The Sun.
London, England, 1852-09-27 00:00:00

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[PRICE SD.

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will persuade me, although great abuses have prevailed
in many of the late elections, of a kind and degree
to -kith I will not refer—nobody will persuade me
that men so ernieent us Sir George Grey and Mr.
Lewis would here, been set aside fur persona so
insignificant that nobody would ever expect anything
of any value to come from them as Members of
Parliament—l cannot persuade myself that such men
would have been set aside for those who have been
chosen as their successors, were there not a great belief
on the part of the agricultural interest that they have
been unfairly treated, that what is their due has been
taken from them, and that their friends now in power
are able to give them relief. Well, then, if such be the
case, let us know what the relief is. Let us be put in
possession of this groat secret.—(Cheers and laughter.)
It will not do for thorn to be putting
off. I think the
farmers themselves would then say, •' Who can hold a
fire in his hand by thinking of the frosty Caucasus?"
f?' Fur the
and " Who can cloy the edge of apt etites by bare ima-
gination ofwilonlit ts,i eal fori?' protection
—fortiut e
tbwisillgrceoamtebewhen
people fit
which is to restore >re
,there to the presperirs, of which Sir
Robert Peel. in the first place, end the Whig Adminis-
tration in the second, hsve crueby and unjustly
deprived them. I know it appears to me—lmay be
wrong in this respect, bit I know it appears to me some-
what like the case fund in no historical work,
and of
which there is no precedent among statesmen, but of
which there are precedents to be found in the practice of
daily life—l mean of the patient who seeks fora regular
phys clan, sad who says to him. "I feel very much
depressed; I have not been well for some time; .1 want
to be cured:' The physician says to Lim, "I see what
it is; I am sorry to observe that for a long course of
years your regimen has been very unhealthy, and that
you have lived on artificial stimulants.—(Laughter.)
advise you to return to wholesome food and exercise, and
to trust to na!ure for your recovery."—(A. laugh.) Well,
I have very often heard that that patient has been very
much dissatisfied with this advice, and that he has said,
" This is a trumpery fellow of a physician, who tells me
nothing but to lead a wholesome life; it is not worth
listening to his advice; I will turn him off and send for
some one else." He has only to take up a newspaper,
and he will find the announcements of persons who say
that, without any confinement, without any inconve-
nience, by merely taking a few pills, the patient shall
be restored entirely to health, and shall never have
any reason to complain afterwards, but, on the contrary,
shall be strong and vigorous for the next twenty years
of his life.—(Laughter.) I cannot help thinking that
the present case is likely in the end to turn out some-
thing like thi:.—(Cheers.) But mind, my suspicions
may be unjust. I may have the. envy of .the discarded
physician.—(A laugh.) I may be the person who. gave
that unpalatable advice. I may, to end the metaphor,
think that the happiness, welfare, and prosperity of the
agricultural classes are to be sought for in the general
welfare and prosperity of the country—(Cheers)—and
in the use of those wholesome energies which the people
of this country possess. That was my advice, and it has
turned out, I believe, an advice upon which, if the pa-
tient bad continued to act, be would have found himself
restored to health without any nostrums. But by all
means let us know what this nostrum is; let us know
what the medicine is which is to produce such wonderful
effects, and to result in such universal satisfaction. If
such medicine is procured and produces those effects, I
must own I was utterly wrong, and admit that the con-
trivances and medicines and doctoring of this kind are
really what was most useful for the body politic. But, gen-
tleman, as all this is to be told us in November, all I can
say is, that I think and I trust, when we meet in No-
vember, we shall confine ourselves, in the first instance,
to asking what the course is that is to be proposed; and
when we have heard what that course is, we shall then
consider what ought to be our course with respect to it.
—(Hear, hear.) In the meantime it is a satisfaction
to all those who belonged to the late Government, and
my Noble Friend among others—it is a satisfaction to
them that we did not leave this country depressed and
ruined, but that, on the contrary, during the time in
which we held office, it made progress in prosperity, and
that many of those prooriptions and monopolies
which
then still remained have been struck off
by our exertions.
