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

LONDON. MONDAY EVENING: NOVEMBER 3, 1856.

TBE,CRLVEAY BAAQUEF AT

IS DINBUIWg:

The banquet to the troops stationed in Edinburgh, and
who had served in the Crimean campaign, took place o❑
Friday night in the Corn Exchange. Early in the afternoon
numbers of people began to assemble outside the building,
in order to see the soldiers and other visitors arrive. The
Royal Artillery were the first to make their appearance.
Arriving from Leith by railway at Taverley station, they
marched:along Princess-street, up the Mound, and through
the Grassmarket to the Corn Exchange, which they en-
tered about half-past four. The sth Dragoon Guards were
the next'to arrive, and they were, after a short interval,
.followed by the 31th Regiment. Previous, however, to the
entrance of any of the troops, the rest of the company had
already taken their places.- The galleries wore filled with a
orowd of gaily dressed ladies; and at the two centre tables
were seated the officers of the regiment and the civilianri.
Nearly 100 soldiers, for whom there was no room in •the
hall, had to dine in another chamber, but joined their
comrades after dinner.

The number of non-commissioned officers and anon pre-
sent was about 540 of the 34th Regiment;: 320 of the sth
Dragoons, 120 of the Royal Artillery, making in all, with
between 'llO and 69 men home on farlongh, and about 50
Crimean pensioners; upwards of 1,000 soldiers, exclusive of
officers, of whom there were about 120 present.
There were about 500 ladies in the galleries, .and 84 sol-,
dicrs' 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, and the pupils of the , Naval and
-Military Academy, there oonld not hare been present leas
than 2,000 persons.
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 occnpied the chair, supported by the Earl of
Elgin, Lord Melville, Sir John M'Neill, 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, tho master of the
ceremonies, proclaimed.silence for the chair, which being
obtained, . .
The CHAIRYAN then rose and said—Ladies and gentle.
men, I beg to propose that we should dedicate this toast
to the heagth 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-
te►'s request was complied with, and the effect was most
striking, the entire company joining in chorusing the
anthem.

The CHAIRUAN agnin rose said 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 veS•y heartily.
The E.trl of DALKEITH proposed " The Navy, and may
may she long maintain 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." (Cheers.)
The toast was drunk amid loud cheering.

'Captain RAMSAY, R.N., -C.8., returned thanks. He
said—lt is with great pleasure that, in the name of the
profession to which I belong, I return you my most sin-
cere thanki for the honour you have conferred on us.
the have
commencementnonavalA l Alma,
of the no navalwar thelnkitertaiann,
sthoardefaervetryo.
At
large fleet, particularly in the Baltic, where they had 30
line-of-battle ships all ready for sea. But all these Vessels
a
were sailing ships, and they would have had no chance
against our screw line-of-battle ships, and therefore they
remained in their ports. Our only alternative, in these
circumstances, would have been 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 our 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 blockade the ports of our
enemies, to destroy their
_harbours and their magazines,
and to harass their coasts. No doubt, allow me to say,
there was very Much ardour andenuch anxiety on our part
that a more energetic line of action should have been at-
tempted. And here allow sue to do justice to, the, gallant
men who, at the commencement of the year 1854, 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 and small
arms. It was very pleasant to remark that the best uo.
derstanding always existed between the army and navy
and our gallant allies the French. Peace has
now bean
restored ; but I think I may say for the profession to which
I have tho honour to belong, that both officers and men
will endeavour to master their profession thoroughly—for
war is a science—and by so doing, in the event of another
war, success will', by the blessing of Providence, attend
nein. I have no doubt they will, in these circumstances,
meet with the same kind reception which we have received
from the inhabitants of your beautiful city. (Cheers.)
The LORD ADVOCATE 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 one sense truly said, that we are not and ought not
to 'endeavour to be 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 ono sense we may
not be whet is called a military power, we have been ever,
and I trust will continue to be, a military people. (Cheers.)
We have among us, as I humbly think, all the beat ele-
ments of a military nation—a people trained to endure
hardship—a people whose mind is prone ever to court, not
to avoid danger-s (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 whore
,with
material of soldiers is to be found if not in our own
fred and enlightened England. (Cheers.) And then these
soldiers, Islow are they led ? I certainly wish to say nothing
against a syStem whieh shall always give true merit, true
valour, true superiority its due place ; but still I trust we
shall never see the day when that which has been the
strength of the British army shall cease—namely, that the
best blood in our old country is shed, and shed freely, in
support of her liberties, that best remnant of our feudality
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 of, and we aro entitled to, think and speak 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
arise in the 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 wo live. The British soldier
fights for the freedom of his country. (Cheers.) His
strength is in this, that he knows that his welfare is as deer
to the hearts of those that his brave arm defends as their
liberties and his profession are to him. - We do net fight,
our army fights not, for the mere renown of military glory.
It is a purer and brighter feeling that animates it. It is
the assurance that they leave behind them when they quit
its shores the certainty of support in the hearts of the
people—the certainty of sympathy when in peril—the cer-
tainty of a hearty welcome on their return. And if those
criticisms to which I have referred—for, as I have said,
civilians will criticise, even as civilians like myself may
a s my ut;andEuropea
t that,fro i s
on
a i ra
nthe
hast othery abetter
judgments
positionhard,
that pea form the pleasing duty of heartfelt praise, I say let me
o
t h tany
just make this one observation, that, on the.one hand, no
ordeal of public discussion than
the army of which we 1
boast
it h
msy tamhy la.
be oy u
at dgveh ets
nhe d
upon
de
they have ono certain and sure appeal—an appeal to the
sympathy of the tribunal which has beat with truest pulse
for them throughout the contest we have just concluded,
which, amid all the discussion and questions and debates,
hoe, as I have saig n
, heat most truly for them. War,
o, doubt, is a brilliant. though a bloody thing, and We look
to
our gallant eefenders with the admiration which romance
throws over their profession, as well as with that which
their gallant deeds and high hearts deserve. But war, after
all, the pathway of war, however decked it may be with
laurels, is not the object of admiration unless it be the
avenue to peace. Peace has come now, and now is the
time to rbuicuaber those. by whom it has been obtained.
Now is the time for us, who have gone about our daily
avocations in peace and protection, to remember our friend
were all that while breasting danger and braving death

