The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-01-11 00:00:00

BANQUET TO THE AMERICAN MINISTER
IN LIVERPOOL.
SPEECH OF THE EARL OF DERBY.

The Hon. J. R. Ingersoll, the new American minister
to the Court of St. James's, was entertained by the Ame-
rican Chamber of Commerce, at a public banquet, during
his visit to Liverpool last week.
The banquet took place on Tuesday evening, at the
Adelphi Hotel, There were about 60 gentlemen present.
The chair was taken by Eyre Evans, Esq., President of
the Chamber, supported on his right by the Hon. Mr.
Ingersoll, the Earl of Derby, Col. de Rinzy, &c., and on
his left by the Earl of Sefton, Wm. Brown, Esq., M.P.,
&c. Amongst the other gentlemen present we noticed
J. Cheetham, Esq., M.P. ; the Mayor, S. Holme, Esq. ;
and J. S. Mansfield, Esq., Stipendiary Magistrate. The
Ven. Archdeacon Brooks, and Thos. Thorneley, Esq.,
M.P., also accepted invitations, but were unable to attend.
The usual loyal toasts having been proposed and re-
sponded to,
The CHAIRMAN proposed "the President of the United
States." Referring to the last message of the President,
and the present relations between England and America,
the Chairman remarked that there was some little differ-
ence, perhaps, with us upon the subject of protection
and free trade ; but England had come boldly forward and
advanced free trade—had given it on credit, as she had
given her goods and merchandise—with confidence that it
will be returned hereafter. (Laughter and applause.)
The Hon. Mr. INGERSOLL, after acknowledging the
compliment, and speaking in eulogistic terms of both the
outgoing and the incoming President of the United States,
remarked,—l am not certain whether I ought or ought
not to say a word in answer to my excellent friend's (the
chairman's) suggestion, in regard to one portion of the
president's message which has been much noticed in the
papers here. (Hear.) But all I could say upon the sub-
ject would be this, that the same subject, viewed in dif-
ferent latitudes, becomes a very different thing—(laugh-
ter and applause)—and that it is possible, if my excellent
friend, the president of the American chamber of com-
merce, looked at the whole of that subject from the other
side of the Atlantic—from the city of Washington instead
of the borough of Liverpool—he might, perhaps, if not
absolutely modify, at least diminish( the extent of the
warmth of his opinions. (Hear.)
The CHAIRMAN then rose to propose the toast of the
evening, " The health of the Hon. Joseph R. Ingersoll,
Minister of the United States of America to the Court of
St. James's." (Loud cheers.) The mere fact of being a
representative at the court of this great empire, was quite
significant of the high standing of Mr. Ingersoll in his
own country, where he was known to be one of the most
distinguished, able, and patriotic legislators, an eminent
lawyer, a clever writer, and an accomplished scholar.
(Applause.)
The Hon. Mr. INGERSOLL, in responding, said he
accepted and received the toast with gratitude, on behalf
of his country, and returned it cordially on behalf of that
country and himself. His excellency then proceeded, in
eloquent terms, to pay a warm compliment to this town.
" Liverpool," said the hon. gentleman, " might be called,
if it would not be doing injustice to the other places which
might put in claims for it, the Queen of the Ocean, enti-
tled to wear the crown, entitled to wield the trident of
Neptune, not as the sceptre of war, but as an emblem
and instrument of marine power, of peace and harmony.
(Loud applause.) The great metropolis of the country,
which for ages has stood unrivalled in her relations, might
put in her claims. Our own city of New York, which
stands with her long arms stretched out to reach towards
Liverpool. might also advance some claim to a similar
position. But Liverpool has done much towards such a
result. Here she stands upon the very edge of English
ground, with her magnificent docks pushed into the very
waters of the ocean, ready to send out her freights, with
the course of every descending sun, to the now not distant
land, and to receive appropriate returns. But Liverpool
is not merely a place from which commerce departs and
to which commerce returns. Her inhabitants are in the
habit of calling her a seaport, with great modesty, as if
the seaport were the great characteristic that belonged to
her. It is true that she is a noble seaport—that she has
done everything almost which can be conceived, and is
doing it as her population advances and her wealth in.
creases, for the purpose of making this her seaport, if not
the first, as near as may be the very first, in the world.
(Applause.) It is at present, I believe, the largest for
exporting commerce. But independent of all that, Li..
verpool does herself great injustice if she does not pride
herself upon her domestic and internal arrangements.
(Hear.) The seaport is but the gate to a magnificent
town—it is the opening to the hospitality, and wealth,
and all the elegancies of polished life. Your architecture
is as chaste as your public institutions are liberal and
charitable. (Applause.) Your docks, which I have had
the honour to visit to-day under the best of auspices, that
of the Mayor of Liverpool—(applause)—are amongst the
most magnificent works which can be conceived ; but if I
were to specify an object which struck me this morning as
especially entitled to the respect and consideration of a
stranger, it would be that public library, where young
men are drawn off from the haunts of vice, from the
tendency to dissipation, from possible evil company, by
occupying their minds with every sort of proper amuse-
ment and instruction. (Applause.) A tribute of this
kind is due for the hospitality received and the kindness
manifested ; but it is not exactly what I want to
bring to the consideration of this company—that is,
that in Liverpool there is the best opportunity for
cultivating that kind of good feeling already referred
to, which begins in the spirit mentioned by the chair-
man, and may perhaps terminate in the same Anglo-
Saxon feeling which one day, in defence of constitutional
liberty, may call us shoulder to shoulder, in the defence
of our common and equal rights—(loud applause)—it is
that the stranger coming from my native land reaches first
the port of Liverpool, derives his first impressions here—
makes his first acquaintances here. Before he passes on
to the green fields, and fine pasturages, and the rebust
population, and the ability, and the wisdom, and patriot-
ism which he will find in the interior, he has seen all that
is wise, benevolent, and charitable in Liverpool ; it is that
at last, after paying his visit to this blissful and blessed
land, he returns to his own country through the town of
Liverpool, and carries with him those last impressions
which are likely to be the strongest to his own country,
to his own friends, to his own family, and to his own peo-
ple." (Much applause.) After dwelling upon the close
ties which existed between the two countries, and the
paramount importance of keeping up harmony and good
will, he said :—" But it has been expected on this occasion
that some little allusion should be made, and I know I
can without impropriety, to circumstances which trans-
pired, in which a point was made of departure from that
good will which has so long subsisted, and which I trust
may subsist for ever. (Loud applause.) lam not going
to discuss any subject that is or may be at issue between
the two countries. I know of no issue that can be be-
tween these two countries that can lend to otherwise than
the most pacific and honourable result. (Loud applause.)
We have seen on both sides of the Atlantic notice taken
of some little matters of dispute which did occur a few
months since—we have seen it noticed in the House of
Peers of Great Britain—we have seen it noticed in the
House of Commons of Great Britain—we have seen it
referred to in the very message of the President—all with
feelings of that sort which cannot possibly lead to any-
thing but the most agreeable and harmonious result.
But why should it have been for a moment that there
should have been feelings either of ill-will, or even
something worse than ill-will—tendencies to hostility—
between us ? It consisted of certain colonial asser-
tions and rights, those rights at one time being in com-
mon between the two countries, and being precisely
the same as were secured by the treaty of 1783, and
continued till war broke out between the two countries

