lies. The householders of London do not electror to place the French like the Prussian bad men, and London is equal in strength Army beyond the reach of any Represento all the petty boroughs put together. We tative Body, has been got over, and it is are not afraid, as Mr. Lowe is, for the ulti- understood that the Chamber will vote the mate result of a measure which at all events increase of the minimum strength from 600,removes at once and forever the powerless- 000 to 800,000 men, the increase to comness of the Legislature —"interests" had mence this year. In the teeth of such better not play with their new Sovereign "preparations for peace projects of disbut we complain of this. The House of armament are worthless, except as expresCommons has, in defiance of all political sions of the public conviction that Europe principle and of its own convictions, without sacrifices too much of her energy, her popuany necessity, without any adequate consid- lation, and her treasure to security or ambieration, transferred all power to a single tion. That conviction is in England so class, and that the class most likely to be de- strong that Englishmen fail to see the dif ceived by its pressing necessities, its Uto- ficulty of acting upon it, are half inclined pian hopes, and its unhappy ignorance. A to believe that kings are raising and peochange compared with which every other ples enduring vast armaments out of mere change is trivial, a radical change in the wantonness or stupidity. That is not the Constitution, has been sanctioned without case, and as the impression produces much willingness, without compulsion, and with- mischief it may be as well to point out some out knowledge. It is nonsense to talk of few of the difficulties which impede, and we willingness, in the face of the debates of last fear for years to come will impede, any seyear. It is folly to talk of compulsion when rious reduction in the Armies of Europe. by enfranchising the great cities only we could have bound the only formidable population to our own side, Wallingford not being exactly prepared to march on London; and as to knowledge, is there a member in either House who even thinks he knows what kind of House of Commons the next one will be? If a measure so carried should work well, it will be a new proof how little human foresight can accomplish towards regulating the march of human affairs. At all events, whether he proves wise or foolish, pure or corrupt, energetic or sleepy, let us, at least, acknowlegde that on Monday night Great Britain elected a new Sovereign- by lot. From The Spectator. THE DIFFICULTIES OF DISARMAMENT. REPORTS have been flying about Europe for the last fortnight that Lord Stanley had submitted to the Lumexburg Conference a proposal for a general disarmament. So widely were they believed that the Prussian Government took the trouble to contradict them, and every now and then some German or Belgian newspaper revives them with a certain vigour of asseveration. All this while Reuter flashes every day to all capitals a conclusive answer to the story,the progress which the Emperor Napoleon is making with his Bill for the reorganization of the French Army. The hitch which threatened the Bill, the desire of the Empe The nations of the Continent regard their armies exactly as we regard our Navy. Englishmen wish to be safe, and to be safe for reasons other than their neighbours' forbearance, and they therefore keep up a Navy sufficient to prevent any two navies from doing them serious harm. They could "Trust" Louis Napoleon just as easily as Prussia could, and with great relief to the finances, but they think it more expedient and more honourable to render that trustfulness unnecessary. Consequently, they pay for their ships every year rather more than Prussia before her aggrandizement paid for her soldiers, and refuse to listen to humanitarian talk upon that subject with some asperity. The Continental peoples have just the same feeling, rational or irrational, and they make just the same calculation. They want armies numerous enough to drive out the troops of any power or combination of powers likely to invade them. The number which seems to them required is usually a good many. Every Continental Power except Russia, which has other necessities, is at this moment, or has been recently, liable to be attacked by two powers, Austria by Prussia and Italy, France by Prussia and Italy, Prussia by Austria and France. An attack by even one power is a very terrible thing for the attacked nation, as Englishmen would know if a conqueror's soldier had ever been billeted on London, and all nations exposed to invasion are willing to make insurance against it the highest duty both upon their fortunes and their lives. The only point on which dispute is possible is the amount of insurance necessary, and most unfortunately for Eu-son, so many provinces to watch, and so rope there are two fixed data in that calcu- many cities to patrol, all which duties lation neither of which is at present suscep- Continental opinion expects of its rulers, tible of any change, the existence of one is by no means enormously strong, would nation which is compelled to keep up a vast but for the immense reserves be rather army for internal purposes, and of another weak. Were the Prussian Army like ours, which trains, drills, and provides material for unsupported that is by a drilled population, its whole people, Russia cannot disarm. it might, some fine day, in consequence of Her territory is so vast, it contains so many an agreement between Paris and St. Petershalf-civilized warrior races, its people are burg, find itself like a grain of corn between so little civilized, and its governing machine- two millstones; and such an agreement is ry is without the bayonet so feeble, that not impossible, can never, in the nature of with less than 600,000 men the empire would things, become impossible. At all events, probably perish from incessant small shocks, it is not more impossible than an attack by attacks, émeutes, and_rebellions. Without France on England, against which we have an immense garrison Poland would be lost. been providing for about five hundred years. Without an immense garrison the recent Of course, if the two nations would trust trouble between nobles and peasants would one another reductions would be possible, have resulted in an