In both Houses of Parliament, on its assembling in November, the debate on the Address, and the subsequent debate on the resolution moved by the Chancellor of the Exchequer for the expenses of the Expedition to Abyssinia, shewed an entire absence of party feeling, and in fact general unanimity prevailed, not even the members of the Peace party raised any protest, but gave their silent vote for the war, and the "ways and means" for its prosecution.

No doubt the Expedition was conducted with great energy and skill, and it is only just to Lord Napier to admit it was conducted in a humane spirit, no cruelty or plunder having been practised upon the people, and it was satisfactory that our Consul and the Missionaries were released from their captivity; but, as Mr. Richard declared, it must be admitted. that they had no business in that barbarous land at all, and but for their folly in going, or the folly of those who sent them, the £8,000,000 sterling which that war cost, and which is now buried in the mountains of Abyssinia, would have been saved.

MR. RICHARD'S CONTINENTAL EFFORTS.

* In June, 1868, Mr. Richard, accompanied by Mr. Charles Pease, formed a deputation to Paris to attend the meeting of the International League of Peace, presided over by a long-tried friend of the Cause, Jean Dollfus, Mayor of Mulhouse, which was addressed, amongst others, by Augustus Visschers, Frederic Passy, M. Isidor, Grand Rabbi of the Jews, Martin Paschaud, Minister of the Protestant Church, and Henry Richard; and the latter, before he left Paris, convened a private Conference of the friends of the Cause, for the purpose of initiating a movement in France of friendly relations with Germany, and with a view to allay the mutual jealousy and suspicion existing between the two nations.

MR. RICHARD'S CONTINENTAL EFFORTS.

ΙΟΙ

Again, Mr. Richard, during the parliamentary recess of 1869, went on a pacific mission to the Continent, and visited Paris, Brussels, The Hague, Berlin, Vienna and Florence, for the purpose of bringing about some concerted action in the direction of disarmament. Mr. Cobden, in the years 1849, '50 and '51, raised this question in the British Parliament, but without any practical issue; and Mr. Richard was of opinion that it was vain to wait for Governments to take an initiative in the direction of disarmament, and that therefore we must look to the people, through their representatives in the various Legislatures of Europe, to bring pressure to bear on their respective Governments; and the results of his labours in this important mission were highly encouraging, and fully justified the heroic efforts made.

In Holland he received a cordial welcome from the leading members of the Legislature, and he was there encouraged by their action, and especially for their efforts in favour of an International Convention for the better treatment of wounded soldiers in War, and especially for a clause which expressed the hope ;

"That this Convention may be soon followed by others, by which the contracting parties shall engage to abolish War, as incompatible with the principles of Christianity, the interests of their subjects, with the civilisation of the age, and the peaceful wishes of the Nations."

In Belgium, the question of disarmament was ably handled by M. Couvreur, a distinguished friend of peace, who introduced the subject in the Belgian Parliament in a speech of great force and eloquence. In Germany, the results of his mission were of real practical importance, and gave earnest of much good; for at Berlin, Dr. Virchow, one of the most distinguished members of the Reichstag, submitted a resolution in favour of international disarmament, which was supported by 99 members; in Dresden, two members of the Saxon House of Representatives submitted a similar resolution, which was carried by a large majority. In Austria Mr. Richard was heartily welcomed at Vienna, where he

was assured that ninety-nine hundredths of the Austrian people abhor War, and curse a policy which compelled them to meet their fellow-men on the field of battle, and the idea of disarmament took firm hold, and a resolution was brought forward in the Reichsrath by Herr Mayerhoffer, urging the Government to take steps with the European Powers to effect a general disarmament, which was supported by 53 members.

After visiting Wurtemburg, Munich, and Florence, at all of which important centres he was accorded by public men and the Press generally hearty good wishes for his success, Mr. Richard visited Paris, where the International League of Peace organised a successful banquet to receive him, attended by several deputies, amongst whom were, Jules Favre, Jules Simon, Albert Tachard; also by M. Laboulaye, Arles Dufour, and Frederic Passy. In the course of the proceedings Mr. Richard reviewed his campaign to the various European Capitals, and observed :—

“ Everywhere I have met with a cordial reception and encouraging assurances, and I hope that you gentlemen, the Deputies around me, will cheerfully introduce in your own Chamber a similar Motion."

