The Sun.
London, England, 1862-10-15 00:00:00

>RD PAL TIERSTON AT TVINCHESTER.

WINCHESTER, TUESDAY.
Lord Palmerston presided at a public dinner last
night at St. John's-rooms, in celebration of the
Winchester Diocesan Training Schools for Masters.
There was a very numerous attendance, among
those present being the Bishops of Winchester, Ox-
ford, and Salisbury; Sir F. Baring, M.P.; the
Dean of Winchester ; Archdeacons Jacob, Honey,
and Ullerton ; the Mayor of Winchester; Mr. T.
G. Baring, M.P. ; Mr. B. Carter, M.P.; Mr. Beach,
AI.P. ; Mr. S. Booth, M.P.; Mr. Cubitt, M.P.;
Bovill, M.P.; the Hon. R. H. Dutton,
&c.
The cloth having been drawn.
The noble CHAIRMAN, in proposing " The
Queen," said vie had the advantage and the bless-
ing of living under the rule of one whom he might,
without exaggeration, pronounce to be the best
Sovereign that ever ruled over this or any other
country, (Cheers.) Her Majesty had drawn to
herself the deepest attachment of all her subjects,
and that attachment had been increased, if possible,
by the sympathy which we all had for the heavy
and overwhelming affliction with which it had
pleased Providence to visit her. (Hear, hear.) We
could only humbly pray that that Power which
had thon,ht fit to visit her Majesty with such a
calamity might continue to give her stiength, men-
tally and bodily, to bear up against so severe a
trial. (Cheers.)
The toast was enthusiastically drunk, and fol-
lowed by " God save the Queen."
His LORDSHIP again rose and said—The next
toast I beg to propose is The health of his Royal
'Highness the Prince of Wales, and the rest of the
Royal Family." It may not be inappropriate in
an assembly met, as we are to-day, in the cause of
education, to say that there is no family in the
United Kingdom that has been better or more
carefully brought up than the Royal family of
England. (Cheers.) ith regard to the Prince of
Wales, even at his early age, he has literally visited
the four quarters of the globe- He has been in
America, Africa, Asia, and it is unnecessary to say
in EuropQ, and wherever he has been he has ga-
thered golden opinions. He has been admired every-
where for his amiable qualities, and his desire to
gain instruction in all quarters. He is about, I
trust, to contract a marriage with a distinguished
princess, who, by all the accounts of those who
know her, possesses all the eminent qualities which
- will contribute to the happiness of her husband and
the welfare of the State. (Loud cheers.)
His LORDSHIP, in proposing the next toast, said
this constitutional country it is not unnatural
that, after having done honour to the Crown, we
should express our respect for the two houses of the
legislature. (Cheers.) 1 therefore propose to you
to drink " The Two Houses of Parliament." It is
quite unnecessary for me, in the presence of
members of both houses, to dilate upon the
benefit the country derived from those two
institutions. Their value has been so much
understood all over the world, that in almost every
part of Europe institutions are set up in imitation.
We may still, I think, have the pride and the
satisfaction of feeling that the imitation has not
yet equalled the original. (Loud cheers.) At the
same time it is gratifying, I am sure, to the people
of England to know that their example has been
looked upon as a model by all the most civilised
nations of the world, and that that example has
had a great and important influence in inducing
nations which, in former times, lay under the rod
—the tyrannical rod—to establish their liberties,
and to secure for themselves that guarantee
which consists in a legislature on the model of
our own. I beg to couple with that toast the
nr.me of one of our neighbours—a most distin-
guished member of the House of Commons—l
mean Sir Francis Baring, who, in the perform-
ance of all the ditties which have devolved upon
him as our representative in the House of Com-
mons—whether in performing the functions of an
arduous and important office, or whether in the dis-
charge of those duties which belong to him as a pri-
vate member—has conciliated in an eminent degree
the respect, the esteem, and the goodwill of all who
have come in contact with him. (Cheers.) I beg
to propose " The two Houses of Parliament." (Loud
cheers.)

Sir FRANCIS BARING, M.P., in responding, said
he thought no fair complaint could be made against
the House of Commons upon the subject of educa-
tion. They had bad it long before them. In early
times, when that subject was not so popular as it
was at present, the House of Commons had stood firm
in promoting the education of the people; and that,
too, at a time when the opposition arose, not only
from very important quarters, but from quarters de-
serving the utmost attention, from the opposition
being of a conscientious character. During last ses-
sion when that subject was before the House of Com-
mons, he believed that if the discussions which took
place were looked into it would appear that they
bad not only paid attention to, and calmly consi-
dered the question before them, but that they had
abandoned entirely all party feelings whatever. It
Would be found that men from different sides of
the house voted upon that particular question in
accordance with their real opinions, and directly
against the views of those members with whom they
were usually in the habit of acting. Under these
circumstances, without saying whether their deci-
sion was right or wrong, it was apparent that upon i
a very important question which related to the edu-
cation of the country, the House of Commons did
lay aside all party feeling, and came, after great de-
liberation, to the decision which they thought best
The CHAIRMAN—We have done due honour to the
Crown ; we have expressed our respect to both
.houses of legislature; but neither the crown nor the
legislature, much as they may be respected by the
country, and firm as may be their foundation in the
affections of the country, would have much chance
of long standing if they had nobody to defend them.
I therefore propose that we should drink to the
health and prosperity—and it is a very comprehen-
sive toast—of our brave defenders in arms by land
:Tad sea, "The Army,Navy, Militia, Yeomanry, and
!olunteers." (Cheers.) lam happy to say that the
'amy and navy never were in a more efficient condi-
tion than they are at present. (Cheers.) They have
been more numerous in former periods, and the tax-
Payer has no objection to their more modest and
limited proportions ; but they are, for their amount,
in a state of the most complete efficiency. here never
was a time when both services were better orga-
nised, or in which the officers had more instruction
and better education, or in which the men were
more
amenable to discipline, better conducted, and
animated
by
a more patriotic spirit. (Cheers.)
And this is to
be borne in mind also—that in re-
cent times Be
ienee has made great changes in the
implements of
war. In these changes, England, I
711a3' aaY,has held the foremost place. The science
men who have devoted their minds to the study,
the enterprise and energy of those whose busi-
it has been to carry the discoveries of science
practical results, have placed us in regard to
implements of war, both by land and sea, at
~ast on a footing with
any nation in the world—
(hear, hear)—and that,
alleoowurage,t
to say, gives as a
skill, discipline,
in
great advantage the
and experience of the officers and raen. with re
gard to the militia, we are proud to think we have
a body of as fine men enrolled in that service as any
one could wish to see ; and it was pleasin-
g to know
that, whereas it was thought by soine who opposed
the servi( e, that, after they had been disembodied and
assembled again for periodical training, there would
be a great number of absentees, and that the effec-
tires in the field would be comparatively few. The
t year have proved exactly the con-
training's of las
hat a sense of duty has brought men in
trail, and t
sufficienther9 to perform their duty. (Cheers.)
Of the yeofr eery 'reare all proud. There is no
c'en to be proud of the
s
county which ho
..,-, mere rem
(Cheers.) We have
y on Ty
than 'lamps!'
for it is well known
also excelled in our volunteers,
c
m the cavalry
that there is a sort of accord betwe
t of the county;
Par
and riflemen in the southern
for when mustered by the general officer who was
horses,
sent to inspect them, they put spurs to their
leaped over fences and hedges, and left the review-
ing officer behind. (Cheers.) Gentlemen and ladies
—of course ladies take a great interest in these mat-
tere, and those who distinguish themselves by sho W-