The Sun.
London, England, 1864-10-26 00:00:00

Banquet at the Mansion House,

Last night the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor and
the Lady Mayoress gave a magnificent banquet to
the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishops of Ox-
ford and Peterborough, and a numerous body of the
London clergy, in the Egyptianshall at the Man-
sion House.

The toast of " The Queen" was drunk with the
customary enthusiasm. The next toast was " The

Prince and Princess of Wales, and the rest of the

royal family."
The LORD MAYOR, in proposing the health of his
Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, the president
of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in

Foreign Parts, explained the reason why tho ban-
quet to the archbishop and bishops had not taken
ronco at the usual time—in the month of June, and

saia he was indebted for the presence of so many:of
the .;ght rev. btnch and the clergy at that season
of the year. He observed that they all owed much
_ _ _

:o the society of which the archbishop was the pre-

sident for extending the blessings of Christianity
and of civilisation to every river, creek, and inlet to
which the trade and commerce of England penes
trated. (Cheers.) _ _

The Archbishop of CANTERBURY, in acknowledg-
ing the toast, said they felt a deep debt of gratitude
to the Lord Mayor for inviting the bishops and
clergy at that particular season of the year to par.
take of such splendid hospitality, seeing that he had
been prevented by circumstances from giving it at
the usual period. Had the banquet been on his
own account, and that of his right rev. brethren,
who were now generally occupied in episcopal avo-
cations, he would have requested the Lord Mayor
not to put himself to the inconvenience of giving
it; but he knew he was anxious to bring together
the clergy of the diocese of London, and be was
therefore unwilling to interfere. Although this
banquet was separated from the religious
ceremony which usually preceded it, he hoped that
the great object for which that ceremony took place
would not be forgotten on the present occasion.
The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel was
a great blessing, and, though certain persons mains

tained that little good was done by missionary ex-
ertions, he ventured to say that recent circumstances
proved the advantages which had attended the
efforts of this and similar societies. He would allude
especially to the war in New Zealand, during:which,
owing to the exertions of a noble.hearted prelate
and the missionary labourers in that colony, the
Maories who had been converted to Christianity
offered up prayers to the Lord, and soothed the
sufferings of their wounded enemies on the field of

battle. This example, he thought, ought to encour-
age them to support this great society which had
done so much good to this country and the world,
and to send forth to all parts of the globe that which
was better than silver and gold—" The wisdom that
maketh wise unto salvation."
The LORD MAYOR then gave " The Army, Navy,
and Volunteers':"
Admiral Sir E. BELCIIER acknowledged the toast
on the part of the army and navy. With regard to
the navy he said they had plenty of able officers,
but they wanted.more men, and they could not get
them unless they paid them better.
The toast of " The House of Lords" was acknow-
ledged by Lord Saye and Sele,
The LORD MAYOR then proposed " The Bishops
and the Clergy," and, in doing so, expressed his re-
gret the, the bishop of the diocese was prevented,
by unavoidable circnmstances, from being present.
With respect to the clergy of London, he knew
from personal experience how anxious they were to
alleviate human suffering and to promote the best
interests of the poor. (ChecrE.)
The Bishop of OXFORD, in reply, said that he—
and he was sure the right rev. bench—felt that the
invitation they had received at this season of the
year to an almost unaccustomed banquet marked
one of the peculiarities of the Lord Mayor's
character. The Lord Meyer had shown that
he was not content with more common sayings
and old saws, but that he had the heart of the
matter dear to him. They felt that, instead of
finding a convenient excuse for not calling the
clergy around him, from the circumstance that the
invitation at the usual time could not be given owing
to an event on which they all deeply sympathised
with his lordship he had stepped out of the accus-
turned course, rather than lose the reality of that
kindly intercourse Which took p:aoo en ouch op..
sions. It was no mere empty formality which
gathered the clergy around his lordship at these
banquets. I❑ Atha great country of ours all its
great interests and all its different nobilities were
united by a secret link of common advantage which
made it imp Dssible for ono to suffer without all suf-
fering tcgether. It was not suitable for him there,
and at that time, to deal with the more sacred parts
of their office; but, as one of a great institution in
this great commonweal of Britain, he would say that
a crisis never yet occurred in the history of this
country when the clergy and bishops of the Re-
formed Church had not been on the true side of the
❑ational interest. If tyranny and the Crown threat-
ened them their seven bishops were the first to be
attacked, and the first, amid the cheers of the whole
nation, to assert the liberties of the people of Eng-
land. If, on the other hand, in an evil day that
which now, at least be believed, was the great threat
to liberty—the licentiousness which assumed its
name—should threaten true liberty, in no body of
men would they find truer, because more con-
vinced, maintainers of that real liberty which
denied alike license and tyranny, than amongst the
clergy of the Church of England. He therefore
believed that the Lord Mayor had embodied a
mighty prinziple of their common constitution when
ho sought to gather around him the representatives
of that Church and to honour them by that unusual
banquet. (Cheers.)
The taxt toast was ,rh. House of Commons:,
which was responded to by Sir FITZROY KELLY.
" The health of the Lord Mayor," proposed by
the Bishop of PETERBOROUGH, was very cordially
drunk, and acknowledged by his lordship.
The musical arrangements were under the direc-
tion of Mr J. L. Hatton, who was assisted by Miss
Ellen Lyon, Miss Wells, Mr Carter, and Mr J. L.
Brady.
Mr Harker officiated as toastmfister.
The band of the Coldstream Guards, conducted
by Mr Godfrey, played a selection of popular airs
in the vestibule and gallery during the evening.

