The Express.
London, England, 1864-01-26 00:00:00

METROPOLITAN NIMBUS AND ram

CONSTITUENtS.

LORD FERMOY AND MR. HARVEY LEWIS.

Yesterday evening Lord Fernley, M.P., and
Mr. Harvey Lewis, M.P., met • large number of they con-
stituents at the Vestry-hall, Si. Panama to deliver ad-
Arenas having reference to the measures of the last and
approaching sessions. The chair was taken by Mr. W.
DOUGLAS, who, in a brief introductory speech, referred to
the question of metropolitan railway schemes as one in
which the borough of Muylebone is newt deeply interested,
sad on which it required the best assistance of ite retinue-
Wives in parliament.
Lad FZinGT, who was received with cheers' after ob-
serving that he and his colleague addressed their con-
Mimeo' rt the end of the lent sumo, and then met with
an approval of their conduct, said they were now on the
eve of a session which was doubtlem fraught with eveots of
the greatest importance' both in a political ao,l w & metre-
politan point of Tito. As regarded political metiers, the
question which pressed most on the public mind at present
was the state of the foreign reletious of this country. (Hear,
bear.) They all knew how serious a step it aau for country
do embark in war ; and, suffering as they were from
the folly of their ancestors in that respect, the English
people would wisely hesitate to urge this goverurnent to take
any step tending in that direction. (Cheers.) He had
himself always been impressed with the importance of the
principle of neutrality or nos-interventioe, and he believed
that a more prudent policy was never adopted by any
ministry than that of Lord Palmerston and hie eollsegues in
relation to the American question. (auellitm) Every day
showed the wisdom of that policy. It was now rothifest that
by interfering in soy way in Undisturbed affairs of America,
this country, 14111.14 of making things better, would have
made them worm. (Hear, hew.) Moreover, how different
would have been its poritiou, if now that it ass obliged to
prepare for war in the East. it had been carrying co war in
the West. He had therefore felt it his duty to support
the governmeut iu resisting the premise to interfere in
American affairs. He also thought they were right in carry-
ing out in its integrity the Toreign Enlistment Act, and
preventing the swam-rams from leaving Liverpool (Cheers.)
It would, indeed, have bees smock neutrality, a sham non-
intervention to allow any uatiou to fit out vessels of war
to be used against another nation with which this
country professed to be on terms of amity. Whilst
he would apply the principle of neutrality and
Boa-intervention to the East as well as the
West, he could not look at the present state of affairs in
Europe without great doubt end apprehension. It was the
fashion now-a-days, in speaking of the Slesseig•Holatein
question, to say that there was something difficult sad
mysterious about it. Ile was not pin to =Let • lecture
upon them, but the question seemed to him a very simple
cue. In 1852 Hosea, Prussia, Austria, France, and Eng-
land, and, so far as their opinions could be aseertained, all
the other powers of Europe, thought it foe the iuterest of
Metope and of the world that Denmark should hold •
thormprtamatlythindepeose ctiodunentliesposition,
agreed arid, acting
treatyactinro on that
log to Denmark • free and independent position.
is the comes of events parties interested in the Germanic
Confederation Lad thoeght fit to take advantage of an
opportunity for endeavouring to impair the independence
of Denmark. He did not want to. go into the question of
morganatic marriages, or any of those questions which law-
yers were so unmade to discuss, especially when paid
for doing it. (Laughter.) The questioo as between nation
sad nation, was whether it was for the safety and advantage
of Europe that Denmark should be free and independent.
(Hear, hear.) 11 appeared that some of the contracting
parties to the treaty had changed their minds—that Austria
and Prussia (he put aside the small German principalities)
were now impressed with the value and importance
of what they termed the principle of nationality.
if either of those powers saw so much value to
the principle of nationality they might apply it at horns.
(Cheers). [(Amnia believed iu its value, shat was she
going to do fur Youth'? (Rear, hear.) What was she
going to do for Hungary, or for Galicia ? (Hear, hear.)
If Prussia believed in it what would she do with Posen, or
would she drop from her iron claw that portion of Poland
which she now gripes! (Hear, hear.) What, moreover,
had she to say with regard to her Rhenish provinces! If
the principle am to be applied to Denmark, why should it
not be to the other nations who were so anxious to apply it
to her? (Leer, bear.) With regard to their interest in
this question, he was not, as they saw by hie opening sen-
tence on this suloect, one of those who were anxious to
meddle ;ti other lieople's busier.; but Denmark had claims
upon them for sympathy, at all events, and for advocacy.
Denmark was as ancient ally of England ; she was, like this
country, a maritime State, more powerful by sea than by
land, arid she was in proportion to her means • good cla-
imer for British manufactures ; and England Laing a party
to the treaty of if 52 was bowel, iu his opinion, to do what
elm could—he meant diplomatically—to see faithfully ful-
filled the treaty to which she had pieced her signature. As
regarded the other States who were contracting parties to
the treaty, he thought the majority of them would see fit to
unite with Enelonsi in remonstrating with the Germanic
Confederation as to their present conduct and
be trusted that the matter would end in that way,
without war. But upon Austria acid Preemie now lay a
