The Sun.
London, England, 1867-01-02 00:00:00

Yesterday the 59th or Oxford Lodge of the An-
cient Order of Druids, according tolong-established
custom, celebrated the opening of the new year by
a banquet held in the Town- hall, Oxford. The re-
presentatives of the city are usually invited to these
banquets, but only one of them (Mr. Neate) was
present on this occesion, Mr. Cardwell being now a
sojourner, with many of his late colleagues, in Italy.
Brother Wells presided, and was supported by the
mayor and other members of the corporation, Capt.
Fane, Capt. Mallam, Mr. J. Dudley, and Mr. Towle.
After the usual preliminary toasts, the Chairman
briefly gave the health of the members for the City
of Oxford, expressing his regret at the unavoidable
absence of Mr. Cardwell.
The toast was received with great cordiality.
NEATE, on rising to respond, was received
with loud cheers, and after excusing the absence of
Mr. Cardwell, proceeded to say that if there was
any particular in which he himself had any advan-
tage over his right hon. colleague, it was that, hav-
ing filled no official position, he was always willing
and at liberty to tell them the little he knew upon
public affairs. At the present time that little was
very little indeed. Men talked of the progress of
civilisation and the spread of knowledge ; but he
thought there was an increasing darkness over the
land at that moment. Nobody now knew what
hardly anybody else was going to do. If they asked
a Conservative what thepresentMinistry were likely
to do—whether they were likely to introduce a very
large extension of the franchise, he would reply that
he could not say, but he might at the same time tell
them that a very large extension of the franchise, if
managed by Conservative hands, would probably
prove a very Conservative measure. There was, how-
ever, a party which did not shrink from speaking
out. He referred to the advanced or popular party ;
and here perhaps he was trenching on what was some-
times deemed at these meetings forbidden ground.
(No.) There was a party which stated that what i t de-
sired was residential manhood suffrage. He was
not going to say whether he was prepared or not to
vote for that; but he thought he might say, with-
out committing himself too far in that direction,
that if Mr. Gladstone would propose a measure for
establishing manhood suffrage, and Mr. Cardwell
supported it, he, too, would be ready to vote for it.
(Hear.) He would not presume to question the
right of the English people, whether they were with-
in or without the pale of the Constitution—as far as
the pale of the Constitution was confined to those
who possessed the franchise—to meet.together and
express their own sentiments, or to hear from the
leaders in whom they trusted that counsel by which
they were willing to be guided; but he must say that
at some recent meetingsthe House of Commons had
been treated in a way which it hardly deserved.
They were all concerned, no less than he himself as
one of its members was, in seeing that the house of
Commons, which was partly their work, should have
fair play in those public discussions which he had
no wish to restrain. He repeated that he did not
believe the House of Commons had been fairly
dealt with on many of those occasions. He had
thought, for one, until that year that the highest
honour which had been conferred upon him in all
his life was done him when they made him their
representative. But he had observed at different
times of late that the House of Commons had been
spoken of in the presence of large assemblages of
Englishmen in a manner which, if justified, would
warrant him in asking them what they had seen
about him which made them think him worthy to
be placed in so disreputable a body. (Cheers and
laughter.) It had been spoken of that a man, in-
stead of being proud, should be ashamed of being a
member of it. Now, he did not defend the present
House of Commons through thick and thin. He
thought it had failed to a great extent in its duty in
the last session. Yet, after all, there was no very
great reason to complain of the way in which it re-
ceived the proposed Reform. It was a very exten-
sive measure, and nobody liked to be reformed.
• It was like a dose of physic. The best
boy, no doubt, was he wh ) took his me-
dicine with alacrity the first time it was ten-
dered to him ; but still they did not call a boy a very
bad boy because he refused to take it at once, or even
because he might rejoice to see the nauseous potion
spilt. (A laugh.) Well, the manner in which the
house of Commons received the late proposal of Re-
form was not at all inconsistent with the respect
which it was bound to have for the will of the people,
whether that will was the will of those who elected
it or that of those who bad an equal interest in its
deliberations. But it was to be regretted that, from
the course which the Reform debates took, they had
no opportunity of hearing what the opinions enter-
tained on both sides were. The Ministry stated their
views, and the then Opposition, now the present
Ministry, would have had to state theirs ; but unfor-
tunately they were relieved from the necessity of
doing so by finding that there was a division on the
Ministerial side. And thus the country had seen a
Ministry turned out for supporting a particular bill,
while it had not had any statement of the principle
on which that bill was defeated. But he did not find
fault with any criticism that had been passed upon
the action of the House of Commons; and no man
could be less disposed than he was to object to the
free expression of public opinion by meetings or
otherwise. Still less did he object to the great leader
who had been selected by the popular party as their
chief organ. Ile thought that if they wished to
measure the progress they had made in civilisation
there would be no surer way of doing so than by
comparing the present great popular leader with
any that had preceded him. They found in the great
popular leader of the day, however much they might
differ from him, a higher tone of morality, a juster
consideration of the rights of others, and a greater
unwillingness to mislead than was exhibited by any
popular leader who has gone before. (Hear, and
some dissent.) He spoke with pride and pleasure of
Mr. Bright as his friend, although it was well known
that he eid not agree with him on many points.
