Ixxvi] ON BLOCKADES—ON THE DANISH WAR. 91%
and Navigation laws the better it will be for all nations, and 1864.
for England in particular.” Zr. 60.

The Danish War.
“July 1. (To Mr. Ashworth.)— . . . . The House of Commons
 is remarkably pacific. I have been much struck with
the all but universal feeling among members on both sides
against going to war on this Danish question. I really don’t
believe there are fifty men in the House, who, if their votes
were to decide the question, would vote for war. It is the
more remarkable inasmuch as the press had been very warlike,
 and full of threats and braggadocio. There was a section
of the Cabinet quite ready to do anything for popularity.
But the whipper-in carried such a report of the tone of the
House, as to decide the Government to do nothing.
# I attribute this remarkable change in the temper of the
House since the Crimean war to the enormous amount of
material interests at stake.
“We are exporting now at the rate of 160,000,0007. a year,
threefold our trade twenty years ago. This must have given
an immense force to the Conservative peace principles of the
country. The House of Commons represents the wealth of
the country though not its numbers, and I have no doubt
the members hear from all the great seats of our commercial
ship-owning and manufacturing industries that the busy
prosperous people there wish to be at peace. This is one of
the effects which we advocates of Free Trade always predicted
 and desired as the consequence of extended commercial
 operations, But the manner in which the principle
is now operating is most remarkable. . . . .”
“July 26. ( , )=— ....Iam glad you liked my last
speeches. One has more and more the painful impression
that it is after all mere barren talk. I do not see how any
material improvement in public affairs is possible, so long aa