The Express.
London, England, 1863-10-16 00:00:00

(Stamped, ld. Additional.)

OXFORDSHIRE MEMBERS ON PUBLIC:
APPAIRS.

On Wednesday night a grand civic banquet took
plans at the town-hall Oxfnal. Amoag the guests preessit
were the Right Horn. E. Cardwell, M.P., the Right lion.
J. W. Henley, X.P., Colonel North, M.P., Colonel Pane,
LP., the Recorder of Oxford (the Queen's ancient serjunt,
Hr. Solent Mannieg), the Vios-Cbanoellor, the High
Sheriff, the Senior Proctor, the Public Orator ; the muter,
and provosts of the various oolleges, the mayors of Abingdon
sad Woodstock, and a large number of We principal inhabi-
tants al the city.
Tbe tows-hell was beautifully &oersted for the ccossioe.
The MAYOR (Mr. Alderman Thompson) occupied the
(lair. _ .

Mier **various loyal and patriotic toasts had boon even
sad imponded to the Mayor proposed the health of the
City Member, which was most cordially received.
Mr. CARDWELL, 02 rising, was received with loud *an.
After some preliminary remarks, in the nouns of which be
amend his regret et the delicate stet* of health of hie
hon. relines, Mr. Leaptoe, he mid—lt is impoleible far
us to meemble together es we have dons on she present
oeea-
Me without a feeling of wooden and gratitude at this dr-
consamen in which this post country is now placed. W •
have jest tethered is a harvest name beautiful perhaps than
may harvest in Übll experiscos of my right hos. trio* Mr.
Hasioy, huge and Menials an that superiors Ms hem ailet
he Is, I my. Wily my, me ciao mast experienesd famon
is the county. lath. north of Ragland, with white part of
the country lam more pasties's* connected, I am glad to
my *at those mums of remain distram with which it has
been visited are sow proieg away, nod that *ADP an =are
premising than maid have been anticipated for the =derby
aunty of Lancashire. (Hear, him.) I for 020 was always
sangsdne upon this point, and believed that the trial through
which we were passim meld net may be home with pest
heroism, end would remit in • state of uedbninished pros-
perity to the country at large, but I did Dot believe that we
could hare gout through the int, and ems two yeses of
each a Merida calamity as that which it has phased Divine
Providence to sillict as with, and yet that IM esontay
would prim* such a happy wastrest to almost every other
country in the world. l ent me, then, that I only eche the

sentiments of the meeting when I say that we snail cos-
Past the happy position of the British Empire at the present
moment. with that of other countries without • doom
feeling of gratitude to God for the peat blessinp
which we enjoy. (Cheers.) If we look either to
the met or the west, we And an absolute monarchy
and • republic plunging into a civil war, which is
the worst of wars. and more fraught than any
other with public cidamitica, and wherever we turn
oar es upon the great and powerful country of
we sea bloodshed in the field and sorrow
on the earth. Contrast that with the contentment,
the traoquillity, and the remarkable prosperity which
upon the whole *skits among wireelvae, and above all
with that cordial sod sincere affection to our iustitu-
tiora, and towards each other, which happily prevails
among all clawof the people of this country. (Cheers)
Ido sot speak of those slight differeome of opinion spot
public question which must seamanly arise among • free
al=who are in the habit of discussing openly and fairly
questions. Such differences of opinion do not dis-
turb the mutual respect and the sincere regard which the
various classes of society in this country feel for each other;
but I speak of that deep and broad undercurrent of unity
on all quoins el partmouat importance which are
easeatial to the anisitenos of • fre_e, happy, prosperous,
and powerful country. (Cham) That patriotic feeling
is manifested upon all occasions in which the honour
of oar coustry is concerned, and it malts in r-
epent for oar institution; sad not only in loyalty, bat
is warm of eelies amounting to reverence towards the
woma of our soveniga sad be, family. We watch with
the deepest interest every event that tends to augment their
end when, as we have read to-day, as °cession
moon which recalls the loss, the trials, the suffering. and
the sorrow of our gracious Queen, the whole ratios vibrates
with sympathetic feeling. sad joule in the expression of
sentiments of loy altyOud love. (Hear.) This, then, is the
happy enidttion a/ our country ; we owe it to • higher
power, and it is therefore our duty sot to be farad'
wanting. But, ormaideriog the advantage' aid the
blessings we enjoy, we ought, by the exercise of energy,
industry, perseverance, and bdriity, to those greet
principled which should be the rule of every mos s
conduct, to endeavour to increase those blessings and mul-
tiply those advantages for the benefit of the community
among whom we live. I believe that the foundation' from
which we derive those blessings will be found in the incid-
ence of oar national institutioos, aod they, thank God, are
in this happy land fixed on so brood and deep a basis that
they will survive every storm, ad mations to be, as they
have ever been, the envy and admiration of every ether
oouotry in the world. (Cheers.)
The CaLutmAN next gave " The Health of the County
Members."
Mr. Hansa, in the comae of his speech, said
weal matter of deep regret to every Englishman that day by
day and almost hour by hour we received nothing but ac-
counts of bloodshed frost that country whichof alkothers

one7onid— have Tne;gined to poem= in itself ell the ele-
ments al peace, hippies= sad prosperity, and it
=a also a matter of regret that there seemed
to be growing sip is the United Stake a feel-
ing of bitterne= towards this country, for so for
u England was coacerned he had never been able to god
the slightest reason for it. (Cheers.) He wished sincerely
that be wee in • position to say that he could see any
prospect for the termination of that dreadful struggle now
gang oe in America, but he was usable to do so, and the
best advice that be could give her Idalrety's (=orrisroot
we, to continue the same impartial conduct they had
hitherto evioced, and to hold themselves nod this country
entirely aka( from it ("Hear, bear," and chem.)
Various other touts of a load character ware given and
responded to, entitle proceedings terminated.