The Sun.
London, England, 1861-11-11 00:00:00

The guests began to arrive soon after five o'clock,
but it was past seven before they sat down to the
sumptuous repast which the Lord Mayor had pro-
vided. The Duke of Cambridge was received on his
arrival by a guard of honour,composed of members
of the London Rifle Brigade, who gave the usual
military salute, the band striking up the National
Anthem. The cadets of the corps lined the vesti-
bule. His Royal Highness was loudly cheered on
entering the hall, and Lord and Lady Palmerston
were also very enthusiastically greeted by the com-
pany assembled. As the guests arrived they were
introduced to the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress
in the reception room, and in the interval which
elapsed before dinner they occupied themselves in
surveying the various paintings and works of art
with which the corridors and loggias were filled.
The procession to the banquet, which was headed
by the officers of the corporation, and consisted of
the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress and the princi-
pal guests of the evening, passed:round the hall to
the top table, while the military band in the gal-
lery played " The Roast Beef of Old England."
The company included the Duke of Cambridge,
Lord and Lady Palmerston, the Duke of Somerset,
the Marquis and Marchioness'of Salisbury, the Earl
and Countess of Aylesford, Lord Stanley of
Alderley, Sir Geo. Grey, the Danish Minister, the
Honduras Minister, the American Minister, the
Prussian Minister, the Swedish Minister, the Right
Hon, Mr. H. Walpole and Mrs. Walpole, Lord
Colville of Culross, the Right Hon. W. F. Cowper,
Lord Truro, Lord Frederick Paulet, Sir William
Dunbar, Bart., the Right Hon. T. Sotheron
Estcourt, the Right Hon. J. W. Henley, the Right
Hon. Jonathan Peel, Admiral Charles Eden, Capt.
Charles Frederick, Capt. the Hon. J. R. Drummond,
S. Whitbread, Esq., Hon. H. B. W. Brann, G. A.
Hamilton, Esq., Lord Clarence Paget, Arthur Hum-
phreys, Esq., Lord Chief Justice Erle, Vice-Chan•-
cellor Stuart, Vice-Chancellor Page Wood, Mr.
Justice Williams, Baron Channell, Mr. Justice
Blackburn, and other gentlemen.
The dinner and wines were supplied by Messrs
Staples, of the Albion.

Grace from the " Laudi Spirituali" having been
sung by the vocalists in the music gallery, and the
loving cup having passed round,

The'LoßD MAYOR said that, in offering the first
toast to that distinguished assembly, he felt that no
commendation of his was needed, yet he could not
and ought not entirely to refrain from expressing
-the sentiments which the mention of the honoured
name of the Queen never failed to awaken. (Loud
cheers.) Their beloved sovereign occupied a posi-
tion which, when considered in reference to the
vast geographical extent of her great empire, the
numbers, wealth, and intelligence of her people, or
the moralinfiuence of her councils among the nations
of the world, might justly be deemed most exalted.
During the period in which her Majesty had so
happily filled the ancient throne of her royal ances-
tors, notwithstanding trials, difficulties, and dan-
gers of no ordinary nature, her great empire had
from time to time been extending, the numbers,
wealth, and intelligence of her people been in-
creasing anct their prosperity, under the blessing
of Divine Providence, become more and more secure.
The personal attributes of her Majesty has justly
endeared her to all her people. Their loyalty had
assumed a character of devotedness which never
had been, and never could be, exceeded. Long
might their country continue to enjoy the inestim-
able blessings which had marked her beneficent
and glorious reign. (Loud cheers.)
The toast was enthusiastically drunk, and fol-
lowed by the national anthem.
The LORD MAYOR then gave the " Health of his
Royal Highness the Prince Consort, the Prince
of Wales, and the rest of the Royal Family." He
observed that the Prince Consort worthily occupied
a high place in the esteem and regard of the
people of England. His unceasing efforts to
improve their condition, and to develop the means
which tended to their prosperity and comfort, to
raise them in the scale of humanity, to guide their
tastes, and generally to enhance their happiness,
justly entitled him to their affections. (Cheers.)
His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales had
on many occasions, and in an eminent degree,
given an earnest of his qualifications and of his
worthiness for that lofty and exalted position in
which Providence had placed him. The nation had
great reason to be proud of the royal family, and
he had therefore great pleasure in giving the toast.
(Cheers.)
The toast having been duly honoured, Miss
Louisa Vining sang with considerable effect Sir H.
Eisholh beautiful song, " Tell me, my heart."
The LORD
lAYOR said the next toast he had to
propose was--" Our National Defenders." The
decorations upon the walls that evening led the
mind rather to contemplate the continuance of
peace, for their architect
had 'wisely and well done
in offering to them
those symbols which almost in-
duced them to forget that such a ca
am ity as war
ever afflicted the nations of the earth Let us hope
that it might be so. Let us hope that
we
henceforth, for a long time to come at least, be
exemptinight
from the calamities of war ; but, as we never could
entirely reckon upon that, we owed a deep debt
of gratitude to those who, under the blessings
of Divine Providence, caved us from the miseries
of war. (Hear, hear.) Let them then offer thanks
to the brave men who were represented there that
evening by some of the most distinguished of their
al Highness the Duke of
countrymen. His Roy
Cambridge—(hear, hear)—had graciously con-
descended to become the guest of the City of Lon-
don that evening. His Grace the Duke of Somerset,
to whose fostering and energetic care the navy had
been confided, was Men there that evening, and an
important branch of our brave defences, the
national rifle volunteers, was there worthily repre-
sented by Lord Colville. (Cheers.) Without any
further observations he would invite them to join
-.tin showing our gratitude to our army, our navy,
and our volunteers.

The Duke of CAMBRIDGE, who was greeted with
long applause, said—My Lord Mayor, ladies and
gentlemen, I rise sin the name of the army, to re-
the Lord spored tothe toast
which has been so gracefully given
by Mayor, I:m4 I take
this opportunity of