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

But is this true with regard to France ? Why, sir,
I have got in my possession now a pamphlet called
" Cherbourg et l'Angleterre ;" and that pamphlet
is stamped with the imprimatur, the approval of
the Imperial Government, which does not allow a
word to be said against itself. Then, I say that
every word said by the French press is imputable
to the French Government. (Hear, hear.) Well,
what does that pamphlet say ? It abuses England
—it calls her perfidious. It says that we are in-
tent upon the enslaving of the world ; that we are
a set of bandits ; that we are unworthy of the name
of men ; and that Frenchmen ought to hate us as
they do. To whom do I attribute this ? I lay it
at the door of the French Emperor. Mark me, I
know what I am saying. I say it upon a solemn
occasion. I say that the French press is the ex-
pression of the Emperor's opinion, and that his
appeal to the prejudice and hate that now exist in
the minds of the French people against England is
a manifestation of the Emperor's opinion. lam
the watchdog Tear'em, and I only tell you what
my hon. friend would tell you, though in more
mellifluous phrase, when I say—Be you prepared ;
get your guns, get your ships ready, for depend
upon it, that in his heart he knows that Cherbourg
is a standing menace. (Cheers.) Now, I tell you
what will result from all this. lam sent to Par-
liament as your representative. There have been
estimates, and in the next session there will be esti-
mate's, and everything that goes to protect England
against foreign invasion will receive my hearty
support. (Protracted cheering.) Sir, I know the
position that England holds. She is a shining light
to all the nations of the earth. In her fields are
peace, and her harvests are gathered by a people
unprotected by bayonets. The law is paramount
from the Land's End to John o' Groat's. The
Queen travels from one end of the island to the
other with a solitary policeman on the train,
and he need not be there. (Hear.) Is not this a
striking instance of what popular government may
do ? I am not here, gentlemen, to bandy
phrases and compliments with my hon. friend
on the left, or my hon. friend on the right. lam
here to take advantage of the occasion, and I do so,
and tell you at once that we are a people hated by
the despots, and it requires us to be prepared
against the coming evil that certainly, by and by,
will befal us. Depend upon it that gallant nation
which is our nearest neighbour cannot, will not,
bear the dreadful burden that is now upon her
shoulders. Time will lift that burden off. We
standing by shall see the dreadful explosion. We
shall have to be prepared against all coming cala-
mity, and I beg of you, as you value your own
hearths and•your own happiness, to support me,
your member, when I vindicate before the world
England and England's safety against the world in
arms. (Loud cheers.) Sir, I fear that I have made
this evening too serious. (No, no.) But depend
upon it I have spoken but the words of truth. I
would finish simply by thanking you most heartily
for the manner in which you have received the
toast. (Protracted cheering.)
Mr. R. N. PHILIPS proposed " The Health of the
Clerg,y and the worthy Vicar of Sheffield."
• The Rev. Canon SALE—I feel that the important
and solemn remarks just made by the hon. member
should be considered in an interval of calmness,
and I do not wish that what I may say should in-
terfere with the thoughts to which they are calcu-
lated to give rise. But lam sure the hon. member
will agree with -me if I take up one or two frag-
ments of his important speech, and endeavour to
take their tone in the thanks I offer for the flatter-
ing manner in which this toast has been proposed
and received. Mr. Roebuck stated, and I felt proud
to listen to it, that when Europe was in a state of
confusion, when despotic Governments were over-
thrown, and kings and ministers were wandering
here and there, they came to England as a refuge,
and in our privileged island peace and order pre-
vailed. (Hear, hear.) How was this ? How was
it that our privileged island, from south to north,
was distinguished by the universal acknowledg-
ment of the supremacy of law ? Was it not that
there was religious principle—(hear, hear)--pervad-
ing the minds of the English population beyond
those of any other people? (Cheers.) I believe it is
this which, in proportion as it is diffused through
society, is the best guarantee of peace and quiet-
ness at home, whatever may be the state of things
abroad. (Cheers.) I believe it is that supremacy
of the word of God which, as a minister of the
church, I am privileged to hold up to the people
in all its integrity, and without reserve, is the best
guarantee that we shall have peace and quietness
in the future as in the - past. It is this, I believe,'•
that is the true ground of the boast that English-
men can govern themselves. While other nations
are unfit to be committed to their own care, and.
