The Sun.
London, England, 1854-10-12 00:00:00

LORD ABERDEEN AT ABERDEEN.

ABERDEEN, Monday Afternoon.—The Earl of Aberdeen,
acceding to the request of the magistrates and council,
attended this afternoon in the Tosvn-hall, to be present at
the inangunition of his portrait painted by subscription
some time s go, and placed in the Town-ball. The magi-
strates and council also took advantage of the noble earl's
visit to present him with an address, expressive of their
approval and admiration of the policy which he has fol-
lowed as head of her Majesty's Government. The Earl of
Aberdeen and party were received by the Lord Provost,
magistrates, and council, in the council chambers, and from
thence conducted to the Town-hall, which they entered
shortly after two o'clock, the company rising en masse, and
welcoming them with great applause.
In addition to the Lord Provost. Magistrates, and Town
Council, the Town-Clerk and Chamberlain, the Provost of
Old Aberdeen,-the Convener of the Trades, the Collectors
of Customs and Inland Revenue, Professors of King's and
Marischal Colleges, and a very large number of the most
respectable and influential of the burgesses and inhabitants,
we observed amongst the company—The Earl of Kintore,
Mr. Thompson, M.P., the Hon. Arthur Gordon, M.P. ; the
Hon. Charles Forbes, of Brux; Sir Wm. Forbes, Bart., of
Craigievar ; Sir Jas. D. H. Elphinstone, Bart., of Logie-
Elphinstone ; Major-General Sim, H.E.I.C.S. ; Mr. Gor-
don, of Cairnbuig ; Lieut.-Colonel Forbes, Old Aberdeen ;
lar. Gordon, of Ellen ; Mr. Gordon, yr., of Ellon ; Mr.
Fairnhelmo, of Chapel ; Major Knight Erskine, of Pitto-
dtie ; Captain Butt and officers of 79th Highlanders ; Mr.
Innes, of Raemoir ; Mr. Dalrymple, of Westhall ; Rev.
Mr. Heron, Maxwell ; Mr, Mitchell, of Thamston ; Bishop
Skinner; Mr. Skene, of Lethenty ; Mr. Leslie, of Powis ;
Mr. Thomson, of Banohory; Mr. Sterltt Duff, of Corsindae;
Mr. David Blaikie; Mr. Irvine, yr., of Drum; Mr. David-
son, of Inchmarlo; Mr. Milne, of Pittrichie; Mr. Hadden,
of tnioa Grove ; Mr. Todd, Marycrilter House; Mr. Stro-
nach, of Drunaallan. ; Mr. Davidson, of Desswood ; Mr.
Alex. Pixie, yr., Stoney wood ; Mr...4.llardyce, wine mer-
chant; Rev. Dr. Forsyth ; Rev. Dr. Davidson ; Rev. Dr.
R. S. Candlish ; Provost Henry; Dr. Kilgour ; Dr. Pirrie ;
Dr. Dyce ; Dr. Nicol ; Capt Leslie, Old Aberdeen ' • Mr.
Anderson, 51st Regiment; Captain Satter, R.M. ; Capt.
Otway, Barrack Master ; Captain Smyth, R.N. ; Mr.
Mitchell, Postmaster ; Mr. Chalmers, of Westburn ; Mr.
Shand, advocate • Mr. Sheriff Watson; Major Munro ;
Capt. Forbes, Old Aberdeen • Capt. Gibson, Drumduan ;
Capt. Milward, R.N. • Mr. Wylie, banker; Mr. Westland,
banker; Mr. Littlejohn, banker; Mr. F. Edmond, advcs
cate ; Mr. G. Lyall ; Baillie White ; Mr. John Maitland ;
Mr. Duthie, shipowner; Mr. Leslie, builder ; Mr. A. B.
Whyte ; Mr. Webster, advocate ; Mr. Chalmers, of Monks-
hill ; Mr. Brebner, advocate ; Mr. Farquhar, sheriff-clerk ;
Mr. Thomas Burnett ; Mr. Newell Burnett Baillie Forbes ;
Mr. Giles, R.S.A. ; Mr. Holland; Mr. Rose, shipowner;
Mr. Milne, of Kinaldie; Mr. M'Combie, of Jellybrands ;
Mr. Sangster, advocate ; Baillie Williamson ; Mr. Coch-
rane, of Balfour; Baillie Urquhart • Mr. Yeats' of Aqu-
harney ; Mr. Anderson, advocate ; 'Mr. Whyte, advocate ;
Mr. Robert Catto ; Mr. Ferguson, of Altens ; Mr. Smith,
of Glenmillan ; Mr. Tache ; Mr. tier, Dundee ; Mr. John
F. Whyte •, Mr. Patrick Keith, banker, &c.
The noble visitors and company having taken their
seats,
The LORD PROVOST said—My Lords and Gentlemen,—
My first duty is to offer my sincere acknowledgments to
the noble earl for so courteously acceding to our request to
meet us here this dxy ; and I now beg to tender to him the
united and heartfelt. thanks of my colleagues for the honour
he has done us, thus adding another to the many favours
his lordship has already conferred on this community.
