The Press.
London, England, 1858-06-26 00:00:00

11l P ES 82 ihniE i32-111§58.

the initibers of their branch of the profession have been
at all former periods to do service to their country. I
know I shall express their sentiments when I say that
they may appeal, as a proof of their zeal, t) the fact that
at a period when there was no enemy to be encountered
on the seas the navy have served most gloriously on the
land. They have been found in the trenches of the
Crimea and on the burning plains of India; and no less
shall I express the sentiments of those gallant officers
when I say that they deeply mourn the loss which England
has sustained in the death o. that distinguished officer,
Sir William Peel. (Hear, hear.) He was at the head of
that naval brigade to winch I have adverted. He bade
fair to acquire a reputatiou in war as great as that which
his illustrious father attained as a British statesman
—( Hear, hear),—and I believe there is no one in England
who does not regret the death of Sir W. Peel as a deep,
irreparable national loss. ( Hear, hear.) My lords, for my col-
leagues and myself, in connection with the toast you have
dune the navy the honour to propose, I may say that our
anxious desire is to use every exertion to maintain the
British navy in that full etticiency—in that strength and
power —which it ought to possess. I say this with no
reference to any ungrounded apprehensions with respect
to foreign powers. I am speaking in the presence of re-
presentatives of nearly all the great States of Europe, awl
I believe they will tell you that our foreign relations are
for the most part, if not altogether, in a satisfactory con-
dition. On the other hand, however, it is due to the
dignity, the power, and tho extended empire and gigantic
commerce of England—above all, it is dile to the interests
of peace—that the naval power of England should he
maintained in full efficiency. (Cheers. ► These are the
Aentitnents by which her Majesty's Government are mkt-
!need, and let me add my earnest hope that, whatever
Government may be in office, it will be the first resolve of
the British people—a resolve so firm as to make itself
heard in Parliament--the the naval power of England
shall be maintained unimpeached and unimpaired.
( Cheers. )
The LORD MAYOR then rose to propose the toast
of the evening. He said they were all aware that the
banquet was hen in honour of her Majesty's Govern-
ment; and be did not hesitate to say that whoever
held the position of her Majesty's Ministers were
entitled to the nation's gratitude. He had had the
gratification during his Mayoralty of entertaining her
Majesty's Government on three differeat °cessions ;
and this was the second time that he had had the
pleasure of seeing the present Ministers at his board.
Her Majesty's present advisers were, he was sure,
growing rapidly in the estimation of the country,
their sole object being the adoption of measures cal-
culated to benefit all classes of the community ; and
if they were allowed to remain a few years in office,
he believed the nation would never have reason to
regret their accession to power. The Lord Mayor
having expressed his sorrow for the cause which de-
prived the company of the presence of the noble
Premier and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, con-
cluded by giv.ng " The Health of her .Majesty's
Ministers," connecting with it the name of the Lord
Chancellor.

The toast was received with mach applause.

The LORD CHANCELLOR said :

T sin convinced that there is no one in this brilliant
assembly who does not sympathize with the unfortunate
position in which I son placed. The Lord Mayor, with the
kindness and hospitality which have so distiogniahed
has been pleased to assemble us in this magnificent ball
to do honour to her Majesty's Ministers. But he to whom
the chief honour is due, the head and leade.r of the
Government., is unavoidably absent. It is as if in some
ancient triumph the triumphal car bad passed along
without the victor. We who are here to receive your
plaudits are grateful fur them, but we know that your
thoughts must be tixad on him who is absent. If these
are the feelings which I share in common with my
colleagues, what roust be those which are peculiarly due
to the trying circumstances in which L stand? I feel like
some unhappy second-rate actor who is called upon to
sustain a part which has Leen played by a tavourite per•
former. He knows that during the time he frets his hoar
upon the sage he is ezoosed to the mortification of oom•
passionate criticism, and that his audience are visiting
their disappointment upon him by unequivocal signs of
indifference or inipatienoe. k" No, no.") But, like the
poor player, having widertaken this part, I must use the
accastuined formula, and " hope for your kindest indul-
we've." There is certainly one advantage, and only one,
which we gain by the absence of my noble friend at the
head of the Government. I can speak freely, as I am
bound to speak. of the pore and disinterested motives, of
the high and noble devotion to his country's service, which
have actuated him in his aoceptinoe of the cares and toils
of office.

After describing the state of affairs both at home
and abroad on the accession of the present Ministry,
Lis lordship continued :

