The Sun.
London, England, 1850-07-22 00:00:00

LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, JULY 22, lB5O.

Noble Lord concluded by proposing Lord John Rus-
sell and her Majesty's Mtiisters," which were drunk
with the usual honours.

The toast was drunk amid loud applause.
• The ATTORNEY-GENERAL, in replying, said that he
could have been well pleased that it had fallen to
some person other than himself to have re-
turned thanks on the present occasion for the
honour which had been conferred on him, in com-
mon with her Majesty's Ministers, by drinking their
healths in the manner they had; and ho should have
been better pleased had he been more competent, from
standing higher ie the scale of her Majesty's Ministers,
to have stated more fully and completely those principles
which, as he believed, actuated all their opinions and sen-
timents.—(Hear.) But he considered it no slight honour
to be called upon on the present occasion to return
thanks for them, because, from the very earliest moments
that he could recollect, what were his sentiments,
he could recollect that they were connected with
those sentiments of the freedom, and progress, and im-
provement of liberal institutions which actuated every
feeling, every motive, and every measure which was
brought forward by her Majesty's Government. He
felt it also the more strongly, because he considered that
no usual degree of honour was conferred on the present
occasion upon her Majesty's Ministers, when there was
an assembly like this which he saw around him meeting
there for no other purpose than to give honour to that
nobleman who presided over foreign affairs—(Cheers)—
who, as he (the Attorney-General) believed, cared
merely to effect those principles and opinions which ac-
tuated the whole Cabinet, and the carrying out of them
as the representative of this country with respect to
foreign countries; and he felt it the more strongly be-
cause that Noble Lord had thrown this perfection of the
power of this people over every inhabitant of the
country, and that he had made not merely the citizens
of England abroad, but the citizens of England at home,
feel their hearts burn within them when they said that
they were English citizens. He (the Attorney- General)
had always thought that it was the greatest test of im •
provement when they discovered weakness in any insti-
tution which it was their object to improve, while the
greatest defect was to suppose that perfection could
exist—(bear, hear)—and in his opinion, no institution,
or anything connected with institutions, could ever, by
any possibility come to be made perfect. It was not
given to public affairs, but it might become nearly per-
fect, and it was the sacred duty of every Government
so to make such reforms as closely and accurately to
arrive at that perfection which existed only in the idea
of man.—(Hear, hear.) It was therefore necessary con-
stantly to keep a watchful eye over every institution of
the country, from the lowest to the highest, to discover
how to make reforms and improvements in every branch,
and it was because he believed that that was the firm
conviction of her Majesty's Government—that it was
their desire and their wish—it was for those reasons he
felt the greater pride in returning thanks on the present
occasion, and it gave him also a greater pride in thinking
that he was connected with that Government, and made
him wish that the company should feel, as intimately as
he did, the anxiety which he, in common with his col-
leagues, entertained that the institutions of this country
should be so far perfect as to be made to be as conducive
as possible to the happiness of every class, from the
highest to the lowest.—(Cheers.) He returned his sin-
cere thanks on behalf of the Government, for the honour
which they had done them in drinking their health on
the present occasion.—(Loud cheers.)
Sir G. STRICKLAND, M.P., had to propose " The
Peers who supported the foreign policy of the Govern-
ment in the Lords." He could not help expressing a
regret that a majority of that House, which was an es-
sential branch of the British constitution, should have
been led astray by the talented eloquence of one indi-
vidual, who, apparently thoughtless of that discretion
which had marked the course of a long line of illustrious
ancestors, seemed to be impressed only with the war-cry of
" On, Stanley on!"
—(Cheers.) During the discussion which bad taken
place on the foreign policy of the Government, and more
especially of the Noble Lord who had that evening ac-
cepted their invitation, he (Sir George Strickland) had
been much astonished to hear it stated that that policy
was unpopular among the people of England. It had
been for many years his lot to represent the most in-
fluential agricultural and commercial constituency of
England, and, therefore, ho thought that he had had
some opportunity of ascertaining the feelings and the
opinions of his countrymen, and he could not help ex-
claiming, " Were they indeed so changed that they no
longer wished to see the property and the interests of
British subjects steadily maintained and supported in all
parts of the world? Was it true that they were so
changed, that when they now heard of a British subject
in some despotic state cruelly and hardly treated, they
did not wish the Foreign Minister to demand some re-
dress for his wrongs? Was it true that the people of
England no longer wished to see the British subject
supported and maintained in every part of the globe to
which a ship could sail, and did the people of England
wish to see their Foreign Minister submit to the frowns
of some distant and half-civilised tyrant? Such things,
he believed, could never be in this country.—(Cheers.)
In the discussion which had recently taken place he had
heard it asked, how it was that the Noble Lord who was
their guest that evening, when assailed on every side,
when reproached by a majority of the House of Lords,
when attacked by au able portion of the press, when
assailed, likewise, by a party arrogating to themselves
the character of being the only supporters of
peace—(Hear, hear)—how it was that the Noble Lord
always rose suferior to the attacks of this array. The
