he 111CtrOpOItg.
About 150 persons dined at Merchant Tailors Hall on Saturday, no the occasion of electing scholars to St. John's College, Oxford, from time school belonging to the Company. 'f lie most distinguished guests were Sir RoLert Peel, time Bishop of 1Vinchester, the Marquis of Salisbury, Lord Abinger, Mr. G. R. Dawson, Sir Henry Hurdinge, Viscount Beresford, Lord Encombe, and the Lord Mayor. Mr.
George Buck ton, the Master of the Company, proposed from the chair the health of Sir Robert Peel, in a political speech. He talked about Sir Robert having been deprived of office by the " machinations of a faction." Sir Robert, in reply, avoided polities. After alluding to the high reputation of the boys from Merchant Tailors School at Oxford, and expressing his gratitude for the great dinner given in his honour by the Company last year, he said- " I have no right to assume that your political sentiments coincide with the political opinions which I entertain' but I have a right to infer that, however we may differ in our political creeds, you are still willing to do justice to the motives by which I and those who act with me are actuated, and to cheer anal support us in the honest and conscientious discharge of that which we conceive to be our duty. But when I know that the distinguishing characteristics ot this society are loyalty to the King, attachment to the Church, and obedience to the laws. then I say, we have a right to claim a community of political sentiment with not only the members of the institution, but every man in the country who avows the principles which you uphold ; for these are objects of our political conduct —the objects which alone we can wish to attain by the course which we pur- sue in Parliament. Now, after the manner in which I have been occupied for some days past in another assembly, and after the proofs of goodwill I have re- ceived from you, I, in the confidence which that goodwill inspires, believe that you will not inflict on sac the penalty of hearing may own voice. The best return I can make for the compliment you have paid me, will not be a long speech, to disturb the cordial feeling which now exists amongst us, but in affording you an opportunity of joining me in paying a well-met ited compli- ment to him who presides over yuur society on this occasion ; and therefore I shall conclude by proposing to you the health of the Master of the Merchant Tailors Company. ' The Marquis of Salisbury was not so cautious of wounding the feel- ings of any stray Liberal of the party. He declared that his only aim in life was to discharge his duty manfully; and he added— They were no doubt aware that the House of Lords was beset on every side with danger ; but they might rest assured, that, trying as the emergency was, and however imminent the danger with which they were threatened might bes, the Peers of England would manfully do their duty to the country, by bucking finely to the principles of the Constitution. ( Vehement cheering.) He could an,wer for it, that the House of Lords would never consent to rise by making unjust concessions, nor fall by offering a factious opposition to any measure which they believed to be for the real good tif the people; but would do their duty in such a way as to deserve the favourable opinion with which the toast had been received. (Long continued cheering.) I The meaning of this is, that the Peers will throw out the Irish Bills.]
The Bishop of Winchester assured the company, that the Spiritual Peers would be as stanch as their temporal Lordships, and Lord Stor- mont declared, that the Conservative Members of the House of Com- mons would "encounter the enemy with firm hearts."
These were the only noticeable things in the meagre report furnished by the Morning Post on Mondity.
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