The Sun.
London, England, 1861-06-06 00:00:00

PRICE 40. STAMPED, SD,

THE EARL OF ELGIN AND THE
GROCERS' COMPANY,

Last evening the Earl of Elgin was admitted " a
brother Grocer," and entertained at a magnificent
banquet in the hall of the Grocers' Company. The
ceremony of administering the oath of admission to
his lordship having been duly performed in the
drawing-room. the noble earl was conducted to the
hall by Mr. W. J. Thompson, the master, and the
wardens of the company. About 120 gentlemen
sat down to dinner, among whom were the Right
Hon. the Lord Mayor, . the Earl of Hardwicke,
Gen. Peel, Col. M'Murdo, Mr. Thos. Bowring, &c.
The cloth baring been removed,
The MASTER, in appropriate terms, gave the
toasts of " The Queen" and " The Royal Family of
England ;" each of which was responded to with
every demonstration of loyalty and respect.
The MASTER then gave " The Army, the Navy,
and the Volunteers."

The Earl of HARDWICKE returned thanks for the
navy, and said that though the toast might be con-
sidered one that was given as a matter of course,
gallant men on distant service would feel that their
profession was slighted if it were omitted on occa-
sions the present. (Hear.) The public mind was
at this moment directed to improvements in
the navy, and however much these improvements
might draw on the public revenues, it -would be
very unwise not to maintain the naval supremacy
of England. (Cheers.)
General PEEL thanked the company on behalf o
the army, and expressed the gratification which he
experienced front the addition made to the toast
during the last three years. (Hear, hear.) It was
impossible to overstate the effect of the Volunteer
movement, which was beyond anything that could
have been anticipated. (Cheers.)
Colonel M'MunDo acknowledged the compliment
paid to the Volunteers, and said that from what
this new force had already achieved military men
entertained a reasonable hope that, in case of danger,
the Volunteers would become a most important
supplement to the army in the field. (Cheers.)
The MASTER--I now rise to ask you to join me in
doing honour to one whom I have the high privilege
to present to you as a Brother Grocer—Lord Elgin.
(Cheers.) The work of the camp is often but the
prelude to the labours of the Cabinet ; but although
the fields of action differ so widely, and the arms
are of so opposite a character, yet the victory to be
achieved is no less difficult, the results no less im-
portant, and therefore the meed of praise is not less
due to the successful diplomatist than is the chaplet
to the victorious general. (Hear.) By the exercise
of consummate tact, ability, and discretion, Lord
Elgin has saved us from what might have proved a
destructive and protracted war; and by the appli-
cation of those business powers which he has ac-
quired in the steady, though unostentatious atten-
tion to the calls of duty, whenever made, as
Jamaica and Canada can tell, he has succeeded
in making treaties with nations, among the most
peculiar, most interesting, and most populous in the
world, dispelling the mist of fable in which they
have hitherto been enveloped, and opening up a
field for commerce, the area of which it is impossible
even to conjecture. (Cheers.) But we must not
from this low ground alone regard Lord Elgin's
work. If these treaties are carried out by both
parties in a spirit of good faith, may we not antici-
pate the happiest effects from one-third of the human
race being brought in more immediate connexion
with this country ? And I am sure Lord Elgin
will not think his honours dimmed by being re-
garded but as the instrument of that unerring hand
which has guided human civilization from its first
dawn in the fertile plains of India through a long
vista of years to its present glory in Europe, and
which has now led the mighty tide to the far dis-
tant shores of China and Japan. (Hear, hear.) I
give you " The Health of Lord Elgin." (Cheers.)
The Earl of ELGlN—Gentlemen, I can assure you
that I do most unaffectedly say that it is very diffi-
cult for me to find words to express the feelings
which your kind reception this evening gives rise
to in my mind; and those feelings are very greatly
strengthened by your having honoured me before
dinner by that investiture which has enabled your
Master to give me the title of " Brother Grocer."
(Hear.) About this day last year was that on
which the vessel which was carrying out to China
the whole Special Embassy met with the disaster
which very nearly resulted in bringing the mission
to a premature close. However, I think I may now
say that we succeeded in bringing the war with
China to a termination—a result which was, in the
first place, due to the gallant army, and in the next
to the gallant navy, which accompanied the Em-
bassy ; for I must here repeat what I have said
several times before, that though the services of
the army were more conspicuous, those of the navy
were not a whit less important. (Hear, hear.)
believe that this country regards the treaty with
China as of sufficient consequence to have justified
the risk of shipwreck to 20 embassies. As show-
ing what would have been the feeling if the war
with China had been protracted, I may mention
that at a most critical moment of my proceedings
I received a letter written by a friend of mine, a
most eminent statesman, who stated to me that the
war was most unpopular in this country ; that
there had been a discussion on it in a place for
which I have a most profound respect, though I
dare not mention it, and in that place not one single
individual said a word in favour of the war, though
many said a great deal against it. (Laughter, and
" Hear.") That was a most agreeable communica-
tion for a public servant to receive in reference to
an affair which he had to deal with at a distance
of 10,000 miles from his own country. (Laughter.)
The letter went on to say that the universal opi-
nion was that what we wanted in this country
was, not political relations, which led to war, but
trade, which did not. I confess for myself that I
entirely adopted that sentiment ; but after my ex-
perience in China, I must be permitted to doubt
that you can have trade with that country without
political relations. (Hear, hear.) You may have
trade with a civilized country without political
relations, but in China, if there was no conven-
tion, the authorities might at any moment
ire-
fuse to allow merchants to trade at all, or m-
' pose regulations that virtually would amount to
a prohibition. (Hear, bear.) Some years ago a
merchant vessel was anehored in Canton, and an
anniversary—the King's birthday, perhaps—occur-
ring, the men fired a salute. A woman was killed
by a wadding from one of the guns, and the Man-
darin at that port said, " We will have no more
trade with you till the man who fired the shot which
caused the woman's death is given up. If I am cor-
rectly informed the man was given up. I should like
to know what master of an English ship would in
the present day give up a man for having dis-
charged his duty, to be disembowelled or perhaps
a still more cruel fate. (Hear, hear.) I repeat
that I agree with those who think that it is not
political relations, but trade that we want with
China; but we adopt political relations as indispen-
sable to trade.
i (Hear, hear.) We may congratu-
late ourselves n having secured these; and I am
happy to say that all the news which I have re-
ceived from China since my return home induces
me to believe that our relations are established on
such a footing as they are not likely to be disturbed
n future. (Cheers.)
After some other toasts, the company separated.