afar, off, now is.the time fer us to show we thankfully re-
member the British soldier.
" When wild' war's deadly blast is 'o'er,
And gentls peace returning,
Wi' mony a :sweet babe fatherless,
And newly a widow mourning,"—
then is the time to recollect, o:ar army--to remember the
soldier on his return—to dedicate with heart, and thought,
and voice, the bumper. which I no ,v propose, And to show
that we remember, that he is the protector of us in the day
and hour of danger. (Cheers.)
The bast was !runic a.ruid loud and renewed cheering.
Viscount MELVILLE said —My Lord Provost, my lords,
and gentlemen—ln behalf of that service to which I have
the honour to •belong, and in the name of the members
whom I now see around. me, I beg to return you my sin-
core thanks for the compliment which has been paid to the
-service, for the manner in which that toast was introduced
to your notice, and for the complimentary and gratifying
manner with which it hall been received. I shall not at-
tempt, in reply, to respond at length to the.. eloquent ad-
dress with which the toast-was introduced. &Ince it for
me to say that is the performance of its duties the British
army has bad many calla upon its service, and has ever fully
met them. Dispersed in every quarter of the globe, called
upon as the &Risk soldier is to experience the vicissitudes
of every climate, nod to undergo in ths performance of the
colonial service a long expatiation, there ie no privation,
no hardship, and no circumstances in which ho is placed
in which he will not be ready and cheerful to peiforni his
duty, as I know from experience. (Cheers) I have seem hiin
when in the Moment of groat depression and sickness, as
well as in the more exeitipg moneuts of action, equally
ready in the one case 'showing the greatest moral courage,
while in the other he has displayed the valour' and the
courage which invariably distinguished him in action'.
Perhaps in the moment of sickness his courage and dis,
cipline have been the must triad and marked ; and I have
seen him in times the most dangerous observing the most
strict discipline; and I have seen him when no one knew
how soon the unseen enemy might strike him dovin, at-
tending his comrades in the most exemplary manner.
Nothing ever more pourtrayed to nay mind the discipline
of the British soldier, and I was never more convinced of
this than on the occasion of the disastrous affair ateKrisatchi
in 1846. No man was more satisfied of the courage or the
discipline of the British soldier on that occasion than that
distinguished officer, the late Sir Charles Napier. I had
the honour of serving under him at- that moment ; and
impetuous and gallant as ha was in action, I can testify
that he was equally distinguished in times of misfortune
and disease in showing attention and kindness to the sol-
dier, and in looking after the welfare and comfort of his
men. (C,heers.) We are met this evening in peculiar eir;
cumstances; and it is gratifying to us to be the guests,
and to know how deeply the community at large fed and
glory in the success of the British arms, and to see how
significantly they have shown the sympathy entertained
by them for the sufferings that that army endured under
scenes of the greatest privation and hardship. I trust that
on all occasions when the British army are called upon to
render service in behalf of their country, whether in times
of peace or war, they will be prepared to render them, and
that in times of peace as well as of war the British soldier
will be ever distinguished for that discipline and order
which characterises the performance of his duties in war.;
We cannot forget that the foundation of the present cis-?
cipline of the British army was, I believe, laid by that!
great man whose memory will be ever immortal in the eyes
of the British army and British public, and that it was'
established on the shores of the Peninsula. The discipline
which he then established has been improved, and brought
to that system of excellence that now -pervades everyregi-
ment in the service. Perhaps what was wanting in the
late war was, that our regiments should be brought more
together, and that officers should have had more experi-
ence in moving large bodies ; but individually nothing
could exceed the discipline which characterised all the:
regiments of the service ; and it was a proud thing to knew'
that in that war that was a thing acknowledgel by our
(Applause)allies. I will not enter into anything con.;
nected with the admirable discipline shown in the per-
formance of his duties, by the British soldier, both in the
face of the foe, and in the midst of victories which distin-
guished his operations in the Crimea. Suffice it for me
to add, that, after what we have met with this evening, it;
will bo an additional incentive to our soldiers to perform
their duties upon all occasions ; and I trust they will re-
collect that they are bound to uphold their uniform and
honourable bearing, and'will be always prepared to uphold
the constitution-and liberties of their country. (Cheers.)
SilenCe was again requested bf the toast-master fur the
chair: "S.

