The Sun.
London, England, 1862-07-17 00:00:00

7HE ROUHE.R BANQUE7.

A very magnificent entertainment was given last
evening, at Willis's Rooms, St. James's, to M.
Rouher, the French Minister of Commerce, which

was attended by about 150 members of the House

of Commons, amongst whom were Mr. Milner
Gibson, Sir G. C. Lewis, Mr. Cobden, Baron L.
Rothschild, Lord Henry Lennox, Mr. Liddell, Sir
David Dundas, Alderman Salomons, Sir Robert

Clifton, Mr. J. C. Ewart, &c.
Mr. Milner Gibson presided, and on his right was
the guest of the evening, M. Rouher ; and on his
left, M. Michel Chevalier and M. Dufour.
A sumptuous entertainment was placed upon
the table, and the -wines were of the most
recherche and costly kind, a different wine being
served with every course. At the head of the bin
of fare the following intimation appeared—" It is
hoped that the order laid down may be adhered
to, and each dish partaken of with its particular
and vegetable." The wines that were
wine, fruit,
successively served with each course were Cham-

;agne, Rudesheimer, Moselle, Sauterne, Claret,
Hermitage, Romanee, Chateau Yquem, Tokay, and

Vin de Constance.

At the dessert the Chairman proposed •' The
Queen, coupled with the name of the Prince of

Wales_ He then proposed "The Emperor of the
French," and in doing so said that for nearly half

century the relations between England and France

had been, on the whole, of the most friendly de-
scription, but at no period during that time had

those relations been in a more satisfactory condi-

tion than at the present moment. The monarch
who ruled over France was animated by the most

friendly sentiments to this country. The animosi-

ties which prevailed at a former epoch had been
softened and subdued by the lapse of time and the
enlightened policy of giving greater freedom to
commercial intercourse between France and Eng-

land proposed by the Emperor of the French, and
promptly and joyfully acceded to by the Govern-
ment of the Queen, must tend to draw still closer
those ties of amity which bound the two nations
together. He proposed to them to drink with cor-
diality to " The Health and Long Life to the Em-
peror of the French." (Loud cheers.)
The toast having been duly, honoured,
The CHAIRMAN proposed " The Health of our
Distinguished Guest." (Great cheering.) They I
were assembled to do him honour and to give him
a hearty welcome. Perhaps there was no instance
in our history in which a large number of mem-
bers of Parliament had invited to a banquet
a Minister of State of a Foreign Govern-
ment. This fact was significant of some-
thing. We were a nation above all others re-
markable for being the slaves of precedent, and
when we stepped out of the beaten track we
meant by that to signify something unusual. They
desired on that occasion to express their approval
of the commercial treaty between France and Eng-
land, and to express the strong feelings which they
entertained of the importance it was to the happi-
ness of the people of both countries that the two
peoples should be bound by the ties of amity—
(cheers)—and they wished also to express their
recognition of the services which M. Rouher had
rendered to the cause—the great cause—of com-
mercial freedom. (Cheers.) It was he who had
carried out in Paris the details of the treaty, and
had effected those supplementary conventions which
were within the spirit of the original agreement.
He had had to encounter the jealousies and pre-
judices of interested persons, but spite of them the
treaty had been a great success—and in the next
returns of the Board of Trade it would be seen that
there were only two countries standing higher with
regard to our exports than France. He concluded
by proposing M. Rouher, and the toast was received
with great enthusiasm.
M. ROuHER spoke in French, and was received
with prolonged cheering. He said,—Never before
have I so keenly regretted as I now do my ignor-
ance of the English language, for community of
ideas, impressions, and sentiments is never complete
unless they are conveyed in the same language. I
wish I could exprcaa to you in your own tongue the
emotion and the gratitude I feel at the signal
honour done to me this day by the representatives
of that House of Commons whose debates may be
said to occupy the minds of the whole world. It is
not without a kind of astonishment that I find my-
self in the midst of so many statesmen, practised
veterans in public affairs, renowned for their great
oratorical conflicts and the eminent services they
have rendered to their country, and whose praises
rush to my grateful lips. (Loud cheers.) A just ap-
praisement of myself counselled me to decline this
testimony of sympathy, but this important occasion
was designed to pay homage to the great principle

of civilisation which dictated the treaty of com-
merce of 1860. (Great cheering.) My scruples
were overcome, and my presence amongst you was
the fulfilment of a duty. This act will occupy an
important place in the history of the two nations.
(Cheers.) Permit me briefly to recount the ob-
stacles which opposed its negotiation, and the
motives which determined its realisation, the results
obtained up to this day, and the legitimate hopes to
which its execution must give rise. In doing so I
shall at the same time be able to reduce to its
modest proportions my participation in this inter-
national work. (Loud cheers.) Commercial liberty
had eloquent defenders in France in the eighteenth
century. The barbarous theories of isolation, those
barriers against the intercourse of nations, were
victoriously attacked. (Cheers.) A great Minister,
Turgot, made his convictions triumph is the eco-
nomic acts of the Government. The treaty of 1786,
the existence of which was so short, and yet so
calumniated, was inspired by those liberal tenden-
cies. The commercial legislation of 1792 drew
most of its resolutions from the same source ; the de-
crees which soon repudiated those measures of pro-
gress did not pretend to create a new system. They
were weapons of war forged for those gigantic con-
flicts Which marked the end of the last and the be-
ginning of the present century. (Cheers.) Why
were the traditions of Turgot neglected after the
return of peace.
' why
was the road deserted that
bad already been opened, and the science of the
wealth circulation of
lavished
to fall again into obli-
vion after the light
: on it by the genius of
(cheers
Adam Smith? ) Did the backward legisla-
tion of other nations ex,rt,
Ise
I cannot an unhappy influence
over ours ? tell. To my thinking
rile commercial laws of the
Restoration were
determined by considerations of political economy,
That government was tormented by the idea, not
devoid of prestige, of
reconstituting the
territo-
rial aristocracy which had been crushed by the
Te fictitioush elevation. of
French revolution. the
price of all the products of the soil, that flagrant
violation of the rights of the mass of the People,
that direct cause of general impoverishment, „.
poured to it a precious element of success. Excry_
bitant duties were imposed on the importation of
cereals and of all articles of food. French industry
ought to have protested, but it preferred to obtain
as the price of its adhesion the blind maintenance
of all those prohibitions which prevented the im-
portation of manufactured produce. (Cheers.) The
government of July manifested at intervals some
tendencies towards enfranchisement, but the bur-
den was too heavy to lift. Its timid efforts were
destined to remain without effect. The political
and electoral organisation of the country placed
power in the hands of those who were directly in-
terested in the restrictive system. Hence for many
years, thanks to the co-operation or the weakness
of government, to the coalition of the adroit, and
to the credulity and indifference of almost the
whole public, prohibitionist ViCWS had become
sovereign, and exercised that:power with that in-
tolerance h whle. is the attribute of an illegitimate
authority. (Cheers.) If any ray of light pierced
those artificial
_ combinations it was extinguished
with as mud,.
eing a confilgya a
tigoenrness as is shown in extinguish-
If an economist of matured
convictions had the
courage to raise his voice he
was attacked with
Utopian or a traitor; be_ want He was but a
indignation,
ed to sacrifice the in-
dustry of the country to the
uht—
y of England.
(Cheers,) To these economic prejudices and ter-
rors, often sincerely entertained,
and an* •re superadded
those political
passions unoutia, which u•n-
,
prudent minds can so easily excite between two
powerful nations, each of which is justly proud of
itself. (Cheers.) How were such obstacles to be