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436 THE LE ADEB. [No. 471, Apbil % 185fr...
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Tub English Schools in Paujcs.—The repor...
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(O&Viahvtiti fltlVVl*l»«nrtttrtimi «j» ->as*i*#**in* y^f i xnyvuuvniK. — *?——
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Your words are" What is it to the -world...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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N Street View Of Italy.—No. Iv. J Pajpaj...
mass , over all separate -classes , cliques , and individuals ; that lie should mistrust mankind and join In the modem cry against the tyranny of niajoi ^ ties . A large part of his took—^ -all the historical illustrations of the persecutions with , which ignorance and passion have pursued the wisest of men ,, and with which ignorance and passion now follow certain peculiarities of opinion and behaviour—is occupied by an endeavour to show that the mass of mankind cannot trusty and ought not to trust one another . The greater portion of society , especially in our country , where Mr- Mill has taught us that property in the soil is unfortunately . not established
on principles favourable to the populace , is certainly now much debased , and therefore , from the ascendancy of the multitude , and its supremacy , which there are no possible means , apparently , of preventing , he anticipates , as theTate of society , the prevalence of " low * grovelling , " dull , sensual mediocrity . " Passing over the abstract principle , that the mass ever has predominated , and must , more and more as it increases , predominate over the individual , and that we cannot alter the condition of society , be it what it may , which this may bring about , the fact is , that the vile passions and extreme I « morance to which Mr . Mill refers were , in past tunes , the characteristics of individuals ; they were embodied in the laws , and our present superiority
—distinguished as intellectual greatness , and contempt for mere " sensual mediocrity "—has been , at least accompanied by a continually increasing power in the mass over individualism . Successive improvements have originated outside the halls of legis l ation , not with the legislator , though he lias given effect to the public voice . Public opinion , not " a Charlemagne or a Napoleon , now leads and governs . From / the progress already made we are entitled to expect , in the future , a continual increase of knowledge , a continual growth , of intellectual power , and a continual elevation of the whole society , from the increasing predominancy , of the mass over individualism , at which Mr . Mill and others are so much alanned . Intellectual
power belongs more to society than individuals ; it is inherited from generation to generation ; it increases with mankind—as observers and communication are increased— -while appetites and passions are always exclusively indi vidual , and are certainly modified , if we may not say lessened and improved , by increasing knbwledge . At the very least , Mr . Mill has no ground whatever , either in principle or fact , for that general mistrust of the great multitude , because there is in England an aristocracy and a mob—which is the striking characteristic of his book . We are more surprised at Mr . Mill ' s assertion , at p . 171 , that " the pr inciple of individual liberty is not involved in free trade " - — neither is it in
plain why he took no active part in the great movement to get rid of the corn laws ; but it will no more recommend his philosophical doctrines to popular favour than his avowed confidence in a select fewy and his mistrust of the bulk of society . To notice another passage in Mr . Mill ' s book , we must begin by reminding our readers th # t towards 1830 , the combined effects of the corn laws , of paying wages out of poor rates , and of sentimental mismanagement in parishes , bad made pauperism equally unbearable and ruinous to the ratepayers and the rate recipients . Half the evil consequences of that deplorable system are not yet outgrown , and the vicious habits engendered by the policy , followed to 1842 , continue to degrade the people . To remedy some of the alarming evils the lawsin
of pauperism , and yet preserve corn , 1834 an exceptional authority , only justified by tliis extreme case , was established , to Tvhich _ great powers were given . " With-some variations in form and name , the Poor Law Board has now been twenty-four years in existence . When it began its administration , " the amount of poor rates levied" was 8 , 606 , 50 iZ ., and the amount expended on the relief of the poor was 6 * 790 , 800 / . In 1857 , the former item was 8 , 139 , 003 / ., and the amount expended on the relief of the poor was 5 , 898 , 756 / . Under the latter head , in the interval , ¦ a great increase of management charges , and a new expenditure for medical relief , are included . In the interval , too , the number of paupers , by the abolition of the corn laws , has decreased very considerably , so that the result of the labours of the Board is to
