The Sun.
London, England, 1861-08-07 00:00:00

Mr. N. Kendall, M.P., took the chair, 185 per-
sons having sat down to dinner.
The CHAIRMAN, in proposing the toast of the
day, said that perhaps it might seem strange that
after they had so enthusiastically drunk ti-e healths
of the Queen , the Prince Consort, and the rest of
the Royal family, they should be assembled there
to do honour to a man who had done his utmost to
dethrone a monarch. (Laughter and cheers.) But
in order to rightly understand their position they
must look at the position of their own happy coun-
try—(cheers)—and the state of the country which
his excellent friend, his old friend and companion,
Colonel Peard—(loud cheers)—had tried to free.
Their neighbour, their brave neighbour, with others,
had been trying, and he (the chairman) hoped had
succeeded in making it free. (Applause.) In Eng-
land we had freedom of thought, freedom of action—
Mr. SARGENT, of Bodmin (interrupting)—No!
(Confusion, and loud cries of " Order," " What do
you mean ?" "Silence.")--
The CHAIRMAN—The gentleman who says " No"
(renewed confusion, and cries of " Who says no ? "
"Don't know what he says and means," " Bosh.")
Mr. KENDALL (continuing)—lf the hon. gentle.
man—(a laugh)—who had interrupted him had lived
as long as he had, and had seen as much as he had,
he would not only not have interrupted him, but
would also have learnt the value of t le wonderful
institutions which existed in this country. (Cheer-
ing.) But, perhaps, if he did differ from him, he
would be kind enough not to interrupt him, and he
would promise him that he wouldn't be long—(" Go
on, don't mind him")—for he wished them to hear
not him, but his old friend, Col. Peard, tell his own
story—(cheers)—of what he had seen and done.
(Hear.) He (the chairman) contended, because he
had seen it by comparisons, that they had got the
finest institution in the world. (Cheers.) They had
got a free press. (Cheers.) They had judges of the
land above suspicion. (Applause.) They had juries
who were impartial. (Hear, hear.) They had the
highest places in the land opened to men of the
lowest extraction. (Hear.) They had the clergy of
the different denominations with religious liberty.
Their clergy were always ready to give them in-
struction, and not attempt to exercise any undue in-
fluence or power over them. (Cheers.) What had
they in Italy ? If the hon. gentleman who inter-
rupted him had been in Italy, he would have known,
as he (the chairman) did, that they had neither
the one thing nor the other there. (Hear.) Where
was their civil and religious liberty ? What were
their monarchs ? Why, they were in the hands of
the priesthood ; what the priesthood said they did.
Having made other remarks upon the condition of
Italy under the Bourbon rule, he said, I will ask
whether such a country as that has not our sym-
pathy ? (Loud cheers.) Perhaps they would say
that neither the people nor the climate had any-
thing to recommend Italy. He had been in
Italy, and'knew the climate, and had loved and
admired it • He had been there again and again.
No man could recollect these sunny skies without
wishing that liberty reigned under those skies.
(Cheers.) Who had been there and had seen the
wonderful monuments of Italy, and knew that they
were raised by Italy's architects; who had been
there, and had ever read their poetry—and he had
read their poetry, and knew and loved their poetry ;
who had been there, and had seen their paintings
he had seen the best in Italy; who had been
there, and would not wish that the people who could
do such great things should not enjoy, as they did,
liberty ? (Cheers.) They had the Austrian rule,
backed by the priesthood. Who would not wish to
see them free ? (" Yes, yes," and cheers.) Well,
perhaps there might be a great difference of opinion
there—perhaps a great difference of opinion here.
(A laugh.) Here they were men of all shades of
politics. He (the hon. chairman) had known Col.
Peard from his boyhood, and he would say one
thing without fear of contradiction, that a braver
boy, a more generous boy, or a cleverer boy he
didn't know. (Cheers.) If there was a row, and
there were ten against him, Peard would join for
the little one. (Bravo.) He always would fight
—(much laughter)—they could not keep him from
fighting. (Oh !) But he was always generous,
always true. He had an honest heart, and they
would forgive him all his faults. (Hear, hear.)
Some people would find fault with his having gone
to Italy for the purpose he did. If they asked an
old sobersides like himself—(oh !)—he might have
said, "Don't go." Perhaps he was wrong to go
—(no)—but when he was there who could watch
that man's career without feeling proud of him—
(cheers)—when they heard people talking about
" Garibaldi's Englishman ?" He believed that no
man had a higher meed of praise than his gallant
friend. (Cheers) He came next to the very fact
of his being called " Garibaldi's Englishman."
Next to their own hero Italians placed their hero.
Garibaldi was in the midst of the fight at all times.
There was the Englishman following his steps, and
so he got the name. Of that name he should be
proud to the day of his death. He understood that
he (Col. Peard) was about to leave them again very
shortly. He hoped if he did get into any further
fight that he would get safely out again.
The toast was then drunk with much enthusiasm.
Col. PEARD, who on rising to respond was received
with renewed cheers, said that he could not express
to them, his brother Cornishmen, the honour which
he felt at being entertained by them that day.
Their worthy chairman had talked about his re-
ceiving praise and honour in a foreign land, but
none, he could assure them, surpassed the honour
which he felt he now received when he considered
that he was a Cornishman. (Applause.) Since he
left England a great movement had taken place ;
he meant the Volunteer movement. (Cheers.) That,
they might be assured, was a movement they all,
as Englishmen, ought to lend a helping hand to,
and support with heart and soul. (Applause.)
After alluding to the personal bravery of English-
men, Col. Peard went on to say that Cornwall was
one of the best countries that could possibly be for
Volunteer defence. In it the Volunteers might defy
any army that could be brought against them.
They would defy any army to pass through such a
country. He did not care how strong they might be
in cavalry or artillery. Volunteer Rifles who knew
how to stand together ih fours, sixes, tens, or dozens,
with the Artillery Volunteers occupying the passes,
would defy any army to go through that county.
(Cheers.) He had himself been a Volunteer with
Volunteers since 1859. At that date, as their
worthy chairman said, he went as a Volunteer with
Gen. Garibaldi in Italy. They had opposed to them
the oldest veterans of the Austrian army. They
(Gen. Garibaldi's Corps) crossed the Ticini with
3,600 men. They threw themselves across the
river into the enemy's country. In about two
days after they fell in with about 6,000 of
the enemy, with artillery and cavalry. Well,
what did they do ? (Cheers.) They went
at them. (Cheers.) They attacked their
artillery with their bayonets, and put them to flight.
They heard no mote of them that day. Of theFa-
valry they saw but little. Of those men (Garibaldi's)
none had been enrolled two months, and some not
more than three weeks ! (Applause.) They shivered
these 6,000 foes. They pursued them mere than
four miles, and some of them retreated as far as 20
miles. The following day they fell in with 10,000
of the enemy, whom they likewise put to flight.
Why ? The volunteer .was fighting for his home,
wife, child, mother, and sister. The others were the
paid soldiers of a tyrannous house. (Hear, hear.)