(Cheers.) On the occasion of a former town council re-
questing and obtaining Lord Aberdeen's permission to
have his portrait taken, for the purpose of being placed in
this hall, full expression was then given to their senti-
ments of esteem and regard for his lordship's character.
We emphatically reiterate those sentiments and ex-
pressions, and now that the picture (which is a
faithful and pleasing likeness, reflecting great
credit on the skill of the accomplished artist who painted
it, Sir John Watson Gordon) has been committed to our
custody, we shall guard and preserve it with the greatest
care and respect, and when we shall have all passed from
this scene, our successors in office will point to it as the
picture of the enlightened and patriotic statesman, who, in
all the relations of life, gave so illustrious an example to
his countrymen for their imitation. (Loud applause.) My
lords and gentlemen,—l trust the address I have now the
honour to present to the noble earl will not be considered
of the less value because it emanates from a body of per-
sons, who, though living at a distance from the seat of
Government, yet representing a large and intelligent com-
munity, where the actions and conduct of public men are
freely canvassed, but, particularly, residing in the neigh-
bourhood of his patrimonial estates, have had an ample
and probably as good an opportunity of appreciating his
lordship's character and services as any other portion of
her Majesty's subjects. (Hear, bear, and applause.) I
shall now, with your permission, read the address of the
Council.
Address of the Provost, Magistrates, and Council of the city
of Aberdeen, to the Right Hon. the Earl of Aberdeen,
LT., First Lord of the Treasury, and Lord-Lieutenant of
Aberdeenshire.
My Lord Aberdeen,—When your lordship three years ago
kindly assented to the wish of this corporation that your
portrait should be painted for them by an eminent master, it
was their intention, on occasion of its being placed in the
Town Hall, to request that you would honour them with your
presence, in order to receive in person their expression of the
feelings off deep respect and esteem entertained by them for
your lordship, and which the portrait was designed to corn
memorate. You have since been called by her Majesty to
fill the highest place in her councils, and the exigencies of the
public service have interfered to prevent you from visiting
Scotland until now.
Your lordship has been pleased to yield a prompt and cour-
teous compliance with our anxious request to be permitted
now to address you, during your brief respite from the labours
of office. In doing so, we cannot regret the delay occasioned
by your prolonged absence from Scotland, because the pre-
sent eventful period, with the history of which your name
must ever be associated, invites and justifies as in referring,
more emphatically than would formerly have been necessa
to your lordship's public character, as well as to your position
in the state.
We cannot refrain, however, from adverting, in the first,
place, with a natural pride, to your long and intimate con-
nection with this part of Scotland, by the ties of ancient de-
scent, large territorial possessions, and frequent residence
among, and constant intercourse with, its inhabitants. Your
conscientious discharge of every duty arising out of these
local relations, and out of the high offices of Lord-Lieute-
of the County, and Chancellor of King's College, have gained
the respect and attachment of all within the sphere of your
influence; and while it is the boast of the Town Council of
Aberdeen tbat you are already enrolled among her citizens, it
is also their duty and pleasure to acknowledge the obliga-
tions under which they lie, in a particular manner, to your
lordship, for your marked kindness and attention in every
case where its interests are concerned.
But great, my lord, and peculiar as are your claims on the
gratitude and respect of this portion of the country, we feel
that they are eclipsed by the lustre of your public services
rendered to the empire at large. We have marked, in com-
mon with our fellow-countrymen, that enlightened sagacity,
that sympathy wish the just rights and true interests of the
people, which placed your lordship, 'along with Sir Robert
Peel, at the head of those who carried the great measure
of free trade, and which since his death have left you the
most influential advocate of his opinions ; we have admired
the moral courage which led you, on other occasions, to main-
tain inflexibly your own convictions, independent of popu-
larity ; and that consummate knowledge of foreign affairs,
and wise management of our foreign relations, which have be-
fore saved this country from a rupture with other powers.