therefore must be held down by the strong hand of
despotic power, we, acknowledging the supremacy
of the law, can look abroad and say we do not want
bayonets at home, we do not want an armed police,
to keep down freedom, we do not abridge the
liberty of the press, but we can each judge clearly
and calmly what is the best for ourselves and our
neighbours. (Cheers.) While lam happy to ap-
preciate the kind feeling shown in the remarks of
my friend Mr. Philipps, and in the sentiments of
the company, permit me to say that I regard the
toast as the recognition of a great principle. You
have received with the greatest enthusiasm the
toast of the Queen and the Royal family, the army
and navy, the House of Commons, and your repre-
sentatives, but I take this toast as an acknowledg-
ment that, after all that the wisdom of man can do,
after all the bravery and self-devotion of our army
and navy can do to defend us, we are primarily de-
pendent on the God of armies. Without His bless-
ing, the power of our army and navy would be
paralysed, the House of Commons would be at sea.
(to take up an expression previously used). We
might soon be as a house divided against itself, and
fall beneath the attacks which our hon. member
says are already preparing. Let us trust in the liv-
ins. . God. Let His ministers do their duty. Let
the Church of England be what it ought to be—
the exponent of the truth of God. Thus we may
be united, happy, and free. Blessed is the people
that is in such a case—yea, blessed, is that people
whose God is the Lord. (Cheers.)
Mr. ROERUCK—I have now a different duty to
perform. Before I was talking about matters in
which I felt myself a political interest. Now, I am
going to speak Von a matter in which I take a per-
sonal interest. I am going to propose to you
" The Health of the Master Cutler." (Loud cheers.)
I recollect upon a former occasion that a noble friend
of mine, in proposing the health of the then Master
Cutler (Mr. W. A. Matthews), said he had obtained
a monopoly of distinctions, for he was at the same
time Mayor and Master Cutler. My friend, Mr.
Jackson, is of the same kidney ; he is Mayor and.
Master Cutler, and he has obtained these distinc-
tions at the hands of his fellow-townsmen by his
own individual merit. (Cheers.) If I were to waste
your time from this to break of day, I could not do
more than say that I propose the health of the
Master Cutler, in whom you will find a friend and
protector of your commercial interests, and as Mayor
you will find him a worthy magistrate. (Cheers.)
The MASTER CUTLER. Cheers.) You will, lam
sure, feel with me when I say that I feel a degree
of diffidence in rising to respond to the toast which
has just been proposed. Permit me to thank you
sincerely for the honour you have just paid me by
drinking my health in so kind and enthusiastic a
manner. rt would be out of place if at this hour
of the evening I were to trouble you at any great
length. I had intended to address a few observa-
tions to you relative to the town and trade of Shef-
field. ("bo on.") I have heard it stated, and by
visitors, on the occasion of the Cutlers' Feast, that
Sheffield was not making the progress it ought, and
was not keeping pace with our rivals in trade. I
never agreed with them, for I believe that there is
no town in England that has made more progress
in its particular manufacture than Sheffield.
(Cheers.) This progress appears the greater when
we take into consideration the difficulties we have
to contend against, Those gentlemen who think
that because other nations which were formerly
far behind us in our manufactures are now making,
progress, we are standing still, are very much mis-
taken. I may mention one or two of the difficulties
we have to contend against, and which perhaps are
not generally known to those noblemen and
gentlemen who do us the honour of attending this
annual festival. One of these is the enormous im-
port duties we have to contend with in foreign
countries. It may not be known that, while we
admit the cutlery manufactures of our ally and
nearest neighbour at 2s. 6d. per 1121 b., which is
not more than 1 per cent., the great cutlery trade of
Sheffield has not a market in France—that not a
single penknife, or scissor, or razor is allowed to
be sent into that country. With respect to almost
tt
oo
paysa say
dutiesoTry ootfh3esr
tcolaslsooofpSerheoffienetld. goods,lt
is
very w e have
fine
that we do not keep pace with foreign manufac-
turers ; under such a system as that how is it pos-
sible ? There is a limit beyond which we cannot
go. If we could only have fair play, if' our neigh-
bours in France would give us the same facilities
that we give them, we should not fear. In a speech
recently delivered at St. Etienne, Count de Per-
signy stated that there could be no material rivalry
between this country and France, inasmuch as we
allow every article manufactured in France to have
access to our colonies on the same terms as British
manufactured goods. I hope the French will give
us the same facility, and that, if they value our
friendship and wish to be good neighbours, they
will do to us as we do to them. (Cheers.) But it
konlodwi nl
egdsgui enThghaitshhaitg Count ifii. (e)effitci
de
ish something for the cause to find a gentleman
country.
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e rsi
positionogtnld has
n goodalreadyF i
fora nee
his
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knoWledged, and I trust
we
_WWI bee a speedy re-