The Sun.
London, England, 1852-04-13 00:00:00

THE EASTER BANQUET AT THE MAN.

SION-110USE.

The Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress, according to
the custom of the season, had a very large party at
the Mansion-house last night ; and the presence of
the new Premier among the company gave more than
usual interest to this year's Easter banquet.
Covers were laid in the Egyptian-hall for 350—a
number which, great as it is, can be well accommo-
dated in that noble apartment. The walls were de-
corated with banners, and the tables glittered with
massive and elegant plate. The arrangements (under
the superintendence, we believe, of Mr. Catty, the
Lord Mayor's secretary) appeared to be in all respects
exceedingly good ; those which related especially to
ourselves were particularly convenient.
About seven o'clock the company proceeded from
the drawing-rooms into the hall, and took their
places- The Lord Mayor had on his right the
Duchess of Northumberland and the Earl of Derby;
on his left sat Miss Hunter, representing the Lady
Mayoress, who is indisposed, and the Dukeof North-
umberland,
The dinner, which included every delicacy that
could be supplied, was extremely well served. It was
provided by Messrs. Staples, of the Albion. Laurent'a
band played at intervals.
When the cloth bad been cleared, the loving cup
was sent round, Mr. Harker, the toastmaster, pro-
claiming the welcome with a voice becoming his
function.
The LORD MAYOR then gave the first toast—" The
Queen."
It was drunk amid great applause, followed by the
National Anthem.
The " Health of Prince Albert, Albert Prince of
Wales, and the rest of the Royal Family," followed,
and also elicited much cheering.
The next, " The Church," was coupled with the
name of the Bishop of Manchester, and thanks to
him for his eloquent sermon at Christchurch yester-
day afternoon.
The Bishop of MANCHESTER, who said be was
educated among the citizens of London, in acknow-
ledging the toast, took occasion to express his deep
obligations to one of the great public foundations of
the city.
The next toast was, " The Navy and the Army."
The Duke of NORTHUMBERLAND, First Lord of
the Admiralty, returned thanks in the name of the
navy. During a long and glorious peace the duty of
the navy had been to protect the commerce of this
vast empire in all quarters of the globe. How well
that duty had been performed none could judge
better than the great commercial houses of this
wealthy metropolis.—(Loud cries of "Hear, hear.")
The navy deemed no reward for their exertions
greater, no recompense higher for their loyalty and
zeal, than the approbation of their Sovereign and the
good opinion of their fellow-countrymen.—(Cheers.)
General Sir A. MACLAINE briefly acknowledged
the toast on behalf of the army.
The Loan MAYoR then proposed " The Health of
the Earl of Derby, and her Majesty's Ministers," and
warmly thanked the Noble Earl for the honour of his
presence on that occasion.—(The toast was drunk
amid loud cheers.)
The Earl of DERBY, who was received with much
cheering, said,—My Lord Mayor, my Lords, Ladies,
and Gentlemen, the pleasing task devolves upon me
of returning, in my own name end in that of my
colleagues, our grateful thanks to your Lordship, and
to this distinguished ccmpauy, first, for allowing us to
be partakers of that splendid hospitality for which this
city has been so long fames, and which I em sure will
sutir no disparagement under its present auspices—
(Cheers)—and, next, for the kindness with which you
have received the toast that has been proposed to you,
of our collective healths as her Majesty's Ministers.—
(Rene wed cheers.) I can assure you that in that
capacity it gives me peculiar pleasure that the first
time I have to return thanks to any public assembly
should be in the heart of the city of London, in the
midst of so distinguished an assemblage as that which
I now see arounlme, and among those whom thus to
meet is to a public moo a most, agreeable and grati-
fying relaxation from the toils of public life.—(Loud
cries of " Hear, hear.") Ladies and gentlemen, at
this season above all others, this season of mutual
goodwill—(Elear, hear)—in this company, on this
occasion, I should be inexcusable if I were to attempt
to give to the toast which your kindness has induced
you thus to receive anything in the slightest degree
of a political character—(lieu?, hear)—l should be
inexcusable if I were to introduce a single topic
which could raise an angry feeling, or even a feeling
of conscientious difference of opinion—(Hear) --J
should be inexcusable if I could attach to the
kindness with which you have received our names
anything more of a political meaning than this—that
you receive with kindness and greet with cordiality
those whom you believe to have undertaken, from a
sense of public duty—(Cheers)—an arduous and re-
sponsible task to which their Sovereign has called
them.—(Renewegl. cheering.) lam not insensible to
the difficulties under which we have assumed our pre-
sent position, at the commencement of a Parliamen-
tary session, and with little leisure to mature or to