Then a treaty took place, and it was only in after years
that these difficulties occurred which I trust will be recon.
cited, because on all occasions when these subjects have
been alluded to other subjects have been introduced,
which will make it one of mutual benefit in the result.

What is the reason that when we are settling this matter
of a mere fishery, a much broader view cannot be taken
of the whole subject than has been in England and Ame-
rica ? Why should not a commercial treaty be founded
upon it which should be beneficial to both countries, and
especially those colonies more immediately interested in

regard to the fisheries ? (Applause.) Besides, it is all
but impossible to suppose that these colonies will not be

greatly the gainers by a commercial intercourse in which
they will participate more largely than anybody else,—not
having in themselves the materials of manufacture, grain,
breadstuffs, on the one band, while they have the timber,

the coal, and the fish, if you please, on the other. But

why is it: when these fisheries are in themselves multiplied
to an extent almost to infinitude—for I think we are told

by writers many years ago, and still, there are sometimes

niillions of acres' of fish below the surface of the waters
ready to be taken by those near them, whether near to
the land ordistant from it ; and it is well known that a
single fish of a particular breed, the female cod, lays
between three and four millions of its offspring at the
same time. There was a period when our writers dealt
largely upon this subject, some thirty.eight years ago,
when the fisheries were considered more important
round the island of Great Britain than the colonies.

