The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-10-29 00:00:00

TILE DINNER,

Took place at five o'clock in the magnificent banqueting
hall, which we have already described. The display, in-
ending plate, surpassed anything of the kind ever sem
in this nei4hhourhood. Th-1 dianer was ev,rythinz that
could be desired, and added hi no snail degree to the
already well-earned fame of Mr. Horne, of the Mersey
Hotel. On the rigl,t of the Chairman, the following
(Fs!inguished guests were seated ;—Sir Philip de Malpal
Grey Egerton, the Earl of Es ex. Lord 13ateman, the
Ilon. Lloyd Kenyon, Sir Joshua Wahnsley, C. K. Main-.
:
waring, Rev. Andrew Knox, J. D. Case, Esq., P. Green
Col. Clegg, Col, Mitchell, J. IL Shaw, E-q., J. C.
E wart, Esq., J. W.
Harden, Esq., Col. Challiner, lion.
Captain Rest, R.N.. Thomas Grimsclitch, Esq: ALP,
Joseph 13rwherton, Esq. M.P., Rev. James Mainw4ring,
11. de Trafford, F.:4i., H. Winch, Esq., C. Po,ts, Esq.
On the left of the chair were seated Lord rd Lilford,W.

Tatton Egerton, k;eq., M.P., General Sir. W. Warre, the
Hon. E. S. Stanley, the Hon. Sir Edward Cust, Sir W.
Symonds, the Rev. Archdeacon Clarke, Joseph Bailey,
Esq , Wm. Ewart, Esq., M.P., Richard Congrevc, E,q.,
Thomas Thortiley, Esq., M.P., J. B. Clegg, Esq•e_ Rev.
H. M. Fielden, George C. Leg!), Esq., - Sir. William
Massey Stanley, Cap. Gerrard, John Stanley, EN., J.
ainwaring, Esq., the Rev. F. Ould, Capt. Grcig, &C. &c.
The list of invited guests included three hundred liot)le-
men, gentlemen, members of parliament, merchants,
railway directors, professional men, respectable trades-
men, and ethers, from Birkenhead and this town, and,
indeed, from all parts of the kingdom.
The greatest novelty of the evening, and ong which
added much to the amusement of th • company was the
introduction of Mr. 'Jr. W. Toole, the celebrated toast
master, from the East India-house, London. Quite au
fait in his business, he succeeded admirably in the diffi-
cult and important task allotted to him. With "an ex-
quisite and finished air," he gave out the toasts, com-
manded silence, and seemed to think himself the very life
and soul of the meeting. Grace having been said by the
Rev. A Knox, the feast commenced, and tee enjoyment of
the multitudinous luxuries was protracted tilt twenty
minutes past six o'clock. Thanks having been returned,
and the tables cleared,
The CHAIRMAN rote and seid,—l beg, without any
remark, to propose the first toast of the evening, " Her
Majesty, the Queen". (Three times three, and loud ap-
please). Air, " God save the Queen."
The CHAIRMAN then gave ." Her Majesty the Queen
Dowager." (Three times three.)
The CHAIRMAN-1 bee now to give you " His Royal
Highness Prince. Albert, the Earl of Chester, and the
rest of the royal frnily." (Three times three.)
The CHAIRMAN next called upon the company to join
with him in drinking to " The army and navy," and be
begged also to couple with this t_tast, the names of
General Warre and Captain Bevis. (With three times
three.)
Major-general Sir WILLIAM WARRE acknowledged
the toast. He begged to return his sincere thanks for the
kind and feeling manner in which his name had been
coupled with the tcast of the army. He could not but
feel deeply gratified for the manner in which this toast
had been received, coupled as it had been with that ser-
vice to which had been for many years his pride-and glary-to
belong. Next to the approbation of their beloved Queen,
whose approbation was their highest stimulus and their
best reward, the appr,bation of their fellow-countrymen
was their best stimulus to exertion, and also 'the greatest
reward which they could receive, next to that of Her
Majeety. (Loud cheers.) It was impossible for him to
witness that morning the imposing ceremony of laying
the first stone of those magnificent works projected at
Wallasey without feeling that a new stimulus was imparted
to the army to protect—a new objeerof love and devo-
•tion to their country was suggested to his mind. (Ap-
plause.) Whether the army was serving in distint parts
—he would not speak of the navy, because a gentleman
was much better able to advocate the cause of his
profession than he could presume to be—but so far as
his own profession was concerned, lie could only say it
would always be the delight and pride of the army in
foreign parts to maintain that commerce, the trade of
which was so widely diffused over the globe from both
banks of this river. (Hear, hear, and applause.) When
abroad, it was their duty te protect their trade, and when
they returned home he trusted that every soldier would
feel it was his duty to maintain the laws of his country,
and protect those institutions which for centuries had
been the pride and the glory of every Englishman—those
institutions under which this country had prospered, and
had risen to the high position which she now held among
the nations of the world. A small island it Might be—
e small island in the ocean—but it was the most powerfel
among the nations. It might be the envy of many, but
it w.ts respected by all. (Hear.) Ile was not in the
habit of addressing public meetings, and therefore be
craved the indulgence of the company, and begged to
return them, in the name of the profession to which he
belonged, hie best thanks for the honour done to them.
(Applause.)
Captain BEVIS, R.N., also acknowledged the compli-
meet, but being seated in the vicinity of the vice presi-
dent, and speaking in a low tone of voice, his fee ober-
servations were not heard.

