The Sun.
London, England, 1858-09-04 00:00:00

takings, and for the interest you show in all that
concerns the welfare and honour of our country.
On you we depend, and you depend on yourselves.
We feel that the House of Commons does, in the
main, represent the heart and spirit of the English
people. Nothing that they really wish and
earnestly desire can be refused to them by the
House of Commons. For that reason I rest confi-

dently on our institutions; and I do not fear any
reform which, in the highest development of Eng-
land, Englishmen may require ; but the country
will still remain secure if we do our duty. (Loud
cheers.)
Alderman DUNN—The toast I have to propose
follows naturally upon the one you have just re-
sponded to by Mr. Milnes; it is, " The Members for
the West Riding of the County of York." (Cheers.)
The senior member, Mr. Denison, is well known
and appreciated in Yorkshire as an active, indefati-
gable, and independent man of business. My
Lord Goderich, the junior member, may not be
so well known here, but where he is known,
he is most highly and deservedly appreciated,
only requiring to be generally known to
be universally respected. Perhaps, after what
we have heard of politics, I, as a York-
shireman, may be permitted one word, which,
though bearing a political aspect, shall not trench
upon party politics. I feel the more emboldened as
the member for Pontefract has alluded to coming
events. Among the most important of the coming
events is the promised Reform Bill. As Yorkshire-
men, we feel a lively interest in the question of
Reform generally ; but it is understood that the
proposed Bill is to interest the inhabitants of the
West Riding in a peculiar manner. The toast
which I have now the honour to give may possibly
be heard no more within these walls, for in the

Reform Bill which the present Government are
preparing for us there is to be such a division as
will expunge the West Riding from a list of con-
stituencies as a Riding. (" Oh, oh !") Such a pro-
posal will, I believe, receive the unqualified disap-
proval of almost every man in the West Riding of
Yorkshire. (Hear, hear.) It is felt that, things
are often achieved by having one or two great con-
stituencies that shall, as it were, almost represent
the whole—that great advantage may be de-
rived from having one such great prize to confer
upon a commoner of England—the greatest prize,
I take it, which can be held by any. Englishman.
However that may be, I hope that it is not the last
time that the toast of " The Member for the West

Riding of the County of York" will be given from
this festive board. (Hear.) I am the more em-
boldened in that hope when I recollect that Lord
Derby, the head of the Government, is not tryiug

