The Peace Conference at Edinburgh met on Thursday forenoon, 'and
passed resolutions, stigmatizing the present system of governing India and the Colonies, as productive of war ; and recommending measures re- moving obstacles to the free intercourse of nations, as an additional gua- rantee of peace.
In the evening, there was a crowded public meeting, in the Music Hall.. The novelty of the occasion was the appearance of Admiral Sir Charles Napier, who was there to redeem a pledge given at the Londoo Tavern. -Mc. Cobden made a good debating speech; taking up recent points of argu- ment, and handling them in his own style. On the Eastern question, he again asserted that ninety-nine in a hundred of the people of this country are in complete ignorance of what they are going to fight about. He admitted the conduct of Russia to be unjust, base, and tricky ; but he said that it does not belong to us, with the blood of the Burmese war on our hands, to execute God's justice on Russia. He denied 'that Russia, which has opened the trade of the Black Sea and built-Odessa, is anti- commercial ; while Turkey, all of whose merchants are Greeks, is entirely so. He explained his "crumpling up" of Russia,—a phrase first used by him in the midst of all the excitement and frenzy existing in favour of Hungarian nationality : we could do it by blockading her ports, and rendering it penal to contract a loan for the Emperor ; ice. Russia is a weak power beyond her own frontier.
Sir Charles Napier was listened to with attention, and often applauded, especially when be said that the coast North of the Tweed, ,ought not to be left without war-ships for its defence. Mr..Elihu B'fitritt and Mr. John Bright were the other speakers.
The Conference closed with a conversazione in the Muhl' elf 1 tle • •'I 910 if; •1/11•!017 •
day evening.
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