The Sun.
London, England, 1865-01-28 00:00:00

Inauguration Banquet of the Lord Mayor
of Dublin.

DUBLIN, Friday Morning.
The inauguration banquet of the Right Hon. the
Lord Mayor took place yesterday evening in the
round room of the Mansion-house. At least 600
gentlemen were present, and the gallery was occu-
pied by a large number of ladies. The room was
brilliantly lighted up with gas and chandeliers.
Immediately over the entrance was placed the
Royal Arms in coloured glace, surrounded by a
garland, consisting of the shamrock, rose, and
thistle in the same material. The band of the con-
stabulary was placed in the gallery, and played
during the evening a selection of music. At seven
o'clock his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant arrived
from the Castle, attended by Mr. Wodehouse, pri-
vate secretary, and Capt. Everard, assistant private
secretary. He was accompanied by a mounted
guard of honour.
Shortly after his excellency's arrival the company
took their seats in the round room—the Right Hon.
the Lord Mayor in the chair. To the left of his
lordship were—His Excellency the Lord Lieutenant,
the Earl of Clancarty, the Right Hon. Joseph
Napier, Mr. Justice O'Brien, Judge Dobbs, Mr.
Justice Keogh, the Solicitor-General, Mr. Serjeant
Sullivan, the Right Hon. James Whiteside, M.P.,
Sir James Power, Bart., Sir Percy Nugent, Bart.,
Mr. George, M.P., Col. Taylor, M.P., Sir George
Hodson, Bart., Judge Kelly, the Ven. the Arch-
deacon. of Dublin, Dr. Beatty, President of the
College of Physicians, the Hon. Mr. Boyle, Sir John
Gray, &c. To his lordship's right were—Alderman
M'Swiney, the Right Hon. the Recorder, the Earl of
Charlemont, Lord James Butler, Judge Keatinge,
Major-Gen. Larcom, K.C.8., Sir Edward Grogan,
M.P., the Hon. George Hancock, Lord St. Law-
rence, the Right Hon. A. Brewster, Q.C., Hon.
Charles Trench, the Very Rev. the Dean of St.
Patrick's, Sergeant Armstrong, John Vance, M.P.,
Judge Berwick, Col. Dunne, M.P., Capt. De Courcy,
R.N., Isaac Butt, Q.C., M.P., lon Trant Hamilton,
M.P., Sir Colman O'Loghlen, John Little, Esq.,
Mayor of Belfast, &c.
The dinner was of the most re'cherche description,
After the cloth was removed, the Lord Mayor pro.
posed the usual loyal toasts, which were most warmly
honoured. He then rose to propose " The Health of
the Lord Lieutenant." He said he felt very proud
of having present on that occasion a nobleman so
able and of such experience and celebrity as Lord
Wodehouse. He had not been long amongst them,
but since he came he had shown, by his great tact
and ability, his capacity for performing the
part of a right Viceroy for Ireland. He was thoroughly
acquainted with questions of a social and economic
character, and he felt assured, from what he had
heard and read, he had at heart the welfare of Ire-
land. He considered his excellency's presence
amongst them that evening was an evidence that
there was no chance of the Government of this

country abolishing the office of Lord Lieutenant. He
believed its abolition would cause great injury to
Ireland. He maintained that the existence of the
Viceregal Court, around which the aristocracy and
gentry of the country could assemble, was of great
value, and it was also of great importance to have a
man of ability and judgment directing the govern-
mental business of the country in Dublin. Every
man of sense and judgment would agree with him
that the present system of absenteeism was doing a
vast amount of injury to Ireland. (Hear.) It was
most injurious to have so many of the nobility and
gentry of Ireland spending in other countries the
revenue they derived from this. (Cheers.) He held
the principle that a landlord was bound to spend at
least some of his rents among those who mama them
for him. He also held that the presence of the nobi-
lity and gentry tended much to elevate the moral
and social condition of the people by precept and
example. Their absence worked a contrary effect,
and much of the present state of Ireland might be
accounted for in that way. (Hear.) After referring
to the proposed measure for the sale of land by regis-
try of title, and to the necessity for a complete system
of drainage to be carried out by the Imperial Govern-
ment, the Lord Mayor adverted to the advantage
conferred on this country by the extended growth of
flax in Ireland, consequent on the prosecution of
the American war, and concluded by proposing
"The Health of the Lord Lieutenant and Prosperity
to Ireland." (Applause.)
