LOOK AT THE BRIGHT SIDE.

Dr. Henry C. McCook (Phil.) in "The Gospel in Nature," says:

"There is no power in the simple revelation of sin, in the disclosures of wicked deeds, to turn souls to righteousness. If that were so, the Police Gazette might become a very Gospelmore powerful for good than any pulpit. On the contrary, it is usually the case that familiarity with vice hardens the conscience.

"Revelations of sin never should stand alone. They are never influential for good when so standing. There is no impulsive power towards righteousness within them, no expulsive power as towards sin, no attractive power towards Heaven. Something more, something positive, is required for that.

"The voice which cries Repent! Repent!' must also say 'The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.' The exhibition of human loveliness as perfected in Jesus Christ, the disclosure of Divine love as incarnate in Jesus Christ, these are forces which expel sin and urge towards holiness. The life and Gospel of Christ, the morals, the intentions, the sequences of Christ, give men a sense of sin, teach them their imperfection, classify and correct their false ideas of life, and open up before them the pathway of deliverance from evil.

"Those newspapers that hold up before the people most prominently, persistently, and attractively the beauties of human life, the beauties of nature, the glories of honesty, of honour, of righteousness, of truth, are those which by furnishing lofty ideals do the very most to convince men of sin and deliver them therefrom."

THE ARBITRATION ALLIANCE.

The various works undertaken by this body are nearing absolute completion. All the copies of the Ecclesiastical Petition, bearing finally 168 signatures on behalf of 119 religious bodies, and representing many millions of persons, have now been sent for presentation. The Honorary Secretary is at present occupied with preparing for presentation the "NATIONAL MEMORIAL FOR ARREST OF ARMAMENTS," promoted some time ago, of which an analysis has been already published, and the "ANGLO-AMERICAN ARBITRATION MEMORIAL," to which signatures have been obtained still more recently. All that will remain after this will be to square both sides of the balance sheet, for which from £60 to £70 will be necessary, and then for the Hon. Secretary to give an account of his stewardship.

His Excellency, Señor Don Arturo de Marcoartu, has forwarded to the Duke of Tetuan, Minister for Foreign Affairs in Madrid, for Her Majesty the Queen Regent of Spain, the Petition, together with the volume by Dr. Evans Darby on "International Tribunals," and has also addressed himself a long and interesting communication to the Spanish Government. The following letter has been received by Señor Marcoartu, from the Duke of Tetuan, in reply:

MY DISTINGUISHED FRIEND,

I have had the honour of receiving the communication which you addressed to me on the 17th inst., explaining, for the establishment of international and universal Arbitration, the principles which, in your opinion, are to be carried into practice among the civilised nations of the world, an act of very great justice and transcendental humanity.

With the aforesaid missive I received also the petition of the "Religious Alliance," and a book which accompanied it, destined for Her Majesty the Queen Regent, which I will cause to be delivered into the hands of that august lady.

As regards the conclusions given by you in the important document (which accompanies them), they shall be studied with interest by this Ministry, for a final suitable decision. I have, in the meantime, to sign myself,

Your affectionate friend,

DUQUE DE TETUAN.

The first system of modern fortification-that is, after the invention of artillery-was that of the bastion or Italian system, a bastion being a military work consisting of two faces and two flanks.

AGENTS' REPORTS.

BIRMINGHAM.

"God

The Rev. J. J. Ellis preached at LONG MELFORD on Sunday, August 22nd, on, "Soldiers of Christ--the Men who build up a Country."-At SPALDING, in Lincolnshire, he gave an address, August 25th, on "The Influence of Prayer." On Sunday, August 29th, preached at St. George's Presbyterian Church, BIRMINGHAM, on "The Truce of God"; and on Sunday, September 5th, at the Primitive Methodist Chapel, Blackheath, BIRMINGHAM, on, and Man in Co-operation." Mr. Ellis writes:-"During the past two months I have talked with farmers, tradesmen, lawyers, and ministers; most of whom laugh at the 'friends of Peace' as 'idle dreamers.' 'We do not say your goal is wrong; but it is impossible of attainment. We must keep up our Navy: maintain our premier position as mistress of the seas. The armyregulars, volunteers, reserves-must be sufficient and efficient. Oh, never mind the cost! John Bull is not bankrupt. Disband our forces? That would be suicidal. We do not want a lot of sailors and soldiers flung into the already glutted labour market. We may as well maintain them as they are, as maintain them as paupers. The nations who are jealous of us-as Germany, France, &c.-must initiate a disarmament policy. If they do not, England must adopt some mild form of conscription. Your arbitration schemes will do only for regenerated humanity.' That, summarises the opinion of many outside the Peace Society. To preserve peace be ready for war. To save your children froin death by poisoning, put a variety of deadly drugs within easy

reach."

