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

._.~;~,

.tORIJ PALMERSTON AT WINCHESTER.

WINCHESTER, TUESDAY.
Lord Palmerston presided at a public dinner last
Light 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,
M.P. ; Mr. S. Booth, M.P.; Mr. Cubitt, M.P.;
Mr. Bovill, M.P.; the Hon. R. H. Dutton,
&c.
The cloth having been drawn.
The noble CHAIRMAN, in proposing "The
Queen," said vice 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 thoul.,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 1 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.) IN 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 Europe, 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 al. the accounts of those who
know her, possesses ail 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
—ln 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.) I 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, him) 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
name 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 duties 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 had 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
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
nd sea, "The Army,Navy, Militia, Yeomanry, and
oiunteers." (Cheers.) lam happy to say that the
smy and navy never were in a more efficient condi-
tion than they are at present. (Cheers.) They have
been racrre 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. '1 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 conduct 'd, and
animated
by a more patriotic spirit. (Cheers.)
And this is to be borne in mind also—that in re-
cent times science has made great changes in the
implements of war. Inthesechanges, England, I
may say,has held theforemost
- men who have devoted place. The science
the enterprise and their minds to the study,
energy of those whose busi-
, it has been to carrythe
practical results, have
both by
of science
scoveries
implements of war, eus in regard to
land and sea, at
ast on a footing with any nation in the world—
(hear, hear)—and that, allow me to say, gives
great advantage in the courage,
discipline,ithu s
re-
gard and experience of the officers and men
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 pleasing to klo;
that, whereas it was thought by some who opposed
the Bervic e, t hat,after they had been disembodied and
ii,SOlll bled again for periodical training, there would
he a great number of absentees, and that the effec_
tives ire
the field would be comparatively few. The
of jest year have proved exactly the con-
trainin
trary, and that as ense of duty has brought men in
e hers to their duty. (Cheers.)
n]
sufficient nu perform
Ic
are all proud. There is no
Of the yeomanry
e reason to be proud of the
c or
has mounty which (Cheers.) We have
Hampshire,
g bf
etwerl for it is well known
also excelled in our volunteer
yeomanry than
that there is a sort of accor the cavalry
part of the county;
and riflemen in the southern
d
who was
e
for when mustered by the genera officer
horses,
sent to inspect them, they put epurs to their
leaped over fences and hedges, the review-
leaped
ing officer behind. (Cheers.)
Gentlemen and and left
.—of course ladies take a great interest in these Od-
ors, and those who distinguish themselves by oho"