The Sun.
London, England, 1868-07-22 00:00:00

LORD NAPIER IN THE CITY.

A banquet in honour of Lord Napier was given at the
Mansion House last evening. The usual loyal and
patriotic toasts having been given,

The LORD MAYOR proposed the toast of the evening,
" The health of Lord Napier," which was drunk with
three times three.

Lord NAPIER, who was received with loud and long-
continued cheers, returned thanks. He said : It has been
a source of great gratification to me, and I am sure to
every member of the Abyssinian expedition, to find that
eur services have been received so favourably by our coun-
trymen, and that by all classes we have been considered
to have done our duty. For the great assistance we have
received I have to express our obligations to the Govern-
ment of the country, by whom we were promptly and
speedily supplied with everything we required. The gallant
lord then testifiedhis obligations to the various departments
which assisted the expedition, and proceeded as follows:
When our task was accomplished we received a telegram
from her most gracious Majesty the Queen, who is always
ready to encourage her soldiers when they are in a position
of difficulty. We also received a telegram from his
Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, and one from
the Secretary of State—all containing congratulations on
the accomplishment of the work of the expedition. I can
scarcely sufficiently express the pleasure which I feel at
the welcome that we havereceived this evening. I cannot
but feel that the honour is due to the force under my
command— the officers and soldiers, to whose exertions
I am indebted for many of the favours I have received
at the hands of my countrymen. We all felt satisfied
that, without the zealous and cordial co-operation of every
officer and soldier under my command, our success could
not have been complete. His Royal Highness has been
pleased to allude to my having served under two gallant
officers who are in this room this evening. I well
remember when I served in Central India under my noble
and gallant friend Lord Stratbnairn—(cheers)—a soldier
who thoroughly understood how to deal with an Asiatic
enemy, by going straight at their heads on every
occasion—a method of proceeding which invariably re-
sulted in his triumph over all difficulties. lam alsb proud
to remember that I served under my gallant friex I Sir
Hope Grant, whose determination to take the great city
of Pekin Iso well remember. Allusions have been made
to the volunteer force, and although I am not a very young
soldier, I am a young volunteer, as I have been this
day requested to become commander of the 3rd regi-
ment of the London Rifle Volunteers, and have accepted
that position. (Cheers.) From what I have seen, the
volunteers of England are deserving of all support. I
assure you, my lords and gentlemen, that I shall remem-
ber as long as I live the great honour which has been con-
ferred on me this day, and the cordial welcome which I
have received in this hall this evening. (Cheers.)
The LORD MAYOR next proposed "The Houses of Lords
and Commons."

Lord CHELMSFORD returned thanks for _the House of
Lords, and the SOLICITOR-GENERAL for the Commons.

PAYMENT OF ASSESSED TAXES BY

VOTERS.

The Paddington Vestry lately Cetermined to take the
I opinion of counsel as to the necessity of payment of assessed
taxes, as well as poor rates, by persons claiming to be regis-
tered as voters under tho Reform Act of 1867. At a meet-
ing of the vestry held on Tuesday, the vestry clerk read the
following opinion from the lion. George Denman :
" I am of opinion that occupiers of 'dwelling
houses, in a borough, who come within the requirements
of section 3 and section 61 of 80th and 31st Vict., cap. 102,
are not bound to pay the assessed taxes as well as the
poor rates in older to entitle to vote or to be placed on the
list of voters, but that persons who only occupy houses other
than 'd we lling-houses' (as defined by the interpretative clause
C 1), warehouses, countiug-houses, shops, or other buildings
separately or jointly with land—are so bound, inasmuch as
their qualification is wholly under 2d William IV., cap. 45,
sec. 27, and is therefore ono to which 11th and 12th Vic.,
cap. 90, still applies (see sec. 56 of the act of last session,
in addition to the other clauses referred to in the
question). I think that, having regard to sec. 3
of the act of 'ast session, and also to sections
56 and 59, it is cl. ar that the :equir. ments of section 27
of the Act William IV., and section 1 of the 11th and 12th
Vict., cap. 90, cannot be imported into the new Act so far as
relates to the suffrage gained by occupation of dwelling_
houses and payment of rates, and that section 59 of the now
Act excludes the franchise from the operation of those enact-
ments under the restrictive words, 'so far as is consistent
with the tenor thereof.'"

BRITISH ARCH/EOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION. The
above association have chosen Cirencester as the town in
which to hold their annual meeting for the present year.
The session will commence on Monday, the 10th of
August, and will last the entire week.

THE HEAT IN Russu.—A St. Petersburg lettex
of the 13th says :—For the last ten days no one would
suppose that this capital is situated in the 60th degree of
latitude, as we have the temperature of Senegal or Cayenne
in our dusty streets."

The Manchester Guardian says that at the City
Police-court, on Monday, in a case in which the principal
witness was deaf and dumb, the constable who had the
conduct of it, being instructed to fetch an " interpreter,"
returned into court bringing another deaf and dumb man
with him.