MANCHESTER.

On Sunday August 29th, Mr. Charles Stevenson lectured at the Congregational P.S.A. Pendleton, MANCHESTER, Mr. H. Collins in the chair, and had a most encouraging Meeting; and on Sunday September 5th, at the Zion Congregational P.S.A. MANCHESTER when there were 1,000 present, a splendid Meeting; the Rev. H. H. Brayshaw, was chairman. On the following Sunday Evening (September 12th), at the Working Men's Institute, Stockport, he gave an address on Peace, Mr. John Thos. Lomas in the chair; and on Sunday, September 19th, gave an address at Great Ancoats Mission P.S.A. MANCHESTER.

PETERBOROUGH.

Mr. and Mrs. Peter Russell have already begun their Season's Work by giving a new lantern lecture, compiled by Miss P. H. Peckover, of Wisbech, entitled, "Peace and War; or the Pastor's Narrative," to the Harris Street, Baptist Sunday School, on August 24th; Mr. W. Jones, Westgate, gave selections on his fairy bells.

BOOK NOTICES.

CHRISTIAN MARTYRDOM IN RUSSIA. Edited by Vladimir Tchertkoff. Containing a concluding chapter and letter by Count Leo Tolstoy. This is an interesting account of the Doukhobortsi, or Spirit-Wrestlers, in the Caucasus, and of their persecution by the Russian Government, by one who has suffered and is now an exile. It is also an appeal on behalf of a deserving people; but the force of the appeal lies in the facts which are narrated. The price of the book is 1s., and it is published by the Brotherhood Publishing Company, London.

TARES AND WHEAT. A memorial of JOHN WYCLIFFE, published by Messrs. Headley Bros., Bishopsgate Without, E.C. This is a succinct and admirable biography by Charles Tylor of the first English Reformer and Peace Advocate. It is cheap, well got up, and timely.

We have also received three excellent expositions of vegetarian principles from the Ideal Publishing Union, Ltd., Memorial Hall, Farringdon Street, forming part of the Vegetarian Jubilee Library, issued to commemorate the 50th year of the foundation of the Vegetarian Society, of which Mr. A. F. Hills is the president. These are:-VEGETARIAN ESSAYS, by A. F. Hills; THE RETURN TO NATURE, by J. F. Newton; and FRUITS AND FARINACEA, the proper Food of Man, by John Smith.

A capital map of the North-West Indian frontier-the seat of war-has been published by Messrs. W. and A. K. Johnston, price 1s., coloured.

:

CURRENT NOTES.

THE AUTUMNAL MEETINGS.

The autumnal meetings of the Peace Society, of which a full account is given in our present issue, were held at Newcastle-on-Tyne on the 12th October. The attendances were small; otherwise the meetings were very satisfactory. A good notice was given in the press, and generally they have attracted much attention and evoked discussion.

PEACE SUNDAY-DECEMBER 19TH.

At a meeting of the Executive, where the work of the movement for the present year was considered, it was felt that there should be progress of some kind each year, and that therefore more should be attempted than previously. It was resolved to appeal direct from the central office to all the clergy of the Episcopal churches in the three Kingdoms, asking the local societies and helpers to send invitations to the other ministers and Churches in their respective districts. By this plan it is anticipated that at least 25,000 invitations will be issued this year.

WHAT IS DESIRABLE.

But it is most desirable, in order to develop this noble institution of Peace Sunday to the utmost, that a suitable reminder should, every year, be sent to all Ministers and Churches throughout the land, and not that they should be taken sectionally as now. But this would require a permanent addition to the Society's income of at least £500 a year. It is proposed that we should circularise other Societies and Teachers, as also the Y.M.C.A.'s throughout the world, which we have been requested to do by the National Council. Executive have also resolved to extend the Society's efforts into the Colonies. All this will require a larger income. There is room for almost indefinite

The

[PRICE 1d.

increase, in all directions, if we had the means; and this, in face of the strenuous efforts put forth to develop militarism, is imperatively needed. We would like, if possible, to double the present income and the work of the Society. Will our members and friends help us to do so; and to make a new departure with the present Christmas?

TRAFALGAR DAY.