DF,II(tLITION BY GUNPOWDER OF THE GREAT
EXHIBITION BUlLDlNG.—Yesterday afternoon, at
half-past three o'clock, the demolition by gunpowder of the
remaining portions of the Great Exhibition building was
proceeded with by the corps of Royal Engineers, from
Chatham. There were present on the occasion General
Sir J. Burgoyne, Colonel Lovell, Col. Scott, Capt. Fowke,
the designer of the structure, Capt. Knocker, and a staff
of the Sappers and Miners, under Colour Sergeant Cann,
Professor Donaldson, Sir J. Donaldson, and a large number
of scientific gentlemen, together with a considerable crowd
of sightseers both within and without the ruins of the struc-
ture. The engineering operations had been completed dur-
ing the day for the purpose of displacing the towers that sup-
ported the great dome, so familiar to the public in the Exhi-
bition-road. The height of each tower averaged 70 feet high
by 40 feet square, and 1,200 tons in weight, the thickness
of the superincumbent weight of the walls being an average
of from three to four feet, the superficial a/ea of the towers
being about 40 feet square. In or,' er to dislodge this mass
of masonry the explosive power, or charge, applied by the
engineers for the purpose, was proportioned in the
amount of 1121bs of gunpowder to each tower; and in ac-
cordance with this arrangement, precisely at half-past three,
the signal to fire the battery, at some fifty yards' distance
from the devoted structure to be demolished was given—the
range in front of the road having been cleared by a strong
force of the L division—when suddenly ono half, but one
half only of the tower rolled over with a loud crash into the
Exhibition'.road, which was perfectly blocked up with the
descending debris, leaving the other half of the tower
standing and perfectly intact. A great cloud of dust
accompanied the explosion and fall of the materials;
but in order to clear the road for tho public several carts
were immediately ordered to the spot by the engineers, and
in the course of another hour removed the deiris from the
road. It was then determined that no further operations
should take place in connexion with the removal of the other
half of the tower. A consultation took place amongst the

engineers with Sir J. Burgoyne, and it was determined that,
should the structure not fall of its own accord before morn-
ing, the engineers should "shove" it over by leverage, or
by a further additional charge, this morning. The appear-
ance of the tower as it fell was first that of " curtseying" as
it were, to the crowd, after being lifted up by the displosive
charge, and then falling, or toppling over into the road out-
side. Rumours prevailed that the engineering calculations
for the occasion were not sufficiently true, and that the
structure held fast in spite of them. No day is yet fixed
for further operaticus.

Aug. ..0, Sept. 17,
1861. 1864. i Increase. (Decrease
Bank of England 21,485,655 20,618,6821 £866,973
Private Banks 3,019,576 2,971,7251 47,851
Joint-stock Banks 2,818,677 2,78,E86 29,791
Total in England 27,323,908 26,379,2931 944,616
Scotland 4,196,34 4,174,356, 21,990
Ireland 6,207,968 5,326,0731 £120,105
I
United Kingd0m._36,728,222 35,831,722, 846,500

And, as compared with the month ending the 19th Sept.,
1863, the above returns show a ;decrease of £432,864
in the circulation of notes in England, and a decrease of
£74,361 in the circulation of the United Kingdom.
On comparing the above with the fixed issues of the seve-
ral banks the following is the state of the circulation :
The English private banks aro below their fixed
issue
The English joint-stock banks are below their
fixed issue £160,447

Total below fixed issue in England....: 1,716,081
The Scotch banks are above their fixed issue .. £1,425,085
Tho Irish banks are below their fixed issue .... £1,026,421

The average stock of bullion held by the Bank of Eng-
land in both departments during the month ending the 14th
Sept. was £12,921,935, being an increase of £119,484 as
compared with the previous month, and a decrease of
£2 480,729 when compared with the same period last year.
The following are the amounts of specie held by the Scotch
and Irish banks during the month ending the 17th :
Gold and silver held by the Scotch banks £2,268,318
Gold and silver hold by the Irish banks 1,860,285

£4,128,603
Being a decrease of £38,573 as compared with the
previous return, and a decrease of £32,200 when compared
with the corresponding period of last year.

MARKETS—This Day.

MARK-LANE.

The supply of English wheat on sale here to-day was
very moderate. For most qualities the trade was firm, but
the demand ruled far from active. In prices no change
took place, compared with Monday.
With foreign wheat the market was wall supplied. On
the whole, the trade was firm, and Monday's prices were
steadily supported.
• '

Floating cargoes of grain wore in moderate request, at
full prices.
There was a fair supply of barley on the stands. Fine
malting qualities sold readily; otherwise trade was dull, on
former terms.
The demand for malt rules far from active, at late rates.
Thero was a good supply of oats on the stands. In
most descriptions a fair business was transacted, and prices
ruled firm.
Bans and peas were in request, at previous quotations.
Flour moved uff slowly, at late prices.

ARRIVALS THIS WEEK.
Wheat. Barley, Malt. Oats. Flour.
English
Irish .. — 50
Foreign 1,500 160
ikA-.441

:340 100 sks
590 brls

BOROUGIII HOP.
A fair business is passing in most descriptions of hops,
and prices rule firm.

WIIITECIiAPEL•

Tho supply of meat is moderate. Generally speaking,
trade is quiet, as follows :
Beef, from 2s 10d to 4s 4d ; mutton, 3s Gd to 4s Gd ;
veal, 3s 8d to 43 8d; and pork, 3s 6d to 4s 10d per Ms by
the carcase.

"According to accounts from 'Munich," says the
lfonitfur Soir," there is reason to think that M. Von
der Pfordten will be called OA to take the direction of affairs
is Bavaria,";;';