On this page
-
Text (4)
-
fffo OEHE LBABEJ, [No.342, Satpbbat,
-
THE DA.NUBIAN PRINCIPALITIES. "Tbgb peop...
-
THE BIG, BOLD, OLD, BAD MAN. Lord PaIiME...
-
LOUD CARDIGAN'S CHARGE AT HOME. If offic...
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.
-
-
Transcript
-
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.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
The Napoleon Of Westminster. Louis Napol...
grand bridge at the natural transit close to the ceatral point of western London , CharingcrosSi There ace other reasons fox this point : it is close to the South- "W " estern Bailway Station ; it would open , into the new road ¦ which will connect all the bridges on . that Bide ; and it would be a natural point of crossing the river for a large proportion of that traffic towards the "London-bridge station which now chokes up the thoroughfares of the City . If Loxris ISfAEOiiEcrcr "were on the ground ,
he would say ,- —Sweep away those old and worthless houses , construct the public ' offices , place one "bridge at Lambeth and one bridge at Charing-cross ; and then not only would "Westminster become what it should be , but a magnificent district would be called into existence on the other side of the Charingbridge . Sir Benjamin" Hall evidently sees what might be done , but he must work in fear of the House of Commons . He has taken , then , a middle course .
He has invited from the architects of England and foreign countries three designs —• one for the new foreign Office , one for the new "War Department , and one for a plan of the "whole future improvement ^ including the conimunications across the river . These plans will be exhibited in ^ Westminster Hall at Easter next ; 5 Q 0 OZ . will "be distributed among the authors of the seventeen best designs in sums ranging from 800 Z . to 100 Z . and already there is a great eagerness to nter into
e the competition . The designs , indeed ^ are only the commeneeineht . There will be the execution of the immediate buildings , and then the execution of the subsequent improvements . So far good . But there is more tl ; an a chance that the whole of the said excellent Bcheme may be frustrated . There are local interests which , will be as tenacious of the lumber in old "Westminster , down to its con-- demned bridge , as the farmers were tenacious of the Qorn Laws . A new free bridge would damage the property of the Sungerford
suspension bridge , which would be entirely superseded . And possibly certain architects may think fit to defend the condemned design for the new Westminster-bridge . But that is not all . There are statesmen who are jealous of any rising ; man . Sir Benjamin Hall is a rising man . " We doubt very much , from present signs , whether he will be supported by the whole Q-overnment . He will of course be claimed as a credit to the Governmen t , if he should succeed . But if there should be any obstruction to his course , —if the vested interests can raise
opposition m the House of Commons , Ministers will probably treat him as they did Mr . Lowe , when he brought in his sensible bill for the abolition of local dues on shippipg »—will imprison him in a select committee , and lay him , , like the giant under Sicily , moveless beneath the weight of a parliamentary Blue Book . The public interest , indeed , is entirely with Sir Benjamin , but how easily the public can be mystified ! The only question we have is , whether the ambitious member for Marylebone will be so easily or contentedly Glenelg'd .
Fffo Oehe Lbabej, [No.342, Satpbbat,
fffo OEHE LBABEJ , [ No . 342 , Satpbbat ,
The Da.Nubian Principalities. "Tbgb Peop...
THE DA . NUBIAN PRINCIPALITIES . " Tbgb people of England , " Mr . Roebuck says , " may compel their Government to act wisely . * ' Mr . Koebttck , addressing the iinghton ^ mic by letter , nvows his belief that a united and independent people in the Danubian Principalities would serve the cause of hum an libert y against the surround-3 £ g barbarism of Austria , Russia , and Turkey . But the Government of England , ho adds , TvhichmtffM be compelled by the people to act wisely , m controlled by the despotic
Governments of Europe . "We are afraid that the member for Sheffield touches a sore truth here . The British Cabinet is blamed for every act of complicity -with the Cabinets of other countries ; but is the full force of English opinion brought to bear at any time upon the foreign policy of the Administration ? If it were , there is no conceivable reason why the principles of-sur diplomacy should nob be as liberal as the principles of our domestic legislation . There is no doubt that , were the nation willing to lose its control over the Executive , the Executive would be willing to govern without that control . Statesmen
assume naturally whatever power is conceded to them . "We , as a people , insist upon Constitutional Government , and we enjoy it ; we do not insist upon a system of liberal diplomacy , in harmony with our character , and we do not have it . . Our Parliament is simply invited , when matters of foreign policy are under discussion , to ratify the decisions of the Cabinet . ~ W " e know nothing of our Ministers' intentions until they . have been carried into effect . The Brighton public could understand these points , and appeared to feel the absurdity of the position in which England is placed with reference to foreign affairs .
