The Sun.
London, England, 1856-11-03 00:00:00

The number of non-commissioned officers and men pre-
sent was about 540 of the 34th Regiment, 320 of the sth
Dragnons, 120 of the Royal Artillery, making in all, with
between 50 and 61 men home on furlough, and. about 50
Crimean pensioners, upwards of 1,000 soldiers, exclusive of
officers, of whom there were about 1:0 present.
There were about 500 ladins in the galleries, arid 84 so'-
diers' wives in the recesses at the north end of the hall;
so that, altogether, including the gentlemen in the gallery
at the croupier's end, .e.n,d'tho pupils of the Naval and
Military Academy, 'there could not hero been present less
then 2,003 persinl.
A few minutes after five o'clock, the Lord Provost and
Lord Elgin and other distinguished guests entered the
hall, and took their places on the platform. The Lord
Provost occupied the chair, supported by the Earl of
Elgin, Lord Melville, Sir Jo:in ,Major Howie,
and Adam Black, M.P. Grace having been said by Dr.
Robertson, a vigorous attack on the eatables provided in-
stantly commenced.

, Dinner 'over, the grace said by the Rev. Dr. Guthrie,
and the cloth removed; Mr. Sinclair, the master of the
ceremonies, proclaimed glom° for the chair, which being
obtained,
Tho CHAIRVAN then rose and said—Ladies and gentle.
men, I beg to propose that we should dedicate this toast
to the health of our gracious Sovereign the Queen.
The toast-master, in loud and stentorian tones, called
upon all to drink the toast with all the honours, and
requested the ladies to join in the anthem. The toastmas-
ter's request was complied with, and the effect was most
striking, the entire company joining in chorusing the
anthem.