agrarian war spread but so would reductions in the British Naover a territory as large as the rest of Eu- vy if we could trust either France or Amerirope. Empires never die willingly, and ca. We ought, it may be, to do that, but Russia therefore remains armed, just as we we do not do it. On the contrary, whenremain armed in India. But every army ever we see our Navy growing weak we which includes many hundreds of thousands build and build in a way which, were our of men, can always spare a considerable neighbours afraid of maritime attack, would force for offensive purposes, say a fourth; produce incessant and very dangerous inand her neighbours must therefore always terpellations. As long as the French and be either ready to resist 150,000 Russians, American Navies exist, so long will Engor to follow Russian lead. Then Prussia land think them the data for her own caladopted in the past, under special neces- culations; as long as the Russian Army and sity, the system of arming the whole nation, the Prussian organization exist, so long will the recent campaign shows that the arma- Austria and France consider them the posment is efficient, and consequently her tulate in the argument. neigbours have to prepare to meet an entire nation in arms. Without such a force of its own, no nation bordering on Prussia could be tranquillized by any numerical reductions, for no reductions really impair the force at Frederick William's disposal. A hundred thousand men, less or more, actually round the colours make no difference, for every Prussian can be summoned, and every man can within a week appear in full fighting trim. Wherever the nation has been drilled a reduction of maétriel is the only efficacious one, and this Governments are most unwilling to make. They want the stores for defence. It is useless, for example, to have dragoons and no horses," supported" by troops, every strong post artillery and no shells, and selling them off when collected is terribly thriftless work. America has done it, but then the United States is by nature placed beyond any reasonable probability of formidable invasion, and has, moreover, endless funds. Other powers must accumulate stores slowly, and once they have accumulated them, are most reluctant to sanction any flagrant waste of their resources or run any risk of being taken unprepared. Again, the Prussian regular Army, with so many fortresses to garri Again, we habitually under-estimate the number of soldiers which Continental Governments really require for internal purposes. England, having a Government sure to obey the popular will when strongly or deliberately expressed, needs and maintains no garrison. If Birmingham, or Manchester, or Liverpool, or London were likely ever to resist authority as authority has been resisted in Paris, and Lyons, and Vienna, and Berlin, all the British Army at home would not be able to keep one city fairly down. The Continental Governments think it necessary, and, therefore, every city is garrisoned, every magistrate carefully maintained. Half the police duties are done by the Army, till the true analogy is not one between England and a Continental State, but between a Continental State and Ireland. What with soldiers and police, we keep up a force in Ireland equal to more than 1 per cent. of the population, and no Continental State, after deducting one service army, keeps very much more. Russia keeps less, and so does Italy, both of them countries supposed to be heavily burdened with unnecessary sol diers. An émeute in a great Continental | the world conquering everybody, who build From the Spectator. A CHINESE REFORM BILL. THE Emperor of China, a lad of fourteen or fifteen, who rules, or is officially supposed to rule, one-third of the human race, issued on the 30th December, 1866, a very curious and a very important decree. Every candidate for office in China is to pass an examination in European astronomy, mathematics, and physical science. It appears that the Chinese mind has of late been dreadfully shaken by a new and very unpleasant doubt. Wisdom of course is a Chinese product, as local as tea; but may not these troublesome Western peoples, who go blundering about she does move very quickly, and does carry The Foreign Board, instigated by Prince と they start with the assertion which no Chinaman will dream of questioning, that the West borrowed from China "the Heaven-sent elements of Chinese knowledge," and the Chinese, in copying their processes, are simply carrying out their own processes one step further. That point being settled satisfactorily, there is at all events no degradation in acquiring Western knowledge. For example, China invented or received from Heaven the science of numbers, and the Western men stealing that, applied and applied it till they produced European mathematics, wherefore a Chinaman in studying mathematics is but regaining his own. He may even apply his knowledge to shipbuilding, for although the application of thought to useful purpose is in itself perhaps base, still there" is a chapter in the ritual of Chow devoted to the affairs of carriage-building and carpentry, and this in a book which for hundreds and thousands of years the schools have reverenced as a canonical work." Chinamen, moreover, once knew astronomy, even the husbandmen knew it; and in studying astronomy the Chinese mind does but regain its own. The great objection, however still remains to be overcome. To learn these things Chinese must study under foreigners, and to learn wisdom of the foreigner has always struck Chinamen as disgraceful. He alone is wise, and is he to learn of fools? The Board meet this difficulty very boldly, and the paragraph in which it is disposed of is probably the most revolutionary which ever appeared in the Pekin Gazette, an official journal to which all Moniteurs and Gazettes are young: "As regards the assertion that it would be disgraceful to study under European teachers, this saying is even still more devoid of truth. Of all the disgrace under Heaven, there is no shame (as Mencius says) greater that of being inferior to others. Now, the nations of Europe for thirty or forty years past have devoted study to the construction of steamers, mutually learning from each other, and new methods of construction are daily developed. Japan also has of late despatched persons to Great Britain to study the English language