The CHAiRMAN ti en gave "The Bishop and Clergy
of the diocese." He said he had seen his Lordship on
Monday last, and he expressed his great regr,t that his
official duVes in a distant part of the county would pre-
vent him from being there that day, because he wished to
sanction by his presence the great undertaking of that
day. He (the Chairman) wished to join with this toast
the name. of a gentleman who had been resident in &r-
-kenhead for the last 17 years, and who, every day-of those
17 years, had grown in the respect of the pcop'e of Birken-
h”ad, he meant the Rev. A. Kim (Three times three and
and one cheer !wire.

The Rev. Mr. KNOX returned thanks in a suitable
address.

Tile CHAIRMAN, in giving Sir P. reorton's health, ex-
pressed the obligations which he and all other parties in
any way interested in the public business pertaining to this
locality were under to that hon. gentleman. He alluded
at some Laigth to the exertions referred to in connexion
with the park, public improvements, and ether local bills,
the whole of which he had advanced, not because of their
local or individual bearing, but because of their utility
en 1 efficiency as contributory to the general good and :Li-
va oiement of the intereAs of the public at large. The
to e+t was received wit'a vehement applause.
S.r P EGERTON said.-1 would take this opportunity,
although t eeaaps not quite in the right line, of retur,i, g
my warmest ant smeerest thanks to the commissioners of
Birkenhead, for the distinguished honour which thee have
this day conferred on me, in requesting tee to take the
first Fart in that most interesting ceremony which you
have witnessed. I could have wished that that duty had
been entrusted to one more distinguished for rank, station,
or talent. I could have wished that the ceremonial of
this day had been graced by the presence of Royalty
(hear, hear) ; but 1 take this opportunity of voting, and
I am happy to have the pleasure of doing it, that the
refusal of Prince Albert to attend has been dictated by
that ni-e delicacy and that great discretion of feeling
which have guided every action of his since we had !he
pleasure of hailing him as the consort of our beloved So-
vereign. (Cheers.) I have ever considered it as one of
the proudest ftarures of my Parliamentary career, that I
should have been called on to represent the county of
Chester during that period in which Birkenhead has made
the greatest progress in the path of civilization. (Much
cheering.) I can say most sincerely that the interests of
Liyepoool are near and dear to me, as they most be to
every Cheshire man. If ever I have been accused of
taking a part adverse to their interests, it can only have
been in instances where I have imagined that the whole-
some and just rivalry which ought to exist between two
communities has been Supplanted by a jealousy wh;ch I
might have thought rather unfair to those on this side of
the river, and rather unworthy of the inhabitants on the
other. (Much cheering.) 1 hope most sincerely that all
those feelings of jealousy are now at an end, and that we
shall go on hand in hand, attempting only to rival one
another in one thing, namely, which can most promote
the commercial interests of the port of Liverpool. (Great
cheering.) I alluded to-day to the advantages which this
locality possesses for the construction of docks and other
walks. (Cheers.) Now I may say that it is my positive
conviction that these capabiLties would long have re-
mained dormant had you not had amongst you some of
those distineuished and enbrprisitig individuals to whom
you are indebted for all those great works that surround
you. (t beers.) It has been my fortune to transact bu-
sicess w.th the commissioners of 13rkenhead for some
years, and I never in my life transacted business with a
set of men so public-spirited, so disinterested, and so en-
