The Sun.
London, England, 1860-06-30 00:00:00

CONS.E.RVA77VE REGISTRATION

ASSOCIATION.

The anniversary banquet of the members and
friends of this association was held at Willis's
Rooms, St. James's, last evening. The object of
the demonstration was to give a visible proof of the
undiminished union and vitality of the party, and
to testify, in spite of all the sinister rumours which
have been lately current relative to the internal dis-
Rensions that have rent its hitherto compact orga-
nisation, that it still retains unshaken confidence in
its chiefs.

Neither of the two great leaders of "her Majesty's
Opposition," Lord Derby and Mr. Disraeli, were
present at the festival, but there was a good mus-
ter of their Parliamentary colleagues and asso-
ciates, as well as of the rank and file of their fol-
lowers.

The chair was occupied by the Earl of Shrews-
bury and Talbot, the President of the Association,
who was supported by the Right Hon. Sir J. S.
Pakington, M.P., Right Hon. Lord John Manners,
M.P., Earl of Darnley, Right Hon. J. Whitesido,
Right Hon. General Peel, Viscount Ranelagh, Sir
Lawrence Palk, M.P., Colonel Brownloxv Knox,
M.P., Mr: I. C. Cobbold, Sir. 11. Stracey; M.P., Mr.
J. Potts, M.P., Sir W. Brook Bridges, M.P., Lord
Tredegar, Hon. Butler Johnston, M.P., Mr. T. B.
Horsfall, M.P., Mr. Archdall, M.P., &c.
About 300 guests sat down to dinner.
The usual loyal toasts having been given from
the chair, and enthusiastically responded to,
Lord J. MANNERS rose to propose the next
toast. He said,—The toast committed to his charge
seemed to him to symbolise in an especial man-
ner the great cause which had occasioned that mag-
nificent gathering, and to epitomise, if he might
say so without irreverence, all the blessings which
they enjoyed here, and all those which they might
humbly hope to enjoy hereafter. It was " the
Church and the State." (Loud cheers.) The Church,
as a spiritual corporation, might well exist and
flourish without connection with the State, but, in
his humble judgment, and he believed also in that
of those whom he was addressing, woe would betide
that State which should in its old age cast off the
ties which bound it to the Church. (Cheers.) It
had been and still was the pride and glory of Eng-
land to have Christianity lying at the root of and
inseparably intertwined with all her secular laws
and institutions ; and evil would it be, in his opi-
nion, for this ancient community if in a rash hour
that connection which had so moulded and hallowed
every one of our institutions should be sundered.
(Cheers.) He could not better conclude than in the
unis uf u we2l 3LLuwn Tory amag

" Here's a health to Old England,
" Her Queen and her Church :
And may all plotting contrivers
• " Be left in the lurch."
'Cheers and laughter.)
_ _

Sir S. NomrrcoTE,-M.P., then gave the " Army
and Navy," coupling with the toast the names of
General Peel and Admiral Walcott.

General PEEL, in returning thanks on the part
of the army, said that; looking at the present state
of Europe, it was impossible to predict any day
what the morrow might produce. Our first defence
was our navy ; and if we were to lose the command
of the Channel he would not give 24 hours' pur-
chase for the safety of the country. But the navy,
thanks to Sir J. Pakington's efforts, was now placed
in an efficient state, and he was never more delighted
than in reading the other day the observation of
the First Lord of the Admiralty, that the only duty
of the army would be to fire salutes in honour of
the victories of the (navy. (A laugh.) The
navy, however, could not be everywhere.• We had
300 miles of coast on which a hostile army
might land, and this country ought always to
be prepared to resist any attempt of that kind.
(Loud cheers.) He was satisfied that our regular
army, with the assistance of the Yeomanry, the
Militia, and those Volunteer corps of whom every
Englishman had lately so much reason to be proud
—(cheers)---would render the invasion of our shores
by 100,000 or 150,000 men an act of perfect mad-
ness. (Cheers.) He had recently seen it stated
that we had only 30,000 men in this country, and
that they cost us £5OO a-piece. That was one of
those ingenious fictions which the well-known
writer of the military articles in the Times was so
apt to indulge in, (A laugh.) There was just as
much truth in it as there would be in his offering
to give the fortunate winner of the Derby £5OO for
his saddle and bridle, provided he would throw the
horse into the bargain, and than going and saying
that saddles and bridles cost £5OO a-piece. (Laugh-
ter.) The writer appropriated the whole of the
army estimates to these 30,000 troops, without tak-
ing into his account the Guards, the 10,000 cavalry,
or the 40,000 men stationed in our different colonies.
(Hear, hear.) At the same time, the people of Eng-
land would pay £5OO a-piece for their soldiers
sooner than submit to the degradation of having a
hostile foot for an hour on their shores. (Cheers.)
In conclusion he might, on the part of the army and
navy, guarantee them against ever being subjected
to any such degradation. (Cheers.)
Admiral WALCOTT responded on behalf of the

navy.
MOWBRAY, M.P., in proposing " the Volun-
teer Corps," dilated on the powerful moral effect
which the sublime and patriotic spectacle of Satur-
day last must produce throughout Europe.
Viscount RANELAGII acknowledged the toast.
Mr. PERgy WATLINGTON, M.P., gave " The
Health of the Members of Lord Derby's Cabinet,"
which we.s drunk with enthusiasm.

Sir JOHN PAKINGTON rose amidst loud applause,
and thanked the company most heartily for the
enthusiastic manner in which the toast had been re-
ceived, and he felt confident that there was not one
of his late colleagues who would not have been
present that evening had they not unavoid-
ably
prevented attending. He thought
he might infer from the way in which the toast had
been received that the Conservatives continued to
have the greatest confidence in their talented and
patriotic leader--Lord Derby, and that great and
distinguished man, Mr. Disraeli—(cheers)—and he
hoped and trusted that he did not presume too much
when he stated that he believed those who had served
under those distinguished leaders were not unwor-
thy of being the colleagues of those great men.
(Cheers.) A year had passed away since they were
ejected from offi. ce—a year marked by political
events of great interest, and he hoped they would
agree with him that he might congratulate them
on the present position of the Conservative party,
and the increasing influence of Conservative princi-
ples. (Cheers.) This he must say for his col-
leagues and himself that though it was at present
the fate of the Conservatives to occupy seats on the
Opposition benches, they would rather remain for
ever excluded from place and power than consent
to hold upon such conditions and under such cir-
cumstances as those by whom place was now filled.
(Cheers.) Prompt, signal, and remarkable retribu-
tion followed that factious combination by which
the Government of Lord Derby was overthrown.
They were fold when they were ejected from office
that a good reform bill was essential for the coun-
try. Not only so, but Lord John Russell told them
a year ago that they could not wait until February
for such a measure—and that one ought to be
brought forward in November. When the majority,
of 13 rendered it necessaryr for, Lord Derby's Go-
vernment, to use a favourite phrase of Lord John
-Russell's, to g, walk in the paths of the constitll-