The Sun.
London, England, 1856-09-06 00:00:00

TILE CUTLERS' If'EAST.

SHEFFIELD, SEPT. 5.
The annual feast of the Ancient Corporation of the Cut-
lers of Sheffield took place last night at the Cutlers'-hall in
this town. The great attraction of this dinner is derived
from the presence of the distinguished strangers who upon
such occasions are usually invited, and yesterday the new
Master Cutler (Mr. Wostenholm) was honoured by the
company of the Duke of Newcastle, Mr. Dallas, the Ame-
rican Minister, Mr. Milnes, M.P., Mr. Roebuck, M.P.,
Mr. Oliveira, M.P., Mr. B. Denison, M.P., Lord Denman,
Lord G. Manners, the Mayor of Grimsby and Doncaster,
M. Gudin, of the French navy, Mr. Bessemer, whose im-
portant improvement in the manufacture of iron is now
attracting such general attraction, and a general company
of about 203 of the principal inhabitants of Sheffield, and
friends from a distance.

The Master Cutler occupied tho chair, and the cloth
having been removed, the usual loyal toasts were disposed of.
The MASTER CUTLER, in proposing " Tho Army and
Navy," remarked that England, to be wealthy, successful,
and free, must be strong. It was by might as well as right
that they must hope to preserve their present position
among the nations of the world. We must maintain and
strengthen that noble British navy which floated on every
water, and whose flag was respected by all nations, and
we must also cherish and support that gallant army whose
prowess had been distinguished in so many victories. The
names of Wellington, of Nelson, and of Marlborough had
become household words.

" Who does his best where circumstance allows,
Does well, acts nobly, angels could no more."

A.nd our triumphs in the late war, in the battle field of
Alma, on the heights of Inkerman, at the deadly charge
of Balaklava, in the perilous trenches about Sebastopol,
before the wall of the doomed fortress, had acted the part
of heroes. (Cheers.)
Colonel FIODGE, of the 4th Dragoon Guards, now sta-
tioned at Sheffield, acknowledged the toast.
The MASTER CUTLER, observing that they were ho-
noured upon the present occasion with the presence of a
distinguished French officer, said it gave him great plea-
sure to propose the health of the Emperor of the French,
coupling the toast with the name of M. Gudin. He was
quite sure that the people of England, and none more than
those of Sheffield, appreciated most highly tke friendly
feeling which happily subsisted between the two nations.
M. GUDIN, in returning thanks, said that nothing had
pleased him more than the last toast—that of the English
army and navy. He was sorry to say that England and
France had been pitted against each other too long, but
perhaps there was no great harm done, for as they had
tested each other's courage in the field they could now fight
with greater confidence together against any enemy who
might present himself. (Hear, hear.) But peace had come,
and for that reason Birmingham might well be jealous of
Sheffield, for Birmingham forged weapons of war while
Sheffield forged knives and forks—knives with which when
young we used to cut our pens to write love letters, but
when old to write accounts. (Cheers, and laughter,) He
was quite sure that the knife which was to cut the tie
which bound Englancrat—iTriaticeTogether would never be
forged in Sheffield. (Cheers.) He had the pleasure of
personally knowing the Emperor of the French, and had
the honour of presenting to him Mr. Bessemer, who had
received great encouragement and support from him. The
people of France were deeply indebted to England for the
noble subscriptions they had raised for the relief of the
sufferers from the late terrible inundations which had
taken place in his country. He concluded by drinking
"Health and Prosperity to the good, noble, ancient, and
wealthy town of Sheffield."
"The Health of the Duke of Norfolk" having been
drunk,
The MASTER CUTLER proposed that of " The Duke of
Newcastle," observing that the diligence shown by the
noble Duke with regard to the public service had procured
him general confidence and. esteem. (Hear, hear.)
The Duke of NEWCASTLE, who on rising was greeted
with general :cheering, said—Mr. Master Cutler, often as
your predecessors in the chair have invited me to your
hospitable board, and greatly as I have desired upon each
successive occasion to appear among you to renew some
friendships and to originat ~ as I hope, other acquaintance-
ships which may afterwards ripen into intimacy, circum-
stances of various kinds have hitherto prevented my being
here, and I say, with no mock humility, that I am unable
to account for the fervour and kindness with which you
have received my name. However anxious I might be in
my public capacity, as a member of the Legislature or as a
Minister of the Crown, I know of nothing which has en-
titled me to such a reception at your hands. The Master
Cutler has referred to the offices I have held in the Govern-
ment of the country. I do not forget at this moment the
remark, "Abuse me as much as you like, but for Heaven's
sake don't pas.) me over in silence"—(a laugh) —and if I
am not to depart from this axiom, all I can say is that I
feel I have deep reason to be grateful for much that ha

