The Sun.
London, England, 1856-05-08 00:00:00

in the Crimea. (Cheers ) And this honour I feel to he
Istill greater, from the faot that the war in which its ser-
vices have been engaged has been a just and necessary
war. (Cheers.) If ever, unfortunately, another war
should break out and threaten danger to the cause of
civilisation and progress, I feel quite sure that the army
will then, as it has lately done, nobly perform its mis
Sion. (Cheers.) I regret that I had not an opportunity
of particioating in the operations of the war, and cannot
resist congratuiatin, the company present on the conclu-
sion of the treaty ofb peace, and expressing my earnest
hope that the peace which has been concluded may be as
lasting as it is honourable to the nation. (Cheers.)
The LORD MAYOR next gave "The health of her
Majesty's Ministers." This toast, his lordship said, is
one which the citizens of London are always happy to
receive. It is a source of gratification to us whenever
her Majesty's Ministers honour us, as upon this occasioi ,
with their company, and when an opportunity is affardeu
by the chief magistrate of the City of proposing such a
toast as that which I hare now the honour to propose.
The position of a Minister of the Crown in this country
is one of the greatest difficulty. The Government of
the country is essentially one of public opinion. A
Minister must he not only a faithful servant of the
Crown, but he must also possess the confidence of
Parliament. and the favour and support of the people at
large. The noble lord at the head of the Government
with his col eagues were placed in power because it was
considered necessary to 'he honour of the country
that the war should be prosecuted with greater vigour
and energy than had previously been tue case—that
greater vigour should be infused into our councils,

and greater preparations made for conducting the
war with vigour. There ca❑ be no doubt that we are i! .

debted for the peace which we are now enjoying to the
energetic mea.nres of her Majesty's present Govern-

went. Ir, must he admitted that at first the "peace"
was coldly r,ceived by the public at large as compared
with what had been the case in former times. It was at

firs, thought, judging from the last war; the peace ought
to be preceded by some glorious events and victories
which had moved the minds and raised the spirits of the

people. It was thought, no doubt, that peace could not
ba achieved without their usual concomitants of great
♦ictories ; but a little reflection upon what has taken
place ha{ produced a change in public opinion on the
subjt ct. The people have not, it is true, "a glorious
peace," but they have a statesmanlike peace—a peace
which might justly challenge any similar event whica has

taken plate in the modern history of Europe. I trust
that the treaty of peace which has just been concluded
will open up new channels for the c,unmercial enterprise

of this country. In former times the opyniog up of the
navigation of the Mississippi was considered a great
benefit, but it is not less important to the interests cf
Europe and of the civilised world that the freedom t f
the navigation of the Danube has been secured. The

effect of the opening up of that navigation will be to us
what the Mississippi has beat in another quarter of the
world, and I am sure that when, after a short time the

labours of the commission appointed to regulate the na-
vigation of that noble river shall be concluded, when
ships c .rrying the British flag shall be at liberty to visit
every port in the Mediterranean, to pass through ti a
Dardatiel:e,, enter the Black Sea, and carry their cargoes
up t,) the very walls of Kinies—when, I say, that has
been effected, the present treaty of peace will be found to
be one of immense value. A not less important object
effected by the treaty is the permanent settlement of
boundaries which previously were uncertain and ill-
defined. I fed confident that the Cabinet of the noble

lord, having succeeded i❑ bringing the war to a happy
termination, will be by the confidence of the public and
of the Parliament to intr•nluce such other measures of

legislation as wi I serve to extend commerce and give oc-
cupation to the varied interests of this great empire.
The toast having been drunk with great cordiality,
Lord PALMERSTON (who upon rising was loudly
cheered) said—lt is always a source of the greatest so.-
ti,faction for those charged with the conduct of affairs
to receive the hospitaliry of the worthy magistrate who
presides in this noble mansion as the representative of
this great metropolis. If ever there was a time at which
it must he more peculiarly grateful to those who stand
in our position to be present at this boar I, it must be

the moment at which we have now the honour to appear
before you. When could be a more fitting time to be

present to receive the hospitality of those who represent
the great commercial principle than the moment when,
at the close of a great and successful war, we have just
concluded an honourable and advantageous treaty of
commerce, which will give fresh scope to commercial
enterprise, and will lay the foundation ofnational wealth

and the welfare and happiness of Europe. (Cheers.) The
Lord Mayor has bee, pleased to remark that he thinks