The LORD LIEUTENANT, who, on rising, was re-
ceived with loud cheers, said :—My Lord Mayor, my
lords, and gentlemen,—l most sincerely thank you
for the very kind welcome which you have given to
the toast that has been proposed by the Lord Mayor
in terms so very kind towards myself. Since I
have been in this country I have received many kind
words of welcome, and I deeply feel how much I
owe to those who have been pleased by their words
of welcome, to encourage me in the task which I
have undertaken. I feel most deeply the responsi-
bility of the office which I have the honour to hold,
and I am most truly desirous to make use of that
office, as far as lies in my power, for the good of
the people of Ireland. My Lord Mayor, I have
received, beside words of welcome, many deputa-
tions, who have addressed me upon subjects of great
interest and importance to this country. I have
listened with great attention to what they have said,
and I trust that I have not too much disappointed
some of those gentlemen who came to me by not
always being able to agree in the views they may
entertain. In considering the interests of a whole
country there are balances of opinions to be looked
to—there are balances of interests—and what may
be for the advantage of one section of the commu-
nity may interfere with that of another section ;
and it is necessary that he who has to advise the
Government on these subjects should take the
whole country into his consideration, and not any
particular section of it. (Hear, hear.) It is a pleas-
ing thing to say " Yes," but it is, unfortunately, too
often the duty of a man in my position to say "No."
All I can ask is this, that you will give a fair con-
sideration to the opinions I may form, and I pro-
mise you, at least, I will make a frank and honest
declaration of them. (Cheers.) My Lord Mayor,
you were pleased to couple with my name that
which is of far greater importance than the health
of any man who may hold the position I occupy
—I mean the toast of " The Prosperity of Ire-
land." (Cheers.) Now, I ventured when I had
the honour of addressing a similar assembly to this,
under the patronage of your late excellent Lord
Mayor—l ventured then to say that, though the
condition of Ireland may not be all we wish for now,
yet I saw some hopeful signs. Now, since I have
come here I have taken some pains to see whether
the state of the country bears out the view that I
then ventured to express, and I will lay before you
very shortly two or three facts, which I hope will be
well weighed by those who are continually dinning
in our ears that Ireland is a ruined country. (Hear.)
gshall trouble you with but very few facts, for this
is not an occasion for enlarging on such subjects.
Let me point out to you one remarkable fact. Since
the year 1847, which was the year I referred to on a
former occasion—since that year the tonnage in-
'wards and outwards in twenty of the principal
tom of this country has increased no less than 45
Pe..T cent. Now it exceeds ten millions in extent,
and that at least is a proof that you have shared in
the general advances of trade. lam happy to say
that the port of Dublin has shared remarkably in
that increase. In
port of Dublinthe year 1862 the tonnage of the
inwards and outwards was 2 000 000
as compared with I,lBO'OOU tons in the year 1847.
(Hear, hear.) Facts are better than arguments, and
you with em
for that reason I trouble It may be
also pleasing for you to know that this
to a great extent owned by Irishmen, and ship
.wpionrgkeisd
mcr increasing
by Irish capital. Shipbuilding has been
in the port of Dublin, the port o.Drogheda,easi
port of Belfast, and other ports in Ireland. the
now allude to one or two other indications of im-
provement. Let me point out to you that the crime__
the serious crime of the country—is decreasing.