Both, however, are important, and both, I trust, will

find a result in harmony, peace, and goodwill, such as

subsists between the two countries

I don't intend to

occupy more of your time, having spoken more than I
ought perhaps already—(no, no)—but I recollect that
Liverpool was the abode of one who has done as much for
the elevation of the public mind, by his introduction to

us of the commercial men of other countries, as any man
who ever lived—William Roscoe—who, by giving you the
lives of such men as Lorenzo di Medici, made you ac-
quainted, made us acquainted (for English literature is
just as familiar in the United States as in Great Britain)
—made us acquainted with those merchants of Florence

who did such honour to their country by their hospitality
and commercial enterprise. I think we are told that that
very Lorenzo, whose life is given to the world, had no
monument in Florence. But his monument is composed
in the English literature which Roscoe gave to the world,
which all of us have read and admired." The hon.

gentleman concluded by expressing his hope that England
and America would continue to be one undivided people

e end of time

The next toast was the Earl of Sefton, Lord Lieutenant
of the county, which was acknowledged by his lordship in

appropriate terms

The CHAIRMAN then rose to propose " The health of
the Right Hon. the Earl of Derby, and the House of
Lords," a toast which was received with immense applause.
In proposing the toast, the chairman alluded to the tran-

sceiidant oratory of the noble lord—to the high offices he
had held in this country—and also to the fact that Lord

Derby had visited the United States many years ago, in
order to make himself acquainted with the people and
with the government of that country.

The Earl of DERBY, after assuring the company that
he deeply felt the compliment which they had paid per-
sonally to himself, said :—" Now, gentlemen, perhaps I
may be permitted to say a few words upon the subject of
that body with which you have identified me this evening

—the body of which I have the honour of being an un-
worthy member—to say a few words upon that body,
which is, I conceive, an important and essential part of
the monarchical constitution of this country. And I say

it rather because I say it in the presence of an honourable
gentleman with whom I am proud to acknowledge the
friendly relations which subsist between ourselves and, I

hope and am sure I may say, between our countries, with
whose institutions that body would be highly incongruous,
and in whose institutions accordingly it finds no place,

And yet, gentlemen, in that great country—in that. great
republic—in that rising and rapidly-increasing empire, as

