The Sun.
London, England, 1855-03-12 00:00:00

LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, MARCH 12, 1855.

BANQUET TO GEIVERAL

On Saturday evening the Directors of the East India
Company gave a sumptuous banquet in honour of Gene-
ral Vivian and the English officers who have been ap-
pointed by her Majesty's Government to the command
of the contingent of Turkish troops about to be raised,
under a convention with the Sultan, for service in the
ensuing campaign in the Crimea. The dinner took place
at the London Tavern, and was presided over by Col.
Oliphant, the chalrmau of the Court of Directors, and
among the principal guests were—His Excellency the
Turkish Minister, General Vivian (who sat on the chair-
man's right), Viscount Palmerston, G.C.8., the Mar-
quis of Lans‘lowne, E.G., the Duke of Argyll, Lord
I'anwure, K.T., Right Hon. It Vernon Smith, M.P.,
Lord Vivian, Lieutenant General Sir George Pollock,
G.C.8., Mr. Mills, Sir J. W. Hogg, M.P., Sir James
C. Melville, K.C.8., Sir F. Currie, Mr. Danby Sey-
mour, M.P., Hon. W. Leslie Melville, Mr. Shepherd,
Sir F. Abbot, &e. About 150 gentlemen in all sat down
to dinner.

The gallery was occupied by groups of distinguished
ladies.

On the removal of the cloth the healths of " Her Ma:
jesty the Queer.," Prince Albert, Albert Prince of
Wales, and the rest of the Royal Family, were seve.
rally proposed and received with the usual loyalty and
enthusiasm.

The CHAIRMAN, in proposing the next toast, said—we
are honoured to-night by the presence of the representa-
tive of one of our most ancient allies, in whose cause our
sword is now unsheathed. I need hardly assure his
Excellency the Turkish Minister of the great gratifica-
tion it has afforded the British nation to hear of the
noble defence which the Ottoman troops made, not only
at Silistria and upon the Danube, but also in the more
recent glorious action at Eupaturia. (Cheers.) I ass
confident that his Excellency will-do this company the
justice of believing that it is with the most cordial feel-
ing that we drink to the health of his Imperial Majesty
the Sultan. (Drunk with three times three.)
M. Musunus, the Turkish minister, responded to the
toast in French. His excellency said—Mr. President,
my lords, and gentlemen, the sentiments of sympathy
and admiration manifested in this place for my august
Sovereign, and which are the expression also of the
sentiments of the British nation, correspond perfectly, I
can assure you, with those with which his Imperial Ma-
jesty has never ceased to be animated towards this great
nation. (Hear.) You have a proof it in the very act
the execution of which has offered to the Court of Direc-
tors of the Hon. East India Company the opportunity of
inviting us to this banquet. That which proves how
much my august master is desiraus to testify his senti-
ments of sincere friendship towards her Majesty, your
most gracious Queen—that which proves how much he
appreciates the profound wisdom and patriotism of your
ministers, what a high price he attaches to the alliance
of England, what complete confidence he has in the
skill and in the bravery of your army, is that he
has hastened to detach an important portion of his
own troops to place them at the disposal of the
commander-in-chief of your army in the East, and
by that means to procure to himself the honour of
partaking more intimately in your military glory. (Hear.)
Yes, gentlemen, this participation in your military glory
is certain, since the choice of her Majesty to command
the Ottoman corps has fallen on a general who has already
often distinguished himself on the field of battle. (Cheers.)
I have the hope and the conviction that, should a prompt
and solid peace be not coicluded, the troops which the
general is now called on to command will prove them-
selves to be the generous rivals of the victorious comba-
tants of Oltenitza, of Kalafat, of Citate, of Silistria, of
Giurgevo, and of Eupatoria—(cheers)—the worthy com-
panions in arms of the heroes of Alma, of Balaklava,
and of Inkerman. (Cheers.) lam certain that the
Ottoman soldiers will esteem themselves fortunate in
being placed under the direction of such a brave general,
and that the general will have reason to feel proud of
having had the command of such brave troons. (Cheers.)
Such is my hope ; such are the wishes with which I ac-
company, and with which you, I am sure, also accom-
pany the brave general in whose honour we are assem-
bled here this evening, the worthy officers who are to
follow him, and the army which he goes to lead to vic-
tory. (Cheers.)

