The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-10-15 00:00:00

THE DINNER

Took place at the Sefton Arms Hotel, close to the Race
Course. The banquet was provided by the host, Mr. E. W.
Topham, in the best style, and, in the usual phrase, it con-
sisted of everything that could be produced at this abundant
season of the year. The dinner was everything that could
be wished ; everything the season afforded was in profusion,
and the wines were abundant, of the best quality, and con-
sisted of champagne, and other favourite vintages.
Between forty and fifty gentlemen sat down to the
banquet, and amongst them were the following :
James Ashcroft, Robert Baker, Henry Banks, Blackwell,
Bissett Bretherton, James Birch, John Daly, Centest,
Edwards, W. Fowler, Frodsham, Gibbertson, Dr. Higgin-
son, James Ledson, Langshaw I Meadows, Molvneux, Nut-
tall, Orritt, Pye, Rogerson, Tyrer, Walthew, Wilson, Wil-
kins, 'Vernon, Bennion, Pecking, Musgrave, Zachary, Kerr,
&c., &e.

E. W. Topham, Esq., ably filled the chair, and he had for
the vice chair an able representative in James Langshaw,
Esq., of Manchester.
The banquet was given by Mr. Topham, the valued and
respected lessee of the course at Aintree, in honour of the
coming of age of the noble earl, who is so likely to prove a
worthy successor of his honoured father. It would be an
act of injustice to Mr. Topham to omit saying that every
thing was done in hie usual prinooly style, for ho never does
things by half ; and, besides the excellence of the
entertainment, his personal attention and urbanity
merited the warmest applause of the repectable company.
The room was tastefully laid out for the interesting occasion,
and festoons of flowers, evergreens, &c, were hung round, so
as to form a gay appearance. When the excellent viands had
been discussed; and the cloth drawn,
The Chairman rose and called for a bumper. Re gave
" The health of her most gracious Majesty the Queen."
Drunk with all the honours Song by Mr. Nuttall.

The Chairman then gave "The Prince of Wales," which
was duly honoured.
The next toast was " Prince Albert, and the rest of the
Royal Family."
The Chairman then gave" The Emperor and Empress of
the French—our noble allies." (Loud cheers.) It was
well known the assistance given by the French in the late
war, and the privations endured by the brave French people,
and, therefore, they should be honoured with a bumper.
The toast was received and drunk with enthusiasm.

The Chairman again rose to propose " The Army and
Navy." He said the brave men who had in some measure
saved the country, deserved their gratitude. The toast was
drunk with fill the honours.

Captain Howard, of the merchant service, was loudly
called on to return thanks. He bore testimony to the
bravery of both army and navy, as he had beheld their exer-
tions in the Crimea. He was warmly greeted.
The Chairman then proposed " Her Majesty's Ministers."
The next toast proposed by the Chairman was " The

Jord Bishop of the Diocese." - That prelate had set an
example of Christian charity to all England, and it afforded
him great pleasure in wishing his lordship long life and
every happiness. The toast was duly honoured.

The Chairman then rose to propose the health of the
youthful Earl of Sefton. He was greeted with loud
applause. He said, the next toast which he had the
honour of proposing, was one that he was sure would.
meet with their approbation and applause. (Hear, hear.)
He did not know the young and promising nobleman, as
well as he knew his honoured father—(hear, hear,)—but
from what he did know of him, he was bound to speak.
(Cheers.) He had only spoken to his lordship on two
occasions, and from what he had observed o•f him on these
occasions, he must, with truth, say that he found him to
be a perfect gentleman, and he bad no hesitation in saying,
that his lordship was, what they all would be glad
to hear—he was all right. (Cheers.) He could not help
saying a word about thu honoured and noble father of the
present Earl, whom they all knew and valued. (Hear,
hear) He was the soul of chivalry, and they all had seen
him, both here and in Liverpool. (Hear, hear.) They
all knew him to be a good landlord, a good husband, and
the best of fathers. (Hear, hear.) Ile was beloved by all
who knew him—he was revered for his charity, and his
good qualities were appreciated by every one, high and
low. (Cheers.) Whilst thus speaking of the father, they
should not, nor could they, forget the sou—the young
nobleman whom they had met that evening to honour.
(Hear, hear.) He (Mr. T.) had no doubt that the
young gentleman would follow in the footsteps of his
noble father, and prove fully as good a man. (Hear,
hear, and cheers.) lie (Mr. Topbarn) determined, on his
own part, to show his respect to the young earl, not only
on his own account, hut also in honour to his father's
memory. (Cheers.) And therefore it was that he had
the honour of invitoL, his friends to join him in that mark
of respect that evening. (Hear, hear.) He had many
little squabbles—if he might call them such—with the
late noble and generous earl, and as these pertained to
matters of business, he had no hesitation in saying that if
he were wrong, the earl would tell him so ; but if he were
right, the earl would at once, with that noble frankness
of his generous nature, say, " Topham is right, and I
admire him for it." (Loud cheers.) From what he (Mr.
Topham) saw of the young earl, there was no doubt he
would walk in his father's footsteps, because he had had
evidence of it. (Cheers.) As an humble individual, he
(Mr. Topham) had deemed it prudent to assemble the
company. there that evening to bid welcome to the worthy
son of a worthy father, and he would therefore propose,
" The Health of the Earl of Sefton, long life and prosperity
to him."

A Voice: May he be as good a man as his father.
The toast was drunk with musical honours and nine
times nine.
Mr. Wilson, house steward at Croxteth for twenty-
seven years, in an able speech spoke to the toast.
The following toasts were then given, and properly
honoured :—" The Countess of Sefton," " The Earl of
Derby," " The Lord Lieutenant of the County," and
several others.
The Vice-Chairman then gave the " Turf'," and made
an excellent and humerous speech, and mentioned what a
person had said to him a short time ago—" The turf was
not what it used to was" (loud laughter), for, continued
his friend, " Now legs have turned swells, and swells have
turned legs." (Cheers.) After an exceedingly happy
speech, he proposed " The Good men above the turf, and
the bad men under it."
In the course of some conversational observations which
followed, the Liverpool Mercury was spoken of in terms,
the opposite of complimentary, whilst the NORTHERN
TIMES, and Daily Post, were loudly applaud d.
The next toast was the " Press," which was duly
honoured. Mr. John Daly, of Carlisle, proposed the
health of the worthy chairman, and this was carried with
the most rapturous applause. Several other toasts were
proposed, and many excellent songs given, particularly
by Dr. Higginson, and after spending an agreeable even-
ing, for which all felt indebted to the worthy lessee of the
Aintree Course (Mr. Topham), all separated, highly
pleased.
The latter speeches we were reluctantly obliged to cur-
tail, in consequence of the pressure on our spase._;