wheearm)—ayincaltlhiati but
wanineempthiraet wimithtnoeuntsaenreempuphelrioer,;(elp
that the wisdom and the foresight of the great and
trious founders of that constitution (and greater and re?,,,
men have seldom appeared upon the public stage of D',
tory) found it incumbent, even in the first flush of t!'°,
triumph of popular feeling, to interpose some barn!,
between immediate legislation and the direct reflectiol?°'
the popular will. True it is, they had not—and if tn%
had it would have been wholly inconsistent with O.it
institutions—an hereditary chamber; but they supplied!:
a different manner, wisely adapting it to their own iner,,
tutions and system, a barrier interposing between
direct representative institution and the legislation of 0:,
country, founded upon the elective principle wise?,
adapted to their own institutions—founded, although uPw'
the elective principle, yet with a different basis, and reigt,
senting a different class of interests; and it is single.'
enough that the two great countries—now, I may o.li
almost the only homes and refuge of liberty throught4l
the world—these great countries under which, with diver'
cities of institutions and diversities of habits, there eft
at the same time a great uniformity of principle, and,"
great similarity and identity of laws as of language—t
these two great countries should have formed their co!
stitutions starting from precisely opposite points of vie,'
In this conntry, the rights of the people and the liber_fm
sotfarttheed paetotphlee
ehtreaver be
ne edno of ft
hsel oseve a
leen, dw
ittahr
ad
lymgorsotwutnhi.fra
monarchical power, and aristocratic and feudal power
boundless extent. By slow degrees the rights of tb
People, as the enlightenment of the country proceeded'
have risen their way and acquired their due preponderance:
and they have attained in this country that state in rabic!,
I will venture to state that, not except the great republ.
of the United States, there is no country in which a larger
measure of rational liberty is enjoyed than that of whiff
I have the honour of being a native. (Applause.) N!:
have reduced in this country the power of the crown s.„
the power of the nobles to an amount which deprives the
one and the other of all offensive power, of all offensics
privilege—(hear)—and leaves them only so much induenel
as to steady and balance the machine of the constitutiost
and to prevent such rapid and constant fluctuations se
might arise from the unchecked exercise of the immediate
popular will. (Applause.) Now, starting from the otheeff
and opposite point, let us look to the great example /
the republic of the United States. Injustice—l doe,'
hesitate to use the word—led to resistance ; resistancel7
to revolution ; revolution led to the full enjoyment sa,
full success of the popular principle and popular right
and yet in the very flush of triumph and success, 10,`",
some excesses might have been pardoned in indulgl
a spirit so congenial to the feeling of the country, s°
which had acquired so great a triumph, the far-seeing,
statesmen of that day foresaw it would be necessary, to ,
certain extent, to check the predominance of that pull
l
popular influence, and to interpose—not, indeed, ttl'a
they borrowed from the mother country—but to interPoas"
some check which would tend as a balance to the eons!:
tution, and as a counterpoise and equivalent to the Hour
of Lords in the mother country, as far as such an equips'
lent can counterpoise." His lordship then remark's)
that no doubt much might be said against the doctrinet
hereditary succession, and more especially berediew
legislation, yet he would venture to say, that there were
advantages in the hereditary legislation in the House °
Lords which were not to be overlooked in an old cowl
like this, and which proved an important element s°l
link in our free monarchical constitution. The House.:
Lords, in this country, was not, what in other countriav
it might be, an exclusive branch, between which and t?,
rest of the comrnnity there was an exclusive gulf. "I'.
House of Lords in this country," continued his lordshilti
"is constantly receiving fresh reinforcements and influent"
from the popular element, constantly receiving reinforce'
ments of new blood ; while on the other hand, in t,.lt.s
second generation at all events, the younger sons of P.
peerage are merged in the commonalty, and become a pa;
tion of the general mass of the community, without sL
separating barrier. Gentlemen, I think I could harem
take a stronger instance of the manner in which these re'
inforcements of the House of Lords take place than the°
which have occurred in the last ten months—in three
cases, the only three in which I have had the honour (
advising the crown to grant a peerage. These three case'`
are drawn from three different professions. One was°
noble and gallant officer connected originally with a dig'
tinguished family, but still more distinguished for having
been many years the right-hand counsellor of that die:
tinguished and lamented man this country has lately low
In the chief command of the army he had attained.
military name, and his services were well known to evert
military officer, and his conduct in that position was wee
and highly appreciated. (Applause.) The second was'
gentleman of a family of recent origin, but whose service:
in the diplomatic career have reflected even addition ea
lustre upon that great name which you in this town bs
many years ago the honour and privilege of calling y°l
own representative, bearing the name of Canning. (Heft,
The third was a gentleman whose parents were of t,er
very humblest class, whose parents had no higher fr.
than small shopkeepers in a little country town, 04
started in public life with no advantages beyond those,
his own ability and his own energy, and yet, by his ei
labour and his own talents,.without any adventitious su°
vantages, passing through all the higher ranks of tbob
laborious and learned profession to which he had devote;
himself. It will ever be a satisfaction to me that 1 to;
vised the crown to call to the House of Lords, as lord WI
chancellor of England, the son of a small tradesman °
Lewes, who has illustrated his own name and character a°
Sir Edward Sugden, and who has reflected, T will venture e°,
say, still higher honour by the name of LordSt.Leonarclkt
His lordship then said, that whatever ministry
hold the reins of government, they, unless wholly Willa,
to the interests of their own country, as well as the wori.,
'
at large, could have no other object than cultivating ell'
friendship of the United States. With reference to the
fisheries question, the noble lord remarked :—" MY 12°/1;
friend, if I may be so allowed to call him, the minister
near me, has adverted to some differences which have se''
sen between us, and some points which have led to eo°:
troversy and remark. I will not, of course, upon such
an occasion as this, enter upon a discussion of the mat!'
of that question ; but I feel convinced that the best mode
of settling the differences which may arise between this.
country and the United States especially—but I will sal,
also, this and any other country—is a frank and moderate
communication of moderate views and claims, temps"
rately put forward and steadily enforced, upon the Or
of the representatives of those nations. (Applauseii
And I am sure of this, that while a tame concession 0
any important rights never affords real satisfaction O
either of the parties—even that to whom it is made, of
that which makes it—so, on the other hand, the friend'
ship of nations is best maintained by a calm and temperate
assertion of that which they believe to be their rights+
and, on the other hand, by a moderate and liberal vier
of those which are the rights and privileges of others•
Gentlemen, I have no fear of any question of any differ'
ences arising between the United States and this country':-
We have too many ties to bind us together. We hal
the ties of common language—the ties of common laws W
many respects—we have the ties of common liberty—"
have the ties of rapidly extending and increasing cor0;
merce—we have also ties, I am sure, of personal geo7
feeling to bind us together ; and my firm belief is, that!
questions arise in which differences of opinion may esi,e':
friendly communication will not only remove those elialT,
culties, but will also tend to make the fact of those P.
ferences having arisen extend into a system of reciprou
advantage and the greater extension of commercial inter
course between the two countries." (Applause.) _

before twelve o'clock.

