The Sun.
London, England, 1851-09-25 00:00:00

LORD PALTkIERSTON AT
TIVERTON.

TIVERTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING. —Lord Palmer- j
shin has been staying here for these two days, and
his constituents took the opportunity of inviting him
to a public dinner to-day. The entertainment was
given in the Assembly-room, which was tastefully
decorated for the occasion, and where above 150
gentlemen, as many, indeed, as the room would ac-
commodate, sat down to an excellent dinner at three
o'clock. Mr. F. Hole, who was in the chair, was
supported by Mr. Heathcoat, M.P., Mr. Howe, the
mayor, Mr. Heathcoat Amory, and a number of the
principal inhabitants of Tiverton and the neighbour-
hood.
After dinner the usual loyal and constitutional
toasts were drunk amidst much applause, Captain
Taylor, R.N., returning thanks for the navy, and
Captain Edwards for the army.
The toast of " the Clergy of all Denominations"
was spoken to by the Rev. Mr. Ii\LIDGIN, who passed
briefly in review, in highly complimentary terms, the
foreign policy of Lord Palmerston, and alluded in
some detail to the subject of the African squadron
and the decline of tha slave trade.
The next toast, " Her Majesty's Ministers," was
drunk with much cheering.
Lord PALMEILSTON, who was received with en-
thusiastic applause, then rose and said,—Gentlemen,
on behalf of her Majesty's Ministers, in the name of
toy colleagues, and for myself, I beg to return you
cordial and sincere thanks for the very handsome and
flata`ering manner in which you have been pleased to
receive the toast which my Hon. Friend proposed to
you. It is the study of her Majesty's Ministers to
secure and continue for themselves the approbation of
our Sovereign and the confidence of the people.—
(Cheers.) We believe that the best mode of attaining
those ends is by pursuing steadily, temperately, and
systematically the course of progressive improvement.
--(Renewed cheers.) We are aware that in that
temperate and steady course we may sometimes, on
the one hand, excite the alarms of the timid, while, on
the other hand, we may disappoint the expectations
of the ',enthusiastic and precipitate—(Hear, hear)—
but I ath satisfied, gentlemen, that it is only by such
a calm, temperate, and deliberate course that it is
possible for those who have the conduct of the vessel
of the State to carry it in safety through the dangers
of its voyage—(Cries of " Hear, hear")—avoiding
alike the rocks and quicksands which lie to obstruct
its progress, and weaehering, on the other hand, the
storms which it may be destined to meet.—(Hear,
hear.) Hitherto, I trust, gentlemen, that we have con-
ducted that noble vessel in safety through that por-
tico of its course wlOch has been submitted to our
coketrol.—(Hear, hear.) We have carried it through
with• its timbers sound, with its tackle in good order,
with its crew healthy, cheerful, and contented.—
(Cheero.) And I trust that when the day may come
that we have to hand over our command to other per-
sons we may be succeeded by men equally anxious
for the safety of the vessel, and equally determined
to steer it according to the most approved principles
of political navigation.—(Much cheering.)
The CHAIRMAN then proposed " the health of Lord
Palmerston, coupling with it that of Mr. Heathcoat,
the other Member for the borough." The neat lau-
datory speech in which the toast was proposed was
much applauded.
The toast was drunk with all the honours, and
followed by cheer upon cheer.
Lord PALMERSTON, who was again enthusiastically
cheered, spoke as follows :—Mr. President and gen-
tlemen, undoubtedly one of the most difficult things
which can ever fall to the lot of man to perform—al-
aough at the same time it is a difficulty most grate-
fiat to his feelings to encounter—is that of adequately
expe-essing his thankfulness for such a reception as
that which it. has been my good fortune to meet with
from you, in response to the very kind and over-
flatteriner manner in which my Hon. Friend has
proposed the toast which you have just drunk.—
(Hear.) 1 is now, I think, nearly 16 years since I
first had the honour of becoming one of the represen-
tatives of this town ; during that period I flatter myself
that I have formed here, not only political connexions,
but lasting personal friendships.—(Hear.) You have
treated me, gentlemen, as your Representative during
that long period with the most generous conduct—
(Hear)—and I am happy to say that the reception
which I have met with on my present visit convinces
ate that in your opinion I have done nothing to
show that I have abused that confidence.—
(Cheers.) I trust, therefore, that although
this is not the time to talk of such matters
(because we are met here upon a convivial occasion,
and not for election purposes), I may fairly antici-
pate that I may, for the future, preserve that confi-
dence which I have hitherto enjoyed.—(Hear, hear.)
The present time, gentlemen, in which it has been
my good fortune to meet you—l regret very much
that the incessant and laborous occupations connected
with the public station which I have the honour to
fill have prevented me from having as freqaent oppor-
tunities of meeting you as I could wish—the present
moment is, undoubtedly, 'one of the greatest public
and national interest.--(Hear) This country has,
in years not long gone by, had to contend with great
difficulties at home, and has been the witness of great
convulsions abroad. Thos domestic difficulties, by
the blessing of Providence, have happily, to a certain
degree, passed away. The convulsions abroad have
fqr the present ceased. That dreadful scourge which
aftilicted a large portion of the British empire—the
scourge of famine which desolated and devastated Ire-
land—thas happily, if not entirely ceased, to a great
degree and substantially diminished ; and those inter-
nal commotions which distracted the whole face of
Europe have for the present been succeeded by a
celni, outwardly denoting peace, though in the opi-
nion of some men covering the germs of future dis-
sensions. It is not a good trade to undertake to be
a political prophet ; hut, although there are many
persons in this country and abroad who look forward
to the year 1852 with apprehension and alarm, yet,
gentlemen, without undertaking the task of prophet,
I may say that I am strongly inclined to hope that
that year may pass over without any of those calami-
ties which some gloomy minds anticipate that it will
bring.—(Hear' hear.) We have, indeed, within the
last few months witnessed a most striking example
that anticipations of a gloomy character may prove
unfounded by the result. When his Royal Highness
Prince Albert, with that foreseeing mind and that
intuitive judgment, matured by knowledge and expe-
rience, which so remarkably distinguish him—
(Hear)—conceived the vast notion of the Great Ex-
hibition, which is ncav soon about to close, there were
not wanting many who anticipated from it great
evils—internal commotions, destruction of property,
interruption of social order. Many opposed it from
those grounds ; many, still more, looked to the pro-
ject with hesitation and with doubt. The result
has amply justified the expectations of the man
who conceived the idea, and has signally and
agreeably disappointed the alarm of those who looked
upon it with apprehension.—(lean) Ido not mean
to soy that the Government of the country would
have been found unprepared or unprovided if any of
those alarming anticipations had been realized ; but
there never was an occasion on which such a multi-
tude have been collected on one spot, not only from
every part of this country, but from almost every
part of Europe, where such harmony prevailed, and
such uninterrupted order was preserved.—(Cheers.)
Gentlemen, it is impossible not to see many and be-
neficial results as likely to arise from that Exhibition
—an Exhibition which you must all of you have seen,
for I presume that by this time there is hardly a man
in the country able to go there who has not visited
it.— (Hear, hear.) Why, in the first place, it must
tend to improve the industry of all nations who have
sent persons to see it, because nothing improves the
working of human intellect so much as comparing
the products of the industry of one country with the
products of the corresponding industry of other nations
—(Hear, hear)—and I am satisfied that the idea tba