That was the mete of things when my nobl t friend, with
a foil sense of All the responsibilities and difficulties of his
position, acceded to poser. We have now been scarcely
four mouths in office, and we may turn with satisfaction to
the changed aspect of affairs, not boastfully, but as men
who are accountable for the duties which devolve upon
them. It has pleese4. Providence to aid the bravery of our
soldiers sad the skill of our generals in the East, and to
crown oar arms with success. One stmoghold after an-
other of the rebels has fallen, and our enemy is prostrate at
our feet. Ttien came the solemn and important duty of
determining how we were to deal with the vanquished.
Our policy is before the world. We lost no time in enun-
ciating it, and we believe that it is founded upon principles
of justice and reason. We have made, or propose to make,

a distinction between those who have eaten our bread, who
have received our pay, borne our arms, and then have
treacherously turned against us, and those whose hands are
stained with blood and atrocious cruelties. It is painful
to speak on such subjects in such an assembly, but stern
and rigid justice demands that a severe example should be
made. Yet, that dreadful duty having been performed,
whet is it which the highest dictates of justice, of is-
inanity, and sound policy require from as? A generous,
a liberal, a full amnesty for alt past offences. If we once
induce the persons who have been—if you will—in rebel-
lious hostility to us to believe that there is no opening for
pardon; that there is no prospect for them but wholesale
slaughter or indiscriminate confiscation, we drive them to
despair, and it is perfectly impossible that the pacification
of India can ever take place. At an early period we pro.
nounced, in the nervous and vigorous language of my
noble friend (Lord Ellenborough), whose loss as a
colleague i shall never cease to deplore, what our policy
was to be, and I believe it has received the sanction
of this Christian country. ( Bear, near.) With regard
to Chia*, our endeavour has been to restore the amicable
relations which ought never to have been disturbed,
and with the assistance of our great allies, France and the
United States—combined as we are in one common cause,
and one common system of action—we believe we shall be
enabled to procure, not for ourselves alone, but for the
whole civilized world, the greatest commercial advantages.
The cloud winch hang over the peaceful and friendly re-
lations between this country and our great and powerful
neighbour has, by the prudence, the discretion, and the
firmness of my uuble friend at the head of the Foreign De-
partment, been entirely dispersed. (Hear, hear.) The
utmost cordiality and good feeling now exist between us,
and I am sure that plight and generous nation will feel
that it never had occasion for one moment to doubt the
honesty, the good faith, and the sincerity of England.
There is another point upon which my noble friend at the
head or the Foreigneetice may justly congratulate himself.
I allude to the success of his interposition on behalf of
those unfortunate countrymen of ours who have suffered
so severely from the rigours to which they were exposed in
a foreign State. I here heard this attributed to the good
fortune of my noble friend. Fortune hi capricious, bat I
think she has never been found in the company of unwise
and imprudent statesmen. (A laugh.) I am quite content,
however, to set the good fortune of my noble friend
against the evil star of the late Administration. They, I
have uo doubt, were as able, as zealous, and as anxious
as my noble friend to procure the liberation of these un-
fortunate men ; but, unhappily, they mistook their way,
and found themselves in a path in which they could not
advance. When my noble friend came into office months
had passed, and there was no prospect of the deliverance
of these men, but in six weeks after tug noble friend had
received the sea's of his department he had the happiness
of restoring them to liberty and their country, and 1 torsi
that they may live many years with recovered health and
restored reason to bless the day when my noble friend
was called to his present high position. But my noble
friend was not content with the mere liberation of these
persons. There was a heavy debt due from the nation which
hisd imposed these rigours upon them, and my itoble friend
—with that resolution, that temperate firmness and deter-
mination which distinguish kite—insisted upon the most
ample and satisfactory redress for their wrongs. The
kingdom of Naples not only yielded to the application of
my noble friend, but it did more. My noble triend—not
content with insisting us the redress of the wrongs of our
fellow-countryinen—felt that it was due to this great
country assn to advocate the rights of cur distinguished
ally Sardinia, whose army hail fought side by side with
ours in the Crimea. To show the importance of my
noble friend's intervention, I may state that, in urging
her cause as well as that of his countrymen, he had the
gratification of being enabled to restore to Santini& the
sh'p and crew which had been imprcperly seized. ( Hear,
hear.) I may, perhaps, advert to circumstances which
have cast a transient cloud—but a light one, I hope—
upon the relations which exist between us and our Trine-
atlantic kinsmen. United as we are by the ties of common
descent, of common language, of similar laws, and of freo
institutions, any misunderstanding between us is a matter
deeply to be deplored. The United States have evinced
their identity of race with us by the sensitive jealousy
which they have exhibited in favour of their national
rights; but I trust the representations which hare been
made by my excellent friend the Minister of the United
States, and the mode in which they have bean met by my
noble friend (Lord Malmesbury ), will very soon restore
those feelings of complete amity which have been ruffled
by this trifling difference. (Cheers.) I wish my tight
bon. friend the Chalmetter of the Exchequer were here,
because I should desire to call hint to account before you
for his doings—( a laugh)—but I cannot pass over in
silence the mode in which he has conducted the important
affairs of his department. If there is one thing for
which this great nation iv more remarkable than another,
it is for the curiosity which is manifested to ascertain,
year by year, how the great problem is to be solved of
finding the ways and means to meet the growing espendi-
tare of the country. My right bon. friend was in •
situation of some difficulty, as he bad to meet a deficit,
and expectation was on tiptoe as to the budget which he
would produce. MY right hon. friend, however, brought
forward a budget of such simplicity that, without very
much increasing the burdens of the country, he pro-
vided for all its want', and, strange to say, elicited
general approbation. Bot thee, as detraction is never
quiet, it was discovered that there was no genius in
his budget. The egg bad been made to stand by the
simple contrivance of breaking a little of the shell, and
then, forsooth, everybody thought he could have done pre-
cisely the aartie—( a laugh I—as if it was the doty of the
Chancellor of the Exchequer to extort the exelamation
" How wonderful !" instead of the praise " How satis-
factory!" But if my right hon. friend challenges the
merit of genius, and it obtaining great ends by simple

