The Sun.
London, England, 1850-10-29 00:00:00

spectators, and amidst the most enthusiastic acclama-
tions. The second ceremony was rendered more in-
teresting from the fact that it took place in the parish
of the Mary Magdalene, Hasting., in which the Lord
Mayor was born, and in the presence of many of
those early and attached friends who bad witnessed
the honourable career of their distinguished towns-
man, and were now assembled to congratulate Hui
on the occasion of big revisiting his native spot as
chief magistrate of the first city of the world.
The new portion of the line commences at Ashford,
and is about 29 miles in length. It passes for the
greater part of its course through the flat and fertile
district called Romney Marsh, the greater part of the
soil of which is so fertile that it is said 12 or 15 crops
of wheat can be obtained off it without manure, and
the farmers in the days of England's agricultural
prosperity were called "yellow pockets." There is as
yet only one line of rails laid down over a considerable
portion of the line, but the whole of the line is
ballasted, and the other line of rails ready for laying,
so that the line can be completely finished and opened
to the public in a fortnight from this date. The
ceremony of yesterday would have been deferred a
little longer, but Monday was the only day the Lord
Mayor had at his disposal before the termination of
his mayoralty. None of the stations are at present
completed, and it will evidently require considerable
exertion to have all prepared for public traffic before
the end of next month. It is needless to say that
Hastings was in a state of unusual bustle, excitement.
and animation; and the long line of carriages and
cabs as they proceeded through the streets of the town
to the hotel, were greeted with loud and enthusiastic
cheering.

The train on leaving returned to Hastings.
The company were conveyed to the Swan Hotel,
where an elegant dejeiiner was served up. The hour
fixed for the arrival of the guests was one o'clock,
but owing to the unavoidable delays to which we have
referred, it was nearly four o'clock before all were
seated, their appetites much sharpened by the delay
and the fresh and invigorating sea-breeze of the coast.
The chair was taken by James MacGregor, Esq.,
chairman of the board of directors, who was sup-
ported on his right by the Lord Mayor of London,
and on his left by Sir Frederick Smith, who was pre-
sent as a guest, and not in his capacity of a Govern-
ment railway inspector. Between fifty and sixty of
the gentlemen connected with the line or the towns
through which it passed were present.
" The Health of her Majesty the Queen, bis Royal
Highness Prince Albert, the Prince of \Vales, and the
rest of the Royal Family," having been given from
the chair, and duly honoured,
The CHAIRMAN rose and gave "The Health of
the Lord Mayor of London," who had that day
honoured them by completing the works on the im-
portant line that connected Hastings with the county
of Kent, and formed the last link in the great chain of
railway coast communication from Ramsgate to Ply-
moutb.—(Loud cheers.) As to the importance of
the line in a military point of view, he could not
speak of it in higher terms than to quote the
words of his Grace the Duke of Wellington, who
had expressed his high opinion of its importance for
the defence of the country, and that opinion had been
repeated by one who was distinguished as a states-
man, who bid fair to follow in the footsteps of him
who was " the observed of all observerb"—he meant
the Marquis of Dalhousie, the Governor-General of
India.—(Cbeers.) The Lord Mayor had that day
shown himself a master workman—he bad turned
the last link in the chain.

