The Sun.
London, England, 1866-09-08 00:00:00

LONDON, SATURDAY, SEPT. 8, 1866.

The presence of Mr. and Mrs. GLADSTONE at
Salisbury has been taken advantage of by the
numerous admirers of the Ex-Chancellor to present
him with a complimentary address. A public meet-
ing, which was very largely attended, was convened
by the Mayor, and the ceremony of presentation
took place yesterday in the Council Chamber with
great eclat. The address, which was brief and to the
purpose, rendered testimony to the ability and suc-
cess with which Mr. GLADSTONE had managed the
finances of the country, and paid a less merited
compliment to the " judicious measure of Reform"
introduced under his auspices, concluding with the
expression of a hope that the country may long con-
tinue to have the ai vantage of his " great abilities
and undoubted political honesty." Few of Mr.
GLLDSTONE'S opponents would hesitate to admit his
claims to such a testimonal, and it is no doubt grati-
fying to him, after the storms and dissensions of the
past few months, to receive such evident tokens of
the respect and attachment with which he
is regarded by the great body of his coun-
trymen. Mr. GLADSTONE, in acknowledging
the compliment, remarked that he felt an
especial interest in that part of the country,
though unconnected with it personally, from
his long association with one whose memory is
fondly cherished there--•the late Lord HERBERT.
Mr. GLADSTONE paid an eloquent tribute to his
memory, and quoted the lines—
" A sweeter and a lovelier gentleman,
Framed in the prodigality of nature,
The spacious earth cannot afford again,"

as illustrative of the richness and variety of his na.
tural endowments, and of the blank which his pre
mature death left in the circle of his friends and
neighbours. " Happy in all the circumstances of
his life, happy in his position, happy in his descent,
happy in his domestic relations, happy in his means
of doing good, happy in his social qualities, happy,
above all, in that love and fear of GOD which were
the basis of his whole life—if he was taken from us
earlier than our shortsighted desires might have
suggested, he has left among us what may be called
a fragrant and a blessed memory." Passing from
this subject to the more agitating questions of the
day, Mr. GLADSTONE readily acknowledged the
willingness of the country at large to do justice
to the motives and conduct of its public
men. The condition of the country was, he
observed, a source of unmixed satisfaction. Not-
withstanding the severe and prolonged monetary
crisis through which we have passed, the revenue of
the country has never for a moment flagged; and
" although the pressure upon those interests which
are directly connected with the use of capital has,
during the last three months, gone beyond all for-
mer precedent, yet, at the same time, the demand
for labour bas continued almost without diminu-
tion." Such, at least, is Mr. GLADSTONE'S verdict,
and he is no mean authority. He draws from it
the inference that the transition from a system of
fettered and trammelled to one of open and free
industry has resulted not only in the enormous ex-
tension of the commercial transactions of the coun-
try, but also to the attainment of a degree of steadi-
ness and consolidation never before known. Upon
The vexed question of the Reform Bill Mr. GLAD-
STONE could not of course be silent, especially after
the direct reference to it in the address. He did
not attempt an elaborate defence of the bill, only
remarking that the members of the late Govern-
ment were the oldest and most experienced servants
of the Crown, and therefore it was not a little
strange that the charge of haste and rashness should
have been brought against their measure. For the
future he would not pledge himself or his friends to
any particular course beyond that of a consistent
support of those principles which they have hitherto
advocated. Mr. GLADSTONE spoke without preju-
dice of the position of the present Ministry with re-
gard to this question, and even declined to pursue
the subject at any length, because he said it was
one which should be judged independently of any
personal consideration, and the weight of public
opinion would be disparaged if it could with justice
be said that the Ministers who have been
politically overthrown were endeavouring to inflame
the public mind. For himself and his friends, he
believed they had done their part, and the question
now rested with the people of the country, who will
no doubt take care that it does not fall into abey-

Not the least interesting portion of the day's

au ce.