The Herald -- 1868-09-23 -- Page 1-Extra

SPEECHES

DELIVERED AT THE DEJEUNER IN HONOR OF THE CoN.
GRESSIUNAL COMMITTER OF THE UNITED STATES,
sErTEMBER 2, 1868,

Tho Hon Josxru Henstey. Attorney General, on rising,
as President, to propose the first toast of the phone
said he had an agreeable duty to perform. Her Majesty
the. nm was now In the thirty-second year of her
reign, and it was his first and most pleasing duty, as a

B subject, to pro “The health of Her Majest
the. and all Foi Haret Family.” In doing so, wa

evor, he might be permitted to say that this was a toast
tn which their distinguished guests would, he felt as-
sured, join as heartily aud enthusiastically as they could

themselves. The manner in which Her Majesty had dis-
charged her public duties, and the unblemished excel-
lence of her private life, had not only endeared her to her
own subjects. but had secured for her also the admira-
tion and respect of the civilized world, and especially,
he believed, of the Great Republic. As regarded
the people of P. E. Island, a more loyal people he
had never known; and, as manifesting Her Majesty's
gracious sentiments towards them, they had been
honored on two separate occasions hy the personal
visi's of their Royal Uigiiucesco the Beines af Wale:
and the Duke of Edinburgh, Her Majesty, he repeated,
was everywhere respected as a woman and as a Qneen,
but more capecially as the warm friend of America,
He knew, therefore, that there was not one among them
that evening who would not heartily join them in drink-
ing “The health of Her Majesty and all the Royal
Family.”

This tonst having been ** enthusiastically honored,”
“God save the Queen" was played in good style by
Mr. Galbraith’s Brass Band,

Mr. Hensley said the next toast he had to propose
was © The President of the United States.” In proposing
such a toast as that thelr American guests would, he had
no doubt, remember that in this matter of drinking
healths. at least, there was a marked distinetion to be
drawn between American citizens and liritish sabjects—
theirs was an elected head, whilst ours was an heredita
Monarch, Wheu, therefore, it was proposed by Writish
subjects to drink the health of the President of the Uni-
ted States, it was simply intended as a recognition of,
and a compliment to, the great country of which he was,
for the time being, the recognised head.
the undoubted rights and privileges of the people of
this Istand freely to discuss the current events o! the day.
A diversity of opinion would, therefore, be the natural
result; and the feelings of British subjects would some-
times be enlisted on the one side and sometimes on the
other. But of this he was quite certain—there was but
one wish, one general sentiment in P. B. Island, and
that was, that happiness and prosperity might attend
the American people in all their undertakings.

Thie toast was also duly honered, the band after.
wards playing the air. ** Yankee Doodle.”

The Hon. Eowarp Pacmen, Vice President, on being
called upon by the Chairman (Mr. Hensley) to propose
the next toast, said it afforded him much pleasure to
comply with the request. He was sorry, however, that
His Excellency the Lient. Governor was not then tn the
Island, for, had he not been absent, they would. he had
no doubt, have been honored with his company on that
oceasion, Mr. Dundas was a member of a very dis-
tinguished Scotch family, "te had been, for several years,
the head of the Government of P. E. tsland; and he had
on all public occasions shown himself «true friend of the
people, The political principles by which he was neta.
ated asa public man were strictly constitutional; and his
desire evidently was, that every privilege to which, as
British subjects, the people of this Island were entitled,
should be conceded to them. He (Wr. Palmer) again re-
gretted that the Lieut. Governor should have been pre:
vented from dispensing the hospitalities of Govern-
ment House, as the representative of thelr beloved Queen,
to the guests to do honor to whom they had that evening
met together, He hoped, however. that the visit of the
eminent men to whom he allnded would not be the last
of the kind they were destined to receive from the Great
Republic; bur that, on some future occasion, the Lieut,
Governor of this Istand would be found among the trst
to avail himself of bis oMfclal position to extend his weil-
known hospitality, with every mark of courtesy and re-
spect, to such gentiemen as those whom they then had
the lionor and the privilege to entertain. Mr. Palmer
then proposed © The health of Lieut Governor Dundas."

