The Sun.
London, England, 1841-09-17 00:00:00

EVENING- SUN

NATIONAL GRATITUDE.

RAND DINNER TO LORD MORPETH
BY THE IRISH REFORMERS.

The banquet which was given at the Theatre vester-
ue)- evening, to testify a nation's gratitude and affection
to one of the noblest of her defenders, was beyond all
eomparison the most magnificent festival it has ever been
fortune to attend. The whole of the pit was boarded
over, so as to " join issue" with the stage, and thus an
amphitheatre was thrown open of vast extent. The
ceilings were hung with coloured silks and calicoes of
the most brilliant hues, and the walls all around were
festooned with garlands and bouquets. From the
centre of the ceiling- a chandelier of enormous di-
mensions and most exquisite workmanship, and from
ehich alone several hundred lights branched, was sus-
pended. The effect of that vast luminary, when en-
hanced by that of a thousand minor lamps and lustres,
which were suspended in every direction, was such as to
shed an effulgence throughout the whole theatre, as bril-
liant, and almost as pervading, as daylight. The tables
were ranged in curved lines—crescent-like—from the
ridge of the boxes to the back of the stage. The table
at which sat the Chairman and the distinguished guest,
was extended across that space intervening between the 1
pilasters of the stage, an excellent arrangement, whereby
both of these important personages were visible to all
eyes, and their voices were conveyed distinctly to the
remotest car. On either side of the brilliant scene, and
in the back ground, a vast expanse of mountain scenery,
beautifully executed, was extended, which gave to the
whole an exceedingly picturesque and imposing effect.
The walls were clad with banners, flags, and escutcheons,
and immediately in the rear of the Chairman was a
splendid transparency bearing those identical arms that
were emblazoned on the banner of the famous Belted Will
Howard, who, like his present distinguished successor, by
the firmness and justice of his administration, spread
peace, order, and happiness, amongst those whose happy
fortune it was to live beneath his sway. The boxes
were devoted to the exclusive service of ladies, who greatly
enhanced the brilliancy and interest of the scene. We ob-
served in the stage boxes Lord Morpeth's sister, and the
Lady Dover, with her two sons. The middle gallery, to
which access was had by tickets from the Secretary, was
densely thronged by a respectable company. The upper
gallery was occupied exclusively by the band, which
contributed greatly to the festivity of the scene and en-
joyment of all present, by the admirable performance of
some of the most favourite airs. The price of tickets
was fixed at thirty-two shillings ; but the company, not-