Such qualifications, and the universal conviction of your spot-
less integrity had worthily earned the proud position to which
your lordship has been summoned as First Minister of the
British. Crown.
We desire to add our humble and hearty tribute of ap-
proval of the policy pursued by your lordship's Government
both at home and abroad, while placed in the most trying
circumstances and harassed by the attacks of unscrupulous
opponents. With these attacks, my lord, your countrymen
have had no sympathy, They concur in the sentiment of
another great statesman, that the highest eulogy of a British
Minister is his having been actuated by the love of peace ;
they appreciate your lordship's ceaseless efforts to avert from
this great empire the horrors of war, while preserving its
honour untarnished ; and they do justice to the unparalleled
romptitude and vigour with which, after war became inevit-
able, our great armaments, both by sea and land, were des-
patched to their respective fields of action.
We, along with the rest of the nation, regard with peculiar
satisfaction the cordial and unbroken union which has
thr,aighout subsisted between her Majesty and her august
allies ; and we tender to your lordship, as head of her Go-
vernment, our heartfelt congratulations on the brilliant suc-
cesses with which it has pleased Almighty God to crown their
arms. Most sincerely do we pray that these victories, and
the wise measures of the Allied Powers, may speedily result
in restoring to Europe the blessings of peace.
Having thus endeavoured, though imperfectly, to do justice
to our feelings of profound respect, esteem, and gratitude to
your lordship, and confidence in your administration, we
earnestly trust that you may be long spared to preside over
the councils of our Sovereign.
Signed in name and by appointment of the Provost, Magis-
trates, and Council of the city of Aberdeen, and the common
seal of the city hereunto affixed, at Aberdeen, the 9th day of
October, in the year 1854.

THOS. BLAIKIE,
Provost and Chief Magistrate of the city of Aberdeen.
At various parts of the address the company cheered
very enthusiastically. The Lord Provost, advancing, pre-
sented the address to the noble Premier, who rose to re-
ceive it. It was printed in gold letters on vellum, beau-
tifully illuminated, and had the city seal attached to it in
a silver box—the whole enclosed in a blue morocco case
bearing the city arms.
Lord ABERDEEN, on rising, was received with repeated
rounds of applause. On its subsiding, he said—My Lord
Provost and gentlemen, I trust you will readily believe
that the pleasure I have derived from revisiting this part
of the country for a few days his been greatly increased
by the very friendly and cordial reception I have met with
from you upon this occasion. (Cheers.) Of the address
which you have now read I may only say that it is couched
in terms much too flattering, and very far above my de-
serts. But although I yield to none of my predecessors in
office, and shall yield to none who may follow me, in an
earnest desire and an honest wish to promote the welfare
and prosperity of this country, still, when I consider the
means which are necessary to effect practically to such
(deeshiereerssl.)(.a rourit bhuatvespak with feelings of deep humility.
refer to the portrait avehlii me, and
pleased, in this address, to
ich I now see before
which you have done
these walls. Loro. hie the honour to place.. upon,
some pride to the fact
when
vote
the)vost, if I refer with feelings I
work executeA at a time was passed and the
still it is with equally I held no political office,
gratified feelings I find that my
conduct in office has not such as to diminish those
feelings which ienpdpulceeedersr
friendly
Le confer that honour
upon me. (Prolonged
value this address, and good reason • entlemen, I greatly
do so. First, it is presented to inseistthere that I should
am best known, and you are aware etllioca locality where I
which has always been considered somewhat
this is a test
difficult to
meet—(applause)—but especially I value it,
from a body of men who have every claim to my u "ruing
respect and honour. (Applause.) Gentlemen, when
eatest
acquaintance first commenced with this city, now mang
years ago, when I received its freedom from the hands of
a predecessor of my worthy friend opposite, its popula-
tion did not exceed more than 30,000. It has prodi-
giously increased since that time, and in numbers has
amounted not only to double, but, I believe, to 70,000
inhabitants. Now, that increase is not confined to its
population only, but the increase has equally taken
place in its wealth, its prosperity, its improvement,
of every de-wription. Now, how has this been accom-
plished ? Certainly not by royal favour, or by the special
protection of any government ; but it has been by the per-
severing industry, the I.'gh intelligence, and strict inte-
grity of its citizens. (Cheers.) It is this spirit of self-
reliance, and this exertion, which have given it an Euro-
pean reputation, and will, I trust, perpetuate its prosperity.
My Lord Prevost, I think the last time I had the honour
3f being min Ono Nr«,lis was on the occasion Only per.