THE DISPUTE IN THE BUILDING TRADE.—EarIy
yesterday morning information was sent to the central com-
mittee that notices were posted up in the yards of a large
firm carrying on extensive works in the metropolis, that
from and after this week they intend paying their workmen
by the hour. The men understand that those not accepting
these terms will be at once discharged. It is expected that
the example of the firm above referred to will be followed to-
day by others. The masons declare that should this be the
case they will at once withdraw all their men at work in the
metropolitan firms. The bricklayers have called meetings
for Thursday and Friday evenings in different distadrictstof
the metropolis to decide as to whether they sh.all
of
fopthae
similar course ; while a united delegate melting
carpenters, painters, and plasterers is too bbje'l:seeoledbtrolonnigtteFdridfaoyr
evening, when the following plan is to
and
painters
will
consideration :—" That if the carp
ture, the plasterers will recommend thereon f
podausced. The plasterers
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rs out frog those
tfirramdes,
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introduced.
to regulate the payment of their men. That no compromise
be entered into without the consent of the three trades."
By this plan it is intended to place the plasterers in front
of the battle, they being the best organised body. It is
necessary to say, however, that this plan was agreed
uponlarge
ge
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of the detective force, charged witteh° Russel-street, Covent-
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paintings, the whole valued at £2(lo;anlArAea-
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ing to paw,. —V& tao cameos. lie Wttfs remanded.