The Sun.
London, England, 1863-05-04 00:00:00

connection with which the President, after some com-
plimentary remarks, proposed the health of Mr. Thackeray.
Mr. THACKERAY, in acknowledging the toast said,—Mr.
President, your Royal Highnesses, my Lords, and Gentle-
men,—l trust that in this room the toast of " Literature
and the Fine Arts" will long continue to be given, and that
the two will always be considered as a united service.
(Cheers.) As for the artists, we see their achievemen's be
fore us ; and on the part of those of us who pursue litera-
ture, I think we have been, and I hope we always shall he,
their friends. (Cheers ) All my life I have fund the
greatest delight in their society. I have rusticated with
them, travelled with them, and enjoyed their society under
various circumstances. I have mada many friendships
among them which I hope to curry with me to the end of my
days. (Cheers.) If you will permit me to say so, I have
often tried to make a drawing as the exhibition came round
and always failed. (Cheers.) But if I have not succeeded in
that, I could never fail to admire the intellect, power, and
genius, tf.e steadiness, skill, and labour of those artists,
those friends whose works I see around me. (Cheers.) I
thank you, Sir Charles, for having mentioned my name in
connection with our mutual profession, and I most cordially,
rc .ipectfully, and sincerely return you my best acknowledg-
ments. (Cheers )

The PRESIDENT next gave "The Royal Society, and the
Health of its excellent President, General Sabine," which
having been duly honoured,
Sir R. MURCHISON rose and said—Sir Charles Eastlake,
your Royal Highnesses, ray Lords, and Gentlemen,—The
President of the Royal Society, on leaving the room, in
order to receive the company invited to Burlington-house,
devolved on rue the task of responding to this toast. Pro-
fessing to be attached to only two branches of science, geo-
logy and geography, I venture to say that these are mote
intimately connected with the pursuits of the Royal Aca-
demy than any other branches of science. I should not have
adverted to this, if 1 had not been perpetually struck
in attending this anniversary and in looking round these
walls, with the perfection you have attained in that great
and important branch of your art—l mean landscape
painting—a branch in which you excel all other nations.
(Cheers.) As a geologist, too, I have been similarly im-
pressed with many exhibitions, but to one I wish particu-
larly to allude:on this occasion. A great many years ago,
when a young officer, returning from the Mediterranean to
go to the siege of Cadiz, I had an opportunity of stopping
some time at the Rock of Gibraltar; and on that occasion
I especially admired the old weather-beaten Pass d'Assucar,
which the picture of Mr. Edward Cooke in the next room
so admirably delineates, combining some of the grandest
features in which a student of geological science would wish
to expose. (Cheers.) I have particular pleasure in speaking
of this, because, as a man of science, I am proud that my
associates have but a few days ago elected, or, I should
rather say, selected from your members that distinguished
man Mr. Edward Cooke as a fellow of the Royal Society of
London. (Cheers.) I think art and science are well com-
bined, and I beg again to thank you for the toast you have
just drunk. (Cheers.)
Some of the usual toasts having been omitted to enable
his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales to fu fil other en-
gagements, his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, ac-
companied by his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge,
and his Royal Highness Prince Louis of Hesse, then re-
tired, being conducted by Sir Charles Eastlake to the
Middle-room, where an elegant service of tea and c ,flee was
provided. The prince remained some time in visiting the
pictures, and conversing in the most affable manner with
many of the distinguished guests.
The company then broke up at 10 o'clock.

TRADES' UNION DEMONSTRATION TO
THE AMERICAN MINISTER.

