The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-18 00:00:00

MR. SHERIDAN, 31. P., AT DUDLEY.

On Monday evening, according to annual custom,
Mr. Sheridan, M.P. for Dudley, met his constitu-
ents and friends in the Rose Hill School Room, for
the purpose of giving them some account of his
proceedings and votes during the past session, and
his opinions upon the questions which would occupy
the attention of Parliament during the coming
session. Mr. RUSSELL occupied the chair.
The CHAIRMAN briefly opened the proceedings
by alluding to the unfortunate national bereave-
ment which had just taken place, and the doubts
that consequently arose as to the propriety of hold-
ing the meeting that evening. As, however,
disappointment would have ensued if the hon,
member had not made his appearance, they deter-
mined upon holding the meeting.
Mr. SHERIDAN, who was received with loud
cheers, after some introductory remarks, proceeded
to refer to the proceedings of parliament during
the last session, dwelling chiefly upon the subjects
of church rates and reform. Referring next to the
death of the Prince Consort, he said nothing could
be more startling to the already unnerved mind of
the people concerning the question of England's
honour, and the great uncertainty of war and
peace, than to find at that moment, stricken down
from their own side, the consort of their own
Queen, It was not the simple question of one who
in the full tide of health and vigour had fallen,
but it was one that was taken away to whom all
glances were directed, one on wham all hopes were
centred, one set far above us all, and one who
had arrested our sympathies in the midst of
great dangers. It was not too much to say that he
was one who had earned the regard and esteem of
all classes of his adopted country. (Hear.) It was
not to be disguised that he was not alone the fore•
most gentleman of the land. He was a great
scholar, a distinguished naturalist, a man devoted
to science, a great patron of art, a profound philoso.
pher, and a man endowed with singular perception
and acuteness, and certainly the author of those
great international exhibitions which have made
England famous to the furthermost ends of the
earth; but what was of more consequence, he was
of eminent service in the councils of the State.
(Hear, hear.) Placed by his lofty position above
the strife of politics, far removed from all the in-
fluences of wealth, and even from the objects of
ambition, he brought to the councils of his Sove-
reign a grave intelligence, which was of so much
importance in all those great questions of national
policy which so much affected the nation. He would
not allude to the intense anxiety and undying sor-
row which must attach to her who had thus been
deprived of her consort. We all have our worldly
interests. She had but one interest, and that was
the interest of that narrow circle—her husband and
her children. The result of Prince Albert's wisp
intelligence had not only been peace and 20 years
of constitutional Government, but 20 years reign so
beneficent, that Queen Victoria was now seated in
the hearts of her people, and established in the
affections of the millions who owned her sway
Referring to the American question, Mr
Sheridan said they were all interested in a

questions involving the honour of our country.
(Hear, hear.) There doubtless were people who
would be benefited by a cessation of the American
tear, but this was a great question, and one that not
only affected them locally but the whole country.
(Hear.) In judging of a great question, the only
way to arrive at a right decision was to see what
our enemies said about us. They would say that
England had felt herself so aggrieved by the
blockade of the South by the North because cotton
was of so material a consequence to her, that whether
by just or unjust means she resolved that the block-
ade should be raised. If asked on what assumption
they based their theory, they would say that for
some time past, and before the Trent affair, England
had been sending to Canada a portion of her best
troops ; she had been sending there some of her
most warlike stores; she had centred in Canada all

the military means she could spare from her own
country; and under the pretence of interfering in
Mexican affairs, where two or three vessels only
were required, she had sent thirty or forty, and had
crowded the Mexican Gulf with her war steamers.
All this they would point to, and they would say
England had only done all this in order that she
might pick a quarrel with her brethren across the
Atlantic. But was that so? Was it possible that
upon an affront which we believed to be mortal,
and which he believed to be inexcusable—the firing
of shot and shell across the bows of one of our
vessels—was it possible that in resenting such
an affront our calumniators should say we wanted
to pick a quarrel ? International legal straws
might be split upon our position, and to this extent
he believed the American people agreed with us—
they said that if Commander Wilkes had carried
that vessel into a neutral port, and there have
had the question of a surrender of the two com-
missioners submitted to the impartial judgment of a
neutral Court of Admiralty, then we should have
been satisfied—(hear, hear)—because although the
Americans had not recognised the rights of the
South as belligerents, England had done so. Eng-

land in the case of the Nashville said by the ♦oice
of the Admiralty Judge that she recognised the
South as a belligerent, and therefore considered the
North and the South to have equal rights. Doing
that then, and being a neutral power ourselves, we
certainly could not but object to the removal of two
passengers from under the protection of our flag.

:Applause.) America should have taken that ye;

sol into a neutral port, and have had the point de-
cided by a neutral judge. (Hear, hear.) But he
was sure the meeting agreed with him in this—that
America was at this moment in a state of deep dis•
tress. She was fighting with her own brethren, and
reeling in agony. (Hear, hear.) And a great Power,

armed to the teeth, armed so that no five navies in
the world could make any impression on her, asked

her if she meant to insult it. It was not likely that

America would wish to insult us if she had her

senses about her. (Hear, hear.) And was she in

her senses at such a moment P If so, then we must
stretch forth our strong arm, and we must assert the

.
national dignity come what might. (Cheers.) Let
England in her great magnanimity, however, and
in that prowess in war which could defy France,
Prussia, Spain, and America, say to her brethren
across the Atlantic," Explain this if you can ; apolo-
gise and place these men in a neutral position, sothat
a neutral Power may decide upon the question be-
tween us ; if not, then we will fire our broadside,

which is at the door of the Northern States,
and settle the American question for ever."
(Cheers.) It was more than unfortunate that,

above all others, the occasion selected for this diffi-
culty was the conveyance of Southern ambassadors

to Europe in one of our ships. The North had
charged us with Southern tendencies already, with

being in favour of that part of the States whose
whole constitution was based in slavery. In a speech

made by one of our most temperate legislators, Mr.