The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-10-19 00:00:00

THE DINNER AT THE TOWN-HALL.

In the evening, his worship the Mayor entertained Sir
R. Peel and a select party of about sixty gentlemen, at
the Town-hall, his municipal residence. The guests sat
down about seven o'clock, and amongst them were Lord
Sandon, Sir R. Peel, Mr. Wm. Brown, M.P., Mr. Card-
well, M.P., Mr. Thornley, M.P., Mr. Wm. Jackson,
Colonel Falconer, Captain Evans, Captain Bevis, Mr.
Rushton, Mr. Bramley-Moore, the Town-clerk, Air. C.
Lawrence, Mr. Jas. Lawrence, Mr. W. Earle, Mr. H.
Earle, Mr. R. Earle, Mr. Gibson, Mr. Baines, Mr. Cor-
tazzie, Mr. Sands, Mr. S. Holme, Mr. A. Lace, Mr.
Langton, Mr. D. Campbell, Mr. Littledale, Mr. Neilson,
Rev. W. Connybeare, Mr. Grant, Mr. Horsfall, Mr. Nicol,
and others of our respected townsmen. The usual loyal
toasts were heartily given and ably responded to. The
Mayor, in proposing the health of Lord Sandon, delivered
a warm eulogium on the public services and consistent
political conduct of that esteemed nobleman, than whom
Liverpool had never had a more able and active represen-
tative.
Lord SANDON was loudly cheered on his appearing, to
reply. He alluded to the origin of his connexion, with

Liverpool, and the result of his endeavours in. behalf of
the constituency. He highly appreciated the honour of
being the representative of such a town. One of his pre-
decessors in the office, it would be sufficient to say had
been the Huskisson, and he frankly confessed,
expecting that the merit would be at least accorded to him
of having adopted the best possible model, that it had
always beery his aim and ambition to tread in the footsteps
of that very remarkable man (applause). He responded
entirely to all the observations which had been made by
the Mayor. It was his conviction that England owed still
a deep debt of gratitude to William Huskisson. He had
endeavoured, wisely and cautiously, at the same time
firmly and fairly, to free commerce from its fetters, to
facilitate the trade of the world, and to render the inter-
change of nations as unrestricted as the best interests of
humanity demanded (applause). After entering into a
variety of statistics relative to the town and its commerce,
and the important and constantly increasing duties that
devolved upon its representatives, he complimented those
who had acted in parliament with him, and concluded by
a grateful acknowledgement of thanks for the hearty
manner in which his health had been received.

The MAYOR then proposed the health of their guest,
" Sir R. Peel," who had rendered such undeniable services
to the country while he had held office. That distin-
guished man had kindly consented to be present at the
raising of the statue of the most distinguished of his col-
leagues in a former administration. It was, he said, ex-
ceedingly appropriate that Sir R. Peel should have arrived
in Liverpool on that particular day, for the town was then
being engaged in doing honour to one whom it owed
much ; and it was the peculiar glory and pride of Sir R.
Peel to have followed out, consummated and completed,
the policy which Mr. Huskisson had so advantageously
originated—(loud cheers).
Sir R. PEEL said that he had gratefully and gladly ac-
cepted the mayor's invitation to be present at that dinner
—first, because the opportunity was thus afforded him of
forming a personal intimacy with a family whom he had
long respected, and of which the mayor was a member;
secondly, because it would be in his power, in that way,
to evince his high estimation of the town of Liverpool, in
the person of its chief officer; and, thirdly, it was with
him an object to make himself thoroughly acquainted
with some of the secrets and details of this great commer-
cial community—the greatest, probably, that the world
knew—and of admiring the energy and enterprise, the
vigour and skill, by which the estuary of the Mersey had
been fitted for the reception of the commerce of the
world. The right honourable baronet, at great length;
L flilated upon the solicitude with which he had always re-
garded the affairs of Liverpoot-Wnvinced, as he had al=
ways been, that the success of this port must reflect the
prosperity of the country. (Cheers.) There were other
reasons why he should always have examined with some
interest the rise of the port to its present paramount im-
portance. He was unconnected with Liverpool by any
local ties, but with the county of Lancashire he claimed a
long and close connexion—all the wealth and status of
his family being attributable to that very fortunate cir-
cumstance. (Cheers.) It was long since he had last
visited Liverpool, and the occasion was memorable. That
day, fixed for the opening of the railway to Manchester,
commenced in joy and triumph, and, by a most melan-
choly event, closed in lamentation and woe. On that day
a fatal accident befel the illustrious statesman to whom
the mayor had alluded—with whom it had been his ( Sir
R. Peel's) happiness, for many years of his life, to be in
habits of constant and intimate friendship—with whom he
had acted as a colleague in the service of the Crown—and
for whose views, knowledge, and virtues he had always
entertained a most profound regard. (Applause.) It was
to him a source of great gratification that he had been
present on the occasion of a monument being raised in
Liverpool to the memory of Mr. Huskisson. Having
complimented Mr. Gibson, the artist, on the admirable
execution of the work, he said that he regretted that his
pleasure in visiting Liverpool had been lessened by finding
that at this moment there existed considerable embarass-
ment amongst commercial classes. (Hear, hear.) Into the
causes, or supposed causes, of those sufferings, it would
not be expected that he should then enter, nor was it,
indeed, the time to speculate upon the remedies there
could be found for the prevailing depression. ( Hear, hear.)
This alone he might be permitted to remark, that no one
entertained a greater desire than he did to alleviate most
effectually the present state of commercial affairs. •He
then sat down amidst loud cheers. _ _

W. PArrEN, Esq., M.P., replied to the toast of " the
Members for the County."
The toast of " the Members for the Borough" was ably
replied to by Mr. CARDWELL, M.P.
The MAYOR, in proposing the health of R. V. Yates,
Esq., complimented that gentleman as a citizen to whom
Liverpool would be permanently indebted for the munifi-
cent manner in which he had provided pleasure-grounds
for the recreation of the inhabitants of this over-crowded
town.

Mr. YATES responded humorously, recommending the
people of Liverpool, at their earliest convenience, to take
advantage of the present he had made them,l by building
houses in the neighbourhood.
" The Health of Mr. Gibson, Sculptor of the Huskisson
Statue," was given, with a high encomium on the widow
of the late statesman who had presented it.
Mr. GlnsoN modestly, but eloquently, replied.
Mr. THORNELY, M.P., ably replied to his health being
drunk. _ _

The last toast proposed was " The Commerce cf the
Mersey—Liverpool and Birkenhead," with which was
coupled the health of Wm. Jackson, Esq., M.P. for New-
castle.

Mr. JACKSON, in responding, very pointedly observed
that, although the river Mersey had two sides, there was
but one interest concerned there. (Hear, hear.) The
success of the one port would enhance the prosperity of
the other, and jealousy or fear of one distant -log the other
was altogether absurd and out of place. The same object
was held in view by both, and he sincerely hoped that
they would both pursue, perhaps conjointly, the same
great ends.
The company shortly afterwards broke up.