The Sun.
London, England, 1860-05-07 00:00:00

RANQUET AT THE ROYAL ACADEMY.

A sumptuous entertainment was given on Satur-
day by the Royal Academy of Arts to inaugurate
the opening of the exhibition in Trafalgar-Equare.
The distinguished company, which was much larger

than on any previous occasion, and comprised most

of her Majesty's Ministers and the chiefs of the late

Government, began to arrive shortly after two
o'clock, and spent the interval till dinner was an-

nounced in viewing the exqui:,ite specimens of ar-
tistic genius by which the walls of this Royal tern

plc of British art are decorated.
The Ministers of State present were—Lord Pal-
merston, the Duke of Somerset, Earl De Grey and
Ripon, Lord J. Russell, the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer, Mr. S. Herbert, Sir C. Wood, the,‘ Earl of
Carlisle, Mr. Cardwell, Mr. M. Gibson, the Lord
Chamberlain, Lord steward, Privy Purse, Master
of the Horse, Mr. Cowper, and Mr. Lowe.
Of the late Government there were present—Earl
Derby, Mr. Disraeli, Lord Chelmsford, Lord Stan-
ley, Lord J. Manners, Sir J. Pakington, Lord St.
Leonard's, Earl De la Warr, Mr. Walpole.
The Church was represented by the Bishop of
London, the Bishop of Oxford, and the Dean of St.
Paul's.

Among the other distinguished guests were the
Duke of Rutland, the Marquis of Lansdowne, Earl
Stanhope, Marquis of Normanby, Earl Grey, Earl
Hardwicke, Earl Dudley, Earl Clarendon, Earl of
Warwick, Lord Overstone, Lord Ravensworth,
Earl Shelbourne, Earl Cawdor, Earl Somers, Lord
Monteagle, Lord Dufferin, Lord Crewe, Lord
Belper, the Lord Mayor, Governor of the Bank of
England, Sir J. Lawrence, Lieut.-Col. Edwardes,
the Chief Justice of the Queen's Bench, Chief Jus-
tice of the Common Pleas, the Lord Chief Baron,
the Master of the Rolls, the Attorney and Solicitor-
General, Sir IL Campbell, Mr. T. Baring, Admiral
Back, Sir B. Hawes, Sir E. Tennant, Mr. Thacke-
ray, G. H. Vernon, Professor Owen, the President
of the Royal Society, President of the College of
Physicians, President of the Royal College of Sur-
geons, Sir C. Lyell, Professor Faraday, Professor
Partridge, Sir H. Holland, Sir E. Ryan, Sir E.
Murchison, Mr. D. Seymour, Mr. W. Stirling, Mr.
Alderman Salomons, Mr. L. C. Motey, Mr. George
Grote, Mr. S. Gurney, Mr. G. C. Bentinck, Mr. G,
Bidder, Mr. J. Forster, Mr. T. Fairbairn, Mr. D.
Dunbar, Mr. J. Caird,
The entertainment was served in the east room.
The President, Sir Charles Eastlake, occupied the
chair, which was placed immediately in front of
Phillip's picture of the Royal Marriage.
The dinner, with all its adjuncts, was of the most
recherche kind, and was provided by Mr. Willis,
of the Thatched House.
The musical arrangements were under the able
direction of Mr. Francis, assisted by Messrs.
Lockey, Benson, Foster, Buckland, Lawler, and

Winn.
The Bishop of Oxford, as chaplain, said grace.
After dinner, "Non nobis, Domine" having been
snug.

