The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-05-19 00:00:00

DINNER TO SIR WM. STANLEY, BART.

On Saturday last the gentlemen who have been hi the
habit of hunting with the celebrated fox-hounds belonging
to Sir Wm. Stanley, of Hooton, out of compliment to the
kindness and urbanity always displayed by him, gave the
worthy baronet a dinner, at the Monk's Perry Hotel, Bir-
kenhead. The " meet" was truly splendid. 'Upwards of
one hundred of the gentry of this neighbourhood and the
hundred of Wirral were present, and with very few ex-
ceptions, which rather tended to give relief to the scene,
all were attired in scarlet.
The dinner was provided in Mr. Hilliar's best style,
and for profusion and excellence has never been excelled,
if ever equalled. It was served up in the most admirable,
scientific, and orderly manner, calculated to conviwe one
that steam, which tends to produce regularity in all our
motions, had intruded itself even into the department
over which the jolly god presides. The wines, too, were
first-rate.

The chair was taken at seven o'clock, by Hardman
Earle, Esq. On his right sat the worthy guest, Sir Wm.
Esq. The vice-chairs were filled by John
Stanley, Bart., and Charles Stanley, Esq. ; on his left,
John Stanley,Laird and D. Neilson, Esqrs. ; and amongst the company
we noticed Joseph Aspinall, (who acted as secretary on
the occasion,) Michael Humble, Wm. Hind, Frederick
Lyons, and Joseph Dawson, Esqrs., and Colonel Talto,
(stewards,) under whose management the company were
so placed, that not the slightest confusion took place, and
the evening was spent as though the company had been a
merely social party. In other parts of the room we ob-
served J. Somerville Jackson, J. H. Hind, R. Ashton,
W. Brancker, H. Barton, T. Bushby, H. P. Cooper, It.
Bushby, H. Earle, jun., T. Earle, T. Green, W. Pike,
J. Grindrod, W. Hancock, J. Shaw Leigh, Todd Naylor,
H. T. Naylor, J. Okell, C. Rawson, jun., M.N. Raynes,
J. Solomon, J. Stevenson, Jerome Smith, S. Willoughby,
Hugh Williams, J. F. Williams, H. Watson, Bolton
Case, E. Parry W. Watson, H. Crackenthorpe, J.
Simpson, Hill, G. J. Wainwright, J. H. Steele,
Worthington, W. Cockerell, Esqrs., &c., &c.
A party of glee singers were in attendance, under the
leadership of Mr. G. H olden, and.sang some excellent glees
during the evening. After the cloth had been removed,
Non nobis Domine was sung with novel effect.
The CHAIRMAN then rose, gave " Her Majesty
the Queen." Then followed his Royal Highness
Prince Albert, and the rest of the Royal Family, and the
Queen Dowager, all of whom were drank with great en-
thusiasm.

1 The CHAIRMAN said, the next toast embraced two
'branches of the public service, of which every Englishman
had reason to be proud. (Cheers.) It was to their con-
stancy and courage that we owed our existence as a
nation. (Applause.) The Army and Navy. (Cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN next gave, the Lord Lieutenant of the
County. (Drank with loud cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN having called for bumpers for the next
toast, said the toast he was about to propose was the
toast of the evening; it was the health of their esteemed
guest, Sir William Massey Stanley. (Tremendous cheers.)
He was speaking, he was sure the sentiments of every
gentleman present when he said it was a source of the
highest gratification, and most congenial to the habits of
Englishmen, to pay their respects to Sir William Stanley
—(applause)—not only as a private gentleman, but to
convey to him their grateful acknowledgments for having
so many years allowed them to enjoy that most noble,
invigorating, and popular sport of fox hunting. (Cheers.)
Nor was it a small obligation to a community constituted
as that was. Few of them possessed any land at all. Most
of them had nothing more than the mere house and gar-
den which they occupied—they bad no farm, no woods,
no preserves ; and consequently, it would be difficult, if
not impossibl, to keep a pack of foxhounds in this coun-
try. (Hear, hear.) But the value of the favour was
very considerably enhanced by the manner in which it
was conferred (hear, hear); in fact, every one who was in
the habit of going out with his hounds, must have been
highly gratified by the urbanity of manner, the kindness,
and exceeding courtesy which was always evinced by the
worthy baronet. (Loud cheers.) Even on those occa-
sions, when the zeal of some, and the inconsiderateness
of others, led them to transgress the rules of sporting, on
those occasions, exceedingly trying to the temper of a
sportsman, Sir William never forgot what was due from
one gentleman to another. (Cheers.) Apart, however,
from every selfish ponsideration, they must all desire that
he might long have the spirit and the health to continue
that sport. (Applause,) He might rely upon it, that I
nothing contributed so much to the securing of a green '
old age as the pursuit of so manly a sport. (Continued
cheers.) It was better that life should wear away than that
it should rust away ; and in the course of those few enjoy-
ments which man could enjoy, nothing contributed more
to the maintenance of health as horse exercise, because it
was exercise without fatigue. (Loud cheers.) The wor-
thy chairman concluded by proposing the health of Sir
William Massey Stanley, Bart., which was drunk with
three times three and one cheer more.