terprising as the commissioners of Birkenhead : to whom
we owe a step of at least a century in advance of the or-
dinary progression of commueities.
The VICE-CHAIRMAN (Mr. Jack,b.n) said, 14 years
taco, when the individual whose likeness was then before
them (Mr. John Laird, sen.) first propagated the great
sceeme which they were now likely to carry out, he wes
treated as a wild enthusiast and seecnla!or—nay, he was
denounced as a fool ; but his sons had lived to carry out,
not only the project of the docks, but they had also lived
to see the very plan originally -suggested by their father's
mind carried into full effect. (Hear, hear.) They had
but one object in (Mooing these docks, and that object
wrs, to benefit the port of Liverpool—to take a fair share
of the trade which was increasing—to endeavour to aid
and assist the pert of Liverpool, in giving additional ac-
comcoodation to commerce—to give the ships, as they
arrived, ample accommodation—to reduce the charges, if
possible, upon merchandise, and, by such reductions, to
enable the poor man to get his calico shirt, if it was only
3d., at less than at present. (Hear.) Let them hope
that when times in which they could not expect to exist
presented to the readers of a future age the page of his-
tory. the name of Birkenhead might be therein recorded,
and that, when read, she might be lauded for her honesty
arid purity, and that her sons might go forth from that
port—to the east and to the west, the spicy islands of the
south, and frozen regions of the norte—,n3 take with
them the character of honest men. (Loud cheers.)
Such was their hope, such was their intention ; and let
them hope that they might not be deceived even by their
descendants. But should they have been in their present
proud position had it not been for those who had the charge
of the county interests in their hands? No. If there
was one representative more than another who had pined
the esteem and regard of his constituents at Birkenhead,
that man was Sir Philip Egerton (great applause); who
was indeed the cock of Cheshire. (Hear, and a laugh.)
He proposed the healths of the members for the county.
(The toast was drunk with ail the honours.)
Mr. T. EGERTON, M.P. sad, I always looked forward
to the time when the docks of Liverpool would be scarcely
sufficient for the rapidly increasing commerce of this
country—when the river Mersey would be only the high-
way for nations between the—not rival, but sister ports of
Liverpool and Birkenhead. But, gentlemen, so gigantle
a project as that of which we have this day laid the foun-
dation stone never entered my imagination—a project
•which does reflect the highest credit on the head that con-
ceived it, and those pubic-spirited and disinterested indi-
viduals who have followed it up ; and that not with a view
to their own interests, as in these present days we see too
commonly the case, but for the benefit of their fellow-
townsmen, their county, and their country at large,
(Cheers.) In travelling in foreign countries I have Wren
been struck with the singular contrast between that pre-
sented by this country and theirs with respect to 'iliac
woks. There everything is the work of Government;
here, everything is the work of individuals. (Continued
applause.) In that we see a perfect example of the unti-
mg energy, perseverance, and industry
of England, thatch
have at all threes and in all parts of the world carried its
people through every difficulty. I wish some of those in
foreign climes could have seen the ceremony which we
have this day witnessed. If they bad been told that a
township whirls, as my worthy colleague tap you, same
few years ago numbered but a few inhabitants, should
now, after the lapse of a few years, put forward and be
ready to complete undettakhois aim• st untivallcd in the
world, they would certainly have cause for wonder. We,