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Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2299, 19 September 1870, Page 2

It is understood that England has deternlued tn make the invasion of Belgium a ca-'iitn lAH. The King of the Belgians will summon thy powers who guaranteed her neutra'ity to her assistenoe, as soon as her territory is invaded, and England will respond, . -At the Lord Mayor’s banquet on the Ist, Mr G'adstone responded to the toast of Ministers. He alluded to the usual circumstances under wU'oh they met, and proceeded to review the leading-measures introduced in the session. The Irish [.and Bill was characterised as a peace measure, and the Education Bill as a blessing to England, giving, as it did, free instruction to alb Alluding to the ivar, the Prcnrer regretted his inability to confine his retrospect to topics of peace. He asked, in the name of wounded humanity and grieving civilisatioii and religion, whether anything' could bo more'deplorable that the sigh}> of nations of the highest civilisation, with institutions! nearly perfect, and famous in every de. partmenb of history, and the admiration of the world, rushing into conflict and mutu d slaughter. The issue was difficult to state or appreciate, and no intelligent mind could suppress its horror at the spectacle. Gladstone then spoke of England’s portion in the war as fqllows :—“ The drat idea qf England is neutrality : her second idea is pr paration for the worst; and her neutrality is not indifferent, nor is it selfish isolation. It is dictated by the necessity of mitigating the evils of war, and of confining them within the smallest possible circle, and of retaining the power to intervene at the proper moment. Nothing will be done to forfeit the of either party, and nothing will he omitted to retain their confidence, so that we may avail oursel es of the first opportunity for renewing onr efforts at mediation in a quarrel the most mournful and miserable ever witnessed by man.”