The Sun.
London, England, 1863-07-02 00:00:00

..~

lords, and genflemenehave welcomed the toast proposed by
the Lord Mayor I beg to return you my warmest thanks.
I am well aware, under ordinary circumstances, - eh is the
metropolitan hospitality of the Mansion house, )t we must
not draw any political inferences from the t, is that are
given in such a company as this. Every on 3 , . o holds high
office—nay, every man who in the variou fessione per-
forms his duly in his own particular sphere to his Queen
and country, whatever his political feelings or opinions, is
always receivel with a cordial welcome when participating
in the magnificent hospitality of the city of Leaden.
(Cheers.) You yourself, my Lord Mayor, in the course of
the preeent year, have received with the most distinguished
hospitality the members of her Majesty's Government
of which, I am happy to say, your lordship is
not a supporter. (Cheers and a laugh.) Nay, I
believe if that chair were filled by the most
rabid Dissenter, due respect would be paid to
the bishops and clergy of the Established Church ; and if it
should happen that a Quaker Lord Mayer should get into
the chair I have no doubt he would duly honour the Navy,
Army, and Volunteers. (Cheers and a laugh.) But on the
present occasion the manner in which you have introduced
this toast—the terms in which you have brought forward
the name of one who holds no responsible official position,
who performs no duties except those which are self •imposed,
and who has no official claim to your notice, the company
by which I see myself surrounded giving me an opportu-
nity, now rarely afforded, of meeting many members of the
House of Commons with whom in former times I acted so
long in cordial concert. Such an assembly, and the toast
you have proposed, not only as Lord Mayor, but as member
for the borough of Southampton—(cheer s)--in whose per-
son the Conservative party achieved one of their most dis-
tinguished of the many illustrious triumphs they have ac-
complished—(cheers)—all these things combined justify
me, I think, in attaching to that toast some political
significance—(cheers)—and I thank you cordially for as-
sociating my name with the great and noble Conser-
vative party with which it is my happiness to be as •
sociated. (Loud cheers.) I can assure you lam far
more grateful for this association with 'that noble party
than I could be for any compliment whatever, however
high and unmerited, which might be paid to me per-
sonally for any services I might be supposed to have at any
time performed. (Cheers.) For I venture to say there is
no language which can adequately express, or, at all events,
there is no language which could exaggerate the merits of
the conduct—the forbearing, the firm, the patient, the self-
denying, the patriotic conduct which has been pursued for
the last four years by that great party. (Cheers.) I beg to
be forgiven for recalling to the recollection of this company
the position in which that party has been placed for the tact
four years. It is that length of time since that party—nu-
merically far superior to any of the sections into which what
is called the Liberal party is div:ded—numerically far supe-
rior to any of these, and not very far, though somewhat,
inferior to all of these sections put together—that party
found itself ejected from office by what I may, without of-
fence, call a pretext, which pretext, as soon as it had served
its purpose, was at once abandoned. (Cheers.) And what
was the course of the Conservative party on that occasion?
Did they give way to the indulgence of idle vexation, to re-
venge, to retaliation ? Did they immediately occupy them-
selves in forming combinations and coalitions to overthrow
the to overiment which had succeeded in their stead ? They
did nothing of the kind. Far from entering into such com-
binations and coalitions, the course they have been pursu-

ing for the last four years has been that of adhering stead-
fastly to their own fixed principles ; but, at the same time,
not only not opposing, but even supporting, against their
own more violent supporters, that very Government by
whom they were ousted from office. It is with parties very
touch as it is with troops—it is not the active campaign, it
is not the het of theengagement which triestho real mettle
of the troops; but it is the long protracted inaction; it is
the lying exposed to fire with the enemy in your front, and
not being permitted to make an attack ; it is the waiting for
the moment when victory may he achieved, when it would
be lost by being too early anticipated ;—it is this which
tries the temper, the forbearance, the real courage of the
soldier. (Cheers.) Thtt is the trial of the temper, the
forbearance, the real courage, the true patriotism, of a
political party, (Cheers.) Sash, gent:emen, has been the
course a hick for the last four years has been pursued
by the C, nservative party in this country. Feeling thorn-
selves able at any reoment, could they but stoop to such
combinations as they have been charged with, to overthrow
the Government, they have yet studiously abstained from
any risk of throwing the country into disorder or confusion,
and have been satisfied by maintaining their own principles;
and often .supporting the Government against their own
more advanced political allies. (Hear, hear.) I must say
that it is most vexatious and annoying to a great party to
see during the long period of four years every political office,
every office in Church and State, and all the little minor
patronage of the country appropriated entirely to those who
are their political opponents, and themselves deprived of
any portion of the. irdiaterreoileiived from the possession of
that patronage. Except the great Conservative party, there
is no party which under such a state of things could have
passed that long period of inaction without materially
dwindling in their numerical force and spirit as a party.
(Cheers.) But, so far from this being the case, I am proud
to say we reckon in the House of Cenme.ns at this moment
a greater dumber of Conservative members than I could
claim the assistance of when I was First Minister of the
Crown.' (Cheers.) My right hon. friend, Mr. Disraeli, a few
days ago at a dinner at which it was not my good fortune
to be present, delivered a speech which received the univer-
sal approval of all who heard it, and in which he Clearly
marked out the broad lines of distinction which exist be-
tween dhe Conservative, at all events, the advanCcd Liberal
party in'the country. He pointed out clearly that our views
arid opinions are diametrically diverse. Then; it may be
asked, if that be the case, and isf,_those extreme Liberals
whose principles are diametrically oppOied to ours, are the
stipporters of the present Government, how can we justify
to ounelves as a Conservative party for a single moment
tolerating 'or maintaining in office such a Government ?
The answer isthis—that from the period the so-called Libe-
rai Government succeeded to office, for the most part the
advanced Liberals have been very well satisfied to leave
their favourite projects in abeyance, and, with the excep-
tion of those renewed assaults on the Church of England—

