The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-23 00:00:00

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LONDON, THURSDAY, JAN. 23, 1868.

A grand banquet was given last evening to her

MAJESTY'S Ministers by the Bristol Conservative

Association. Unfortunately the PREMIER and the
CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER were prevented
from attending, but a numerous and brilliant

gathering appeared. The toast of the evening was
received with the greatest enthusiasm, and Lord
STANLEY responded to it in a speech distinguished
by the common sense and clear-ightedness for

which he is so remarkable. After returning thanks

on behalf of himself and his colleagues, absent and

present, for the very cordial greeting which their

names had received, the noble lord proceeded to

touch upon some of those points of interest and ill

portance which are at present before the public

As he emphatically expressed it, " A political career
in this country involves grave responsibilities, fre-

quent anxieties, occasional obloquy, and no incon
siderable amount of labour." This is perfectly true

but, as Lord t. TANLEY said, no one is forced into
the public service, only it must not be considered

that it has no drawbacks, and for the most part few
would devote themselves to it were it not for the

hope that they might render some service to
England, and also merit the goodwill and
gratitude of their fellow-couutrymen. Exaggera-

tion is not at all in the line of the noble lord

Few public speakers can claim greater immunity
from the charge, and certainly there is no false
colouring in the remark here met with, that her

MAJESTY'S Ministers have been passing through a

period of peculiar trial and difficulty. More than
" ordinary responsibility has, in truth, fallen to

their lot, and hence any manifestation of ap-
proval, on the part of their countrymen, comes
with peculiar appropriatness, and is appreciated

accordingly. When they undertook to bring in the
measure they believed would be the most conducive to
the gain and good of the public, the Ministers did

not think that all would agree with them, even
among those whose political tendencies were in com-
mon on ordinary occasions. The majority, how-

ever, did, as we all know, accept the offer proposed
to them." And Lord STANLEY speaks most earnestly
of the manner in which their support was given.

" Under these trying circumstances, the Conserva-
tive party stood by those whom it had chosen for its
leaders with a firm, a generous, and an unwearied
confidence, which I, for one, shall never forget.'

This tribute is well merited, for the Conservative
members of the House of Commons exhibited
a patriotism deserving of all honour, and that will
long remain to their credit in the annals cf Parlia-
ment. The entertainment of last evening was
another indication of the favour with which the
country in general has regarded the efforts of her
MAJESTY'S Government, for the zeal they displayed
in the public service, and fur what Lord STANLEY
designates " the wise discretion they exercised in
declining to place themselves in antagonism to the
deliberately expressed wish of the nation."
Of one thing we may be certain, that whether in
or out of office we shall not be misled by Lord
STANLEY'S speeches to mistake the position of
affairs. He tells the truth however unpalatable it
in taking a glance at the
may be, and accordingly,
situation last night, he admitted that the circum-
stances of the moment were not in all respects
satisfactory. We have a war on our hands, if it is
a little one ; we have commercial depression, dis-
tress severe and protracted among the working
classes ; and we have discontent in Ireland. But
it would have rendered all these evils much more in-
jurious if we had at the same time to encounter the
just displeasure of a large part of the poorer popu-
lation for being deprived of their political rights'
The noble lord admits that the change just effected
is a serious one, but he does not distrust the conse-
quences, though no one can possibly estimate them
fully just at present. We would direct particular
attention to that passage in Lord STANLEY'S speech
iu which he dwells upon the errors people are prone
to fall into about the changes of the Reform Bill.
As for the country being entirely thrown into the
power of the new voters, as he justly puts it, who
can say that during the last thirty years the small
tradesmen and tenant-farmers who have formed
the majority of the constituencies have directed in a
peculiar sense the making or administraion of the
laws. As to the argument that we shall become like
the colonies, the noble lord says we are not a
colony, but a country with old traditions and social
habits, and " it is not likely that wealth fairly
used, and culture, real as well as showy, will easily
lose in England the influence which they at pre-
sent possess over the English people." How
much truer is this definition than the notion
of our " future masters" on one side and
complete subversion of the existing order of things
on the other. The fact is we are neither going to
the bad nor yet going to have a Democra

millennium.
As for the education of the people, it is satisfac-
tory to hear, on goad authority, that the Conserva-
tive party are not one whit behind their political
opponents in desiring it, and in the power to deal
with it. Lord DERBY was the founder of the
system of national education still extant in Ireland,
and Sir J. PAKINGTON long ago had to do with
the English part of the question. The noble
lord thinks that he can discern something like
business in the aspect of affairs relating to this
vital question. There is a disposition manifested
to take what i 3 given in a fair spirit. The secular
system of 1830 is done for, and the Voluntaries are
giving up their objections as to State interfer-
ence; so that, while difficulties still:remain, some of
the most serious obstacles are vanished.
The state of Ireland was alluded to at some
length in this discourse, and it was truly designated