APSLEY

HOUSE.

The principal apartments in Apsley House, the residence
of the late Duke of Wellington, are open to the Pubbc
during this month, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Satur'
days, from ten till three o'clock, by admission tickets:
issued by Mr. Mitchell, of Old Bond-street, in answer to
written applications.

Apsley House was built by Henry Bathurst, Bare,
Apsley, Earl Bathurst ; it was purchased by the late Dill"
of Wellington in 1820, and was subsequently grcatu
enlarged. From the Entrance-hall visitors pass to a rooo
upon the right band, used as

THE WAITING ROOM, in which there are marble bust;
of the late Duke, Lord Castlereagh, Mr. Perceval, Colone
Gurwood, Colonel Ponsonby, &c.
At the foot of the staircase stands a colossal statue Of
Napoleon, by Canova, presented to the late Duke by 0'
allied sovereigns of Europe. Entering the
PICCADILLY DRAWING-ROOM, are several admirow,„
paintings; those most worthy of men ion are—" A portre,
of John, Duke of Marltorough," over the mantel-piect
" The Chelsea Pensioners," by Wilkie ; the companir,
painting, " The Greenwich Pensioners," by Burnet
"V
E dwainn ALanbandusregelri
;inanthde
sCevaegreavoictahbiWneitldspßeceiamstesn.i"
of till:,
Dutch school.

IN THE DRAWING•ROOM, over the door, is a portrait
of Marshal Soult ; and one of Pope Pius VII. This roolr,
also contains the oririnal painting of "The Melton Hunt,
and copies from Raffaelle of the four splendid works know°
as " The Spasimo," " La Madonna del Peace," .‘ The
Pearl," and " The Visitation." Over the door, leading
to an inner room, is a "Portrait of Mr. Pitt," and another
of the late " Mr. Arbuthnot," by Gamberdella. Opposite
the pier-glasses, stand a pair of vases, porcelaine de Sevres'
presented to the Duke by Louis XVIII.
THE PICTURE GALLERY, in which the annual banquet
on the 18th of June was held, contains numerous admire'
ble specimens of celebrated painters, the name of each
artist appearing on the frames. The candelabres*,
Russian porphyry, in the centre of the room, were Pre'
sented by the Emperor Nicholas, and the vases of por'
phyry from Sweden, at the side of the apartment, by the
late King of Sweden.

THE SMALL DRAWING Room.—Upon the table, near
the door, a Malachite vase, presented by the Emperor
Alexander; above it is a portrait of the present Duches!
of Wellington, by Gambardella ; upon the right-1109
side a full-length portrait of William IV., by Wilkie : an
upon a table are placed two services of very handsome
Sevres china ; one presented by Louis XVIII., the other
formerly belonging to Joseph, King of Spain.
THE STRIPED DRAWING ROOM.--The most interest"'
ing paintings are : "The Battle of Waterloo ;" by Sir
Win. Allen (taken from Napoleon's head quarters) ' • P°r-
traits of Lord Beresford, Lord Lynedoch, Lord Anglesey,
and Lady Wellesley, by Sir Thomas Lawrence; Lord'
Nelson, by Sir Wm. Beechy ; Lady Charlotte Greville:,
by Hoppner; Sir George Murray ; Marshal Blucher and
the late Lord Cowley, by Hoppner.
IN THE CHINA Room are portions of services of Prue'
sian and Saxon china, presented by the Emperor of AO
tria, the King, of Prussia, and Louis XVIII., contained
glass cases. The silver plateau, in cases, on each side °'
the mantel-piece, was presented by the regent of Portu-
gal, for services during the Peninsula war, from 1808
1811. Opposite the entrance is placed the Wellington
shield, manufactured from designs by Stothard, and pre-
vented by the merchants and bankers in London, in 182:4;
Upon the cases are some remarkable busts, in bronze,
the Marquis of Wellesley, Henri Quatre, the Prince o'
Conde, Louis XIV., and Marshal Turenne. ,0
From this room visitors pass through the Secretary a
Room, the Duke's Private Room, and the Duke'e Be t
Room (in the arrangement of which not the slightes
alteration has been made since they were last used), aOO
thence into the garden, by an outlet constructed es
private communication with the mansion, and habitually
used by the late Duke.