The Sun.
London, England, 1866-05-11 00:00:00

THE BUNT, LONDON, FRIDAY EVEN MO, MAY 11, ISM,

of railway continued, it was, of course, impossible
that any improvement could be looked for in the
Nulhatee traffic_ The points in connection with it
which Mr. Wilson was to bring prominently to the
notice of the Government of India were—the for-
mation of a bridge of boats across the river Bhagi-
ruttee, with proper approaches to it, and the pro-
vision by the East Indian Railway of a certain
number of waggons daily for the accommodation of
the goods traffic ; and should effect be given to
these arrangements it might then be hoped that the
traffic on the line would be found to steadily in-
crease. The Secretary of State had consented to
allow the Lucknow and Cawnpore line a trial for
two years from the date of opening for traffic (about
the close of the year) before requiring the com-
pany to execute a contract for the construction of
their whole system of railways, provided the direc-
tors would engage that at the end of that time, or at
the end of four years from the 25th day of March
last, whichever may be the shorter period of the
two, if not prepared to execute the contract on
terms to be approved by the Government of India,
in full property, the Lucknow and Cawnpore line,
on being reimbursed the amount expended by them
upon it, less any debt which might be due from
them to the Secretary of State or to the Government
of India. On this understanding the Secretary of
State had also been pleased to grant a loan of
£60,000 to the company to bear interest at 5 per
cent. per annum for three years, on the security of
the company's debentures for a similar amount.

The report of the acting chief engineer stated with
regard to Lucknow and Cawnpore line that the em-
bankments, cuttings, bridges, and culverts were
finished. The line was ballasted throughout and
waiting for the permanent way. The ditch and
mound fencing was finished. The level crossings
were nearly finished, and there was no doubt that
the stations and all would be ready by the time the
permanent way was laid. The capital account showed
that £322,839 had been expended to Dec. 31 last,
leaving a balance in hand of £B,OlO. The revenue
account of the Nulhatee line, 27 miles in length,
amounted for the half-year to £2,771 and the ex-
penditure to £2,169, or 78.26 per cent., leaving a
balance of £602.

Working Men's Club and Institute Union.

A public dinner in aid of the funds of this society
was held last evening at the Freemasons' Tavern—
Duke of Argyll in the chair. Amongst the company
were Earl Grosvenor, Lord Lyttelton, Mr. Layard,
M.P., Sir J. Pakington, M.P., Earl of Lichfield,
Dr. W. Fairbairn, Lord Paulet, Mr. J. Heywood,
and the Hon. D. Fortescue.

The formal toasts were given from the chair.
The CHAIRMAN, in giving " The Army, Navy,
and Volunteers," said he feared those engaged in
military operations would soon have a large field
for their practical energies. His right hon. friend
the Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs smiled at
that remark, but it was probably with no very cam-
fortable mind. While we all earnestly hoped peace
might be preserved in Europe, he certainly should
be deceiving the company if he said he expected
peace. Nevertheless he hoped we should keep out of
the great contest which was likely to take place, and
that if it occurred it would terminate in an improve-
ment in the condition of Europe. When he said he
hoped we should keep out of war, he did not do so
on the erroneous principle they were sometimes
charged with holding, that we ought not to take
part in any contest except where our interests were
concerned. He did not hold with that principle at
all. Enry war ought to be defensive, but he did not
hold the doctrine that self was the only thing to de-
fend. (Cheers.) Still we ought to keep out of every
war except where the honour and interest of the
country were concerned, and he did not see that
that was likely to be the case in the war which was
now imminent. The circumstances of the present
time bore a remarkable resemblance to 1858 before
the last great war. At that time the Conserva-
tive party were in office, and he was bound to say
he believed there never was any Government in this
country that strove more earnestly and sincerely to
keep the peace of Europe than did that Government
of Lord Derby. (Cheers.) All the nations were now
willing to say they did not want war, but all the
while they were aiming at and desiring the attain-
ment of objects which could only be secured through
war. (Cheers.)
Major-General Lord F. P a ulet, Colonel Stephen-
son, and Earl Grosvenor replied to the toast.
The CHAIRMAN gave " The clergy and ministers
of all denominations." After expressing his satis-
faction
at the catholic character of the toast, he said
he was-afraid that the great masses of the working
people of our towns stood aloof from any branch of
the Christian Church. Whatever the cause of this
might be, it was not satisfactory. His own strong
suspicion was that the fault was not so much with
the working classes as with the clergy of the Chris-
tianthinca“
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common
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Christian
squabbling
uice
aoeanbrtws
churches. This could not be a right state of
e
bloeclihhni Ileigriaincrandme
sloolfnihngwal
toove
sH
aebmuch
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Rev. 11. Boyd re-
sponded.dght lohabmedemleynsi was said

The CHAIRMAN gave the toast of the evening,
" Prosperity to the Working Men's Club and Insti-
tute Union." He said he was very glad to preside
over the meeting for several reasons. We had heard
a good deal, perhaps too much, in recent political
discussions, both for and against the working man.
In the heat of political discussion it was, perhaps,
impossible that there should not be exaggerations on
both sides. He was glad to find that there were
present representatives of all classes of politics.
There were, he hoped, good sound Radicals in the
room ; there certainly were some staunch Conser-
vatives ; and there were also represented the inhabi-
tants of the Cave. (Laughter.) It was fair for
him, on the part of the Liberal party, to say that
those who were politically Conservatives, and
opposed to political change, had very often been the
most energetic supporters of all social reform.
(Cheers.) His grace concluded by making an elo-
quent appeal on behalf of the Working Men's Club,
incidentally remarking that he could not doubt, after
all, that the principle of the trades' unions was a
sound one, and recommending the council to secure
for London a central hall and model club.

" The health of Lord Brougham, the President,
and the Vice-Presidents" was proposed by the
Chairman and enthusiastically drunk.

The Earl of LICHFIELD, one of the vice-presidents,
responded. He said he felt some little disappoint-
ment at the want of success which had attended the
attempts to establish working men's clubs in different
parts of the country. The fault was apathy on the
part of the working men, and the attempt on the part
of the promoters to make the clubs too educational.
For himself he would not exclude beer from the
clubs, because by so doing the very class would be
kept away who ought to be attracted there. (Hear.)
He strongly urged, as a means of improving the con-
dition of the working classes, some alteration in the
system of granting licences to beer-houses.
The Rev. H. SOLI.; the organising director, read
letters of apology, intimating that many distin-
guished men were unable to be present because it
was Ascension Day. Ile also announced subscrip-
tions to the amount of £220.

Sir J. PAKINGTON, M.P., in giving the health of
the chairman, said it was not one party or another
in this country who were anxious to promote the
welfare of our humbler fellow-subjects. It had been
said that the political party with which it was his ill
fortune to be connected never opened their lips on
the subject of the working classes except to impute
to them ignorance and vice. (Hear, hear.) This was
not the occasion when it would be becoming or pro-
per to enter into the question which was now agi-
tating Parliament and society, as to whether we
ought to admit a larger or smaller proportion of the
working classes to a part in our representative sys-
tem, but he could not forbear saying that he knew
of no party or men who wished to exclude the work-
ing classes from our representative system. (Hear.)
Other toasts followed, including " The Health of
the Rev. H. Sony," given by Lord Lyttelton, and
" The social elevation of the working dames," and