The Express.
London, England, 1866-09-08 00:00:00

[STAMPED, Id. ADDITIONAL.]

them.' (Cheers.) And now, gentlemen, I have go
more to do, except to render to you the expression of my
gratitude for your great kindness.. (Cries of "Go Cu.)"
I appreciate the kindness of that wish, but at the same
time I cannot but feel that there is too much from air.

cumsionoes, of i;ersonal relation between this question
and myself. ( o, no.) The question will be best and
most fairly judged by the people of this country in pre-
portion Ea it is detached from every personal conside-
ration. (Hear, bear.) The weight of public opinion, the
weight and value of all its indications, would be dis-
paraged, if it could with jturtios be said that the minis-
ters who have been politically overthrown, were using
their personal endeavours to inflame the public mind.
(Hear, hear.) I own to you that I think we have dope
our part, so far as lc in our power. The further pro-
secution of the question, until we meet again within the
walls of parliament, lies with the people of this country.
lam =tuned to abide their verdict. I believe them to
be competent judges of their own interests. It is for
them, it is for every intelligent man in every rank of the
commupity, to eoesider in his own conscience what course
he shall Wm with rresppeecot to it. The aggregate result of
the exrisca of individuals is that which will give form
to the pression of public opinion. With you, gentlemen,
for the present—with you, as a sample of the great British
public —the prosecution and handling of this great question
lies. When the time for parliamentary exertion comes,
rely upon it that if you think we have done our duty in
the past, so we shall be prepared again to do it in the
future. (Loud chain.)
Professor FAWCETT. M.P. for Brighton, said, after the
brilliant end touching speech to which they had put lis-
tened, he felt to the Iset degree reluctant to sy a
'wort: Hearncltowerver, glad to have the oppoedrnil7 if
expressing his grateful and heartfelt thanks for the too
flattering erpressiona which Mr. Gladstone had used
towards him. He could say with all sincerity that he ad-
mired Mr. Gladstone before he (Professor Fawcett) entered
the House of Commons ; having watched the right hon.
gentleman's career as narrowly as any man since he had
been there, hie admiration for him had increased tenfold.
He believed that the hopes of the liberal party mainly de-
pended upon Mr. Gladstone's honest and straightforward
efforts. (Cheers.) He (Professor Fawcett) was as firm a
friend to the great principles of civil and religious liberty
as any men ; and he thought he was justified in saying
that three who cherished those principles most dearly were
thou who were most earnestly desirous of seeing Mr.
Gladstone continue to occupy, whether he was in or out
of office, the prominent position which be filled at the
present time in the House of Commons. (Cheers.) And
further, he felt that they would be wanting somewhat in
gratitude if they allowed, that meeting to separate without
expressing on behalf of the country. their acknow-
ledgments to Mrs. Gladstone for her heroic conduct in the
dreadful visitation which had lately come upon London.
(Much cheering.) They often heard of co they
heard that there was the courage of the battle field, and
Englishmen had never been deficient in this—they knew
that there was courage in fighting • great cause, and it was
this latter kind of courage that they were honouring in the
person of Mr. Gladstone ; but without in the least degree
detracting from his merits and those of others, be thought
he might say that there was a higher kind of courage even
than these—that heroism which was sometimes most un-
seen by the world—the heroism of constant end strenuous
effort to do good, and bring consolation to those who were
stricken down by disease. (Hear, hear.) A panic was
coming over London, and that panic would likely have
been intense, and disastrous—for it seemed to be the mis-
fortune of our modern civilisation that in our large
towns there arose a broader line of demarcation be-
tween the rich and the poor—the poor living in
one dirtrict and the rich in another, and the rich
too often knowing nothing of the condition of
their bumbler fellow-countrymen. It was no exaggeration
to say that in the cast end of London there were square
miles of wretchedness, poverty, and squalor. Well, a
tem'ble visitation attacked that district just as the rich
were leaving town ; but there was one person who remained
at any rate, to show that she would not shrink from her
duty of doing everything that charity and love could
dictate to bring comfort and consolation to those who were
afflicted and distressed. (Cheers.) He was sure that not
only those whom he addressed, but the country at large,
appreciated those efforts; and he was proud to say that
their great statesman had the inexpressible good fortune to
have as a helpmate a woman whose sympathies were so
with every thing that philanthropy, charity, and love could
dictate. (Cheers.)
Mr. H. D. SEYMOUR, M.P. in response to a general call
from the meeting, offered a few observations, in the course
of which he expressed his belief that the happy and har-
monious future of the country depended mainly upon the
passage of • liberal and judicious measure of reform.
(Hear, hear.) _
Mr. GLADSTONE said he desired to acknowledge, with
feelings of siucere gratitude, the declarations which had
been made by Professor Fawcett with regard to his wife.
They would easily understand, however, that that was a
subject on which it was not very may for him to speak,
at least to say, before a public assembly, all that he felt
in regard to it. He thought those were very much mis-
taken who supposed that courage and fortitude were
virtues belonging to men more than to women. (Hear,
hear.) He recollected an incident that once happened to
himself. It was his fortune to be on board ship. though he
had not been a sailor for the great part of his
life—(Hear, hear)—with a mixed crew of gentle.
men and ladies, chiefly belonging to a foreign coun-
try. Well, bad weather came on, and he noticed tbas
at the beginning the ladies were very noisy, while the gen-
tlemen were rather quiet—(laughter)—but as affairs grew
more serious the ladies all became quiet, while the gent`e-
men began to jabber. (Renewed laughter.) He really
believed, therefore, that if there could be such a thing as
fair competition between men and women for excellence in
the virtue of cow age, although the forms of its manifesta-
tion were, and ought to be very different, the belies would
not be the last in the race. Perhaps they would allow him
also to say—what he knew his wife would
wish him to say that she had had numerous com-
petitors in the duty to which Professor Faw-
cett had alluded. There bad not been wanting those
who, though living in the west-end of London, in the
midst of comfort, of luxury, and even of splendour, bail
yet not forgotten in the day of need their labouring
fellow-countrymen at the east end, and who were ready
to brave all danger of pestilence in ministering to their
relief. (Cheers.) For his own part, he ventured to be-
lieve that in a political meeting these things were not
wholly out of place, bemuse the foremost tie that bound
society together was, after all, the resolute, kindly,
and Christian discharge of every personal duty by one
human being to another. (Cheers.) The right hon.
gentleman concluded by proposing a vote of thanks to the
May or of Salisbury for presiding over the meeting.
This was carried by acclamation, and his worship having
briefly acknowledged the compliment, the proceedings
terminated with three cheers for Mr. and Mrs. Gladstone.