The absurdity is strongly exemplified by the actual state of affairs in the valley of the Danube . The "Western Powers have failed to procure the removal of the Austrian -troop ' s from the Principalities . There is a dilemma . The Commissioners say they cannot fulfil their task until the Austrian army has withdrawn ; the Austrian army replies that it cannot withdraw until the task of the Commissioners has been fulfilled . Meanwhile they govern the provinces upon the most arbitrary principles . Mr . Montagrte Scott stated the literal truth when he said " the
freedom of the press was abolished ; the chiefs of the liberal party , exiles in England or Trance , were forbidden to return , the ¦ Roumans who had served with the " Russian army were brought back in great numbers ;'' and , these arrangements being made , ~ Fttat > Eetendi , a Turkish agent , under Austrian influence , " proceeded to ascertain the wishes of the inhabitants . " The palpable fact is , that Austria is conspiring with Turkey to prevent the union of Moldavia and "Wallachia . To that union , Prance , Prussia , Russia , have assented ; England wavers ; Turkey and Austria are hostile . The covering of the British Government is attributable to its
reluctance to trench upon the privileges of the Ottoman Empire . As Mr . SoHoiEriEia ) showed , however , the Ottoman Porte has no historical right whatever to interfere in the domestic government of the Principalities . So long as they are politically divided , so long will there be a "battle-ground of jealousy and an open field of aggression in the East of Europe .
The Big, Bold, Old, Bad Man. Lord Paiime...
THE BIG , BOLD , OLD , BAD MAN . Lord PaIiMERston has an unfortunate reputation . It has been his fate to be thought infinitely more liberal , powerful , unscrupulous , despotic , corrupt , and chivalrous than any other statesman . He is either at the head of a revolution or at the bottom of a conspiracy . In one corner , a man who Imows ifc for a fact whispers that Palmerston" has
privately agreed to get up a war for tho sake of exterminating tho revolutionary party ; and in another , a gentleman who has the best means of informing himself in political matters has just discovered that Iiord Palmebston is about to wreak his malice on Austria by stirring up a European conflagration . That the Princesa Lieven bribed him is well known ; it is well known , also , that the Princess Lieven did not bribe him ; ho
personally hated Prince Sohwabzenbesg ; Prince Sckwabzenbebq- and he were deep in a plot for murdering all the Italian patriots . The apparent contradictions are easily explained . Pjllmebston , bold , bad , big , is a n autocrat . His Biarritz is at Broadlands , hia Tuileries at Downing-street . How so ? Because the Queen , being at Balmoral , cannot exert that constitutional influence still supposed ^ to check the rebellious treachery of the Premier , and becau & e his colleagues are out of town . Parliament is not sitting , the Cabinet is dispersed , Heb Majesty is in the Highlands , and the First Lord of the Treasury is alone , brooding Mephistophieally over plans of-war and ravage .
A theory of Paoiebstoit is wanted . At present , as popularly described , he is _ ainintelligible . The terror of despots , the contempt of statesmen ., the bugbear of nationalities—can he be all at once ? Or is it his principal object in life to degrade his countrymen ? Heally , to believe certain representations would be to believe that Lord Paimerstoit , at twenty years of age , conceived the design of rendering England the scoff of
Europe . Accordingly , he began by getting up troubles everywhere and failing to repress them . It mattered not to him that he damaged his reputation ; he had a plan to work out , and no sacrifice was too great , provided he could but gratify that morbid hatred of his country which is " the intensest passion of his soul / " Thus we may account for all he did in Syria and Spain ; it was through his machinations that the army was starved in the Crimea . He sent Sir Chables
Napier to the Baltic . He paid GoRaET . Sir James G-raham took from him a . hint about the brothers Bastdieba . The Pacifico affair was concocted in the interest of Russia , Paxmeestoh and Nicholas being cordially agreed , beforehand , on that subject . Then , Sinope was entirely managed by Lord Palmerston " . He ga-ve the Principalities to Austria . He manoeuvred to give Kars to Mouravieit . He delayed the capture of Sebastopol . He perpetrated crimes of such a nature that some men considered
themselves justified , on the occasion of " a recent trial , " in drawing a parallel between the culprit -who paid his debts to society at Stafford , and the culprit who never pays 7 n ' s debts , but flourishes in unimpeached turpitude at the head of the British ministry . At one time it was the fashion to impute every insurrectionary movement to Lord pAiiMERSTON " . Now , it is equally the fashion to ascribe to him the evils of every despotic intrigue . As onee he was more anarchical than KLazzini , so , at present , he is more absolute than Ae-exanj ) ee . And all from
hatred of his coimtry and the Turks . JSTot that he is friendly to Russia , or to France , or to Austria . But he has an inborn bitterness against Turkey , and this , aided by tho magic of Lieven , prompts him to conspire with Hussia for her downfal . Observe his malignant energy with respect to Moldavia and Wallachia . Observe his obsequious concession of the Isle of Serpents . Hib dislike of
a hussar policy in the Black Sen . His deadly and vindictivo feeling towards the Italian poople , evinced by his encouragement of the King of Naples . You may satisfy yourself that Palmerston is working the ruin of England , and that he has already marked tho arch of London Bridge which must bo left standing , that ho may cxulfc , arm-iix-arm with . tho New Zcalandor , over the perdition of his country .
Loud Cardigan's Charge At Home. If Offic...
LOUD CARDIGAN'S CHARGE AT HOME . If officers and gentlemen are to conduct their affairs of honour in the liowspap 0 . ' ^ they should nt least loarn how to fence vitu
-
-
Citation
-
Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 11, 1856, page 14, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_11101856/page/14/
-