- (Hear.) During the last two year—l mean the
years 1862 and 1863—there was an increase of the
offences for which penal servitude is awarded ; but
that increase has been followed by a considerable
diminution in the year that has just passed ; and, as
regards the condition of the cityof Dublin, I under-
stand the reports of the police for the past year will
show that there has been a vast decrease in the city

of Dublin of offences against the law, and especially
of .the graver offences. I will only refer to one
other matter in connection with this sul ject—l
mean the poverty of the country. Although there
are some spots where great poverty exists, yet upon
the whole the number of paupers relieved out of the
poor rates during the last three months of winter
that have just passed have considerably decreased
as compared with the corresponding period of the
previous year. Now, these are facts which indicate
progress and improvement ; but, undoubtedly, there
is another side to the picture. The prosperity of
Ireland, it must be admitted, is a thing still to be
wished for and to be worked for rather than to be
enjoyed and admired. (Hear, hear.) There is
staring us in the face this paramount fact, the para-
mount feature of these times, one which every man
who would understand the condition of the country
must take into account. I mean the vast emigration
of the people from Ireland. Now any man who has
not formed an opinion on that subject cannot be
held to have any sound or just views of the state of
the country, and while I regret that the labouring
classes of this country should find it more for their
advantage to leave their native home than to re-
main at home ; deeply as I regret that they should
carry with them, as I fear they too often do, across
the Atlantic feelings of discontent against the Go-
vernment under whichthey had lived, feelings which
may influence to some extent the great Republic
at the other side of the Atlantic—deeply as I re-
gret this, yet I am convinced that no measures
however desirable, for giving increased employ-
ment to them at home, and increasing the re-
sources of the country, could place the prosperity
of.the country on a sound and just basis unless it
were accompanied by the emigration. My Lord
Mayor—Let me remind you of the fact that wages
in this country—the remuneration of labour—have
been.low, and are still low, and people will go to
those countries where they will receive a higher re-
muneration for their labour, and no man can blame
them for so going, and no wise man will wish them
to remain when they can obtain in another greater
comfort and greater prosperity. :(Hear, hear.) I
might tell you that there is a slight diminution in
the emigration of the past year as compared with
that of the year before ; but let me entreat you to
take this fact into consideration, that emigration,
though on a larger scale in Ireland than in other
countries, is not peculiar to this country. (Hear.)
If you will look to the position of other agricultural
countries, you will find that the same. thing more or
less predominates. I would wish you to take into
account this strong fact. In the distant part of
England with which I am especially connected, and
whose district swarms with agriculturists, the last
census shows this remarkable state of things, that
whereas a great increase of the population of Eng-
land and Wales had taken place, a great diminution
had taken place in the agricultural districts. And
why was this ? Because the wages are exceedingly
low. They only earned about 9s. a week, which- at
this moment is point out to you what an advantage
the increase of that manufacture has been to the
agriculture of the country, when I state to you the
great augmentation of flax which has recently taken
place. Last year there under cultivation in Ireland
300,000 acres of flax, as compared with less than
100,000 acres in 1858. Remembering how the im-
provement of one industry acts upon another, we
may look upon the increase in manufacturing indus-
try as a great benefit and improvement to the whole
country. (Hear, hear.) That is only one branch.
Another is the woollen manufacture. The woollen
manufacture, too, has been gradually lifting itshead.
The number of mills for woollen manufactures has
increased, I am told, during the last five years from
9to 48. (Hear, hear.) This is a small, but still it
is a sensible increase, and I will undertake to say
that, whereas there was a time when, to our shame
be it spoken, we in England wished to retard wool-
len manufactures in Ireland, there is no Englishman
now but will rejoice to hear of the prosperity of the
woollen manufacture, There are other branches of
industry which I might refer to, but I will only
glance -,at one, and that is a very remarkable pro-
duction—l mean the production of porter, which 1
has been carried on with such immense success by
one of the most distinuished citizens of the metro-
polis. (Hear, hear.) I associate the name of Mr.
