The Express.
London, England, 1851-08-29 00:00:00

THE BANQUET TO MR. STEPHENSON.

We yesterday published a summary of the proceed-
ings at the grand banquet given at Bangor, in honour of
Robert Stephenson, Esq., M.P., together with an epitome
of the hon. gentleman's speech, by electric ulegraph. We
now furnish a full report of the reply of Mr. Stephenson to
the toast of his health, and also the speeches of Mr. Locke,
M.P., and Mr. Paxton.

The CHAIRMAN (Col. Pennant, M.l'.), in proposing
the health of their distinguished and respected guest, ob-
served that a large proportion of the improvements that
had taken place iu this country, within the last quarter of a
century, have been owing to the talents of civil engineers.
(Hear, bear.) The mineral wealth taken from the earth,
and so adapted as to enable our manufacturers to compete
with all the nations of the world ; the docks and canals by
which the trade of the country was carried on ; and
more recently, the various railways and all their
concomitant advantages ; each and all bore the
impress of the hand of the civil engineer, and
to that claw of the community a very heavy
debt of gratitude was due. (Cheers.) And among
that class no ono stood more exalted for soundness

of judgment aid probit of character than tiCirl;;;;;;t7d
guest, Mr. Robert Stephenson. (Protracted cheering.) In-
heriting, as he did, a mime already conspieuoue to engineer-
ing science, he had added to that name a renown not con-
fined to this country nor to Europe, but which was known
and appreciated in every civilised country in the world.
(Applause.) The engineer who was unclog to drive
through the jungles of India, or to connect the
,chores of
the Pacilicwith the Atlantic, must make himself acquainted
with the trials and difficulties which Mr. Stephenson had