On Saturday evening, at 8 o'clock, a deputation of trades'
unionists attended at the residence of Mr. Adams, the
American Minister, in Portland-place, for the purpose of
placing in the hands of his Excellency the address to Presi-
dent Lincoln, adopted at the late Trades' Union Emanci-
pation meeting at St. James's-hall, over which Mr. John
Bright presided. The deputation consisted of the following
members and officers of the Trades' Union ;—Messrs. G.
Potter, Richards, Garland, Fast, Petherbridge, Burgess,
Mildred, Cremer, Graham, D miler, Payne, Smith, Hughes,
Eglinton, Llewellyn, and Merrifield, carpenters' societies ;
Mr. Murray, bootcloser ; Messrs. Osborne and Nieasst
plasterers ; Mr. Nelson, wire-worker ; Messrs. French and
Dawson, bricklayers; Mr. Shave, plumber; Messrs. Dod-
shon, Odgers, and Richardson, boot and shoemakers; Mr.
Fast, zinc-worker ; Mr. Facey, painter ; Messrs. Grey,
Connolly, and Gibson, stonemasons ; Mr. Martin, cigar
maker; and Mr. Butler, tin-plate worker. The deputation
was accompanied by Mr. Bright, M.P., and Mr. E. S.
Beasley, Professor of Political Economy at the University
College.
Mr. BRIGHT, M.P., having introduced the deputation to
Mr. Adams, said,—Your Excellency, the deputation I havo
the honour of introducing before you is one appointed at a
meeting of trades' unionists, held in St. James's-hall, on
the 26th of April last, over which I had the honour and
pleasure to preside, for the purpose of expressing their ab-
horrence of the American institution of slavery, their dis-
approbation of the rebellion of the Southern States of that
country, their sympathy with the North in its efforts to put
down that rebellion, and their admiration of the general
policy—more particularly that relating to slay ery—pursued
by President Lincoln, to whom they have adopted an ad-
dress of sympathy and congratulation, which they now
desire to place in the hands of your Excellency for trans-
mission to Mr. Lincoln, The trades' unions are not political
bodies; they are bodies of operatives united together to
promote their social interests. I believe this is the first
occasion on which they have come out as a united body to
publicly express an opinion on a political question, and it
therefore proves how deep an Interest they must have felt
in it. (Hear.) I think it a pity that these important bodies
do not more frequently interest themselves in great publio
questions, which I believe they might do with great advan-
tage to the public and profit to themselves.
Mr. CREMER (joiner, and secretary to the meeting) then
read the address,lwhich assured President Lincoln that the
sympathy of the great bulk of the working men of England
lay with the North, and expressed a hope that his efforts to
put down the rebellion of the Southern slaveholders might
be crowned with success. Mr. Cremer having explained the
cause of the delay in presenting the address, which was
unavoidable, said the working men of this country_felt an
especial interest in America, as it was the only country
where working men had the free use of the franchise. Their
own societies were based on broad democratic principles,
every member having a voice in making the laws by which
he was governed; they wore, in fact, so many small Repub-
lics and feeling sympathisers with the large Republic across
the Atlantic, which he hoped would never be broken up.
Mr. CONOLLY (mason) trusted his excellency would use
all the influence he possessed to prevent a war between this
country and America, which he believed would be one of
the greatest calamities of modern times. It would throw
back the cause of freedom for many years. This war feel-
ing was fostered by a portion of the press and mercantile
classes in both countries for their own selfish purposes ; but
he hoped the good sense of the people and Governments
would prevent any such fratricidal act. He could assure
his excellency that a war with America would, as far as the
working classes were concerned, be the most unpopular war
that ever existed.
Mr. POTTER (joiner, and manager of the Beehive, trades'
newspaper), desired to assure his Excellency that it was
principally among the upper and a certain portions of the
mercantile classes that Southern sympathies existed; a small
section only among the working masses of England held
those opinions, the vast majority of whom would only be
too happy to see President Lincoln crush the rebellion and
extinguish slavery. A portion of the press of this country
were doing their best to mislead the public and embroil the
two countries in a sanguinary war. This would be pre-
vented by the people of America being made acquainted
with the sentiments of the great mass of the Engli,h people,
and he hoped his Excellency would cause those opinions to
become known among his countrymen. He and those who
acted with him were not blind to the shortcomings of the
North while giving it their sympathy. Should our Govern-
ment be forced into a war with America by the pressure of
the Southern sympathisers in Parliament, the whole power
of the masses would be brought to bear against such a war,
which would be undertaken in the cause of slavery. Mr.
Odgers (shoemaker), Mr. Petherbridge (joiner), Mr. Facey
(painter), Mr. Grey (stonemason), and Mr. Nieass (plas-
terer) also addressed his Excellency in terms approving the
policy of Mr. Lincoln, who they believed had acted strictly
—too strictly for his own success— within the pale of the
constitution. They deprecated a war with America as fra-
tricidal and injurious to both countries, and thought that
the people of each country should, to avoid such a calamity,
show the greatest amount of forbearance towards each other.
Neither Government would take the responsibility of enter-
ing upon war against the expressed opposition of the people.
Professor BEASLEY thought if war did ensue it would be
the result of misunderstanding, He had no doubt our Go
vernment was fully alive to its responsibility on this point.
It had been feared that the pressure put on the Government
by the Southern sympathisers in high quarters would force
them into war. Judging from the past conduct of the Go-
vernment on the American question he did not think they
were likely to be so influenced. The Southern sympathisers

might be noisy and demonstrative, but the Governmentknew
that those who sympathised with the North were far more
numerous and far more strong, as the public meetings on
in England known to the American
the subject certified. He thought it very important that his
Excellency should take all necessary steps to make the rea
state of publicopinion
reople ; this would be the best preventive of war. He saw
that the New York Herald had not taken the slightest no..
Lice of the Unionist rneeLin3 at St. James's-hall.
Mr. BRIGIIT —The Aew York Tribune contained a report.
Mr. ADAMS, having expressed the pleasure he felt at see-
ing so numerous a deputation of working men before him,
said, Gentlemen,—.l accept with pleasure the duty you have
imposed upon me in receiving your address to Mr. Lincoln.
Representing, as I do, my country
in England, you must
be aware that I stand outside all local questions ; therefore
it is not my province to express dissatisfaction or satisfac-
tion with those persons or parties in England who express
their opinions upon America. If there are any in this cowl.•
try who put a harsh construction on the conduct of the

American Government it i, not my place to find fault or my
right to criticise. It is however my duty to accept from the
representatives of any body of Englishmen th favourable