The Sun.
London, England, 1822-08-30 00:00:00

THE CANNING CLUB.

[From the Liverpool Courier of Wednesday.}
[Further Particulars.]
On Friday last the dinner given by this Club
to the Right Hon. GEORGE CANNING, previous to his depar-
ture for India, took place at the York Hotel, Williamson-
square, JOHN GLADSTONE, Esq. M.P., President, in the
Chair. The large room was tastefully decorated for the occa-
sion. The walls on each side were spread with flags, bearing
different and appropriate devices, interspersed with festoons of
laurel. In front of the orchestra was a transparency, with the
inscription " Canning and Independence ;" on both sides of
which several splendid silk flags were grouped. The room had
a very pleasing appearance, and reflected great credit upon the
taste of the gentlemen under whose superintendence it had been
decorated.
Mr. Canning arrived at the hotel in Mr. Gladstone's car-
riage a few minutes before six o'clock, and was loudly cheer-
ed by a crowd of respectable persons collected in front of the
hotel.

At six o'clock above 160 gentlemen sat down to a dinner,
consisting of all the delicacies of the season, and prepared in a
manner highly creditable to the well known taste of Mrs. Crow.,
ther. The cloth having been removed, the Chairman proposed
the following toasts in succession :
" His Majesty the King, Duke of Lancaster ;" four times
four. Song—God save the King,'Messrs. Gifford, Larkin, and
Shaw.
" The Duke of York and the Army." Band—Duke of
York's March.
" The Duke of Clarence and the Navv." Song—Rule, Bri-
tannia ! Messrs. Gifibrd, Larkin, and Shaw.
" Our glorious Constitution, the pride of Britons and the ad-
miration of the world ;" three times three. Song—Firth of
Liberty, Mr. Larkin.
The CHAIRMAN, in rising to propose the next toast upon
the printed list, the health of his Majesty's Ministers, observ-
ed, that they required no eulogium from him. Possessing,
as they did, the confidence of the country at large; he was
was quite satisfied that the company would drink their health
in a manner becoming the important services which they had
rendered to the empire. He concluded by giving " His Ma-
jesty's Ministers."
The toast was drank with three times three and rapturous
applause.
The CHAIRMAN then proposed, that the next should be a
bumper toast. It was true, that the company there assembled
were a part of the many whose health they were about to drink;
but, in forming a part of that many, they must all feel that they
were united with a party which had distinguished itself by its
attachment to the Constitution of the country—an attachment
which was never more conspicuously displayed than when their
Right Honourable Friend was returned Representative for
Liverpool. Although the company might be charged with
egotism in drinking the health of a body of which they form-
ed a part, he should, notwithstanding, propose that the toast
should be drank with three times three. He concluded by
giving—
" The loyal and independent Freemen of Liverpool, who so
nobly supported our distinguished Representative." It was
drank with three times three. Ddet, Gallop on gaily, Messrs.
Gifford and Shaw.

The CIIAIRMAN, in Imposing the next toast oh the printed
list, addressed the meeting as follows :—" Gentlemen, when I
invite you to charge your glasses, I am quite aware that I need
not dictate to you the manner of doing so. I know you will
fill them to the brim, and. drink the toast in an overflowing
bumper. Gentlemen, the toast which I have the honour to