The dITAIRMAN next proposed "The Army and Navy,"
observing—Well did our forefathers love to do honour
to the wooden walls of Old England, and well may we,
their descendants, remember that to those wooden walls
are we indebted or the maintenance of our power and
our honour as a nation. In regard to our army, who
that has read of their glorious achievements at Alma,
at Inkermann, or in that never-to-be-forgotten cavalry
charge at Balaklava, but must long to do honour to
our brave soldiers who have there shown that undaunted
courage, that unflinching fortitude, untiring perseve-
rance, and wondrous discipline, which have enabled
them to meet dangers of such an extraordinary charac-
ter as those they have had to face ? I will not detain
you further by dilating upon their achievements. That
gallant band still remains upon the scene of its recent
triumphs, manfully to uphold the glory of the British
arms, and I propose that we all drink a bumper to its
success. (Cheer.)

The toast having been duly honoured,
General Sir C. PASLRY returned thanks for the army,
and, having referred to its recent brilliant. successes in
the Crimea, observed that, though no doubt great hard-
ships had been endured by our gala,nt troops, yet the
campaigns in the Peninsula had been equally attended
with severe suffering, and there could be no doubt that
if the army of Sir John Moore or of -the Duke of Wel-
lington had been followed by " the special correspon-
dent " of the leading newspaper of this day, his
"graphic descriptions" would have reduced England at
this moment to the position of a mere province of
France. (Laughter.) The gallant geLerat then pro-
ceeded, amidst ironical bursts of applause, to inform the
company of certain opinions he had once expressed to
the late Mr. Hume as to the policy of this country
always maintaining a standing army ; and having
pointed out the advantageous position in which the
people of England were placed as compared with our
allies, the French, in not being compelled by conscrip-
tion to serve in the army, he concluded a somewhat dis-
cursive speech by expressing a hope that the inquiry
now pending before a committee of the House of Cornmons would tend to clear the professional character of
Lord Raglan.

The CHAIRMAN—The next toast is one of deep interest
not only to the country at large, but more especially to
the East India Company. The Turkish Ambassador has
explained to us that his Majesty the Sultan has placed
at our disposal 20,000 of his subjects for service in the
Ottoman empire, who are to be commanded by English
officers ; and our Government has applied to the East
India Company to ascertain whether any of their officers
now in England under sick certificates or upon furlough
were desirous of volunteering to serve their country i❑
this contingent. We are all aware that hitherto the ser-
vices of the East India Company's officers have been
confined to the territories under the Company's rule ;
but you may judge with what alacrity those officers have
responded to the call now made upon them, when I tell
you that in the space of three days from 150 to 200 of
them have readily volunteered. (Cheers.) The service
into which they enter is one of no ordinary character and
requires talents of a peculiar description. The troops
they are to command differ from them in language and in
customs, and they will have to encounter those difficulties
which are inseparable from the beginning of every new
system. But her Majesty's Government have selected a
commander for this service in whom the gallant men who
have thus volunteered have every trust and confidence
that he will ably, zealously, and faithfully perform the
task he has undertaken. (Cheers.) lam aware that the
qualifications of the gallant general on nay right have
been called in question, but I am happy to say that the
criticise to which they have been subjected, instead of
redounding to General Vivian's disparagement, has only
served the better to establish his fitness for the post that
has been assigned to him. (Applause.) The testimonials
which he received from his commander-in-chief are such
as any military man might well be proud of, and prove
that he is eminently qualified for active service in the
field, and that a more gallant soldier no army could pro-
duce. (Cheers.) As the compeers and comrades who
have served with an officer are perhaps the best judges
of his real merits, it is peculiarly gratifying to me to be
able to say that a long intimacy with my friend General
Vivian, while serving in the same force with him,
has convinced me that no man could be found more
eminently fitted for this command. (Hear, hear.)
While paying this just tribute to the commander, let
me not, however, forget that our thanks are also
duo to the gallant men who have ♦olunteered to serve
under hint. To all of them we offer our most cordial
good wishes, earnestly trusting that success may crown
their efforts in the cause of their country. (Cheers.) The
chairman concluded by giving " the health of General
Vivian and the Officers of the Turkish Contingent," which
was received with enthusiasm.

