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1178 THE L EADEE. [Saturday,
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LETTERS FROM PARIS. Letter CU. Paris, Th...
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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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Gcordin& To The Papers Of The Week, Some...
as the military officers in the Principalities : six men deserted . They were pursued , overtaken at Guildford , arid , by the aid of an English police officer , captured . A writ of habeas corpus was taken out ; but neither the Russian nor the English officers would receive ijj , 1 Ministerial organs represent that the cRiissikns owe no allegiance to our civil laws ; that tienaval laws of any country remain in force on tlie decks of its own warship ; and that a treaty with Russia binds this country to aid in securing cleserters . The reply is , that the sailors were , at the time on board the British hulk Victorious— -lent by official courtesy to the " spies ! " and that while
the custody , of the men may have been correct , it would have been proper to show as much in court , on answering to the writ . A judge ' s warrant was issued to back the writ , but the Russian ship had suddenly sailed ; leaving our Ministers to explain how they winked at this evasion of our great constitutional prerogative , and admitted spies into Portsmouth dockyard . By this time , no doubt , pace Sir James Graham , of Bandiera celebrity ,, those poor serfs have found freedom at the yardrarm . Our glory it is to know that a British ship has been converted by the Admiralty into a slaughterhouse , for the brutal satisfaction of Russian spies .
In the meanwhile our Government at home is busied chiefly by some of the smaller affairs , which pester official men . Lord Palmerston has been particularly the object of attack . He is assailed by deputations , correspondence , and newspaper discussions . A deputation waits upon him to complain that the police in Dublin will not allow the Society for Church Missions to the - Roman Catholics to put irb controversial placards and thrust controversial
bills into the hands of passengers in Dublin . The case was . a very absurd one . The society illustrates its Ch r istianity by public discussions between Protestants and Catholics , conducted , we are assured , in a spirit of kindliness and good humour . In order to attract attention the society announces sermons and discussions , and subjoins a few questions from the Douay version of the Scriptures . Now these questions from the Roman Catholic translation of tlie Bible
must be intended to perplex , and , therefore , to offendjhonest Catholics . One of the bills similar to the placards , was lately thrust into the hands of a lady walking with a Jioman Catholic gentleman , who presently turned back , and took the bill-distributor to the police-court , on a charge of " assault , " the assault being constructively got out of the presentation of an " insulting" handbill . The magistrate agreed with the prosecutor ' s view of the assault , and fined the bill distributor . The society , we suppose , paid his fine ; and at all events conies up to London to invoke the interfpvfinf ' o of Lord Palmerston . The Home
Secretary is invited to teach Dublin police how far it may permit the circulation of offensive handbills ; and Lord Palmerston promises to inquire . Another deputation , from Lambeth , asked him to sanction parish Boards for drainage purposes ; and although he declined to assist London in breaking itself to pieces , where union itself is aioceaaary , ho renewed his promise of a representative machinery for such purposes .
Another subject of assault upon the Homo Secretory is the supposed discontinuance of the Queen's letters , annually JRSued to the Established Clergy on behalf of the National Society and the Society for the Propagation of the Gonpol in foreign parts . The lot <; erH , however , are vol to }> e discontinued this year ; but it is insinuated that they will bo repeated no more . The Low Church papers are delighted with this blow at the Tractarian ' party , which the two Hocietica are
HUpposerl to represent . And not without ; reason , jbr wo find the Gospel Hociety placing- its room a jit tlio service of t . ho Bishop of" Oxford and other prelates , who uro ontJibliHhing « , upooioH of monastic mHtitutiori for Jflnglmh Sisters of Mercy . The tuimo party that rated . ' Lord PuhnerBton for doclining' to anniHt tho ProHbytery of itJdinbiirgh in dictating tho prayers of I ho empire , praises Iiim w ho in HuppoHed to bo putting coon-ion upon a rival well
TJie Oxford Hebdomadal Board have publiHhed l , boii \ l' < . vpoH on the recommendations of the OomimBsionei'H . ' It in mmply hoMtilo . The Oxford heads aro natinfiod with tlio oxiHting Hyatoin of Htudies and oxuiniimtions . Thoy are opponed to the appointment of now profoHHortf , with One fiiriouM exception in . favour of tho Chinese
language , ( possibly with a . j \ f % to a Bible market in that barbarous' empire )? they oppose affiliated halls , ilnd even encourage a museum . They reject all proposals to supersede or materially to alter the present constitution , and bring the strongest charges against ; the candour , find accuracy of the ^ Commissioners . ,: ; : ; The necessity for introducing some organic , change into the , system <> £ national education in . Scotland has roused a fierce discussion . The qj # , Kirk party '' refuse ¦ ' to give ; up the legalized supremacy ; the Free ChurcH and the United I *