Trafalgar day was celebrated in London on Thursday, 21st ult., by the decoration of the Nelson Column in Trafalgar Square, by a national and patriotic fête at the Victorian Era Exhibition, and by other demonstrations. There were also celebrations in many other parts of the country.

THE NAVY LEAGUE AND TRAFALGAR DAY. The Navy League people are well satisfied with their success. They are even jubilant. "The celebration?" said Commander Crutchley, whose words are noteworthy and significant; "Nothing could have been better. Last year the people came mainly out of curiosity, either to see the novel sight of the steeple-jacks at work on the column, or to see what they had accomplished. This year the people understood the lesson we wish to teach, and they came to honour Nelsonthat, I think, is undoubted. But whether they came in a crowd of ten thousand or in crowds of ten millions is nothing to us; our work is an educational one-that should always be understood. As some of the French papers said last year, We are cultivating the renaissance of the Nelson cult.' That is practically what it means, and if some people think we are offending other nations they must continue to think so. We on our part say we do not. There has never been any increase in our absolutely necessary Navy without there having first been a popular clamour. Three times. during the past twenty years it has been allowed to fall into a dangerous state. It has been brought up to comparative efficiency only by fits and starts, and our object has been to open people's eyes to the necessity of the Navy, and to inform politicians so that they should have not only the necessary pluck for bringing the matter before the nation, but also to vote the requisite money without murmur for the purpose of our national insurance. Thus we strengthen the hands of both parties, irrespective of the Government in power." After this there can be no mistake as to what is intended. Shortly we hope to give an account of the times of Nelson and Trafalgar.

VENEZUELAN ARBITRATION.

Professor Maartens, of the University of St. Petersburg, is the umpire and president selected by the Arbitrators in the Venezuelan Boundary Arbitration. His appointment completes the Arbitration Court, which will assemble in Paris in the late summer or the autumn of next year. Great Britain and Venezuela each submitted a list of acceptable jurists, and the name of Professor Maartens was the only one which appeared on both lists. The Professor, one of the best known living jurists, was, it will be remembered, nominated by the Czar in the case of the dispute between Great Britain and the Dutch Government, respecting the Costa Rica packet.

BEHRING SEA CONFERENCE.

It is at last decided that a Behring Sea Question Conference is to be held, and that it will be confined to Great Britain, the United States, and Canada. When Lord Salisbury declined the American proposal that representatives of Russia and Japan should sit at the Conference, it was generally regarded in this country as the right thing to do. But as the United States have decided to have a separate Conference with Russia and Japan, in which Great Britain will take no part, and as the seal fishery question covers a much wider area than the Behring Sea, it may be regretted that we are to take no part in the Conference with the States, Russia, and Japan.

THE BAPTIST UNION.

At the Baptist Union autumnal meetings in Plymouth, the Rev. J. C. Carlisle (London School Board) moved a resolution in favour of International Arbitration, with special reference to the relations between England and America, and in the course of an able speech appealed to the daily press to do its best to assist the Christian Churches in promoting the union of the Englishspeaking races. The recent correspondence between Mr. Chamberlain and Secretary Sherman was smart and clever, but injudicious and perilous. A section of the Nonconformists, said the Rev. E. G. Gange in his presidential address, had earned for themselves the scoffing title of "Little Englanders" for protesting against acts of national injustice, unlawful raids upon a friendly State, or the slaughter of coloured tribes in order to possess their land and gold; but statesmen had yet to learn that the truest patriots and the best friends of the country were those who hated all wrong and unlawful acts, whether in private life, commercial enterprise, or the wider sphere of the Empire.

A MISSION OF PEACE.

The Rev. Dr. Berry, chairman of the Congregational Union, will sail for America on October 27th, to comply with the invitation of the Plymouth Church to conduct the Jubilee of that church, and the fiftieth anniversary of the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher's settlement as pastor. The National Free Church Council have prepared an address from the Free Churches of England to the American Congress, which will be presented while Dr. Berry is in Washington. The rev. gentleman has been asked, and has consented, to take chaplain's duty at the opening of Congress, and if the forms of the House will permit, Dr. Berry will personally present the address.

STATESMEN ON ARBITRATION.