prepare measures to be submitted to that Parliament
—(Hear, hear)—but I believe that friends and oppo-
nents alike give us credit for this—for having per-
formed our duty in tot shrinking from the responsi-
bility which we encountered, nor incurring the greater
responsibility of a protracted Ministerial interregnum
at the commencement of a session of Parliament.—
(Hear.) Ido not presume to speak of any political
course of action ; but this I say, that I hope I see in-
dications, and indications not to be mistaken, in this
metropolis, that we are not looked upon as a set of
reckless or careless men, likely to endanger the credit
of the country and its great commercial and mer-
cantile interests, or to neglect the great religious.
moral, and social obligations which must rest upon
us.—(Cheers.) A change of Government so total as
has taken place could in some countries have been
considered only next to a revolution ; here we happily
see that such changes can take place not only with-
out disturbance to the ordinary course of public af-
fairs—without ruing in the slightest degree the se-
rene aspect of society, and without disturbing (I say
it with still greater happiness) for a single moment the
personal friendship of political opponents.—(Cheers.)
And to what is this to be attributed ? Is it to any
merit in the men who are called upon to miteadnister
the affairs of this great country ? No, but it the
institutions of the country itself—it is to the confi-
dence that every man in this country feels that, be
the Minister who he may, in the light of the Consti-
tution he must walk, by the light of the Constitution
he must be truided within the limits cf the Constitu-
tion his course must be directed,—(Cheers.) Well is
it known that no Minister can direct the affairs of this
country permanently _ or for any lengthened period
unless he enjoy
thehis
fellow chow- countrymen confidence and support of
that confidence as a .(liear.) Whether we do enjoy
Government no distant time will
clearly and undeniably
epornofivde.— (Hear,
with perfect sincerity that -len"' I , for one, )
can I f
s weay
with it the labours and shall resign office, and
readiness,anxleties of public life,
with far more offthan
have a"
far more of
comfort to myself
ar-
duous and painful responsibilities the
duty imposed upon me.—(Hear, hear.)avbich a sense of
should be honoured, as I confidentlyt But if we
with the support of the intelligence of th:ust we may,
(A burst of cheering drowned some worcruntr.y of—.
Noble Earl added)—then I
know I
m: which the
dently for every one of my colleagues, as YI
sayay the
dently
hesitation for myself, that no sacrifice ofa time, of
comfort, of health, of life itself, will be deemed t
oo
much to prove ourselves even in the slightest degree
worthy of the favour of our Sovereign, and of the
support of the people of this great empire, whose
mighty interests are committed to our charge.
The next toast, the " Health of the Foreign Mi-
nisters present," was received with much applause.
His Excellency the A7iIERICAN MINISTER, after a
moment's conference with the other representatives of
foreign Powers, said,—l am requested hy my bre-
thren of the corps diplomatique to offer our thanks to
your Lordship and to this company for the kindness
with which this toast has been received. My only
apology for presenting myself is that my colleagues
fear they cannot speak the English language.—
(Hear, hear.) We thank you most heartily for the
honour you have done us in affording us the oppor-
tunity of coming into this old city of London, and
meeting here, not onl the distinguished of " the
City," but of the town and of England itself.—
(Hear, hear.) We take a deep interest in the pros-
perity which exists here; the countries we represent
are deeply interested in the prosperity of London.—
(flear, hear.) The glorious links of commerce have
united us—l speak now of all foreign countries—in
bonds stronger than those that can be made by
treaties; and we desire, and WC hope, and we believe
that if we are agreed upon nothing else, we agree
that is for our moral and our material interest
that peace should be preserved, not only with
all the world, but particularly
with Great Britain,
f reat r—the
and especially with the heart o Lord MBa
city of London.--(Cheers.)) My Lyor, itain I
beg
on behalf of my colleagues and myself to offer you
°Ur thank, for this renewed opportunity of visiting
the. • which has been so long
• city on this festive day,
celebrated here. Ilan
us have partaken of the
hospitalityo re. Many of
n earn Your
predecessors • and we
Lordship'e predec ,
been transmigetaetatc"night that the robes of office have
tc One in whose hands that hospita-
lity will not saieThe toast of ‘
drunk, and aelsn'oalionse of Lards" V 723 then
LISsuRY. aged by the Marquis of SA..
The Earl of Darter p„
Lord Mayor."—(Cheer.) "the Health of the
of a very slight personal accin:ill:'g but the honour
magistrate, it would be impertig,tnanee with the chief
of Derby) to eulogize the Lord tse„,lnv him (the Earl
a city where he had been known
and respected
the heart of
more years than perhaps it would be discreet for
tt to men..