The Sun.
London, England, 1861-06-27 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, JUNE 27, 1861.

AMERICA AND CANADA.

LIVERPOOL, WEDNESDAY.
The Canadian mail steamship Hibernian has
arrived with advices from Quebec to the 15th, and
from New York by telegraph to the previous day.
All the troops in Washington, save a few neces-
sary to guard the approaches to the grounds, have
been removed from the Capitol, and the work of
cleaning for the approaching session of Congress
was rapidly proceeding.
Another Whitworth rifle gun had reached New
York, a present from Americans in Europe to Pre-
sident Lincoln.
A Federal column of about 6,000 men, including
the Rhode Island battery, have moved up from the
Washington division towards Harper's Ferry. It
was very likely intended for the ultimate occupation
of Leesburg, crossing the Potomac at the only
fordable point between Harper's Ferry and the
chain bridge at Georgetown. The first stopping
place would probably be Edward's Ferry, opposite
Leesburg, which would prevent the Confederates
from passing from their stronghold down across the

country upon Washington. The occupation of Lees-
burg and Washington by the Northern troops would
cut off the communication between Harper's Ferry
and the Manassas Junction, as well as protect Wash-
ington from invasion by the Confederate forces on
the Upper• Potomac. A correspondent of the Boston
Post, alluding to the movements of the Confederate

forces,. says :
" The Confederate authorities are moving with
remarkable deliberation and perfect system in their
military operations, and it hus become sufficiently
evident that they are about concentrating a force of
60,000 men at or within a day or two's march of
the Manassas Junction, from which point they
now threaten our lints on the other side of the

Potomac. They are in no hurry to make an attack,
and have, till within a day or two it is believed,
confidently and hopefully expected an attack
upon their own lines from our side. They will now
await the result of the Federal demonstration upon
Harper's Ferry and also the approach of hot
weather. They also, it is said, build some hopes
upon the weakness of the Federal forces that may
attend the crises of the expiration of the time of
the three-months men. But, profitin2 by any mis-
fortune or mistake on the part of the Federal Go-
vernment and its troops, they probably intend to
bring suddenly against our line of defence and this
city a force of 60,000 men. They think, perhaps,
that by such a stroke they will end the war. But
that will be a serious mistake. They could not

long hold the city, and probably would not at-
tempt to. They would hold it long enough for
their purpose—viz,, to secure recognition as a Go•
vernment de facto. In fine, there is a prospect of
some hard fighting hereabouts before September."

The Confederate force at Fairfax Court-house is
reported to have abandoned that place on the 10th,
on hearing of the advance of the Federal troops.
Further information is contained in the following
telegram, dated Haggerstown, June 11 :
" A telegraphic operator stationed at Martins-
burg and a breakman on the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad arrived here to-day. They left there yes-
terday .The latter says the furthest bridge that has
been burnt is at North Branch, five miles east of
Cumberland ; the next is at Patterson's Creek; the
next is at Sleepy Creek, 17 miles of Martinsburg ;
and one at Obequeon, two miles from Martinsburg.
There will be no trouble in rebuilding the first, but
probable some trouble with the last. Gen. Johnston
ordered the Obequeon bridge to be rebuilt, and has
not been able to accomplish it."
A telegram, dated Frederick, June 16, says—
" The bridge across the Potomac at Harper's
Ferry was blown up and entirely destroyed between
4 and 5 o'clock this morning. All the troops have
been withdrawn from the Maryland shore, and the
town of Harper's Ferry has been evacuated by a
great body of the troops recently there, but a small
ft-wee still remains. Six car-loads of provisions were
destroyed bu prcvent their falling into the hands of
the Federalists. Tne bridge at Shepherdstown
was burnt last night."

