THE HYDE PARK DEMONSTRATION.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 291, 10 December 1870, Page 2

THE HYDE PARK DEMONSTRATION.

— o (From the Pall Mall Gazette.) The magnificent " G-reafc Republican Demonstration" which took place iv Hyde Park on September 10, aud was attended by not less than 120 persons, will probably alter the whole course of events in France. It will frighten Prussia and comfort Paris. This meeting of the " Workmen of England" was convened by Mr. Odgerand Mr. Weston for the purpose of adopting aa address to the people of France. The proceedings did not exactly commence with prayer, but tsro costermongers recited "a political catechism" so exquisitely beautiful in its language that several copies of it at a halfpenny each found ready purchasers among the assembled workmen of Eugland. Then Mr. Odger read the address, in which the workmen of England inform the people of France of the intense delight with which they have observed the "great and manly act" — to wit, the adoption of a republican form of government in that country. The rest of the address appears to be intended to be read aloud from one of the outlying forts of Paris for the edification, of the King of Prussia, for, after abusing the Emperor of the French in no measured terms, it goes on to say that the King should now be satisfied and take himself off. Mr. Westoa moved the adoption of the address, and. from his observations we gain some striking political information. " France," he said, " was that day a Republic. Yes ; the dungeon doors for political offences no longer existed." Here a voice exclaimed, "We have our own. I dungeons." This gentleman evidently (alluded to the cells ia our police-

stations, and there can be little doubt that before long the base Bruce will be called upon in a voice of thunder bj r the workmen of England to remove this stigma from our nation. Professor Beesly then seconded the adoption of the address. The learned Professor fully concurred iv the abuse levelled at the late Emperor, but " thought it was no use abusing him now." He appeared, however, to think that some good might be gained by abusing her Majesty the Queen, whose sojourn iv the Highlands he attributed to her desiring " that there might not be too great facilities afforded for doing anything which might be calculated to prejudice the position of her own son-in-law." The meauing of this observation was rather obscure, but some light was thrown upon it by the Professor's remarks at St. James's Hall in the evening, on the occasion of the meeting held under the presidency of the immortal Mr. Beales, when Professor Beesly proposed that " the EnglishGovernmentshould use their utmost efforts to prevent any territorial spoliation of France," from which it is evident that he wishes England immediately to declare war with Germany unless Prussia evacuates France, and that his objections to the Queen remaining in Scotlaud are founded on his fear that by so doing she is acting in the interests of peace. At the closeof Professor Beesly's observations in Hyde Park, Mr. Weston suddenly remembered that he had forgotten the most important part of the original motion, which was no less than that "Mr. Odger be appointed to proceed to Paris to present it to the French Foreign Minister."^ We almost wish that Mr. Weston had contrived to forget this important but truly painful proposal, which unfortunately was adopted, and before another week has elapsed all Europe may have an additional burden cast on her nerves by hearing that Mr. Odger is on his way home again, hotly pursued by exasperated Uhlans. Why could not the wily Weston himself have undertaken the perilous mission ? or might not the Hyde Park address have waited until the French Foreign Minister was more at leisure ? If Mr. Odger happens to reach that statesman's bureau just at the moment when shells are burstFor remainder of JVeics see Fourth page.

ing all rouDfl him, M. Favre will hardly be in a condition to read it with the attention it deserve?, and although the presence of Mr. Odger at the moment of peril will be nn immeuse snpport to him, we fear his heart will be too full of the demonstration made by parks of artillery to think much of the demonstration in Hyde Park, which did not close without the expression of a hope on the part of "Mr. Shipton, a painter," that the day was not far distant when he should meet them again in Hyde Park, when they were to proclaim a Republic iv England, on which occasion we presume the " Workmen of England" will attend in rather larger numbers than they did on Saturday.

"JEgles," of the Australasian, thus compresses liis ideas about a iea-pot tempest lhat recently excited a good deal ' of attention in certain circles : — "We seem | «o be hard on bishops. The Right Rev. CL Melbourne is receiving full change for his objections to the white costume of the postulants at confirmation. People can't see greater sin in a white frock than in a '■ white neckcloth. Nor is there any record of the apostles wearing gaiters."