The Sun.
London, England, 1856-09-19 00:00:00

BANQUET TO CRIMEAN OFFICERS AT
PORTSMOUTH.

PORTSMOUTH, SEPT. 18.
Last night the officers, naval and military, now stationed
here, who served in the Crimea, the Black Sea, and the
Baltic, wore entertained at a, public dinner, given in their
honour and as a token of welcome on their return home, by
the gentry and inhabitants of the town and neighbourhood.
The festival was held in the pavilion situate in the gover-
nor's parade-ground, in which the banquet to the soldiers,
sailors, and marines took place on the previous day, and
there were between 200 and 300 gentlemen present, in-
cluding several officers of both services who distinguished
themselves during the recent war. At least as many ladies
belonging to the families of the higher classes in the town
had the opportunity of witnessing the entertainment from
a commodious gallery thrown across the upper end of the
building, immediately over and behind the chair. The
dinner was arranged and provided, as on the preceding day,
by Messrs. Bathe and Funge, of the London Tavern, and
was in all respects worthy their well-earned reputation,
and that of Mr. Nicholes, their chef de cuisine.
Lord G. Lennox occupied the chair, supported right and
left by Major-General Sir H. Jones, Commodore the Hon.
H. Koppel, C. 8., Sir F. Baring and Viscount Monck, the
representatives of the borough in Parliament, General Sir
W. F. Williams of Kars, Major-General Sir R. Decree,
Mr. Bonham. Carter, M.P., Major-General Lord W. Paulet,
Captain L. T. Jones, C. 8., Captain Dacres, C. 8., General
Cannon, of the Turkish army, Colonel Morris, Prince Vic-
tor of Hokenlohe, and Colonel Cameron, of the British
German Legion. Captain Peel, Captain Ommanney„Col.
Norcott and Colonel Teesdale, Lieut.-Colonel Wright,
General Moore, General Mercer, and other naval and mi-
litary gentlemen, with Lord Guilford, were also, present
and occupied seats in the immediate vicinity of the chair.
Dr. Engledue, Mr. B. Bramble, Mr. Andrew Nance, Mr.
T. Bolph, Mr. T. Hoskins, and Mr. L. A. Vanden-
bergh acted as vice-presidents. Mr. W. B. Carter, Sir
Raymond Jervis, the Rev. J. P. M'Ghie, the vicar of
Portsmouth, the Hon. W. Gore, and Mr. Jervis S. Tibbltts
and Mr. H. Hollingsworth, the honorary secretaries, were
also among the general company. A military band from
the garrison played with great spirit during the evening,
and the occasion was altogether one of much interest.
On the removal of the cloth the usual loyal and consti-
tutional toasts were drunk. General Moore, of Fareham,
of the Royal Artillery, an old officer with six clasps, re-
sponded to the toast of " The Army ;" and Commodore
Keppel, C. 8., to that of " The Navy." For "The Bishop
and Clergy of the Diocese" the Rev. J. P. M'Ghie re-
turned thanks in an effective speech.
The CHAIRMAN then proceeded to give the principal
toast of the evening. He said he rose to do so with mixed
feelings of regret and pleasure—regret that it had not fallen
into abler hands, being perfectly convinced that he could
not do full justice to the subject, but grateful at the same
time to have the honour to propose the health of our brave
army who served in the Crimea. (Cheers.) Had he con-
sulted his own feelings he should not have occupied the
chair that evening, well knowing that there were many in-
habitants of Portsmouth around him who would have dis-
charged the functions of a chairman of such an assembly
with far more efficiency. But fortunately for him no ora-
tory was necessary to commend such a toast to the appro-
bation of the company, for the noble deeds of the British
army rendered all oratory wholly superfluous. (Cheers.)
He knew not which most to admire, whether it was the
manly bearing of the British officers when surrounded by
sickness and death in their worst forms, their gallant and
heroic conduct at the Alma and Inkerman, or their pa-
tient endurance for months and months in the trenches
before Sebastopol. When the British army planted their
standard in the Crimea they did so with the determination
that nothing should move it but peace, and they showed
the enemy that he need never hope to conquer British sol-
diers led by British officers. (Cheers.) He hoped they
would join him in drinking a bumper, with three times
three, to the health of our brave army who fought in
the Crimea.
The toast was drunk with enthusiasm,
Col. NOROOTT, C. 8., of the Rifle Brigade, senior regi-
eiental officer present, responded to the toast, and in doing
so eulogised the heroic valour and the noble endurance of
the whole army in the Crimea, but especially the infantry,
which he designated the vertebras of the lion. He com-
pared the good fare of which they had just partaken with
that on which they subsisted for months in the Crimea,
when a leg of mutton was a thing not to be realised. Point.
ing to the ladies' gallery, he said the feeling that most sus.
tained the troops in the exhausting trench-work and their
heroic conduct in actual fight sprang from thoughts of their
mothers, wives, and sisters at home, the memory of whom
never forsook them. For the cordial welcome which that
part of the army now at Portsmouth had received from the
inhabitants on its return home, and particularly for the
hospitable entertainment to which they had been invited,
he would return those thanks which they could feel more
than express. (Cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN said nothing gave him greater pleasure
than to propose the next toast, which was that of " Our
gallant Navy engaged in the War with Russia." A finer
fleet never before left those shores, or men and officers
more determined to do their duty to their Queen and
country. (Cheers.) There was but one circumstance
which prevented those officers and men covering them-
selves with glory, and that was that they could not find
the enemy's fleet to contend with, for it was either safe in
harbour or converted
.into a sort of breakwater to repel
the advance of the allies. (Cheers.) The British navy
took every opportunity of showing England what they
would have done if the enemy had dared to show his face,
instead of skulking behind stone walls where it was
impossible Ito rout him out. (Cheers.) He would asso-
ciate with the toast the name of Commodore Keppel,
which was well known in England. That gallant officer
gave up the command of one of the finest ships in her
Majesty's service that he might be enabled to join the
naval brigade, and he held the command of it so long as
it was a naval brigade. He (the chairman) had heard
a great deal about " the right man in the right place,"
but if ever the right man was in the right place it was the
gallant Harry Keppel, the commander of the naval bd.
gade. (Loud cheers.)

