The Sun.
London, England, 1867-08-08 00:00:00

of the Crown as the guests of the Lord Mayor.
There were not present, it is true, any of those dis-
tinguished foreign visitors, whose presence alone
rendered some previous occasions remarkable ; but
the events of the Session and the circumstances of
the time made this, the last great banquet of the
season, not an unimportant one. The Earl of
DERBY, happily recovered from his recent illness,
was present to receive the congratulations of his
friends on having so nearly attained that great end
for which all the successive statesmen of the last
few years have been vainly striving. Instead of re-
treating from the Parliamentary campaign with
baffled hopes and disappointed forces, he is able to
point triumphantly to substantial victories won—
to difficulties surmounted and differences reconciled
—to foes converted into friends, or at least into
neutrals, and to the wants of the great body of the
people relieved and gratified. His lieutenant-
general has equal, or perhaps eve❑ greater, right to
look back with satisfaction on the events of the year
which opened with anything but hopeful auspices
for the Conservatives. As Lord DERBY happily
said last evening, the political barometer at the
beginning of the session pointed to a "storm ;"
but although he could not say that all clouds had
passed from the horizon, he thought he might
safely affirm that if we have not arrived at " set
fair," at all events the barometer points more to
" fair" than to ‘-` change." Of the peat ques-
tion of the year Lord DERBY spoke with a frank-
ness and straightforwardness which were eminently
characteristic of him. Personally he said he
would have shrunk from the labour and responsi-
bility of his position, but he felt it an imperative
duty. " I felt," said the noble Earl, " that there
was a great work to be done, and I felt that, how-
ever unworthy I might be to be the instrument of
doing that work, there was no other person who
possessed the means of carrying to its successful
issue that great work which I saw to be necessary
for the wellbeing of the community." His patriotic
convictions have brought their due reward in the
unexpected success which has attended the efforts
and the sacrifices of the leading Ministers.
In attaining their great end, Lord DERBY said
they had made sacrifices and endured taunts,
but that he believed every loyal Englishman must
share in the hope which he confidently expressed—
that the liberal franchise which had been extended
to the people of this country may find the people
worthy of its exercise, and that in extending the
rights and liberties of the people they had also
extended the strength and security of the institu-
tions of the country. The cheers which greeted
the noble earl throughout this part of his speech
must have given him the assurance that his hopes
were not ill founded, but that, in exerting
himself to fulfil the just and reasonable
demands of the people, he had, so far
from weakening duly constituted authority,
or encouraging sedition, strengthened the reins of
Government and avoided an insidious and increasing
danger. Lord DERBY, in reviewing the proceedings
of the session, expressed his satisfaction that, not-
withstanding the engrossing nature of the Reform
question, other matters of great importance had not
been overlooked. Prominent among these were the
union of our North American Provinces and the
measure for the relief of the metropolitan poor ;
questions very dissimilar in their character, though
not in their consequences, since both will ultimately
affect the well-being of millions of our fellow-

subjects.
In referring to the illustrious guests whom the
City of London has lately so warmly welcomed,
Lord DERBY commented upon the courage which
the SULTAN had shown in breaking through all the
tics of prejudice and fanaticism, and determining
to see with his own eyes the civilisation of the
West. Ile has returned deeply impressed, not only
with the power, but with the happiness of this
country—deeply impressed with the beneficial re-
sults of our free institutions, and, " above all,"
says Lord DERBY, " impressed with the spectacle
he has seen here of the perfect union and harmony
among all the various classes differing in religion
and every other particular under the influence of a
beneficent and liberal Government."
The toasts of the evening would certainly have
been very incomplete without a special compliment
to the Chancellor of the Exchequer,whose acknow-
ledgment of it was listened to with the more interest,
as, in returning thanks for the House of Commons,
he naturally entered at once upon the prospective
changes in its constitution. But the desire for those
changes has not, as he justly observed, been exhibited
by a want of confidence in the House of Commons,
but from a desire in the country to participate in
the exercise of political power. The community
generally, says Mr. DISRAELI, have considered this
great question with a spirit of candour and calm-
ness almost unparalleled ; and when we look back
not only to the earlier Reform Bill, but to any other
great political controversy in which large interests
were involved, and on which great differences of
opinion existed, we shall acknowledge that he speaks
advisedly. With his usual shrewd and pene-
trating sarcasm, Mr. DISRAELI observed that we
could not expect to disturb a monopoly without
some tumult, and that we had recently been termi-
nating the monopoly of Liberalism. In a similar
spirit to his chief, the leader of the house of Com-
mons, expressed his conviction—a conviction which
he has held in the face of all possible difficulty
and discouragement—that in enlarging the privi-
leges of the people the Tory party had really done
nothing but strengthen those institutions which
they have always professed to uphold—institutions
" the essence of whose force is that they represent
the interestsand guard the rights of the people."

One feels puzzled whether to be most indignant
or disappointed at the course pursued by Mr.
BRIGHT on the subject of Reform. lie has long
shown himself most inconsistent, but he really now
has out-Heroded HEROD. It is difficult to under-
stand how he can reconcile to himself the great
difference which he makes in his speeches in the
House of Commons and upon the occasion of his
appearing at public meetings. He must be san-
guine, indeed, if be does not think that others will
find it out, and make their comments upon it. We
expect the secret of his recent hostility to the mea-
sure introduced by her MAJESTY'S Ministers has
arisen from the disappointment he feels at finding
that eclat of his provincial tours will be considerably
diminished, if not altogether done with. He
shrinks from figuring as OTHELLO, with his occupa-
tion gone, and hence he becomes quite beside him-
self with rage and mortification. It is really sad to
see a man of his ability thus waste his powers
of oratory in the utterance of unmeaning censures,
and substitute abuse for argument in dealing with
his political opponents. It is a very singular course
which Mr. BRIGHT has thought fit to take of late,
and there is no justification for his adopting it. If,
however, he sees reason, or imagines that he does
so, for finding fault with anything going on in the
political world, he rushes about the country and sets
to work in sledge-hammer fashion to demolish his
foes. The House of Commons is the proper place
l in which to discuss the nature and meaning of the
i measures brought forward, and ample opportunities
L Ihave been afforded to the hon. member for Birming-
ham for so doing ; but no, he chooses to have his