—(Cheers.) I have had the satisfaction of
assisting
in
the destruction of several of these monopolies;
and I
would appeal to a Protectionist Member lately elcted in
a northern English county, who proclaimed aloud the
state of prosperity and the state of activity which pre-
vailed both in the shipping and agricultural inte-
rest. He certainly came to curse us, but he has
blessed us altogether.—(Loud cheers.) Let me add
on this occasion, as my name has been connected
with the toast of civil and religious liberty, that
there was one blot on the civilization of the world—the
accursed African slave•trade—which we have been so -
tive and, I trust, successful in abating.—(Cheers.)
thank you for listening to the sentiments I have ex-
pressed to you to-day. It is a great honour to me that
having been many years in Parliament I should receive
this testimony of your approbation. I trust I shall con-
tinue to act in a similar spirit, and that you will give
me your confidence; and although you may think that
my judgment may be mistaken in many points that
may come before us for consideration, you will, at least,
give me
credit for being actuated by an honest desire to
do my duty.—( The Noble Lord resumed his seat amid
loud and reiterated applause.)
The VICE.PRESIDENT then gave "The health of the
Hon. Arthur Kinnaird, M P., tor the city."
Mr. KINNAIRD in acknowledging the toast, said he
,hought the Liberal party might take encouragement
from the sentiments which had that day been expressed
ivy the cliff,,r,,nt speakers. He might be permitted to
sly that is grave responsibility would rest on that Mi-
nister, or Lit st Government who should venture at this
time of day to p,overn the country by a reacting or a
retrograde policy, or on the plan which the present
Government seemed disposed to adopt—that of a stand-
still policy. The revolution which had taken place in
the material world by the discovery of steam and of
electricity was the very type of the age in which we
lived; and es we would deem that man of business in-
Salle who would not take advantage of the electric wires,
or who, from some antiquated prejudice, should still
travel at the old rate of ten miles en hour, so should we
detm that Government incapable of conducting the
affairs of this country, and unmindful of the interests of
the people, who would return to the system of class le-
gislation.—(Cheers.)
Lord PANStURE, in proposing "The health of men of
all parties," among other things, said—With respect to
the Conservative portion of the constituency, I am happy
to have this opportunity of bearing my testimony to
their uprightness and their worth; to their upright.
ness and conscientiousness, inasmuch as, when a fair op-
portunity offered, they were not backward to assert
their principles, and support a candidate of their own
opinions; hut when they found that an overwhelming
body of the electors of this city had declared in favour
of progress and of freedom, they had the good
sense, and that respect for the peace of the community,
that, when they found their case was hopeless, they
fought not an agitating battle. Nay, more than this,
they have always been ready to throw themselves into
the scale when they considered it necessary; and I be-
lieve there is no body—no portion of the electors who,
in their sphere, are more respectable than the Conserva-
tive body.
Mr. 181:NCRIEFF. M.P. for Leith, gave " The Protes-
tant Clergy of all d,nemieakions.,,
The Rev. Dr. G —UTIIRIE) of Edinburgh, acknowledged
the too: t.
Several other toasts arid speeches followed, chiefly of
local interest, the most important being " T thatheofHealth of
Lord JOHN RUSSELL, who, in ping
chairman,
the Lord Provost," said, after eulogiging
the
which is
there is no distinction which Scotland
e n jy
° history,
more honourable to her than her
educational
d is
and the the way in which she conside
8r
seducationtem of education
portant to her. Het establisheci
onYe,
but there is no
c
might have been ample enough
f population and other causes
doubt that the increase of
desirable and necessary.
have rendered furthehriesa
subject there are great dif-
ferences some parts of t
and it is hardly possible
ferences of P
inltllleity, or to bring a clear public
to discuss it TO
heaLreeislature. In these circumstances
opinion before the
do
wisely to act cautiously. It were
Parliament
.w
•a year or two than to run the risk of
better to welt' for • I agree with the two principles
d
ill-digeste
d to, that it is proper and essential that
iready referre
with education, and that
a !maid be interwoven
religion s
of the Government (in its general and
he duty
I it le t
widest sense) to pro vide some system of education.—
(Cheers.) There is a third principle which I consider
403, Da011.0•a, anti th.t iR that in providine education by
tee , h State, the rights of conscience should be respected
_(Hear, hear)—and that whatever a man's religious
opinions
may be, it is not right to call on him to con-
tribute towards an education from which he received no
benefit. The difficulty of the question is considerable,
for every man is entitled to justice, however small the
minority may be in which he stands, and I think that
there ought to be further discussion before proceeding
to legislation, particularly in England. In Scotland ,
however, the question is in a riper state.—(Cheers.)
The other public toasts were briefly disposed of. Three
cheers were then given for the Queen, after which the
party separated.
to I