The Sun.
London, England, 1853-07-20 00:00:00

PUBLIC DINNER TO JOHN EGAN, ESQ., MX. P.,

AT BYTOWN.
On Monday evening, a public dinner, on a magnificent
scale, was given to John Egan, Esq., M.P.P. for the
county of Ottawa.
The dinner was served in a tent erected near the resi-
dence of Nicholas Sparkes, Esq., in Bytown. Upwards
of one hundred gentlemen sat down to table. By special
invitation, the lionourables Francis limcks, Lewis T.
Drummond, C. P. Roney, Esq., the manager and di-
rector of the Grand Trunk Railway, A. M. Delisle, Mr.
Bellingham, and Mr. Sykes, of Sheffield, were present.
The chair was ably filled by F. Powell, Esq., Mayor of
the county of Carleton, while R. W. Scott, Esq., ex-
mayor, of Bytown, acted as vice-president.
The health of the Queen and the Governor-General
were proposed and drunk amidst the most enthusiastic
cheers ; after which the PRESIDENT rose to propose the
toast of the evening, and in a truly eloquent manner,
alluded to the exertions of Mr. Egan in the service of
his country, which he said were greater than those of
any other man, and almost herculean, to develope the
great latent resources of the Ottawa. Not only did he
exert himself as a legislator, but by his own individual
exertions, joined with those of his partners, rendered
the travel from the town in which they stood to Portage
du Fort, a distance of upwards of 70 miles, inferior to
no part of this continent.
Mr. EGAN, in reply, spoke at considerable length, and
stated that he always found the present Government
inclined to listen to any suggestions calculated to pro-
mote the interests of the Ottawa, and lie trusted that
now that they had commenced the good work by voting
50,0001. towards opening the country between the Chats
and the Chaudiere Lakes, besides allotting a further
handsome sum for the improvement of their roads, that
they would not stop there ; and that the motto would
be— to use a phrase of our Republican neighbours—" Go
ahead." Mr. Egan's speech was delivered with great
effect, and was throughout followed by the most raptur-
ous applause.
The next toast was that ef "The Premier of Canada,
the Hon. F. Hincks." Upon the mention of his name
the assembly rose en masse amid thunders of applause,
which continued for several minutes, and which com-
pletely drowned the voice of the chairman.
Mr. Timms in reply spoke at some length. He stated
that the Government not having taken the importance
of the Ottawa into consideration at an earlier date, was
from no indisposition to do it that complete and ample
justice to which it was so justly entitled ; but from
possibility to undertake such a public improvement on a
scale commensurate with the wants of that gigantic river,
' owing to the prostrate state of the finances on the advent
to power of the present administration in 1848. He re-
peated that the present grant was only an instalment of
what the Ottawa was entitled to receive whether he con-

tinned in office or not, no administration would decline
doing it justice.

The CHAIRMAN again rose to propose the health 'of a
gentleman whose eloquent voice was raised in the senate
of the country in favour of the transfer of the seat of Go-
vernment to "the City of the Woods." That eloquent
voice had ever been raised in favour of this section •of
the country ; and from the high position of that gentle-
man, and his great talent and zeal in advocating the
development of the resources of the Ottawa, he felt con-
fident that his exertions would eventually be crowned
with success. He would, therefore, propose the health
of the Hon. Lewis T. Drummond, Attorney-General for
Canada East. The sentiment was received with bursts
of applause. _ _ _

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL rose and stated that he was
no stranger to the Ottawa ; he had, in former years, fre-
quently visited it professionally, and it was then he had
formed his opinion of its vast and boundless resources.
In fact, no one: could visit it without coming to the same
opinion of its important position. Nature had been pro-
fuse in lavishing its bounties upon this favoured spot.
The fact that it will, ere long, be the focus of several
roads, besides it being the key to the great and bound-
less timber region, cannot fail to render it one of the
great cities of the Province. He spoke at considerable
length, and in a strain of eloquence to which it is impos-
sible to do justice in this very short and imperfect report
of his speech.

