The Sun.
London, England, 1847-07-12 00:00:00

lish language, I am sorry to say that I feel myself only
able to express in a tew short words my sentiments of
gratitude for the highly flattering speech of your Chair-
man, the distinguished manner in which I have been
entertained by you this evening, and the kind, hospitable,
and splendid reception I met with during the whole of
my stay in India by the orders of the Hon. Court of
Directors.—(Cheers.) I cannot refrain from mentioning,
on this very proud occasion for me, how much I was
pleased and flattered by the very valuable present I re-
ceived of two Seikh guns, captured in my presence by the
unsurpassed bravery of the army of the Sutlej.—(Loud
cheers.) This present will remain for ever a highly valu-
able commemoration to me 11 s 1 to my fa-oily. (Cheers.)
But, gentlemen, proud as I sm of the marks of esteem
and distinction shown to me in India as well as in
England, I am far from attributing them to myself alone
—every one of my countrymen, I know, is well and
kindly received in England, and I consider this as a proof
that the old ties of friendship and alliance which so long,
and even under very difficult circumstances, have united
England and Prussia aro still the same.—(Cheers.)
May these ties last long—(Cheers)—may they last for
ever, for the benefit and strength of both nations.
The CIIAIRMAN—WhiIe we pay our tribute of respect
to the illustrious Prince who has honoured us with his
presence on this occasion, we must not forget the absent.
His Sovereign left a deep impression on the people of
this country. The patriot King of Prussia, by his con-
descension, his gracious bearing, his numerous and most
munificent charities, entitled himself to the high con-
sideration of all who had observed his c ireer. We all
of us know his gracious and princely conduct. He is
now gracing a throne where he is endeavouring to en-
graft upon free institutions the welfare of his people. I
hope and trust that his patriotic labours will be success-
ful, and that they will endear him still more to the affec-
tions of his loyal and devoted subjects. I give you " The
health of the patriot King of Prussia."
Drunk with all the honours.
His Excellency Chevalier BUNSEN, in acknowledging
the toast, said—" Mr. Chairman, my Lords, and gen-
tlemen,—l am proud and thankful that it falls to my lot
on such an occasion as this to return thanks, as the re-
presentative of the King of Prussia in this country, for
the cordiality with which his Majesty's health has been
proposed and received. I am sure it will afford his
Majesty particular satisfaction to learn that his illus-
trious cousin has this day dined with the Court of Di-
rectors of the Hon. East India Company in the midst of
so brilliant and illustrious an assembly ; that you have
received him here amongst you with all the marks of
esteem and affection which greeted him in British India;
and that on the same occasion you have remembered
with so much warmth the sovereign head of his house
and country, and alluded to the intimate relations exist-
ins, between the two countries and nations. The stay
of Prince Waldemar in India, and the reports he sent
and brought home, have indeed contributed to increase
that interest, and to deepen those sympathies, with which
the King and the natives of Prussia look upon the British
empire in the East. But that interest and those sym-
pathies existed before. How, indeed, could it be other-
wise, when we see how much strength, end power, and
influence flows from that empire to England—to those
with whom we are so intimately connected—who have
been our best allies in the struggle for our independence
and that of Europe—with whom we have fought our last
battle and gained our most decisive victory on the field of
Waterloo ? But, besides, ask what Government, what
monarch can overlook the immense importance of that
empire which all Powers, whether they see it with the
eyes of friends, or of rivals, or of enemies, must look
upon with admiration ? The British empire in India is,
according to my conviction, the prodigy of modern his-
tory • it is the pride of England ; and, let me add, it is
the glory of the middle classes of England--of that not
only numerous and wealthy, but also enlightened, peace
and justice-loving, loyal, and liberal class of the popu-
lation on which, in our age, the strength of all modern
states must principally rest.—(Cheers.) Other empires,
in other timer, have been founded by mighty or ad-
venturous chieftains, or by military orders and corpo-
rations, and they have, sooner or later, been lost by the
death of the conqueror, or by the degeneracy or tyranny,
of the military aristocracy. But here you have an em-
pire, founded by merchants, formed and governed by
citizen subjects of the Crown of Great Britain, and
within less than a century grown up to a mighty
empire
of more than a hundred millions—an empire tor which
your nobles have fought, and bled, and died, and to
which many of your most distinguished statesmeneh and
nurturing,judges have dedicated their lives—an empire which
the age,
nurtured, and is still the heroes a
.a
and
in
from the Duke of Wellington down to our d y_
which illustrious statesmen find an amplesearnvdinilortiiioeuirs
field for developing their talents
suchand views as these
country.—(Cheers.)
that the King, my withmaisttewr,assr after he had ascended
the throne, sent a distinguishedoo
officer of his army to
British India, there to improve
.his knowledge and.en-
rich his experience—Captain Orlicdh, report, since
published here and in Germany, oes equal honour to
himself and to the country he visited.—(Cheers.) It is
therefore natural that the sam. e monarch, some years
since of his house wished to travel,
later, when young p
in order to become acquainted with what foreign countries
might offer to him
mostinteresting and important,
favoured so decidedly the wish of that Prince to visit
your Indian empire. This Prince was too young to
have seen war himself, for he was born after the
' happy conclusion of the great struggle of his house and
nation, in which his valiant father, Prince William of
Prussia, had fought with so much glory.--e(Cheers.)
But the Prince had been brought up in all the arts and