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

DAY' EVENING, JANUAIIY 11Yi1855,.

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,
'yesterday 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 drawiag-roam 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. I% Thornely,
M.P., Mr. W. Brown, M.P., lir. J. A. Tobin, Mayor
of Liverpool ; Mr. Oxley,-.and Mr. Hyslop, Chairman
of the American Chamber .of. Commerce ; Mr. T. Bunch,
Chairman of the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, &c.
After 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. JAIRS, EARL OF ELGIN AND

KINCARDINE.

"My Lord,—We, the president and members of the
American Chamber of Commerce of Liverpool, avail our-
selves of the opportunity afforded by your lordship's ern-
val. in Liverpool to offer our hearty congratulations on
:your safe return to this country, and at 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 you 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, t,rlTwhich resulted in
the reciprocity treaty between her Majesty's I,;Orth 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, in removing all re-
strictions in our tariff not absolutely 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 encouraged 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 liniits 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.
osso many causes of
"Most sincerely do we congratulate your Lordship in ac-
complishingdissatisfaction,
amaena
as u re
which.which
draws r remotes
closerve and closer those
bonds of friendship which we hope never to see disturbed
between Great Britain, her colonies, and the United States,
countries which are naturally united by language, simi-
larity
strongestof law
tiess, o
usages,fret
aandio
ncsuhsitp-om s, and in many cases by
" We fervently hope that your lordship, having now
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
your country may yet for many years enjoy the benefit of
your high talents in her service.
" Signed by order and on behalf of the American Cham-
ber of Commerce,

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

" Liverpool, Jan. 10."

Mr. T. BOUCEI presented the following address on be-
half of the Liverpool Chambdr 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
Veneeving 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
citnation, and the promoter of the best interests of .man-
kind, it' must ever afford us the utincst 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 your services, and expressing a hope that you may
have a long and happy life to render your country further
benefits.

" Signed on behalf of the Liverpool Chamber of Com-
merce, " THOMAS Boucn, President.

Lord ELGIN replied to.the ikdezpssran. follows :—Mr.
Mayor and gentlemen, I am snicillrat -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 upwards 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 more espe-
cially 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
with you, I really do not say this with any view to self-
laudation, but because it is essential to historical truth
that I must say it—l must 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 of 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 inoilier:--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 think
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 intimate commercial rela-
tionship
which shall spring up between these tw.e coun-
tries, when the reciprocity treaty comes fully into ope-
ration, will render Canada in future, not a barrier and a
severance, but a iin'k to unite these two kindred peoples.
(Cheers.) Gentlemen, I fully and cordially respond to all
the expressions which are eontedned 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. (Clear, hear.) I remember the pride and
gratification, as a fellow-cauntryman, 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 benefactors 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 tact is being afforded even at the present
moment. There can be no doubt whatever but that
there are some persons—though I don't suppose they
are very numerous—on the other side of the water who,
when they heard that the nations 01 Europe were going
to war, rubbed their hands and said, " Our time is
Coming. The nations of the Old World are getting into
°lnfusion, and the treasures of the earth are to be poured
into our bands." But what is the result I I believe it
an indisputable fact that those calamities which are 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"compeasation for the miser-
able calamities we are now enduring if that lesson i 3 not
read to the world in vain. (Applause.)
The assembly then separated.