Aborigines Protection Society to the Duke of Newcastle, the Secretary of State for the Colonies, against the absolute confiscation of the land of the Maories, estimated to be eight and a half millions of acres, by a monetary compensation of three millions sterling, advanced by the Colonial Government and guaranteed by the Crown, on the ground that it would drive the Maories into a state of hopeless despair.

JOSEPH STURGE.

In June 1864 Mr. Richard completed the Memoirs of Joseph Sturge, a work of surpassing excellence of one of the noblest and spotless characters of the Nineteenth Century, an ardent advocate of peace, a friend of freedom, and an unflinching opponent of injustice, oppression or wrong wherever, and by whomsoever committed, whose life was one constant stream of benevolence and philanthropy ever on the alert, to promote and secure the greatest happiness for the greatest numbers unlimited by frontier, race, or colour.

He died in May 1859, in the 67th year of his age, and for four years, Mr. Richard devoted his unrivalled powers of lucid and graphic description in writing the life of his lamented friend, and fellow-labourer in the cause of peace and goodwill amongst the peoples and nations of the world, and nobly did he execute the great trust committed to his charge. For as Mr. Burritt beautifully wrote in reviewing the Memoirs, "His life was a priceless treasure to the land, and the age it brightened and blessed.” *

*

I commend the memoirs of Joseph Sturge, as worthy of being read by every friend of peace, for his example is worthy of imitation.

RICHARD COBDEN.

In 1865, Mr. Richard and the friends of Peace suffered an irreparable loss by the death of that truly great and good man Mr. Cobden, whose services to the cause of Peace, over a period of thirty years, must ever be held in grateful remembrance, which was well expressed by Frederick Passy, the eminent French economist, at the graveside of that illustrious man.

"Cobden has done more for allaying international hatreds, for the extinction of those jealous rivalries which have so often armed people against each other, and for promoting the fundamental interests of humanity, than any of the statesmen who have hitherto taken part in the government of nations."

Mr. Richard keenly felt this great bereavement, personally, as a faithful friend and able coadjutor; and especially on public grounds, as a statesman of the first rank, unadorned and undecorated, and as an orator and writer, whose unadorned eloquence" carried conviction to the people.

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Mr. Richard paid a splendid eulogium to his departed friend, one amongst the many eulogiums by pen and speech that he inscribed to his memory, of which the following is

an extract:

"How can we estimate the value of his sound judgment, his sagacious council, his resolute spirit, his great reputation? Where again shall we find the fearless independence of mind, which did not shrink from adopting and avowing opinions however widely at variance with the traditions of the class among whom he moved; the lofty courage which stood up, with scarcely even a consciousness of the sacrifice it was making, against "the world's dread laugh," when in pursuit of objects and measures which he thought right; the patient gentleness with which he bore the prejudices and littleness of inferior men, provided only he was convinced of their insincerity; the sovereign sweetness of nature which saved him from either sourness or despondency in the day of defeat; the dauntless tenacity of purpose with which he clung to his convictions in the face of all discouragement, and returned again and again to the work in which he had been previously baulked? When we think of all that he was to those who knew him intimatelythe brave man, the true gentleman, the genuine practical

Christian, the generous friend, the true patriot-we must fairly avow that our heart is nearly broken, at the immensity of the loss we have sustained." *

CONFERENCES AT MANCHESTER, 1864-5.

In 1864 and 1865, two important and influential Conferences, (the latter being a continuance of the former), were held at Manchester, which Mr. Richard attended and took a prominent part, for a conviction prevailed that there was much in the aspect of events in Europe, and in the tone and tendency of public opinion in England, to encourage the friends of peace to renewed activity in the promulgation of their principles.

Representatives were present from Manchester, Liverpool, Oldham, York, Bradford, Ashton-under-Lyne, Rochdale, Bolton, and other places, and the proceedings were of especial interest, varied by able speeches and addresses; a paper by Mr. Joseph Rowntree, of York, on the influence of the press for peace advocacy; by Mr. William Stokes, the Secretary of the Conference, on the duty of the friends of peace at the approaching General Election; by Isaac B. Cooke, Liverpool, on the importance of enlisting the support of the peoples in Europe, upon each of which topics valuable addresses were delivered.

Towards the close of the conference Mr. Richard spoke at some length on the principles upon which the Peace Society was based, and on the application of those principles to the relations and intercourse of States, and on this subject he said :

"The doctrine they sought to teach was, that war was inconsistent with the spirit of Christianity, and the true interest of mankind. With respect to the policy

*

*

"The Life of Richard Cobden," by John Morley, should be read

by all who desire international concord.

which they had sought to inculcate, one of its great principles was, that it was the duty of nations, when disputes arose, instead of having recourse to the sword, to try and settle their differences by a resort to arbitration, on the great basis of reference to reason and justice rather than brute force. Another principle was, the practicability of nations being enabled to reduce the enormous military armaments with which they now burdened themselves; a third was the duty of non-intervention in the

affairs of other nations; and a fourth principle was the cultivation of friendly relations by commercial and social intercourse, and by a right use of the press between States, and especially between England and France."

The following month Mr. Richard also took a prominent part in a Conference at Brighton, which was convened for the purpose of "promoting by all legitimate and practicable

means the settlement of international disputes by friendly arbitration, instead of by the sword," and was presided over by Mr. Marriage Wallis, and attended by several ministers of religion and local friends of the Cause, and in the evening Mr. Richard addressed a large public meeting in support of the resolutions adopted at the Conference, which was presided over by the Mayor.

Following up the two Conferences at Manchester, Mr. Richard, in 1865, also took part in influential Conferences at Bristol and Newcastle-on-Tyne, the former one presided over by the veteran in the Cause, Mr. George Thomas, and the object of which was, mainly, to rally to the banner of peace the "few faithful men " who, during the crisis of the Russian and American Wars, had "steadfastly refused to bow their knee to the military Baal," and amongst those "few faithful men" who were present and took part in this Conference may be mentioned the names of Robert Charleton, J. H. Cotterell, the Revd. David Thomas, Thomas Pease, William Tanner, all of whom have now passed away, entered into rest.

At the Conference at Newcastle-on-Tyne, presided over by Mr. J. C. Lamb, representatives were present from Sunderland, Shields, Darlington, and other places, and amongst the speakers, in addition to Mr. Richard, was Joseph Pease, who had succeeded the late Joseph Sturge as President of the Peace Society, whose persuasive eloquence and powerful influence was a great accession of strength to the Cause that Mr. Richard was straining every nerve to advance.

In the evening of the day of this Conference Mr. Richard addressed a public meeting presided over by Mr. Mawson, and concluded an eloquent speech in these words, spoken with much feeling :—

"Last Friday I stood over the grave of Richard Cobden, and to confess to you my weakness, when I looked into the vault, and saw his coffin lie there, and called to remembrance how long that man had been like a tower of strength to me, upon