The LORD PROVOST, in au eloquent speech, ptoposed tlis
toast of the evening, "Our gallant guests."
The toast 'was cordially responded to,
Lieut.-Col. AI'ISLiHOi, of the sth Dragoon Guards, said

—Ladies and gentlemen, the reception accorded to us, the
way in which wo have been feted, might make us almost
imagine that we had been the saviours of our country. I
trust sincerely that the Highland regiments, in whatever
part of the United Kingdom they may be quarteredonay
meet-with as cordial a reception as wo have received from
their countrymen in Edinburgh. (Cheers.) l.am con-
fident, ladies and gentlemen, that such will be the ease, for,
throughout the length and breadth of theßritish file, there
has been lot one feeling of favour towards the British
soldier, be ho Scottish, Irish, or English. From her Majesty
to the humblest of her subjects, all classes have vied with
each other to show the deepest sympathy with the suffer-
ings of the army, and joy at their successes. And we,
in our turn, will be ready, all of us, whether represented
by tbo rose; the shamrock, or the thistle, to fight as long as
health and strength last, for such a Queen and such a coun-
try. (Cheers.) Well may Scotland be proud of the men
she sent forth to the war, for it must be admitted by all
that, at the commencement of the war, during its continu-
ance, and at its close, the Highland Division, under their
glorious chieftain, Sir Colin Campbell—(cheers)—exhibited
as fine a model of military eicellthice as ever the British
army could produce. Gentlemen, during that desperate
struggle which has just. terminated, of course there must
have been many acts of consummate bravery performed.
When we hear and read of such men as Williams of Kars,
and Wyndham of the Racial), disclaiming the glories of
heroism, it is a lesson to us to be careful how we apply
that character, and not to apply it on light grounds. But
there is one connected with the war, and associated with
the sth Dragoon Guards, which I cannot help introducing
to your notice at the present moment. I allude to that of
Sir. James Scarlett. (Cheers.) It is well known to all of
you hero how nobly ho led the heavy cavalry brigade at
Balaklava. That distinguished officer commanded the
regiment for many years, indeed, up to the breaking out of
the war. He -gloried in the regiment as the regiment
gloried in him, and I hope I may be pardoned for borrow-
ing lustre for my corps from so bright an ornament of the
profession. Far be it from me to wish for tvar, but if
another occasion should arise I trust the sth Dragoon
Guards will always be found where the enemies of England
are to be encountered, and that I, or whoever may be at the
head of the regiment, will follow the brilliant example of
Sir James Scarlett, and. that you will repeat a similar re-
ward to that which you have so bountifully accorded us
this evening. (Cheers.)