The following extract contains further particulars
respecting the fight at Great Bethel—
" Fong Mo2{lloll, June 13.—A despatch received
at Baltimore says no military movements of impor-
tance have taken place to-day. Captain Davis yes-
terday entered the enemy's lines with a flag of truce
and went within half a mile of Yorktown. He saw
a formidable battery at Great Bethel, but was not
allowed to examine the works. He was courteously
treated. The Secession pickets now extend to New-
market-bridge. The cavalry encampment at York-
town and adjacent places are being strongly forti-
fied. There are also batteries between Great Bethel
and Yorktown. Major Winthrop was shot by a
Louisiana rifleman while making a vigorous charge.
He was buried by the rebels. Two Zouaves died
while prisoners. The rebels represent that they
have other prisoners whom they are willing to ex-
change. Captain Phillips has to-4y visited the
fortress with a flag of truce in reference to the same.
General Butler and Quartermaster Fanzy have this
afternoon gone to Newport News. The heat was
120 deg. in the shade yesterday. The county bridge
where the battle was fought is near the head of a
branch of Pack River, and is better known as
Great Bethel; after crossing a narrow but appa-
rently deep stream the road winds somewhat to the
left. Along its side, just beyond the bridge, the
rebels had planted their battery. A line of en-
trenchment then followed on the right side of the
road, a ditch only being between them. There was
a stream and morass on the left side of the road,
widening so as to render futile any attempt to out-
flank the rebels on that side, while the formation
of the ground on the right side made a flank move-
ment very circuitous. Lieut.-Col. Washburn, with
250 men, had by a wide circuit reached the rear of
the great battery, and it is quite evident that the
rebels, who it is now ascertained did not number 600
men, were on the point of leaving the field."
" NEW YORK, June 13.—Lieut. Butler states that
when he left Fortress Monroe it was the determina-

tion to take the battery at Great Bethel, and regi-
ments were in rivalry as to the right of the advanc-
ing column. General Butler's official account, as
far as he was able to give it, not having received
any official return from. General Pierce, states thU
the affair was intended to be a surprise, but the
unfortunate blunder of Colonel Bendix spoiled the
surprise and gave the rebels good notice of their
presence. Thirty prisoners were taken at Little
Bethel, and are now in charge of General Butler.
General Butler is to be reinforced by ten additional
regim ants from New England."
A Baltimore gentleman of respectability, who
came up from Old Point on the 13th and spent
some time there, furnishes the following :
" Up to the time the boat left last evening he was
in conversation with both the officers and privates
who were in the engagement. Some mortification
is expressed at the bad management of General
Pierce, but none as to the extent of the loss, which
was found to be less than first supposed, or the charac-
ter of the temporary advantage gained by the re-
bels. One of Grebble's command states that had
advance been . ordered instead of a retreat the bat-
tery would have been taken in five minutes.
Lieutenant Grebble had silenced all their guns ex-
cept one rifled cannon, which was fired with great
rapidity, and was concentrated entirely on his com-
mand. This gun was worked well, but all the rest
were badly managed, their balls cutting off the tops
of the trees over their heads. Had the battery been
well supplied with experienced gunners no doubt
the loss would have been heavy. Lieutenant
Grebble spiked his gun at the moment he received
orders to retreat, as is supposed, on account of his
surprise at such orders, presuming that General
Pierce had discovered attempts to cut him off, and
that should his gun be captured in the retreat he
would make it harmless. He had just driven in a
spike when a ball killed him. Colonel Bendix's
Zouaves evinced great bravery. They could with
difficulty be restrained from making an assault
without orders. Five of the rebels are known to
have been killed by the Zouaves outside of the
works, andit is presumed from the effective firing
of Lieutenant Grebble that considerable damage
must have been done to the rebels inside of the bat-
tery which was of sandbags, hidden from the view
by' bushes. The number of Zouaves killed was
five, wounded 20, missing seven. They attri-
bute their heavy loss to their bright uni-
forms, while the regulars attribute it to their
superior bravery and daring. The whole number
of killed and wounded, as ascertained at the fortress
last evening, was 19 killed, 47 wounded, and 5
missing. Major Winthrop was not killed. Several
of those killed were inhumanly slaughtered while
carrying off the wounded, which causes a bitter
feeling among the troops. Last evening, just as
the boat was leaving, the Zouaves brought in three
prisoners, a captain of rebel cavalry and two pri-

' rates, splendidly mounted, with elegant trappings.
The captain's horse attracted great attention. An-
other attack at Great Bethel was shortly expected.
The pickets extended nearly to the battlefield."
The Baltimore Sun asserts that 10,000 Federal
troops were killed. Major Wirthrop is still missing,
and it is supposed he has been taken prisoner.
From Hagerstown, Marylard, under date of June
12, we learn that there were continued skirmishes
taking place, but with very little injury to either
side. Major Morgan, ofthe New York Regiment, had

arrived from Queenstown and Centreville with 160

men. They had a skirmish, and captured from the
enemy 500 stand of arms and one prisoner. They
_ _

were fired into from the bushes. No lives were los'

From the Mississippi we letrn that the Federal
blockading steamer Brooklyn was ashore at the
month of the river.

