The Sun.
London, England, 1865-01-03 00:00:00

THE LUNCHEON.

A sumptuous luncheon was given by the directors at
two o'clock in the Assembly-rooms, to celebrate the event
of the day. About 250 gentlemen were present. The
Mayor presided, having on his right Mr. Bright, M.P., Mr.
Adderley, M.P., Mr. Bromley, M.P., Col. Mason, Major
Elmsall, Mr. Whateley, and Mr. Samuel Thornton ; and,
on the left, Mr. Scholefield, M.P., the Rev. Dr. Miller, Mr.
Kynnersley, Rev. Mr. Evans, Rev. R. W. Dale, Rev. Geo.
Dawson, M. Latour, the French Consul, &c.

The Rev. Dr. MILLER said grace.
After the usual introductory toasts proposed by the
CHAIRMAN,

Mr. THOMAS LLOYD gave " the Health of the Bishop,
and Clergy of the Diocess, and the Ministers of Religion of
all Denominations," which was responded to by the Rev.
Dr. MILLER, Rev, R. W. DALE, Independent, the Rev. W.
BACHE, Unitarian, and Canon JEFFRIES, Roman Catholic.
Mr. J. W. WHATELEY proposed " the Army, Navy, and
Volunteers," which was drunk with loud cheers, and re-
sponded to by Colonel MASON.
Mr. GEORGE DIXON proposed "the House of Commons."
It was the most enlightened and the most powerful assem-
bly in the world, and one of which Englishmen might be
justly proud. There were men in this country—he dared
say there were some in that room—who would not object
to some reform in the House of Commons, but he was quite
sure that whenever the day came for a reform of that House,
as come it certainly would, and it might be shortly, they
would all unite in the feeling that the reformed House
should emulate the present one in many very important
particulars. (Cheers.) He trusted that the House of
Commons would ever remain distinguished for the spirit of
independence which at present characterised it (cheers) ;
and that a seat within its walls would ever be, as now,
the object of ambition to the best educated, the most
highminded, and the proudest in the land. He trusted
that among those that England would return to occupy
the benches of the House of Commons there would
ever be found a large proportion of such men as they had
now among their guests, of whom he begged more espe-
cially to mention the name of the Right Hon. C. B. Adder-
ley. (Loud cheers.)
Mr. ADDERLEY, M.P., who was received with loud cheer-
ing, said—ln responding to the toast of "the House of
Commons" at the opening of so great an Exchange as this,
in so important a town as Birmingham, one is naturally led
to consider how far the House of Commons may claim
fairly and fully to represent the commercial interests of this
kingdom. (Cheers.) It was the spirit of commerce that
first enfranchised the Commons of England. The growth
of towns through commerce had first created the House of
Commons out of the old feudal councils of vassals ; and as
the House of Commons is the creature of commerce it is but
natural that it should speak its language: But it is a natural
and most marked feature of this talking age, in what is
certainly the freest and most vigorous nation in the world
—(hear)—that men should not be content to have their
public affairs discussed by only 600 representatives within
the four walls of Parliament. They seem to break out in a
thousand local extramural Parliaments to discuss their own
affairs. (Cheers.) We have a Parliament of Social Science,
a Parliament of Natural Science. We have a Church Con-
, gress—in Ireland at this moment, I believe, there is an
anti-Church Union ; we have trade unions and Free-trade
Leagues, and we have—perhaps the most lively, active, and
efficient bodies of all—we have throughout the length and
breadth of the land Chambers of Commerce. One might
almost say that the Anglo-Saxon race throughout the world
is at this moment sitting in a Parliament of some kind or
another. But it is these local discussions which are the
feeders of public opinion, and public opinion, when collected
into the central body, forms national legislation. We may
not, perhaps, satisfy all the political theories of perfection
that may be brought forward, and I should be the last to
say that we have, as to the basis of representation ; but we
seem to have arrived at the means of ascertaining the col-
lective voice and sense of the nation. It would be difficult
to name any interest so individual and so remotely local as
not to find access to the House of Commons. Tho Cham-
ber of Commerce of ,Birmingham and the midland district
has shown its vigorous action in the discussions which
have taken place, and it has recently issued a most able
and full report on the various political questions relating
to commerce—the proposed amendment of the bankruptcy
law, the railway tariff, the law of partnership, the patent
laws, and the relations which should subsist between the
Foreign-office and the Board of Trade in the interest
of Alle ctohnecselusqiuoensstitoonswhihacvhe the Chamber dealt lt commerce.
with, of
Commerce have come will find able and efficient organs
erce.
and
th
for their discussion in Parliament in the members for this
ac
town. (Cheers.) lam sure those gentlemen will be the
fast to admit that the House of Commons has within the
last 20 years responded to the voice of commerce in removing
important practical measures may still have to be discussed
the shackles from almost every branch of trade. Perhaps
in the remaining days of a dying Parliament, and if it be
true that our life has not been fruitful of good works,