The CHAIRMAN again rose and said—l beg to propose
that we should now drink to the health of the Prince
Albert, the Prince of Wales, and the rest of the Royal
Family. • '
The-toast was received very heartily.
The Earl of DALKEITH proposed " The Navy, and may
may she lees maintaiu the reputation which she held dur-
ing past ages under the Nelsons, Exmouths, and so many
other famous men, and wherever she is called on to do
her duty may she never be wanting." (Qheers.)
The toast was drunk amid loud cheering. ,
Captain RAMSAY, R.N., all, returned thanks. Ho
said—lt is with great pleasure that, in tho name of the
profession to which I belong, I return you my most sin-
cere thanks for the houour you have conferred on us.
We Have no naval Alma, et o naval lukerman, ,to refer to.
At the commencement of the war the Russians had a very
large fleet, particularly in the Baltic, where they had 30
line-of-battle ships all ready for sea. But.all these vessels
wore sailing ships, and they wotild have had no chance
against our screw line-of-battle ships, and thereford they
remained in their ports. Our only alternative, in these
circumstances, would have hem to have entered their
ports, and to have engaged them under their batteries.
This, however, was not considered either practicable or
feasible, and it was not attempted. There was nothing,
therefore, left for oar ships' companies to do, except those
who happened to be in the Crimea, or who were on the
shores of the Black Sea, than to blOokade the ports of our
enemies,. to slestroy their harbours and their magazinas,
anti to tiara,.s their coasts-. No doubt, allow me to say,
there was very much ardour and much anxiety on our part
that a more energetic lino of action should have been at-
tempted. And here allow me to do justice to the gallant
men who, at tho commencement of the year 1851, came
forward and completed the complement of the fleet then
fitting for the Baltic. Many entered as marines and-many
as sailors ; and although, at that time, of course, they
were ignorant of their profession, yet, when the fleet re-
turned, I can say, from personal experience, that they
were fully proficient, both in their great guns abd small
arms. It was Very pleasant to remark that the best uu.
derstanding always existed between the army and navy
and our gallant allies the French. Peace has now been
restored ; but I think ,I may say for the profession to which
I have the honour to belong, that both officers and men
will endeavour to master their profession thoroughly—for
war is a science—aud by so doing, in the event of another
war, success will, by the blessing of Providence, attend
.them. I have no doubt they will, in those circumstances,
meet with the same kind reception which we have received
from the inhabitants of your beautiful city. (Cheers.)
The LORD'ADVOCATI then rose and said—My Lord Pro-
vost, I have the honour to ask this great assembly through
you to dedicate a bumper to the health of the British
Army. (Cheers.) The army, as it was and as it is, in
gratitude for the triumphs it has won in times past, and in
hope and confidence of what it is able and willing to do,
if necessary, in the future. (Cheers.) It has been said,
and in ono sense truly said, that we are not and ought not
to endeavour to bo a great military power. In one sense
that is true. Our rock-bound island, the waves that Wash
our shores, and the wooden walls that have been comme-
morated to-night, have proved, and I doubt not wil
prove for ages to come, our sufficient safeguard against all
invaders. (Loud cheers.) And social order and property
at home are best protected by the contentment, the virtue,
the loyalty, the prosperity of a free and enlightened peo-
ple. But though it may be true that in one sense we may
not be what is called a military power, we have been ever,
aud I trust will continuo to be, a military people. (Cheers.)
We have among ue, as I humbly think, all the best ele-
ments of a military nation—a people trained to endure
hardship —a people whose wind is prone over to ceurt, not
to avoid danger—(cheers)—accustomed from youth from
the highest to the lowest to all athletic exercises; to every-
thing that tries the nerve and strengthens the courage,
with a stout heart and a strong arm. I know not where
the material of soldiers is to be found if not, in our own
free and enlightened England. (Cheers.) And then these
soldier s, how are they 101 l I certainly wish to say nothing
against a system which shall always give true merit, true
valour, true superiority its duo place ; but still I trust we
elan never see the day when that which has been the
strength of tho British army shall ceaso—namely, that the
best blood in our old country is shed, and shed freely, in
support of her liberties, that best remnant of our feddality
and almost the last ;, that the highest and oldest, the most
ancestral in the land, deem it a duty and an honour to be
foremost in the place of peril, and first among the defenders
of their country. (Cheers.) My Lord, of course the British
army, like everything else in this free country, is the sub-
ject of discussion. •We are a free people. We are in the
habit cf, and we arc entitled to, think and sneak for our-
selves, and accordingly it is one of the peculiarities of the
British army that their position is liable, like everything
else, to be canvassed freely, by all classes. And I quite
understand that sometimes a feeling of impatience would
-Mita *itijee military mind at finding that, civilians choose
to pass judgments, to hold opinions and express them,
which they, better informed, may think not worthy of the
notice they receive. I say this is one of the results of our
free constitution under which we live. The British soldier
fights for the freedom of his country. (Cheers.) His
strength is in this, that ho knows that his welfare is as dear
to the hearts of those that his brave arm defends as their
liberties and his profession are to him. We do net fight,
ourll army fights not, for the mere renown of military glory.
the assurance a Purer
431
people—the,aioofabeertainty
ewarbtiyzellehooaaveeornefteh.eriia.
d brighter feeling that animates it. It is
its
shores
that they leave behind thorn when they quit
i the certainty of support in the hearts of the
of sympathy when in peril—the ear-
minty
to return.
asAln
haved if thosesatl
civilians will criticis.), oven as cI. a ;
perform the pleasing duty of Tana
like
myself
may
heartfelt praise, I say let me
just make this one observation, that, on the one hand, no
army in Europe is in a better
os
ordeal of public discussion thanP the to
pass through the
army of which we
beboast; and that, on the other handteho army may depend
upon it that &Qui any hasty judgments
they have one certain and sure appeal—an that
may
be
.°3.!"
sympathy of the tribunal which hasb appeal to the
beat with truest poise
fee them throughout the contest we havet just concluded,
which, amid all the discussion and
questions
basses I have sal,?, bent most truly for
them.oand debates,
doubt, is a brilliant though a bloody thing, War, no
and we look to
our gallant Cefenders with the admiration n whisk romance
throws over their profession, as well as with that which
*heir gallant deeds and high hurts descrye But war, after
all, the pathway of Near, however deeked. it may be with
leaaels, is not the object of admiration
unless
d it be the
avenue to peace. Peace has come now,
time to remember those by whom it ha,sabneen obtained.now is the
Now is the time for us, who have gone
about
our daily
avocations in peace and protection, to remember ourfriends
Were all that while
,breasting danger and braving death