According to a telegram, dated St. Louis, June
12, about 200 State troops were sent from Jefferson
down to the Pacific Railroad, and a part of the Gas-
conade bridge had been burnt by order of the State
authorities. The telegraph wires had been cut a
short distance from Jefferson, and operators were
forbidden to make repairs for the present.

The Maryland House of Legislature having in-
structed the Senator to Congress from that State to
rote for the recognition of the Southern Con-
federacy, great indignation was excited among the
Union men of the State. Many of them advocated
the Federal Government dispersing the Legislature
by force.
Confederate forces to the number of 1,500 men

were intrenched at Charleston, Virginia, with six-
pounders, ready mounted, and had two or three
members of the Wheeling Convention in gaol there.
The Wheeling Western Virginia Convention had
adopted unanimously resolutions thanking General
M'Clellan for sending troops to Western Virginia,
and commending the gallantry of the troops at
Philippi, and complimenting the bravery of Colonel
Kelly.

On the 11th Governor Jackson demanded of
General Lyon the disbanding and withdrawal of
the Federal forces in Missouri, which, if done, the
State militia was to be disbanded. General Lyon
refused, and Governor Jackson took the train for
Jefferson city late in the evening.

The New Orleans Picayune of the 9th says, two
Federal transports with 1,500 troops aboard arrived
off the bar on the previous afternoon. General
Twiggs had issued an order prohibiting all vessels
from passing Port Jackson without the Governor's
written permission.
From Panama, under date June 4, we have ad-
vices from Carthagena, which report Mosquera to
have beaten the Government forces in two battles,
in the first of which, fought April 25, the latter lost

1,300 in killed and wounded. The second battle
occurred near Bogota. Mosquera was doubtless in
the capital.

According to advices from Memphis to the 6th,
there were 6,500 troops at Camp Jackson, on the
railroad between Memphis and Columbus, with 20
32-pounders. There were five batteries on the Mis-
sissippi between these places, one on the Arkansas
side being made for the Confederates. There were
no rifled cannon in Tennessee. There Was a large
encampment of Confederates, consisting of 30,000,
on the Mobile and Ohio railroad.

The following despatch had been received by the
Governor-General of Canada :

"Downing-street, June 1.
" Sir,—You are already aware that the Queen is
desirous of observing the strictest neutrality in the
contest which appears to be imminent between the
United Sates and the so-styled Confederate States
of North America. I have now to inform you that,
in order to give full effect to this principle, her
Majesty has been pleased to interdict the armed
ships and also the privateers of both parties from
carrying prizes made by them into the ports, har-
bours, roadsteads, or watery of the United Kingdom,
or of any of her Majesty's colonies or possessions
abroad.

1t is hat. Majesty's desire that thil prohibition
should be forthwith notified to alt proper authori-
ties within her dominions, and I am to desire that
you take measures to secure its effectual observance
within the limits of your Government.—l have,
&c., "NEWCASTLE.
" Governor the Right Hon, Sir E. W. Head."

ening, that his reappearance iu Pekin is being
delayed, and delayed indefinitely.
Reports speak vaguely that a rebellion has
broken out in Mongolia.
From Pekin we have little news in addition to
what appeared in our last overland summary. The
members of the various foreign embassies are
meeting with all desirable civility. The residence
of the British Legation is an enormous place, with
detached outbuildings' covering about four and a
half acres of ground. Workmen of various kinds
are busily engaged putting it in good repair.
At Tien-tsin trade is beginning to prosper.
Many of the leading houses in Hong Kong are pre-
paring to erect structures suitable for business, and
very strong prospects exist of future prosperity for
this port. The troops are disappointed at their
stay being prolonged, and that without any definite
period being hinted at.
At Chefoo (called in the treaty Tang-Chow)
trade was not so brisk, the market having received
a temporary glut.
The principal news from Shanghae relates to the
fluctuating success of rebels and Imperialists. Two
naval expeditions had gone up the Yang-tsze in
search of deserters from English ships ' • the first
visit was to Nankin. where a number of English
sailors were captured in the service of the rebels;
the next was to an Imperial camp, with corres-
ponding results.

BRITISH AND FORBIGN SCHOOL

SOCIETY.

Lord John Russell yesterday morning presided
over the inaugural meeting of the British and
Foreign School Society's new Training College at
Stockwell. Among the company were Earl Gran-
ville, Lord Ducie, Lord Ebury, Mr. Briscoe, M.P.,
Sir J. Boileau, &c.

