The Sun.
London, England, 1870-08-02 00:00:00

sions were of a character the naturalisation of which
there was no reason to expect at any given moment.
(Applause.) And if we were unable to foresee the future,
if the diplomatic representatives of England were, like us,
unable to see the in mediate future, they were in precisely
the same condition as the Minister of France, for the
Prime Minister of that country, exactly one week before
the appeal was made, as a matter of peace and war, and
life and death, to the British Gown-mu...a, on the 30th
June declared officially that the political atmosphere had
never appeared so clear. (Cheers.) Such are the contin-
gencies, and such are the vicissitudes of those events. But
• I will not dwell upon them, because there are other matters
more important to deal with. In-the character cif media-
tor, when the complaint of Franee was made, we so far
admitted the justice of third complaint, though without
ever admitting that it world have warrftated, in our
view, a resort to arms, we thought for the
sake of the peace of Europe, that, under. the whole of the
circumstances of the case, the oandidatnre of the Prince
Hohenzollern Should be withdrawn. For that purpose the
British Government interfered, and my noble 'friend, aided
by other similar efforts from other quarters, was success-
ful in procuring that withdrawal. ' I need not say that it
was a deep disappointment to us When that candidature
had been set before us as the cause of the existing state of
things, and when that triuse was declared to have dis
aPpeared, we fouiid that, notwithstanding, the
horizon was not Clear. (Cheers.) We then endeavoured
to -Improve the position of matters between these great
countries by suggesting to France, which had given us a
title to make such a suggestion, that she could not be jus-
tified kn demanding from Prussia au engagement which
was to cover all the unseen contingencies of the future
with respect to the Throne of Spain and the Prince Ho-
henzollern. We-represented to Prussia at the same time
that it was but just that as the King had been associated
with the candidature so he should responsibly and visibly
associate himself with the withdrawal. On the side of
Prussia that purpose wasgained, although thefirst reception
of the proposal by Count Bismarck had notbeen favourable.
On the side of France it was, as it were, put by in the
occurrence of the incident to which the right hon.. gentle-
man has alluded in no inapplicable terms—the Incident
of that supposed insult to the representative of France,
and which has, so far as we have been since informed
vanished into thin air. (Cheers.) Thsu, str, as a last
attempt, we made an appeal to that protocol of Paris
which we had aitikiv thought remained as a noble monu-
ment of some real advance In civilisation—(cheers)—as
an acknovuledgmett of a public authority in Christendom
which was to be entitled to exercise a control
over the passions, the caprice—nay, over the
strongest convictions even that might be entertained by
particular Stata4s. That appeal was declined by France
a 3 unsuitable to the case. It was received by Prussia
with the declaration that Frduce had taken the initiative
in the war, and that in such a state of circumstances it
was impossible for Prussia to take the initiative in recom-
•mending rrfediation. So- we arrive at the outbreak of war,
and the right hon. gentllman now asks us what is our
position in respect to tire war. Sir, our pogilion ii, as
he truly salt), that of a neutral. I shall presently except
the words he uses when he says, we ought to Observe an
armed neutrality. (Cheers.) So for as I know the histori-
cal meaning of that plass°, it is eminently unsuit-
able to the present circumstances. An iiifined neutrality,
if I remember the instances to which it has been authori-

tatively applied, imports a disposition of mind very much
removed indeed from that which we hope we may still
claim without reserve—of unequivocal friendliness to both
parties in thy' unhappy contest. ('sheers.) After
regretting that the right hon. gentleman had used the
phrase "armed nentraliti;"' Mr. Gladstone commented
upon the special selection whisk Mr. Disraeli had made of
Russia as the Power which England might prpbably act
in combination with. The Premier saill the recollection of

the war with Russia had left behind' no traces which
could for a moment prevent or discourage the co-opera-
tion of that empire for so noble and useful a purpose, and
added that if he objected to the marked manner in which
the right hon. gentleman dwelt upon it it was not in the

lout upon the grourtd of anything width lre atliktned,
but. rather that the pointeg 4election of that Power
appeared to lint:fly that• ikey were not ti 9 seek
the co-operation of other European States. The
Premier referring. to Mr. Dinraeli's rewrks as to the
Treaty of Vienna, and his statement that England and

Russia alone of the great Powers of Europe were those in
whose case the guarantee still remained ajplioable and
binding, said he was sorry to say that he could not accom-
pany the right hon. gentleman in that part of Ms speech.
The right hon. gentleman said—Mr. Gladstone appears to
proceed upon a general view of the doctrine of
guarantee more stringent than I for one am able to admit,
more stringent than I know to have been admittell
by the most eminent British statesmen of the century. I
do not think it necessary now to ilivuire what is the pre-
_ ..

