Proceedings of the Universal Peace Congress: Held in the Westminster Town ...

THE

UNIVERSAL PEACE CONGRESS,

1890.

SPECIAL SERVICE IN ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL. CANON SCOTT HOLLAND'S SERMON.

On Sunday, 13th July, the delegates attended the afternoon service at St. Paul's Cathedral, when the preacher was the Rev. Canon H. Scott Holland, M.A. By the Dean's permission, seats were reserved for the delegates. The text of Canon Scott Holland's sermon was part of the fourth verse of the second chapter of Isaiah, "They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks." This sermon is published in full in the Family Churchman, and as a tract by Dyer Bros., 31, Paternoster Square, E.C.

MONDAY, 14TH JULY,

PRELIMINARY BUSINESS MEETING.

The opening meeting of Congress for the transaction of business connected with the meetings was held at the Westminster Town Hall on Monday morning at eleven o'clock.

On the motion of Mr. W. EVANS DARBY, one of the Secretaries, Mr. Hodgson Pratt, Chairman of the Organising Committee, was voted to the chair.

MR. HODGSON PRATT'S ADDRESS.

Mr. HODGSON PRATT said: Ladies and Gentlemen, in the name of the Congress Committee, nominated to their work by the several Societies of Great Britain, I welcome you heartily on this occasion. This Congress is held in London at the express desire of the several Peace and Arbitration Societies in Europe and America. At the conclusion of the Congress held last year in Paris it was unanimously resolved that such a Congress should be held annually in different great cities of the world, and it was also felt that as regards the choice of place and time for the meeting of such Congresses, this object should be borne in view, that the Universal Peace Congress and the Inter-Parliamentary Conference, which have become, I may say, our annual gatherings, should meet at the same place and about the same time on each occasion. It was felt that the Universal Peace Congress and the Inter-Parliamentary Conference formed two branches

of one great whole; that whereas the Inter-Parliamentary Conference is necessarily confined to the members of Parliamentary bodies, this Universal Peace Congress represents all men and women, whether in Parliament or out of it, who care for the progress of concord amongst mankind. It was thought essential that the resolutions adopted at this Universal Peace Congress should be at once communicated to the Inter-Parliamentary Conference, so that the representatives of various Parliaments meeting in the latter might be acquainted with the wishes and desires of the representatives of peace all over the world. I may say, on behalf of the Organising Committee, that we have been most anxious for many months past to adopt every step that shall facilitate the convenience and promote the aspirations of those who attend this Congress. One of the rules that we have adopted in the interests of order and regularity has been that the front seats in this hall shall be occupied by delegates appointed by recognised Peace and Arbitration Societies. In addition to the delegates there are visitors, ladies and gentlemen, specially invited in consequence of their interest in, and their services to, this movement. The rules for the order of proceedings have been carefully drawn up, and will be supplied to members of the Congress. According to these rules the delegates will have the right of voting and speaking, but visitors will have the right of speaking only. The galleries are provided for the public, who will not have the right of voting or of speaking. We believe that that will lead to right order. We believe that those who are properly appointed delegates from properly organised and recognised societies are the only persons that should vote, but we are glad, of course, and desirous to have the opinions and views of the friends of peace, who are numerous, but who have not received the formal appointment of delegate. Our days and our hours are precious; we have a very large programme before us, and we are anxious to economise every minute. We feel sure that nobody will talk at greater length than is absolutely necessary for the expression of what he considers it essential that he should put forth, because every minute that is unnecessarily spent in speaking has this result, that it deprives some one else who has an equal right of speaking of the possible chance of doing so. The Committee are glad to announce that written communications have been received upon all the various topics of our rather lengthy programme. A day has been fixed for the consideration of each of the particular subjects, which will be announced to you. For each of those subjects a special subcommittee of three or four persons qualified to deal with it, has been appointed. The duty of each of those sub-committees will be to examine the communications which have been made and to report upon them to the Congress. It will also be a duty of the sub-committees to formulate resolutions, which will be submitted to the Congress at the beginning of each sitting in order to give a solid foundation to the discussion that is to follow. That will be, I think, an excellent arrangement. We are most happy to announce that we have secured for our President the services of one than whom no one is more entitled to preside at a Congress of this nature. I refer, as you all know, to the Hon. David Dudley Field, a member of the House of Representatives of the United States, who is specially known for his long devotion to questions of International Law, who was appointed by the State of New York, a member of the Commission to prepare Codes of the law of that State, and who is himself the author of an International Code. We think it due to him, and we think it due to the great nation which he represents on this occasion, to invite him to preside here to-day, and on the following days of the Congress. The United States of America have

rendered an immense and lasting service to mankind during the last few months. No step has ever been taken perhaps in the world which may have such important consequences as the result of the resolutions for the Model Treaty adopted by the National American Conference. No act perhaps can be more important than the resolutions of the Congress of the United States, which invite the President of the Republic to place himself in communication from time to time with other nations, with the view to the adoption of permanent treaties of Arbitration under which no war will ever be possible between the United States and nations entering into such treaties. I think therefore, from every point of view, that no man could be more appropriately invited to preside at our deliberations, and we are sure that the fact of his being our President will give greater importance to them in the eyes of the world. We have also desired to mark our thoroughly international character by appointing on this occasion a president who is not an Englishman, but who is a citizen of a friendly nation on the other side of the Atlantic. You are all welcome, most welcome. We hope that our deliberations will mark a further step towards the attainment of that great future, when different nations shall look upon themselves as members of a vast human community, when they shall feel that peace is the ultimate condition of all progress in religion and in civilization. We are sure that the deliberations of this Congress, wisely conducted under such leadership, will lead to further progress in the education of public opinion-an opinion based upon principles of truth and guided by judgment and reason. We hope that very great results may arise; we hope that the foremost friends of peace in different countries meeting on this occasion may form warm friendships and intimacies, and may,therefore, enter into permanent relations with each other, and may thereby enable their countries to know each other better; for a greater mutual knowledge and a greater mutual respect are very necessary conditions of the universal concord which we desire. I have now great pleasure in introducing the Hon. Dudley Field to you as President of this Congress. We shall have the pleasure of hearing him this after

noon.