Commodore KEPPEL briefly acknowledged the compli-
ment, remarking that in doing so the right man was no
longer in the right place. He added that if the navy had
few or no exploits to point to during the late war that was
due to its great efficiency, which had completely cowed the
Russian fleet, and that had it been less efficient the officers
and men of the navy would not have received so hospitable
a welcome from the inhabitants of Portsmouth.
The CHAIRMAN next gave " The Royal Marines who had
served in the Crimea," observing that that part of the ser-
vice had the advantage of sharing in the dangers and the
glories both 9f the army and navy. The only regret he felt
was that they had no opportunity of joining their comrades
of the line in regular action, for he knew that they would
have shown they were determined to do their duty as well
as the best disciplined regiment of the line. (Cheers.)
Colonel HOLLOWAY responded to the toast, and in doing
so spoke in complimentary language of Lord Lyons, through
whom, he said, the Royal Marines were fortunate in parti-
cipating in the successful operations against Kertch and
Kinbourn.

Mr. E. GALT gave " The Memory of the Fallen," who,
he said, had offered up their lives as a holocaust to the cause
of freedom, and had consolidated the peace of Europe as
well by their sufferings and their heroic ♦alour as by their
death. Though, he added, their mortal bodies had passed
away, their names would livelong in the page of history, be
handed down as household words from one generation to
another, and cherished with the most lively emotion in the
hearts of a sorrowing and grateful country. (Loud cheers.)
The toast was drunk in silence.
Mr. J. HOSKINg, of Gosport, said he wished to call their
attention for one moment to the heavenly ministrations of
British womanhood during the late war. (Hear, hear.)
Nothing could be more delightful or heart-soothing than to
find when the news reached this country of the privations
and sufferings of our brave countrymen 10,000 female hands,
in the cottages of the humble, in the dwellings of the middle
classes, in the mansions of the noble, and in the palace of
Royalty itself, were employed in providing comforts for
those enduring privations in the Crimea. (Cheers.) But,
amid all that generous sisterhood there arose a still brighter
star than all, and we were startled into admiration and sur-
prise when we learnt that a heroic woman in England had
volunteered her personal services to attend the sick, wounded
and dying, at the seat of war. (Cheers.) Influenced by her
example, others of her sex enlisted under the same banner,
and leaving home, friends, and country, regardless of priva-
tion, suffering, disease, and death, intent only cn their an-
gelic mission, went forth the best, noblest, and most heroic
band of British volunteers that ever embarked from the
shores of England. (Cheers.) Then, in the hospitals of
Scutari they were found, like ministering angels, by the
bedside of the sick man, administering to his comfort,
giving him hope and consolation, and relieving his fears.
Many a brave soldier had lived to tell of the benefits he de-
rived from their mission of mercy ; and many a hero had
cast his last long lingering look on Florence Nightingale,
and whispered his dying blessing on her name. (Cheers.)
That name would be enshrined for all time in the hearts of
all her countrymen and countrywomen of every denomina-
tion ; even our most gracious Sovereign herself, the most
illustrious of her sex, had done honour to her name, arid the
pen of the historian would hand it down to posterity en-
circled with a halo of glory. (Cheers.) Ile would ash
them to drink to the health and happiness of Florence
Nightingale.

The toast was drunk with enthusiasm, and responded
to by Mr. BONHAM-CARTER, M.P., a relative of Miss
Nightingale, in a few brief, spirited words, in the course
of which he said Miss Nightingale felt in the deepest man-