doe position of guarantees embodied in the Treaty of
Vienna with respect to Prussia especially. It is not

necessary now to inquire how tap till% guarantee could

remain applicable after the German Confederation has

been dissolved--(cheers)—and after Prussia has under-

gone a complete metamorphosis, and has obtained au

•
extension of territory involving the most extensive

changes. But, above all, I am obliged to titer my
protest against the doctrine which the itlzbt hon.
gentleman propounded-in this portion of his speech. The
First Minister of the Crown then remarked that nothing
could have been ramie impolittb than a reference to the

guarantee. Mr. Gladstone went on to observe that the
Government had already taken steps as neutral by the in-
troduction of the by the Attorney-General, a,nd he re-
ferred at same length to other aspects of the neutrality
laws. The Premier Dderred.to the manner in which the

right hon. gentleman had arraigned the policyof the Go vern-
rnent in weakening, as Mr. Disraeli alleged, the defensive

means of the country, and to his statement that they
- _

were not compelled to retrace their steps. Mr. GIN:I-

stone emphatically contradicted this allegation, while he
referred with satisfaction to the fact that the Government
had lessened the burdens of the people, he contended that
there had been a husbanding and increase of the real
available forces of the colitntry. In his concluding re-
marks Mr. Gladstone with considerable warmth argued
that the previous Government discharged more artisans
than the Liberal Administration.

A discussion calmed, which la.,sted nearly till twelve
o'clock.

DOGGETT'S COAT AND BADGE.

Five young watermen started from London Bridge at
five o'clock yesterday to row to the Old Swan at Chelsea
for Doggett's Coat and Badge. Their names were James
Griffiths, Wandsworth ; John Westbrook, Legal Quays ;
Richard Harding, Blackwall ; Richard Marston, Ber-
mondsey; and W. R. J. Banks, Rotherhithe. The coat
and badge were left by Mr. Thomas Doggett, a famous
comedian, who lived in the reign of Queen Anne, and are
to be given annually for ever in commemoration of the
happy accession of the House of Hanover, the family of
her present Majesty, to the Throne of Great Britain.
Second and third prizes are the gifts of Sir William
Joliffe, as per his will, arising from the interest on
£260175. 3d. Three per Cents Reduced, formerly £2OO
South Sea Stock, viz., £4 17s. 9d. for the second, and
£2 18s. 9d. for the third. The Fishmongers' Company
give five guineas to the first man in addition to his livery
and badge ; £1 11s. 6d. to the fourth ; and a guinea to
the fifth and sixth, to say nothing of the bottle of prime
old port which is always given to the victor at the
first great banquet of the Fishmongers' Company next
ensuing *eater the race. The young watermen
row in broad-beamed old-fashioned, wooden-rigged boats,
such being presumably the kind of skiff most in keeping
with the semi-antique character of the bequest. Harding
won by nearly a quarter of a mile ; Griffiths was second ;
Marston, long after him, came in third ; Banks fourth.;
and Westbrook fifth. The distance was traversed in
thirty-four minutes.

Nr. J. 13. Pyne, who was for many years Vice-
Peesident of the Society of British Artists, dietitast-oweek
in the-'7oth year of his age. His views of the English
lakes and his Italian scenes are the works by which he is
best known.

Chang and Eng, the Siamese twins, and two sons,
were among the 35 cabin passengers from Liverpool for
New York on Saturday in the extra Cunard steamer
Palmyra. The President of Liberia, his secretary, and a
servant were also on-board.
in Indian paper says that during the period be-
tween the beginning of June and the end of October, 1869,
92,989 persons are believed to have died of want and its
attendant ills in the Gwalior State. During the same
period nearly 400,000 animals perished.

Lieutenant-General Viscount Templeton, K.C.13.,
to-day enters upon the duties of Lieutenant-Governor of
Portsmouth and General Officer commanding the South-
ern military district, vice Lieutenant-General Sir George
Buller, K.C.8., whose period of service is expired.

•
•
• The North German Confederation stator-that
among the contributions that have been already sent in
for patriotic purposes are three large gold medals with the
.bust of the Exnperor of the French, which were awarded
as prizes at the Industrial Exhibition of Paris. The value
of each is about 3,000 francs.

A telegram from Bomb 4 informs us that in conse-
quence of the stotements of one of the prisoners, another
arrest has been made in connection with the scuttling of
the Aurora. .