The Sun.
London, England, 1849-08-02 00:00:00

GRAND BANQUET AT FISH-

MONGERS' HALL.
The wardens of the Fishmongers' Company enter-
tained the honorary members last night at a sumptu-
ous banquet in their magnificent hall at London-
bridge. This noble apartment was well filled by a
most respectable assemblage, who sat down at seven
o'clock to an excellent dinner, provided by Messrs.
Ring and Brymer, of Cornhill, and admirably served.
The arrangements were of the very best description,
and the entertainment altogether was of an order be•
coming this great and distinguished company of the
" merchant princes" of London.
Mr. J. Towgood, the Prime Warden, who pre-
sided, was supported by Lord Campbell, Lord
Nugent, M.P., Lord D. Stuart, M.P., Count Teleki,
Count Pulski, Mr. Justice Talfourd, the Solicitor-
General, Mr. Hayter, M.P., Mr. Hume, M.P., Mr.
W. P. Wood, M.P., Mr. Mitchell, M.P., the Gover-
nor and Deputy-Governor of the Bank, the Chair-
man and Deputy-Chairman of the East India Com-
pany, Mr. Samuel Rogers, Mr. Etty, R.A., Dr.
Arnott, Mr. Kenyon Parker, and other gentlemen of
eminence and note.

The PRINIE WARDEN, when the cloth had been re-
moved, proposed the first toast—" the Queen "—a
toast, he said, for which the company were doubt-
less prepared, and one in commendation of which
it was unnecessary to say anything in an assembly
of Englishman, especially on the anniversary of the
accession of her house to the throne of these realms.
—(Loud cheers.) As her Majesty would on this
very day, perhaps at this very hour, be embarking on
a visit to her Irish dominions, where she would
doubtless have a reception worthy of the fame of Irish
hospitality—(Cheers)—he would take leave to add to
the customary form of the toast a wish that her Ma-
jesty might have a safe and speedy passage and a happy
return.—(Much cheering.)
The toast, which was drunk with all the honours,
was followed by the National Anthem.
The company next drank, with great applause,
" the health of Prince Albert, our brother Fish-
monger," of whom the Chairman observed, that he
had secured to himself the goodwill and esteem of
all classes of her Majesty's subjects. The toast, and
the next—" the Prince of Wales and the rest of the

