mem-
hers of her Majesty's government and many distinguished
foreigners who grace your lordship's table. I stn myself a
etildier, and es such I trust and believe that 1 shall be as
willing and ready u anybody in this hall to do my duty
both to my sovereign and my country. (Cheers.) But
at the same timu you will believe me when
I say, that it affords me a great deal more gra-
tification and satisfaction to see the many distinguished
foreigners who are present meeting us in amity and friend-
ship, and that cordial letting which I trust will ever prevail,
and which is of the greatest importance for the prosperity of
the world and of this great city in which we are now assem-
bled, than I should derive from the most brilliant success
in the field. (Applause.) I trust that that amicable and
satisfactory state of things will long continue, and I have
only to assure your lordship that it affords me, as one of
your subjects in this city, the greatest satisfaction to join
with you in doing honour to our distinguished foreign
friends. You have alluded to my being a nirmher of two
great corporations in the City of London—that is an honour
I highly prize and I see before me the Prime W.oden of
one of those distinguished companies. I ant delight d to
act as one of his subordinates, and shall be happy to attend
him on all occasions; and beg to assure yes that I am
extremely grateful for the honour you have done me in

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