250 HEREDITY. 



ers of the scientific order. The soil becomes rapidly 

 exhausted under their methods of tillage. High- 

 farming is almost unknown on the prairie-lands of 

 Russia. Consequently, as the population has grown, 

 new stretches of territory have been called for ; and, 

 as no great mountain-chains were in the way, expan- 

 sion towards the sunrise was easy. Self-defence, 

 too, has enlarged Russia. Attacked by marauding 

 hordes along her southern border, she has often felt 

 herself obliged to protect herself against Tartar 

 provinces by their annexation. High political aims, 

 however, have urged the expansion of Russia toward 

 the west and the south. Her chief physical defi- 

 ciencj'" is a lack of seaports. It is commonplace to 

 notice the fact that Russia wants the right of wav 

 by water into the Mediterranean ; but it is not quite 

 commonplace, at least in England, to grant that she 

 has justice on her side in this great political and 

 commercial desire. As no one here is responsible 

 for my opinions, perhaps you will allow me to say 

 that a people who have lately manumitted their serfs, 

 and who govern a stretch of territory extending from 

 the Baltic to our Behrings Straits, a population of 

 eighty-five millions, ought to be allowed their mari- 

 time rights as well as their rights on the land. [Ap- 

 plause.] 



Who supposes that giving the Russians the power 

 to pass through the Dardanelles will give them entire 

 control of Constantinople ? That city for a consid- 

 erable period will need to be under very peculiar 

 government, if Russia can send her iron-clads unde~ 