He was not prepared to adopt all his principles or
to assent to all his facts ; but at the same time he
must say that all the meetings in which he had taken
part a higher tone of morality had been evinced,
and those who attended them had felt themselves
raised into a higher atmosphere of thought and feel-
ing than that to which they had been accustomed ;
and, although they might have gone away with a
higher notion of their rights, yet if they had listened,
as they ought, attentively to the great orator they
must also have carried away with them a higher
notion of their duties. But there was, nevertheless,
a difference between argument and intimidation—a
difference between meetings held for purposes of dis-
cussion and mere demonstrations of numerical force.
Against such demonstrations as the latter—although
they might be held in the country with less danger
—against such demonstrations, if any such were in-
tended to take place in the metropolis of the king.
dom, lie must enter his most decided protest. He
should hope that the wisdom and good sense of the
leaders of the popular party would prevent them
from attempting anything further of the kind. (No.)
But he was quite sure that the Liberal party would
not participate in any such demonstrations, that they
would support any Government who would put
them down. (No, no, and cheers.) Let people only
consider how great was the danger of bringint,
together in the largest city in the world any tumult-
OM assemblage. If, therefore, at the meeting of Par-
liament no one else took that line he should himself
be prepared to ask the Home Secretary what course
lie had adopted, or was ready to adopt, supposing
such demonstrations, of mere numbers as were still
talked of to be persevered in, in order to protect
the freedom of the House of Commons and the peace
of the metropolis. (Cheers.) He would now turn
from subjects in which he was sorry to see there was
not entire agreement between himself and all those
present, only remarking that hiS past career would
prove that he bore no hostility to popular rights.
Before sitting down he wished to say something
upon foreign politics, in which Englishmen of
all parties were, he hoped, disposed to concur. A
vast change had taken place in Germany since
they last met there, and the Italian kingdom,
t-o, had been completed ; results with which they
were doubtless all much gratified. He trusted that
the Pope would be allowed to spend in peace the
few further years of life which might remain to him,

and none of them, he thought, would grudge him
that repose. Another most important point was our
relations with America. It had been kept out of
their sight that there was a very great danger of
their friendly intercourse with the United States
being seriously interrupted. Our friends on the
other side of the Atlantic were not the less deter-
mined than we were. They had shown in a remark-
able degree their resoluion in carrying out their
ends, and one of their purposes, which they had
never renounced, though it had for a time been
kept in abeyance, was to obtain from us some re-
dress—he would not say what amount of redress—
for the outrages of the Alabama. To his mind the
question at issue was not very doubtful, though it
had been perplexed and complicated by the discus-
sions of the lawyers. But he wished to remind them
that that question was still hanging over them, and
that while it continued to do so England would
have but half her rightful weight in the councils of
Europe. So long as it was known that the United
States of America had the power and the disposition
to let loose upon us that hostile nation which Irish
emigration had created on the other side of the
Atlantic (for the Irish on the other side of the
Atlantic amounted almost to a nation), so long as
it was known that the United States could at any
moment let loose that hostile nation either upon
Ireland or upon Canada, England would remain a
nobody in Europe, or at best but a third-rate
Power, because all the world would believe that as
soon as we had any difficulty in Europe we should
have America on our backs. He did not think
that any nation ever felt such an enmity towards
its rulers as the Irish had conceived against us
without some just cause. (Murmurs of dissent.)
But, be that as it may, he desired earnestly to im-
press on them, and through them on our statesmen
and the public, the vital importance of having this
controversy with America about the Alabama claims
speedily and amicably closed. He did not believe
there was any settled animosity in the mind of the
American nation towards England, and he thought
it might all be made right if we would but meet
them fairly—(cheers)—and if we had been in the
wrong in our dealings on this particular question it
was not too late, and not beneath the dignity of
this country, to admit it. (Hear, hear.) The present
Government had a particular advantage in treating
that question, and he hoped they would improve that
advantage. He could only say that, if they could
settle it in any honourable way, they would deserve,
as he believed they would receive, the grateful
thanks of the nation. (Hear.) There were various
other topics on which he could have wished to offer
a, few words, but he was anxious not to trespass too
far on their kind indulgence. At the present mo-
ment the relations between master and workman
were not altogether in a satisfactory condition ; and
indeed, whether they looked at home or abroad, the
time was especially one in which they should not
seek to revive or exasperate differences of opinion,
but rather look to those points in which they all
agreed. He did not mean to say the Liberal party
were to acquiesce in the retention of power by the
present Government, but he did venture to assert
that there were now very grave questions, both
foreign and domestic, which they ought to approach
with a desire to settle them in an amicable manner
—questions of far more importance than any of a
merely party character. (Cheers.) Mr. Neate
concluded by thanking the company, in his own
name and that of his absent colleague, for the com-
pliment which had been paid them.