expend almost as much money in 1857 as in 1834 , to relieve a much smaller number of paupers Through the whole of its career this Board has been involved in squabbles , so that ultimately , and on the wholeVit has increased contention , and , in relation , to the amount of pauperism , has increased taxation ; yet this exceptional establishment is described by Mr . Mill , in the teeth of these facts , "in its general conception , " page 206 , as a model of excellence , only defective apparently because " its powers of administrative coercion and subordi ^ - nate legislation" have been " owingto the state of opinion very scantily exercised . " ,
Mr . Mill , in the name of liberty , approves of laws "to forbid marriage , unless the parties can show that they have the means of supporting a family . " But the sole means of supporting every famil y * and every state , is—industry ; and if those who wish to rnarry have brains and limbs , why should other persons doubt their means of getting subsistence ? . One of the strongest- ' stimuli to sus ^ - tained industry , is the desire to provide for a family , and that stimulus these laws will not allow to come
into existence . In the complicated condition of modern society , it is impossible for any legislature to know , before hand , the means by which an industrious couple may honestly acquire an abundant subsistence for themselves and their offspring ., This is their business and their duty , and it is a gross invasion of their liberty for other men , whether called the State or society , to prevent them marrying till others are satisfied that they arc able to obtain the means of subsistence for themselves and their
children . In like mannex * , Mr . Mill would have *« the State require and compel the education , up to a certain standard , of every human being born its citizen . " Now , the chief end of all education must be , first , to enable the educated being to procure the means of subsistence . Every species of instruction must , bo subordinate to this . Mr . Mill , consequently , would make the State , in making it responsible for the general education , responsible for providing tho , whole subsistence of the people . Ho would xn ' ake life itself depend on State regulations . Such conclusions will not recommend Mr . Mill ? as an authority , to the multitude : and wo shall show , in another artiole , why he should not bo followed by the thinking fow .
most of tlie questions which arise m respect to the limits of that doctrine , " than we are at his adopting the temporary alarm of a class as one great princi p le' of a philosophical speculation . For Mi ' . Mill , in his " Princip les of . Political Economy , " has told us that " the production of wealth has necessary conditions ; " that " the laws which determine it are not of human institution ; " that " labour is requisite to production . " The production of wealth implies , the whole subsistence , of society , and by labour this is gained and all life . Sustained . To the general result , as Mr . Mill is
well aware , one species of labour ;—that of the merchant , that oi the literary man , that of the agriculturist , or that of * the . manufacturer' —is as necCssaiy as another . If one bo prohibited , another dies out ; if one bo interfered with , another is deranged . The labour of the trader , therefore , is not only essential to procure his own subsistence —it is essential to the well being of society . Y < jt Mr Mill says , to interfere , with his business does nott nvolvo the principle of individual liberty . It interferes with individual life ; it impedes the trader or the labourer in procuring the means of ¦ subsistence ; and Mr . Mill tolls us , at page 58 ,
that " mon mig ht as well bo imprisoned as excluded from , the means of earning their broad . " In proportion as trade has boon set free , and individuals have been enabled to buy and sell what they like , where they like , and with whom they fckoj the wealth of many individuals in England has been increased , the life of society has been much enlarged , and oven more improved . To have prevented this would have boon equall y a wrong to the individuals and to eooiety . His notion that industry or trade " is a part of conduct whjoh society is competent to restrain , " may ex «
436 The Le Adeb. [No. 471, Apbil % 185fr...
436 THE LE ADEB . [ No . 471 , Apbil % 185 fr .
Tub English Schools In Paujcs.—The Repor...
Tub English Schools in Paujcs . —The report for 1858 by the Committee of those Schools for the children of their poor fellow-countrymon has just boon published . The condition of the schools appear to bo very good . Much of the money for their support comes from English persona who are in Paris only on short visits . A new master and mistress have very recently been obtained from two of th 0 best normal schools in London . The support tors of tho schools have spent ) a good deal of money in trying to put them on a better basis in everyway than hitherto . Tho suhopla desorvo encouragement , and do credit tQ the patrons .
(O&Viahvtiti Fltlvvl*L»«Nrtttrtimi «J» -≫As*I*#**In* Y^F I Xnyvuuvnik. — *?——
Your Words Are" What Is It To The -World...