A. song to the popular tune of the "Red, Wh'te, and
Blue," entitled " The Heru's Welcome," written by Mr.
Alexander M'Laggan, was then sung by Mr. Josephs, of
the Queen's Theatre, and the choir. We subjoin one of
the three verses of the song :
" Let us welcome the brave ! let us cherish
Their fame, and the triumph we feel !
While tyrants and tyranny perish
In the flash of their conquering steel !
Let us toll them how faithful we found them,
How they kept the proud promise they gave !
When honour and glory have crowned them,
Let Scotland here welcome the brave
Let Scotland here welcome the brave !
Let Scotland hero welcome the braie !
When honour and glory have crowned them,
Let Scotland here welcome the brave !

Colonel KELLY, of the 34th Regiment, expressed the
sincere thanks of that regiment. Ho said, " I can only
say that I know every man of the regiment was ready to
do his part to bear the sufferings- of the camp, and do his
duty when called upon." (Cheers.)
Captain HALL, R.N., also returned thanks.
lie s;tid,—
I foul highly honoured iu being invited to this banquet,
and to be connected with thee? who came from the Crimea.
As an old sailor I am sorry that the navy had not the op -
portunity,like our gallant soldiers, to thrash the Russians.
I can particularly speak of the ardour which was felt by
the sailors in the Baltic ; they were burning, to get at them,
but they would not come out. When our sailors had the
opportunity, as at Eckness, Bomarsund, and Swea-
borg, they did their duty and upheld the honour
of their country. (Cheers.) 'and
gallant gentleman then
alluded to the Sailors' Domes, and stated that it gave hint
much gratification to think that they were extending over
all .parts of the country. He also briefly refrered to the
Chinese war, and to the services which he was able, in
the Nemesis, to render to the military operations at that
time by landing troops. The result of that war was, that
five ports were opened, not alone to England, hut to the
world, and that the Chinese were made, what he wished
the Russians had been alee made to do—to pay the ex•
penses of the war. (Laughter • and cheers.) if the fleet
were over called on At any future time to meet the enemy,
of this he was ceitain.thst the sailors would be ready to
do their duty. (Cheers.) •
The Earl of ELGIN then rose. My Lord and Gentle-
men, we have been toasting our gallant guests, and join-
ing with cordial enthusiasm in that list of toasts, which
is never omitted when the loyal subjects of her Majesty,
whether in or out, of uniform, meet together for festive
purposes. I think I am justified thinking that the
toast which I have now the honour to propose, will from
henceforth held a prominent 1)1000 iu the list of .ear es-
tablished toasts. (Applause.) Gentlemen,.yon know well
that there have been times in the history of our country
, when there could have been no 'room for such a toast -

