The Sun.
London, England, 1828-02-18 00:00:00

GRAND ELECTION DINNER.

DURHAM, FEB. 14.
Yesterday, after the election was over, Mr. RUSSELL
gave an elegant entertainment to his friends, at the Water-
loo Hotel. The two large rooms in front were thrown
into one, and, it may be truly said, a more closely packed
company never was seen, the number present being about
200. Mr. RUSSELL, of course, filled the Chair, and dis-
charged its duties with great ability and effect. On the
right of the chair was Major ALLAN, and on the left, the
Hon. Capt. COCHRANE. Among the others were the fol-
lowing gentlemen :—Mr. Tennyson, M. P., Mr. Griffith,
Mr. Salvia, Mr. G. Robinson, Mr. Nelson, Mr. T. Green.
well, the Rev, Edward Davison, the Rev. G. Gamlen, Mr.
T. Hopper, Mr. W. Loraine, Captain Ellis, Dr. Cooke,
Mr. Dunn, the Mayor of Durham, Col. Gray, (Norton),
Mr. Alderman Wolfe, Mr. Grieveson, (Newcastle), Col.
Mills and Mr. Buddle (the two latter being the vice-presi-
dents), &c. The dinner was served up in good taste.—
It was substantial, though it included the delicacies of the
season—salmon and lamb, with a slight combination of
the cuisine Francaise. The wines, particularly the
Claret, gave great satisfaction. On the removal of the
cloth, Non Nobis Domine was sung with impressive ef-
feet by four of the choristers belonging to the Cathedral,
who also executed several glees in excellent style in the
course of the evening. The first toast was the King--
which was followed by the Duke of Clarence
and the Navy, and the Count and County Pala-
tine. Mr. Allen then rose, and in handsome
terms gave the health of the Chairman. Mr. Russell re-
turned thanks, pithily observing, that " the great interests
of the country, and the local interests of the county of
Durham in particular, should ever command his closest at-
tention."—(Applause.) The Chairman then gave the In-
dependent Freeholders of the County of Durham, which
Wag followed by the Duke of Wellington and the Army,
and the Lord Lieutenant. The health of Lord Durham
was proposed by a remarkably neat and complimentary
speech on the part of the worthy Chairman, who observed,
that whatever regret the freeholders might feel at losing
their able and active representative, the Noble Lord would
still exert himself for the good of the county in the Upper
House of Parliament. This toast, as well as the health of
the worthy Chairman, was drunk with three times three.
The Chairman next gave the two worthy Gentlemen, right
and left (Mr. Allan and Captain Cochrane), who had that
day nominated and seconded him, trusting, that by and by,
his conduct would relieve their minds of the great re-
sponsibility they had incurred. The High Sheriff fol-
lowed. Colonel Grey (of Norton) rose and proposed
the health of Mr. Tennyson, in terms that were equally
appropriate and complimentary. Mr. Tennyson rose and
delivered an excellent and highly interesting address,
which, from its importance, we publish at length. The
Hon. Gentleman said—" I beg to return you my sincere
and hearty thanks. If, at any time, it must produce in
my mind a feeling of pride and satisfaction, to have my
health proposed and received in the manner I have just
witnessed, by so highly respectable a company, as that by
whom I have the honour to be surrounded, it is scarcely
necessary for me to say, that that satisfaction is greatly en-
hanced by the occasion on which we are assembled.—
(Cheers. )—I have always lived with my honourable rela-
tion, who has this day been elevated, by your suffrages, to
the high station of your Representative in Parliament, on
terms of the closest intimacy, founded, I may venture to
assert, on mutual regard and affection ; but notwithstand-
ing that fact, I can assure you, that the gratification of
which 1 am now sensible, would be changed into pain and
regret, if I supposed he would betray the trust you have re-
posed in him, or not fulfil all the pledges which you heard
him give this day.—(Cheers.) Although my lion. Relation
has for some years occupied a seat inParliament,he may besaid
to enter this day, for the first time, into active public life.
The public duties he has hitherto had to discharge were com-
paratively slight and trifling; but they will now become
grave and important ; and 1 am quite sure he is capable of
efforts infinitely beyond what are necessary to prevent his
feeling those duties burthensorae, and which will enable
him to discharge them not only to your advantage but to
his own honour.—(Cheers.)—With respect to the manner
in which my honourable relation may be found, on all oc-
casions, in and out of Parliament, to maintain and vindi-
date your independence, that, allow me to say, must de-
pend upon whether he has done any thing to compromise
his own.—(Cheers.)—You may be surprised at my mode
of stating that proposition; but you will instantly see that
I allude to certain absurd and idle rumours which have
been circulated as to the manner in which Mr. Russell has
been brought forward and offered for your suffrages on
this occasion. Gentlemen, I trust, that as those rumours,
if founded in fact, must compromise the integrity of all
concerned—and I may add, of myself, in particular, as
having originated those proceedings on behalf of my Lion.
Relation which have now so successfully terminated—
you will permit me to make a few observations with re•
spect to them.—(Hear, hear.)—ln the first place, it is
scarcely necessary for me to remark, that it is palpably,
absurd to suppose that a gentleman, standing in the situa-
tion of my Hon. Friend, would allow himself to be
brought forward in this county, en the present, or any
other occasion, as the nominee of any individual, or body
of individuals, seeing that he could not be so brought
forward without sacrificing his political independence.—
(Cheers.)-1 do apprehend, and as you have now
adopted my honourable relation, I may say, that lie had as
fair a right to offer himself to your choice as any gentle-
man who resides amongst you.—(Hear, hear.)—Ls it, 11
then, to be imagined, that he could eider himself to be
brought forward in a manner which must almost necessa-
rily imply some pledge, unwarrantably compromising your
independence, and thereby most shamefully compromising
likel
his own ? Allow me to state the facts.--(Hear.
)—When
orted
it was rep,
yto some months age, that Mr. Lambton was
be advanced to the Peerage, I thought it my duty
to my honourable relation, then absent, to wait upon seve-
ral gentlemen connected with the county, then in London.
Amongst these were Lord Londonderry, Lord Ravens-
worth, the Marquis of Cleveland, and Lord Durham. It
is unnecessary for me to mention what passed between me
and the first ta.
—0 Noblemen I have mentioned, because
none of the rumours, to which I have alluded, attached to
them; but it becomes
me in reference to those rumours,
to state what passed between Lord Cleveland and the other
,
Noble Lord and myself, upon the subject. When I waited
sport Lord Cleveland, his Lordship, after alluding to the
delicacy lie felt upen the subject, founded upon the consi-
deration that his son (Lord William Powlett) occupied
tthinen,otlanierd
pretensions to represent the county,
regard he entertained
personal for my honourable rela-
tion, ground of the great
sehaits,
jusstatedt
rtehtea that,
he Ihould derive the greatest satisfaction from his
success, if he should offer himself to supply the vacancy
then expected to take place. But his Lordship added,
that he must qualify his good wishes by an expectation
that Mr. Russell would, in that case, diligently devote him-
self to the business of the county, and to all the duties