QUESTION OF ADMISSION OF DELEGATES.

Mr. KIMBER, from the visitors' seats, asked why delegates from the British and Foreign Arbitration Association had been excluded from the Congress.

The CHAIRMAN, in explaining the matter, said that it had been fully considered by the Committee of Organisation, who had deliberately resolved that they could not accept the nominations of Mr. Lewis Appleton, or hold any communication with him. This decision was arrived at on public grounds, and with the deepest regret. He must decline to enter into details.

[NOTE.-Mr. Appleton having subsequently withdrawn his name, the Committee authorised the admission of the delegates in question.]

REPORT OF COMMITTEE OF ORGANIZATION.

Mr. W. EVANS DARBY read a brief report on behalf of the Committee of Organisation, detailing the various steps which had been taken in summoning the Congress.

Mr. J. F. GREEN, one of the Secretaries, read the list of delegates.

of one great whole; that whereas the Inter-Parliamentary Conference is necessarily confined to the members of Parliamentary bodies, this Universal Peace Congress represents all men and women, whether in Parliament or out of it, who care for the progress of concord amongst mankind. It was thought essential that the resolutions adopted at this Universal Peace Congress should be at once communicated to the Inter-Parliamentary Conference, so that the representatives of various Parliaments meeting in the latter might be acquainted with the wishes and desires of the representatives of peace all over the world. I may say, on behalf of the Organising Committee, that we have been most anxious for many months past to adopt every step that shall facilitate the convenience and promote the aspirations of those who attend this Congress. One of the rules that we have adopted in the interests of order and regularity has been that the front seats in this hall shall be occupied by delegates appointed by recognised Peace and Arbitration Societies. In addition to the delegates there are visitors, ladies and gentlemen, specially invited in consequence of their interest in, and their services to, this movement. The rules for the order of proceedings have been carefully drawn up, and will be supplied to members of the Congress. According to these rules the delegates will have the right of voting and speaking, but visitors will have the right of speaking only. The galleries are provided for the public, who will not have the right of voting or of speaking. We believe that that will lead to right order. We believe that those who are properly appointed delegates from properly organised and recognised societies are the only persons that should vote, but we are glad, of course, and desirous to have the opinions and views of the friends of peace, who are numerous, but who have not received the formal appointment of delegate. Our days and our hours are precious; we have a very large programme before us, and we are anxious to economise every minute. We feel sure that nobody will talk at greater length than is absolutely necessary for the expression of what he considers it essential that he should put forth, because every minute that is unnecessarily spent in speaking has this result, that it deprives some one else who has an equal right of speaking of the possible chance of doing so. The Committee are glad to announce that written communications have been received upon all the various topics of our rather lengthy programme. A day has been fixed for the consideration of each of the particular subjects, which will be announced to you. For each of those subjects a special subcommittee of three or four persons qualified to deal with it, has been appointed. The duty of each of those sub-committees will be to examine the communications which have been made and to report upon them to the Congress. It will also be a duty of the sub-committees to formulate resolutions, which will be submitted to the Congress at the beginning of each sitting in order to give a solid foundation to the discussion that is to follow. That will be, I think, an excellent arrangement. We are most happy to announce that we have secured for our President the services of one than whom no one is more entitled to preside at a Congress of this nature. I refer, as you all know, to the Hon. David Dudley Field, a member of the House of Representatives of the United States, who is specially known for his long devotion to questions of International Law, who was appointed by the State of New York, a member of the Commission to prepare Codes of the law of that State, and who is himself the author of an International Code. We think it due to him, and we think it due to the great nation which he represents on this occasion, to invite him to preside here to-day, and on the following days of the Congress. The United States of America have

rendered an immense and lasting service to mankind during the last few months. No step has ever been taken perhaps in the world which may have such important consequences as the result of the resolutions for the Model Treaty adopted by the National American Conference. No act perhaps can be more important than the resolutions of the Congress of the United States, which invite the President of the Republic to place himself in communication from time to time with other nations, with the view to the adoption of permanent treaties of Arbitration under which no war will ever be possible between the United States and nations entering into such treaties. I think there'fore, from every point of view, that no man could be more appropriately invited to preside at our deliberations, and we are sure that the fact of his being our President will give greater importance to them in the eyes of the world. We have also desired to mark our thoroughly international character by appointing on this occasion a president who is not an Englishman, but who is a citizen of a friendly nation on the other side of the Atlantic. You are all welcome, most welcome. We hope that our deliberations will mark a further step towards the attainment of that great future, when different nations shall look upon themselves as members of a vast human community, when they shall feel that peace is the ultimate condition of all progress in religion and in civilization. We are sure that the deliberations of this Congress, wisely con-ducted under such leadership, will lead to further progress in the education of public opinion-an opinion based upon principles of truth and guided by judgment and reason. We hope that very great results may arise; we hope that the foremost friends of peace in different countries meeting on this occasion may form warm friendships and intimacies, and may,therefore, enter into permanent relations with each other, and may thereby enable their countries to know each other better; for a greater mutual knowledge and a greater mutual respect are very necessary conditions of the universal concord which we desire. I have now great pleasure in introducing the Hon. Dudley Field to you as President of this Congress. We shall have the pleasure of hearing him this after