The Sun.
London, England, 1834-12-16 00:00:00

ANNUAL DINNER of the LUMBER TROOP.

Yesterday evening the annual winter dinner of the
Ancient and Honcurable Lumber Troop took place at
Anderton's Tavern, Fleet-street. There were upwards of
150 gentlemen present. The dinner, wince, dessert, &c.
were of the most choice description, and the entire arrange-
ments reflected the greatest credit upon the stewards.:The
chair was filled by Mr. Charles, Colonel of the Troop, and
immediately near him we observed Alderman Wood, M.P.,
Mr. Grote, M.P., Mr. Crawford, M.P., Mr. Duncombe,
M.P., Sir John Key, Dr. Wade, Messrs. Wakley, Moore,
Cont, &c. &c. .
While dinner was being served, the Chairman said it
might pass away a little time if he would read to them the
list of the new Ministry, which had just appeared in the papers
of that evening. The reading of the list occasioned much
laughter.
After the cloth was drawn,
The CHAIRMAN said he would now give the three toasts
which were given first, in the usual routine observed by their
aileh...nt and loyal fraternity. The first was " The King," and
he would couple his name with the declaration made by his
Majesty to the City Members, that " Reform was the first
wish of his heart."
The toast was received with a few cheers and much hiss-
iug. Only two or three persons rose on its being announced
f..om the Chair.
The next toast, " The Queen," was received with similar
marks of disapprobation from the majority of the persons

