The Lord Chief Baron, Sir F. Kelly, delivered himself on
Wednesday of a most extraordinary harangue. It is usual to present the new Lord Mayor to the Barons of the Exchequer, and for the Chief Baron to make some sort of a complimentary speech, and the custom was observed on Welesday. Sir F. Kelly, how- ever, instead of uttering the usual pro fornth words, thought it becoming to tell his astonished audience that the faithful and firm ally of England had been overthrown, that Germany would become predominant among nations, and the balance of power would be destroyed. "That for which nations had struggled, kings and statesmen had striven, and mighty armies had fought and bled for more than 300 years would soon cease to be. Austria would aeon lie prostrate at the feet of Germany ; and though Russia might retain her capital, she would have to yield up her provinces, or barter them for Constantinople ; while France, with all her gallant people, was humbled to the dust." He believed that every nation would now be burdened with a standing army, 4' proportionate in its numbers to the ambition of its neighbours." That being so, he was most gratified to find that the citizens of London had chosen Alderman Dakin for Lord Mayor. It is all very horrible, no doubt ; but the Chief Baron is scarcely the officer, or Lord Mayor's Day the occasion, or the dismal Exche- quer Court the scene for a grand lecture on European politics,
to an audience of Aldermen waiting to get out of the fog, and home to a banquet at which the Premier and the Foreign Minister were expected to descant upon the same topic.