Having heen honored in the usual style, this toast
was followed by the air, * Auld Lang Syne.”

The Chairman (Mr. Hensley) said the next toast was
one that would, he thought. provoke a speech from at
least one of the members of the delegation, although the
tenat of * The Congressional Committee,” he observed,
steodas the fourth toast. in the programme that had
been placed in his hands. He. nevertheless, thought they
would get aspeech from one of those gentlemen in re-
sponse to the toast he was then about to propose, viz:
“The Congress of the United States.” Our Island Legis-
lature would but very feebly compare with that of the
United Statés; but, Insignificant as we were. we still
thought a deal of ourselves, and it was quite right
and natural that we should doso; for a man who thought
but little of himself, and a people who thought but little
of themselves, would most probably be thought but little
of by other people. That P. E. Island was, however,
deemed worthy of some consideration, was quite clear,
for they were honored with the presence that evening of
a Committee of the Congress of the United States, who
had been appointed with ¢he special object of instituting
certain inquiries respecting matters intimately connect-
ed with thetr mterests and [sland Interests. They had with

th i f that Committee, Gen.
Batler. «. Ter tates ropucatiow wan ae onee mtiteary,

» and forensic; Judge Poland, who, tor nine-
teen . was Chief Justice of the State of Vermont;
the Hon. James Heck, Istinguished lawyer, and 4
member of Congress for the State of Kentucky; and the
Hon. B.-H. Derby, who was also a distinguished mem,
pee of en merican Bar and.an eminent financier, They

ad with them, too, Major Ruy Diaz-de-Kay, who, not
awtisfied with the ve glory acquirea tn his own
country by lorg service in the field, had lately distin:

Gilahewt_ himself and been wounded whilst fighting for
the Greeks, ‘They. lit, therefore, to consider this
visit as® a-great compliment. ‘They had fn fact, been
treated by the Congress of the Untoed States almost us
if they were a small nation. . They had made this Island
_-small as it wax—the subject of a separate Resolution
and a rate Comuilttye ; and he fervently hoped. nay,
he belleved that good would come out of it. One eflect
of alt this woula, at ell events, be the bringing of this
Island into a more prominent positton than it had here-
tofore occupied, They could. not do less, therefore,
than drink * The Congress of the United States,” 7,
ling therewith the name of General Butler, as one of 1
inost distinguished members,

Having been duly honored, ‘ Hail Columbia” was
played by the Band. After which, —

Gen. Rurinn seid it became him, in the first place, to
discharge an imperative duty, and, at the same tine, a most
gratefel tals vie: to thank the gentl men presert for the
very distinguished manner in which they had received the
depuration of which he was the chairman The reception
hey ed ‘met with could not fail to make the der pest impres-
sion on all their hearts, and they would allow him to say
that, in coming to this Island, they came not with any desire
of hope, or wih to interfere with the huppy relations sub-
sisting between this Colony and the Mother Country They
came simply to comider the best means of fostering their
rontual interests and adjusting extsting tariffs, #0 that both
countries might reap the largest amount of advantage from
the free interchange of their respective conmedines. ‘They
had ecomte. to ws first Desens, ey recognized this Island as

the key of the fir ing, as it aid, like a tongue

in the mouth of the Guif of St. Lawrence, to dictate terms

with respect to that most important interest, They came to us,

further, because they were not likely to create complications

such as must, of wae ‘ ‘d when the question of
wit

: in connection with the
in.

fertile

Here e ;
STasanes Ned hes of valuable products. bbe then
Ta eee bat mathets be ovcured Bot those products?
of the arid andr lands .in the Eastern States

‘Aurned. to profitable account by Yankee energy

and hn whose ewatector gave employmen'
Ee a Gnened the wealih of the nation
whore productions sea. Wy

for the productions of this Ivland.