General VIVIAN, in responding to the toast, said—Mr.
Chairman, my Lords, and Gentlemen—l beg to tender
you, in my own name, and in that of my gallant asso-
ciates, our beat and heartiest thanks for the honour you
have clone us. I feel proud in having been selected for
a command such as that which has been entrusted to me
by her Most Gracious Majesty. I owe this distinction
to the kind confidence of the noble lord at the head of
the War Department, and to the favourable opinions
entertained of me by the Court of Directors, whose sol-
dierand servant I have keen for the last 35 years. (Hear.)
After what has fallen from your chairman, I will only
add that I am perfectly alive to the arduous nature of
the duties I am about to undertake, and fully sen-
sible that the post committed t,) me is a most re-
sponsible one. Yet Ido not shrink from entering upon
its duties. I shall be associated with many gallant offi-
cers, both from my own and from her Majesty's service;
and I trust I indulge in no undue spirit of boasting if I
anticipate being able to fulfil the instructions of her Ma-
jesty's Government to their satisfaction. It was with
great pleasure I read the speech lately made by Major
Nasniyth, eulogising the high qualities of the Turkish
troops ; and I believe that with such materials at our
command we may look forward with confidence to suc-
cess. In the selection of the officers of the Indian ser-
vice who are to accompany me, my recommendation has
naturally been followed, but I am also glad that many
officers of the Queen's service will likewise join the con-
tingent ; and I have no doubt that every British soldier
Will endeavour manfUlly to do his best, I loam that I
.

have very inadequately expressed the feelings which ani-
mate me on this occasion ; but I trust as a soldier, that
my deeds may prove better than my speeches. (Cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN—I have now to propose to you "The
health of her Majesty's Ministers," and I feel proud in
coupling with that toast the name of a noble lord, erni-
newt not only from his position as the head of the Go-
vernment, but as being, perhaps, the most popular
statesman in this country. (Cheers.) He has taken the
helm at a time when th-4 two foremost nations of West-
ern Europe have united their forces with those of the
Ottoman Porte in order to carry on an arduous conflict
in defence of justice and of civilisation ; and let us hope
that, after a glorious war, his Ministry may secure to
Europe and the world the blessings of a lasting and an
honourable peace. I give you "Lord Palmerston and
her Majesty's Ministers."