heavy responsibility for the step which they were taking.
(Hear, hear.) They were inters-Meg ; the tramp of armed
men was DOW resounding over Europe at their dictation, and
by their command ; and upon them, he repeated, rested the
responsibility of cosh conduct. Let a shot once be fired
in anger, whether on one side of the river or the other, let
the sword be once drawn in the present quarrel, and no
ma present could foresee the end of the war which would
thee have been commenced. (Hear.) At all e veuts they
might ;rest assured that the two States whose conduct
led to it would be, as they ought to be, the first to suffer
for the step which they had taken. (Loud cheers.) If Denmark
IMO dismembered, he would not mve • fig for the chance of
the Austrian empire holding together ; and leas still would
be give fur the present position of the Ring of Prussia,
who, having a quarrel on constitutional grounds to settle
with his own people, would probably rather enter ce •
foreign war than yield what was justly due to his own
subjects. (Cheers.) In the present serious aspect of
European politics it was nowt gratifying to him,
as be thought it moot be also to the metro°,
that there was at the bead of affairs a stamina* of inch
great experience, particularly in foreign affairs—one who
mind with the wisdom of years the vigour of youth in his
beart—(Oners)—aud lib° had never been accused by his
bitterest enemy or forgetting for one moment the interests
of his country. (Renewed cheers.) He would row proceed
to say a tow words with regard to affairs at home. With
respect to the invasion of the metropolis by railway com-
puter. the noble lord observed that there were about
• sthtioes to be brought before parliament It would
puzzle even the wisdom of parliament to make •
proper selection' and in his opinion the beat
course which the government could pursue was
to appoint • royal menniasiou which would hug them all
up fat the present, and after due inquiry report which of
them, if any, would, it adopted, be likely to prove most
beneficial to the public. (Hear, hear.) As to parliamentary
referee as all parties professed to be in favour of it, there
must be r sham somewhere, seeing the. nothing was done ;
and he was not sure that there was rot more or less of sham
amongst thou clime who would most benefit by reform.
If the people wanted reform they must agitate for it.
They could not expect his colleague and him-
self, god others in the same position, and bold-
ing tee same views, to have any weight in the
House of Commove. unless they were properly hacked
out of doors. (Hear, hear.) As to retreechment, it might
be said that it European affair' remained io any this's like
show proems% position, there would be great difficulty is
carmine out sack an object; but be believed that retrench-
ment might be effected to • very greet extent without
impairing in one iota eitherof the services, or lessening in
the sl,ghtest degree the power of England. (Rear. bear.)
A word here in reference to asurtoonartial—a subject which
had of late occupied so much public atteutiou. Is this
country when a ma had been tried and so-
quitted he had very properly the benefit of his acquittal,
but there was • general =pregame, be believed,
in the public mind tLat the present system of trial by
court-martial was not a sound, a safe, or a cheap one, and
that the video( justice had not bees attained in the case
of the Lilleys. (Hear, hear, sal cheers.) He thought it
was due to s noble service which was ever ready to defend
the country that that system should be altered, sad be
bad co doubt that in the approaching session some attempt
would be made to alter it. (Cbeers.l Another question
which had latterly engaged public attention was the pre.
meet mode of dealing with oosdemaed criminals. (Hear,
bear.) It must be clear to the mind of es ery man who bad
watched, the Townley case that the law ought not to remain
in its provost state. (Loud cheers.) The Secretary of
Site for the Home Departomt, be he who he might, ought
mot to remain is Lis present position as respected con-
demned criminals. (Rear, hear.) With regard to that
safer/Linen ma who was recently seer within a few days
after the crime which he eormitted—he might almost say
without trial—before his Maker to be joked, he mast say
that anything more horrifying than that case was sot only
sever witeeveed, but had never been read by him at land
is &Con. (Rear, hear.) Thu was, he !mew, • delicate
subject to deal with ; it was difficult to deal with it without
seeming to place one's finger on the monies, or saying some-
Shoo; that might be misinterpreted. The questue
mast conic before parliamat the feet that the criminal
belonged to the humbler classes wade it agomery that some
oxplenation should be gives by the government on that
awful and horrible subject. (Hear hear.) The noble lord
thou alluded ii spaitlullitery terms to the recent royal
birth, and expressed a hope that the auspicious sweet
would prove an aneviation of the sorrow of her Majesty,
concluilino with the following words from an old Sixes
ballad as 111 his omuiou appropriate to such an OeCatimi
" Let us ring ' God eave the King'
From every church and steeple,
Yet while we ring' God eave the Bing'
We'll tot forget the people."
—(Loud cheers)

Mr. HAIM Livia commenced bT alludiog to the bills
el the last eesaion, of which he said 1:1i were public aid 256
private, and with regard to some of whirl' the members for
that borough were coestantly receiving important coat.
wieeigntleau After justifying his opposition to the
CP7for purchasing the Ethibitioo buildinge.z
olor Removal Bill, and Lord Rai-sham%
It for Bill, he referred to the Yetroprditan Turnpike
Abolition Act. That act he said, provided for t►e aboli-
tion a/ ;CI Sonijaisa aad 66 midi, bars ea the north side al