The Sun.
London, England, 1863-04-01 00:00:00

LORD PALMERSTON IN SCOTLAND.

TUESDAY.

To-day Lord Palmerston paid a visit to the town
of Greenock, where a most enthusiastic reception
was given him. Messrs. I. and G. Burns, the
etcluent steamship owners, placed at the disposal
of the Clyde Trust their fine new steamer the
Wolf, and a distinguished party was invited to ac-
company Lord Palmerston down the river. At
Glasgow-bridge, the point of embarkation, a
vast crowd had collected before ten o'oclock, the
hour of departure, and when Lord Palmerston soon
aP-._•r, accompanied by Mr. Cowper, drove up in the
Lord Provost's carriage the shouting was loud and
enthusiastic. The wharves, vessels, and numerous
building-yards were covered with people. Frequent
salutes were fired. The weather was fine, and
nothing could add to the gaiety and grandeur of the
ref:eption. When the Wolf approached Greenock
the view of the congregated masses on the Custom-
Qaay was most impressive, banners flaunting

fr,

ry housetop, and from every ship in port,
pad. her Majesty's ship Hogue, which manned her
yerde, firing a salute of 19 guns in honour of the
flig of the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, which
the Wolf cirried at the fore. The Provost of
Greenock, accompanied by Sir M. S. Stewart, M.P.,
Mr. Dunlop, M.P., and the Baillies, received Vis-
count Palmerston, and he was conducted, in Sir
Michael Shaw Stewart's carriage, to the Town-hall,
-where an elegant collation was served. Covers were
Lid for about 300. The boxes were filled with
1 adies. The decorations of the spacious hall were
most handsome and elegant. Lord Palmerston on
enteeieg the hall was greeted with most hearty
plaudits. On the platform the Provost presented to
his lordship an address. After expressing profound
admiration of his lordship's personal virtues, illus-
trious genius, and capacity, and his long, faithful,
and distinguished public serviees, it gratefully ac-
knowledged the manifold and signal obligations
under which his lordship had laid the people of these
realms by his generous, untiring, and successful ex-
ertions in extending their liberties and advancing
their prosperity. In common with all their fellow-
countrymen, they were proud of a minister who, by
his penetration and sagacity, his fit m yet liberal
policy, his commanding administrative talents and
his chivalrous patriotism, had maintained the honour
and pre-eminence of the country in times of anxiety
end danger, strengthened and extended our pacific
relations with foreign Governments, and taught the
humblest subjects of the Queen to confide in the
British flag as a cure protection to life and property
in every region of the globe. They rejoiced to be-
lieve that the confidence which the whole nation
reposed in his lordship was in no small measure
shared by other peoples less happily circumstanced
than we are, who have learnt from his lordship's
enlightened rule to admire our political institutions,
and to look to Britain for ready sympathy and moral
support in their struggles for independence. Among
the many signal benefits for which this favoured
nation was indebted to Divine Providence, they
esteem it not the least valuable that they have at the
helm of public affairs in these critical times a noble-
man who combines with the unabated ardour and
energy of his earlier years the ripe wisdom and ex-
perience of a veteran statesman, and it is their fer-
vent prayer that one who commands such universal
respect and confidence may be long spared to be a
tower of strength to our Queen and our country.
The Provost, in handing the address to his lord-
ship, bade him a hearty welcome to Greenock, and
assured him how much he felt honoured in being
the medium of presenting such an address. It was
nut often they were favoured with the presence of
so distinguished a guest as the Prime Minister of
this great country; 10 years ago they had the honour
ot a visit from one of his lordship's distinguished
colleagues (Earl Russell), who was then the first to
announce to a popular audience the approaching
troubles with the empire of Russia. He trusted
that by the wise counsels of his lordship's Cabinet
and the influence of the Governments of Europe the
sword would on this occasion with honour be re-
tained in the scabbard—(cheers)—and that,nevertb e
less, substantial benefits would accrue to the op-
pressed Poles. (Cheers.)
Viscount PALMERSTON, who was loudly cheered,
spoke as follows :
Mr. Provost Grieve, Ladies, and Gentlemen,---A man
must indeed be insensible who could receive without deep
emotion such a greeting as it has fallen to my lot to meet
with upon my visit to this part of the United Kingdom.
There cannot be a greater encouragement to public men to
exert all their powers and devote all their energies to the set•
vice of their county than the hope of meeting in return
those demonstrations of good will and of approval which it
his been my good fortune to meet with this day. (Cheers )
In the address which you have just read to me I am aware
that the estimate which is therein made of any small
services which I could have the opportunity of performing
for the country has been much and greatly overrated ; but
I do not overrate that feeling of kindness and good will
which breathes through every sentence of that address, and
for which I am deeply and to the bottom of my heart grate-
ful. (Cheers.) I feel, however, and am proud to feel, that
the warmth and cordiality of the reception which I have met
with have in some degree, and in a great degree, been the
expression on the part of those from whom it came of admi-
ration and devotion to the institutions of the country.
(Cheers) And it is mainly from the circumstances that it
has fallen to my lot to be now, as it were, the representative
of the constitution and inAitutions of the country that those
expressions have fallen from you, which I take less my-
self than to that system of which I am the humble organ
and representative. (Cheers.) You state, Mr. Provost,
that upon a former occasion a distinguished and eminent
colleague of mine had occasion to announce to you an
approaching rupture with the great Empire of Russia.
I have no such announcement by which to excite your
feeling. (Cheers.) lam happy to say that I can give no
food for that romantic invention with which the approach of
wars awl the prospect of national difficulties are apt to in-
flame the minds of men. 1 must tranquilize you by holding
forth, I hope, nothing but the monotonous peaceful rela-
tions of amity with other nations—(cheers)—but in a part ot
the world where industry and commerce hold such magni-
ficent sway I am persuaded that this announoernent will be
not less satisfactory than that which was formerly made,
and which led eventually to great and triumphant results.
(Loud cheers.) Mr. Provost, I beg to return you my most
sincere thanks. lam proud of that which you have been
pleased to put in that address, I am proud of this manifes-
tation of the goodwill and approval of so large and influ-
ential a number of my fellow-countrymen, and I can only
trust that my future course will be animated by the same
principles which have gained your approval, and so long as
those in office are enabled by devoting their minds and
actions to the interests of the nation to acquire the goodwill
of their fellow-citizens, depend upon it you will always be
well served, and that men will prepare themselves for public
duties, and will perform them to the utmost of their pos-
sible ability. (Cheers.)
The company then. sat down to a sumptuous
entertainment. Provost Grieve presided ; on his
right sat Viscount Palmerston, Sir 31. S. Stewart,
Captain Farquhar, R.N , Mr. Robert
Steeles, Rev. Mr. Robertson, abd otr
the Hon. W. Cowper, M.P., Mr. Dnnl p, M.P.,
the left
Sir R. Napier, Mr.
Crum-Ewing, :CP the
Lard Provost of Glasgow, the. Rev. Dr. I.‘i
&C. Baillies *ll r‘Caiuthl-,
loch, Rev. S. Sinclair,
Lyle, Hunter, and Grey, acted as vice:
rients. After the usual loyal toasts Sir R. NParpeiB:l;
Captain Farquhar, and Sir M. Stewart, replying fo;
the " Army, l';avy, and Volunteers," the Provost
called for a bumper to the.health of their distin-
guished guest, The toast was drunk with enthu-
siasm, and followed by the band playing the air of
.‘ The Fine Old English Gentleman."
Viscount PALMERSTON, who rose amid deafening
plaudits, said—
_ _