that there were times when the British soldier and the'
British sailor had to stand alone amid a world in arms.
And right nobly, even under such circumstances, and
against such odds- right nobly have they fulfilled, and
always justified, the confidence. repsse -I in them by their
sovereign and their country. (Applause.) These days
are past and gone—past and gone, we trust, never to re-
turn. The gallant armies of France and England sealed
with their blood on the heights of Alma, and to the bard-
fought field of Inkerman, a covenant of friendship, which,
please God, will always endure. (Renewed cheers.) s/ever
shall we cease to remember with admiration the valour
with which our faithful allies, the Turks, encountered their
foes on the banks of the Danube, or in the well approved
fort, eases of Silistriaand Kars —(cheors)—and the chivalry,
whic'r we cannot forget, with which the high-spirited
monarch and people of Sardinie came forward to our sup-
port, et a time when the fortunes of war seemed— but only
seemed—trembling in the balance. I shan't say a word
more on this subject; I shall only add an earnest hope
that I do trust peace, based on manifold interests, com-
mercial, mercantile, and progressive' will rivet yet more
securely the bands of amity which have been forged in
common dangers, and in actual service in the battle-field.
At any rate the ear has taught this one lesson—it has
taught us that there is no more pestilent fallacy, no muse
arrant humbug than that, which calls us 'natural enemies.
Let the peace also teach us the lesson that God and nature
tells us, that nations should live together iu amity, and
employ their energies in promoting the good of humanity,
and securing those blessings which a bounteous Providence
has spread around them. .(Cheers ) The noble earl con-
cluded-by proposing a bumper to our gallant allies.
The toast was drunk with great enthusiasm.
M. BRUANT briefly responded in French, on the part of
his country.
Major NOURI, in name of the Turkish nation, and of
his sovereign the Suiten, returned thanks. He expressed
the gratitude which he felt towards those who bad assisted
in assertiug the independence of his nritive country, and
,hoped that the peace would- be of permanent duration..
The DEAN of FACULTY proposed "The memory of those
who foil during the late war.' (The toast was drunk in
solemn silence.)
Sir Joust M'NEILL, who was received with loud ap-
plause, in proposing " Miss Florence 'Nightingale," spoke
as follows :—What has been wrist of the conduct in action of
all as use of the service is not snore than they deserve. The
British soldier has long been the most formidable in battle
of all the soldiers of Europe. On a fair field, with equal
forces, he has not hitherto encountered any enemy whom
he could not beat. (Cheers.) But, if we would justly esti-
mate our special obligations to"the men who fought for the
freedom of Europe in the Crimea, wo must look not only
to .what they have achieved, but also to what they have
endured—not only to their conduct in action with the
enemy, but also to their bearing under the pressure of pri-
vations and sufferings such as, perhaps, no other victorious
army has undergone, and which aro far snore trying to
the fortitude of brave men than the dangers of actual
combat. (Applause.) In the chill rains of December and
the bitter cold of January; when his strength was sink-
ing from privation and fatigue and the enervating dis-
eas,...s that follow in their train, under which his comrades
were falling like leaves in autumn, he preserved unimpaired
the honourable pride of a British soldier in the midst of
all his sufferengs. As long as enfeebled limbs would carry
bins he staggered down through miry ravines to trenches
ankle-deep in mud, or struggled up to his picquet on some
exposed height. (Applause.) He was determined to do
his duty whatever might betide. He knew that the honour
of her Majesty's arms and the glory of his native country
were entrusted to his keeping—he never lost heart—ho
never yielded an inch of ground, and not a murmur ever
escaped his lips. (Cheers.) This, to my mind, is proof of
a loftier heroism than even that which was displayed in
the devoted gallantry of Alma, Balaklava, or Inkermann.
(Renewed cheering). What those evils were which, in a
climate now found to be as healthy as that of England, de-
stroyed in six months, by disease alone, half the infantry
engaged in the siege of Sebastopol—independent of all who
were killed in action or died of their wounds—l need not
and will not recount. All men are liable to err—most
of all those whose minds are so constituted that they can-
not recognise errors even after they have seen their re-
sults.—(Hear and cheers) ;—and to say that errors were
not committed in the Crimea would be to assert what in
the nature- of things cannot be true. (Cheers.) Every
one who is called on to deal with these matters is bound,
I think, to remember that the lessons taught by experience
to nations as well as to individuals, consist chiefly in point-
ing out errors, not always foreseen, but often revealed by
their results, which are to be avoided in future; and that to
deny or conceal their occorrence prevents the adoption of
precautions against their repetition, and thus deprives the
nation of the advantages to be derived from experience
purchased, in this instance, at a lamentable price.
(Applause.) If I could have accused myself of pursuing
that course, I should feel that I had betrayed a public
trust, end. done a wrong to my country. (Loud applause.)
Had the Government intended the inquiry in the Crimea
to be a sham they would have selected fit instruments for
that purpose—(applause)—but for any other than an honest
purpose they sent out the wrong men.• (Great cheering.)
Reports more honest, and in all essential particulars more
faithful, or founded upon a greater amount of trustworthy
and concurrent testimony than the two reports which, on
behalf of my colleague and myself, I put into the hands of
the Secretary of State for War, and which he thought
proper •to
_lay before Parliament and the publicrwere never,
I believe, presented to any minister, and nothing that has
knee occurred has in any degree shaken my confidence, or,
I believe, the confidence of the country, in the diligence,
fairness, and fidelity with which the inquiry entrusted to
my guidance was conducted, the evidence recorded, and the
result stated. (Cheers.) Of all the duties which a nation
owes to its soldiers, none is more obviously demanded by
justice, humanity, sound policy, and even- by enentiny,
than the duty of providing for them when struck down
by wounds, or by sickness contracted in the performance
of their duty, all the care, kindness, and comfort, as
well as the skilful treatment which their situation then
reqtires, and which may contribute to restore them to
health and efficiency. (Cheers.) But for some time dur-
ing the late war, whatever were the soldier's sufferings in
camp,p itehoweverthey
were
skilfullit t little
assiduous
e
by
h
might have been. The truth is,, that the system upon
which our military hospitals were conducted, especially
the field, appears to be antiquated and defective. Every
and mitigated
thee removal
medic to
fil hos-
pital, ee
re
one knows the public services of Florence Nightingale, but
those only who have had the honour of meeting her can
know the refinement and truly feminine delicacy of her
mind and manners, or the unconsciousness of having done
anything great or remarkable, that pervades her whol
deportment anal conversation. Far from dwelling upon
the past, or taking any pride in the applause which bas
followedhigh highly
euhl
teiry
autnesod andht the w
essentiallyh e riper
ar
already directed towards further and more permanent
tiara in her sentiments, her attachment to the Church of
England is free from any tincture of sectarian bitterness.
plans of usefulness. Truly pious, and thoroughly Protes-
gicteiscaelf intellect,herpowerful
are
(Cheers.) She has not so read her Bible as to believe that
it inculcates ill-will towards any class of God's creatures,
Ready to extend her assistance to the sick and wounded
of all persuasions without distinction, she has freely availed
herself of the assistance of all. Holding fast her own
principles with the firm composure of a strong mind and a
settled conviction, she avoids alike the extremes of High
Church and - Low Church, and hears without resent.-
went tho extravagant and contradictory absurdities that
are circulated in regard to her opinions. She appears
to be too intent upon doing the good which it may be per-
mitted her to do in the walk site has chosen, to care for
either tho evil or the good that is spoken of her—otherwise
than as it may affect her usefulness. It is not,. from tr. 7.
and it is not here that she seeks praise or reward. But I
should be acting little in accordance with her practice if,
in speaking of the services rendered to our sick and
wounded, I omitted to direct your attention to the obli'-
getions which she and all of use owe to the ladies who
shared her pious labours—and I may be permitted with-
out disparagement to others, to remind you that some
of the most prominent were our own country-
women. Miss Shaw Stewart had charge of the nurses in
the general hospital at Balaklava ; Mrs. Mackenzie, and
after her Miss Erskine, in the naval hospital at Thernpia.
•
T(t,hoov,lir
g
meet men of our generation—the late Dr. Chalmers.
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country,
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Mackintosh.
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ltnritiszolhntlelhedrsdee..
hospitals of the East. (Cheers,) Let us hops that the
moral and material improvements—the higher standard of
feeling and of comfort which the wise benevolence and
patriotism of Miss Nightingale, and the ladies who aided
her efforts, have introduced into our militai y hospitals
will not be permitted to pass away with the occasion
which gave rise to them. And, now, let me propose to
you the toast which has been entrusted to me, " Florence
Nightingale."