At the Princeton University celebration on October 22nd, ex-President Cleveland delivered an address en

titled "The Self-made Man," in which he denounced the ignorant attacks made on decent citizens striving to secure good government in the United States, who are sneeringly described as college professors and doctrinaires. Mr. Cleveland created some sensation by further declaring that grave perils menace the country through public interests being continually sacrificed to blind unreasoning partisanship, stimulated by educated demagogues. It was this spirit, he added, which had defeated the Anglo-American Arbitration Treaty, thus retarding the progress of peace and civilisation. Lord Aberdeen, who was accompanied by his wife and daughter, received the degree of LL.D. In acknowledging the honour, his lordship expressed surprise at the friendly relations existing between Englishmen and Americans as individuals, in contrast to the belligerent spirit occasionally manifested by one country. He hoped the influence of the American universities would ultimately exert a leavening influence on political life, and closed with a strong plea for international Arbitration. THE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS.

The negotiations of the Plenipotentiaries for the conclusion of Peace between Turkey and Greece, commenced on the 20th October at Constantinople. At first the negotiations were hindered by the question as to whether any Mussulmans were massacred in Crete. The Ottoman Plenipotentiaries submitted the draft of a treaty consisting of 18 articles, based upon the Peace Preliminaries. Eight of these articles have already been agreed to, but difficulties appear to have arisen over Article III. of the Preliminaries, and so progress is delayed. It is considered not improbable that the divergences on the subject of Article III. will be submitted to the Arbitration of the representatives of the Powers at Constantinople The decision that the Turkish and Greek Plenipotentiaries should meet daily is due to the Sultan's desire to expedite the conclusion of the definitive Treaty of Peace. The Greek Plenipotentiaries, it is said, have been much pleased with the conciliatory attitude of the Turkish representatives. After the signature of Peace the same delegates will elaborate a new maritime and commercial convention.

THE CRETAN QUESTION.

All the Powers insist upon the programme granting complete autonomy with a Governor, who must not be a Turkish subject. A militia, which will be under the Governor's command, is to be formed of Turkish and Christian natives of the island. The European contingents there will not be reinforced. The GovernorGeneral of Crete has not yet been chosen, but the negotiations on the Cretan Question are generally making favourable progress, and there is reason to hope that they will shortly be brought to a satisfactory issue. The Porte has issued a fresh circular to the representatives of the Great Powers, desiring a speedy regulation of the Cretan question. This pressure is unfavourably regarded, as the intention of the Porte to mix up Crete with the definite settlement of the Peace treaty is seen, and is an attempt to which the Powers will under no circumstances agree.

ENGLAND THE SOURCE OF ALL WARS.

As a specimen of the feeling against this country, often, as will be seen, mistaken, prejudiced, and unjust, the following may be quoted from Le Nord (Paris) :"All the great wars-and we do not allude to local wars --have been undertaken by the Powers of Continental

Europe almost against their will, and always at the instigation of England. It is there, beyond the Channel and outside the united portion of the Continent, that the source of discord and of fratricidal warfare is to be sought. It is there, in that island which nature thought good to detach from our continent in order that the poison of dissension might be mitigated in passing through the vivifying atmosphere of the sea, that all the plots are organised and all the schemes worked out that have for their aim to inundate Europe with the blood of its children."

WARLIKE TALK FROM GERMANY.

Here is a similar expression of feeling from Germany "The English themselves acknowledge that it is impossible for them to compete in the arts of Peace with us and hope to be victorious. Hence their threats of war, their brutal untruths, their attacks upon the Emperor. These latter especially annoy the Germans, as such attacks are an insult to the whole nation. Englishmen evidently do not realise that William II. has his people at his back. The English will, however, find to their cost that nations, as well as individuals, must show some consideration to others. That Germany is more likely to have the support of the Triple Alliance in an Anglo-German struggle goes without saying. But Germany does not depend upon this. She is used to fight her own battles, and with her own men. Since the time has passed away when the enemies of Germany could obtain German troops, Germany may look hopefully to the future, though she should refrain from underrating an enemy. England, however, will find it to her advantage to think twice ere she enters upon an Anglo-German campaign. In war, victory is never assured till after the battle, and England has not such a crushing superiority of men, guns, and wealth that prosperity is as certain to follow a war against Germany as a petty expedition against naked savages." -Kolnische Zeitung.

IS IT A FORECAST ?

M. Lockroy, a Frenchman, who is an admirer of England, predicts that the next great war will be one between England and Germany. German and English interests are, says the French politician, clashing in every part of the world, but not more, says the Echo, than French and English interests. M. Lockroy is the author of the recent project for spending in a limited number of years 200,000,000 francs on ships and fortifications, an amount which the Government propose to increase to 260,000,000. There is no more probability of a war between England and Germany, is the comment of the Echo, than there is between England and France. Recently formed alliances make for Peace rather than war, because they can feed their ambitions more easily by pacific or diplomatic action than by actual war. England is more likely to be arrested and ultimately defeated by combined diplomatic intrigue and pressure, and particularly in Eastern Europe and in Egypt, than by war. We have managed to arouse general hostility, and must expect difficulties in conse

quence.

