The Sun.
London, England, 1851-08-14 00:00:00

REPRESENTATION' OF GREENWICH.
A public dinner took place last night in honour of
Mr. Alderman Salomons at the Crown and Anchor
Tavern, Woolwich, Mr. 'toff in the chair.
After the vsuai toasts,

Mr. RorF proposed the health of Mr. Alderman
Salomons. He hoped, that though they had met for
the first time, they had not done so for the last, to
celebrate the return of their worthy representative.—
(Cheers.) That Mr. Alderman Salomons had done
everything that in him lay as an Englishman, as a
gentleman, and as a man of pluck—(Cheers)--to
establish the rights of the constituency, he was satis-
fied that those whom he addressed would coincide with
him in thinking. It was a question with him whether
Mr. Alderman Salomons was not a Member of the
House of Commons, having sat, voted, and spoken ;
and it would be seen that the point of law was a
nice one when the Attorney-General and the Soli-
citor-General went into different lobbies on the divi-
sions which had taken place ou the subject.—
(Cheers.) With the health of Mr. Alderman Silo-
mons he wished to associate that of Mrs. Salomons,
expressing the hope that they would enjoy many
years of happiness.—(Cheers.)
Mr. Alderman SaaomaNs was received with great
cheering. He said, if he entertained any doubt as to
the character in which he was expected to appear that
doubt was entirely removed by the mode in which his
friend in the chair had proposed the toast, and asso-
ciated Mrs. Salomons with himself. The electors of
this town, so lately parties to an important election,
would hardly expect their Member, he believed, to
appear before them immediately after the close of the
session of Parliament; he had not much, at least, to
answer for in regard to his political conduct in the
House of Commons during the session, and therefore
he had no old scores to rub off.—(Cheers and laughter.)
Believing their kindness to him was rather intended
to show their friendly feeling towards him, and the
satisfaction they felt at the course of conduct he bad
pursued—(Hear)--in asserting their rights as much
as his own in the House of Commons, believing that
he appeared rather as their guest in a hospitable
sense than as their member in a political cha-
racter, he should confine his observations to the
most limited compass, because he hoped, before the
commencement of next session, if it so pleased
God, to meet his constituents and have an opportu-
nity of communing and consulting with them as to
the best means of maintaining their constitutional
position.—(Loud cheers.) He found it difficult to
express all that he felt of the kindness he had received
—of the confidence they had been pleased to repose
in him ; a confidence which he hoped they would have
no reason to regret.— (Cheers.) That difficulty was
increased when he saw himself surrounded by so many
respectable gentlemen of that town who had done him
the honour to give him their support. His tongue
could not express what his heart felt. He would
venture to say that at no period in the modern history
of this country had any constituency been so deeply
engaged in a constitutional question as the electors of
that borough.—(Cheers.) They were much more
engaged in a highly constitutional question than they
were in one which partook of a religious character.—
(Hear.) He took his stand upon that portion of the
constitution which was thoroughly Protestant. He
appealed to those whom he addressed in the same
sense in which a Protestant would. He appealed on
the ground of the right of private judgment.—
(Hear, hear.) There was a large constitutional
question which they ought to keep always before
them.—(Hear.) The common law of this country
knew nothing but of the return of a Member of Parlia-
ment. It was the constituency who gave that Mem-
ber a title, and by the common law of this country no
other title was required of a Member of Parliament to
enable him to take his seat in the Commons' House but
the return of a constitnency.—(Hear, hear.) Cir-
cumstances, political and religious, had introduced
oaths utterly at variance with the present times, and
had imposed penalties in case of failure to take them
utterly barbarous and repugnant to the general feel-
ing. They were aware that he was now able to bring
the question forward where justice would be done.
He had sat, he had voted, he had spoken ; and, what-
ever might be the issue, whether he went to the Tower,
or was consigned to the cellar of the House of Com-
mons, or was confined in Newgate as their representa-
tive, he would never give way. If he had their sup-
port
the would never surrender, and they would
surely triumph.—(Cheers.) There were potent cir-
cumstances at work both here and abroad; what they
had done was thoroughly and essentially popular.
It quite entered into the feelings of the people of
this country that there should be nothing in the
shape of religious exclusion.—(Cheers.) When
people met in company, as on the present occasion,
the question as to any one was, whether he was likely
to promote good fellowship ? With the House of
Commons the only question with respect to a Mem•
ber was, "Ishe a man of good character ? Can we
believe his promises ? Is he a man of intellect and
talent ? Is he likely to promote the benefit of the
constituent body ?" In the face of Sir R. Inglis and
others he contended that the constitution of this coun-
try was essentially founded on liberty, religious and
civil. At a time when the dynasty was in danger,
and when religion was also thought in danger, the
oaths were taken before the Lord Steward, and before
entering the House ; 20 years before the Reform Bill
that was repealed. What was the consequence ? A
man took his seat without the oaths and voted for a
Speaker. Could they doubt that the Member they
had returned was a Member of Parliament by their
return ? The House might be divided between two
rival Speakers; an Opposition or a Government Speaker
might be carried by a majority of one. It was their in-
terest and that of society at large to bring back the
constitution of Parliament, to bring back the privi-
leges of Parliament to those primitive principles
which were intelligible to everybody. He should
feel it to be his duty to inform the constituencies of
the country, through public meetings, on the ques-
tion at issue, but not for purposes of agitation,
or with the view of exciting religious discussion.
He held that he had a right to entertain any religious
opinions he thought proper, provided they were not
at variance with the public good ; but it was mon-
strous, in a country so free and civilized as this, that
when an individual was returned by the suffrages of
a large and enlightened constituency recourse should
be had to miserable quibbling for the purpose of in-
ducing his constituents to get rid of him and appoint
one less grateful to the majority, or less acceptable to
the borough.—(Hear, hear.) Supported by those
whom he addressed, he would not be got rid of. He
was as nothing in a contest which would have a place
in the history of England ; but all his powers and
energies should be devoted to the service of his con-
stituents ; and, confiding in their support, whatever
sufferings he might have to endure would be borne
with smiles.—(Cheers.) The Hon. Gentleman con-
cluded by again returning his thanks for the honour
conferred on him, and expressing his desire to respond
to the friendly feeling shown towards him by offering
his hosts the hospitality of a man of Sent.—(Chears.)
After several other toasts the meeting separated. it
only remains to add that the dinner was excellent.

