Amongst the curiosities of history for the week is the
story of a public meeting that was not held. In effusing his essay on the rela- tions of this country with France, last Friday evening, Mr. Disraeli received a circular which was put into his hands ; and, hastily reading it, he turned round to the House,heasting that the bank- ers, merchants, traders, and others in the City, were meeting to protest against the Anti-Gallican pcisition of Ministers. On that hint the Times inquired what was going on in its own peculiar domain, the City ; and it discovers Mr. Sidney Smith busy at his work of convening, for consultation, the bankers, merchants, and traders aforesaid. "But," says the Times, "nobody came " ; and the whole affair is a failure. Hereupon Mr. Sidney Smith explains with much indignation, in a letter to the Times, that the meeting which he convened was a private one, and preliminary to a more public meeting. He, however, is quite satisfied with the declarations of Ministers that they are in friendly relations with France ; and if the meeting should fail, he thinks it is because Mr. Disraeli has "given up to party what was meant for mankind." Mankind ought to be very much obliged to Mr. Sidney Smith, and very in- dignant with Mr. Disraeli ; and we leave them to cast up their accounts with that great judge.
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