The toast was received with three times three. Lord Strathnairn and Sir H. Keppel replied to the compliment, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer responded to the toast of "Her Majesty's Ministers," proposed by His Royal Highness the Chairman. Other toasts having been given and acknowledged, the Earl of Carnarvon proposed "The Health of the Guests," coupled with the name of General Grant; saying that "there never has been one to whom we willingly accord a freer, a fuller, a heartier welcome than we do to General Grant on this occasion. We accord it to him, not merely because we believe he has performed the part of a distinguished General in many a 'well-foughten field,' nor because he has twice filled the highest office which the citizens of his great country can fill, but because we look upon him here present to-night as representing, so to speak, that good-will and that affection which ought to subsist between us and the United States of America. It is not a century since there befell this country what we believe to have been the greatest misfortune that her pages record. Not a hundred years ago the States of America separated from us; and, great as the loss was, I do not think that the separation was the greatest part of the calamity. The disaster lay in this, that the separation on each side was effected amid the storms of passion, resentment, and animosity. Yet not a century has rolled by, and I believe, and thank God for believing, that in a great measure that animosity and resentment have passed away, and we are entering on a new stage of mutual trust, of mutual sympathy, and of mutual support and strength. I have had, perhaps, special opportunities of observing this in the office I have the honour to hold. It has been my duty to be connected with the great dominion of Canada, stretching, as it does, several thousand miles along the frontier of the United States, and during the last three or four years I can truthfully say that nothing impressed me more or gave me livelier satisfaction than the interchange of friendly and good offices between the two countries under the auspices of President Grant."
General Grant was loudly cheered on rising to respond. He spoke in such a low voice as not to be heard distinctly, but he was understood to say that he felt more impressed than possibly he had ever felt before on any occasion. He came there under the impression that this was the Trinity House, and that the trinity consisted of the Army, the Navy, and Peace. He therefore thought it was a place of quietude, where there would be no talk or toasts. He had been therefore naturally surprised at hearing both one and the other. He had heard some remarks from His Royal Highness the President of the evening which compelled him to say one word in response to them. The remarks he referred to were complimentary to him. He begged to thank His Royal Highness for those remarks. There had been other things said during the evening highly gratifying to him. Not the least gratifying among them was to hear that there were occasionally in this country party fights as well as in America. He had seen before now as much as a war between the three departments of the State—the executive, the judicial, and the legislative departments. He had not seen the political parties of England go so far as that since he had come to this country. He would imitate their Chairman, who had set the good example of oratory—that was brevity—and say no more than simply to thank His Royal Highness and the company for the visitors.
This is one of the longest speeches ever made by General Grant, whose allusion to party fights was suggested by what had been said by the Chancellor of the Exchequer: "There have been reports and rumours of dissensions in the Cabinet, and of them I do not mean to say anything but this—there is one subject on which there is no dissension. Among all the ministers who have ever dined at the Trinity House there is no dissension as to the manner in which they have been received in this hospitable hall."
THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC.
THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC.
The Royal College of Music has occupied so much of the time and labour of the Prince of Wales, and promises to be an institution of so great national importance, that it seems well to present in order the various movements that led up to the foundation of the College, and to group together the successive speeches of the Prince on this subject.