The Sun.
London, England, 1862-02-15 00:00:00

a period now readily calculable, carry the winged

words to and fro in momentary flashes between the
British Islands and the remotest parts of her Asiatic

possessions. Simultaneously with the spread of this
marvellous agency there comes to light only the
other day the power and the vitality of that

identification of the affections, and interests of the

Canadian population, with those of the inhabitants
of the United Kingdom, which has demonstrated
for once and for all to the recognition of all rational
lookers on in both hemispheres the absolute unity

of the British Empire—scattered though that

empire is throughout the remotest limits of the ha-
bitable globe. As a fitting sequel, therefore, to the
extraordinary prelection of Mr. GOLDWIN SMITH,
the Professor of Modern History in the Oxford

University, came the dinner given on Wednesday
evening at the Freemason's Tavern, in celebration
of the astonishing growth, particularly of late

years, of our vast Australasian colonies.

The dinner in question was, in very many re-
spects, one of the most interesting festivities
that has taken place for a long while past in

relation to any part of our numerous and widely-
distributed possessions. It was presided over, as
our readers on Thursday evening were made
aware, by the ex-President of the Legislative
Assembly of Victoria. Among those who ad-
dressed the assembled participators in this
banquet was the Colonial Minister himself, his

Grace the Duke of NEWCASTLE. There also spoke

among others, and, as ever with him, exceedingly
to the purpose, the noble and gallant Secretary
of the Admiralty, Lord CLARENCE PAGET, Nor
were the leading orators of the evening restricted,
by any means, to a selection from among the
members of the present Administration. The
Conservative Opposition furnished its contingent
to the number of principal guests, and to the num-
ber of conspicuous speakers. Two of the Tory
Secretaries for the Colonies—namely, the Right
Hon Sir JOHN PAKINGTON, and my Lard STANLEY,
the Liberal son of the Conservative Premier,l
spoke, as much con amore, upon the self same
theme as the one gladly descanted upon
earlier that same evening by Lord C. PAGET and
his Grace the Duke of NEWCASTLE. Recollect the
dinner was in its purport no less than in its very
designation an Australian dinner. And bearing in
mind that it was so, may we not recognise as a
signal indication that the banquet so designed and
so defined was wonderfully well-timed, all things
considered ? when among the various toasts proposed
to the assemblage, toasts as appropriate to the
occasion as " Prosperity to the Australian Colonies"
(given by the Duke of NEWCASTLE), and "The
Governors and Legislators of the Australian
Colonies " (given by Lord STANLEY)—there
was quaffed in solemn silence a memo-
rial draught to the '6 Memory of BURKE
and WILLS " to the memory, that is, of
the first of those adventurous explorers cf the
fifth continent at our antipodes, the ♦ery first
whose heroic enterprise (at the cost of their lives)
led to the crossing and re-crossing, from south to
north, and from north to south, of the hitherto
(at least by Europeans) unpenetrated depths of
Australasia. It was upon the morrow of the
completion of that first successful expedition to
penetrate Australia from seaboard to seaboard
that the Banquet of Wednesday was given, a
banquet in celebration of the seventy-fifth anni-
versary of the foundation of the Australian
colonies. The seventy-fifth anniversary, observe,
of their foundation. In other words, more
than two whole generations have passed away
since the standard of England was first planted
there. Yet wide though the distance of time already
traversed since Captain COOK'S discoveries first led
to the organisation of the largest of all our sixty
colonial possessions—within how comparatively
brief an interval is it not that the growth of
our institutions there may be said to have
really coramenced- in earnest ! As a representative
Government, for example, the very oldest of our
now flourishing Australian colonies dates back no
further than to a distance of a score of years from
the present time. The youngest of them dates the
dawn of the epoch of its self-government no
further back than to a distance of just three
years. Yet already their revenue has expanded
to an aggregate of six millions and a-half sterling
—their population to one million and a quarter—
their tonnage in outward-bound trading vessels to
one million and a-half—and the annual value
of their imports to £25,000,000. With some
show of reason, therefore, might the anni-
versary of the foundation of our cluster
of colonies in Australia be celebrated as it
was,. celebrated on Wednesday. If anything
could tend to cap the climax of absurdity, moreover
glaring upon our imagination in an eccentric pro-
position like that of Mr. GOLDWIN SMITH'S, to the
end that the British Colonial Empire, as a whole,
should be voluntarily disrupted as soon as pos-
sible, it would be blazoning forth of statistics
like these in regard to Australia, immediately
after the magnificent manifestation of loyalty and
patriotism witnessed at the turn of the year
among our fellow citizens in Canada.

The Earl and Countess of Donoughmore have
left the Pavilion Hotel, Folkestone, for Paris.

Lord and Lady De Blaquiere have left town for
Paris, and will remain abroad for a few weeks.
"Mr. Mark Lemon About London," continues to
attract very numerous audiences, and the first and second
parts have been considerably increased in interest by being
now compressed into one lecture, and liberally interspersed
with lighter anecdotal matter. " About London" is now
delivered every Monday and Fri lay, and "About West-
minster" every Wednesday and Saturday, with all the beau-
tiful and original illustrations.
REPRESENTATION OF LEICESTER.—The writ for
a new election in the place of Mr. Biggs was received on
Wednesday by the mayor, who appointed Monday next
for the election. The Conservatives had a meeting on
Wednesday evening, and resolved not to bring forward a
candidate, expressing themselves content with one member,
and resolved hereafter to claim one. Mr. Taylor, will, it is
expected, be returned unopposed.

GREAT GRIMSBY ELECTION.—RIOTOUS PRO-
CEEDINGS.--The nomination of candidates for the repre-
sentation of Great Grimsby took place on Thursday. Mr.
Heneage and Mr. Chapman were proposed amidst conside-
rable confusion. The poll took place yesterday, and we re-
ceive by electric telegram the following numbers as the close
of the poll—Chapman, 456 ; Heneage, 436; majority, 20.
The brief telegram speaks of terrible rioting, of Mr.
Heneage's hotel being completely gutted, and of the streets
being torn up. The Hull police, who were sent for in the
morning, were, it is sail, half murdered. Many men received
serious injuries, some of which are reported as almost fatal.
THE HARTLEY COLLIERY RELIEF FUND.—For
the support of the families rendered destitute by the late
melancholy disaster at Hartley the most ample provision
has now been made. A meeting of the committee entrusted
with the management of the funds was held in Newcastle
on Thursday, and by the secretary the agreeable announce.
meat was made that the subscriptions towards the benevo-
lent object have reached the handsome sum of nearly
£50,000. It was at the same time stated that the number
of sufferers entitled to receive relief was about 450, and that
the estimated expenditure of the current year would be
£l,OOO. Several commuxications, containing suggestions as
to the appropriation of the surplus amount collected, were
read, and to meet the almost universally expressed wish of
the subscribers, it was resolved to make a public intima-
tion, to the effect that the committee would be prepared to
hold any residue which might remain beyond the require-
ments of the present emergency, for the relief of similar
cases of calamity in the counties of Northumberland and
Durham, either as a basis of a permanent fund, or in any
other mod?, which may hereafter be decided upon. A sum
of £3OO was voted to the fund being raised for a
testimonial
to Mr. Coulson andhis heroic fellow-sinkers, and a motion
tci send six of the orphan girls to Haverstock Sehocl, pro-
vided they could be admitted for £5O each, was adopted.—
Newcastle Chroniek.