From the report, read by Mr. WILT, it ap-
peared that, the society's school in the Borough
being found insufficient for the supply of the re-
quired number of qualified teachers, the committee
had determined to build the new school for 100
female students, leaving the old establishments in
the Borough to the training masters. The site and
buildings cost £16,972, towards which the Com-
mittee of Privy Council on Education had contri-
buted £5,742 125., and there had been received from
contributors rather over £7,000, leaving upwards
of £4,000 to be provided for, in addition to the cost
of the fittings and furniture, an exercise ground,
and other incidental expenses. The new building
already accommodated 75 pupils, and there were
131 candidates for admission at Christmas. The
institution was unsectarian, but not secular. The
Bible was the only text-book of religious instruc-
tion, and that without curtailment or remark.
The Earl GRANVILLE moved the first resolution:
" That this meeting, impressed with the importance of
the suitable training o teachers for elementary schools, re-
joice in the completion of the edifice, to be henceforward
appropriated to the preparation of young women for con-
ducting such schools in connection with the British and
Foreign School Society."
Lord DUCIE having seconded the resolution, it
was put and carried.
Lord EBURY moved the second resolution:—

" That this meeting, approving of the comprehensive
basis of the British and Foreign School Society, and sym-
pathizing with the success and extension of its efforts,
would commend its claims to the liberal support of all
friends to the Scriptural education of the poorer classes."
Mr. I3RiscoE seconded and Sir J. BOILEAU sup-
potted the resolution, which was also carried un-
animously.
The Key. S. R. CATLEY proposed the cordial
thanks of the meeting to Lord J. Russell for his
kindness in taking the chair.
The motion was seconded by Mr. H. E, GURNEY,
the Treasurer, and carried by acclamation.
Lord J. RUSSELL rose to acknowledge gratefully
the resolution which the meeting had just carried.
It had always given him the greatest pleasure to
be able to attend the meetings of this society. The
principles upon which it was originally based were
the best and the truest for a country like this. He
considered it a misfortune that in the year 1808
they were not adopted as the principles upon
which the national schools of this country should
be founded. It had always seemed to him to be
perfectly clear that, as the great majority of the peo-
ple of this country acknowledged the authenticity
of Scriptures, there should be school instruction in
the Bible, and that the doctrine which belonged
whether to the established church or to the various
denominations should be imparted afterwards or on
different days by the teachers of the denominations to
which the parents of the children belong. How-
ever, it must be acknowledged that since the year
1808, when it was a matter of very fierce controversy
whether it was right that the children of the poor
shou'd receive education at all, to the present time,
when persons of every rank and condition were
vying with each other as to who should afford the
best schooling to the poor, there had been a great
and gratifying educational progress. (Hear, hear.)
The last report of the commissioners showed the
advance which had been made within the last few
years. The number which had been added within a
short time to the children who received education
was such that the proportion who did not receive
education was now not at all to be lamented, and in
number would be diminished in a few years; so that
we should be able to say that the children of the
English people generally were educated. He need
not say how much it expanded the mind to have
some knowledge of history, to have some knowledge
of geography, how much the common interests and
pursuits of life were furthered by the knowledge
imparted in the Borough-road, and other schools in
connection with this society. Then there was the
industrial education which women were above all
fitted to impart. There was the improvement in
cookery, which really was a thing which tended to
the comfort of the poorer classes as much as any-
thing could do. He remembered that on one occa-
sion. he had the honour of accompanying her
Majesty to a schOol which was maintained by
Royal bounty in Windsor Park. In the girls'
school there was an examination with respect
to the mode of preparing rice pudding for dinner.
The girls were examined as to the component parts
of a rice pudding and how they were put together.
He owned that the subject was quite new to him.
(A laugh.) He had no notion that it was so com-
plex an affair as it seemed to be. (Laughter.) But
he could well understand that to have a good rice
pudding instead of a bad one would be a great
comfort to the husband and father as well as to the
wife and children. (Hear.) These things, how-
ever, were merely the accompaniments of the
education that was given, and he had always
thought that that would be a most imperfect edu-
cation which taught the sciences and did not culti-
vate and elevate the moral faculties and attend to
the religious wants of man. (Hear.) The latter
had been made the basis and foundation of all the
instruction which this society provided. He trusted,
therefore, that they would long continue to do so.
When he considered the many illustrious men with
whom from his youth he had had the honour of
being associated in the British and Foreign School.
Society ; when he remembered that Mr. Wilber-
force gave ti-,e society the advantage of his persua-
sive eloquence, attended all their meetings, and
gave them the benevolent fruit of his Christian
knowledge and his Christian disposition ; when he
remembered that some of the most well-informed
of the Bishops of the Church of England had atten-
ded these meetings ; when he recollected that the
universal and gigantic intellect of Lord Brougham
had been used for the objects of the society ;
when he remembered that many others, whom it
would take too long to mention—and who could
be remembered with greater pleasure than the late
William Allen and Andrew Gurney (hear, hear)
men whose relation by their benevolence showed
how much they felt the duty that was incumbent
on them to assist in this great work ?—when he
recollected all these things, he felt proud in being
allowed to participate in promoting this great un-
dertaking. He was not only ready to assist the
society in every way in his power, but was grateful
to the committee for giving him the opportunity of
manifesting his interest in the case ; and he trusted
that the appeal now made would be so successful
that the institution, which had all the advantages it
could have in sanitary position, and in which mas-
ters and mistresses would be trained who would
have to teach and educate the present and future
generation, would next year be reported to have
been cleared, if not entirely, still to a considerable
extent of its present liability. (Hear, hear.)