our manufacturing industry would suffer from the
competition of foreign productions will be dis-

proved—(Hear, hear)—and, on the contrary, the
result will show that we have derived great benefit
from the lessons that we have had exhibited to us

there.—(Hear.)

Such a number of persons in this

country, going:up to London to see this great display,
who probably would otherwise not have stirred from
their homes, must lead to a great enlargement of
mind, a great development of ideas among the poorer
classes of the community.—(Hear, hear.) But per-
haps the most important and lasting result will be the
great strengtoi which the mutual intercourse of men
of all 'latices congregating to London will have given
to those bonds of friendship which secure interna-
national peace.—(llear, hear.) The foreigners, and
many there are, who have visited this country upon
this occasion, have gone back deeply impressed with
the unvarying kindness which they have met with,
and the civility which has been shown to them by
every person with whom they have come in contact
—(gear, hear)—not only in London,
but in every
part of the country in which they have been—(Hear,
hear)—and, perhaps, there are no men who have been
more strongly, and they say it themselves, more un-
expectedly impressed with the kindness and hospita-
lity of the people of this country, than our cousins on
the other side of the Atlantic.—(Hear, hear.) I have
had ample opportunities of knowing thlt there is not
an American who has come over here who has not
gone back with feelings of regard and affection for
bis cousins in this country, disappointed (in the sense
in which they use the expression), agreeably disap-
pointed, at finding himself the object of such kind-
ness and courtesy and hospitality.—(Hear, hear,
and cheers.) Gentlemen, that which struck all these

foreigners the most has been, not the variety of splendid
works of-40pis.„, 411.. gf Dip in. the building, not the
huildingittiMilftiefit ishkuirhaps still more remark-
able than/krlyibing *bieh itNeontains, but the order
which Orecitailirhughout every part of the country
in whiCitili -4.4laplen to havatg6e. They have said,
"Wb tidulirtpostju k and is the order ; and
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