The Sun.
London, England, 1867-10-18 00:00:00

LONDON, FRIDAY, OCT. 18, 18G7.

Nothing could have been more successful than
the manncr in which the Grand Banquet to the

Earl of DEI:Di, at Manchester, went off last even-
ing. It NV s sati,factory in every sense of the word,
and will lone live in the remembrance of those pre-

sent as a well-deserved tribute to a statesman who I
has done much for his country, and succeeded in
extricating Parliament from a great difficulty which
had long perplexed it. The Hon. Mr. EGERTON,.
M.P. for South Lancashire, presided in a very effi,
cient manner over the entertainment, and in pro-
posing the toast of the evening, the health of the Ear/
of DERBY, the Prime Minister of England, he was.
particularly felicitous in his expressions. Having
pointed out the significance of the numerous gather—
ing that day assembled, ho declared that the Con-
servative party had every reason to be satisfied with
the conduct of business in the House of Lords, and
also upon the " brilliant manner in which the work
in the Lower House had been managed by Mr.
DISRAELI." We have no doubt whatever that the
statement of the Chairman was perfectly cor-
rect, when he said that if Lord DERBY'S
health had permitted him to address a meeting
of the working men of Manchester there would
have been a most numerous gathering. The
noble earl, on rising to respond, was received in
the most enthusiastic style, and throughout his
speech carried the feelings of the audience with him.
He expressed his gratitude for the splendid de-
monstration made to himself and his colleagues,
from whom he could not allow his name to be
separated, and without whose assistance he could
not have achieved the success they then celebrated.
Referring to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, he
said that he fully participated in the regret ex-
pressed in the " absence of one of those colleagues,
to whose tact, temper, and judgment it was mainly
owing that that arduous undertaking in which they
were engaged did not result, instead of a triumphant
success, in a disastrous failure ;" and further on
added that nothing could have brought the " great
undertaking" to a satisfactory termination but the
admirable temper and judgment with which the Re-
form Bill was carried
.through the House of Com-
mons by his right hon. friend. Although the occa-
sion that called them together was a political one,
the noble earl diverged for a moment to speak
of the cotton famine, allusion having been made by
the Chairman to the services he had rendered at that
trying period. He said that amid all the troubles
of that disastrous time he found one consolation,
which was to see how, in the midst of their suffer-
ings, the middle, the higher, and the lower classes
" all combined in one fellowship of feeling."

Upon only one occasion, during his long political
career, has Lord DERBY received a compliment
like that paid to him last night, and that was under
very different circumstances to the present. In
1859, at Liverpool, he was presented with anaddress
from 7,000 inhabitants of Liverpool and its neigh-
bourhood, and the object was to express their con-
fidence in the Minister who had just been defeated
in his attempt to carry a measure of reform through
Parliament. Under far happier circumstances did
the same Minister, with many of the same col-
leagues, appear, having at last succeeded in carry-
ing out their attempt, and settling a question of
great political controversy. Lord DERBY can hardly
be accused of exaggeration when he says that for
years and years the Liberal party have been talk.
ing about this matter, but unhappily they have
confined their efforts to talk, and have expressed
immense astonishment at the Conservative party
carrying a Reform Bill. The noble earl confessed
that he shared somewhat iu that astonishment him-
self, on account of the difficulties with which they
bad had to contend, but there was nothing surprising
in the fact that a Conservative Government should
have desired to carry a Reform Bill. Four Reform
Bills have been introduced during the last eight
years, two have emanated from the Conservatives
and two from the " great united Liberal party." On
the last occasion the Conservatives allowed their
opponents to bring their bill.to a second reading, but
a very different course was pursued by these wor-
thies when the Conservative schemes were under
discussion. In 1859 the Bill was thrown out, and
again, in 1867, Mr. GLADSTONE endeavoured to
prevent the second reading taking place; and it was
only in consequence of the action of the more inde-
pendent members of the Liberal party that his at-
tempt was unsuccessful. " Now," exclaims the
noble Premier very forcibly, "after these recitations
what ground is there for saying that the Conserva-
tives as a body have been opposed to a well-
considered, safe, and liberal measure of Reform ?"
There is no shilly-shallying in Lord DERBY'S
speeches, and he always goes straight to the point,
whether indifferent friends or insincere opponents
may be pleased or not. He says very truly that
there were some of the Conservative party who
would have been pleased if this question had
never been raised at all, and he may venture to say
that there " were not a few of the Liberal party
who would have been well satisfied to allow the
question of Reform to rest, and allow themselves to
maintain the reputation of being ardent supporters
of Reform, but being impeded in their cause by the
stupid, obstinate, bigoted Tories."
The noble lord took a very fair and unprejudiced
view of the course pursued by the late Government,
and gave it as his opinion that the late Government
made a mistake in the tone they took with the House
of Commons. They thought they could drive the
House into sanctioning a measure it did not approve.
" I know the House of Commons pretty well,"
observed the noble earl; "I had twenty-two years
experience of it, and I have watched its proceed-
ings since then, and I know that is a
body easily led by those in whom it has
confidence, but it is a body which will
not be driven by any person." Without consult-
ing the feelings of the House the late Government
brought their bill forward in an incomplete manner,
and then declared that by it they must stand or fall,
that they cut off all chance-of retreat ; and, appro-
priately suggests the noble earl, "By so doing I
must say that they cut off all chance of success."
Lord DERBY explained the difficulties and respon-
sibilities under which he accepted office, and he
offered a well-merited tribute of thanks to the Con-
servative party for the confidence which they reposed
in her MAJESTY'S Ministers, and the concurrence
they gave in the " large anvil extensive measure"
they felt it to be their duty to propose. In speaking
of the probable result of this measure, Lo rd DERBY
referred to his own expression concerning it—a "leap
in the dark." This some candid friends have de-
signated as an " imprudent" remark ; but the noble
earl declares that he thought this was a case in
which " boldness was safety ;" and, pursuing this
theme, be spoke with the greatest confidence of the
t rust worthiness of those recently admitted to the fran-
chise. The experience he met with in the time of
the cotton famine of the many and excellent qua-
lities of the working classes led him to form such an
opinion of " their intelligence, reasonableness, sound
sense, and absence from personal and social preju-
dice, as to believe that they could without danger be
entrusted with that share in the representation of
their country which the recent Act has largely en-
trusted to their hands."

Concerning Trades' Unions Lord DERBY spoke
very sensibly, and gave some excellent advice to
those concerned; and he claimed the right not to be
inisunderstood, for forty-three years ago he was
a member of the House of Commons which first
succeeded in carrying the abolition of those laws
which made it illegal for workmen to agree and
combine together not to work under a certain