The Sun.
London, England, 1858-12-02 00:00:00

LORD BURY IT TORONTO.

On the 13th of November Viscount Bury, M,P.,
was entertained at a comrlimentary- dinner, in the
Rossin House, Toronto, by a large party of the
leading citizens, who were desirous of showing
their appreciation of the attention the noble lord
has paid to Canadian interests in his place in the
Imperial Parliament and otherwise.
Upwards of a hundred gentlemen sat down to
dinner, at half-past seven. The Mayor, Mr. Reed,
occupied the chair, having the guest of the evening
—Lord Bury—on his right, and Sir Allan N.
Macnab, Bart., on his left. The vice-chairs were
filled by the two members for the city—Hon. Geo.
Brown and J. B. Robinson, Eget. Among the other
gentlemen-. i)resent **Vii" 0: -W. Allen,
M.L.C., Hon. Geo. Boulton, M.L.C., Hon. 0.
Mowat, M.P.P., Hon. W. Cayley, M.P.P., Hon.
L. T. Drummond, M.P.P., Hon. J. H. Cameron,
W. McD. Dawson, Esq., M.P.P., Thos. Daly,
Esq., M.P.P., Isaac Buchanan, M.P.P., Colonel
Bradford, Colonel. Irvine. Colonel G. T. Denison,
Capt. Retallack, Capt. Clark of the 100th Regiment,
Mayer Dennis, Capt. Brooks, Capt. James Smith,
Mr. Sheriff Jarvis, G. 11. Mills, Esq., Mayor of
Hamilton, &c.

Lady Bury, accompanied by a number of other
ladies, entered the hall after dinner, and were con-
ducted to seats adjoining the chairman's table.
The usual loyal toasts were drunk.
In proposing the health of the Governor-General,
The CHAIRMAN said he was specially charged to
state that no person looked with greater satisfac-
tion than his Excellency on the prospect of future
usefulness to the colonies, and Canada in particular,
which is held out by the talents of Lord Bury, as
shown in the British Parliament. (Cheers.)
in returning thanks after his health had been
drunk,
Lord BURY, on rising, was warmly cheered. He
said—Gentlemen, I feel that I in no degree deserve
this reception. But in this one respect I will take
credit to myself that, having enjoyed opportunities
of seeing every phase of Canadian society, and
almost every description of Canadian wants:l have
not failed in the duty incumbent on me as a citizen
of our great empire, the duty of expounding to
those who were less fortunate than myself the
knowledge which I had thus acquired. On all'oc-
casions when it was fitting and proper to do so, I
hope that my voice has been raised in advocacy of
li everything which might do good to Canada.
(Cheers.) You will allow me to say one word about
the reason of my presence in Canada at this mo-
ment. I have seen statements copied from the.
English papers and reprinted in Canada, that I am
here on a political mission, and the object of that
mission is even stated, that it is to feel the pulse of
the colonies with a regard to a federal union of the
provices. I think it only due to myself to say that
there is no foundation for that report. lam here
in no political capacity whatever. Certainly a
great deal of curosity has been experienced in Eng-
land as to what would be the feelings of the Cana-
dian people with regard to that federal union ; and
it is, perhaps, natural that that curiosity should
have arisen at this moment, inasmuch as the subject
of a federal union formed part of a recent address
to the Throne. I have no doubt that Ministers in
England participate, as all engaged in public affairs
in England must do, in that feeling of curosity ;
and as I happen to be on very good terms with many
of the Ministry, I shall not scruple on my return
home ttf terantunicate to them anything I may
observe as to what is the feeling of
subject. (Hear, hear.) Gentlemen, I must say that
the progress of Canada, which I thought I fully
understood when I was here before, struck me
afresh on my return to this country. I confess I
look upon the rapid growth of your towns and the
development of your institutions with as much as-
tonishment as ever. The condition of your social
position is progress, • and I conceive the duty of
English statesmen is to see in what way they can
hasten that progress, and whether they can smooth
down any of the obstacles which now lie in your
path. It strikes me you want three things prin-
cipally. You want more rapid means of communi-
cation to every part of your country, in order that
the farmer may bring his produce to market, and
that the whole country may be fully and equally
developed. Then you want the bone and sinew
which shall make these means of transport valu-
able—you want an organised system of emigration.
Lastly, and here the Englishman can help you—
you want, I will not say to be drawn closer to the
English heart, for you are close enough there
already, but some means of annihilating, so far as
practicable, the distance between this country and
the mother country. We are all loyal to the same
Queen, we are subject.to the same laws, we are go-
verned by the same institutions, and what we
chiefly want is to be what the French call rap-
proches. With regard to the providing quick com-
munication, I have thought it my duty to become
connected with several undertakings which have
that great object in view. I am connected first
with a company which is to shorten the steamboat
journey across the sea from one continent to the
other, and it Was my good fortune when in St.
John's, Newfoundland, the other day, to sign a
contract on behalf of that company for the mails to
be carried between Newfoundland and Galway.
By means of our steamers we have already on
several occasions communicated between Washing-
ton and St. Petersburg within six days. (Cheers.)
As the Atlantic Telegraph is not yet an accom-
plished fact, I think these steamers are the next
best thing. Their terminus is at present placed
in New York, but I have powers from the direc-
tors to endeavour to enlist the sympathies of
Canada in the project, and if we succeed in so en-
listing the sympathies of Canada, we are prepared
to bring a weekly line to Quebec. (Loud cheers.)
The only thing wanting to do that is money, and
on the money point, of course fall discussion must
take place. Well, the enterprises with which lam
connected do not stop here. Arrived on the shores
of the new world, I hope to see provision made for
a communication with the interior, and that a rail-
way will be constructed between Halifax and
Quebec. I am also the bearer of full powers to
treat and to conclude with Canada and the other
provinces the terms upon which this railroad can
be carried out. It seems to me that this is a pro-
ject which is very important to Canals, inasmuch
as access to the sea-board through British territory
can never be matter of indifference either to Canada
or to the mother country, and, as in its political
features and general character it must be con-
sidered an imperial measure, I think I am autho-
rised in believing that, if we can bring about an
understanding with the provinces, we shall have
very little difficulty in establishing a good under-
standing on the subject with the mother country.
I have been present when deputations waited upon
the Chancellor of the Exchequer and upon the
Colonial Minister on this subject, and both of those
gentlemen expressed themselves in as warm terms
as their position would allow them, and as official
reserve would permit, in favour of our scheme, but
they deferred giving a definite answer till some de-
finite statement had been brought them from the
colonies. Gentlemen, it is part of my business
here to obtain, if possible, that statement. A rail-
road on very reasonable terms will be offered you,
and if those reasonable terms are accepted you will
in a very short time see a railroad from here to the
Atlantic. (Cheers.) I think it is impossible for any
man to look with prophetic eyes on the map and on
the physical and natural features of the country
without seeing that Canada must eventually become
the great carrying power of the world. (Cheers.)
Your great highway of the St. Lawrence, your
chain of magnificent lakes, connected by canals of
gigantic magnitude, and the chain of rivers and
lakes running west from Lake Winnipeg almost to
the foot of the Rocky Mountains--you cannot look
at these natural features, so easily adaptable as
means of communication, without seeing that
through those plains of the Saskatchewan must
be carried the great Pacific railroad, and that
through that gap in the Rocky Mountains at the
head of the waters of the Saskatchewan that rail-
, road must pass to the western ocean--that, as I
• once said in a pamphlet to which the Mayor has
done me the honour to allude, it is 'no visionary's
, dream that in the present generation men will bee