Sir WM. STANLRY rose to respond, and was greeted
with renewed cheers. Would that he were gifted with
eloquence, or that he had the command of words to ex-
press in proper language the feelings that be then pos-
sessed. (Applause ) The sumptuous entertainment they
had that evening given him was wholly unexpected, and
he felt happy to find that during the four years he had
been master of the hounds his conduct had met with their
approbation. (Continued applause.) And so long as be
continued to keep the hounds he should be happy to see
his friends from both sides of the Mersey attending the
hunt. (Cheers.) Any expense, any trouble he might
have taken in the management of the hounds would have
proved perfectly useless had he not been supported by the
cheers.)"-rotioli gentlemen, they in common with him-
self owed a deep debt of gratitude. (Continued cheers.)
It was impossible to name one who more than another
contributed to their gratification in this respect. The
worthy baronet then went on to compliment Mr. E.
Parry, Mr. Feilden, of Mollington, a friend at Barton,
Mr. Mainwaring and Mr. Green, of Poulton, Mr. Ash-
ton, of Gayton, Mr. Shaw, of Arrow Hall, Mr. J. S.
Leigh, ending with the name of Col. Glegg, whom he was
sorry was not present, all of whose names were loudly
cheered. From all of them he bad on all occasions re-
ceived the greatest civility and the greatest consideration.
(Cheers.) Before he sat down he hoped they would al-
low him to propose the health of the Chairman. (Ap-
plause.) A harder rider or a better sportsman never en-
tered a hunting field, and he was glad to see that he was
bringing up his sons in the same way. (Cheers.) He
trusted they would follow the steps of their father in the
field as well as elsewhere. (Applause.) He begged to
propose the health of the Chairman, with many thanks to
him for the manner in which he had proposed his (Sir
William's) health, and he assured him that the day was
far distant when he should forget the gratifying proceed-
ings of that evening.
The toast was drank with three times three.

The CHAIRMAN said, before he proceeded to return
thanks for the handsome manner in which they had drank
his health, be begged to explain how became to be placed
in the position he was—a situation which he did not feel
himself entitled to fill. An excellent friend of his, a
true sportsman, Colonel Glegg, had promised to preside
over them, but a severe and unexpected attack of indis-
position, though he (the Chairman) hoped it would not
prove of long duration, had prevented him. (Hear, hear.)
No one regretted the absence of the gallant colonel more
than he (the Chairman,) for he felt he had not sufficient
standing to give that effect to a meeting like the present,
that it ought to have. After thanking the company for the
compliment paid to him, the Chairman concluded by pro-
posing
the better health of Colonel Glegg, which was
drank with great enthusiasm.
The CHAIRMAN next proposed the health of Mr. John
Stanley, which was drank with all the honours.
Mr. JOHN STANLEY thanked them for the honour done
him. He felt still more deeply indebted to them for their
mark of approval of his conduct as for as bunting the
hounds was concerned. It was extremely difficult to
please all parties but on the present occasion they all
seemed unanimous. The present year was now over, but
he could give promise of many foxes for that which was
to come, and they had a pack of hounds which was likely
to afford them good' sport. He therefore begged to give
them " Fox Hunting—and prosperity to another year."
( Loud cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN begged to give the health of another
member of the house of Stanley whom be was happy to
see amongst them—a gentleman who, from his kind and
gentlemanly deportment, must always be an acquisition to
'any field—" Mr. Charles Stanley." Drank with three
times three.