The toast was drunk with loud applause.
Lord PALMERSTON—Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen,
for Myself and for my colleagues I beg you to accept our
most sincere thanks for the honour you have done us in
drinking our health, and I can assure you that we are
fully sensible net only of the honour but also the kind-
ness shown to us in our being invited to be present on
this most interesting occasion. It is true, as you, Mr.
Chairman, have been pleased to say, that those who
hare bad the charge of the Government of this country
have been compelled to engage in a great and arduous
contest with one of the first military powers of the world
-for the maintenance of principles which are dear to the
heart of every Englishman, and in defence of interests
of the most vital importance to the country to which we
belong. (Cheers.) We engaged in the war with reluc-
tance and hesitation. Those who had the manage-
ment of the negotiations which preceded this con-
test were accused of delay, of weakness, and of
hesitation in embarking in a just conflict un-
worthy the character of this great country. It is
true that we exhausted every endeavour to avert a war
of which we foresaw the magnitude and the difficulty,
but which we were determined to face if it should
be impossible for us to avoid it by peaceful means.
(Cheers.) Our efforts at negotiation having, however,
failed, we drew the sword, and I trust we shall not re-
turn it to its scabbard until we have obtained honour-
able and conclusive terms. (Hear, hear.) We have
been invited this day to the festive board of what I may,
without compliment or exaggeration, say is one of the
great Powers of the world—to the board of those who
have been delegated by the Sovereign and the Parlia-
ment of this country to administer the affairs of a
vast territory—to watch over the welfare and pro-
mote the happiness of, I believe, 100,000,000 of our
fellow creatures, and who have performed the high
functions with which they have been charged in a
manner which entitles them to universal admiration,
and which has enabled them to confer inestimable
blessings on the dominions and the races which they
govern. (Loud cheers.) The course of events has fre-
quently compelled these rulers to wage war—they have
in many instances achieved conquests, but, unlike those
conquerors whose footsteps are marked by desolation
and whose career is followed by misery, they have subju-
gated only to emancipate, and added to their subjects
only by increasing the number of happy and free men.
(Cheers.) But, gentlemen, these wars have raised up
many a hero and many a brave and skilful soldier. I
have now the happiness to see many here whose breasts
are adorned with the honourable rewards of well-fought
fields. I see around me many who have distinguished
themselves in those contests in which in the perform-
ance of their duty and in the service of the East India
Company they have been called to engage. They are
now going to a different scene of action, and, having
hitherto contributed to the glory of their country in the
eastern hemisphere, they are now about to maintain the
cause of justice and of right in the west, and to fight
for the honour and dignity of this empire in the re-
gions of Europe. lam persuaded that they will discharge
their duties in the one quarter of the globe as nobly as
they have done it in the other. They will have to com-
mand the contingent to be raised by our ally the Sultan
of Turkey, and those officers (many of whom I have
myself seen) who have witnessed the achievements of
the brave and gallant Turks, have invariably testified
that they are the materials out of which the best pos-
sible troops may be formed, provided only that they are
placed under good and capable leaders. (Cheers.) There
can be no doubt that a contingent composed of such
men, and led by such officers as those whom we have
the pleasure of seeing among us, will march to victory ;
will cover themselves with glory on the field of battle,
and will contribute—should the efforts now being made
to negotiate unhappily fail—to gain for us by the power
of the sward, that future security for the peace of Europe
which will then have been denied to persuasion and
amicable endeavours. Gentlemen, I again return you
thanks on my own behalf and on that of my colleagues,
and I trust that before this day twelvemonth we shall
be able to congratulate you on the glorious distinction
that will have been won by the gallant men with whom
we are now sharing your hospitality. (Loud cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN next proposed the health of Mr. Ver-
non Smith, the President 04 Ito Board of Control,
taking occasion to assure the right hon. gentleman that
he might rely upon the ready co-operation of the Court
of Directors in all measures which they might mutually
deem to be for the benefit of India.
The toast was drunk amid loud applause.

Mr. VERNON SMITH, in acknowledging the compli-
ment that had been paid t• him, adverted to the recent
date of his appointment to the administration of Indian
affairs, asserting that he yielded to no man in the great
and engrossing interest he took in the welfare of the
millions intrusted to his care, and that he would devote
his best abilities to promote their happinessand improve-
ment. Turning to the more immediate object of that
assemblage, he said it was impossible to overestimate
the benefits which would be derived from engaging the
services of officers •f the Indian army in the present
war, and he trusted that those who had hitherto shared
the same glory would hereafter obtain the same high
honours as the officers of her Majesty's troops. Those
who had fought under the banners of Plassy and Assay,
of Sobraon and Chillianwallah, would not prove them-
selves unworthy of fighting side illy side with the heroes
of Alma and Inkerman. (Cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN then gave " Success to the Allied
armies in the Crimea," associating with the toast the
name of Lord Panmure, and expressing his confidence
that the War Minister would use his best exertions to
place the British army in that state of efficiency which
would enable it eventually to destroy the predominance
exercised by Russia in the Black Sea, the continuance
of which was incompatible with the peace of Europe.
(Drunk with applause.)

