select circle of economists or politicians. It is said that one of our greatest statesmen, not long since conversing with a gentleman, who in speaking of the British Empire argued that were it denuded of its colonies it would dwindle to the position of Holland, replied 'And what of that? Is not a Hollander as happy as an Englishman?' There is no more significant symptom of national decadence than the dying out of the imperial sentiment. It is perilous enough when a people coddled in luxury and surfeited with riches begin to be indifferent to the national safety, but it is fatal when they count with parsimonious thrift the cost of maintaining their integrity, and would purchase ease and peace with the loss of some of the national soil. Had a temper so ignoble begun to canker this great commonwealth, and had the disease entered so deep that not even the sharp knife of war could excise it, who would not have said, as he looked upon the inglorious though mighty fragments of a nation so soon disjointed, that its people had been miscreants, undeserving of their freedom and unworthy of their greatness? In England, against this spirit of cold, unnatural economy, there have fortunately been men found to protest. When, some time ago, ministers gave vent to significant expressions of indifference to the loyalty of the colonies, withdrew British soldiers from Canada and New Zealand, when Mr. Gladstone suggested that the most a British statesman could do was to prepare the way for colonial independence, there was an outburst of feeling in England which showed that the British lion was not yet dead. He would be a reckless minister who would now stand up in the House of Commons to propose the separation of the colonies from Great Britain; and that would be a daring nation, which, relying on the British love of peace, should venture to violate one foot of our vast territories, or to attempt to seduce any colony from its allegiance. The in XXXVIII. THE INHERENT GREATNESS AND STRENGTH Were I speaking of any other country you greatness might well say that I had been depicting a herent and strength of condition of things which was hopeless. But England indicated by the of her pro gress in Reform. we are speaking of England-a land accussteadiness tomed to disconcert probabilities and prophecies. For our wonderful nation carries these evils stoutly, and with every promise of redress. What marvels have not our reformers already achieved without bloodshed or rebellion! No period of history is more fruitful and extraordinary than that of Great Britain since. the beginning of this century. Recall the names of our reformers—of Wilberforce, of Brougham, of Peel, of Russell, of Cobden and Bright, of Gladstone, what a history of judicious and ever-progressive statesmanship do they suggest! Reforms. Slavery was abolished at a cost of Review of 20,000,000l. sterling. Before the year 1828 no dissenter could hold a corporate office without taking the communion in the Church. of England; and in that year Lord John Russell—a man greater and more fortunate in his home than his foreign policy—had the Test and Corporation Acts repealed. That was the beginning of a struggle for the liberation of religion in England which is not yet ended. Next the reformers proceeded to remove the political and civil disabilities which at that time debarred Roman Catholics from enjoying the full rights of citizenship. The first Reform Bill, enlarging the constituencies and abolishing the worst of those pocket-boroughs which gave to their aristocratic owners the privilege of returning members to Parliament, came next. The Reform of the Constituencies was followed by the Reform of Municipal Corporations and of the Poor Law, and by that measure which with its collateral developments of Free Trade has made England the wealthiest of nations, I mean the Repeal of the Corn Laws. Next followed to perdition the old navigation laws. Later on we have had another Reform Bill presented to us by Mr. Disraeli, giving household suffrage in the towns, though not yet in the counties. We have disestablished the Irish Church; we have reformed the Irish land laws; we have abolished the compulsory payment of rates to the Established Church by Dissenters; we have admitted Jews to Parliament; we have framed, though not yet perfected, a great national system of education; we have begun to reform the laws relating to Public Health; we have reorganised that stronghold of privilege the Army, and have improved our system of Judicature; we now protect voters in municipal and parliamentary elections by the Ballot. Such a list of reforms accomplished in the lifetime of one man, like Earl Russell, who has taken more or less part in all these measures, while it recalls to you the intolerable conditions of English society and politics at the beginning of this century, also indicates the inherent greatness and vitality of a nation which, en |