resbyterians demand that national schools should be governed by a Board representing the three divisions of the Presbyterian body ; while the advocates of Secular Education and the Episcopalians advocate a system similar to that which has worked so well in Ireland . The second scheme is most likely to be adopted , and is said already to have been endorsed by some members of the Government . The only fear is , that it will substitute one spiritual dominion for another , with the addition of abundant materials for
theological squabbling . Several members of the Scotch universities have held a public meeting , in order to obtain a representation in Parliament ; and we do not know upon what grounds their claim can be resisted . Those who object to an extension of the franchise , because it would increase numbers as opposed to property and education , can scarcely object to extend the franchise to those who are ex officio educated , as that addition
would counteract the dreaded result of more general extension .. The principle of representation lias long been established for the two old English universities , and in Dublin ; and it would be difficult to say that the native land of our sole " school" of p hilosophy cannot claim equality in learning with England Or Ireland . For our own part we regard limited franchise as inferior to a national franchise ; but in this instance of all others we would not venture to
abandon our guiding principle ; which is , that so long as any one native of the United Kingdom shall be without the franchise , so long will we support any measure that will bestow the franchise on one not already possessing it . We wish that the working men in Lancashire were able to place a man of their own body as their representative in Parliament . It is something to lay their case before the ¦ public in meetings at St . Martin's Hall or elsewhere ; but how much more convenient for everybody , Parliament
included , if they could state their case in the chamber where laws are made . We believe the effect would be advantageous in every way , and amongst others in forcing those representatives of the working-classes to provide themselves , and those whom they seek to convince , with tho distinct and tangible information which exists , but which has not been presented in an intelligible
form . Such information would no doubt havo the two-fold effect of satisfying other classes howmuch reason there is on their side , and also of making them closer in their own conduct to tho necessities of commerce and economy . Until their leaders are thus informed , they will not bo able to convince the public ; and until they are represented , they will not be ablo to command their due share of legislation .
Englishmen , who so often doubt their aptitude for vigorous action , aro perpetually displaying it . Now it is energy under shipwreck , now during presence of mind on the rail , and now again acceptance of a post abandoned by others . An English seaman , Captain Russell , of tho JJouroatoumpacket , overtook a French scrow-Hlearner , whoso people made signs of distress . They asked to bo towed into a French port , for their engine would not ; work ; but duty to the Post-office prevented
compliance . Then , paid the Frenchman , the ship imiBt , Ijo abandoned , arid accordingly tho master and orew of the French slap were taken on board the Douro . JJul ; Captain RuhsoJI now put his second oJhYer and four seamen into lh < i abandoned ¦ vessel ; they examined ' tho engine , found thai ; it would work , and ' carried , the steamer into Plymouth . Titus they bestowed on tho French sailors new ideas as to the bounds of tho practicable , and earned for thoniHclvoH a handsome
salvage . Tho world , lot , us own , is not going bock , hr wo in the intorvata of successful Htrugglo aro too apt ; to foar . When Science m not only teaching men to piorco mountains and traverse tho bottom of the waters , but is convincing Home Sporotnri . es .
that o , bBC | i 8 nce to divine laws depends for its effici ^ cy on ' PiQSitiye Science , we may be sure that we 4 re qniak ^ g sblid > way . One of the great problems , of political fraternity amongst nations , since Hannibal made his grand attempt at fusion ^ has been the * passage of the Alps . How to tunnel tha ^' vast Jbarrier ? - This is the " question . A machine is announced in America which promises to do it—a gi £ at steam " dactyle pholas , " which can ctlfc a 'tunfl . e , l through the solid rock at the rate of £ hree feet in iwo . hours ; and from the sam $ land of tlie steamboat we have the account
of a machine which , like an artificial nautilus , can . sink or swim at pleasure , by an adaptation of compressed air , and can be moved along the bed of the water . These inventions almost exceed in importance that of which the Royal Agricultural Society annually boasts , on the occasion of its Baker-street Exhibition— -the invention of wellshaped sheep and oxen in substitution for those prize cattle whose jaundiced bulk butchers used to display for the wonder of . little boys at Christmas , which Hood used to caricature , and at which investigators of prize cookery used to turn pale .