Mr. Provost and Gentlemen—when I look around me I
may be allowed to add, Ladies (cheers)—l can assure you
that I feel from the bottom of my heart thankfulness for the
kind recepti'in which I have met within every part of Scot-
land that I have visited upon this excursion ; but more espe-
cially do I thank you for the kind and honorable manner in
which you have been pleased to receive me. (Cheers.) It
is not to-day or yesterday that I have to learn how warm
are the hearts of Scotchmen, how true their friendships, and
how much their attachment is to be relied upon. I had the
happiness of passing some of the early years of my life in Scot-.
land. It was at Edinburgh that for three years I imbibed
those sound principles of intellectual progress and of political
advancement which were imbued in the minds of those who
had the benefit of attending the cour eels of those wise and
distinguished men who at that time superintended the edu-
cation of youth. The visit which I pay you to-day and the
coarse which I have followed along your noble and magni-
ficent river could not fail to excite mixed feelings of admi-
ration, of wonder, and of proud exaltation. It must, indeed,
be a gratifying sight to any man who is connected with the
destinies of this great country to visit the seats of industry
and commerce--to witness the wonderful effects of creative
genius, of inventive skill, and perseverine, and successful
P
exertion. (Cheers.) There aro other a' b
party of the globe
which appear to have been more favoured by nature—