and investigate mathematical science as a permanent basis for acquiring the art of steamship-building, in which before many years are past, they may be expected to have attained proficiency. Without dwelling upon the various powerful and leading maritime nations of Europe, which mutually treat with each other as equals, if a mere in significant State like Japan shows itself capable of eagerly striving to build up its power, whilst China alone adheres immovably to the routine of her long-descended ways, regardless of fresh activity, where, we would ask, will then be the greatest occasion for shame? If, on the contrary, we, though not holding ourselves disgraced as the inferiors of others, strive diligently be, perhaps, in the future that we shall actually to bring ourselves on a par with others, it may outstrip them. If, on the other hand, simply holding that to learn from others is disgraceful, we remain content in our position of inequality, will refraining altogether from study be the means of freeing us from disgrace?" That paragraph was obviously suggested by a European, but its acceptance and publication in an official document marks the depth of the change which has come over the Chinese mind. It has realized the fact, openly realized it, that there is a possibility of advance, and that step once gained, all the rest is easy. No other Oriental nation has yet gained it. Mohammedans everywhere believe in their hearts that progress is useless, thought as well as religion having ended with the Koran; Hindoos deliberately believe that nothing good can come out of so stupid and barbarous a people as the English. The Chinaman alone seems as yet to have perceived that there is a mind in the West, and to be willing to avail himself of its aid. A regular University has accordingly been established for the study of Western knowledge, and the triennial examinations are to be held, appointments conferred on successful candidates, and "extraordinary promotion to be awarded to graduates taking a first-class." There is no doubt that with these inducements the university will fill, and we may yet find a Chinese Mandarin who is also a Brunel, a white button who has discovered a star, or a blue button who has applied a novel motive power. The Chinese intellect, to reason from analogies, ought to take very kindly to physical science, for they are even now, with their "cram" rules, the best hydraulists, carpenters, and ironworkers in the East; and the Japanese, who so closely resemble them, "God," says seem able to learn anything. an Arab proverb, "has given to Arabs tongues, to Englishmen heads, and to Chinamen hands," and if the English head and the Chinese hand ever come together, the result will probably repay the labour of a generation. The suspension of mental progress in Asia, after so much had been attained, is one of the most inscrutable problems in all history, the one which of all others oftenest suggests despair. Is it the power of accumulation which has perished, or only the desire? If the power, then mankind has no future, for the European races may be arrest ed as the Asiatic races have been. If the | The gorse has got its coat of gold, and smells desire, how is it to be reawakened? Clearly as sweet as clover, not by denying that any progress whatever The lady-smocks are in the hedge, the primhas been made. The late Dr. Ballantyne, And whilom Principal of the Benares College, out upon the common there, you see the a profound Sanscrit scholar and a man of The very snakes crawl here and there, — but great originality, always believed that he had discovered the secret of making the Hindoo mind progressive. "We must make the pump suck again," he said, "by pouring in a little water." The moment, as he believed, that a Hindoo scholar could be made to see the connection between his own philosophy and that of the West he would begin to be interested in it to press forward as he would believe, upon his own road. He succeeded in training some very remarkable men, and this Chinese decree is a curious testimony to the truth of his leading principle. Europeans might have derided the Chinese foundation for ever without influencing the Chinese mind, but the moment they propose to build on it the Chinese hesitate, examine, and yield. "The idea," say the foreign Board, "that it is wrong to abandon Chinese methods and to follow in the steps of Europeans may also be dilated upon. It is to be remarked that the germ of Western sciences is in fact originally borrowed from the Heaven-sent elements of Chinese knowledge. The eyes of Western philosophers having been turned towards the East, and the genius of these men being minutely painstaking and apt for diligent thought, they have succeeded in pursuing study to new results. For these they have usurped the name of sciences brought from over-sea; but in reality the methods (of their philosophy) are Chinese methods. This is the case with astronomy and mathematics, and it is equally so with the remaining sciences China has originiated the method, which Europeans have received as an inheritance." The hated notion of adopting a new career is superseded by that of advancing in an old one and the reluctant pupil becomes immediately an eager stu dent. From the Spectator. AN ENGLISH ECLOGUE. TIMOTHY. WELL, here's the cuckoo come again, after the barley-sowing, The duck-weed white upon the pond, all round the violets blowing, Holy Tommie's sleeping. JACOB. Ah, him that used to work with Bourne ! He used to preach. I heard him once. Lord, TIMOTHY. All ignorant stuff and tattle! He lost his head thro' meddling so with things When we go questioning too close, 'tis little that don't concern us; God will learn us: "Tis hard enough to squeeze the crops from His Ah,.Tommie's was a loss that used to put me No man about could plough a field or kill a pig so neatly. JACOB. That's where it lies! We get no good by ask- are hard at labour: This world needs help to get along, for men feed TIMOTHY. You're right! No man as grumbles so with this Mutton won't drop into our mouths, altho' we Till Methodism filled his head, and he was Found out that he'd received a call, grew dismal, dull, and surly, Read tracts when working in the fields, prayed wildly late and early, And by and by, began himself to argue with the doubting, And tho' he'd scarcely been to school began his public spouting. |