means is entitled to that merit, then, I think, you can
hardly refuse to pay blin such a tribute. (Hear. hear.)
You must not suppose that, in addition to all those sub-
jects which lone pressed on the attention of the Govern-
meet, they have not had other difficulties to encounter.
We have tumid in the House of Commons that members
of great distinction Lave joined to support nieusures
which we have metaled them in opposing when they were
in office. So different is the aspect of thing* when viewed
from the Treasury and from the Opposition benches, and
te, completely do they change their colour when looked at
from the sunshine or the shade We have not been
allowed to continue patiently in possession of our offices,
because, as you may all recollect, great preparation was
made for the attack upon us, and a combined movement
was effected in the tau houses. The parts were arrant/ea ;
the drama was opened ; speeches of the greatest ability
were delivered, when suddenly, like a dissolving view, the
whole scene vanished from before us, the formidable array
which was to have annihilated the Ministry melted away
and left us undisturl ed. ( Hear, hear.) Whether that
result was due to a spirit of forbearance returning to those
who reflec►ed, or whether it might be owing to the un-
equivocal symptoms of popular feeling upon the subject,
it is not fur me to say; but, without asserting that the
popular aympathies were arrayed on our side, I cannot
help thinking that the general sentiment which pervaded
the country was that we were entitled to the English-
man's privilege—a fair trial. To that fair trial we com-
mit ourselves in the face of the country. 1 believe there
is nut one of my colleagues who is not sensible of the
awful responsibility attached to any one charged with a
department of the State, and who is not determined
conscientiously to perform the trust reposed in him.
Animated by these feelings, and aided by the blessing of
Providence, without which all human wisdom is foolish.
ness, ail human strength weakness, we hope we shall be
able to fulfil the duties committed to us, and when the
hour shall arrive—whether it be soon or late—when,
for the good of our country, we shall be called upon to
resign our offices, we trust we may carry with us in our
retirement a few regrets and a few kind recollections of
our fellow-countrymen. and may leave behind us traces
that we have not laboured in vain fur the welfare awl hap-
piness of our native land. (Loud cheers.)
The LORD MAYOR Raid he rejoiced to see around
him so many eminent members of the corps diplo-
matique. Among them was his Excellency M.
Musiirus, whom they might almost reckon as half
an Englishman, and also his Excellency Marshal
Pelissier, the Duke of Malakoff, whose presence in
that hall the citizens of London hailed with the
warmest enthusiasm. Having briefly alluded to the
distinguished services of Marshal Pelissier in the
Crimean war as having served to cement the alliance
between France and England, the Lord Mayor ex-
pressed his fervent hope that the day was far distant
when any feeling of animosity should separate two
great and powerful nations, who while united might
defy the world. He then gave " The Foreign
Ministers," coupling with the toast the names of the
Turkish and French Ambassadors.

Drank with much cordiality.
His Excellency the Tuitictsit AMBASSADOR returned
thanks in French.
The Duke of MALAKOFF followed in the same
language. He beggeil to offer his acknowledgments
along with those of the Minister of Turkey, for the
manner in which his health had been proposed and
rei,eived. After one or two further observations in
a similar strain, the gallant marshal concluded by
expressing his earnest wish that the present friendly
relation, between France and England might be of
long continuance.
The Earl of HARDWICKE returned thanks for the
"House of Lords," and the Marquis of SALISBURY
gave "The Lady Mayoress," after which the company
adjourned to the drawing•room.

THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA BILL.

THE Bill for the better Government of India, which
has just been printed, contains GG clauses. The
following is an abstract of them :

The preamble states that whereas it is expedient that
the territories in the possession of the E.st India Company
should be governed by and in the name of her Majesty.
By clause I. the government of the territories now in
the possessiou or under the government of the East India
Company, and all powers in relation to government vested
in or exercised by the raid Company in trust fur her
Majesty, shall cease to .be vested in or exercised by the
said Company. and all territories in the possessior. or
under the viver.inient of the said Canpany, and all rights
vested is, or which if this act Lad not been passed might
have been exercised by, the said Company in relation tc
ally territones, shall Leconte vested in and be exercised on
behalf of her Majesty ; and for the purposes of this act
India shall mean the territories vested in her Majesty as
aforesaid, and all territories which may become vested
In her Majesty by virtue of any such rights as aforesaid.
Ili Italia shall be governed by and in the name of her
Majesty, and all rights in relation to any territories which
might have been exercised by the said Company if this act
had hat been passed shall and nay be exercised on behalf
of her Majesty as rights incidental to the Government
ut ; ndia.
1i I. Save as herein otherwise provided, one of her
Majesty's Principal Secretaries cf State shall bare and
perform all such or the like powers and duties in anywise
relating to the government or revenues of India, and all
snob or the like powers over all officers appointed or con-