answer was to he given in a very few words: that he
had never lost an opportunity, by negotiation and by ar-
bitration— (Hear, hear)—to settle disputes between
nations; that be had for many years preserved the peace
of Europe during times of unexampled difficulty—
(Hear, hear)—that in periods of wonderful progression,
in times when revolution had shaken thrones and de-
stroy ed d) nestles, the Noble Lord had remained in the
same steadfast course that he had originally pursued,
and made the great principle of a well regulated freedom
the foundation of his proceedings; that he had the good
of his country as the pule star to guide his course; and
that he had never lost sight of the maxim of the great
Lord Bacot), that the real use of knowledge is this—
to dedicate that reason which God has given to us for
the use and the advantage of man."—(Cheers.)
The toast was received with great cordiality.
Lord CAMOYS said that it had been arranged that his
Noble Friend the Earl of Yarborough should have re.
sponded to this toast, but the Noble Earl had
been prevented from attending by the duties he had
to perform in other parts of the country. They had
been pleased to drink the health of those Peers who
had supported the foreign policy of her Majesty's Mi-
nistys. He was proud to say that this vote was so given
in favour of the policy pursued by the Government,
and never did he give a vote more in accordance with
his own sense of honour, of justice, and of policy. It
had been often said, " Thank Gud, we have a House of
Lords." He would say on that occasion. " Thank God,
we have a house of Commons.''—(Loud cheers.) It
would be unbecoming of Limto say much of the House
of Lords, but of that minorty he could safely say that
they would find them on all occasions united in sup-
porting principles, the operations of which
wereb those greateginningnow tefe so successful. That minority
would be always ready to defend the great principles of
civil and religious liberty by which every
man would
feel that he was now level with his nature, and also
of those principles of foreign policyin e
which every Eng-
lishman would feel that his right or his property were
under the protection of the justice, gallantry, and in-
trepidity of an English Minister.—(Loud cheers.)
Mr. W. M. JAMES said it devolved upon him to pro-
pose the toast—" The Members of the House of Com-
mons who supported Mr. Roebuck's motion." The
Members of that House who stood and took their part on
the side of right and truth in that memorable debate,
and whose names now flourished and were remembered
in our flowing cups, who, constituting the majority which
had adopted the unmistakeable terms in which Mr. Roe-
buck always couched his resolutions, had destroyed the
hopes on which the House of Lords relied, and again
pledged the House of Commons and the people of Eng-
land to the maintenance of a liberal policy, and sup-
ported that great policy, foreign and at home, by which
we might hope to obtain that peace and quiet which had
distinguished this country during the last few years from
other nations.—(Hear, hear.) Sadefactory, however, as
the result was, he could not help feeling that the conduct
of the debate was still more satisfactory.—(hear, hear.)
There never was a debate more creditable to the House
of Commons—there never was one, at least, of which
the Liberal party had so much occasion to be proud.
In another place the subject was discussed in a manner
not worthy of the subject itself, not worthy of the men
by whom it was discussed. But that was not true
of the men in the House of Commons, who asserted the
honour of Englishmen, and gave utterance to the feel-
ings of Englishmen. They spoke warmly—they spoke
with their cheeks blushing with shame at what he hesi-
tated not to call the craven resolution of the House of
Lords—(Cheers)—and their hearts bleeding with indig-
nation at what he would not call an intrigue and con-
spiracy, but that singular political combination which
wore all the effects of a political intrigue against a sin-
gle Minister who was singled out.—(Cheers.) They
spoke, too, with an air of fervour and of personal at-
tachment which was felt for the Noble Lord, who had, in
his (Mr. James's) opinion, so wisely, so honourably, so
• maintained the interests and as-
serted the honour of his country—
who had, in times of
unexampled difficulty, maintained
that honour and well, and so prudently
as-
serted those rights with the
thing but peace—
whose diplomacy had been nothing but
ua
preservation. of the
ee and whose
straightforward-
ness of conduct and frankness of le
s ingthe'ri ht, and so
was
righttheat
sh
onlymuch faultn
opapn _
d with those But while they spoke thus warm ecis
another place other
feel-
ings, they could not forget
that el in a prosecution—
persons took the character of counsel
favour by what means
eager to obtain a verdict in their
d to the public support,
they could. Much was also owe
d the majority of the
which, on that occasion, unite
teo irritatewas aiwha'Y
House of Commons. There was, it eras true, art enthu-
siasm for the individual, but there was also a feeling of
common sense union, which they
ear.) He trusted
had had on many
occasions to regret the absence on
(H
warning. They had
that this would be a lesson and
now evidence that the
m
e
a
s
oubr
s d, and when the
have obstructed, es
of reform which the
country desired were to beeto look on those who
struggle came they should
took part in that debate fur the same energy and the
same zeal, and they should look to the great Liberal
for
Commons this—that they
party of the House of
dvidual crotchets or an over-
whelmingwould not allow mere in
owe political opinions to
fondness for their. .
ions in those ranks which
breed dissension and open divisions
must be kept close and
serried, it they meant to keep
.
meant to win what
• ed—if they they
what they had gain
had yet to gain.—(Applahee-
)
oured,
The toast having been duly aid he prid d
e himself on
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL s
being called upon to respond to the toast just drunk, and
ho said most cordially, with the Noble Lord (Camo y ),
"Thank God we have a House of Commons, for it was
the • ty of majority to the House of Cemmous—st /NMI to