1178 The L Eadee. [Saturday,
1178 THE L EADEE . [ Saturday ,
Letters From Paris. Letter Cu. Paris, Th...
LETTERS FROM PARIS . Letter CU . Paris , Thursday Evening , Dec . 8 , 1853 . Since the ! Fusion , the Bonapartists have been split jnto two camps . The old Bonapartists , headed by Persigny , are for vigorous measures , such as the arrest of Legitimists and the confiscation of the property of Henry V . in France , consisting of the Chateau de Ghambord , the Forest of Bar , & c . The other section , consisting of the more recent adherents to the party in
power , at whose head is Fould , are for moderation and complete abstinence froin all severity . These two opinions have declared themselves in the presence of Bonaparte , and have provoked violent discussions . Bonaparte , as usual , has let each have his say , and only when the dispute was exhausted , told them that the Legitimists were by far too powerless to require any strong treatment . " They are too great cowards , " he said , "to risk the dangers of a coup d ' etat . They will talk , and agitate , and intrigue , but never come to action . Let me hear no more about them . " One
must allow that this is a strange security . . Here is a man so infatuated with his position , that he cannot see all Europe leagued to upset him . The Emperor of Russia ' s object is to separate France and England : to break that alliance he has resolved to upset Bonaparte , and to place on the French throne a creature of hig own—in short , Henry "V " . Austria , Russia's go-between ( entremetteuse ) , commissions Leopold , King of the Belgians , to negotiate the reconciliation of the Orleans family . This reconciliation has taken place : the orders a nd the parts are already distributed to the generals , the ministers , the principal
functionaries , and to the leading actors in general . A sort of Mallet conspiracy , in which everybody joins ( even the Republicans , who have consented to let things pass ) , is preparing to upset Bonaparte ; and he ia 1 lind and presumptuous enough to apprehend nothing . It is his own affair : let him look to it in time . I was just saying that everybody is in the plot . A meeting of Republicans was hold on Sunday last , at the house of : m ox-Minister of the Republic . Some speakers raised tho question of principle , affirming that Republicans had nothing to do with the men of the monarchy . But the question of principle
was noon sot aoido . A well-known General declared , that '' since war wa n declared , the first tiling to be done was to destroy the enemy ; that their enemy was Bonaparte ; that since tho men of another party had rcfiolvod to overthrow him it would bo an error on their part not to lot things pass , and a Htill greater error not to help them . " M . Carnot , who presided , having rallied to the opinion of General Oavaignac , tho meeting decided , with vory few dissentients , that they would lend their aid to tho Legitimists in any attempt to overthrow Bonaparte . Tho reasona ulwm
_ . 1 1 V __ Tilf n „ + -. iwv . If .. ( fn . itinll "A OJU 1 U advanced by M . Carnot mont attention . ¦**¦ of adventurera , " he Haid , '' ban seized the Government ; boforo the Second of Decombor they had nothing to lono and all to gain ; they played their game in desperation . Now they have ovory thing to lone , an « having in themBolveH noitlior stability , nor position , nor fortune , nor ability , nor means of existence , they staw their all 011 the die . , They will alwayH b <<¦¦ difficult enough to diHlodgo . It in not ho with tho Bonrboi . H . Tu tho first place , Henry V . would come buck with aU tho nroiudicoH . all tho abnurditioH , all the nnpoBHibUiUoH ¦ 01
of tho «»» rtyiiM . Tho LogitimiHtH , all men bHh , will in nix montlm' timoHond back tho OrloanwW , who aro HhopkeoporH , to their counting houflOH ^ tli © exigencies of tho clergy will irritate * tho nstion , mx months more wo ahull « nd ouraelveH agam » t t « g return from Elba , or tho dayH of July . Only it w « neither bo tho return from Elba for JJoijajjarte ,, njr tho rovoliition of . Tuly for ' tho Hoiwo of ;>» ° » ; ro l will bo tho return from -Elba—of the , llopublic—tlio volution of July— -for the do ? noci » tw party .
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 10, 1853, page 2, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_10121853/page/2/
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