The Sun.
London, England, 1864-11-17 00:00:00

Mr 11, Berkeley, M.P., at Bristol.

The Colston anniversary was celebrated at Bristol, on
Monday, in the usual manner. Mr H. Berkeley and Sir M.
Veto were present at the dinner of the Anchor (Liberal)
Society. In responding to the toast of " the Local Mem-
bora," Mr Berkeley said—We are, as regards parties, in a
strange and anomalous position ; we scarcely know our
friends from our foes. (Laughter.) The Whigs and Tories
have been, if I may venture on a simile, like two men at the
end of a chain, the one dragging backward, the other drag-
ging forward. The Tories have held back, and we Liberals
have resolutely gone forward, until at length we have
brought the Tories side by side with ourselves. (Cheers.)
Now, it is owing to the progress of liberal opinions we have
been enabled to do this, but there is danger in the position.
Beware of Tories when they pretend to be Liberals. (Hear,
hear.) They say to us, " Here we are side by side with
you. You have had a Reform Bill. but you could not carry
it. There is our Reform Bill, but you won't carry it."
There you see for the first time Tories standing side by Biel°
with us; they challenge us in the cause of reform. Well,
gentlemen, it becomes you not merely to take an outward
sight, but to look inwardly to the conduct of those men, to
see if you can trust thorn, to see if you can trust their
specious pretences of being Reformers, and see whether
their professions amount to reality. Consider yourselves
with Lord Palmerston as a Tory, whether that Tory has
not done much in the reforms which have taken place in
the last 30 years at least ; and ask whether Lord Derby
shall replace him? You may say that Lord Russell has
not gone in the first rank in the cause of Reform ; but will
you tell me that Lord Malmesbury should re-place him ?
(Hear, hear.) The present Ministry is accused of not going
forward in the cause of reform ; but I am convinced that at
present no Worm of the least service can arise in the House
of Commons; I am satisfied that it must arise out of doors.
You may blame your members, and say to them, "Go for-
ward ;" but whilst you, the people, don't move, it is impos-
sible for your members to move, (Rear, hear.) With re-
feience to our foreign relations, we are not at war, but we
are laying out vast sums of money in, I believe, the worst
direction. With the most extravagant expenditure caused
in our army and navy departments, we are but little more
effective for it. We have gentlemen who declaim loudly
and say, "I will save £200,000 in the dockyards," Place
those gentlemen in the navy, as I have known one placed,
and he does not save you a shilling. (Cheers.) There is
another gentlemen who goes about the country talking ex-
cessively loud, and endeavouring to pull down the present
Ministry; but when he was sent to the Admiralty he said
nothing. The moment, however, he gets out of office, he is
the most loud man you have ; but he would be silent again
if he were put into office. (Laughter.) One cannot help
being reminded, when one hears of such things, of Dr.
Johnson's definition of a patriot. Dr. Johnson says that
a patriot means "a man in search of a place." (Cheers and
laughter.)—Sir Stafford Northcote was among the speakers
at the Dolphin (Conservative) dinner. The hon. baronet,
who went into the subject of" Conservative reaction," sub-
mitted that tho reform proposed by the Conservatives was
the only real amelioration 6if the evils which existed in the
country, and ho trusted that in the next Parliament they
, should have a decided Conservative majority.
s I

SENDING A LETTER TO HEAVEN.—A lady re 4
siding in the Rue de Rivoli returned some time
since from a visit she had made in the department of
Finistere, bringing with her a young orphan girl, poor,
but very pretty, named Yvonne whom she engaged
as her waiting-maid. Last month, a short time after her
return to Paris, the lady died. When the body had been
prepared for the coffin, and was for a short time left
alone, Yvonne wag seen to go stealthily into the room,
lift
that
upthe
she hadroud takenthen,anda in
hastilyrg leave. The first idea
was
which, at theer
finger.exprese
desire of the deceased, had beenleile,
on h th
On examination, however, the ring was discovered to be
untouched, but a paper was seen attached with a pin to the
shroud. On inspection it was found to be a letter addressed
by the young orphan to her mother, who died two years
ago, and was as follows :—" My good Mother,—l have to
tell you that M. B-- has made me an offer of marriage.
As you are no longer here, I beg you to make known to me
in a dream whether I ought to marry him, and to give me
your consent. I avail myself, in older to write to you, of
the opportunity of my mistress, who is going to heaven."
The letter was addressed "To my Mother, in Heaven."
The person alluded to in the letter is one of the tradesmen
of the deceased lady, who, having been struck with the good
conduct of the young girl, had made her an offer of mar.