The Express.
London, England, 1849-11-03 00:00:00

the erection of substantial dwelling-houses, envyu._
in England might have had a house as good
majority of rim middle class people now hove. (Chaste,) fact, words fail to tell, imagination fails to coneelvee7
amount of blessings to this country. and the world which
we and the world have lost by the Infatuation and arms
the wars which we have to senselessly waged with
riots countries of the European continent. Well ie th▪
is true, we are at least not to be blamed fee tab.—
slues truths, for asking all men—military men as wee—a
elieses—lor there are military men who hate war—(ass;
Mar)—to coon mad dhows this grealquestion, to soot
tiR
fellowmen from every country, and ask them if thus
not been blood shed enough, and if it is not biennia T▪ o
adopt new principles end policy between nations. Tw
question of arbitration has been snarled to tonight. I goo
,ran all that has been said with regard to the distussioe
el that question in the House 01 Commons; I have at this
moment before my eye what I think not a bad illustration,'
the advantages of that system. At this moment there is a
very smell dispute—but a speck as yet—between this eons.
try and the United States, with regard to a country whit
many persons here perhaps never heard of, called the Moo
quint country—a most unpleasant name—(laughter); I bops
it may breed no unpleasant results. At prams% there is as
party feelirg in England, probably none in the Caned
States, leading to a wick for that result ; hut bear in mind
that in the United States there is a considerable party do.
posed to be hostile to England—there are all the Irish.
men our policy has driven to the United States. (Cheers)
Politicians in the United States sometimes attempt
to make capital by making burning speeches against Bag.
land; now suppose that at this moment the atiattratiu
system were in force between America and Ragland, no
ne
is the States would dream of making political capital mod
it. Every one, instead of tbinking of ships and regiments,
would ask, rather, if this question were not immediately
tattled by the diplomatists on both sides, to whom would the
subject be referred for erbitration t (Chairs.) Thus the
whole bent of public opinion on this question would be
tuned into a perfectly harmless and innocent channel, in.
stead of a feeling of party In either country, getting warmer
and warmer until it was almost impossible for the govern-
ment to prevent a war. (Hear, hear.) There is a Cott is
which an arbitration treaty between this country and Ame-
rica would be of the very greatest Importance. I no*,
within the last five years the principles we advocate have
pretreated so much in tne United Sates that it would be
impassible for war to arise out et such a diepute as this;
but it would be infloitely better if there were some
recognised mode by which such questions could be
satisfactorily settled instead of leaving it to the
chance of creating discord and with the prospect of a
bloody war, leaving the question as unsettled at lan
as it was before the war began. (Hear, heir.) If this
system were adopted there would not be any pretence for
keeping up fleets and armies ; for it is but a pretence tow
to a great extent. People have been too much taken its with
it already to be saddled with it again. (Hear, hear.)
Ministers and statesmen could not persuade politirisos by
any sort Cf oratory that it was necessary to keep up large
armies for the purpose of the settlement of disput,. which it
was previously determined should be settled by arbitration;
and if we had not these large armies and fleets there would
be the greater chance for freedom all over the world,
(Cheers.) Leek at Europe at this moment. The people
don't rule—the monarchs don't rule—the armies rule, sad
the armies alote. (Cheers.) Tbere can be no extension of
popular liberty, no consolidation of popular government is
any of these countries until this vast imposture of military
force shall be exposed and destroyed. (Cheers.) And those
governments, of course, if they used not military force Rao
rounding them, would rule on other principles. The
thrones, if thrones there still were, would be based on jan
time and on the affections of the people—(cheers)—and every
iostitution which it wu worth preserving, that has in o
anything valuable, would last infinitely longer, and amid
be exposed to fewer shocks and dangers than they ma pm.
sibly be under this system of periodical convulsion to white
these European countries are necessarily subjected (Loud
che• rs.) But I have been requested to move a rem:dation
which has especial reference to the gentlemen who are here
from France this evening. (Cheers.) I really don't fluor
how to express the strange chugs which has come over our
opinions since we were children. I have an indistinct ides
of what Frenchmen were when we read hooks some twenty
or thirty years ago, and I believe it was a very heavy charge
against them that they eat frogs—(laughter)—and teat they
never eat anything better than sosipe maigre—klsughter and
cheers)—and one Englishmen would at least beet tea
Frenchmen was without contradiction. There were a geese
many other et ries of the tame character. I believe we
have been as much mistaken about them as we have bee*
about some other parties. Our chairman has referred to
the stories told us two years ago. A commit-
tee of the House of Commons was appointed
to examine into the gelation of our defences, into the
navy estimates. It examined a great many wi noses, and
there wee one very manna whinge (I am nut sure, but
I have re,ated something of his evidence here before); but I
think you ought to know that Sir Thomas Hastings ea
some °her person, said to be a erect authority at tee dock
yards, who knew everything about naval matt:re and dos
levees, were confident that the French intended to lend
somewhere on the south coast; and if they c:uld not land
there, to go round to the north coast. ( r. at laughter.)
