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

THE EASTER BANQUET AT THE. MAN-
SION-HOUSE.
The Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress, according to
the custom of the season, had a very large party lit
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-ball 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 Dukepf 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. Laurenee
band played at intervals.
When the cloth had 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 he 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 LORD 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 and in that of my
colleagues, our grateful thanks to your Lordship, and
to this distinguished company, first, for allowing us to
be partakers of that splendid hospitality for which this
city has been so long famed, and which I am sure will
suffer 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.—
(Renewed 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 around me, and among those whom thus to
meet is to a public man 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—(Hear, 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—(Hear, 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.—(Rgnewed 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
—(dear, hear)—but I believe that friends and oppo-
nents alike give us credit for this—for having per-
formed our duty in not 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-
dicatious, 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 ruffling 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 administer
the affairs of this great country? No, but it is to the
institutions of the oountry 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 guided, within the limits of the Constitu-
tion his course must be directed.—(Cheers.) Well is
it known that no Minister can direct the affairs of this
country permanently cr for any lengthened period
unless he enjoy the confidence and support of his
fellow-countrymen.—(Hear.) Whether we do enjoy
that confidence as a Government no distant time will
clearly and undeniably prove.—(Hear, hear.) If we
do not possess that confidence, I, for one, can say
with perfect sincerity that I shall resign office, and
with it the labours and anxieties of public life,
with far more of readiness, and far more of
comfort to myself than I have undertaken the ar-
duous and painful responsibilities which a sense of
duty imposed upon me.—(Bear, hear.) But if we
should be honoured, as I confidently trust we may,
with the support of the intelligence of the country of—
(A burst of cheering drowned some words which the
Noble Earl added)—then I know I may say confi-
dently for every one of my colleagues, as I say with-
out hesitation for myself, that no sacrifice of time, of
comfort, of health, of life itself, will be deemed too
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 AMERICAN MINISTER, after a
moment's conference with the other representatives of
foreign Powers, said,—l am requested by my bre-
thren of the corps dipiomatique 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
City," but of the town and England. e
meeting here, not only the distoifnguished oifts"lft._he
We take a deep interest in the
(Hear, hear.)
t d in the prosperity of London.—
are deeply interes e r e have
pros-
perity which exists here; the countries we represent
all
united us—l speak now of foreigncoin
countries—lnme
that can be made by
bonds stronger than those linksof
(Hear, hear.) The glorious
treaties; and we desire, and we
that if we are agreed upon nothing else, we agreeoye, an
that is for our moral and our material
interest
d we believe,
that peace should be preserved, not only with
Cheers.)
all the world, but particularly with Great Britain,
4 esPecisill with the heart of Great Britain—the
of London.—cityMy Lord Mayor, I beg
(
on behalfof
our thanks for opportunity of visiting
his renewed
the city on thistfestivewhich has been so long
day,
cAnbrated h h the
have partaken of
my colleagues and myself to offer you
ere. Many of us
haspitaliy of
have an earneT:tour Lordshiprobes of office have
been transmitted to
that the
that hospita-
lity will not se to one in whose hands
suffer.—(Cheers.)
's predecessors ; and we
The toast of
drunk, and ace Marquis of SA-
LISBURY.
acknowledged by the
" the House of Lords" was then
The Earl of DEn
rn d " the Health of the
Lord. Mayor:'—(eneerps proposed
Having but the honour
of a very slight personal.)asee ntance with the chief
magistrate, it would be
of") ..rby) to eulogize the 11..oediniala or in the heart of
a city where he had been known
Tend respected for
more, years than
perhaps it would be discreet to men-
im acquaintance
impertinent in him (the Earl