The Sun.
London, England, 1865-11-15 00:00:00

The lion. Mr. Berkeley on Political Affairs.

The anniversary of Edward Colston, the philan-
thropist, was celebrated at Bristol, on Monday, in
the usual manner. The members of the Anchor
{L=L,-.-ca) Society dined together ; while those of the
Dolphin (Conservative) amt uraterut (Neutral)
Societies severally met together for the same pur-
pose. The Parent Society also celebrated tlie occa-
sion by a banquet. At the dinner of the Anchor
Society, which was presided over by Mr. J. 11.
Leonard, both the members for Bristol—the Hon.
F. 11. F. Berkeley, M.P., and Sir S. Morton Peto,
Bart., M.P., were present, as well as Earl Ducie,
Colonel Kingscote, M.P., Sir John Bowring, and a
crowded assembly of the Liberal party in Bristol.
After the customary toasts had been drunk with
enthusiasm, the chairman gave that of the " Mem-
bers of Parliament for the city of Bristol," which
was duly honoured.
The Hon. F. 11. F. BERKELEY, M.P., in return-
ing thanks, after a few local and general allusions,
said—lt might be necessary that he should say
something to them of the political aspect of the
country, deeply interesting as it must be to them all,
and to consider what their future prospects were.
They had lost the Premier of that administration of
which himself and Sir Morton Peto had been sup-
porters. (Hear, hear.) When he said supporters
he believed he might venture to say modified sup-
porters—supporting all those measures which they
believed in, but declining to support those measures
the goodness of which they disbelieved. Lord Pal-
merston had been taken from them—a powerful
man, the first man of the age, a man of peculiar
talent peculiarly called forth. Never was there any-
thing ever written in the way of panegyric stronger
than that which was to be found in the Times news-
paper. lle could not believe it possible to write an
eulogium upon an individual and minister combined
stronger; the only danger of it was that it ap-
proached to hyperbole. For a particular reason of
his own, which he would presently explain, the hon-
ourable member said he would direct their atten-
tion to the opinion of the Times newspaper
upon Lord Pahnerston from the year 1835 up to
1850. He was not about to quote it at great length,
but he would quote to them some of the Times'
opinions on Lord Palmerston's merits, whether as a
man or a minister, in the year 1850. On that occa-
sion Lord Palmerston had to defend himself from
certain charges, and he (the hon. speaker) remem-
bered that be spoke for five hours, and a striking
instance it was of physical strength, for he never
tasted a glass of water nor an orange during the
whole of those five hours. Now, the following was
what the Times of March Ist said upon the Greek
question :—" After the experience of the last few
years in various parts of Europe, it is not surprising
that people should be found to believe the motives
of the British Foreign Minister are not merely ludi-
crous, and that he has in view something more
dangerous than Don Pacifico's claims." On May 22
the Times said :-.44The time is now arrived when
it is absolutely necessary for the Parliament and
people of England to determine whether it is for the
interest and dignity of this country to have their
foreign affairs conducted by stratagems and de-
fended by falsehood and violence." On the 23d of
May the Times said of Lord Palmerston—" He has
been pursuing this miserable game in the spirit of an
attorney of the lowest class, perfectly unscrupulous
in his practice ; and in his passionate eagerness to
enforce the demands of these persons he has sacr-
ficed the dignity, the policy, and the alliances of the
Crown." On June 20--" If Ministers cannott de-
fend themselves from a mischievous colleague, here
are others who can defend the nation from dis-
honour." And on June 22 —" A wise Minister of
this country might have obtained a magnificent posi-
tion after the events of 1848, if lie had the confidence
of the world as to temper, prudence, and good faith.
That confidence Lord Palmerston did not inspire, pre-
cisely because he had substituted his own passion or
caprice for the permanent interest of his country, and
would not have sacrificed the amity and respect
of
all nations to inflict a blow on the King of Naples,
or extort from the Greek Treasury the amount of
Pacifico's claim." Now, he would ask them to mark
the last quotation which appeared on 26th of June,
before the division in the House which fully excul-