" On the huge anvil forged the massive chain,
With cramp in cramp the fabric to sustain."
(Cheers.) After complimenting the Right Hon. Gen-
tleman on the high and distinguished position he had
atttained, and wishing him every happiness and pros-
perity, the Chairman concluded by giving " The
health, of tha Lord :Mayor of London. '—(Cheers.)
The LORD MAYOR returned thanks. He was fully
sensible of the great honour they had done him in in-
viting him to lay the last hand to the important work
that had been that day completed. He had no doubt
that the line which was just completed would prove
highly advantageous to a town in the prosperity of
which he felt so deep an interest. He should remem-
ber the present occasion with unfeigned sentiments
of pleasure to the last day of his life. He was gra-
tified to find that while discharging the important
duties of Lord Mayor of London he had obtained
tie approval of his friends and fellow-citizens. He
felt proud as a Sussex man of the distinguished posi-
tion in which he had been placed, and concluded by
thanking the company for the distinguished compli-
ment they had paid him.
The CHAIRMAN then gave, " Prosperity to the
borough of Hastings." He was happy to think that
in the performance of his duty in administering the
affairs of the South. Eastern Rail*ay Company, he
had been enabled to accomplish a work which could
not fail to conduce most materially to the prosperity
of that ancient and loyal borough. He had confi-
dence in himself, notwithstanding what had been
said by Lord Dalhousie, that a railway to Hastings
would not pay, and that the burden of its construc-
tion should be given to those who had already the
largest share and the greatest extent of profitable
railway communication in the county of Kent—not-
withstanding all that, he still believed that it would
eventually pay, be a profitable tributary to the South-
Eastern line, and that the labours of Mr. Hoof, their
contractor, and of their able engineer, Mr. Barlow,
would be crowned with the most complete success.
He begged, in the name of the visitors, to thank the
town and corporation of Hastings for the handsome
reception they had given them, and would couple
with the toast " The health of the Mayor, Mr.
Scriven."—(Loud cheers.)
Mr. SCRFVEN (Mayor of Hastings) returned
thanks, and expressed his belief that the completion
of the line would materially tend to develops the re-
sources and capital of the town and district. Ile
gave " The health of their worthy Chairman, Mr.
MacGregor."—(Great cheering.)
The CHAIRMAN returned thanks in appropriate
terms, and gave, as the last toast of the evening, " The
Lady Mayoress," to which the Lord Mayor res-
The chair was then taken by the Mayor of Hest-
ponded.
ings, and Mr. MacGregor and the party who had
accompanied him from London returned to their
carriages, and proceeded back to Ashford, which they
reached at a quarter to nine o'clock. The train then
started down the Dover line to Folkestone, arriving
there at a quarter-past nine.
At the Pavilion Hotel a very sumptuous banquet
was prepared by Mr. Breach, formerly of the. London
Tavern ; and here the capacity of the guests for the
enjoyment of the good things of this life was severely
tested by the appetizing temptations set before them
for the second time in the course of their interesting
excursion. The exhiliration produced by a long
ride through the varied scenery of the Sussex coast,
the gratifying nature of the proceedings at which they
had assisted, and the good humour in which all the
party were, all contributed to promote digestion, and
to enable the majority to acquit themselves credit-
ably in the eyes of the worthy host of the Pavilion.
Mr. MacGregor again did the honours of the banquet
to his various guests, and after the dessert had been
placed on the table,
The usual loyal toasts were given and cordially rc -
sponded to.
The CHAIRMAN then gave "The Army and Navy,"
coupling with them the names of Sir Frederick Smith
and Captain Mercer.
meeting
Sir FREDERICK SMITH returned thanks. He had
feltsnofficer
andl pleasure s
aunr e
engineerthat
felt
the great
f
his friendsimport-
ance o
the county of Kent, and in accompanying the chair-
man and his guests to Hastings by the new line. As
of the line the works of which had just been
completed. He believed that railways were some of
the best defences of the country from foreign invasion.
—(Hear, hear.) England did not maintain a large
standing army, but she had stout and
honest heats—
(Cheers)—and he believed
nothing would contribute
more to give power and affect to their resources than
to have points in case of attack at which to concen-
trate their forces. It was a mistake to suppose that
a line merely along the coast was the best for defence;
one a little removed from the coast was far superior
for such a purpose, and he believed tbat no line could
be better calculated for military defence than that
which had been adopted by the South-Eastern Com-
pany.—(Loud cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN then gave " The Healths of Mr.
Deedes, Mr. Brockman, and the other Members of
Parliament who had honoured them with their pre-
sence."
Mr. DEEDES having acknowledged the compliment,
The CHAIRMAN then gave " The Health of the Lord
Mayor of London.—(Cheers.) He thought it was a
thing to be marked that the Lord Mayor of London
should complete a great and important national work
in the parish in which he was born.—(Cheers.) It
was unnecessary for him to eulogise the public cr
private character of the Lord Mayor, but all who
knew him in that part of the country were aware
that he was highly esteemed and respected in the
town in which he was born ; during his long and
honourable career he had done a great deal of good
to the district with which he was connected, and had
secured the esteem and affection of his friendsr
ig
s
neighbours.—(Cheers.) After alluding to the 11
adjusting
and activity he had that day displayed , _
the last brick, and expressing pod-butuourea DoPe