THE BOYS' BRIGADE.

The question of the organisation of the Boys' Brigade upon a national basis is still under consideration. The latest proposal is that steps should be taken to organise such Brigades in connection with all public, elementary, and other schools. An appeal would be made to the

Government for a certain grant per head when any such Brigade can show that it has enrolled a specified number of efficients. The thirteenth annual meeting of the Boys' Brigade was held on the 24th of last month, in London. From the statistics presented at this meeting, it would appear that the total number of boys enrolled in the Brigade of the United Kingdom is over 33,000, the officers number 2,800. In the United States the Brigade is almost as strong as in the mother count: y, for the American Brigade has enrolled 26,500; 5,000 boys are enrolled in the Canadian companies. There are other branches in all parts of the Empire. The total strength of the Boys' Brigade up to the present moment is 15,030 companies; 5,200 officers, and 66,500 boys.

66
TRAINING SHIP SHAFTESBURY."

Some years ago the Admiralty granted to the London School Board the loan of certain naval ordnance stores to enable gun, rifle, and cutlass drill to be carried on on board the "Shaftesbury" training ship. Since then it has supplied a gunnery instructor, whose duties are to prepare the boys for service in the Royal Navy. To render the instruction more efficient, the Industrial Schools Committee recommended that an application should be made to the Department for the loan of an obsolete quick-firing gun. When this recommendation came before the School Board recently, the Rev. W. Hamilton moved as an amendment that the Industrial Schools Committee be requested to "report on the moral effect of gun, rifle, and cutlass drill on the boys and masters on board the 'Shaftesbury.' Mr. Hamilton, in moving his amendment, observed that guns, rifles, and cutlasses were the remnants of a barbarous age. The boys who were to be instructed in the use of these weapons were possessed of somewhat barbarian instincts or they would not be on board the ship, and he maintained that the instruction proposed to be given them was not calculated to improve the lads. The amendment was seconded by Mr. Sinclair, who thought that boys who were on board for reclamation should be instructed in the arts of Peace. The Board, however, carried the recommendation of the committee by eighteen votes to five.

HOPEFUL.

Among British artists Landseer is the most popular among students. On one day you may see four people copying "A Distinguished Member of the Humane Society," the same number at work upon "The Sleeping Bloodhound" and "Shoeing the Bay Mare." As for "Dignity and Impudence," there is a legend that so great is the demand to copy this picture that the students every month secretly draw lots for positions. Landseer's "Peace" is much studied, but the companion picture "War" is almost entirely neglected. which fact, if it indicates the tendency of future art, the Peace Society may derive much pleasure; and it does.

From

A BISHOP ON WORK IN AFRICA. Bishop Tugwell, of Western Equatorial Africa, in a recent sermon at Westminster Abbey, dwelt on the wide openings for Christian labour to the north-east and west of Uganda, in Benin and the great Howsa country, and complained that while men were willing enough to go to such places in Her Majesty's service or in the interests of commerce, the calls of the Church met with very inadequate response.

The previous Sunday, October 10th, services were conducted by the Secretary, Dr. Darby, at TRINITY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (Rev. N. A. Ross, LL.D., pastor), in the morning at 10.45, and at HEATON Congregational Church in the evening, at 6.30 (Rev. Wm. Glover), when sermons were preached on behalf of the Society. In the afternoon Dr. Darby gave an address on Peace, to the P.S.A., at the Hexham Road Congregational Church, GATESHEAD, which evoked much enthusiasm. Over two thousand people attended these services.

MORNING CONFERENCE.

The morning session was held under the presidency of Dr. R. Spence Watson, at eleven o'clock. The Chairman was supported by Sir Joseph W. Pease, Bart., M.P., the Rev. H. Workman, Dr. Darby (Secretary of the Peace Society), the Rev. H. R. Rae, Rev. T. W. P. Taylder, Mr. David Richardson, Mr. Thomas Pumphrey, Mr. M. M. Quin, &c.

THE CHAIRMAN'S ADDRESS.