pr erect.
The CHAIRMAN then gave—" The Ancient and Honourable
Lumber Troop."—(Three times three, and cheers.)
Alderman WOOD, M. P., said he felt highly gratified
being called upon to propose the next toast. It was
one which he had not heard of late so frequently as on
former occasions ; but he had scarcely ever met a body of libe.
ral and enlightened men without hearing that toast proposed.
For the twenty or thirty years that he had been in public life,
at their meetings at Westminster and elsewhere, it was always
on the list, and he now felt pride in being called upon to give
e toast which was so congenial to his feelings. The toast
Was—" The people, the only source of legitimate power."—
( Cheers.) He trusted that not only in the present but in all
tuntre ages the people would be cnabled'to exercise the legiti-
mate sway in this country.—( Applause.) Unless the people
heel their full share in their representation of the country, they
never could be perfectly free or happy.
The toast was drunk with cheers, and eight times eight.
The CHAIRMAN thought this the proper time to read' letters
r' apology which had been sent from Alderman Harmer, who
heesetted that business in the Central Criminal Court would
prevent his having the honour of meeting them at dinner ;
ten Joseph Hume, Esq., M. P., who was deprived of that
pleasure by a prior engagement in the country; and a third
from Sir Samuel Whalley, M. P.
Mr. CONST begged to remind the Chairman that a letter of
apology had been also sent by Mr. Lyall, M. P. [On referring
to the Secretary it appeared that the letter had been mislaid,
and Mr. Const stated its purport.]
The CHAIRMAN said the next toast was one they would "all
receive with pleasure, and there were few persons present who
were not well acquainted with the talent and honesty. with
which the individuals he alluded to had discharged their duty.
He would give them " the Representatives of the City of
London."—( Great cheering.)
Mr. Alderman WOOD said no man, having a spark of feel-
ing, could be otherwise than grateful for the compliment that
had just been paid to himself and his colleagues. He thanked
them most sincerely for the compliment they had paid him ;
and, with respect to the gentleman who was absent, and from
whom they had just heard an apology announced, he (Alder-
man Wood) was quite sure that although many of the persons
present might differ from that gentleman, they would be ready
to agree with him (Alderman Wood), that he acted from a
conviction that he was right.—( Hear, hear.) In any other
than a political light, he was a gentleman for whom he (Al-
derman Wood) had the highest respect.—( Hear, hear.) For
upwards of forty years he (Alderman Wood) bad been known
to them, and he might be almost said to belong to them from
the year 1794, when he first became connected with politics,
down to the period when he had been introduced to them as
a candidate for their suffrages. It was his proudest boast that
during seven contested elections he had never wanted their
support, nor had never forfeited their confidence or good opi-
nion.—( Cheers.) So long as his health and strength were
left him, and until his hairs became a little more grey—
( Laughter and cheers)—he should endeavour to serve them
most faithfully, and would never lose any opportunity of being
serviceable to the interests of his fellow citizens or his
country. —( Applause.)
Mr. GROTE, M.P., could not but envy his Hon. Colleague
who had just sat down his power of appealing to what he
would sincerely admit to be the faithful and long services he
had rendered to his constituents ; and appealing to the dan-
gers of that persecuting period, r 94, as evidence of his hay-
mg been a warm and zealous friend of freedom.—(Cheers.)
He (Mr. Grote) had no such services to boast of, and there-
fore it became him to render them still warmer thanks for the
manner in which his name had been mentioned, and the
warm interest they had evinced in his behalf ever since
he had first become known to them.—( Hear, hear, hear.)
He should feel more grateful also because this was done before
he had given the proof by his services in Parliament. They
had also paid him the very flattering compliment of having his
picture placed among their archives—( A portrait of Mr. Grote
had been, a short time previously, placed near the head of the
room.) If it ever happened that he should deceive the people
—if ever he became the champion of abuse, or the supporter
of .an oligarchy which had tyrannized over the people—if ever
he became corrupt or degenerate,' he trusted that they would
hang his picture with the face, to the wall, and he hoped he
might he debarred from'future entrance into assemblies of free
born Englishmen.—( Great applause.) In the present event-
ful times it became the Representatives of the people to
renew and strengthen themselves in the confidence of their
constituents.—( Hear, hear.) Dark clouds were now passing
over the political horizon, but he hoped their ultimate effect
would merely be to impart fresh force and vigour to the prin-
ciples of good Government.—(Hear.) It was his duty as
their representative to state what it was his intention to do in
consequence of the recent change in his Majesty's councils.
They would be prepared for that declaration, for it was only
in consistency with every other made by him, that Government
should have his decided and uncompromising opposition.
He was aware that there were -some persons of such easy faith
as to give credit to every promise made in the names of the
new Government by pretending and unauthorized persons.
He (Mr. Grote) recognized no such persons, nor would he
credit such declarations—he knew them only as anti-Re-
formers, and the country would recognise them in no other
light. All the Reform the Duke of Wellington or Sir Ro-
bert Peel would ever grant them willingly would pass through
the eye of the smallest needle they ever saw.—( Hear, and
laughter.) They would find that it would be the very minimum
of reform, or of what might be put forward under that sacred
and often abused name. No such miracle could be performed
politically, as to change men so determined against all reform
as they were ; and even if they declared their sincerity they
would still be most unfit persons to entrust with the nearest
and dearest interests of the people.—( Loud cheering.) These
were the feelings and principles upon. which he (Mr. Grote)
should consider it his duty to act—and in doing so, he was
only following up those principles which had first recom-
mended him to their notice and favour, and which he should
never abandon so long as life was spared him.—( Applause.)
'these were his principles, and they were not assumed
for the sake of popularity, for every one of them he .had
arrived at by reason and conviction—they had not been lightly
adopted, arid would not be readily laid aside. He was con-
scientiously convinced of their rectitude and truth, and there-
fore rested upon a sacred and certain basis. He again Legged
to thank them for the kindness and favour he had received at
their hands, and he thought no man need ask a prouder epi-
taph •upon his dame, than that he had enjoyed and retained
the favour of so intelligent and 'enlightened a constitency.—
( Cheers. )
Mr. CRAWFORD, M. P., felt deeply embarrassed in rising to
return thanks for the honour they had conferred on him—=and
that embarrassment arose mainly from the difficulty he felt in
addressing them, after the humorous:and admirable address of
his Hon. colleague Mr. Grote.—( Hear.) Would they allow
him, then, simply to say, that there was not a word which he.
(Mr. Grote) had uttered—not a sentiment lie had- expressed
on.the various subjects on which he had addressed them, that
he (Mr. Crawford) did not most warmly and cordially parti-
cipate Great cheering.) He remembered well the debt
of obligation be owed to the gentlemen around him, for the
manner in which they had received him when he had been
first introduced to them. The liberality manifested by them
on that occasion, had made a deep impression on him, and
would never be forgotten. There were then, perhaps,.
shades of political difference between them, but he addressed
them on that evening without any of those reservations which
might possibly then have arisen ; for upon the matter which
had particularly occupied their attention during the present
evening he responded entirely to every sentiment expressed by
Mr. Grote.—( Applause.) He had no doubt but that the
struggle they were engaged in would be short, and their. cause
Hum phant.—( Cheering. ) It . was impossible it could be
otherwise, after what they h&d witnessed within the last few
days. The country had no reliance upon the honesty and sin-
cerity of the men who had been appointed to forward the
great measure of reform, and it would be his (Mr. C's) ear-
nest endeavour to make their reign as short lived as possible.
—( Hear, hear.) He thought it unnecessary to occupy their
time further—in conclusion he would observe that he was gra,
tified beyond measure at the reception he at all times expe-
rienced from his comrades of the ancient and honourable Lum-
ber troop, and it would be his endeavour on all occasions to
make his political conduct such as would be deserving of their
approbation.—( Cheers.)
Mr. BETTS rose for the purpose of putting a few questions
to Crawford, but was met by loud cries of " Order,
chair," &c.
Mr. ConsT objected to any questions being put by the gen-
tleman who had just risen. It was not an electioneering meet-
ing-but the winter meeting of the Troop, that had taken place
annually from time immemorial.
Mr. BETTS—It is an electioneering meeting.
Mr. CONST—If the gentleman still thinks so, bis brains
might be put in a walnut-shell.—( Great laughter.)
Mr. BETTS said he merely wished to Put a question to Mr.
Crawford.—( Cries of " No, no.")
Mr. CRAWFORD expressed his readiness to answer any ques-
tion that might be put to bun.
The CHAIRMAN decided- that the majority of the meeting
was against any question being put to Mr. Crawford.
Mr. TaavEns begged to propose the health of their inde-
pendent Member for Finsbury, Thomas Duncombe, Esq.—
( Cheers.) He Lad come thrnard in a noble and manly manner
at the last election, and had enabled them to keep out a Tory.
--(Cheers.) They should also call to mind his exertions in