The Board of Inland Revenue have raised a
question as to the legality of the practice which obtains at
the various docks to dispense with the penny stamp on
orders to deliver to the parties issuing the orders. It was
assumed that an order "Deliver to ourselves" implied suf-
ficiently that such delivery did not take place upon sale or
transfer of the goods, inasmuch as parties can hardly be
supposed to sell or transfer their own goods to themselves.
Such, however, is not the view taken by the Inland Re-
venue Board, who have notified to the dock authorities,—
" T hat the intent and meaning of the act the 23d and 24th
of Victoria, cap. 111, is that the words 'to selves' shall
not be sufficient indication that the order is not on a sale or
transfer, therefore an order to deliver to the persons known
as the owners must be taken to be on a sale or transfer,
just as much as if it were to deliver to a stranger, unless it
be expressly stated on the face of the order that it is not on
a sale or transfer,"

PRICE 4D. STAMPED, SD.

111 R. COBDEN AT RC4I.i.IDALE.

ROCHDALE, WEDNESDAY NIGHT.
This evening Mr. Cobden, M.P., addressed his
constituents in the large room of the new mill of
Messrs. Kelsall and Kemp, situate in Baillie-street.
The hon. gentleman was accompanied by Mr. G.
Wilson and some other gentlemen from Manches-
ter. On entering the carriage of the mayor at
Rochdale station the crowd collected there attempted
to take the horses out, that men might draw the
carriage, and they only refrained from carrying
their intention into effect at the urgent request of
Mr. Cobden himself. Over the meeting Mr. T. H.
Moore, the mayor, presided ; and on the platform
were Mr. Cobden, Mr. Bright, M.P., Mr. Bazley,
M.P., Messrs. George Wilson, Henry Ashworth,
J. Platt, the French Consul at Manchester, &c.
The room was densely crowded. About 4,000 people
were present. Mr. Cobden and those who accom-
panied him were loudly cheered on entering the
room, the cheering being again and again repeated.
The CHAIRMAN briefly introduced Mr. Cobden to
the meeting.
Mr. COBDEN'S rising wts the signal for loud
cheering. After it had sulsided, the hon. gentle-
men, after a few preliminary observations, said he
had no account of his labours in Parliament to "ire
them, as for the last eighteen, months he had,
honoured with the confidence of his Sovereign and
country, been seeking to form arrangements which
would unite the countries of France and England
in bonds ofunity and peace. The French had not
taken any steps until just now to liberate commerce,
but it had only taken that Government two years to
do that which took us thirty. Everything had been
done in that country which could be done under the
circumstances, but still much remained to be done,
and that he believed would be done shortly. The
French were the most democratic nation under the
sun, and whilst they were constantly producing
things for the rich, aristocratic England was nearly
on the other hand entirely engaged in producing
articles for the consumption of the masses. He,
therefore, urged that the treaty would be reciprocal.
The people of England during the existence of the
corn laws ate annually six million quarters of corn
less than after the corn laws were abrogated. Just
so would it be with the ill-clad people of France ;
they would, by means of this treaty, be better
clothed. He looked upon this treaty with France as
the final stone of the pillar of free trade. The
honour was not due by him, but to the present Go-
vernment and their great Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer. (Applause.) He then went on to speak of
the advantages of drinking French wines instead of
port and sherry, and said that since the treaty had
been made a friend of his had looked over the drink
ing songs of England, and he found that in a pas