After prayer had been offered by the Rev. H. Workman, the CHAIRMAN, in opening the proceedings, said he did not propose to detain the meeting at any length. But there was one matter which must suggest itself to every one of them, at first thought, and that was that they were met this year in Newcastle in the very centre, they might say, of

A GREAT INDUSTRIAL WAR, which they all deeply deplored. It was of no use-it would be wrong-for them to endeavour to decide upon the question Those between the two parties, which of them was in the right. who had had anything to do with the preaching or practising of industrial peace knew how difficult it was, when both parties were before them, and each had brought forward the whole of its arguments, to come to a conclusion as to which party was in the right. He thought Sir Joseph Pease, who had had much experience in these matters, would agree with him that it was a very extraordinary quarrel in which either party was entirely in the right. But it must strike them all as surprising that at this time of day, and in a place where some of the greatest triumphs of industrial peace had been achieved, no other way could be found of settling any labour dispute than that of fighting it out to the bitter end. It was a terrible state of things. They must remember that they were met in a city which was

HARDLY QUITE CONGENIAL; they were met in a city which was a centre of the manufacture of war material. Few people, until they had gone into the matter, had realised the fact that half the population of Newcastle, speaking roughly, might be said to be directly dependent for its existence upon the Armstrong works. That was to say that when the works were in full work 20,000 men were employed there. They generally reckoned five people to a man, which gave 100,000 people out of an entire population of 212,000. He was not going to make any kind of attack upon the management of

THE ARMSTRONG WORKS.

purpose their first object was, must be, and ought to be, from their position, the object of getting the largest dividends they could for the shareholders of whom he had spoken. There was also in the present day

ANOTHER DEPLORABLE INCREASE

going forward, and that was the increase of the Jingo spirit-not of the patriotic spirit. The two things were entirely different. The true patriotic spirit would demand that the country a man belonged to should be great, and show its greatness by doing that which is right. The Jingo spirit took for its motto that which to his mind was inconceivably false, and that was "My country, As he right and wrong, and all the more when she is wrong. went about he found more and more an inclination amongst men theoretically that Peace is a very good thing, that war was absurd, and they could not understand civilised peoples carrying on war, and yet they advocated every miserable little war, and defended which their country might be concerned every miserable little in, and they defended and supported all those dangerous practices which led to war. Perhaps it was a contemptible thing to mention, but it was constantly before them, the invention of the last year or two, called

war,

NELSON'S DAY.

No one would deny that, as fighting men went, Nelson was a great man; and he supposed during the last century there had not been a year in which the English people had not felicitated But he thought if themselves on having produced Nelson.

Nelson had been alive, and had moved with the times-as he thought he would have done he would have been rather astonished by the way in which this day was celebrated. There was no conceivable advantage to the memory of Nelson, and there was every conceivable insult, he would say, to the feelings of a very susceptible and friendly nation- the French- in this dragging up and inventing of this new heathenish rite to the memory of the Battle of Trafalgar.

Putting aside the higher motives and the higher arguments which they might urge in favour of Peace, they must be impressed with the idea that the system of war was

DOWNRIGHT BAD BUSINESSOn the whole we had during bad business, at all events for us. the last few years occupied ourselves very much in acquiring other people's land. Had it done us any good? We had done it partly under what he should call the false pretence of doing good to the natives, but we had done it chiefly on commercial grounds. We wanted to extend our boundaries in order that we might extend our commerce. This commercial ground was uppermost in many minds. These people said that they looked at the matter as a matter of business.

We had increased our territory during the last twelve or fourteen years something like four million square miles. But had we increased our commerce? We had done all the dirty work, all the robbery, and all the murder. We were throwing away the old prestige of England. Our land had increased, but our commerce had gone down per head of the population. This new country had not become our fresh markets. If they would look at our consular reports they would see that it was not the nation which had done all the dirty work that had gained the new markets. We had, as it were, plucked the burning chestnut from the fire for other nations. And our expenditure on the army and navy was increasing very rapidly. It was the premium that we had to But was this good busipay for the insuring of our commerce. ness? Taking the whole of our exports and imports during the last quarter of a century, he thought he was right in saying that we had 15 per cent. more, whilst our military expenditure had gone up 25 per cent. So, put on the lowest ground, the business was bad.

They were constantly told that

TRADE FOLLOWED THE FLAG,

but it was an absolute delusion that our trade had followed the flag. He did not mean to say that where the British flag was taken some trade did not follow; but trade was a peculiar thing, and did not consider whether it was the British flag that had preceded it. It was absolutely untrue that trade followed the flag. There were things to be said on the other side of the question. He would not go into the points about the character of these wars; they were most thoroughly handled, explained, and exposed lately