Lord PANMURR—I certainly did not anticpate that I
la
n t receive.
army T o
is to have it associated
should have been called upon to say one word upon the
present occasion ; but, sir, you have been pleased to
connect my name with the army of Great Britain now
in the Crimea. In so doing, you have-- perhaps
afor valour, distinguished for
I
unwit-
tingly—conferred upon me the highest honour which it
have my name as-
sociated possiblet h
all h
a tth
discipline, and celebrated, as it ever must be, for the
with a
ist
that couldremarkableg
patient endurance of suffering. (Cheers.) ) The services
of that army to its country have been rendered with a
fidelity, a loyalty, and a patriotic spirit that will cause
the names of who belong to it to be handed down to the
unfading remembrance and grateful affection of the
latest posterity. (Cheers. No one can forget the man-
ner in which that army left this country. After a pe-
riod of forty years of peace, we were called upon sud-
denly to send into the field an army exceeding in
numbers any that ever at any one time before left
the shores of Britain. The flower of our people went
forth under the nation's banner, and from the mo-
ment they landed upon the enemy's soil up to the
present hour not a single reverse has ever attended them
in the face of the foe. They have invariably set their
feet upon his neck, and trampled his glory in the dust.
(Cheers.) A now army, exposed for the first time to a
winter campaign, they have endured all its hardships,
and carried on the war under its severity in a manner
which has excited the admiration of one of the oldest and
most distinguished veterans of Europe_
I mean Marshal
Radetzky. I only learnt this day that, on being asked
his opinion as to the mode in which our army had passed
the winter in the Crimea, that eminent general expressed
no surprise at the sufferings it had had to undergo, and
his laconic reply was, " Remember, it is a new array,
and it has gone through a winter campaign." (Cheers.)
No doubt there has been much suffering during the
rigours of such a campaign ; no doubt there were many
omissions which future experience may correct ; but I
have every reason to believe—and I may say it with
confidence before this company and also before the Bri-
tish people—that the corner is now turned ; that the
sun is again shining upon us ; that, with returning
spring, the health, the spirits, and the energies of our
troops are returning likewise, and that we may hope, ere
long, when the decisive moment comes, that our gallant
army in the East will again add fresh laurels to those
that they have already gathered ; that they will again
call forth the meed of their country's praise ' • that they
will again be seen fighting, and fighting with SUCCCS3, in
the cause of justice and of truth—in the cause of liberty
against despotism—a cause which I hope will ever be
dear to the people of England, and in which, I trust,
they will ever encourage their fleets and their armies to
fight. (Loud cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN next proposed "The health of Lord
Dalhousie, Governor-General of India," observing that
it afforded him great pleasure to express, on behalf
of the Court of Directors, the high opinion they
entertained of the successful administration of that
noble lord. The health of Lord Dalhousie was
not, he was sorry to say, so good as could be
wished, and his lordship had been obliged to seek
change of air in the Madras Presidency. He was sure,
therefore, that they would all unite in drinking to
Lord Dalhousie's speedy restoration to his wonted vi-
gour. (Drunk amid loud cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN then gave "The health of his Grace
the Duke of Argyll, and the guests who had honoured
the company with their presence. (Cheers.)
The Duke of ARGYLL, in responding, said it had been
usual to speak of the last 40 years as a period of peace ;
yet during that time many most important victories
had been won by the valour of our armies in the East.
It was only a short time since every heart in England
hung with breathless suspense upon the arrival of the
Indian mail, and all felt that our interests and honour
depended upon the gallantry and skill displayed on the
. banks of the Sutlej and the 4(413 by our Ladign oftcerfat

Now, however, when peace reigned from the Himalaya
to Cape Comorin, those officers nobly came forward to
offer their services to their country in the war now
raging in the Crimea, where he believed they would add
fresh lustre to the great renown they had already ac-
quired on the plains of India. (Cheers.)
The list of toasts having been concluded the company
then separated. The proceedings were enlivened by the
performances of a superior military band. Mr. Toole
ably officiated as toastmaster.