The following song, by Mr. James Ballantine, entitled,
"The Shadow on the Pillow," founded on an incident
related by Sir John M'Neill, was then sung :—'
Borne helpless from tho field of fight,
• Hewn deep with wounds and scars,
I prayed—" Heaven come and help the right,
And end the cruel wars."
I swooned, I dreamt an angel band
Bore me o'er ocean billow ;
I woke, and lo ! an angel hand
Was smoothing down my pillow.
Was smoothing down my pillow.
'Twist death and life, through day and night,
My wounds unconscious kept me,
Of all, except those eyes so bright .
That kindly watched and wept me.
Andover me, in you fair land,
Had waved the weeping willow,
Had it not been the angel hand
That smoothed the soldier's billow.
That smoothed the soldier's pillow.
0 earth but once heard such a tale,
So heavenly and se human;
As that of Florence Nightingale,
The angel type in woman.
What marvel that a soldier tell !
A poor but grateful fellow,
He kissed her shadow as it fell
At midnight on his pillow.
At midnight on his pillow ! _ _ .

Mr. COWAN, EP., proposed the health of the Lord
Provost,
The LORD PROVOST briefly replied.
The Rev. Dr. GUTHRIE, proposed the next toast--" The
Chaplains and Surgeons employed is the late war."
The toast was suitably acknowledged.
" An:d Lang Sine" was then sung 'by tho company
standing, end the signal to retire having been sounded by
the buglers, the vast hall was gradually cleared of its nu-
morons occupants.
The proceedings C!rminatel a few minutes beforo ten
o'clock. •

THE LATE PIRACY AND MURDERS ON BOARD TUE
GLOBE.—The barque Globe, Captain John Scotland, is
reported as having arrived in the river, and it is exp eted
that the master will be enabled to attend 0-morrow a;
the principal witness against Coe prisoners. A marine
artilleryman has also arrived, belonging to her Majesty's
ship Recreit, who eaptured one of the prisoners, and who
will identify hire:-