He wes driven by a curious question from Mr. Cobden and
Sir James Graham, into a somewhat diffieelt p *Wee:
They asked him where he got his information from-4
capital question to ark alarmists—(bear, heart;—std
produced, as his authority, some unhappy Freedom,
holding the distinguished, but unknown office, use Bissop et
Madassecar. (Great laughter.) I don't kith whether
you (the French) have such a bishop as that. but it woe
all the evidence that he could show that the French were
exceedingly hungry, and willing, and desirous, of eating
up the English. (Laughter.) It was not considered
good for their cone,. therefore they entrusted the
retrenchment men upon the committee, that, for the sake of
the character of this gentleman, the evidence 'toted not be
published ; the More, by a vote of the conimiore, it en
scored out, and you don't find it in the Blue. bo k, though it
is not the less worth being known in a meeting ouch as thk.
(Load cheers.) Well, now, we have discovered this great
fraud—we Lave discovered, in fact, that FrencOmen, after
all, are very much like ourselves, very touch dispoed, I
hope, to follow the pursuits of peteefal industry, to mike
all the good they can out of France themselves, and to allow
us to make all the good we can out of England. And lem
glad to see from ocher quarters symptoms of progress in our
°tree, ian. You have seen la the papers that the inubstal of
the Queen has himself proposed that there should be in for
place, two or three years hence, an enormous exhibition if
industry,—not of this nation only, but of all echoes.
(Cheers) I think it is very satisfactory that Prince Albert
himself has taken an interest in this question, sad
is willing to give it the cordial unction of his
high character and high petition, in order to induce other
persons in this country to join in it. We had somethicg of
this kind is Covent-garden Theatre, some years ago—not
the productions of all nations, but of this cition—at a Wear
of the Anti Corn-law League, which added I don't know
exactly bow much to the funds of the confederation, bat I
believe between thirty anti forty thousand rued'. I
believe that the very origin of this proposition it, to be fond
in that baser; for I know that our chairman, to whom sa
much of the great efforts of the L:ague were owing, did es
that occasion suggest the propriety of suck an exile:mica tt
two or three gentlemen—to the late lamented Dr. Conks
Taylor and Mr. Hall—and I see that to these gelatines fs
now attributed the source of this great preposition. (800,
hear.) I say that if the people of the milieu couattin of
Europe will send samples of the produce of their isdiriey
to be exhibited at this great exposition—if they will act
only send but come to see them—l hope we Aril he able to
walk through the vast passages et this great hell, sad
meet with the people of every country under heaven, sad
see the products of their industry exhibited, and that
having found how moot we are all like one
another we shall all be ready to acknowledge how true die
that God has made of one blood all the families list
nghenarattwy
dwell on the face of the earth." (Loud cheers.) Bat
,
whatever that I xhibition may do for industry, it may dem!
believe it will do, influitely mere, and for that reason I
bwrosulthelergihvssao itsmrsys
promote. (Cheers) The resolution I have to move states:
ssaupewohrticisn
wfsavoistier of
That this meeting rejoices in the opportu: ity awoken-
ing our French brethren to the menu facturiog metropolis
of England, and of acknowledgieg to them persellsilt Its
.
fraternal reception given to the English delegates at Ph!
by the government and the people ; and exoreases a coin-
dent belief that conferences such as these Will Posed",
and to fuse all nations into one peace, bosh • erhood."
The gentlemen who are here from France, whose
tend to remove long-cheri hed feelings of haute rivalry
hays boon handed to me are :—M. Horace Say, councillor_
thatot-unighgralt to
of state; M. Bastiat, member of the Chamber of Depute".
(and I believe it is not bin first visit to this country); ta,.
Joseph Outlier, secretary of the Peace Conyers; country);
Peutonier, merchant in Paris (Cheers.) Well, now I
think that is a fair representation; there is the legislation,
there's the literary character, and there's the mercantile eat:
dustry of Fruce ; here we have them represent, deraigh
let us give them that welcome the people of Manchester liner
how to give to all men that come amonest them. (Bath°.
elude and protracted cheering.) And I may tell these ga•
en men, on behalf of this meeting, that if they go further
north—if they visit Leeds or Newcastle, or Glasgow, ad
Edinburgh, that the largest building in each of these towns
I will be filled with an audience as resolute, as intelligent, as
enthusiastic, as brotherly in feeling to them, as that I ere
before me tonight. (Cheers.) For in every part of Bag-
land there are multitudes of men—ay, and of women toe.
(Cheers.) This is a question which has is place upon the
hearth and the home of the families of England. (Hew)
I say there are multitudes of men everywhere who are ready
to come together to discuss and legume about this question,
and to proclaim that this corrupt, destructive system, shall
be for ever abolished—that the time is come when the in-
telligent of every nation in Europe, when the beet men of
every civilised country under heaven will join in one voice
and declare Cif I may use the language which a great drama-
tist has put in the mouth of a French statesman) " Take
away the sword—states can be saved without it." (Load
and prolonged cheering.)
Mr. NEEDHAM! solicitor, seconded the resolution, and
it was adopted unanimously.
M. HORACE SAY, councillor of state, Paris (who was
greeted with three hearty English cheers, ar d one cheer
more), said: Mr. Chairman, ladies, and gentlemen, this
day will for ever remain in my memory with a profound
sentiment of gratitude, for your kind and friendly ft.
copilots. It was with indescribable pleasure that we
accepted the invitation to attend this meeting of, the
friends of peace. (Applause.) We felt happy to visit eh!
industrious and noble city of Manchester, where the.Aql_
corn-law League originated. From hence was gives T!
impulse to financial reforms, which will not be stopped ,
any obstacles, and will end at last in an effectual deliverance
from heavy axes—in a general disarmament in Eees_Pet
(Cheers.) Although the task is much beyond my abiliP