age they were nearly all in honour of Trench
wines, but the drinking songs were now no longer
so. His friend accounted for it in this way, that

when the people drank the French wines they be,

came merry, while when they drank port and sherry
instead they grew stupid and went to sleep.
(Laughter and applause.) He was not so sanguine
as to the effect of this treaty as to suppose that a
great trade would spring up at once, but he was
sure that our social and political relations with that
country would, and must be firmer and more trust-
worthy. He repudiated the idea that France was
contemplating an attack upon England, and they
ought to pause before they believed the assertions
of not over-wise admirals on the subject. He was
glad to say that Rochdale was the only town in
England that in public meeting assembled had
refused to establish a volunteer corps. He was in
France at the time, and he believed from what he
there saw that the people of Rochdale were quite
right. He had been led to form this opinion from
what he personally knew of the feeling of France
towards England. (Applause.) He firmly believed
when the volunteer rage was going on in England
as now, that the French nation never contemplated
invading this country. As to the naval armaments
of the two nations, he made an estimate that
spring, and including the ten years preceding 1858
this country had, despite all the outcry of the people
of England as to the navy of France, spent half
as much more than that country did. There had
always been a sort of tacit understanding between
the two countries that England should have a navy
about double that of France. The fact was, that

while England had spent on her navy half as much

again as France, she had had an advantage over that
country of 20 per cent. She could build her engines
at 30 per cent. less, while her coals and stores each
cost her 20 per cent. less. What was the reason of
all this expenditure, then ? Why it was through
the invasion panic and the admirable mismanage-
ment of the Admiralty. His friend Lord C. Paget,
when speaking in Parliament in the spring of 1859
on the mismanagement of the Admiralty (Lord C.

Paget being then out of office, they must remember),

stated that he had gone very carefully through the
expenditure of the Admiralty during the preceding
ten years, and he had discovered that £5,000,000
sterling had been spent in that period on ships of
war which were unaccounted for. Now neither he
nor Lord C. Paget meant to say that the Admiralty
had absolutely pocketed the money—they were too
honest to do such a thing as that—but that they

were unable to keep clear accounts, and had spent
that sum in making things which were positive:y
useless. In 1850 it was seen that the application

of steam to ships of war was necessary, and that

such ships would supersede all the old sailing
_ .

ine-of-battle ships.

Well, what did France

do ? Why, she at once began to apply steam to

the new vessels she was building, and the old she
had built, but this example was only in part fol-
lowed by England. She knew as well as. France
the advantage of applying steam to her ships, but
our Admiralty still continued to build sailing vessels
after the plan of old, and thus money was foolishly
and uselessly wasted. He then came to speak of
five years later, which included the Crimean war.

A few vessels had then been covered with iron

plates, and the French Government seeing the ad-
vantage of them built two iron •cased ships, one of
which was called La Gloire, but our Admiralty
since then had constantly been amusing themselves
at Shoeburyness by getting Mr. Whitworth and Sir
Wm. Armstrong to make cannon which would send
shot through iron•plated ships. The people out of
doors only could correct this state of things. The
idea which ha& been palmed off upon the public,
that the French were building vessels to invade this

country, was ridiculous, and he ventured, upon his
conscience, to assert that no greater delusion than

that had been palmed upon a people since the days
of Titus Oates. Mr. Cobden then alluded to the
mismanagement of the Board of Public Works, and
quoted a speech delivered by Mr. Gladstone on the
management of the British Museum, in support of
his denouncement of the management of that board.

During the time he was negotiating the treaty with

France, the rifle movement in this country was
being carried on with the greatest vigour. The

speeches delivered at some of these meetings were

of the most irritating kind. At one of them a
Somersetshire farmer, on being asked, supposing
the French were to invade England, what he would
charge them for his corn, replied that it would only
be bought at the price of their blood. He did not
believe—and he had as good an oppertunity of
judging as any man—that the French nation ever
contemplated invading this country. If he had
ever believed it—if he had seen that France was

creating a navy equal to ours—he should have been
a traitor to his Queen and country if he had not
denounced it with all his might. Before France
should have a navy equal to ours, Without reasons
for having such, which she had not now, he would
vote 100 millions sterling for the defence of our
country. After giving the statistics of the men
and boys in each navy, and other facts con-

netted therewith, the honourable gentleman went
on to speak of what he called the most lament-

able, the most deplorable civil strife which was