At home, the dulness which generally precedes the meeting of
Parliament, has been broken only by a few speeches, not of the highest class. Mr. Bright has addressed the electors of Bir- mingham on the wastefulness of the governing classes, and de- nounced a system which expends 70,000,0001. a year on safe and civilized Government. His audience, whose incomes depend on war, vigorously applauded speeches denouncing preparation, and Mr. Bright sat down among the cheers which always follow his speeches, till they are read. Mr. Roupell, of Lambeth, has made a manly speech in defence of his own silence in the House, telling his constituents openly that Parliament would not bear two talking Members for Lambeth. Mr. Buxton, at Maidstone, has denounced slavery, and urged efforts to procure cotton ; and Mr. Monckton Milnes has lectured on everything in general to the mechanics of Pontefract. A large meeting of hopgrowers has condemned the hop-duties, with the usual acrimony of debtors when discussing their debts ; and a meeting has been held at Manchester to discuss the relations of India to Great Britain. The last appears to have been gathered together by an honest desire to examine the subject thoroughly, and may pro- duce some result. The meeting, after an able debate, resolved that clear and simple accounts ought to be published of Indian finance, that one cause of the embarrassment was the enormous cost of the army, that loans ought to be raised for public works, that the recent increase of customs' duties tended to depress trade, and that the Government ought to protect and encourage European capitalists and settlers.
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