withstanding, was densely numerous, the number of
those who sat down to dinner being no less than 600.
Amongst those immediately around the chair, and at
the principal tables, we observed the following Noble-
men and Gentlemen ;—The Duke of Leinster, the Mar-
quis of Clanricarde, Viscount Ebrington, the Earl of
Huntingdon, the Earl of Fingall, the Earl of Miltown,
E.P., the Earl of Charlemont, X.l'., the Earl of Gos-
ford, G.C.E., Lord Lismore, Lord Talbot de Malahide,
Lord Carew, Lord Oranmore, Lord Lurgan, Lord
Monteagle, Lord Cork and Orrey, the Earl of Ros-
common, Lord Meath, Lord Arran, Lord Viscount Dillon,
Lord Viscount SouthwelleLord Templetown, Lord Dun-
boy re, Lord Louth, Lord Rossmore, Lord Steuart de
11;ecies, Lord Clements, Lord Marcus Hill, Lord Nugent,
Lord Alteenont, Lord Howth, Lord Carnwath, Lord
Gosford, Lard Listowel, Lord Cremorne, Lord Strafford,
Lord Howard, Lord William Howard, Count D'Alton,
D.L., Count Fane de Sails, D.L., the Bight Honourable
P. Renew, Bart., D.L., the Bight Honourable F. Pon-
sonby, the Right Honourable R. L. Sheil, M.P., D.L.;
the Right Honourable George Evans, the Right Hon.
James Grattan, the Right Honourable Richard More
°Terrell, the Honourable Mr. Carew, the Hon.
Geoffrey Brown, the Honourable Robert E. Boyle, the
Honointhle Henry Canlfield, AL., the Honourable
b rt G ire, M.P., D.L., the Honourable William
Browne, M.P., D.L., the Honourable Charles Southwell,
D.L., the Honourable J. C. Westenra, D.L., the
Hon. R. S. Carew, M.P., AL., the Hon. C. Ffrench,
D. 8., the Hon. Ffrench, D.L., the Hon. George
Vaughan, The O'Conor Don, Sir Henry Meredyth, Sir
Valentine Blake, Bart., M.P., D.'.., Sir John Burke, Bart.,
D.L., Sir Thos. &monde, Bert., M.P., D.L., Sir Ema-
nuel Moore, Bart., D.L., Sir William Somerville, Bart..
M.P., D.L., Sir Percy Nugent, Bart., D.L., Sir Mon-
tague L. Chapman, hart., D.L., Sir Richard Keane,
Bart., D.IT: , t7ir William Chatterton, Bart., D.L., Sir
Richare Nagle, Bart., D.L., Sir James Crofton, Bart.,
john Power, Bart., Kilfane, D.L., Sir John
Kennedy, Bart., I). L., Sir Thomas M‘Kenny, Bart., D.L.,
Sir M. I). Belie w, Bart., D.L., Sir D. Roche, Bart., M.P.,
D.L., Sir Dunham jephson Norreys, Bart., M.P., D.L.,
Andrew Armstrong, Bart., M.P., D.L., Sir H. W.
Barron, Bart., D.L., Sir John Power, Bart., D.L., Roe-
baek, Sir John Burke, D.L., K.C.8., &c.
seven o'clock Mr. O'Connell entered the hall, and
we received with loud applause. His arrival was
collewed shortly after by that of the noble guest of the
evening, whose appearance was the signal for the most
emliiisiastic peals of acclamation from all parts of the hall.
At half-past seven o'clo:k the chair was taken by the
Most Noble the Marquis of Clanricarde.