his " 'prentice hand" at Reform, but as a Reforme
of 30 or 35 years ago ought not now to fall into so
great a mistake. lam still further emboldened in
that hope when I call to mind that the leader of
the House of Commons—if the hon. member for
Pontefract will allow me to say so—is no stranger to
questions of Reform. It may be said, and I hope
in him it will prove true, that the child has been
father to the man, and that when we see the Re-
form Bill of -the Conservative Government, it will
be not unworthy of the great Reformer named
Lord Stanley, and the Reformer of 25 years ago,
Benjamin Disraeli. At all events I hope the West
Riding as a constituency will not be cut asunder.
(Cheers.)
Mr. W. SMITH proposed "the Borough Members."
(Cheers.) When the hon. member for Pontefract
said that, politics being excluded, he did not know
what he could say, unless it was something with re-
gard to the House of Commons at sea, he (Mr.
Smith) listened with both ears erect, for, the House
of Commons having, according to his humble view,
been at sea the whole of last session, he was anx-
ious to know what account the hon. member could
give of it. But, unfortunately, the hon. member
turned to another topic, and they heard no more of
it. No one could dispute that, during the whole of
last session, there had been an absence of anything
like party or political principle, and the members
seemed all thrown hotch-potch, or like dice from a
box, when tin-own on the table, they turned up as
it chanced. He had not the acumen to clear up
this point, but hoped the hon. member (Mr. Roe-
buck) who had to reply to this toast would do so
—of course, without entrenching upon the rule
against party politics. (Laughter.) Mr. Roebuck
possessed one of the highest qualities of a public
man, in that he never shirked his opinions, but ex-
pressed them in a way to leave no room for mis-
taking what he meant. The special interests of
Sheffield were perfectly safe in the hands of Mr.
Roebuck and his colleague. (Cheers.)
Mr. J. A. ROEBUCK, M.P., was greeted with
protracted cheering. He said—l beg to return my
thanks for the mode in which the hon. gentleman
proposed my health, and the 'very marked way in
which you have received it. But, sir, I feel the
difficulty with my hon. friend Mr. M. Min ens. He,
far more practised than I am, felt the difficulty of
being called upon to respond to the toast of the
" House of Commons" witbout talking politics.
II feel the same difficulty, now that my health is
proposed, for lam a politician, and only a politi-
cian. 111 y hon. friend, indeed, has other claims on
the world's notice ; I have none. To talk politics is
my business, and you might as well call together
a congreFation of farmers and tell them not to talk
about prices, as to call together politicians and bid
them not to talk politics. (Hear.) Now, sir, I
.have been for many years a member for the
borough of Sheffield. I have attended this festive
board very many times. I have always heard the
same thing about not talking pdlitics. (Cheers.)
My hon. friend Mr. Milnes said he did not intend
to talk politics, and that began to talk about the
most exciting point of foreign politics. My hon.
friend Mr. Dunn echoedthe sentiment that he would
not talk politics, and then began to talk upon the
most exciting point of home politics, viz., reform.
Now, what do I intend to do ? Why, I intend to
talk politics. (Cheers and laughter.) Sir, a gentle-
man has said that the House of Commons, during
the whole of the last session, has been at sea. I beg
most respectfully to dissent from that opinion. We
have, in this last session of Parliament, read a very
great lesson to all politicians. We have taught those
whom success had made insolent that there was a
unishment immediate upon their insolence.
(Cheers.)
We have got rid of the peccant member,
and England now stands where she did not stand
before, viz., in her own proud position, as indepen-
dent of foreign influence. (Cheers.) To that result
1 humbly- contributed, and if anything should be
engraved upon my tombstone I would have that
marked upon it, that I vindicated England's honour
when her honour was at stake by means of her
Chief. Minister. (Cheers.) Oh, sir, but we are not to
talk politics; and we are to talk only of the House
of Commons at sea. I was with the House of Com-
mons at sea. I went to Cherbourg, and what did I
see there ? Sir, a great writer, a great prelate, once
described England as being, among her sons, undis-
turbed as the rocks amid the stormy seas which sur-
round her. That was the description given by the
great Bossuet of England. Now, sir, I would take
from nature a more apt illustration of our position.
and I would say England, with regard to European
politics, was as an island in the Pacific, surrounded
by a coral reef. Within that barrier all was peace
and good order. Without were various ele-
ments, struggling under the influences of the
wind right round the globe. That wind im-
pelled the waves against the barrier, but the bar-
rier withstood its power, and the island was at
peace in spite of the elemental warfare around
her. That is England. Sir, frecollect England in
1848. The despots of Europe were running about
wondering where they should go, and they came to
England as to a harbour. I saw Prime they
wandering also, and they came to England as to a
harbour. Well, then, when Europe was thus
struggling—when the world was at strife—we were
at peace, and held out to the assembled nations of
the world the wondrous spectacle of a people go-
verning themselves, and being in perfect peace and
security. (Cheers.) Was this attended with any
result ? It was. The despots of Europe hated
England because she held up to the people of
Europe a marked and a striking example of popular
government. And now, Sir, let me apply- the moral
of my tale. England is, as I have said, the mark
and hate of every despot. My hon. friend here,
who did not talk politics—(laughter)—and I went
to Cherbourg, and then we floated in the waters of
a despot. It may be said that those who stand in
my position ought not to say anything that excites
national animosity, and I respond to that sentiment.
(Hear, hear.) But, Sir, the farmer who goes to
sleep, having placed the watch-dog, " Tear'em,"
over his rickyard, hears that watch-dog bark. He,
in the anger of a half somnolence, says, " I wish
Tear'em would be quiet," and bawls out of the win-
dow, " Down, Tear'em." " Tear'em" does go down,
the farmer goes to sleep, and he is awaked by the
flashing in at his windows of the light of his ricks
on fire. (Cheers.) lam " Tear'em.' (Loud cheers
aioEnnrendaAgulluaialuslgdr
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e, r.) I tell you to beware. What is the
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is Magazine
. ous, and dear friend of mine, a h fi finishes
e C
bt ly-
, there a paper written by a very learned,
an
saying, " Those who are forewarned are forearmed."
what does this mean ? It means that you are in dan-
ger, and why ? Let me tell you The press of
-)
why.eer s
And what
any
England is free, thank God. (Ch
man says here cannot be imputed to the Go-
vernment. The daily penny press comes out with
abuse of everybody. 1 believe it takes its pleasure
ur (Laughter.) Well, I am delighted
I would rather be abused
than not regarded. (Cheers.) Nobody says that
.
that it abusing
shou n ll ed
do so.
14.-44 Derby Ls anifferable for the penny press.