been said, and, still more, that has been written of me
within a very recent period Upon this occasion politics
ire properly excluded, nor will I be the first to encroach
upon that wholesome rule; and, although the Master Cut-
ler alluded more especially to the office I lately held of
Secretary of War, I will not be tempted even by that alla-
sion into any vindication of myself, however well it might
be received by you. Nay, more, I will not be tempted by
the presence even of my hon. and learned but somewhat
aggressive friend ,the member for Sheffield —(1 sughter)—
to enter into any explanations on this point. The time may
come when—nay, lam ready at this moment—l shall see
fit to venture on so audacious an act as to break a lance
with him. But the time still more probably will come
when the publication of documents will establish facts
which may induce even my hon. and learned friend to some-
what modify his opinion. At all events, you will, lam
sure, be convinced that the long and determined silence
which I have niaintaiued for many months past has been
dictated by other and higher motives than au acceptance of
the blame which has been cast upon me, or an entire acqui-
essence in much of the self-laudation which has been as-
sumed by others. I will only make this further allusion to
my xecent connexion with the Government of the coun-
try, that, having resolved from the hour that I gave up
the seals of cam that I would go to the Crimea and visit
that army myself, as well for the clearance of my own con-
science as to acquire a knowledge which I know neither I
nor any one else in this country possessed—having deter-
mined to go in spite of the earnest remonstrances of many
sincere friends, I only felt one regret, and that was that I
had not for a companion, when visiting the trenches, the
camp, and the hospitals, the hon. chairman of the Sebas-
topol Committee. (Laughter and cheers.) I assure the hon.
gentleman, however, that that feeling was not dictated by
the circumstances of the numerous balls of various sorts
and sizes that occasionally whizzed about my head, but
that he might have the opportunity of witnessing the uni-
form and generous kindness with which I was received,
not only by the officers, but by every private in the army.
(Cheers.) And let me say that before I left the camp my
grey jacket and white cap became as well known to the pri-
vates as the uniform of their own officers. (Cheers.)
Enough and more than enough upon a topic upon which I

would not have ventured to address a word had it not been
for the allusion you, sir, made. Now let Ina turn to a more
agreeable and more important theme, and congratulate you
upon having among you, for the first time, I believe, a dis-
tinguished representative of, I will not say a foreign, but
a cognate country—(cheo ts) —the representative of a coun-
try the like of which has never yet been seen, springing
as it has dune to so mighty a size, and into such immense
political importance, within so short a space of time ; for the

United States at this moment can reckon very little more
than the ordinary span of a human life. There are men now
alive who can remember the Declaration of Independence. I
believe it only reckons some four score years' existence as a
nation, and yet in that short space of time it has increased in
population from little more than 2,00 ),C Oto something short
of 30,000,000 of inhabitants, while the country has ex-

ended from a mere seaboard to an extensive continent,

and we now greet in this isle one of the roost distinguished
men as its representative. (Cheers.) The reception you

have given to my faint allusion to his merits will convinco
him, if conviction were necessary to a mind of his enlight-
enment, that not only this community, but those who are
bound up with the interests of the community—l speak
of the whole country—are resolved to do everything in
their power to maintain the most friendly relations with
it. (Cheers.) I am satisfied he will be convinced that this
country would make every sacrifice but one to avoid a war
with the United States ; and that one he would, I am sure,
never wish to filch from us—l mean the sacrifice of honour.
We must not be alarmed if occasionally some little eitficul-
ties arise between us and our Transatlantic brethren, for I
believe it is the nature of the two freest count' ies in the
world that there should be a difficulty occasionally in
maintaining peace between them, which wises from the
very circumstence that they are the two freest counteies
in the world. We should see, therefore, that the relation-
ship between England and the United States be carefully
maintained ; but of this I am certain, that so long as we
have such a representative from the United States as is
here to-night, there is little probability of any rupture be-
tween the two countries. I believe that the exportation of
uuwrought steel—not to speak of manufactured articles—
from this town to America amounts at present to 0,000 tons,
which of itself forms not a golden, but an iron link between
the two countlies. I congratulate you upon the present
prosperous state of your town ; and lam not afraid of ad-
dressing you in terms of congratulation, for it has been of
such a duration as to promise that it will not only con-
tinue but increase. I will not go into the causes to which
that prosperity may be attributed. I believe it is due,
not merely to the course which Parliament has ptirsued
within the last 10 years, but also to the greatly improved
eeling existing between the masters and the workmen, and