herself in marriage to, a servant or a poor mechanic no more than would an aristocratic merchant in Boston marry his daughter to a negro, or allow his son to bring home as his betrothed one a negress. Sometimes, indeed, an impoverished lord marries his beggared daughter to the son of a rich merchant, thus exchanging title, and rank, and birth, and blood for money; but other than this an alliance is seldom made; and many a noble would have his daughter led to the altar by a proud, dissolute, broken-down son of a duke, rather than by an industrious, well-disposed, and honest laborer. Marriage is a thing of fashion, and woman is sacrificed to retain a sounding name and an empty title.

In

The reforms of England are generally carried on with a great many useless appendages. The public meetings are often boisterous in the extreme. all the Sabbath school, temperance, and anti-slavery meetings which I attended, I thought the speakers aimed to raise a laugh, and, with a few exceptions, formed their speeches so as to draw applause from the congregation. The great Sabbath school meeting to which I have referred was more noisy, with stamping, shouting, and clapping, than any political caucus which I ever attended. Missionary, Sabbath school, and the various reform societies have frequent tea parties and social gatherings, and almost every public effort is preceded by one of these religious frolicks. One evening, I was invited to attend a meeting of ministers, which had convened to discuss the question, "How may religious prosperity be promoted in our churches?" A large number of the servants of God were present, and, for an hour, one of the most thrillingly-interesting religious meetings which I ever attended was held; but, at a given time, the doors were thrown open, and servants,

bearing refreshments, entered, and "religious prosperity and all the sacred themes connected with it were forgotten, while the company gave themselves to mirth and social enjoyment. And we have much reason to fear that this disposition to "frolick" is becoming a too prominent element in the labor to do good in this country. If temperance, liberty, and religion are to be advanced only as far as they are connected with picnics, fairs, and frolicks, we may fear that they will not be carried on to any good advantage. If men are to be drawn into them only for the sport and fun which they give, they are sure to rest on an unsubstantial basis.

But I regard as the great obstacle in the way of reform in England, the union between the church and the state, which cripples and weakens all the moral energy of the kingdom, and upholds a thousand tottering abuses which but for it would fall before the increasing light. The caste of rank and birth could not long exist after the union between a corrupt church and the government was dissolved. And the day when this union will be abolished, ay, and the very throne itself, is not far distant. The dissenters of England have become a great and influential body, and are clamoring for redress. And they will agitate the subject until the church rates, which every man in the kingdom is required to pay to support the church of England, whether he attend that church or not, are abolished, and the dissenting denominations placed upon the same level with the establishment. When this day comes, the reforms will grow strong and mighty; and when the people are allowed to spend their money to support what religion they choose, the church of Fugland, which now impedes the progress of reforma

tion, will be shorn of its power, and the dissenting chapels will send forth their streams of holy influence to gladden the nation.

The last few days spent in London, after my return from the continent, were engrossed by the doings of the Universal Peace Congress, which held its session in Exeter Hall. At an early hour on the first day, I secured a seat upon the platform, more anxious to see the people than participate in the deliberations of the congress. The number of delegates present from several different nations was quite large; and very soon after the delegates who were admitted by tickets were seated, the hall was completely filled by the populace.

After a hasty organization of the congress, a half hour was spent in silent prayer. The scene was profoundly grand. That immense mass of heads, all bowed in prayer to God, was awfully eloquent; and though vocal, audible prayer was omitted to please that most illiberal of all the sects who ever pretended to liberality, ,—the Quakers, yet I think no human speech could have equaled the silent breathings of that vast assembly.

The well-known philosopher, Sir David Brewster, was chairman, and gave an opening speech, in which beautiful reference was made to the Crystal Palace, surmounted by flags of all nations, untorn by fire and unstained with blood-the temple of peace and industry.

This congress gave me a fine opportunity to see and hear the distinguished men which it brought together. The most famous speech was that of Richard Cobden, the noted corn-law orator. He is a man in middle life, and makes a very effective speech; and his was almost

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the only adimss I heard while in Engled fra a Englishman whoá ód nxt gect of its way to come pliment that natin at the expense of chers Heis not an eloquent man. but a very effective on penting out his facts in a contin was stream til his ins are convinced and overbelnd He contended that England had done more to maintain the war sin than any other nation, and asked his English auditors to lay aside their prejudios and divist themselves of the flattery which had been hid upon them of late, as with a trowel, and come home to the sober facts. Instead of setting a good example to other nations. England hai been enlarging her own fortiications, and increasing her standing army. Why," said he, - where was the nation that had ever occupied so many and such strategic positions on the surface of the globe? They had fortified strong places, and garrisoned them all over the world, to such an extent, that, if a war ever shoul! come between them and any other strong maritime power, the first step necessary to be taken would be to blow up and abandon some of them. They had Gibraltar, Malta, and Corfu, in the Mediterranean. Crossing the Isthmus of Suez, they had Aden. Then came the Mauritius, which was called the outwork of India. Returning, they had a military position at the Cape. Crossing the Atlantic westward, they had the powerful fortress of Halifax, ready to meet all comers. Going from the continent, they came to the Island of Bermuda, where they were laying out enormous sums in fortifications; and it was but the other day that he had heard an argument to induce Parliament to keep up the fortifications of Jamaica. fortifications of Quebec, which was called the Gibraltar He should also mention the of Canada."