The Sun.
London, England, 1855-01-03 00:00:00

THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD
TRADE AT OXFORD.--THE WAR.

a President of the Board of Trede, the Right IP
E. Cardwell, M.P. for this city, has been spending
day or two with his constituency; and on Monsaid4
being New Year's Day, le dined at the annual 1".
val of the Druids, when about 130 of that order!
down to a sumptuous entertainment, which was seri'
up in the lodge room. The Mayor of Oxford, Aniati
man R. J. Spiers (late mayor). Alderman C. J. m 1
ley, and several of the Town Council who belong
the order, were present. Many excellent speeches Weo
made during the evening, but that which created
greatest interest was delivered by Mr. Cardwell, inn!
turning thanks for the toast of "The City Membera
Mr. Langston, the other member, was prevented be",
present from illness, consequent on his late accid°'
We are happy te find that the honourable gentlel
is progressing gradually, and that he hopes t°.
able to take his seat in the house early in the 801
session.
Mr. CARDWELL, who was received with entheeil
cheering, said that in rising to return thanks for thnii,
toast it was not possible for him to convey to then' r'
sincerely he sympathised with those feelings which
been so eloquently expressed by their chairman with,
Terence to his absent colleague, Mr. Langston. '
were to them a matter of just prie and satisfaction 0
for so many years they had returned to Parliament °
of the most upright and independent members 0f,..4
House of Commons, it was to him a kindred fee'
although not enjoyed for so long a period, that
had the co-operation and counsel of an invaluable
league. (Cheers.) That he had met with aFe
accident and was absent today, because he was still
tering from its effects, must be to all of them a matter
unfeigned regret ; but if there was a consolation oriv
' suck circumstances, it was that their chairman, as we,
themselves, were enabled to speak more freely and flip ,
ingly in hie absence than they could, with his delicaelp
feeling, speak of him in his presence. He Weald
gratified when he was told how deeply and sincerely
at
regarded him, not only in his public capacity, b
their warmest feelings of private friendship and re'
For himself he (Mr. Cardwell) looked forward with.
terest to this meeting, because when they had ree°
the events of a departed year, and looked for
with hope and anxiety to the events of a neW
it must be to him most agreeable to meet so 1
a number of his friends and constituents in
place. It was one of these occasions when, as stew •
their chairman, party feelings and topics upon which'
ference of opinion and discussion might arise, were,.
properly excluded ; but when they might take the ell
tunity of indulging in that free interchange of (spin °b
topics of general interest, which constituted, after ,
' the firmest bond between a constituency and its ref
sentative. Nor ought they to forget, nor would ~ .
forget, that they were the most ancient, the most 1.
cue, and the moat free of those countries which
' governed through the medium of representative ice'"
tions—(cheers)—and that, at this moment, the fr
of the world depended on the example which B°g
set to other communities. (Cheers ) It was by
tree interchange of opinion, that these bonds were for
and cniented, and freedom created ; it was the fr_i
of the constituent, and the freedom of the represeaw
and the communication of honest opinion in '
spoken language, that constituted the gore/Tint
ciple of that free empire in which they had the!'
ness to live. (Cheers.) For his part, he looked f°,
to this opportunity of meeting them, not mere
the enjoyment of a festive occasion, or for the Vs,
tion of any busines which might be uppermost ea,
moment, but because he believed that by a eon
communication and free interchange of opinion, the
stituency and the representative were brought int?,
Lemony and acquaintance with each other,
,",
tended not only to strengthen the machinery of frrior.
vernment in England, but to promote freedom and
runny throughout the whole of the civilised d
The interesting occasion of the close of one year a°,o
beginning of another naturally suggested to Wl':
mind topics which were uppermost for consideratio
discussion. What was their situation when they last
bled together? At that time England enjoyeiol
parity, not only unexampled among other nations, ttel
consequence of her great freedom and the popular l 0
of her institutions, she was the first in prosperrtfi 0
power, but she had attained a pitch far beyond 3 010
illustrious precedents, and it tended to inspire 11
she was entering on a career still greater, and on
highly developed prosperity. They had closed tllooe
decade, the first ten years, when by the applieatiof' ;
freedom to their system of commerce, the springa
dustry had been lightened, and the energy and'.
prise of the British people had been invited to •
itself in new and hitherto untried sources. cCe
Within that period their foreign commerce had °-
'
and taxes remitted showed the rebound, and thot
eto,
smaller imposts produced the greatest return
Treasury. He need not tell them what was the ,
effect on produce from abroad, or what were Td '
on the industrious classes engaged in prometing4l,o t
at home, for it must be obvious thatif they had au tse.
man's remuneration and diminished his burdenar.,
suit must be to improve the condition and inerne i
prosperity of the people. (Cheers.) He would Ili
over topics familiar td their minds and coincisiltreo
those changes, such as laying the foundation f°irli."
exalted education, for relief from the pressure o', I'h Pies
want had enabled persons to consider those not
0.01
DOrtent mettere which might conduce to the 1:°, c ,
vancement of the whole kingdom.; such was they •,.
and position when he had last the honour of addr '