which I am happy to say, owing to the vigour, firmness, and
determination of the Conservatives, have been constantly re-
pelled, as I trust they will continue to be repelled—the sup-
porters of her Majesty's Government have had the some-
what unpleasant surprise of seeing some of their more favou-
rite projects either faintly supported or quietly wet-blan-
ketted,or ever almost hooted out of the House of Commons.
I will not go so far as to say that I consider the noble
viscount at the head of the Government a very distin-
guished;-or very renowned stateman ; but I give him very
great credit for his great social qualification and his personal
popularity. No matt can le more agreeable, To his other
qualifications for attaching himself to individual supporters
he adds the elasticity of his youthful spirits—an elasticity
which almost keeps pace with the elasticity of his political
principles. (Cheers, and a laugh.) I give him credit also
for that charm, which some call a modest assurance, which
in this country goes by the name of " pluck"—(cheers)—
and which, whether it be right or wrong, is a quality which
invariably attaches to itself a large portion of the British
public. (Cheers.) Lord Palmerston, to do him justice, is
never afraid of supporting his ow n opinion, and the more
his friends get into difficulties the more vigorous he is in
standing by them. Well, under these circumstances, so
long as the advanced Liberals were satisfied to remain in
°face, and to see their favourite principles discarded, and all
their pet projects laughed out of the House of Commons,
we, good Conservatives, were, under existing circurn-
s ces,-satisfied for the present with that arrangement.
(Cheers.)
aserso
I do not say that is an arrangement which is
satisfactory, because it is always unsateiasrfactory when power
and office are ill different hands.(
(Hear, hear.)
for a coun-
try—(eheers)...-and it is
therefore A weak
Government is the greatest possible misfortune
unfortunate that at the
keep its own course and to take its own
from being able to
present moment the Government of the country is so far
relying not on the forbearance,
tbiamteetvheant
oi
Itt isconstantly
t he sa p
port of its political adversaries, while
those political adversaries, thus wielding the real poweranu-
of
the country, and directing' its affairs, have yet not such
merie.al absolute majority as to enable them in their turn to
forth
a strong Government, and to hold as well as to take
possession of the reins of power. (Cheers.) I say this is an
unfortunate state of things • but if you ask me orany mem-
ber of the Cotservative partywhether they would rather be
offorththeetenefit
connected with a strongO osition or a weak Government,
I must say for myself, I havepp not the slightest hesitation in
saying,benefit
affairs let us be not in a
able toweanka
country, for the benefit
of the conduct of
rely-
ing on the forbearance of 0
of the Conservative party, for the
but let us be in a
strong Opposition, controlopponents,
of Ministers--
to be held forth as a bugbear tond fteheebalectGioonvernment,
the heads of that party,and
Iver, how long
able effectually prevent their
(Cheers.) I may be asked,x however, combination from operating to
the advanced Liberals. by
dangerously to the country.
of things to continue ?admit it is not advisable
such a state of things should continue,
to continue is a question which I e But how long it is
answer to which rests with the constituencies of
and the
is this state
coun-
try. (Cheers.) We are now appro.tchingcttehseoefl the
tainly not a very active or useful session of Parliament, ofcer-
tainly
the Government have been defeated over in
and over
agein, but in which they have endeavoured to sc
selves from defeat by H.° very singular process oinbreeti:ln.
forward no measures whatever. (A laugh.) I dent believe
there is any period of our history on which we can look bey°
which has been so barren of legislation, which has bee ark
parently so useless, or nearly wasted, as the present sesnsinp-
But we are now entering upon a month, though the lastnilof
that session, which is eminently full of political importance.
This is the month when a deceased statesman used to say
we should " Register, register, register." (Cheers.) If
you desire to give the Conservative party that amount of
strength and that numerical preponderance which will en-
able it not only to obtain, but to retain office, and to carry
on the Government ou its own principles, without depend-
ing on any extrinsic support, this is the month during which
the Conservatives of the country, one and all, must put forth
their strength, in order to place in the hands of those who
represent them in Parliament sufficient means by which to
accomplish the objects we have in view- (cheers)—and I
may be forgiven, my Lord Mayor it; in this city of London,
I venture to say that here, in the metropolis, might be made