As soon as the dinner was over " Non nobis Domini
was sung, and immediately after the Chairman ruse and
proposed the following toasts :
" The health of the Queen."—(Loud cheers.)
" Prince Albert."—(Cheers.)
" The Duke of Sussex, the Duchess of Kent, and the
rest of the Royal Family."—(Cheers.)
" The people, for whose benefit all power was insti-
tuted."—(Cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN then called fur a bumper, and the call
having been responded to, he proceeded to say :—;:lentle-
men, I have now to propose to you a toast mostly expressive •
of the sentiments which have called us together here this
evening, and I rise to do so, I can assure you, with great
fear and trembling, because I feel my inability to do him
justice. When I think of the varied nature of the
great claims upon you of my Noble Friend near me—
when I think of the different excellencies of his head
and of his heart, and look around at this great assembly,
and call to mind your attachment to him, and your just
appreciation—(Hear, hear, and great cheering)—Gentle-
men, •it is feeling those things that I am impressed with
the sense of my inability to do justice to your senti-
ments, or to the merits of my Noble Friend.—(Cheers.)
This is not the first time, Gentlemen, that I have had
the honour of attending a dinner in this country in ho-
nour of my Noble Friend.—(Hear, hear.) It is about
thirteen years ego, which is a long space of time, in the
public life of our Noble Guest and myself, since he first
visited Ireland, and he was even then heartily and warmly
welcomed by the people, and he was at that time invited
to a banquet, at which many- of my friends around me
attended, although the assemblage was not near so nu-
merous as that which I have the honour to address.—
(Loud cheers.) At that time even the people of
Ireland, and the party in whom they trust, had per-
ceived the abilities, and had reason to know the prin-
ciples of our Noble Guest, and they justly anticipated
tile energy and efficiency with which he was then about
to serve his Sovereign, and to advance the cause of civil
and religious liberty.—(Great cheering.) Since that
time the career even of his early manhood has nobly re-
deemed the promises of his youth, and the zealous and
uniform tenor of his opinions have been always in fa-
vour of wise toleration—of sound constitutional Govern-
ment, and the principles of freedom, and in the support
of those principles, and in the promotion of a system of
pol'.ey adopted by the party with whom he associated
liimielf—a party which advocated good Government—
whiele I tract, you never will surrender.—(Hear, and
greet cheering.) You have seen him faithful to those
princ'ples.—(Cheers.) You have seen him highly and
fully tried, because -you have seen him invested with
power and entrusted with authority—using that autho•
rity and wielding that power in support of the prin-
ciples which he manifested in youth, and fur the
good of the 1 eople.—(Loud cheers.) It would have
b .en to little purpose that we had obtained the erasure
4V the penal laws, and of intolerance, if we were to lose
tle spirit which has guided the late Administration.
We happily have seen and known the benefits of a Libe-
ral government in Ireland, and our Noble Guest has been
eminently the happy instrument of dispensing equal jus-
tice to all, teaching the people that government was en-
trusted not for their depression, but for their protection
—2roclahning aloud that propeety, if it had its rights,
had also its duties.—(Cheers.) Gentlemen, our Noble
Friend has done much good, and it is at the present mo-
ment a consolation to know, that much of that good must
be permanent. The spirit of the old Orange party may
possibly be alive, it may be somewhat busy, but it must
be prudent. They will never dare to raise their Orange
banners in this country again. I will not detain you by
alluding to the industry with which our Noble Friend has
applied himself, and the interest he has taken in all
questions connected with Ireland ; nor need I dwell on
the manner in which he has attended to all the details of
his labours,—(Hear.) His merits are too well known to
you to require any lengthened comment from me. But I
cannot refrain from asking, in the presence of the bright
assembly I see around me—eyes that beam on our pro-
ceedings with approbation and sympathy—is there in
Dublin, or is there in Ireland any one member of society
who has had the honour and delight of our Noble Friend's
acquaintance, or who has heard of his virtues, that will
not deeply feel his departure from amongst us.—(Loud
cheering.) The soft and fairer sex are not always mild
politicians ; and I am quite sure even among that por-
tion of the sex that have the bad taste to be opposed to •
us in politics—(Hear, hear, and a laugh)—the loss of
my Noble Friend must be regretted. His generous and
courteous hospitality, and the charm of his society will
cause him to be remembered to no distant period.—
(Cheers.) I am sure, that you will permit me to say in
3 our name, that we cannot consent to his retiring alto-
gether into private life.—(Hear, hear, hear.) England
cannot spare such a man, and Ireland cannot afford to
lose such a friendly heart, or the services of such a
champion.—(Hear, hear, and cheers.) It may be agree-
able to him to enjoy the tranquillity of private life—
when he can follow those pnrsuits of literature which
have engressed so much of his time, nod the brightness
of which illumines his distinguised and enlightened mind
—but we cannot affin-d to lose such a man.—(Loud cheer-
ing.) The toast is—" LOrd Morpeth, who has won and
-wears the gratitude of the people of Ireland."—(Nine
times nine, and much cheering.)
Lord Aro:teem rose and said—My Lord and Gentle-
men, I think that you will easily give me credit for
sincerity when I assure you that all the circumstances
attending the present meeting; and the present spectacle—
all that has been done and all that has been said upon
this occasion—or to sum it up at once, that this present
moment must to me, as I now stand up here, wear a
character and produce an effect altogether overwhelming.
At such a time it could not fail to recur vividly to my
memory, even if you, my Lord, had not reminded me of
it, you being yourself a witness upon both occasions,
that at the interval of thirteen years ago it was my lot,
sin Englishman and a stranger, to be received in this
name city at an entertainment of more slender dimen-
sions indeed, but somewhat partaking of the same cha-
racter and description.—(Hear, hear, and cheers.) An
Englishman I still remain, but it is, perhaps, the most
gratifying portion of the honours which have this day