t to
gene-
adiy exchange
d coms to see

they had, amongst other thing», ob-

It was one of -

served that large numbers of
upon there ecaste, These hardy fishermen had lefttheir own
granite cliffs for the of prosecuting the fivheries, but
they had not, he feared, always kept stiictly outside of the
threo-mile line. ‘The came here pot to ask that
hospitality which Americans had always received in this
country, but to ask, as a right, to be allowed to come into
the harbors of thw Island whenever it might be found
necessary, to fish within the three-mile limits, and to exchange
the productions of buth countries whenever it might be ad-
vantageous to both parties to do so, They wanted to get
all this, and nothing more. He (Gen. Butler) had a com-
ry to make against our Queen.—it was this: no Sovereign
mad done so much to damage Republicanism as Queen
Victoria. ‘The beauty of her private life—the influence of
her example—and the many estimable qualities of mind. and
heart which she p , and manitestd on all suitable
occasions, had rendered tolerable. to the Kepublic of the
Ww est, to some extent at least, a Kingly Coyernmen:,
Coming to this Island with intents.and interests of this des-
cription, and with the object of gathering such information
to lay before the Congress ot the United States, as might
lead to the happiest results, the delegation found then selves
face to face with the descendants of the eame great couutry
with themyelves, Surely they could not be expected to for-
get their common language and their common literature.
Shakespeare, Milton, Byron, and Moore were viewed as the
common property of both nations, Franklin, Fulton, Ark.
wright, Watt, and Stevenson were also considered as common
a The Mother Country toe yeu,” sald Gen, Bute
er, “is the Movher Country to usy amd-although, in-early,
days, the American people were, pyrhapa, a littie froward—
a little rebellious even—they would, he boped, excuse the
energy so early manifested, or, if not, attribute their defects
to the noble Anglo Saxon race from which they sprang.
They had, at allevents, shewn the world what English, Seote
and Irishmen could do in a new country. They had shewn
the world an army, 1,690,009 strony, arrayed on one side
only, Having accomplished its work they had seen that
immense army melt away like a snow flake. the individuals
of whom it was compo.ed again becoming citizens, and all
the better citizens for having once been good soldiers, They
would also shew the world in the coming year, the iron
road stretching across from the Atlantic to the Pavific. ‘The
iron horse would xtart, panting, from the shore of thy Pagific
and not stop till it had quenched its thirst in the warers of
the Atlantic, ‘They could shew the world the Chinese Em-
pire, @ thousand—nay, two thousand miles di-tant, finding
them out and knocking at cheir gates; the Chinese Emperor
sending an Ambassador to treat with the United States on
commercial matters,—to treat with Great Britain next, The
claims were much stronger here,—those now present were
of the anme blood, possessed of the same manly independence,
and ought, therefore, cheerfully to held out the hands of
amity. Why not? How could reciprocity be brought about?
There was, he doubted not, a reciprocity of feeling already
existing; but suppose it was permitted to them, amid the
darkening shades, to sean the future with the eye of pro-
pheey—suppose they looked forward into futurity, to what
people should it be given to spread their dominion through-
out this western world? Look at Spain, fresh from the
ware with the Moors, landing where nature had made an
earthly paradise, and yet her Colonies dwindled away and
became nations in name merely, France, somewhat more
fortunate, established herself in San Domingo, From P, E.
Island, and Loui-burg, in Cape Breton, to the mouth of the
Minsisaippi, nearly all was her own, But she was driven
out, In San Domingo the blacks revolted, and your fathers
and ours took Louisburg and P, K. Isband from the French.
So tha’ for all practical purp oes the great section that had
gone up had been that portion that was first conquered by
the Anglo Saxon race; and from these premises hy ventured
to predict that tnis Western Continent was to be gv rned
by that race, —by the descendants of the men who had come
out from England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, aud by
no others, Allow me to give, asat ast—

“The British Empire and the United States: Acting
together in unity, peace, and concord, it is due to their com.
mon origin and common language that they should occupy,
subdue, and govern thie Western World,”

The Hon. Mr. Hensley, on rising to propose the next
tonst, remarked that they had had the pleasure of listen-
ing to one of their most distinguished guests (Gen. But
ler;) but he thought it would hardly be right to allow the
other of those gentlemen to depart without hearing from
him also. He alluded to the Hon, Judge Poland, of
Vermont. Socomfortable didthe learned Judge feel,
that he left his home, and had been on the Island
several days, although he was a candidate, no farther
back than the day previous, for re-clection to Congress,
Owing to the telegraphic cable being broken, he did not
then know whether he was In or out; but he believed he
was quite sure of being retarned with a very comfort-
able majority of 40,010 or 50,000, And they had another
representative to Congress present (Mr. Beck.) who
could also speak tor hifself. He would, therefore, cut
his remarks short. by proposing ** Tae C myressional
Committee.” coupling therewith the Hon. Judge Poland
and the Hon. Mr. Beck.