REFORM MEETING AT DERBY. —A Reform meet-
ing was held at Derby on Thursday night in the Corn
Exchange. The immense building, which will hold nearly
six thousand persons, was crowded to excess, and the ex-
citement and enthusiasm ran very high. The chair was
taken by Mr. Councillor Etches, and upon the platform
were Mr. Edmond Beals, Mr. Ernest Jones, Mr. Samuel
Plimsoll, of Sheffield ; Mr. Howell, the Rev. W. Griffiths,
and many others. The following resolutions were adopted :
—l. "That the efforts recently made in the House of
Commons by a monstrous combination of Adullamites
and Tories, to stop the progress of reform, are viewed
by this meeting with disgust and abhorrence, as demon-
strating that the majority of that home have no regard
for the just and equitable rights of the people of this
country." 2. " That the present ministry, who have
thrust themselves into office unsanctioned by the country,
' and who have unconstitutionally endeavoured to suppress
the meetings of the people in favour of reform, are un-
worthy of public confidence, and cannot be expected to
carry on the government according to the wishes and
interests of the community at large." 3. " That this
meeting regards with satisfaction the formation of a
branch in Derby, auxiliary to the National Reform
League, and trusts it will be well supported by all the
friends of freedom in this borough and its neighbour-
hood, and thereby pledges itself to demand, agitate for,
and use all lawful means to obtain registered sad resi-
dential manhood suffrage, as the only just basis of re-
presentation, and the ballot as a protection."
FINE-ART Gossip.—Mr. Sydney Smirke, R.A.,
has been unanimously chosen architect of the new Royal
Academy to be erected at the back of Burlington-house,
the latter being retained as tln facade of the building. A
building committee hu been appointed, of Messrs. Cope,
Creswick, Marshall, Weekes, Hardwick, Scott, and the
officers of the institution. Mr. Smirke was the originator
of the very excellent plan which is to be followed. Mr.
Foley's fine statue of Lord Herbert of Les, which is soon to
be placed iu front of the War-office, Pall-mall, has been suc-
cessfully cast in bronze. Mr. Weekes's monument of Arch-
bishop Sumner, not long since exhibited in model at the
Royal Academy, has been placed in Canterbury Cathe-
dral. The effigy is recumbent, in full canonicals, the
hands folded over the chest and an open bible : it is placed
un a richly-carved altar-tomb, bearing the arms of the sees
of Chester and Canterbury. With no great pretension in
art, this work is not only in good keeping with the archi-
tecture by which it is surrounded, but significant of the
faith and offices of the deceased, and infinitely superior ia
its sterling qualities to anything of the sort lately placed
is our oatbedrala. It is proposed to erect a temporary
building for the exhibition of the designs sent in
tropetion for the new law courts. It has been agreed hat it is
desirable to have a carriage thoroughfare through Great
Turnstile into Linecdn's-inn-fields ; the site Is to be Nur-
reyed. Dir. Gibson, one of the architects appointed to
compete for the law courts, has resigned hischance
plats will not be filled up.—dgficserwas.

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