Evan Matthew Richards, M.P., and the leading Nonconformists from all parts of the country, amongst whom was Mr. Joseph Chamberlain, at that time comparatively undistinguished in the political world.

It was a grand and imposing spectacle, when Mr. Richard rising to address that vast assemblage, and to open the proceedings of that important National Convention, the audience rose en masse, and welcomed him with rounds of vociferous cheering, and for some minutes he was unable to proceed, so great was the enthusiasm displayed.

The speech of Mr. Richard on this great occasion was one of the finest oratorical efforts which he ever made on this question of religious toleration; and his clear and deliberate diction, his masterly arrangement of facts, and the calm delivery of telling points rivetted the earnest attention of his audience; and when he grappled with his Titanic opponent, and fairly tore his policy into shreds, the enthusiasm of the audience knew no bounds. It was a grand speech, worthy of the occasion and of the cause of religious freedom.

During the Conference which followed, he read a paper on "The Political Relations of the Nonconformists to the Liberal Party," which was an able and historical resumé of the relations of Nonconformists to successive Liberal Governments from the Revolution of 1688 down to the present day, and he vividly described the long-suffering attitude of the Nonconformists during these two centuries of struggles for religious liberty; and he concluded with this eloquent peroration:

"I think I have shown that there are abundant proofs along the whole line of our history, that we have not been unreasonable in our demands, or importunate in our expectations; and we are still prepared to exercise forbearance towards our ancient Liberal allies. But we believe that there are certain great principles-principles which go down to the very foundation of all civil, religious, and intellectual freedom-for the maintenance and defence of which we mean to stand--(cheers)--and we do this, not as Nonconformists, but as Englishmen, believing as we

do from the bottom of our hearts that the principles we advocate are those which will tend most hereafter, as it is acknowledged they have tended most heretofore, to establish the liberties of our country upon sure and firm foundations. We are willing to exercise patience, to make reasonable concessions; but to adopt a course which will involve the sacrifice, or the surrender, or the serious compromise of those vital principles, for the sake of any man, or any party, is what we cannot, what we ought not, what we must not, what we dare not, and by God's help what we will not do."

At the conclusion of this thrilling address which occupied an hour in delivery, the whole audience rose and waved a round of enthusiastic cheering.

INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION.

We now approach a memorable epoch in the public career of Mr. Richard, which not only witnessed one of the greatest Parliamentary triumphs of modern times, which not only lifted into the domain of practical politics the great principle of International Arbitration, and gave a powerful impetus to its practical adoption in national differences, but it placed Mr. Richard in the front rank of the Parliament of England as an orator and legislator, and secured for him a world-wide reputation worthy of his great gifts and high character, and worthy too, of the splendid cause that he had for upwards of forty years so nobly championed.

Not that Mr. Richard was the first and only pioneer in this great crusade against war, and in the advocacy of International Arbitration. For distinguished, and devoted, and noble a champion as Mr. Richard was in this holy enterprise, he was the very last of men to be unmindful of the noble army of heroic workers who had preceded him, or who were contemporaneous with him, in his great labour, and to whom he ever and anon delighted to refer to, as those to whom the Cause of Peace owed an imperishable claim of gratitude and

honor, and even without whom, he was wont to declare, the progress and triumphs of the present generation would never have been achieved.

It may be said of the progress of the movement for the promotion of International Arbitration, that from the commencement of the present century there has been quietly growing up among thoughtful men in Christendom a profound conviction that wars are capable of being largely diminished, if not absolutely prevented, and they have arrived at the conclusion that friendly arbitration between nations, accompanied by attempts to arrive at a general agreement for the settlement of a definite code of International law, and the establishment of an International Tribunal, would go far to render armed collisions between nations impossible.

Accordingly, Mr. Cobden, always a cordial colleague of the friends of peace, introduced into the British Parliament, June 12th, 1849, the following Motion :

"That an humble address be presented to Her Majesty, praying that she will be graciously pleased to direct her principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to enter into communications with Foreign Powers inviting them to concur in Treaties binding the respective parties, in the event of any future misunderstanding which cannot be arranged by amicable negotiation, to refer the matter in dispute to the decision of Arbitrators."

That motion, as it has been before stated, was unsuccessful, yet there is no doubt that the agitation carried forward in its behalf in England, as well as the important debate in Parliament, exercised an incalculable amount of good, by awakening a great public interest in the question, and thereby largely contributed to the insertion in the Treaty, negotiated at the Congress which met at Paris in 1856, at the close of the Russian War, the following clause providing for a resort to Arbitration in International disputes :

"The Plenipotentiaries do not hesitate to express, in the name of their Governments, the wish that States between which any serious misunderstanding may arise, should, before appealing to arms, have recourse, as far as circumstances might allow, to the good offices of a friendly power."

Since that date, 1856, the subject of International Arbitration has continued to receive increased attention, not confined to an advance of opinion, but by its practical adoption in many International difficulties, so that it may be said, Arbitration has become the rule, and War the exception for the settlement of national quarrels.

Therefore Mr. Richard, urged on the one hand, by its necessity, and encouraged on the other hand by its feasibility, deemed it advisable to submit the question to the House of Commons, by the following practical resolution:

"That an humble address be presented to Her Majesty, praying that she will be graciously pleased to direct her principal Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs, to enter into communication with Foreign Powers, with a view to the further improvement of International Law, and to the establishment of a permanent system of International Arbitration."

This notice of Motion was placed by Mr. Richard on the Notice Book of the House of Commons on 11th August, 1871, for submission to Parliament early the following Session, and from that date until July 8, 1873, a period of nearly two years, great and strenuous efforts were put forth by him, assisted by many others, fellow-labourers with him in the Cause, to secure its ultimate triumph; and amongst those who by pulpit and platform, by memorial and petition, and various other agencies, may be mentioned, Henry Vincent, William Stokes, Revs. G. W. Humphrey, G. W. Conder, Dr. Stock, J. H. Pattison, Samuel Roberts, E. Jacob, and Mr. A. B. Hayward, Mr. Thomas Snape, and the writer of this Memorique, and the latter, early in the incipient stages of the Movement, under the direction of Mr. Richard, organised large and successful Conferences and Public Meetings at Manchester, Leeds, Darlington, Newcastle, Bristol, Birmingham, Dublin, and many other important centres, where Mr. Richard delivered great and often impressive speeches on the question of the hour, most of which were published and widely circulated, and exercised a potent influence on the public mind.

In addition to those whose names are mentioned above, closely identified with Mr. Richard in the Movement, and whose services he gratefully and highly acknowledged, must not be omitted that noble champion of peace in the Midlands, Mr. Arthur O'Neill, of Birmingham.

Mr. O'Neill has done yeoman's service in this great cause; he has nobly fought and suffered in many a struggle for humanity, for freedom, and for Peace, and he has not lived nor laboured in vain, for he has been spared to witness many triumphs, and deserves well to wear on his brow the laurels of victory.

K