The How Julge Ponaxn, formerly Chief Justice of
the State of Vermont, and a member of Congress, re-
marked that the duty of respouding to thie ttt more
properly devolved apon Gen. Butler, as Chairman of
the Congressional Committee, than pon himeelf; bus,
as Gen, Butler had already spoken in response to an-
other toast, he (Judge Poland) woula endeavor, how-
ever imperfectly, to take his place on that oceasion.
The present delegation was entirely owing to the Chair-
man (Gen. Batler,) who represented the great fishing
interests of Massachusetts, ete, In making ap Com-
mittees of Congress, it was the duty of the Speaker to
see that, as fur as possible, all parts of the conntry
were represented. ‘That officer, accordingly, quite un-
expectedly placed him (Judge Polani) nj on the Com-
mittee, and simply, he supposed beoanse he happpea-
ed to represent an interior district, but whose popn-
lation had very little to do winggthe fisheries, and in

which, consequently, they took Gi little interest, The
dele gater werey ewer, bee ov afel — ee
ly pleased with their visit to Island. Indeed,

ther visit had been a centinan ree of astonishurent
to them from the hour of their ayrival to that) moment~
It was no compliment to him, hé said, nor to those who
heard him, to say that, when he embarked on this ex-
pedition, he wae entirely ignorant of everything, eave
th: mere knowledge of its geographical position, con-
nected With this Estland or ite inhabitants, Bot when,
on reaching ite shores, theiy eyes bebeld this fine agris
cultne | conntry.—when they beheld it peopled with
such a fine race of men. everything in short. #0 widely
diffrent trom what they had expected to find in the
Gulf of St. Lawrence, Sete dxtonixhment was greater
than he could undertake te describe. Since his arrival,
he had been naturally led to oo nae into the state of
the dudveiary and the Publie School system of this Ix.
lanl, and be wee astotiehed atthe state af advanerment
nay of pertection—at whieh the Colony had arrived
with reference to both these important matters, Lut
more especially Was he astonished when he learned how
they had dealt with the hud titles of the Colony.
tevantry on a large scale was totally unadapted to this
side of the Athutic.—in America every man's house
wae, or cught to be, his home, and his farm his king:
dom. They had the same diffien!t que: tion to deal wit
iw the United States, and in some cases it wae not set-
tled yet; when, however, be found that thie title Colony
had grappled with thie quest jon, and had come off con-
querer, be was, he would again fay, perfectly lost in
amagetuent. With all these things they had been high-
ly pleased. And they found axeembled there that eve-
ning a set of brothers who had deecended from the
fame aveestry ae themeelves,—membere of the eanre
great family in reality and in substance an independ-
ent people; for theirs was a Government of the
eople—precisely what the American Government wae.
Sie interests of both cowatnes were identical, and the
delegates came here to promote: that fraternal feeling
which onght to exret, mall essential particulars, between
the people ef the Colonies and the people of the
United States. They came to this leland with no nar-
row jeatonsies 5 5 Saco looked in vain for any on the
side of those whem he now addreseed ; and their pre-
sent visit would, be trusted, resultin & farther and
still more intimate acquaintance. Although he took no
credit to himself fur initlatmg the present movement,
Le would, he said. be the pioneer in a system of ex-
cursions which weuld, he had po doubt, be mutually
beneficial, The wealiner portion of the inhabitants
of the American cities were accustomed, during the
heat of summer, to visit c.rtain, fashionable places of
resorteeuch ae Saratoga, the White Muuntaing, ete.,
bot he had seen eufficient to induce him to affirm that
thie Island waefar better adapted for evel excursions
than the places to which he had just reterred; and al-

one in that enterpriee, and would
tainly re-visit thie Island next summer.

