The Sun.
London, England, 1869-02-11 00:00:00

LONDO.V, 7'1101:Sall; FEB. 11, 1-3C9.

Dublin has been the scene of gay doings, and many
circumstances combined to render the entertainment

at the Mansion-house on Monday one of peculiar
con-
cerning nificance. On the eve of a great political conflict
the policy to be adopted towards the etassik ostter
country, the Lord Lieutenant had a difficult
perform, in speaking, as the guest of thaeLhoorrditi Nels. ayolr
t
at the annual banquet of the civic ut
must be admitted that he has stood well,thecutletsttask
and
that
given promise of executing the difficult
will devolve upon him in the right spirit. Hai his
discourse not been so good, much allowance must
have been made for Lord SPENCER, on account of
the peculiarities of his position ; but as it is, it needs
only to be understood to be appreciated. lie declared
that he stood before the assembly as the representa-
tive of his SOVEREIGN, and also as a member of an
Administration which had received popular support.
While he approved of the distinguishing line of
policy drawn by Mr. GLADSTONE, he remembered
that, as the representative of their QUEEN, he
was before them as one above mere party
considerations. He felt ready and anxious that men
of all shades of politics and of all creeds should come
to him and be met with cordiality. His Excellency
then referred to the presence among them of Cardinal
CULLEN, but he was straightforward enough to say
that he did not take the honour of his presence as a
compliment to his own side of politics, because his
Eminence had before then met a lord-lieutenant of
the other side of political opinion. A lord-lieutenant,
of however brief a tenure of office, must perforce
give some opinion of the country in which he has to
rule, and accordingly Lord SPENCER on this occasion
took a survey of the state of affairs. Exceptional
circumstances, both in England and Ireland, have
rendered it difficult to estimate exactly the prosperity
of the sister country. The commercial crisis for one
thing has paralysed the energy and cramped the
efforts of the most ardent and aspiring,
and the extreme dryness of last season
at:one time caused terror ,to prevail respecting the
safety of some of the crops, which materially affect
the prosperity of Ireland. The unfortunate con-
spiracy which has for some years retarded the pros-
perity of the country will, we may confidently hope,
be consigned in the future to well-merited oblivion.
Turning from these darker themes of contemplation,
the Lord-Lieutenant glanced at the more genial and
gracious part of his subject. Ile saw hope in the
Treasonable offences were
prospect of the future.
done away with. The criminal returns
f showeditself
most
odi-
minution of crime in Ireland, which vas of
he looked at
satisfactory and encouraging.

the Poor-law and the Bank returns he found that
great improvements had taken place ; the traffic on
the railways had increased, and emigration was at a
lower figure than in the years of the least emigration
since the famine.

Still there was great force in the remark of his Ex-
cellency that a good deal remained to he done in
the way of consolidating the prosperity of the land
and developing the resources of the people. Manu-
factures give a healthful stimulus, and it is ear-
nestly to be desired by the well-wishers of Ireland
that they should be increased among the commu-