The Sun.
London, England, 1866-08-02 00:00:00

[NIS TERIAL BANQUET AT THE
MANSION-HOUSE.

Last evening Lord Derby, as First Lord of the
Treasury, and the rest of her Majesty's Ministers,
dined with the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress. It
is a time-honoured custom in the City of London

for the Chief Magistrate to entertain the members
of the Government for the time being, during his
year of office, regardless of all party or political con-
siderations ; and the honour devolved upon the Lord
Mayor last evening of offering to the Ministers of
the Crown the hospitalities of the Mansion-house.
The invited guests were about 200 in number, and
included not only the Cabinet Ministers, but all the
rest of the more conspicuous members of the Con-
servative party in both Houses of Parliament.
There were present, besides the Earl and Countess
of Derby, the Lord Chancellor and Lady Chelms-
ford, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and Ms.
Disraeli, the Danish Minister and Madame de
Bulow, General Negrete, Minister from the Re-
public of Salvador; Lord Stanley, General and
Lady Alice Peel, Viscount and Viscountess Cran-
borne, Sir John Pakington, the Duke and Duchess
of Buckingham and Chandos, the Earl of Malmes-
bury, the Earl of Devon and the Lady Agnes Courte-
nay, Lord and Lady John Manners, Mr. and Mrs.
Gathorne Hardy, Sir Stafford Northcote, &c.
On the removal of the cloth grace was sung, and
the Lord Mayor drank to the company in a loving
cup.
When the loving cup had gone round,

TheLoRD ALtiroß rose and said—My lords, ladies,
and gentlemen, I give you the health of " Her Ma-
jesty the Queen." It is the good fortune of the
people of this country to ;be governed by a Sove-
reign whose devotion for her subjects, whose love
for the principles of the Constitution, and whose
attachment to those principles, whose many virtues
and noble qualities have rendered her beloved by
her subjects, and made her a bright example, en-
deared by her people by the tenderest ties of loyalty
and affection. (Cheers.)

The LORD MAYOR—I have now the honour to
propose the health of the Prince of Wales. His
Royal Highness, by the suavity of his manner, by
his devotion to the best interests of the people, by
his attachment to our institutions, has won the de-
votion of his country. My lords, ladies, and gen-
tlemen, I have great pleasure in proposing " The
health of his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales,
the Princess of Wales, and the other members of
the Royal family."
The LORD MAYOR—I have now to ask you to
drink the toast of " The Navy, the Army, and the
Volunteers." In common with my countrymen, I
do sincerely and earnestlyhope that we are approach-
ing a time when the peace of Europe will be esta-
blished upon a solid and a lasting basis.. (Hear.)
We are not, strictly speaking, a military nation,
but, addressing this assembly in the presence of the
Minister of War and the Minister of Marine, I hope
I may be permitted to express what I believe to be
the sentiment and the feeling of the people of Eng-
land, that these two glorious branches of our service
may be maintained in an entire state of efficiency.
(Cheers.) We present this singular anomaly, that,
while science and peace are struggling how to de-
vise means to prolong life, the science of war is
endeavouring to invent the most deadly machines by
which to destroy life. I have great pleasure in pro-
posing the " Health of the Navy, Army, and Vo-
lunteers," coupling with the toast the names of Gen.
Peel, Sir John Pakington, and Lord Colville.
(Cheers.)

General PEEL—flaying been called upon, as Se-
cretary for War, to return thanks for the army, I
have the greatest pleasure in doing so, although in
the presence of many hon. and gallant gentlemen,
whose distinguished services fully entitle them to all
the compliments you have just paid to them. I
beg also to return thanks on the part of the Royal
Militia, a service the sterling qualities and merits of
which lam sure you will duly appreciate, and who
in this country, and in this country alone, voluntarily
discharge those duties which do so much credit to
themselves, and, I believe, obtain for them the ap-
probation of their fellow citizens. A very short
time ago it was matter for speculation whether
those great armies which had been gathered to-
gether in different parts of the European continent
would or would not come into collision. It was
impossible to foresee the great events which have
since astonished the world, and to predict that that
which I trust will be the greatest campaign of mo-
dern times should have ended in so short a space.
Surely, however, there is something to be learnt
from what has taken place. These great victories
have been obtained not by any superiority in point

courage or of physical power, but entirely, as I
believe, by the superior organisation and equipment
and the superior arms possessed by one of the bel-
ligerents. (Hear.) The result has only confirmed
an opinion which I have always entertained, and
have often expressed in the House of Commons,
that it is the duty of this country in times of the
profoundest peace, and indeed for the purpose of
maintaining peace—for which nobody can be more
anxious than I am—to maintain our army and
navy, and our defences generally, in a state of the
greatest efficiency. (Hear.) Now, in consequence
of the exertions of my predecessors in office, and in
consequence also of the exertions of his Royal
Highness Field-Marshal the Duke of Cambridge, I
have reason to believe that when the British troops
are armed with the breech-loader, which is now
being prepared for them, they will be equal in
equipment and in arms to any troops in the world.
(Cheers.) I found that belief upon reports received
from those military officers who are officially at-
tached to the armies which have been engaged in
the late war. As we all know, in point of discip-
line and courage, the British soldier is at . present
inferior to none, and I think I may congratulate
this assembly that in equipment he will soon be
not inferior either. (Cheers.)
Sir J. PAKINGTON, in responding to the toast of
the
navy, said he had entered so recently upon the
duties of the high office which he had the honour to
fill, that it would be presumption on his part to at-
tempt to speak with authority ; but he might
be allowed to express his deep anxiety ta h t
in filling that difficult and arduousy post
no part of the efficiency of that great
service with which it was connected might be
impaired, so long as he had the honour to occupy his
present position. The public had been told that
there had been great extravagance on the part of the
Admiralty, and that much of the money so liberally
voted by Parliament had been wastefully expended.
He expressed no opinion, he should not be justified
in expressing any, upon the truth or otherwise of that
allegation ; but for his part, he would take care, as
far as in him lay, that the sums so liberally voted by
Parliament were laid out with the greatest economy.
If those allegations were made, the truth of them must
be investigated. (Hear.) The necessity for economy
was the more imperative, seeing that otherwise it was
absolutely impossible for England to maintain her re-
nown as the greatest maritime Power in the civilised
world.
Siucehe had last the honour of acknowledging
the toast of the navy in that ball seven years had
passed away. During that time the science of war, as
it had been galled, had led to great and extensive
ch anges not
construction teht.e construction of ships but even
more in the o. f the guns which they car-
ried. He hoped the anticipations phations of the Lord Mayor
would prove correct, that,e
hatving regard to the pre-
sent state of Europe, wem; look forward to a state
of peace ; but it should neverg be forgotten. that Eng-
land had to protect an extended polfre and a vast
commerce; and so long as the creationudennme
and
dur navy was
goodhe judg-
ment within-the limits of pr
went he did not believe that Parliament or the peoplesutn
would be unwilling to contribute whatever
might be necessary for that purpose. (Hear, hear.)
Lord COLVILLE, of Culross, returned thanks for
the Volunteers.
The LORD MAYon— My lords, ladies, and gentle-
men,—Among the time-honoured customs of this an-
dent municipality it is one of the happy privileges of
the Chief Magistrate to'receive as his guests eminent
statesmen, representatives of art, science, and litera-
ture, and other distinguished person ages, who, by their
learning, their talents, and their genius shed a lustre
on the history of our country. We are honoured to-
night by the presence of a body of noblemen and gen-
tlemen to whom we owe scarcely less fealty than to the