The Sun.
London, England, 1855-01-11 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, JANUARY 11, 1855.

NAVAL AND MILITARY INTELLIGENCE.

The Duke of Wellington, 131, Captain G. T. Gordon,
will be paid wages at Spithead this day.
The Princess Royal, 91, screw, Captain Lord C.
Paget, was paid wages on Tuesday, at Devonport, and
was to sail yesterday for Ireland, to embark troops
for the Black Sea. She takes mails for Malta, Scutari,
Constantinople, and the fleet and army in the Black
Sea.

The Nile, 91, screw, was to be taken into dock at
Keyham, yesterday.
The Ajax, 60, screw, C.tptain Warden, has completed
swinging ship, and, with the exception of painting,
could put to sea immediately.
The Arethusa, 50, Captain Symonds, is being fast
dismantled, and wiil be paid off into ordinary at De-
vonport.
The Arrogant, 46, screw, Captain Yelverton, hauled
into the angle dock at Portsmouth yesterday. On the
water being pumped out her copper appeared to .be in
beautiful condition, so far as regards her body ; but
her false keel and fore foot have sustained some trifling
damage, having been knocked away by the rugged
points of rocks. A couple of days or less would repair
all defects, if necessary.
. The Geyser, 6, paddle-sloop, Commander Dew,
steamed out of Portsmouth harbour to. Spithead, yes-
terday, and awaits sailing orders.
The Dragon, 6, paddle, Captain James Wilcox, was
to proceed from Portsmouth-to Pembroke. The men
(about 60) which, she brought round from the Vulture
received pay yesterday, and leave.
The crew of the Amphion were paid down yesterday
at Sheerness, and granted leave of absence. •
The crew of the Desperate, were also paid down,,and
granted leave. In consequence of Commander White
being appointed to this ship, her crew have been turned
over to hulk on board tho St. Lawrence (late Shannon).
Commander White has taken up his commission to the
Desperate, and hoisted his pendant.
The Sprightly, Master Commander Allen, took a
party of the -Victoria and Albert's crew on board the
Dragon, to assist in navigating the new Royal yacht to
Portsmouth.

RETURN OF' LORD ELGIN.

LIVERPOOL, JAN. 10.

The ex-Governor-General of Canada, attended by Sir
Cusack Roney and his aide-de-camp, Captain Torrens,
arrived at this port in the steamer Pacific, from. Boston,
yesteiday evening. • His lordship proceeded to the
Adelphi Hotel, and this morning, after inspecting St.
George's-hall, he met the principal members of the Ame-
rican Chamber of Commerce and the Liverpool Chamber
of Commerce, in the drawing-room of the Town-hall,
for the purpose of receiving from those important com-
mercial bodies congratulatory addresses on his return.
Among those present we observed Mr. 'T. Thornely,
M.P., Mr. IV. Brown, M.P., Mr. J. A. Tobin, Mayor
of Liverpool ; Mr. Oxley, and Mr. Hyslop, Chairman
of the American Chamber of Commerce ; Mr. T. Bench,
Chairman of the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, &o.
Atter a few introductory and congratulatory observa-
tions by the MAYOR,
Mr. OXLEY presented the following address on behalf
of the American Chamber ;
!' To THE RIGHT HON. JAMES, EARL OF ELGIN AND
KINCARDINE.

