The Sun.
London, England, 1842-05-20 00:00:00

DINNER

WASHINGTON.-AMUSING DESCIUP-

(From a New York Paper.)
Lord Ashburton's first official dinner came off
April '23, at 6 p.m. This functionary is a very plain,
gentlemanly looking man, with a face somewhat
careworn, ;and a complexion which belongs to those
who have Eyed long and well. His suite are fine
young men, generally bald, but with intellectual
heads, though not very remarkable countenances.
The private secretary of his Lordship is said to be
the cleverest of the legation. In manners, they are
all self-possessed, somewhat stiff in the movements of
their bodies, and few or no gestures escape them while
speaking. How different from the others of the
foreign Ministers here ! Why, a lively Frenchman
will gesticulate more in one minute with the pha-
langes of his dexter hand, than Mr. Mildmay could in
.the whole course of his natural life.
The dinner was served up soon after the hour of
Eining arrived. Late hours are, of course, in fashion
e\ierywhere among the diplomatic givers and eaters
of dinners, and this one was to take place at six.
e table was of the longitudinal character,
and there were present about 16 guests. Among
thew were the Foreign Ministers generally, the
heath of departments, and some of our leading men in
Congvess. There was no ceremony in entering the
dining-room. The guests " stood not upon the order
of their' going, but went ai once." Lord. Ashburton
took the centre of the table. On his riglzt was John
Quincy Adams, on his left John C. Calhoun, oppo-
site him sat General Scott.
Mr. Fox was not present! It has been rumoured
that Mr. Fox feels a little sore at this mist ;ion extra-
ordinary. He, perhaps, supposes the bush iess might
have been better entrusted to him. But while we
think very well of Mr. Fox's abilities, we in= gine that
the length of time he has been in public 'if?, has some-
what case-hardened him—that he takes no interest
in public affairs beyond what his instructic ins require
of him—in short, that he has more head than heart,
and that a negotiation controlling the destinies of two
great nations, affecting every cottage in remote Eng-
land, and every to but beyond our moue tains, is no
more to .Mr. ox than any other negotiati on, and that
he would conduct it on the same cold, skilful, and
gentlemanly
.manner which he would a game of
ecarte, and in no other way.
Lord Ashburton is rather a man of the people—is
identified with the prosperity of the cot amerc lad classes
—would be unhappy, truly unhappy, to see mother
and daughter at variance ; and he woul, I rather sacri-
fice the 25 townships he owns in the S, tate of Maine,
but to which he has scarcely given t e thought for
many years, and of which now, for the first time, he
learns the real value, than involve us in a war, the
-scourge of nations and the desolation of r nankind.
The table was beautifully laid out, 1 tut as all his
Lordship's plate has not arrived, there w: es no plateau
in the centre' and no vases elaborate in a.t, and per-
fuming the saloon with the choicest cul lings of the
conservatory ; but it was still very eleg ant, and dis-
played the skill of an .accomplished cn ajor-domo.
Where ore 21 servants in the house, andl the reader
:may well imagine what a xo,i's-seisd a :so ore of beef-
eaters must be to the cattle gYaziers 'in this city.
Indeed, the out-go of his 1., ords tip's establishment
will be so large, and the profits so immei ise to the
retailers here, that we should not b if they
proposed, in the course of a few ;months, to pur-
chase the claim of England to the d' Isputecl territory,
and present it, as a mark of their g ratitude, to the
people of Maine, for being so much , the cause of the
present mission.
• As his Lordship has three cooks of the utmost
talent, artists whom Ude himself v maid not have
blushed to take by the hand, the dinnt tr. was not only
superb, but magnificent. The meats e were all nicely
carved, and handed round, as is now th e fashion ; and
the game, of which there was a great tariety, was all
cut up and divided by the cooks before it was served.
up ; then reinstated in form and figure, ,:ready to drop
apart at the touch of the first fork. Course after
course succeeded, delicious to the pala to and agree-
able to the eye ; the wines were rich soft, and
high flavoured, having the body and st ten gth which I
:belong to the English cellar.
Champarie was passed freely round, but no other
I,r, nes of }ranee, and none from the R .17 'netti nd, met
out eyes. If diplomacy expresses its • 1
at the
b I'n2%
ant •n- table by its preferences for
1„4 drinks,
then •re say to Germany and France, En lam. 1 likes
not the Zoll Verein, nor the back: out out frail 1 the
Quintuple Treaty for the right of sear el s. No t no !
hard cider and Sionongelela, which st rot ttl y mprest
the apples and the corn-st: k.s ot Br, adto rJc inatbau
shall find favour on the fest] ve board of Jc Bull
when Chateau Margeaux and de Grave shall be
forgotten.
The conversation it would be im 'oper t o divulge.
We do not believe it right, though it ; may b e fashion- I
able, to retail conversations and s teat correspon-
dences. We will only. say, that the rem arks were
all of a friendly spirit, now and .proaching
the confines of rigid propriety, when they related to
r steam-ships and t all
the quality of ou brences of
our discipline.
The dessert, among other thi
ggss
number of the choicest fruits of nEn'g
113,rheesvered, fair to the eye, and deligl
were much admired by the
diteed a round of encom:ums on the g
they -were brought.
In due time coff
departed,- much l;e ''ticee"ted' ar
ased with this
entertairlrnent}s,owr'til which the new
his mission.
years "
England has not fio:teincle very :%Ir. Fox is a man of r
collar, and does not care .for
Or pc, natives." A new systernreor
°
The boundary- line is to be Ler' a
table in streams of sherry,
the jrill
to be exercised in diplomatic hc'p'')
of the Creole is to be made up in s-
In taking our leave we did r
fourteen servants in livery—blue
shorts, and striped waistcoats—h:
fill our plates with the dainties of
which
Wednesday.ri morning the Portfi
is to lead fmm Holborn-b
id
wenas
pleted •as far West-street,
foot Passengers

exhibit( a large
land, IN autifully
itful to ;the taste.
guests, 1-1 id pro-
.anleu front which

id then the II
`sts
first of a series .of
Envoy commences
he meteor-flag" of
y in Washington.
nts, somewhat pe-
pularity " with the
don is commenced.

ded on the dinner-
rht of visitation is
Wit 'es, and the loss
blact - and white.

tot A irget that the
coats, , black velvet
id done their best to
his Lordship's table.

►n of the new street
to to Islin gton, and is
Was
~..13rol rn open to