Several other toasts were drank and the proceed-
ings terminated.
Naval and Military Intelligence.

VALETTA, Dec. 26, 1866 :—There is very little
naval news to report since writing on the 24th inst.
The Cockatrice, 2, screw gunboat, Commander
Bogle, has come in from the Danube, Constanti-
nople, and Syria; and the Cossack, '2O, Capt. White,
has returned from the north coast of Africa, where
she was employed assisting the telegraphic steamer
hawk in repairing the Malta and Alexandria cable.
The Cossack is under orders to proceed to Spithead
to be paid off, and will probably leave soon after the
beginning of the new year. The Caradoc, 2, de-
spatch vessel, Lieut.-Commander E. H. Wilkinson,
which has been undergoing repairs, will leave port
to-morrow to try her michinery. The Endymion,
21, screw steam frigate, Capt. C. Wake, will also
leave port to-morrow for target practice, prior to
sailing on the 2d of January for the coast of Syria,
to provision the Racer, 11, Commander L. Brine.
The Ocean, 23, ironclad, Capt. Chandos Stanhope,
has not yet arrived here, although news has been
received of her having passed through the Straits of
Gibraltar on the 16th inst. The Resistance, 16,
ironclad, Capt. IL S. Hillyar, C. 8., which it was at
one time expected would be relieved by the Ocean,
will not leave the station for the present, and the
Gibraltar, 81, screw line-of-battle ship, Capt. R.
Coote, has been sent home in her stead. Commander
Nicholson, of the Endyinion, has proceeded to Eng-
land for appointment to the Royal Alfred, flagship
for the West Indies. Sub-Lieut. Charles Atkinson,
of the Resistance, has been allowed to resign his
commission.
Yesterday being the first of the year 1867, the
formal commencement of the great works for the
extension of Portsmouth Dockyard was made by
the contractors, Messrs. George Smith and Leather,
Mr. W. Scamp, C.E., Dvuty Director of Engi-
neering and Architectural Works to the Admiralty,
the designer of the plan, with its docks, basins,
workshops, &c., for the extension of the dockyard,
inspected the ground yesterday, in company with
the contractors.

An order received at Chatham directs the new
corvette Blanche, 4, 1,268 tons, 350-horse power,
towards the completion of which great progress has
been made at that dockyard, to be furnished with
an armament of two wrought-iron muzzle-loading
rifled 61-ton 7-inch revolving guns, and two 64-
pounder side guns, together with two 12-pounder
and 9-pounder Armstrong rifled guns for field and
boat service. Accommodation is to be provided in
her magazines and racks for 100 common and 20
double 7-inch shells, empty, and 110 common 64-
pounder, and 240 12-pounder and 9-pounder
common empty shells. Of filled shells she is to be
furnished with 100 common, 20 double, and 20
shrapnel 7-inch shells ;40 common and 10 shrapnel
64-pounders, and 140 12-inch and 9-inch for the
Armstrong guns. The solid shot to be supplied her
are 100 chilled Pallisser 7-inch and 20 common
7-inch ;10 64-pounder, and 100 12-pounder and 9 -
pounder shot.
During the last few weeks considerable quantities
of the plate iron sent into Chatham Dockyard by
the contractors supplying that establishment have
been rejected by the officials, on the ground of its
alleged inferior quality and its failing to reach the
standard of excellence insisted upon. The con-
tractors have appealed to the Admiralty on the
subject, and, after a long correspondence and
numerous official reports, their Lordships have up-
held the decision of their officers. The standard
of excellence insisted upon by the Admiralty is that
the plate iron shall stand a pressure of from 20 to
22 tons to the square inch with the grain, and 18
tons to 20 tons against the grain—a degree of
excellence which, under the trials with the
apparatus in use at Chatham, the iron rejected
has failed to attain. The contractors, however,
assert that the iron thus rejected is superior
to the standard laid down, and refuse to
submit to the dockyard tests, which, they contend,
are not to be relied on, inasmuch as the testing ap-
paratui is imperfect. In proof of this they have
placed in the hands of the Admiralty reports from
two of the most eminent iron testers, in which the
samples of iron rejected by the dockyard officials
were, on being tested by them, found to be of even
better quality than the standard required by the
Board. Private and perfectly independent tests have
likewiie been made, and again the results have been
adverse to the ruling of the Admiralty officials.
Under these circumstances the firm more particu-
larly concerned has intimated the intention of com-
mencing legal proceedings against the Admiralty for
the heavy loss they have sustained.
Her _Majesty's iron hydraulic gunboat Water-
witch, armour-plated 777 tons, and 167-horse
power, went down the river from Woolwich on
Monday, on a further trial of speed, after going
through a course of alterations and improyements,