." My Lord,—We, the president and members of the
American Chamber of Commerce of Liverpool, avail our-
telves,of the opportunity afforded by your lordship's arri-
val in Liverpool-go offer our hearty congratulations on
your safe return io this country, andnt the same time to
express the high sense we entertain of the valuable services
which your lordship. has rendered to your country during
the arduous period in which yen have filled the office of
Governor-General of Canada.
" We especially desire to express our satisfaction at the
successful termination of the negotiation in which your
lordship bore so distinguished a part, and which resulted in
the reciprocity treaty between her Majesty's North Ame-
rican possessions of the United States of America.
" These 'interchanges of mutual interests, which it
sanctions and encourages, cannot fail to exercise a power-
ful influence in preserving the good understanding which
now so happily exists between that enterprising people and
ourselves.
" We regard as a measure of sound policy the course pur-
sued by her Majesty's Government, is removing, all re+
striations in our tariff not arialutely.required for the due
support of the public revenue, without reference to what
other nations may do. Other countries, seeing the benefits
arising from this wise policy, are enettraged to follow our
example, towards which the North American provinces,
under. the rule of your Lordship, have taken so important
a step.
"When exchanges between nations cease to be made
with advantage to both parties, the natural limits to com-
mercial intercourse between them are reached. It is our
privilege to lead the way in removing restrictions, so as to
extend those limits as far as possible—a course which is
eminently calculated to promote civilization, the spread of
Christianity, and goodwill among nations.
"Most sincerely do we congratulate your Lordship in ac-
complishing a measure which removes so many causes of
dissatisfaction, and which draws closer and closer those
bonds of friendship which we hope never to see disturbed
between Great Britain, her colonies, and the United Stites,
countries which are naturally united by language, simi-
larity and in many cases by
lt
"We fervently hope that your lordship, having now
ahre i ty
strongest of
ouos usages, e
relationship.
a andti o customs,uship.
retired from the duties of your late important post, may,
under the blessing of Divine Providence, be long spared to
your faMily and friends, and that in your future career
enjoy the benefit of
your
r choiughrittraylemutasyiuyehtefroser manyrriee. years
" Signed by order and on behalf of the American Chain
her of Commerce,

WILLIAM OXLEY, President.
"G. J. DUNHAM, Secretary.

" Liverpool, Jan. 10."
Mr. T. Botrcx presented the following address on be-
half of the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce :
" My Lord,—We, the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce,
desire to avail ourselves of the opportunity of your lord-
ship's landing in this port heartily to congratulate you on
your safe return to England, and to express the favourable
sense we entertain of the most important services you have
rendered to Great Britain and her North American colo-
nies by negotiating a reciprocity treaty between those pro-
vinces and the United States of America, thereby happily
removing vexed questions, especially that of the fisheries,
which threatened to engender unpleasant feelings in both
countries, between whom it is most essential that mutual
goodwill should always exist.
" Considering commerce to be the harbinger of peace and
civilisation, and the promoter of the best interests of man-
kind, it must ever afford us the utmost gratification to see
the bond of amity drawn closer between Great Britain and
the other nations of the earth.
" We feel it is due to your lordship. not to allow you to
pass through Liverpool without evincing our high estima-
tion of year services, and expressing a hope that you may
have a long and happy life to reader your country further

benefits.
mer"ceSi,gned on behalf of 92, eTaLouiveArs Liverpool Chamber
amphreersoiafeCnto.m-
Lord ELGIN replied to the address as follows :—Mr.
Mayor and gentlemen, I am sure that you can all un-
derstand, perhaps better than I can express it, how gra-
tifying it must be to a person who has been engaged in
the service of his country for several years in those re-
mote parts of the empire which do not frequently attract
the attention of-the British' public to receive on his re-

turn to his home, and from bodies filling so high a posi-
tion as those who have now honoured me with these ad-
dresses, the expression of their approbation and esteem.
Gentlemen, the tale of my administration of affairs in
America is a very simple one, and very easily., told.
During the period of my sojourn upon that continent,
which has now extended over upward, of eight years—
for it was on the sth'of January, in the year 1847, that
I embarked at this port to assume the functions of Go-
vernor-General of British North America—l have had

two objects mainly in view ; in the first place, it has
been my endeavour to place the colonists whose interests
were more particularly committed to my charge in such
a position, politically and economically, as to leave them
nothing to envy in the condition of any other people upon
the earth ; and more particularly, because we must not
forget the parallel that they were always establishing
between themselves and their neighbours, and inoreespe-
.

