The members of the St. Andrew's Society and their friends held their annual reunion at the Club on Saturday evening. About forty sat down to dinner, under the Presidency of Dr. Henderson, with W. Kaye, Hsq., in the vice-chair, Dr. Johnston and F. Henderson, Esq., acting as croupiers, The dining-room was tastefully decorated, and the usual emblems held their place on the walls and table. Through the kindness of a late arrival from the land of brown heath, a supply of heather, dry but unfaded, was obtained, and precious sprigs were distributed to adorn button-hol The national dishes in th carte were better than usual, and as the "proof of the pudding' is in the rein o't," so the quality of the cock-ajeekie was vouched for by the fact that the supply was quickly exhausted. The whisky was excellent. Dinner over, The Cuarmman, in opening the toast list, said—Public opinion, they were aware, was opposed to much after-dinner speaking. Tt had therefore been decided on the present occasion to restrict the number of the toasts to those set down in the programme, and' such gentlemen had.been selected,—with one exception, unfortunately now rather prominently before them—(No No!) as would be certain to gratify the assembly, by their oratorical powers, and do full justice to their subjects. (Applause.) They would, he was sure, much regret the absence of their worthy chaplain and alsnoner, Mr. Butcher, on whose behalf he had read a letter of apology. And now it was his privilege to ask the company to devote their first ylass of after-dinner wine to the Queen, Scotchmen are as a rule singularly independent and original thinkers, but when the question was one of loyalty to the throne, they all thought alike; and the Sons of Saint Andrew yielded to none in devotion and love for their Queen. (Great applause.)
A verse of the National Anthem was then sung—Mr. Gil6llan leading.
The Cuarrman would now call on them to drink to the health of the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay, the Marchioness of Lorne, and the other members of the Royal Family. He bogyed to be excused from making a speech this time, and to be allowed to offer a sentiment instead—May they follow in the footsteps of their Illustrious Ancestors. (Cheers.)
Song—'' God Bless the Prince of Wales."
Mr. Cawzxow thought the next toast, with which he had been entrusted, required very little garnishing at his hands. The Anny, Navy, and Volunteers was a toast in which they all felt so much interest, individually and collectively, that it searcely required to be more than mentioned. Teit were necessary to do ea, be should claim for the Army and Navy whatever merits Armies and Navies could claim elsewhere. He had no doubt they could find in their Army and Navy whatever bravery and skill and organisation were to be found in any other Army or Navy. (A Voice—Oh! more.) Some gentleman said they could claim' superiority, but he did not. think they should go so far as that—if they claimed a full equality it was enough, (No! No!) because in this condition they did not want to go to find a foe, but could wait till one should come to them. (Applause. He was not now speaking as a citizen of Shanghai, but aa a native of the tight little seagirt island which had a bulwark of defence within itself that-no other country could parallel. (Cheers.) The other branch of the toast was the Volunteers, and that was a branch which more nearly' interested them as residents in Shanghai. Speaking it was so with him, and in wishing the Volunteers all success, he could appeal to every man present for his sympathy and heart-felt ce-operation with the movement, and ask each to aid it by all that was in his power. Although their Army was very good, it was not out here, and although their Navy might be excellent, it could not eraas the Woosung Bar, (cheers and laughter) and so in urgent need here in Shanghai they might find themselves without either. But so long as their Volunteers were steady and united, he thought they would be able yo apply themselves in Shanghai the words of the immortal bard of Avon "Come the three corners of the world in arms, And we shall shock them. Nought shall make us rue, If England to itself do rest but true." (Applause.) The condition was that they should be united and fixed in their methods of self-defence, and that they should assist exch other to the best of their power the goat thing being unity and ce-operation. therefore in giving them the toast of the three branches of the Services, he would ask them to drink not one separate from another, but all together, and that they should do it heartily. (Applause.)
Song—"The Garb of Old Gaul"—Mr.
The Cxarmacax called upon Captain Maclean, the oldest Volunteer captain in Shanghai, to respond.
