The Sun.
London, England, 1867-11-11 00:00:00

II Eli MAJESTY.

WINDSOR CASTLE, Nov. 10.
The Queen, accompanied by their Royal High"
nesses the Princess of \Vales and. Princess Louise,
drove out yesterday afternoon.

_UR. D181:11:71 AND LORD STAXLEI O
PUBLIC AFFAIRS.

The banquet at the Guildhall on Saturday was
attended by about 800 gueSts. Lord Derby Os,
unable to be present in consequence of an attack 01
gout, but all t'.e other leading members of the Go-
vernment attended. When Mr. Disraeli entered
the hall, on the way to the council chamber, he was
loudly cheered ; Lord Stanley was also very warmly
received.
The LORD CHANCELLOR, in responding to the
toast in his honour, remarked upon the universal
feeling that the great security of the rights and
liberties of the people consisted in equal laws and
the impartial administration of justice, and he con-
gratulated the country that there never was a ti°°
when it could be more truly said that the seats of
justice were efficiently filled.
The toast in honour of her Majesty's Ministers
was responded to by
The CHANCELLOR of the ExcllEquEn, who on
rising was most enthusiastically cheered ; indeed 3
large portion of the company rose to greet him. Ile
said : When we met last year upon an occasion
similar to that which assembles us at present there
was a collapse of credit which affected the city of
London and those connected with its prosperity
more than any similar disaster which ever yet pro-
duced an effect in this city. In its extent and 10
its severity that collapse was probably unprece-
dented. I cannot presume on this occasion to cow,
gratulate you on being entirely recovered from
the effect of that disruption of mutual confi-
dence which then took place. I see before
me the statue of a celebrated Minister who said
that confidence was a plant of slow growth.
But I believe, however slow, however gradual, inaY
be the growth of confidence, that of credit requires
still more time to arrive at maturity. Credit is one
of the most powerful, but at the same time one of
the most delicate of influences, and I think that
those who have studied its character can hardly be
surprised that though the year has revolved, we all
not, so far as the force of English credit is
concerned, in the same position as we were
some few years ago. Last year when Iv°
met and conversed together, England Os
in this remarkable position, that a great
war, carried out upon a very extensive scale,
but which lasted only a remarkably short time,
hal ceased, and the world, though peace W 35
proclaimed, was full of rumours of war. Then sv°
were told that great dangers were impending, that
in every country armaments were commenced and
were progressing on a great scale, and that the Great
Powers of Europe seemed to be preparing for some
undefined but menacing conjuncture. A year 130
elapsed, and these anticipations have not been realised.
On the contrary, Imay say the year which has elapsed
has given opportunity to the Great Powers of ,Europe
to consider their position, to study, to observe, t°
acquire, and mutually to commune with eae,,
l:
other, and I believe the result has been that the great
armaments which have taken place have been occa-
sioned rather by mutual and general fear than 11
any aggressive spirit, and that the conclusion t°
which the different Governments have arrived °
that peace is the interest of Europe, not only for
the moment, but that it is to the interest of Europe
permanently to cherish peace. (Cheers.) If 'iv°
turn to America we certainly have a right t°
assume that the same healthy spirit exists. When
we met last year there was a great similarity
between the position of affairs there and in
Europe, because in both parts of the world a great
war, carried on with great skill and assiduitYl
had left something of feeling of apprehension for the
future. Impending dangers were rife, and we were
informed that we must be prepared to meet a tit°,
of great difficulty. A year has elapsed in Atnerfe!
as well as in Europe, and that year which 113'
elapsed has brought calmer and dearer feelings t°
the people of America as well as of Europe. In
America I believe that justice is now done to tbe_
temperate and friendly spirit in which England 133'
examined and considered those questions which were
once supposed to be sources of difficulty and °,
danger. I believe that not only the Government
but the people of America generally have taken
much calmer views of those questions now than they
did a year ago, influenced I am sure in some degree
in this matter by the able representations made
by my noble friend Lord Stanley. (Cheers.)
Her Majesty's Ministers, with the noble and gene
rousaid of apatrioticParliament,have been able sine'
we met last in this hall to settle a question whicli
it was of the greatest importance to the State shout f
be carried to a settlement. (Loud cheers.) I
left unsettled, this question would have been
source of chronic irritation, and of feebleness to the
country, and of embarrassment to the Crown ; it
made Parliament ridiculous and England contempti-
ble in the eyes of Europe, that for fifteen years
_
we should have gone on insisting that the question
of the redistribution of power in the State was neee;'

nary to be settled and that England was incompe-
tent to bring about that settlement, Her Majesty
Government, aided and assisted by a patriotic Far
liament, have introduced and carried a measure

with that object. (Great cheering.) I believe la'
self that it is one which will establish concert a,3°134
all classes, that the nation accepts it as a favourable

result, and that history will consecrate its conoe'

quences. (Cheers.)
The toast of the " House of Commons" sf°a
responded to by Lord Stanley, who said : AS tb
tendency of the present time is rather, I think, ';
depreciate than unduly to exalt anything which
familiar to this country. I may call attention 1;
one or two points in which it seems to me that
the English Parliament differs, as I belie%
from every other legislative assembly of
similar character in the world. In the first Place;
we are the only unpaid legislative body in the vrerl'A;
there is no country in the world except England l
which you will find many hundreds of wealthy Ineo r
who will submit to the annoyance of a pOVIII4,
contest with no other hope than that of 01
able to give to the public a certain amount
°
gratuitous labour. You may say they gave the of
selves this trouble from personal vanity
ambition, and that may be, but I am of opitti°o
that even such a motive, since it prompts rnettivo
serve in the Parliament of a free country, is a virin
rather than a failing. (Hear, hear.) Then agsll:,
I do not believe there is another legislative bekio
i
the world, not even an American or a Cel°11:1:
Congress, which gets through a fifth part Of the
business transacted by the British House of c°0,
,00
mons. We may be charged with attempting ;If,
much, and I have sometimes thought this inYseci,
but with whatever faults we may be Yairly charg io
it cannot be asserted that we are wanting 10
industry and goodwill. (Hear, hear.) There of
one thing more that I must say for the 11°%5eodi
Commons. Ido not believe that any similar to
shows the same amount of justice and fair play.c
jos
those who address it. No doubt party procceclibat
exist and sometimes party feeling runs High' 13
there is one thing NI hick overrides party feeling, 00
that is the existence of an honest confidence in
good intentions of the individuals of the ass
(Cheers )

The Right Hon. the Chancellor of the Excheci:ive;
has issued invitations for a full-dross dinner to the I,l":in—i
Ministerial members of the House of Commons, on 31°13"0-
u. ext. The dinner will take place at the Clarendon 11°iti
consequence of the right hoe. gentleman's maLisioll
Grosvenor-gate being under repair. meet
INSTITUTION OF CIVIL ENGINEEItS.--The g,
ings of this society are to be resumed to-morrow ev'.-:ilfor
at the house in Great George-street, when the subjee-üb,
discussion is the " Removal of Organic and Inorgani° the
stances iu Water.'' question was introduced, ,
inst. ;
close of last season, by Mr. Edward Byrne, 14'
in a paper detailing the results of some carefully cold° °
laboratory experiments.