The Sun.
London, England, 1867-01-07 00:00:00

Mr. Erne: Jones' Lecture.

Mr. Ernest Jones on Friday night delivered in
the Music-hall, to a crowded and well-satisfied
audience, his reply to Professor Blackie's argument
against " Democracy," upheld in the same place on
the previous evening. Starting from the ground
that democracy " does not mean the rule of a class
but of a nation—embraces all, and tempers one class
with another," Mr. Jones contended that former
failures were no good argument against democratic
institutions ; and proceeded at great length to show,
from the highest historical authorities, that in
Greece, Rome, France, Australia, and America,
" democracy, had been the founder and the saviour
of the people's greatness." He vindicated the for-
mation and defended the operation of trades unions ;
traced to the influence of the people all the great
humane and liberal measures of the last forty years ;
demanded to know on what ground " this noble
people" was shut out from the constituencies ; and
charged Professor Blackie with having " invented a
new crime—the crime of numbers." He went on
to maintain that manhood suffrage met the very ob.•
jections of the opponents of democracy, for it win-
nowed the chaff from the corn better than any other
mode of qualification, and, above all, made sure of
the good. He cited the purity of large constituen-
cies like Birmingham and the Tower Hamlets in
vindication of this view; urged that immediate re-
form was needed to save :the country from the fate
of Rome and medizival France; and quoted the
writings of St. Paul and of the Evangelists, against
Plato and Aristotle, in support of his principle of the
equality of all men in respect of political power. A
vote of thanks to Mr. Jones was moved by Mr.
Duncan M‘Laren, M.P., who seized the occasion to
say the only nasty thing that has been said during
the controversy—winding up his speech by the
gratuitously ungracious assertion that Mr. Jones
h.ad " completely refuted" his opponent.—Scotsman.

FLORAL HALL, COVENT GARDEN.—This Crystal
Palace in miniature, handsomely decorated and in the
evening brilliantly illuminated with gas, is at present
attracting crowded audiences, both as spectators and
amateur skaters, to witness tho syrph-like evoliltions of
Mdlle. Frederika, Mr. Elliott, and other professors, who
are always received with well-merited plaudits. The
auditorium being well warmed by several colossus stoves,
the comfort of its patrons are duly attended to.
REPORTED Loss OF A VESSEL AND NEARLY ALL
ITANDs.—According to information received in Hull, the
steamtug Reliance, of Shields, landed, on the 29th ult., at
Beadnell, a seaman named George Bailey, who had been
picked up from a raft. Bailey states that he was one of
the crew of the Queen of the Ocean, of Hull, from Liver-
pool for Shields with a cargo of salt ; that the vessel was
run into on the 25th ult. by the screw steamer Paris, and
sunk about 25 miles south of Shields. He adds that the
crew of the Queen of the Ocean wore 22 in number, that
the master and another man got on board the steamer,
while ho got on to a raft. Nothing is known of the fate of
the remaining 19 seamen.
PILCUARDS.—Upwards of 1,300 hogsheads of pil-
chards, caught in Mount's-bay, Cornwall, have been pur-
chased this week for the supply of Mediterranean ports, at
Ow rate y# Oa. Oa. per hogehead.