Mr. Macteax thought it was a little too hard that he, an ex-captain, should have to reply. However, he felt it an honour to return thanks for the Army, Navy and Volunteers. His friend Mr, Cameron had been very happy in some of his remarks, and in urging that the Volunteers should have the support of every one present, not to speak of the ce-operatives—(langhtor and applause.). He need only say that-though he had retired from the active service, he would, like everybody else, come forward in the time of danger, to defend their common interests. As for their Army and Navy, he might say the -ame thing of them. Euglishmen and Scotchmen, all over the world, were never known to funk danger, or to show the white feather when they were called to the front (Cheers.) They were always there and, therefore, although Mr. Cameron lad only modestly claimed for their forces equality with other nations, he thought they were superior and ought to claim superiority. (Loud cheering.)
The Cnatacax, in proposing the toast of Our Native Land and Friends at Home," said—Mr. Vice-Chairman Croupiers and Gentlemen,—the toast which I have now the honour to propose is one which is so certain to meet with a hearty reception from you, that my manner of introducing it to your notice becomes, fortunately forme, a matter of altogether secondary importance. accordance with a time-honoured custom, 1 would first remind you that we do not meet at diner upon St. Andrew's day solely witl a view to revive old associations and national sympathies, but that, besides these very commendable objects, our St, Andrew's Society contemplates the provision of a fund to be applied to the relief of such poor and deserving Scotchmen as may have, in the course of their wanderings in foreign lands, exhausted their health or their resources, and become fairly dependent upon the kindly assistance of their fellow countrymen. Last year, our secretary, Mr. Fullarton Henderson,' with characteristic humour, informed us, that through this fund, no fewer than three Macgregors had been enabled to place their feet upon their native heath, (Laughter and applause.) This year, although we cannot place on record any such successful transplantations, we 3 nounce ourselves to be as able and willing, as formerly, to assist in the good work con: templated ky our founders, whenever the opportunity for so doing shall present itvelt. (Applause.) And now, I would first seek to remove an impression which has for many years obtained a hold upon the mind of the outside public—the widely-accepted belief that a Scotchman flourishes best in countries other than his own, Proverbial phy teachs us, that while your nan is never "happy but when he is miserable, your Irishman er at peace but when he is fighting, your typical Scotchman is never so much home as when he is abroad. (Laught Indeed, so great is the general belief in the roving nature and strong upward flight of these hardy islanders, that by many itis held asa matter of at least probability that, when the north pole is discovered, a Scotchman will be fund seated on the top. Now, am very far from admitting that the best specimens of our countrymen are to be met with out of Scotland, and, however such an opinion might seem of our noble selves, I do not imagi
the Scotchmen at present assembled rount ies likely to find many supporters among this table; but I should be the Inst man to deny the existence of those noble qualities of com perseverance, energy, and sturdy individual independence which, while they are the distinguishing characteristic of Scotchmen at hornie, are the real fountains from which spring the national successes abroad. (Cheers.) Having fallen 80 happily upon the Iuudatory strain, I suppose you are all prepared now to hear me add the many virtues which I have ascribed to the Scottish character one other—the love of country; and you will not refuse to accept the statement that this also power fully influences the lives of Scotchmen. When Sir Walter Seutt bought Abottsford, he defended the investment by saying—"Whenever a Scotchman gets his head above water he takes to the land"—(aughter)—indicating that love for the soil which is so deeply implanted in every Scottish breast We all know that the secret of many lives of thankless toil or honourable enterprise among vt cow. trymen in the Far East, is the hope of some day possessing, and leaving behind as a heritage, a piece of ground in the old country—(applause)—an honourable antdition, which from the bottom of my heart' I trust may be attained sume day by every kindly Scot now listening tome. (Great applause.) We cannot all. hope to die large landed proprietors, but let us never forget the old Scotch proverb—''He that bodes a gaun will get sleeve"
"Tis not in mortals to command success, do more, Sempronius, we'll deserve il (Great cheering.) Andif, after all, in this
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.