that the task of those who conduct the affairs of this

country is one peculiar difficulty—that they stand in
a double relation—that they must enjoy the confidence
of the Crown, and that they must also possess the confi-
dence and favour of the people. There never was a pe-
riod in the history of England in which that task was
more easy than it is at the present time ; for there never
was a time when the sympathy which exists bet Ween the
Crown and the nation, between the person who sits on
the throne and those who are her subjects, was more in-
timate than it is now ; or more founded on the best
sympathies which dignify human nature. The Lord
Mayor has adverted to the diooult task we had in
conducting, with sufficient energy and vigour, the
war which has been brought to a termination.
In that respect also the task which we had
to perform was comparatively easy, fur there was
among the people of this country that noble spirit, that
calm steady determination, that manly energy, which
renders the task of the Government comparatively
passive. We had only to apply the means which the
generous energy of the country placed in our hand. It
was not necessary for us to stimulate courage which was
boiling over in the hearts of the people. We had only
to accept the means which were cheerfully placed at our
disposal, and we should indeed have been unworthy of
the position which we occupied, and of the confidence
which we enjoyed, if we had not been able to direct
those means to the accomplishment of the successful issue
which has crowned the exertions of the people of this
country. We trust also that the peace which has be, a
concluded, though it may not be accompanied with con-
quered territories, with tributes levied upon vanquished
enemies—though it may not be accompanied with those
consequences which sometimes grace the conclusion of a
contest—we believe that the conditions of this peace
will be considered the more satisfactory the more one
compares the dangers which beset Europe when the war
begun, the condition in which that country was placed
for the protection of which we took up arms. The In.,re
the people of this country compare the state of things
two years ago with the condition in which Europe is
placed by the treaty which has been concluded by my
noble friend who sits near me, that treaty, I say, which,
with such distinguished ability, with such foresight, with
such anxious care to guard every interest which came
under consideration, has been concluded ; the more that
comparison is made the more the people of this country
will have reason to think that their sacriGc3s have not
been made in vain ; that the efforts which they made
have not been made without adequate result ; and
while they may look back to the war with pride and
satisfaction on the one hand, on the other hand they
may 19ok back to the peace with confidence as regards
the future. (Loud cheers.) You have heard, gentle-
men, the noble and enlightened sentiments expressed
by the ambassador of France, sentiments of that great
nation, and, above all, of that great Sovereign whom
he so worthily represents in this country. The know-
ledge that those are the principles of our great ally, and
that will guide his conduct, must inspire you still more
with ciasadence in the results of the peace. It is a grad-
ing circumstance—a circumstance most reassuring to
Europe—that those two great nations, the nations of
England and France, are allied in common bonds ; after
having often stood side by side in the field of battle—
after having sat together in conference at the same table
at which peace was made, they are sure to be bound for
the future by ties doubly sacred—ties cemented by com-
mon danger, by c.smmunity of interests, which, I trust,
will perpetuate an al lance not only honourable and
advantageous to the countries whom it binds, but which
will lay a foundation upon which the peace and prospe-

rity of Europe will rest. (Cheers.) I congratulate the
assembly that my lird mayor has assembled so many
Rt,prese,,tatives of the Powers of Europe to testify their
sympathy with the great eleat so recently concluded.
We have the gratification of seeing here the representa•

tive of that noble ally who has raised his country to a
level with the great powers f Europe, not possibly in
the extent of its territory, brit in the honour which he
has done to the noble principles which prescribe his con-
duc!-. The conduct of the King of Sardinia will always
rt fleet the highest honour on himself, and on the nation
he so worthily govern,. We have also the representative
of the Sultan, in whose cause we drew the sword, and
who has shown his gratitude for the efforts made in his
support by the great charter which he has granted to
his Christian subjects. A charter which, adding honour
to the right principles by which he governs his country,
will, by affording double strength, afford double security
to his throne, are obiects as advantageous to the perma•
nence of his Government and of its throne as it will be
beneficial to the millions of subjects whom it will affect.
I will Only return you thanks on the part of myself and
my colleagues for the honour you have done us, and to
assure you that nothing can afford us more gratification
than being here to receive the hospitality of this great
commercial metropolis of the world.
The noble lord resumed his seat amid loud cheering.
The LORD MAYoR next gave "The Health of the
Foreign Ministers and Ambassadors," coupling with it
the name of his Excellency 111. Musurns, the Turkish
Mi nister.

The TURKISH AMB ASfiADOR, wbo acknowledged the
toast in French, said :—Le corps diplomatique vous ex-
prime s;s rotuereiments pour le toast si amicalement
l'r"PkP-o per le Lord Moire, et si sympatidquernent vccu•
edit par tousles assist,r ts. (Cheers.) Ses remerci-
ml:nts soot d'autant plus sinceres, qu'ils repondent aux
sortiments manifest 4. A son egard dans la premiive f6te
solinnelle denn6e par la Citti de Londres aprbs la conclu-
sion do la paix. lieu ne saurait etro plus agreable a u
corps diplornatique que le retour de la paix, objet spicia.l
de sa mission ; et de tome que les geo4raux, et les atm-
ranx soot fiers de l'avoir glorieusement conqurse, de
meme la diplomatic mettra sa gloire et son ambition ?a
la conserver. En mon particulier, je rn'estime heureux
d'exprimer IL cetto occasion la reconnaissance demon
Gouvernement pour In part qu'ont eus h co grand Id.