B. L. Guinness with the manufacture of porter.
Let almost as low as in some parts of Ireland, and
the people have gone where they will obtain a bet-
ter remuneration for their labour, and by going they
have benefited themselves and they have benefited
the class remaining. This cannot be attributed to
any want of improvement of the land, for no land
could be better cultivated than that in the portion
of the country with which lam connected. It can-
not be ascribed to any bad feeling between land-
lord and tenant, for I will venture to say there is no
part of the world where a better feeling exists be-
tween the landlord and the tenant. It cannot arise
from the condition of the labouring classes, for in
no place have greater efforts been made to improve
their condition, but it results from this, that they
who go obey the economic law of offering their labour
to the best market. Far be it from me to shut out
from consideration the duty of endeavouring to stop
this emigration by opening new sources of employ-
ment for the people, for I feel that if we don't use
the advantages which Providence has, as it were,
placed within our grasp, a great opportunity may
escape us of enabling the people of Ireland to en-
joy that more contented prosperity which they de-
serve. Now, lam greatly struck and much rejoiced
to find that so much attention has been turned,
espcially here in Dublin, to the subject of manu-
factures. (Hear, hear.) The Lord Mayor has re-
ferred to the vast increase of the linen manufacture,
which is so well known to all that I need not en-
large upon it ; but I would for a moment point out
to you the great increase of imports. You have in-
creased your trade in Dublin, and I heard a few
days ago, that the Custom-house officers were so
very hard worked that they would have to apply for
help, and the increase of spirits, wine, and tobacco,
which are luxuries to a great extent, has been con-
siderable. During the last 20 years Mr. Guinness
has extended extensively the porter trade, and,
whilst he exports from Dublin large quantities, there
is a great increase of imports. I take this opportu-
nity of congratulating the city of Dublin on the
noble work of the restoration of St. Patrick's Cathe-
dral, which is now almost completed, and which is
shortly to be brought to such an excellent termina-
tion. Mr. Guinness will permit me to say that he
has instituted an example of munificence which con-
fers the highest honour upon the city to which he
belongs, and when we see the accumulation of great
wealth accompanied by so generous and disinterested
a use to benefit society, we know that the accumu-
lation of that wealth will tend to the benefit of our
city. I am looking forward to the moment in the
coming year—l think it would be unwise, indeed,
if I were to attempt any prediction—when the Ex-
hibition will be inaugurated. We know very well
how the hopes of those were cast aside who pre-
dicted for the Exhibition of 1851 that it would in-
augurate a year of peace. We have reason now to
congratulate ourselves upon the peaceful prospects
of our country. We are, happily, exempt from any
foreign quarrels, and I think we may finally hope
that your Exhibition will take place during a time
of peace, tranquillity, and harmony, and that the
display of arts and industries will be one which will
make this year memorable in the annals of the city
of Dublin. (Loud applause.)
Speeches were afterwards delivered by Mr. White-
side, Judge Keogh, Mr. I. Butt, the Earl of Clan -
carty, the city members, and others. The company
did not separate until past 1 a.m.

RUSSIAN POLICY TOWARDS POLAND.—The Mos-
cow Gazette publishes a political review of the year,
in which the following passage occurs with regard to Po-
land :—" Polish nationality cannot have an existence along-
side that of Russia, and thus the conciliation between us
and the Poles is a matter of impossibility. All concessions
made to the Poles would simply be a source of new and
ldireful misfortune to the two countries. In fairness to Po-
land we desire to destroy these illusions for ever, and their
consti-
tution of
dreams of national independence. Polish nationality should
effectleinterior
afon with the Russian nationality, without which
peace of the empire, and even the solid consti-
. Good policy
side of the Polish'
Catholicism may
Church. Russia, will be impossible to her. The religious
interests in the P
should keep political interests question is a far different affair. Roman
subsist andhecivuenestflioonur.nish alongside of our
points out to our government that it
Polish
entirely separated from re-
ligious