Mr, Brecon, Member of Congress toe Bieptscly, cada
being called upon by the Ihpinoatl alxo reeponded ta
the toast in a very pleasing and agreeable manner,

agreed with Judge Voland in thinking that it was diffi
cult to tell why either of them had been put upon t
Congressional Committee appointed to vit this Island,
What he desired to say, however, was this, that alth
not farniliar with trade and the qnestion of the fisheries,
he was quite unprepared to find such men and es y
euch women as they had found in this out-of the-way
corner of the world. They would, he was sure, pardon
th» allusion to the tair sex, when he told them that Ken-
tuckians, but especially Scotchmen, had an amiable
weakness in that direction; and, whatever anght be bie
other failings, he would be able. on his return, to tell the
people of the State he had the honor to represent that
they had seen a people who were worthy of their friend-
ship and esteem; that they had found here an Island
that wax capable of prodaging what no other por ion of
America, perhaps, could produge with equal facility ;
that the people of this Island raise in abundanee just
what the American people wantewho, in their turn, can
furnish in eqaal abundance the very articles that are
wanted here. And for whatever sacrifices the people of
this Colony might be disposed to make, in order to se-
core reciprocal free teade with the United States, they
wonld, be felt assured, be compensated ten-fald by the
latter, He ier Beck) had ween a telegeam, since his
arrival in P Island, by which be was informed that
the British Minister at Washington (Mr. Thornton) and

Mr. Seward, were just now eagayed in pegatiations for

a renewal of the Recipovity Treaty, to embrace all the
Provinees of British North Ameriva, * Let them do it,’
anid Mr Book, ‘but ler them age to wt that they do it
well” The people of the Western States had no par-
ticular interest in this question of Reciprocity Never-
theless, an injury could not be inflicted on New Eng-
Jand witheat injaring Kentueky also, The delegates
could go to those who sent them to this Island, and tell
them what its people were prepared to give in exchange

for the privileges they wished to obtain, and if they could

be convinced that the arrangement would be mutually
advantageous, their wishes would, doubtless, be acceded
to. The desire of the Weatern States was to eatablish
free trade with all nations—in short, to be permitted to
buy in the cheapest and sell in the dearest markets.
This Island was a part of that Empire on which‘ the sun
never sets,’ and that great nation and the United Stites
were bound tagether by bands stronger and more endoring
than those which formerly bound the thirteen Colonies to
the Mother Country. Americans had never lost sight of
the fact, that they were the desceudants of the same
common ancestry with the inhabitants of these British
colonies. They looked back to the authors of Magna
Char'a with the profonndest veneration: and the com-
mon law of England and trial by jury were regarded by
thém—equally with British subjects every where--as
the palladiom of their civil rights and liberties; whiist
Shakespeare, Milton, Fulton, Watt, and Franklin. were
looked npon as the property of both nations. After
some additional observatione, and. the quotation of a
stanza or two, which elicited gre Capplau-e, bat whieh
did net reach the reporter's ear very distinetly, Mr.
Beck proposed as a sentiment :—

“ The Common Law of Bagland—its rights and liber-
ties, ‘

Frepentck Brecken. Esquire, on being enatled pon by
the Chairman, said that he could have wished, after the
eloquent and very cosmopolitan speech of the honorable
gentieman from Kentucky (Mr. Beck), to which they had
just been listening, to have been spared the necessity of
offering any remarks on that occasion, He knew. how.
ever. that the high appreciation of the Common Law of
Kngland whieh Mr. Beck had expressed was common to
the more intelligent portion the American, people,
‘That Hon, gentleman had remarked, he believed. that it
was upon the Common Law that the rights and liberties