The PRESIDENT, in proposing the first toast,
said,—My lords and gentlemen, I have the honour
of proposing to you that toast which fitly intro.
duces the tribute of respect which Englishmen
love to offer in their festive assemblies—
" The Health of her Majesty the Queen," the
object of the loyal attachment of all her sub-
jects, and to whom, as the gracious patron of
this institution, the member of the Royal
Academy owe the especial homage of their duty and
gratitude. (Cheers.) Her Majesty, accompanied by
his Royal Highness the Prince Consort and some
members of the Royal family, honoured the Exhi-
bition with her presence on Thursday last, and I
am happy to say that her Majesty was pleased on
that ooccasion to express the great satisfaction she
experienced in surveying the works this year sub-
mitted to her inspection. (Cheers.) Her Majesty is
the possessor of several works in the present Exhi-
bition. (Cheers.) I give "The Health of her Ma-
jesty the Queen."
The toast was drunk with much applause, and
followed by the National Anthem.
The PRESIDENT—The toast which I have next to
propose is " The Health of his Royal Highness the
Prince Consort." His Royal Highness has from
the first taken a warm interest in the promotion of
art in this country ; and the favour which her Ma-
jesty and his Royal Highness have, for many years,
extended to the fine arts has undoubtedly had a
powerful influence in awakening and stimulating
that love of art which is now so widely diffused.
(Cheers.) Such results may not always be traced to
their most important causes ; indeed, it may be ob-
served that an example is the more successful in pro-
portion as it is followed unconsciously. (Hear.) It is
for us, however, it is for the professors of the fine
arts to remember, how much the growing appre-
ciation of art has been duo to the influence of his
Royal Highness : and it is not without reason that,
in this place, and on this occasion, we are anxious
to express on the part of the votaries of art gene-
rally our sense of the debt we owe him. I have
the honour to propose " The Health of his Royal
Highness the Prince Consort." (Loud cheers.)
The PRESIDENT, in giving the next toast, said—
The toast I have now the honour to propose is
" The Health of his Royal Highness the Prince et
Wales and the Royal Family." His Royal High-
ness, it is said, is about to quit these shores for o
season, ht pursuit of that most useful knowledge
hich personal observation can bust insure. On all
ecsasions our cordial s) inpathies and hopes accom-
pany his Royal Highness :aid the other members
of the youthful Ili oy.ti family. (Cheers.) As they
gradually enter upon their high respow,iltilitics,
whether, !s in the instance of an amiable princess,
the lot be c t.t-t in a foreign land ; whether the pie-
scribed duty be promot“l by -European and Trans-
atlantic travel, by active service in her Mejestv
itaN 3, or studies at house; under all circumstances
we cannot forget that on t heir safety and well-being
the happiness of their illustrious parents is closely
dependent ; and it is, therefore, with corresponding
earnestness that I propose the toast, " The health of
his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and the
Boyal Family." (Cheers.)
The PRESIDENT—The next toast is " The Army
and Navy." (Cheers.) In connexion with the
army I have the honour to propose the health of
the right hon. the Secretary of State for War; and
in connexion with the navy that of the First Lord
of the Admiralty. In a scene such as these walls
present, where productions of art displayed to view
are in an especial sense the accompaniments and the
emblems of peace, the expression of our respect and
gratitude, as a tribute to these noble services which
are the subjects of the present toast, is peculiarly ap
propriate. (Cheers.) The progress of the arts of peace
is the living evidence that, thanks to our brave defen-
ders, we dwell in security. The question what con-
stitutes security—what, humanly speaking, can ren-
der it permanent, and under what circumstances, if
may be relaxed, preparations
under any, vigilance
abandoned,andcaution forgotten, such qoestions may
be left to those who know to what extent a general
consciousness of safety can tend to promote the in-
dustry, prosperity, and happiness of a nation.
(Cheers.)
The Duke.of SOMERSET—The office which I have
the honour to hold gives me the privilege of thank-
ing you in the name of the British navy. That is
a task which I perform with great pleasure, for I
all sure that whenever the officers ',nil men of the
_Brit i:Of navy are called upon to defend their coun-
try they will come forward in a manner which will
justify the honour you have done them. (Cheers.)
Gentlemen, if such an event should occur—if they
should be called upon to serve their Queen and
country, one of the first things you would have to
do here would be to enlarge your rooms, for there
ould not be space for the heroic naval achieve-
ments you would wish to depict and to exhibit- here
to the admiration of your countrymen and country-
women. (Cheers.) I am sure of this, that, those for-
tunate and distinguished art bits who should depict
thetas tor I ite benefit of tbe present generation would
dOWD to future tittle 3 tlvir own fame, in inf•
mortal association with heroes who would be for
ever remembered in the history of their country.
1 think I need not hay more for the British navy at
present than that I am sure whenever called upon
it will meet and amply deserve the honour it re-
ceives at every assembly of painters.
SIDNEY likalißEßT.---I am not so fortunate