The Express.
London, England, 1855-04-23 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, MONDAY EVENING, APRIL 23, 1855.

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to deny that this was a religious war : were it so, he would
be the list /arty to ennoiron the spilling of mother drop
of blood. He believed that the psalm o Berme wee en-
dowered by the Hessian meroohnsente; sad therefore it
was that he supported the war. If peace at firsteould have
been obtained upon safe and honourable terms, he should
have been the lint to swept it. The speaker then alluded to
the noted article in the Newitseir, which, he had no doubt,
might be attributed to the Emperor of the French,
and which stated that we had gone to war to segue the fol-
lowing four points :—To preserve the integrity of Turkey ;
to sruarantor the Bari:peen equilibrium; to advance civili-
sation ; and to ensure respect for treaties. Alluding to the
four points said to be the basis of the terms upon which
Peso was expected to be recorded at the conference at
Vienna, Mr. Layard expressed his decided opinion that, it
a pears had bon secured merely on these four points, the
whole of this war would have been most cruel and unprofit-
able. He reiterated his often expremed opinions of the
insincerity of the Austrian alliance, because the principles
of the Bataan government were precisely those which best
suited the Austrian despotism. He believed that the pro-
posed quintuple protectorate of the Principalities would be
an entire deception, unsatiefactory to the inhabitants, dan-
gerous to the independence, and highly injurious to our
commercial relations with those countries, especially with
Servis, which he oouidered the nucleus for the
solution of the Eastern question. The speaker then alluded
in detail to the other three points, which he mined to be
most impracticable and unsubstantial. Had these terms
been agreed upon, we should find ourselves in a thou-
sand times worse position than if the Vienna note
had been accepted. After alluding to the proposed
increase of taxation, Mr. Layard asked if the war was to
be conducted as it had been hitherto ? (Cries of "No, no.")
Should it be conducted with that eternal referenoeto the
" Peninsula ? " He strongly condemned the system of
family influence, patronage, and self-aggrandisement, as
containing within it the vary germ of our dangers for the
future, and the eaves of our sad put failures. Within a
few months this country would have to pan through • great
crisis, but he thought the " Peninsula "—(laughter)—
would not get them oat of it. We wanted statesmen who
would introduce into every department of government the
systems and ideas la keeping with the improvements of the
age. (Cheep.) Alluding to the imperfect representation
of the people, and the feebleness of the Whigs, Mr. Layard
concluded his teling speech by a peroration in which he
alluded to the decline of the coramerc:sl cities of the
midi.le ages as furnishing an example and a warning to
Britain. After calling upon the assembly to join with him
in exposing all abuses, and in endeavouring to put the right
men in the right plaees, he concluded by proposing " The
Town and Trade of Liverpool," sad sat down amidst over-
whelming applause.
The toast was acknowledged in suitable terms by Mr. H.
lloateur.

Severel toasts, including some highly complimentary to
gentlemen connected with the Black Ball line of packets,
followed, and the entire proceedings were of a highly inte-
resting character.