them in that ropm. The year which had just closed
however, shown them that other virtueswereto be ''r ,
into exercise, for it had pleased the Providence of ~.
to visit them with the trials of war, and there were'
who thought that advancing-commerce and edeliv.,
groat blessings as they acknowledged them to beta
tend to the diminution of the martial energy and
tary spirit of this kingdom. Whether that hap
the case they alt knew from those deeply painful, cei
spiriting, graphic, narratives which they bad I'. st
from the shores of the Crimea. What might be n '
for England in the year upon which they were ea 'i
it would be presumptuous for him to anticipateL.:
it was beyond the power and province of Irliefli •
foresee, but there was the consolatory reflection t If '
was through no guilty ambition on the part of thet
tish Government that they had entered on that
guinary war in which they were now engaged, but
hed entered upon it from the firm belief and conlifi
that they were forced to do so from. the dictates !oh;
tice and necessity, and it was that feeling wrbitoen •
duced the whole country to come forward as ealleet t
give the Government their unanimous and Cord
port. (Cheers.) The gallant men whom they lle"e
forth had displayed all the virtues which adorn
military character ; they had been guided by 12° tj
of ambition, and so soon as they had done all til:#
tice and necessity required, they would be as l'!_eif
show that magnanimity and moderation in the Po
victory as they had shown courage and fortituel'?„,
hour of trial. (Cheers.) His sincere hope and deep"
that it might be among the blessings of God'efi;cs
deuce in store for them to bring this great co°
an honourable conclusion, and that peace might he
restored to the nations of the world ; that the C'tpe
ing lesson might produce its fruit, and not be I°°o ,
free people, who had been kindled by au energlatir
never laid long dormant in the minds of the BritletPto
and who would, when the struggle was over, rata
their pacific pursuits with increased zest and .1.0,
having tasted of the evils which resulted from thV g Y
porary suspension. If their enemy, in calculatlar
prospects, considered how far his utmost efforts ill'ope
able to paralyse their efforts in peaceful pursuits, ittose,
afford him no satisfaction. If he looked to the teer
their mercantile marine, be would find that while.,,,m' et
was totally annihilated, that while not even a Pem[oll,
any of his ships could show itself on any sea, ye',
sea had been crowded with England's merchant
busy in the pursuit of successful and increasing e°,ain 0 ssi ,
(Loud cheers.) If he inquired from the annual ow,e ili
terms, whether they had experienced a diminution In
foreign trade, he would find that although 1853 was ,
yeni
without precedent in the extraordinary increase ° 1F.,,
former years, that increase had been maintained in via
He (Mr. Cardwell) was not quoting statistics, or foisitS
them precise figures, but he spoke in general loilsi
and was enabled to say that great and unellarloid
their prosperity had been before the commerleenlioee,,
the war, it still continued and prevailed at the C of'
1854. Their enemy would find, too, that theiro
nine, the gonrc'eq of their perrnessemtwrealtls ...917
to grow, and to prosper, and to become the fount, /
of future empires, and of free governments in distant
of the world. (Cheers.) He would find also tbas,
revenue was maintained, no mean evidence of the
perous condition of the people at home, and an al'.
plaining people, cheerfully submitting to any th.
to carry on a war which he had entailed upon &di
and showing mere energy as the pressure of the yr.;
came greater. (Loud cheers.) It was under soc''
cumstances that they closed the year 1854, and ten
1855 ; and if the year 1855 should be a year of der
and of war, they at least knew that Englankt If;
exhibit an example of which Englishmen might
c
es
be proud, furnishing, as she was doing, pag of lef,
history, worthy to be associated with those of tif'
borough and Wellington. (Much cheering.) Sal,
should please God that they should return to a ott
of peace, he hoped that they would in commercial ea
prise evince the same spirit which they dimplafidefit
1854 ; and he trusted as years rolled by they sv°ll,Pl .
hibit illimitable progress, and remit to future gel.
ea, I
only the glorious achievements of their army andri
but the more solid and substantial fruits of •"' ir!
commerce and enterprise. That was their only arare,
and when war was forced upon them they would Q
Jk
charge their duties with energy and fortitude ; 17_0,04
the honourable career of peaceful industry, they ''' esf_
labour with equal earnestness to benefit mankind, tope,,
mote the civilisation of distant nations ; for he viseed:
vinced that that constituted their true happinesnte el,
was the anxious desire of this brave, this free, aliesi
lightened people. (Loud cheers.) On behalf of 111' PI '
cellent colleague and himself, he again thanked ths,7oo
their kind reception, and sincerely wished them au
pleasures and happiness of the opening year. er
Mr. Cardwell resumed his seat amid general chef '
i

this company was held
LONDON DOCK COMPANY.--The half-yearly mee.lenr
yesterday, Mr. John Cattleitlo
the chair. The report was favourable, considering of
state of our foreign trade, 548 loaded ships havivgd
tered the docks in the six months, or 197,446 ",d
The revenue for the half-year ending Novembel.l6l'
273,9811. 3s. 3d., and the expenditure was 177,4 9'
9.f. The halance to the credit of profit and 1(0 •Jir,
231,1401. 4s, 6d., from which a dividend was no°l,ol
Glared of 21. 10s. per cent, for the six months, ffeV
income tax. The report was adopted,, and power qii6
given to the directors to apply to Parliament to ItDe
a further sum of 200,0001. for new works and °
inirpo4Bll;