The VICE-PRESIDENT then proposed, " Prosperity to
the timber trade," which was ably responded to by Mr.
Egan.
"Prosperity to Railroads" was next proposed ; and
the name of Mr. SYKES (one of the distinguished guests
present) having been pointedly mentioned in connection
with it, that gentleman rose to return thanks. He stated
that he had. come to Canada, not so much for the pur-
pose of making speeches as railroads. He had visited
the Ottawa country during his short stay in Canada,
and it fully and more than realised his expectations. He
was delighted with the country. He hoped that the pro-
spect of a war in Europe would soon disappear, else it
might seriously affect the money market, and render the
construction of large undertakings extremely difficult.
He sat down amid loud and continued cheers.
The PRESIDENT then rose and said, that he was about
to propose a toast which he felt would be well received ;
it was one of a local character, and largely affecting the
material interests of Bytown—lie meant the health of
the Montreal and Bytown Railroad, and of the Presi-
dent and Secretary, Messrs. Delisle and Bellinghain.
Bytown had been misrepresented in relation to this com-
pany, and he availed himself of the opportunity afforded
him to state that Bytown had disowned connexion with
any other company than the one in question.
Mr. A. M. DELISLE then rose and returned thanks
for the honour done to the company he had the honour
to represent. He would preface any remarks by avail-
ing himself of the occasion to thank the worthy member
for Ottawa for the aid he had received when before the
Legislature to obtain a charter. He thought it right
also to acknowledge the valuable and powerful aid he
had received at the hands of Mr. Hincks, when engaged
on the same mission. It would be recollected by all
present that he had taken the stand he did when a fatal
blow was directed at Bytown and Montreal, by the re-
vival of an old charter, which, whilst sanctioning a rail-
road to Prescott, leaving Bytown aside altogether, fixed
its point of departure at Lachine, where it marched off
to the State of N.Y. _ _ .

Bytown and Montreal would not quietly submit to
this act of injustice, and petitions in large numbers were
forwarded to Parliament. The House of Assembly, see-
ing that nothing but justice was sought, at cnce sus•
pended its rules, and granted a charter for a Bytown
road. The Hon. Mr. Hincks had said that the trade
of the Ottowa belonged to Canada entirely, and he was
right. It was chiefly with a view of keeping that trade
to Canada that a new charter had been obtained. He
added that already Terrebenne had voted 100,0001.
125,0001. had been spoken of by the corporation of
Montreal, which would, he felt sure, be voted in a few
days.
The County of Two Mountains were prepared to vote
100,0001., but had suspended their vote until Montreal
and Terrebonne had done their share ; and he hoped
that county would see the advantage of joining a line
which, uniting them to two powerful corporations,
would at once insure the construction of this great un-
dertaking. Mr. Delisle was frequently interrupted' by

loud cheers.
Mr. BELLINGHAM then rose, and said that he appeared
under great disadvantage in having to speak after the
able speakers who had preceded him. He dwelt at
length on the vast and extensive resources of the Ottawa,
and from what he had seen, he had no doubt whatever
in the result of the future, and the day was not far dis-
tant when the extensive line of railroad leading from
the Atlantic to Montreal, and from thence to Bytown,
and by the valley of the Ottawa to Pambroke, would
become one of the most important auxiliaries and feeders
of the Grand Trunk Railway, at the same time affording
that facility which is so well calculated to develop the
resources of this vast and improving section of Canada.
The tribute of respect paid the Hon. Mr. Hincks was
well merited, and if he could add anything it would be
to say that, to thaethe gentleman country was indebted
for the improved condition of Canadian securities in the
English markets. He hoped soon to see the Montreal
and Bytown Railway under contract, and, as they were
well aware, an English contractor was present, and pre-
pared to undertake the road on favourable terms, and to
accomplish the work in a comparatively short time.
Mr. Bellingham would take the liberty of proposing
" Success to the Bytown and Pembroke Railroad,"
which was drank. Mr. Bellingham delivered his speech
with great eloquence, and was rapturously cheered.
The VICE-CHAIRMAN then rose, and craved a bumper
in honour of a gentleman whom they were all proud
upon this occasion to see present, and whose great ta-
lents, in connection with railroad statistics in England,
they had all heard so much about ; he alluded to C. P.
Roney, Esq., the secretary of the Grand Trunk Railroad.
That gentleman had been instrumental in ushering into
existence the Great Dublin Exhibition 'of this year—an
exhibition that is doing much towards developing the
resources of Ireland, and for which important services to
his native country he is to receive the honour of knight-
hood. It was unnecessary for him (the vice-chairman)
to detain the meeting any longer, as the " distinguished
Irishman," as the London Times termed him, would
answer for himself. The toast was drank in the most
enthusiastic manner.
C. P. RONEY, Esq., then rose to respond to the toast
that had been so enthusiastically received. He alluded
to his connection with the Dublin Exhibition, and paid
a high tribute to Mr. Dargan and Sir John Benson. He
stated that although his own country possessed great
material resources, still they were not equal to those of
Canada. He had only as yet been a short time in
Canada, yet lie had been surprised and astounded at the
gigantic dimensions of what he had seen. The capi-
talists of England had no conception of the immenseness
of this country. Its hydraulic powers were unrivalled ;
its immense forests, its fine fertile territory, and its being
situated in the centre of the temperate zone, must eventu-
ally elevate it to a high position among the nations of
the earth. One thing particularly struck him—the dif-
ference between his own countrymen here and in Ireland;
they were here occupying a high social and political po-
sition, and exercising that position with advantage to that
country and to their sovereign—they completely estab-
lished the fact that where political power is conceded to
them, and perfect equality, it is never abused, but, on
the contrary, highly appreciated. He thanked the meet-
ing for their patient attention, and concluded a speech
of which this is but a feeble outline, amid thunders of
Luse.