ROYAL POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTION.
Accustomed as we are to note down the sayings of
men in arts, politics, and science, and fatiguing as
that duty is when " words, mere words," reward our
careful ears, we cannot say that fatigue or ennui have
ever been our portion at this sterling establishment,
devoted to the promulgation of cheap knowledge.
We have already recorded two of Mr. J. H. Pep-
per's interesting lectures on the jewels and crystals
of the Great Exhibition, and we find ourselves still
attending with pleasure a third discourse on the
same subject, viz., on the emerald, the beryl, the
amethyst, opal, onyx, cornelian, and agate, of which
sand, or what the chemists term silicic acid, is the
chief ingredient. We have seen the various domestic
uses of sand, we know that sand enters largely into
the composition of glass, but were not prepared to see
it tortured by chemical means into a transparent
liquid by a combination with excess of alkali, or to
appreciate it in the gaseous and invisible state by its
union with fluorine ; but as change, incessant change,
seems to be a law in chemistry, and the retort and
alembic still work their wonders, surprise, of course,
is out of the question. And here justice compels us
to state that our present report is incomplete, because
we cannot create on paper those experiments which
take one so easily through a chemical lecture. Suf-
fice it to say, that we believed ourselves perfect savans
whilst Mr. Pepper proceeded with his delicate and
careful manipulations, and were convinced that these
lectures do infinite good, because their numerous ex-
periments (like pictures in a book), induce and force
the mind to read in order to understand them. We
observed that the audience retired, like ourselves,
pleased with the professor's very interesting and con-
cluding lecture on the jewels.

VAUXHALL GARDENS.—ThG Royal Gardens at
Vauxhall presented a spectacle of unusual brilliancy and at-
traction yesterday evening, on the occasion of a benefit to
Mr. Wardell, the director of the establishment. No less
than three balloons ascended at once, which, on attaining a
certain height, joined in a sort of friendly race over the
chimney tops of the metropolis, the usual fear of danger
fearanger to
f
the aeronauts on this occasion being increased by the
a violent thunder storm, which indeed actually burst upon
them before a descent could be accomplished; but happily
without aecident. The balloons descended, the first at Lee,
in Kent, and the others near Shooters-hill. The aeronauts
were Mr. Bell and party, Mrs. Graham and daughter, and
Mr. Chambers. The display of fireworks was upon a scale
of more than ordinary
magnitude. The extent of the illu-
minations was increased, and there was an entire change in
the equestrian and the usual performances at the gardens.
Everything passed off very pleasantly, under the manage-
ment of Alr. Barnett, and there was an immense concourse
of persons, including many distinguished foreigners, in the
venerable old gardens.
PROPOSED MUSEUM or THE WORKS OF INDUS-
TAY.—It is the intention of the Royal Commissioners to
forma museum, containing specimens and drawings of all
the objects of interest in the Cry:Asti Palace, to remain as a
national record of the Exhibition. With this view they
have issued circulars to the eAlcullitord, requesting them to
cv-operAte in the clesigu.