Mr: CHART STANLEY returned thanks, and in do-
ing so acknowledged the handsome subscriptions he had
received through the hands of Mr. Sol,mon fur the pre-
servation of foxes.
Mr. D. NEILSON, in ti complimentary speech, proposed
the Farmers of Wirral, and coupled with it the name of
'Mr. Tinley Barton. (Applause.)
Mr. BARTON returned thanks, and in doing so thanked
Sir W. Stanley for permitting the Rock Beagles to hunt
over his estate. .

The CHAIRMAN next gave the Magistrates of the
county. (Cheers.)
Mr..l. LAIRD, in a complimentary speech, proposed
the health of Mr. Robert Neilson. (Loud Cheers.)
Mr. NEILSON in an eloquent speech returned thanks.
The CtiAtamAN proposed the health of Mr. Parry and
Mr. J. S. Leigh as good preservers of foxes, to which
both those gentleman responded.
. _

Mr. D. NsitsoN proposed the . health of Mr. Wil-
loughby, with thanks to him for the extreme kindness and
facility he bad always afforded to them in getting their
horses across the water. ( Loud. cheers.) •
Mr. S. WlLLouottnar felt extremely obliged. for the
kind compliment paid to him. Nothing, he assured them,
gave him greater pleasure than to forward the wishes of
sporting men. •He was fond of sporting himself. It had
grown with his growth, though that was bat little.
(Cheers and laughter.) Pleasure, like happiness, was born
a twin ; and no man living by himself, or acting for him-
self, could feel anything like happiness. It was by know-
ing that he was contributing to the happiness of others
that he felt happy himself. (Loud cheers )
Sir W. STANLEY next proposed the health of the vice-
presidents. Mr. Laird, he was sorry to say, bad not
attended the hunting field lately, as in days of yore, but
he had .been engaged in other pursuits; and whilst it
would have taken him (Sir William) to have raised a
gorse cover, Mr. Laird had built a city. (Loud cheers.)
The toast was drunk with all the honours.
Mr. NEILSON and Mr. LAIRD returned thanks. The
former concluded by • proposing " the health of Mr. Jo-
seph Aspinall." (Loud cheers.) It was to that gentle-
man's admirable arrangements that they were indebted
for the splendid banquet they that day enjoyed. (Conti-
nued cheers )
Mr. ASPINALL returned thanks.
The CHAIRMAN then proposed "the Cheshire Witches,"
which was drunk with enthusiasm, and responded to in an

amusing synch by Mr. Robert Neilson.
The " health of Mr. Solomon," and several other toasts
were drunk, and the harmony of the evening was main-
tained until midnight, when the company separated.

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

(BY EXPRESS.)

NORTH KENT RAI LWA 1,8cc.--Thecoromittee vesterda7
came to the decision that the North Kent line preamble-
was not proved. They also decided that the South Eas—
tern Company had not proved the preamble of the line from
Canterbury to Dover. The South Eastern portion of the
bill from Maidstone to Strood is not proved ; and the corn- •
mittee will amend the preamble of the South-Eastern
Company's 8.1 l from London to Chilbam, so far as
concerns the making of the line from London to Graves-
end, and no further. The result of this decision sanctions
the promoters of. the South Eastern Company to con-
struct a line through Greenwich Park to Gravesend.

LONDON CORN EXCHANGE.—YESTERDAY.
The supply of Wheat from Essex, Kent, and Suffolk, by land-
carriage samples, was moderate at this morning's market, and
in order to make sales it was necessary to submit to a decline of
2s. per quarter from this day week, and at which reduction the
stands were cot cleared at a late hour. Foreign remains nomi-
nally the same; sales, however, can only be effected in retail
quantities to release by certificates, which are held at 11s. Of
Spring Corn the quantity fresh up has been very trifling.
Barley, Beans, and White Peas are unaltered in value, whilit
hog Peas maintain late prices. The demand for Oats is limited,
which, with rather more offering, causes a heavy trade, and the
prices of this day se'nolght cannot be supported.