Your words are" What is it to the -world—provided the husband consents , or considers it his duty , or his interest , not to object—that the Roman Catholic priest , in the discharge of the powers of his priestly office , chooses to question wives or maidens on matters respecting which no one else would dare to allude to , and to demand plain and ample answers on pain of refusing absolution ? Persons . of a different creed are entitled to do no more than to hold an opinion on these practices . Certainly no one has a right to dictate to the Roman Catholic layman , or to the Roman Catholic priest , what acts or sajungs shall or shall not constitute the Roman Catholic creed .
TO THE ED 1 TOK OF " THE I / EADEK . " Sib—If I refer to what you said some months' ago it is really a compliment , as it shows that I do not consider your words as fleeting shadows . My reason , however * is , that I was laid up by illness when you published them , and have only lately read them . On August 21 , 1858 , you had an article headed ' The Confessional . " It was chiefly on the dispute in the diocese of Oxford , with which I , as a Catholic have nothing to do . But , incidentally , and I am sure unintentionally , you have misrepresented both the practice , the opinions , and the feelings of Catholics ; and on this I must beg you to allow me to explain .
" In the case of the Roman Catholic , the master of the house and family , especially of the female portion of it , is there when the priest walks in . The depository of family secrets , even of the most intimate relations between husband and wife , carries the real sway ; this is notorious , and needs no confirmation . The secret of this power is the confessional : It is true that the Roman Catholic priest , in defence of the confessional , asserts tli . it tire Boman Catholic woman has a safeguard , in the Roman Catholic religion able to shield her mind from contamination when questioned on-matters which would call a blush tjo the cheek pf the veriest harlot even to name . " . From this I infer that you
suppose—1 . That " family secrets" are told by Roman Catholics in confession . 2 . That the priest is able to use what he thus learns to influence families . 3 . That he is allowed to put to his penitents , especially his female penitents , " questions on matters which would call a blush to the cheek : of the veriest harlot to name . " Allow me to assure you , that all , or any of these things , would' be utterly abhorred by all Catholics , Protestantsthat
1 . It is a common notion among , confession , as practised by Catholics , means giving an account of our whole lives . In fact , Catholics are bound to confess nothing beyond those things of which our consciences accuse thorn as grievous sins ; and though . they are allowed to confess smaller sins , yet nothing except a sin , greater or less , can be matter of confession at all . Neither are they allowed to confess other people ' s sins , but only eacn his own ; and if , in doing this , it is necessary to refer to any other person , they are not allowed to mention his or her name , or to say any more about confession
him than is necessary to make their own intelligible . Need I say that most of the thin g s which ai person of delicate feelings would dishlce to mention , are not sins at all ; but things ; either right , or at least indifferent . No ono of such actionsi tan be alluded to in confession . Again , ns to mown ,, known family secrets , tho obligation ol each pes ° » to keep strictly to hid own sins , prevents their ' being explained . For instance , a merchant « P " . ss ° s > , } joined with another person to commit sucli , rind suon a dishonest action , " Who tho other I ** 80 " " ^ ° J who was the victim of tho injustice , the pennons is forbidden to state and the priest to nsic . Again , not only is every ono at liberty to cbopso . or to % hange , at discretion , his » or . her ™ n . confessor , but when chosen , there is nothing to prevent nw going to a stranger on any ono orm ° ro occasions , n his own discretion . Ho is not obliged to state n s name , or any more of his circuinstances thnn s necessary to make his confession into % Wj- ff , ¦ is not a theoretical right , but one daily V notisou . Let any of your renders go to tho church In lwm street , Borftoley-squaro , or again to tho O ^ ory " Bromptpn , on any Saturday afternoon o evenu S ( the <& ief , time for confession ,, ) , and ho w soo ^ my easily a stranger may confess without th 0 . j ^ whoWs his confession , having any suspicion uiw h 0 winff to those and ninny other prwtijnl ( jj cuarda , t have no hesitationiu eaynig , » o "g ? gJJl 0 Real result is , that less of the secrets of n G juw » family aro known ( through tho oonfcssionnU
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), April 2, 1859, page 20, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_02041859/page/20/
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