The Sun.
London, England, 1856-03-12 00:00:00

in a month of 31 days. It is just three times the
distance between Liverpool and New York, and
this run liai been already redueed.iii the good sea.",
soli to 13 days, and there is n'uch and speedy itall
provement very confidently anticipated. Nor must
it be forgotten that from Dover to Marseitlea,-799
miles, is, the brief Channel-run excepted, performed
by rail ; and that from Cairo to Suez, 207 miles, a
rail will soon be laid down. Thus, for one-tenth
of the distance between Dover and Melbotrne we
can rely upon the locomotive, and we know what
that will accomplish. In the midst of these
Alnaschar dreams let us not, however, lose
sight of the urgent necessity of the present
case. Our last advices from Melbournai are
of the 14th of November. The Australian
colonies have offered most munificent subsidies if
the Government will set the line fairly to work.
The Treasury folks talk of delay, and of references
to Australia, and reports home, which would in-
volve upwards of a twelvemonth's delay. The
point is to put a couple of first-class steamers on
the station between Aden and Melbourne at once,
as soon as coal is lodged. The colonists are only .
too eager to pay. With them postal communica-
tion is a question of prosperity or embarrassment
—of life or death.

DINNER AT THE MANSION-HOUSE.

Last evening the Lord Mayor entertained a nu-
merous and distinguished party at dinner in the
Egyptian Hall, to meet the American Minister.
Amongst those present were—the American Mi-
nister, Viscount and Viscountess Torrington, Ad-
miral Lord and Lady Radstock, Lieut.-General Sir
H. Jones, Viscount Chelsea, M.P., Right Hon. T.
M. Gibson, M.P., and Mrs. M. Gibson ; Lord J.
Stewart, Sir W. Abdy, Bart., SirE. Dering, Bart.,
M.P., Sir W. B. Riddell, Bart., Sir T. H. Mad-
dock, M.P., Mr. Rice_M.P,,_Mr._ Jr Whatman,
M.P., Mr. W. 7 Lee, M..7:,-Ntr. C. M. Lus hive^
M.P., Mr. W. Mitchell, M.P., Mr. M. Mi nes,
M.P., Mr. J. Pilkington, M.P., Mr. J. Kershaw,
M.P., Mr. Swift, M.P.
The usual loyal and patriotic toasts having b-en
given and duly honoured,
The LORD MAYOR gave the •health of Mr.
Buchanan the American Minister. That gentle- •
man was about to leave our shores, his successor
being appointed. He should have felt it a great
reflection on his mayoralty if he had been mayor ".
for three or four months without receiving that
gentleman. It was impossible to dwell too often
upon the regard he had for the great republic
across the water—that republic which he ought to
have the greatest pride in as an offset of this coun-
try. A Minister of the United States would always
be welcome amongst the citizens of London ; and
he was sure that in leaving this country Mr. •
Buchanan would carry with him the best wishes
of the people of this country for his prosperity in
his own land ; and he (the Lord Mayor) did hope,
that on his return there his Excellency would carry
with him none but agreeable recollections of the
kindness of the people of thi-i country and of them
good-feeling towards himself and his country.
(Hear, hear.)
Mr. BUCHANAN, who was received with loud
cheers, said—l receive with profoundly grateful feel-
ings this testimonial from the company present of the
regard in which you hold my country, for I do not
attribute it to myself. I can say in all truth and
sincerity that I shall ever preserve a grateful me-
mory of the kindness I have received in England.
I have yet to meet the first English gentleman who
has not treated me as if I had been a countryman
of his own. I will say nothing of the ladies, be-
cause I ought not to speak of them, although they
are in England the fairest part, of creation. I
shall tarry home with me every sort of grateful
feeling towards the people of this country; amongst
whom I have never felt myself a stranger. Speal,-
ing the same language, having read the same!), alc;1,
having had intercourse with a kindred flee people,
I have always spoken my sentiments freely and
respectfully in every society where I have been, and
I have always found that English gentlemen
treated me kindly, anti if we differed in opinion wo
had a fair argument, and parted in peace and friend-
ship. In regard to our two countries, what a
dreadful misfortune it would be to the human
race if they should ever again be involved in
war. How it would injure the cause of civilisa-
tion and human liberty, how it would delight all
the despots of the earth, to find these two nations
destroy themselves, and in that way destroy every
hope of the progress of mankind. I hold it that
there can be no political slavery where the Eng-
lish language is the language of the country ; and
so far from there being any jealousy--or from its
being proper that there should be any jealousy--
in either country to the honest and fair extension
of the territories of either, it should be considered
a blessing to mankind that they should extend their

. ,
free and liberal institutions over all the unsettled
portions of the world. lam sony to say that from
the.fint there has al ways been a group of unsettled
,questions between the two countries. There is a
cloud now impending over their relationi ; but I
trust in God, and I believe that that cloud will be
speedily dissipated, and that the sunshine of peace
and friendship will become more bright between
the countries, until all dissensions which ever
existed will pass away, awl will only live in history
as a record of the folly of two peoples who could
suppose it possible that they could engage in fratri-
cidal war. I have again to thank you for the man-
ner in which you have received my health ; and I
beg to assure you that I shall always look back to
my residence in England ai one of the brightest
periods of my life. (Loud cheers.)
The other toasts having been duly hopoured, the
proceedings then terminated.