proiose is one which, I am sure, will be drank with the same
warm and ardent enthusiasm which has ever accompanied it
when given in this room.—(Applause.)—.l am quite aware,
that it would be idle, as it would be unnecessary, for me to
speak of or enumerate any of the great, important, and distin-
guished services which our Right Hon. Representative and
Friend, Mr. Canning (for such I am sure I may justly call
him), has performed for the benefit of this town, and the empire
at large.—(Applause.)—lt is known to every individual who
now hears me, that he neverhas withheld his ready assistance,
when the just claims, either of individuals or of associated
bodies, have demanded its exercise. But I regret to say, that
a period seeems to be approaching, when I fear, and deeply
fear, that we are to part. I know well, from your tried attach-
ment, the pain this must give you; and how much that pain
and regret must be increased by your intimate knowledge of
the value of what you are so likely to lose. For, have we not
often witnessed the power and controulling influence of his dis-
tinguished talents, his gigantic mind, and commanding elo-
quence? Have we not seen him, as it.were, like a consuming
fire, wither or extinguish the arguments opposed to him in the
field of debate ?—(Applause.)—But it is not less our duty to
recollect, that if high and imperative duties call him hence,
(and such only could take him from us,) that ought, if any
thing can, to reconcile us to parting. He' is about to enter
upon the Government of a distant part of this realm, which of
itself forms a great empire, and where the destinies of almost
countless millions are to be placed, and I will say safely placed,
in his hands.—(Applause.)—But, though thus separated from
you, I know that he will continue to live in your affection, as
I doubt not we shall do in his warmest recollectlons.—(Re-
newed applause.)—Let us, then, continue to cherish those
principles which first brought us together, and to evince, by
our unceasing attachment to the Constitution of our country,
as by law established, how much we value the protection it
affords and the blessings it confers. This Society, from its
origin, has been distinguished by its loyalty and zeal for the
best interests of the State ; and, if we are now to part with Mr.
Canning, I trust, when the time arrives for us to welcome his
return, that he will find us the same warm and devoted advo-
cates f the good cause in which we are engaged, and ready to
receive him with all that warmth of feeling and attachment
which he is now witnessing.—(Cheers.)—l will not longer tres-
pass on your time., but proceed to discharge so pleasant a duty
by giving fora toast— •
.

"Ourhighly distinguished Representative, the Right Hon.
George Canning ; a Statesman who, by his constitutional prin-
ciples and transcendent abilities, has rendered such eminent
services to his Constituents and to the Empire at large."
The toast was received with a tumultuous burst of enthu-
siasm, and was drank with nine times nine, and the most raptu-
rous Plaudits. The company, after resuming their seats, si-
multaneously rose again, and drank it with nine times nine,the
cheers which followed lasting several minutes.
Mr. CAN Nixes, as soon as the cheering had subsided, rose,
and spoke as follows
Gentlemen—l am really and unaffectedly overpowered by
the manner in which you have had the goodness to receive the
mention of my name; and if my worthy friend, your President,
was apprehensive that, in drinking the last toast, which included
what he understood as a compliment to yourselves,-innongst a
great number of your fellow-townsmen and fellow-countrymen,
you were in danger of incurring the charge of egotism, how
much more difficult is the task which is imposed upon me, of
acknowledging, in adequate terms, the kindness which you havei
manifested towards me individually !
" Gentlemen, there is nothing of egotism, there is nothing
of undue partiality,
in your cherishing towards each other those
feelings of respect and regard which naturally arise from a com-
munity of opinion. On the contrary, all the analogies of our
political constitution peculiarly favour such associations. They
are eminently calculated for the conservation of those principles
in which they originate. You love your country, as compre-
hending in itself al the charities of private life ; and when, in
cultivating those charities, you form amongst yourselves socie-
ties such as this, cemented by an agreement in sound principles
—principles of attachment to the free, the popular, but, at the
same time, monarchical character of the Government under
which it is our happiness to live, you create so many deposi-
tories for those principles, uninvidious when the feeling of
loyalty is generally prevalent ; but useful, in the highest de-
gree, when the contagion of other principles is abroad. In
northern climes, the essence of a generous vintage is cften pre.
served in asmall liquid nucleus, which remains unfrozen amidst
the surrounding -congelation ; that nucleus, when the time of
thaw comes, diffuses itself through the whole, and communi-
cates to the mass its spirit and its flavour. So, I trust, that in
all times--even in, times such as the "worst that we have seen,
and such as, I hope, we are not likely soon to see again—in
this Club will be constantly preserved the spirit of loyalty and
constitutional freedom, -to be diffused, when the occasion shall
arise, amongst the community with which you are surrounded.
" Gentlemen, to come, however reluctantly, to what more
immediately concerns myself, and to the occasion to hich your
worthy Chairman has alluded, as now bringing me among you
—that of bidding you farewell. It is, now,.ten years since I
have been connected with this town.' It is nearly as long since
this society grew up out of that connection. During that period,
I can say, I hope without the danger of contradiction, that
there is not, so far as I know, a single individual—l am sure I