DURING THE THIRTY-NINE YEARS' PEACE. Edited by o First Series. FROM THE CLOSE OF THE WAR TO THE PASSING OF INTRODUCTION. THE Speeches contained in this volume, and those which will form a Second Series now in preparation, have been selected as specimens of Parliamentary Eloquence during the Thirty-nine Years' Peace, and are so arranged as to indicate in some degree the social progress of the period. The first speech is therefore that of the Prime Minister, under whose auspices peace was concluded, containing an interesting sketch of the arrangements of the allies with the French in 1814 -of the return of Buonaparte from Elba in the month of March in the following year-of the concentration of the allied troops, and the decisive engagement on the 18th of June, which scattered the enthusiastic legions of the Emperor Napoleon, that peace to the world which has extended and gave over so lengthened a period, has afforded so many opportunities for ameliorating the condition of mankind at large, and which has been productive of such especial benefits in our own country.-Lord Liverpool's speech is followed by Mr. J. G. Lambton's eloquent denunciation of the Alien Bill of 1818, and Sir Samuel Romilly's equally eloquent condemnation of a clause introduced by the Lords into the same Bill, repealing a provision in a Scotch Act of 1695, subsequently confirmed by several Acts of the British Parliament, for the naturalisation of foreigners who became partners in the Bank of Scotland. The speech of Sir James Mackintosh reveals the sanguinary character of our Criminal code even so late as 1819-while the fact that the appointment of the Committee for which he moved was carried by the Opposition, shows the progress of humane ideas in the House of Commons, where the majority was ready on almost every occasion to support the Ministry.-Lord Castlereagh's "SIX ACTS" have been the theme of much vituperation, and were, in 1820, denounced as destructive of British liberty. But looking at their results, it may be questioned whether the restraints then temporarily imposed were not rather the means of saving the Constitution. And this view of these measures is borne out by the condition of the country only two years later, when Lord John Russell delivered his speech, wherein he refers to the "propitious fitness of the times" for discussing Parliamentary Reform "all fears of Jacobinism abroad, and tumult at home, having given place to a state of external peace and internal tranquillity, which afforded opportunity for ample and undisturbed discussion." It was in these circumstances that Lord John proposed, in 1822, a very similar measure to that which, ten years afterwards, he carried in triumph to the bar of the House of Lords. His motion was rejected -the Cabinet then in power being opposed to Reform. Yet they were not averse to the improvement of the condition of the country, and the measures recommended by Canning and Huskisson rendered the Government so popular during the latter years of the reign of George IV. that the Reform of Parliament, being only looked to as a means to promote good government, had almost ceased to occupy the attention of the country.— Mr. Huskisson's speech on the Silk Trade affords an exposition of his entire system, illustrated by its general results; while that of Mr. Canning on the Affairs of Portugal exhibits the high tone in which that distinguished statesman administered the foreign affairs of the country. The effect of his speech |