The Sun.
London, England, 1866-12-31 00:00:00

DinLer at Cowes to the New York Yacht

The extraordinary, yet very natural, excitement
under which Cow es has laboured during the past
week, and in which, indeed, every town and ham-
let in the kingdom have in a certain lesser degree
participated, reached its culminating point on Satur-
day, in the banquet given by the inhabitants of
Cowes to the officers and gentlemen amateurs of
the New York Club squadron now anchored in
Cowes roadstead, and comprising the three beau-
tiful schooners Henrietta, Fleetwing, and Vesta—
names that are " household words" in every city of
the great republic by reason of their yachting
triumphs, and for the same reason equally familiar
to every English yachtsman. The banquet was
given in the dining hall of the Gloster Hotel, the
old quarters of the Royal Yacht squadron, which
was tastefully decorated for the occasion, floral
wreaths and festoons running round the cornice
over trophies of flags and emblematic devices, the
panels of the wallEk of the apartment being filled
with paintings and illuminated photographs on glass
illustrating episodes in the careers of the most cele-
brated of our English yachts. Among the most
noticeable of the mottoes on the walls were—" God
bless the Queen and President ;" " Separated, not
divided ;" " N.Y.Y.C. and R.Y.S." In the imme-
diate vicinity of the chair was placed a large en-
graving representing the delivery of the Arctic ship
Resolute by the officers of the United States' Navy
to the British naval officers at Chatham, after the
arrival of that ship, in England on her recovery
from the Arctic Seas by our American brethren.
Sir John Simeon, M.P., was in the chair, having
on his right Commodore Vickar, of the New York
Yacht Club, and on his left Major-General Sey-
mour, Equerry to the Queen ; the other guests in
the immediate vicinity of the chair comprising, Mr.
James G. Bennett, jun., of the New York, Herald,
and owner of the Henrietta ; Colonel Taylor,
United States' Army ; Mr. L. Lorillard, of the
Vesta ; the United States' Consul at Southampton ;
the Mayor of Newport; Capt. Luard, her Majesty's
ship Hector; Capt. Brown, R.N., secretary, Royal
Yacht Squadron. The vice-chair was filled by Mr.
J. Binfield Bird, the chairman of the Banquet Com-
mittee, having on his right and left Capt. S. Samuels,
of the Henrietta; Capt. Thomas, of the Fleetwing ;
Capt. Johnson, of the Vesta ; Capt. Kitt ; Mr. W.
Fiske, and other American gentlemen. Covers were
laid for 110. The cards of invitation issued were
beautifully got up in colours by Smith, of Cowes,
and each was beaded with the flags of America and
England, held with clasped bands. The dinner and
the wines were most creditable to the Messrs. Jones,
of the Gloster and Fountain Hotele, the purveyors.
Grace was said by the Rev. Mr. Atkinson, the
vicar of Cowes.

The CHAIRMAN, in rising to propose the first
toast, said, although the party assembled was a
numerous one, it would have been much more so
had not many gentlemen who were anxious to be
present been prevented from attending ; and his
first duty was to read the letters of apology which
he bad received: lie then read letters explaining
their cause of absence from the Prince Leiningen,
Sir John Cowell, Major-General Biddulph, Rear-
Admiral Sir J. Hammond, Rear-Admiral Ratsey,
Mr. Tennyson, Poet Laureate ; Mr. J. Stephenson,
C.E. ; Commodore Balliston, Admirals Love, Cro-
zier, &c. He then said that the first toast always
drunk in every assembly of Englishmen was the
health of her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen.
(Cheers.) They were at all times ready to drink
that toast with expressions of loyal attachment to
their constitutional Sovereign, who so admirably
discharged her high and responsible duties ; but
sitting, as they now did, almost under the shadow
of the towers of Osborne, they might be excused if
a sentiment rather more personal and tender ani-
mated them on the present occaskIn. (Cheers.) He
begged to give " The Health of her Majesty the
Queen," with all respect, loyalty, and affection
which could be thrown into the toast. (Cheers.)

The toast was drunk with all the honours.

The CHAIRMAN said he had now to c 111 on them
to fill their glasses to " The Health of the President
of the United States." (Cheers.) On an occasion
like the present they were delighted to pay a public
compliment to one filling that important position—
a man who had been selected by his fellow-country-
men—by that mighty nation across the Atlantic—
to be their leader and representative. (Cheers.)
They were quite aware that at this moment there
might be reasons why the policy pursued by the
President might not be considered satisfactory to all
parties in the United States. That was not the
time or place to discuss that question. (Cheers.)
Everybody, however, must admit, whatever their
prepossessions might be, that no one could have
more earnestly pursued or more decidedly carried
out the course of policy which, rightly or wrongly,
the President believed to be essential to the interests
of the country. (Cheers.) All they had to do, and
he was sure the • sentiment would be unanimously
responded to around that table, was to express an
earnest wish that the policy of the President might
be so guided and controlled as to be conducive to
the peace, prosperity, and best interests of that
great country, with which we were so nearly con-
nected by every tie of blood and interest. (Cheers.)
He proposed, with all the honours, " the _Health of
the President of the United States." (Cheers.)

The toast was drunk with all the honours.

The CHAIRMAN, in giving "the health of the
Prince and Princess of \Vales and the rest of the
Royal Family," said there never was a Royal
Family so carefully trained and anxiously educated
to fulfil the duties expected of them as the Royal
Family of this country. (Cheers.) In their do-
mestic, social, and public relations the members of
the Royal Family had from first to last been all that
the English community could wish or desire, and
en such occasions as the present they were, there-
fore, always sure of having their names received
with the utmost cordiality. (Cheers.)
The ClIAIR3IAN, in giving the next toast, said it
would be found slightly varied from the form in
which it was usually given at public dinners. They had
long been accustomed to toast the army and navy of
England ; but, in the presence of their distinguished
guests from over the water, he proposed to alter the
toast, and he was quite sure they would be delighted
to adopt the alteration, and drink to the united
armies and navies of the United States and Great
Britain. (Cheers.) They knew and their fathers
had known what their own army and navy were ;
that army and navy had been supplanted by their
great corps de reserve, and he had no doubt they
would be found able to do all their predecessors
had done before them. They now also knew what
the army and navy of the United States were.
They had long known what the navy of the United
States was, but it had been reserved for this gene-
ration to arrive at a true appreciation of the United
States' army. During the last few years they
seemed to have the facility not only of creating
armies, but of improvising generals for them.
(Cheers.) He looked upon it that the United
States and Great Britain united were the greatest
security for the peace and liberty of the world.
(Cheers.) We in England relied on the prestige of
a glorious past ; our brethren on the other side of
the Attantic seemed to him to possess all the
vigour, the strength, and the indomitable energy
of youth. (Cheers.) Long may the Union to
which they now drank continue. (Cheers.) He
had great pleasure in giving "The Armies and
Navies of the United States and of Great Britlin,
of"
th
coupling with the toast Colonel Taylor,
United States Army ; General Seymour, of thee British Army ; and Captain Luard, of the British
Navy.
The toast was drunk with all the liononm

Colonel TAYLOR, who was loudly cheered, said —
I would that some gentleman more capable than
myself were present from America to respond to
the toast which you have just been pleased to offer.
But I am very sure that my friends who have
crossed with me in the three yachts the December
Atlantic will join with me in expressing our most
heartfelt thanks for the very great courtesy you
have extended towards us in remembering on this '
occasion the army and navy of the United States.
I need not say how great is the pleasure I ex-
perience in replying to a toast which in its senti-
ment blends together the names of Great Britain