Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-04-25
A dinner. speech - dHsriss bIesess.

- nAMNNN@ENNtu9HNaAMM Mtchemns
= Than 0hsrles Dickens there Il prObablyno
men living who can turn Of a hester dinner
speech. We give his ast delivered at the
Residence Of the Lord Mayor Of London, on
the 2nd inst, as reported m The Londor
Star. W.
Mr.. @. Dickens proposed The health Of the
Lady Mayoress. He said that, being honored
with the permission OF his Lordship, he
would venture TO- remark that since be hGd
been seated at that table he had found il
pleasant 70 consider N reYerting Is men
NATURALLY did 10 their own pursuits-how III
English literature could afford to part with
its Lord Mayors OF London. ICheers.l The
literature of English history, losing It's Lord
Mayors would lose some qfilts most notable
instances of the public spirit the munif,
lcence, the personal bravery aud prowess Of
the good old citizens on that side Temple
Bar The literature of English romance
losing its Lord Mayors of London weuld
lose at one blow its Wealthiest London
merchant, . its most beautiful merchants
dauRhter its crossest cook, its best known
foreign edveniureI aits most profitable in
vestment on record dand It's most wonderful
cat ELaughtera and cheers. l. Similarly, En-
gliah biography losing its Lord Mayors would
lose some Of its most notable examples of
rewarded perseverance and integrity, and
some of its highest illustrations Of the no.
bility Of selfmade men. loud cheersl lil
Even the great English satirist, of whom
il was well said that his pictures required 10
be read like b0oks---even he could no more
dispense with his Lord Mayor OF hondon
than any Of the rest, for without him he
could neither commit his idle apprentice for
trial under circumstances Of vety touching
and powerful contrast nor reward his in
dus;riogs apprentlee By presenting him, at
the hight OF his fame, at court, These con-
sideraiionss suggested to him and TO all
present that the Lord Mayor was not, never
had been, and never could be, considered
complete without Lady Mayoress.
TCheers1 Among other respects in which
the city of London had set highly civ
iized and most Admirable example was this.
that il steadily dissociated from occasions
like the present the absurd English custom
Of separating the lords of the creation from
the ladies. Laughter and cheers.l
He thought that if the male sex were
fairly polled they would arrive at the almost
unanimous conclusion that they never were
SO exceedingly wearisome to themselves,
and never so extraordinarily uninteresting
to one another, as when they were said,
conventionally speaking, to be left quite at
their ease. Laughter1 That abrogation
of bad usage on the part of the city,
thouRh IL unuouotedly had Its roots in the
soundest gallantry and good sense, was at.
tended with this inconvenience, that it ne
cessitated the proposing of the Lady Mayor
ess's health in the Lady Mayoress's pres
ence, and thus rendered exceedingly difficult
task which, from its very acceptable and
obvious nature, would otherwise be almost
easy.
On the other hand, according to the great
law Of compensation which pervaded the
universe, it was to be observed that the silent
presence WAS in itself the most eloquent
speech that could be made in offering toast,
and was the best illustration that could pos
sibly be given of the virtues and graces of
its subject. lCheers.1
If he might venture so far to depart from
mere state and ceremony as TO say on such
an occasion as the present that he had long
had the honor of an intimate personal friend-
ship with the Lady Mayoress, and that it
had been his privilege to see her widely diff
fusing her excellent influence in another cap
ital-if he ventured on that remark it was
merely to suggest that as the liberality and
princely hospitality of the chief magistrate
of London could assuredly find no filter
female representative here, SO the most
wholesome influence of an English lady
could certainly find no better represe ntatrvs
there. With the permi sion of his lordship,
he begged to propose to the distinguished
guests the health of the Lady Mayoress.
loud cheers uf ..... 1