- .
surmounted, before he could feel perfect mastery co er those
obstacles which might be thrown in his way. The Bri-
tmania-bridge mast out as a monument of his genius, alike
Wilde in its proportions and imperishable in it, fame.
(Cheers.) They bad long had before them the production
of Telford's genius, the Meuai maim:edam-bridge, and there-
fore were in some degree able to judge of the difficulties
which had atteuded Mr. Stephenson in the accomplishment
of his stupendous task. Bay by day they had seen him
superintending the putting together of those gigantic tubes;
day by day they had seen them floated, and ultimately
they had seen them elevated to their present height. The
feelings of admiration at witnessing the gradual progress
and ultimate completion of the work had elicited th it testi-
mony of the principality to the genius of Mr. Stephenson.
d(Great cheers.) But he believed there were other inure in.
irect causes which had contributed to the homage they
were then offering him. Ile (the chairman) believed that
this Britannia-bridge, by the facilities which it offered,
would confer very great benefits on the country generally ;
and he might therefore reasonably suppose that these
feelings hail to a considerable extent induced the tribute
of praise which had given rise to that assembly. (Hear,
hear.) It might indeed he said that this acknowledge-
ment of Mr. Stephemon's services ought to have been made
sooner, but he would remind them that the Britanuia-
bridge had now stood for one year; it had survived the test
of the winter's gales, and lie would now like to know where
were the prophecies of those who had predicted that it would
be unaueeeesful. Some had said the tubes would never be
floated, others predicted that they would never be mho,' ,w hilst
others again confidently averred that if ever they were raised
they would assuredly fall down again. (Laughter and cheers.)
Where were all these prophecies now ? (Enthusiaeti
applause.) He would not longer delay them, but call,/ ,
them t.: join in the pleasing duty of drinking the health a
their distinguished gust, Robert Stephenson. E.q.
The toast was received with the greatest enthuetasm, afar
times nine hearty cheers, and the Kentislt life ,wing
given. As soon as the cheering had subsided,
Mr. STEI'HENSON rose and spoke as follows: s leatle-
men,—ln rising after the eloquent address which y.
prat heard, to return you my heartfelt thanks foe the
honour which you haves dose •me un this OLT ,sisal , by
making me your guest, I feel that I must rely on your
sympathy and kindness to minue the inadequate- an d im-
perfect manner in which I am able to eaprcu myself
(Loud cheering.) But I will in one weed, with all sin-
cerity, express to you that 1 feel awed dee ply the
honour you have conferred on tae this day,
day which will be remembuoil l' me, tu merely
as one in which I have received this '.ugh a.m.
pliment, Mat it will also be remembered b y me ie a
test of the thorough appreciation by ...he inhali.tants of this
aeighboorhood of the difficulties which have 1 ,ern cabman-
tered sad successfully overcame in the conetr netiou of that
noble and gigantic work the Britannia-bridge. (Renewed
cheering.) That this appreciation has been most /arra° on
your part I feel, not only from what has fallen limn the
chairman, but from the cowedingly kind 'manner ie which
yea' have received me. (Rear, fear.) Ye.o have bad ample
oreirtunitier of observing the gradual progressof this
work; you have watched with wag ety thew perilous
eperationa which teem 'tine to time have passed
an review before you, end hewing so appreciated
these operations, I feel more acutely the puentiun
in which you hews now placed me. (Hear, hear.)
It wools) hs• expect/ of me I know, that, under the circum-
stances, should pa into s detailed recapitulation of those
difficulties. in the conatrwtion of the Britannia-bridge to
which l a aye alluded in generaltenns, and which may not
be undeentood to an orffinary observer ' • but I aan happily
iclieved from that amenity ea this occasion ; fur
all the doubts amt anxieties which existed during the
cosetruetion of the bridge, bat which have leeen solved by
its completion. have already been given to the world by my
friead and valued assistaut, Mr. Edwin Clark. (Load
ehenrw) Of the merits of that work I have had ample
teeteniony tam almost eery corner of the world,
wherever engineering science has made any progress, and
I am now daily receiving proofs of the value which
it has proved to the whole profession wherever
it has been pursued to any great extent. (Renewed
cheers.) it is sometimes the case, that when an engineer
has finished a work involving many difficulties, it may pass
out of his mind; but in my case, I assure you, it is not so,
for the Britannia-briolge has occupied my attention, and 1
cannot but think that that work is yet far from having de-
veloped its influence on society either here or in any part
of the priaeipality. (Hear, hear.) You in this immediate
neighbourhood may perhaps be, at the present time, par-
ticipating in its advantages to some extent ; but I feel that
the Chester and Holyhead Railway is &edited to form, at
no dietaat day, one of the principal railway links in the
British empire. (Prolonged cheers.) shall not follow
the chairmen in the remarks be has made as to the benefits
conferred upon the country by railways, for the tact
of their usefulness is now denied by no one. Their
influence on society has not only been to give an impetus to
commercial pursuits, but they have diffused comfort and
happiness throughout every corner of the land, and more
especially have they proved beneficial to the working-man
above any claw of the community. (hear, hear.) They
have raised that dam in point of locomotiou to a level with
the peer, and they are carrying an amount of warmth and
comfort to his hearth which he had never befuee the means
of enjoying. (Chows.) No one can take a retrespeetive
view of 20 years past without feeling that civilisatinit had
at that period reached a point beyond which it could not
pass without the aid of nscreaaed powers of locomo-
tion. The powers of the horse were strained to their
utmost limit—nay, we had eve. gone beyond what
any wen-caltivated mind could jastify. (Hear. bear.)
A new species of locomotion was necessary ; and it
was accomplished. And how was it moomplished ? What
circumstance in our ligation allowed as, in the compass-
direly short period of twenty years, to raise up stash a
stupendous Allen of improvement in locomotion ? lba
answer is doh we have bees able to do it from one CiallElP
stance alone—the abundance and cheapness of iron. (LW
and continued cheering.) And this circumstance reminds
me of what occurred to me some time ago during a visit
Copenhagen. I there visited a museum, and heard • lose
tun from a man who bad spent kis whole life is the Newly
of mechanics and philosophy. He had in hie mole=
workmen's tools amidst; the rudest state of barbeedism wed
also every improvement up to the highest state of refine-
ment. Ile was most enthusiastic la pointing out to me
the gradual improvements made, and, if I did not
fully appreciate every article he endeavoured to
explain to me, he made me dwell upon it until I
did so appreciate it. He illustrated to me the first tools
which the artisan used—they were bone ; he traced them
up from the rudest state to a state of comparative perfee•
Lion, and when he came up to a certain point he said, " You
observe how slow has been the improvement up to that
time, but (pointing out iron tools) look how rapid it has
been since the discovery of iron." Ido not make these ob-
servations of digression from my immediate subject merely
for the purpose of relating to you the eircums'ance, but in
order to lay before you the train of thought which it raised
in my mind. (Hear, hear.) I thought he was quite right,
but I reflected thus :—" How little does this man
think what iron is now doing round about him ! He
has been deeply engaged to study, but he does not
know as well as I do what an influence iron now
Gus upon society and the world. He does not know
that there has been as much iron taken from the
bowels of the earth as would suffice for a girdle to encircle
the earth itself." (Hear, hear.) He might have said that
we arc now producing iron from the earth which is claim-
ing wealth and happiness throughout the world. (Cheers.)
The all-civilising thing is iron ; and I much doubt whether
we are yet armed at that height of civilisation which I
believe we are destined to enjoy. I believe we stall be yet
more civilised, from the existence of an article of material
wealth beneath us—and that is iron. (Renewed cheering.)
I will not detain on longer, but return you my most
sincere thanks, and let me assure you that I appreciate
your kindness most highly. The honourable gentleman,
on resuming his mat, was again greeted with enthusiastic
applause.
Mr. LOCKE, M.P.' in responding to the toast of his
health, said that when he came into that room he had no
idea of receiving such a mark of respect as they had just
paid him, for the very small compliment which he hail paid '
his friend Mr. Stephenson in coming from London to wit- I
ness the floating of this first tube. He sincerely assured the
company that be came to their banquet that day to do
honour to Mr. Ithephsseen, to whom all honour was due.
(Cheers.) In' rising on that occasion he did so with ex-
treme reluctance, because he felt that he could say nothing
beyond ezpreWng his cordial coneumence in all the re-
marks which the chairman had made respecting their dis-
tinguished guest. He could, however, from personal ex-
perience, say what must have been the character of that
engineering skill which had enabled the difficulties
encountered in constructing the Britannia bridge
to be overcome. (Great cheering.) The genius and
talent which were equal to the completion of so great a
work must indeed be of the very highest order. (Hear,
hear.) When ho reflected that Mr. Stephenson was a
friend of his of 30 years' standing, he (Mr. Locke) thought
he might with some propriety say that he did participate
in the honour which they had now paid to their eminent
pat. (Cheers.) It was impossible for a sea, the mem-

bee of a profession to which they both belonged, to wit-
ness such a proceeding as tho present, and not feel deeply
the honour so deservedly paid. (Cheers.) Ile gladly
availed himself of that opportunity to say, honour to the
man who had conceived and execute.l such a noble work.
Might they live long to admire it, and might Mr. Stephen-
son live long to is cave the homage which intelligence
always pays to distinguished merit. (Loud cheers.)
The various other toasts on the list having been given
and responded to, the company separated shortly Lefore 11
o'clock.

TIIE ÜBBERLEY COLLIERIES.-'VISIT OF