The Press.
London, England, 1855-11-17 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

In conclusion, Lord John Russell addressed him-
self especially to the "Young Men" of this country
To each one of us—to you young men of the United
Kingdom more especially— belongs a portion of the noble
task of speeding our country on her great and glorious
way, by walking steadfastly in the full light of such truths
as we already possess, and by hastening the noonday bright-
ness of such as are only dawning. Let it not be the
reproach of any one of us that, born in a land where the
laws acknowledge that thought and speech are free, we have
yet ever lent the helping hand of custom, folly, or intoler-
ance to extinguish one spark of that divine flame which we
call the soul, or ever turned away from a righteous and
peaceable endeavour to loosen the fetters that still bind it
throughout the world. You have many dangers to en-
counter. Of these I will only mention two. One is the
danger of allowing the Bowing waters of Christianity to
be embittered by the gall of sectarian and polemical con-
troversy. Your chances of achieving good would be
destroyed by such an error. Another danger is that which
has attended so many noble attempts, so many great
institutions, so many pious undertakings. The first ardour
of zeal abates; difficulties which at first were molehills,
grow into mountains, enthusiasm subsides into apathy.
Avoid these errors; go on improving; faint not in a good
and great work ; the blessing of God will reward your
enterprise.
- - - • - - -

The noble lord then resumed his seat amid loud
applause.
After a vote of thanks moved by the Hon. and Rev.
M. Villiers, and carried unanimously, the Doxology
was sung, and the assembly broke up. The hall was
densely crowded in every part., and Lord John
Russell was received warmly. Lord Shaftesbury
took the chair, and Lord Panmure and Mr. Vernon
Smith occupied prominent places on the platform.

MR. GLADSTONE ON THE COLONIES.
MR. GLADSTONE, at Chester, on Monday evening,
delivered a lecture upon the Colonies—the same
subject he chose a short time since at Hawarden.
Alter briefly referring to the importance of the ques-
tion, and quoting the emigration returns as an indi-
cation cf one reason why this subject was worthy of
attention, Mr. Gladstone proceeded to discuss briefly
whether, it was desirable England should possess
colonies at all, and at some length, if it were desir-
able, in what manner they should be founded and
governed. "A desire for the acquisition of gold"
was the original motive, Mr. Gladstone asserted,
which led men to found colonies ; and he regarded
it as a wise dispensation of Providence that the
delusions of men were made the instruments of the
advance of civilisation. After examining the various
prevalent ideas on the advantages of colonies, Mr.
Gladstone asserted as his opinion that colonies were
alone desirable because they created and developed
trade, and because under a wise system of colonisa-
tion they were devised to produce moral and social
results eminently calculated to benefit mankind.
On the true principles of colonisation Mr. Gladstone
observed en passant that the Greek systenwas about
as perfect as their age admitted, and that ours, in
the sixteenth, seventeenth, and part of the eighteenth
centuries, was conceived in the "true spirit of
British freedom." This age, when, in the words of
Burke, " through a wise and salutary neglect, a
generous Nature bad been suffered to take her own
way to perfection," he regarded as the Golden Age ;
that which immediately preceded and followed the
American war, when commercial monopoly prevailed,
he classed as the Silver Age ; while from 1783 to
1840, when an obnoxious interference with the local
affairs of the Colonies was the custom of Downing-
street, and the affections of the colonists alienated
by a system of oppression and petty jealousy, he
classed as the Brazen Age ; and from that date to
the present hour, when more liberal notions pre-
vailed—when the local affairs of the Colonies were
administered by themselves, and English institutions
no longer forced down the throats/of the colonists—
he looked upon as indicative of a return to the true
principles of colonisation:—
The Colonies must feel no yoke on their necks, but let
them understand that the relation between them and us
was a relat-on of affection, and they might rely upon it that
a great reward would be reaped in the posseAsion of that
affection unbroken and unbounded, and in all the grandeur
which it would add to the renown, already so great, of this
country. Defend them against foreign aggression; regu-
late their foreign relations ; these things belong to the
colonial connection with this country. Of the duration of
that colonial connection let them be the judges. I say,
and, moreover, I predict, that if you leave them that free-
dom of judgment it is hard to say when the day will come
that they will wish to separate from this great nation.
(Cheers.) Depend upon it they ought to have a share of
your fame. There is so much public feeling in Parliament
and throughout the country upon this subject that now I
trust we shall see to the constant extension of these prin-
ciples ; and, for my own part, I shall rejoice in having lived
at a period when a change in colonial government has been
brought about which promises much advantage to a country
having such claims upon mankind as England—a change
of system in which we have really made a transition from
misfortune, Irom folly—almost, in some cases, from mad-
ness and from crime—to the rules of justice, of reason, of
nature, and of common sense.

A vote of thanks to the right hon. gentleman having
been moved and passed, the proceedings terminated.

SATURDAY,

giution 3ntelligtiut.

LONDON.—There is a rumour about that it is the
intention of Lord Palinerston's friends to endeavour
to obtain the return of the noble lord for the City of
London at the next general election. It is even
stated that arrangements are now in progress to
secure that event, but at present we believe there is
no ground for this assertion.
SOUTHWAAK.—The writ for this borough was issued
on Thursday. The sheriff has appointed Tuesday
next for the day of nomination. As Sir Charles
Napier is the only candidate in the field, it is pro-
bable that no hustings will be erected, and the pro-
ceedings confined to the Town-hall.
MD...TH.—Dr. Cantwell and the Roman Catholic
electors are likely to differ in their choice of a
candidate for this county. The Bishop has declared
for Mr. McEvoy, and his clergy have protested
against what they call this " premature choice."
Mr. McEvoy's success in canvassing, as yet, has
been partial. Mr. Farrell, Mr. E. Lucas (brother of
the late member), and Mr. Sharman Crawford are
spoken of as about to contest the county, but Mr.
Meredyth it is believed will win the election.
KILMARNOCK.—The Right Hon. H. E. Bouverie,
M.P., on Monday last addressed his constituents in
the Town-hall at Kilmarnock. The honourable
gentleman commenced his address by an explanation
of the severity of the duties connected with Parlia
mentary life, and of the trifling results achieved in
the last session, which he attributed to the House
having been "disordered by contests," and " split up
into factions." He then expressed his opinion that
the present war was not only just and necessary,
but unavoidable, as the time had at length arrived
when the grasping ambition of Russia must be
checked by the Western powers for their own
national security. In conclusion Mr. Bouverie
flattered his constituents by eloquent allusions to
the " brilliant " feats of arms we had achieved this
year, and stated, as his opinion, that we had made
substantial progress towards the attainment of the
object of the war, though the right honourable
gentleman carefully abstained from committing him-
self to a definition of what that object consisted.