chilly between their own condition and that of their im
mediate neighbours, the prosperous citizens of the United
States of America. And, gentlemen, I will confess it
because your kindness induces me to be frank and open
self-
laudation, but because it is essential to historical truth
thatwith Iyou I ,
must raeaaylliy do
it--I
nmotusstay this with any view to
say
that when I undertook
the task I felt that I was undertaking a task of no ordi-
nary difficulty and magnitude. And any of you, gentle-
men, will understand that this was the case if you will
be pleased to refer, not only to the passing observations
of travellers and the fugitive literature cf the day, but
to Parliamentary and authoritative documents, such as
the report of the Earl of Durham on Canadian affairs,
in which the condition of the territories lying on oppo-
Site sides of the boundary line between the United States
and the British provinces is contrasted, or even, if more
recent evidence be required, to the picture of the hope-
less entanglement of Canadian affairs which is presented
in the recently published pamphlet of my very distin-
guished and immediate predecessor. Gentlemen, I felt
further, that, great as the difficulties of that task might
be,. it was my duty to undertake it, 'because I felt confi-
dent that upon no other terms and conditions could
the connexion between the mother country and
that important dependency be rendered either perma-
nent or mutually advantageous. Then, gentlemen, the
other object which I had in view—and I own I thinki
it is hardly inferior in importance—was this :—to
place the commercial relations of the United States and
the British provinces on such a footing that they should
not, if possible, at any future period furnish occasions of
estrangement or alienation between those two great and
kindred nations who inhabit the opposite shores of the
broad Atlantic, and whose continued friendship and
amity is so essential to the peace and progress of
mankind. (Applause.) And, gentlemen, permit me to
say that I do think both of those objects have, to some
extent at least; been accomplished. I think I may take
it upon myself to say that nine-tenths of the people of
Canada are now of opinion that their condition in con-
nexion with England contrasts favourably with that of
any other people on the earth. ' (Renewed applause.)
And I believe, also, that the intimatd commercial rela-
tionship which shall spring up between these two coun-
tries, when the reciprocity treaty comes fully into ope-
ration, will render Canada in future, not a barrier and a
severance, but a link to unite these two kindred peoples.
(Cheers.) Gentlemen, I fully and cordially respond to all
ithe expressions which are eontained, in these addresses,
and in the eloquent observations of his worship the
Mayor—to all those expressions as to the bearing of'
trade upon the progress and happiness of mankind ; and
I well know with what powerful effect' this great com-
munity has wielded that important instrument of modern
civilisation. (Hear, hear.) I remember the pride and
gratification, as a fellow-countryman, with which I used
in my earlier days to read over those eloquent passages,
in which the trade of Liverpool was described, that fell
upon a memorable occasion from the lips of that bril-
liant orator and distinguished statesman who considered
it one of the proudest circumstances of his career that
he was the representative of Liverpool. (Applause.)
Gentlemen, I can only say that it appears to me that,
although, of course, I should be the last person to say
a single word that could imply an inadequate appre-
ciation of the advantages of national independence, still
if I might venture upon such a paradox—l might say
that, in these our days the greatest benefactorA of man-
kind are those who teach the nations and peoples of the
earth that they are mutually dependent, and that no one
member of that mighty aggregate which constitutes the
body corporate of nations can suffer unless the other
suffer with it. A most striking and instructive illustra-
tion of that fact is being afforded even at the present
moment. There can be no doubt whatever but that
there are some psrsons—though I don't suppose they
are very numerous—on the other Side of the water who,
when they heard that the nations of Enropo were going
to war, rubbed their hands and said, ' Our time is
coming. The nations of the Old World are getting into
confusion, and the treasures of the earth are to be poured
into our hands." But what is the result ! I believe it
an indisputable fact that those calamities which aro in-
cident to a state of warfare—stagnation of trade, dearth
of employment, bankruptcy, and misery of different de-
scriptions—are bearing as severely upon the United
States as upon those nations which are immediately' en-
gaged in warfare. Gentlemen, this is a most valuable
lesson, and it may be some compensation for the miser-
able calamities we are now enduring if that lesson b not
read to the world in vain. (Applause.)
The useably tlavz PePa.!,tedt