The Ministerial reelections having surceased their mild excite- ment, political
movement has subsided to the hum of the ordinary machinery ; and public action at home, this week, has fallen to the perennial agitators, whose proceedings, under the given circum- stances of a platform and an audience, may be as readily described beforehand as afterwards.
A Peace Conference has been held at Manchester ; Mr. George Wilson in the chair; • Mr. John Bright, Mr. john Burnett, and other well-known speakers of the Free-trade Hall, on their legs ; and a new pamphlet by Mr. Cobden on sale at the door. Mr. Bright delivered a speech after his own fashion, with a good deal of plain sturdy sense on the merits of arbitration over war ; but as to the rest, the nature of what passed is sufficiently indicated by the names.
The Protestant Alliance has held a meeting in Exeter Hall, to " resolve" upon the subject of Francesco and Rosa Madiai, and to hear reports by the deputation that went to Florence for the pur- pose of obtaining the release of thepersecuted couple. The members of the deputation, with the Earl of Cavan at their head, related how they had been" deceived" into expecting the release of their clients ; how Francesco Radial's mind has evidently yielded under impri- sonment; how Roman Catholics in this country canvass for money support; and how the grant to Maynooth ought not to be con- tinued. This last hint was the most practical part of the pro- ceedings. A meeting at Birmingham is less hacknied in character or re- mote in object. Industrial schools have been established by Mr. Joseph Sturge and the Earl of Calthorpe, for the reformation of juvenile offenders ; Mr. Adderley, who has done so much towards elucidating the subject of crime, especially in regard to its facti- tious generation through poverty and ignorance, also appeared at the meeting as a munificent and practical helpmate in the same
good work ; and the body of the meeting gave its oordial sanction to the movement. These excellent and truly beneficent agitators are acting in a conraa ingegarreint that elf seveSist pariahs* Which are bent on the elsiablishilient and support of thin training.
schools for the young. Aabgethellta in is one of the hopeful
provinces of public activily.
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