_ of both Britain and America were mainly based, an opin-

jon in which he (Mr. Brecken) heartily concurred. The
principal difference between the two nations appeared to
hin (Mr. Brecken) to be simply this: whilst British sub-
jects live courented, happy, and prosperous under a limit-
ed monarchy, that under which the American people
flourished was Republican, (he two peoples had a great
deal in common as well as theirorigin — [twas therefore,
no common sentiment that the most friendly relations
ought always to subsist between two nations so closely
allied, and it ought always to be their most earnest pd
sire and prayer that the flags at that moment so grace-
fully suspended over their heads might always be seen
in the most friendly companionship. Mr. Beek had re-
marked also that the Great Charter had been achieved br
Britain long before the war that ended in the separation
of the thirteen Colonies from the Mother Country; and
he did not say too much when he affirmed that the two
nations were the representatives and the e uhodiment of
true liberty, He (Mr. Brecken) believed that the Queen of
England was as dearly loved by her subjects as was the
memory of George Washington by Aimerican citizens.
Perhaps the former were a little more democratic in their
notions than the latter, At all events, a Cabinet could
never be seen in Britata sitting for four years in direct
opposition to the wishes of a Parliamentary majority, as
was sowetimes the case, he believed, in he United States.
The toast proposed by Mr. Beck had reference to the
Jurists of Great Britain, bat on this point he would say
but little. It might serve the purposes of come to de-
preciate or seek to audervalue the legal profession; bat
it happened, we maagan 3 enough, that on the Congressional.
Committee. then with them, three were lawyers, om 7
whom had filled the important pesition of Chief
of the State of Kormont, 5 sore ee be seen in what
at iervat bow an enof f ern PSBLON,
by their neighbours, Americans. a tra
the batue of Constitutional liberty had been
America, a3 well as In Britain, by lawyers; :
present day some gentlemen of that profession had \
only greatly distinguished themselves in the Senate, an
at the Bar. but had recently been eugazed fgbri
country's battles with equal bravery on the
one of whoin (Gen. Butler) was present with them t!
evening, Among thelr other guests on that occasion,
he was also happy. to recognize several members of the
Jean profession; and it woukl be generally admitted, he
thonght, that no other class of men had labored more
gealously for the achievement of national libercy, and |
for the advancement of the social interests of man-
kind, than lawyers.” In proof of his assertions he on!
deemed it necessary to mention the names of Lords
Campbell and Brougham tn England, and Judge Storey
in America. He woud not. however, weary their patience
much further, as they were still to be addressed by several
genth men whose presence with them that evening they
were all very justly proud of. Me hoped thes: gentlemen
would carry back with them to the United States a high
impression of P. BE. Island and its resources, With re-
spect to Reciprocity, what was there. he would ask, to
prevent its re-establishment? They all spoke the same
language,—-had one common ancestry, one history, one
literature, Americans lived and dled under the Stara
and Stripes, and the inhabitants of these Colonies lived
anit died under the Union Jack of Old England; and he
did most sincerely hope that the result of the
tions and investigations now in progress would
apeedy re-establishment of those reciprocal relations that
bad formerly proved so beneficial to the Interests of all
parties. The people of this Colony had a keen apprecia-
tion of that off-handed manner in, which intelligent Amerl-
cans were wont to deal with such questions as Reciprocal
Free Trade, and wished to know why they should not be
permitted to re-establish those commercial relations with
the neighbouring Republic under which they had an-
doubtedly flourished and prospered greatly, What caused
the loss to Britain of thirteen Colonies bot the
arbitrary conduct and. stupidity of George TL. a
Lord North? It would also be recollected that
were jn the British Parliament of that day a Lora Cha
ham andan Edmund Burke, who fought as He as
voslachiaaiy, and as eloquently for the descendants the
a

Piigrim Fathors as any man on this side of the Atlantic
done; but Gee IIL. and the Grenvilles tri-
pte er pete forever by far the rhohest

mphed, and, in doing 80,
porsion of England's vast possessions ia America,

“The Executive and Legislative Councils of P. EB.
Island,” the next toast on the programme, was pap
by General Butler,—and the Coarmon called gpon the
Hon. Mr. Haythorne, a member of both Bodies, to re-
spond thereto.

The Hon. Mr. Haytucaye

expressed his ¢ on
being called upon by the Uhairman to return for