Jules Favre responded to this challenge, and pledged his own, and his colleagues, earnest co-operation, a pledge that the subsequent Franco-German War prevented his carrying

out.

THE SOCIAL SCIENCE CONGRESS.

At a Social Science Congress held in London 1868, Mr. Edwin Chadwick in the chair, Mr. Richard read a paper on Standing Armies and their influence on the Industrial, Commercial and Moral Interests of Nations." He referred to the number of men under arms, estimated at 3,926,957, able-bodied men, and including the auxiliary forces, upwards

of eight millions of men; to the cost of the military establishments of Europe, including the loss of labour and interest on capital, equal to £282,000,000, which he shewed involved the European States in normal embarrassment. Having referred to the physical and moral evils inseparable from such a system, he advocated an understanding with the Great Powers to secure a gradual and simultaneous disarmament, and supported the proposal from the opinions of Cobden, Sir Robert Peel, and especially from the Emperor of the French, who at the opening of the Chambers in 1863 said :

"Have not the prejudices and rancours which divide us lasted long enough? Shall the jealous rivalries of the Great Powers unceasingly impede the progress of civilization? Are we still to maintain mutual distrust by exaggerated armaments? Must our most precious resources be infinitely exhausted in a vain display of our forces? Must we eternally maintain a condition of things which is neither peace with its security, nor war with its happy chances?"

And he gave an illustration of its practicability from the Treaty of Ghent in 1814, between Great Britain and the United States, which limited by Protocol the respective military forces on the North American Lakes, and which he shewed proved an effective arrangement.

The discussion which followed was of great interest, and at the close the following resolution was adopted :—

"That the Standing Committee of the department be requested to consider and prepare such propositions of measures as may appear to be practicable for the reduction of the burdens of Standing Armies, and of pressing them upon the consideration of the Legislature and the Government."

During the same year, Mr. Richard addressed the Annual Meeting of the London Missionary Society in London on the pacific duties of Christian Missionaries, in which he made an impassioned and eloquent appeal to the Ministers present to be faithful in their propagandism, in their example, and action to the pacific teachings of their Great Master, and he closed as follows:

"I am jealous for the honour of Christ in this matter.

I am

jealous that when He shall conquer India and China to His power, as I believe He will ultimately, no one shall have a right to share His glory, no one shall have a right to say that it was owing to the broadsides of British men-of-war, that it was owing to the diplomacy of British Plenipotentiaries or Ambassadors, or Consuls, that the work was accomplished. No! let Him have the glory. Trust not in these things, dear friends. Trust in the living God. Trust in the presence of the Master. Trust in the influence of God's Spirit, that is the best trust, and by that only shall you conquer.-(Loud applause)."

As closely allied with this subject, reference may be suitably made to two remarkable publications from Mr. Richard's pen, remarkable for their boldness and vigour of language, as they undoubtedly were for their courage and originality of attack, as few men within or without the circle of the Peace Party would dared to have made such a powerful onslaught on so influential and Christian a body, or would have sympathised with the polemic weapons wielded against them, by Mr. Richard.

These two publications were, firstly, "A Letter addressed to the Directors and Supporters of Bible and Missionary Societies," and secondly, "The Effects of the Civil War in England on the National Liberties, Morality, and Religion.”

The former taking for its motto the Apostolic injunction "not to do evil that good may come," was an eloquent Christian appeal to the pioneers of Christianity in foreign lands to be faithful in their missionary enterprise to the teaching and example of their Divine Master, and this appeal he justified on the ground that he felt that there was creeping into the advocacy of their great cause a spirit that was flagrantly at variance with the spirit of the Gospel, which was evidenced by a disposition to place their missionary Christianity under the protection of British Armaments, and in the silence maintained in regard to military aggressions on the rights and possessions of heathen nations, which he illustrated by a reference to the Opium War with China, the Invasion of Afghanistan; the Wars with Burmah and Persia; and the Annexation of Scinde, Oude, and other