Royal Family,"—were followed by appropriate songs.
The PRIME WARDEN, in proposing " The Army
and Navy," expressed the gratification with which he
observed th feeling in this country of the impolicy
of war, and-begged to give utterance to a wish that
the example of this country in that respect might be
followed by other countries.—(Hear, hear.) Un-
fortunately the time had not ,yet come when our
rights could be maintained without our defending and
enforcing them on occasions—(Hear, hear)—and the
country knew well that on such occasions our army
and navy would do their duty.—(Cheers.)
The toast was drunk amidst much cheering.
Major-General Sir A. GALLOWAY being called
upon to respond to the toast, said that it was a most
unexpected honour conferred upon him. This national
toast was one which ought to be received with grati-
tude.—(Hear, hear.) He would take leave to say
that in no nation in Europe were the people so much
indebted to the services of their army as we in
England were to the British army.—(Hear, hear.)
In France, in Prussia, in all the nations of Europe,
the service of the army was at home, but the British
army had to serve in evexy quarter of the world.—
(Hear, hear.) That part of the British army which
served in the country in which he was most interested
had on every occasion distinguished itself most re-
markably.—(Hear, hear.) It had lately, in combi-
nation with the army of India, added a new kingdom
to the British crown.—(Cheers.) He begged to
thank the, company for the honour they had rendered
to the British army, and for the honour conferred
upon himself in coupling his name with the toast.
The PRIME WARDEN, in proposing the health of
" Her Majesty's Ministers," said he regretted to be
deprived, owing to unavoidable business, of the honour
of the company of the First Lord of the Treasury.--
(Cheers.) The respects of that assembly were offered
to her Majesty's Ministers, not in regard to their
office merely, but in regard of the principles they
maintained. Not, however, that there was no appre-
ciation of the advantages derived from the fact of
those principles forming the basis of the Government.
Indeed, when we saw tranquillity prevailing in this
country in the midst of so much confusion abroad,
we could not but feel that the principles of reform
were truly Conservative.— (II ear, hear.) These
principles were now maintained by men in power,
but they were maintained by the members of the
Ministry as individuals at other times and in other
circumstances, when the profession involved obloquy
and shut the door to political advancement; and
now that circumstances were changed, it would be
ungrateful not to make due acknowledgment of such
services.—(Cheers.)
Lord CAMPBELL, in responding to the toast, said
that his absent colleagues regretted to be prevented
from partaking of the company's hospitality; but her
Majesty was embarking to visit a part of her domi-
nions in which she took the most lively interest—
(Hear, hear)—and several of her Ministers were
attending her upon that most interesting expedition.
—(Hear, hear.) Several of the members of the
Government were Fishmongers—(Hear, hear)—and
all deeply respected the principles of the association,
and not only admired its principles, but its hospi-
tality.—(Laughter and cheers.) His absent col-
leagues certainly suffered a great privation in being
deprived of the opportunity of partaking of that hos-
pitality on this day.—(Cheers.) The Prime Warden
had alluded to the principles by which her Majesty's
Ministers were governed ; the principles which ani-
mated the individuals now forming her Majesty's
Government constituted the principles of her Admi-
nistration, and by those principles their conduct
would ever be guided.—(Hear) The Prime Warden
had also alluded to this nation as holding out an
example of peacefulness to the world. The great
principle that guided the present Government was
the preservation of peace all over the world.—
(Hear, hear.) But that principle rendered it neces-
sary that we should be prepared for war—(Hear)—
if such an extremity should become utterly unavoid-
able.—(Hear, hear.) He (Lord Campbell) gloried to
think that the principles upon which her Majesty's
Ministers entered on the government of the country
had remained the guide of their conduct—(Hear,
hear)—and rejoiced that we remained at peace with
all foreign nations, and that tranquillity existed at
home, that trade now revived, and that it might
really be hoped that we were upon the eve of more
auspicious times.—(Hear, hear.) Her Majesty's
Ministers did not claim credit for the happy turn
that affairs seemed likely to take, but rather returned
thanks to Almighty God that it pleased Him to hold
out the prospects of an. abundant harvest, and of the
country, under His blessing, flourishing and prosper-
ing.—(Hear, hear.)
A Scotch song followed—" Cam ye by Atholl, lad
wi' the philibeg ?"
The next toast was, "Mr. Justice Talfourd and her
Majesty's Judges ;" and
The PRIME WARDEN, after expressing his regret
at the absence of Lord Denman, and its cause—his
ill-health, called upon the company to observe that
the highest distinction as a writer and a poet was not
inconsistent with the pursuit of an arduous pro-

fession.
Mr. Justice TALYOURD, who was very warmly
welcomed, said he was scarcely able to give utterance
to the feelings which struggled within him for ex-
pression. He had so recently and so suddenly been •
called from the cares and excitements of an arduous
and painful profession to more serene, if not less
arduous offices, that he must confess he had difficulty
in feeling that he belonged to that learned body, at
the head of which stood the Lord Chief Justice
of England—everywhere an honoured and a vene-
rated name, but especially to be affectionately pro-
nounced in the city of London.—(Cheers.) He could
scarcely express fitly his thanks in a position to him
so solemn and so strange to which it had pleased Pro-
vidence to call him.—(Hear, hear.) He must be
permitted to notice as an auspicious circumstance
that, by the happy accident of his not having answered
the company's invitation at the moment of receiving
it, when he was on circuit, and when the duties of
the circuit would have prevented his accepting it, his
first welcome in any public assembly since so great a
change had passed upon his fortunes and his duties
was in one of the ancient companies of this great city,
which numbered amongst its members more than one
of his oldest and dearest friends—mesa who, having
sympathised with his past course, would be the bet-
ter prepared to give him their best wishes for the
future.—(Hear, hear.) He had always during his
life at the bar felt that one of the encouragements and
incitements of the profession lay in its connexion with
the great Corporation of London and with these com-
panies, its buttresses—(Hear)—and he was happy
to think, that in entering upon a path where the cares
• and anxieties that were now gone past would be
merged in one single desire to discharge a course of
high and important duty, the same encouragement