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WHAT IS JDISRAELI? Me. Disbaeli, Chancel...
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KAI/MESBUBT'S NAPQLEONIQ IDEA; "FRENCH P...
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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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Malmesbury And Mather—Cass And Innes. Go...
ferred from French to Ronian custody , aiid released . Mr . Cass next c & aUenged Ike French officer ; but there could be no duel , because the French officer had already been placed under Now , why _ did that American Minister succeed where the ' British "Minister failed so long , and then attained a success more ignominious than failure itself ? Because , as Kossutfc . said , the American called out " stop , " with the intention of enforcing- his demand if it were not heeded ; but it was heeded .
There is yet another contrast . A Dr . King has fallen into trouble with the Greek Government at Athens , and Jias been sentenced to imprisonment and banishment . The Government of the United . States " has taken effectual measures to have the facts in relation to the treatment of Dr . King inquired into ; " and the Greek Government is receding before the attitude of America : the imprisonment has been converted into a brief matter of form , —a friendly visit to the chief of the police , without seclusion ; and the banishment will probably be pretermitted . But that does not satisfy American honour : the
Cumberland frigate is ordered into the Mediterranean , and is on the way thither . Will the great American Republic lose , even commercially , by these ^ spirited vindications of its power and honour ? Will England gain , even commercially , by truckling to Vienna , and barteringBritish honour for 222 ? . 4 * . P J ? erhaps it would be a wise course to take down the old flags in Sk Paul's Cathedral , with other relics of our old glories elsewhere , and send them over to Washington for preservation henceforward . Our enfranchised sons might value them ; and , at all events , they would be safe in the midst of those who still are what Englishmen have been .
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What Is Jdisraeli? Me. Disbaeli, Chancel...
WHAT IS JDISRAELI ? Me . Disbaeli , Chancellor of the ^ Exchequer , fighting man of the present Ministry , represent tative of every influence that can be brought to bear upon the Government of the country , unbosoming himself to the electors p f Buckinghamshire , thus lays down the proposition before the people , to be solved by the next election : — " The country will have % o decide whether it will maintain a Ministry forined on the principles of Conservative progress ; whether it will terminate for ever ,
by just and conciliatory measures , thq , misconceptions which have too long prevailed between producer and consumer , and extinguish the fatal jealousy that rankles between town and Country ; whether our colonial empire shall be maintained and confirmed ; whether the material development of Ireland shall at length be secured ; whether such alterations as time and circumstances may appear to justify and requiro in the construction of the House of Commons shall be made in that spirit of revolution which has arrested the civilization of Europe , or in the spirit of our popular , though not democratic , institutions ; whether the Church of England shall still remain a national Church ; whether
the Crown of England shall still be a Protestant Crown . " Mr . Disraeli believes that " tho county of Buckingham is not in doubt on these heads ;" and it is to be hoped that her Majesty ' s Ministers will derive every inspiration from that sagacious county : perhaps after a visit of a few more dayu , inspired by the genius loci , ho might be able to issue a new address , not to tho electors of the county for hia reelection , but to the empire , as his warrant for staying in offioo , and promulgate in the new document the 'means which . BuckingT ham may suggest for performing tho task dosoribed by himself .
That he went down at Whitsuntide for instruction we gather from his own statomont respecting tlie measures which Ministers arc accomplishing , and intend to accomplish before Parliament closes . They expect to carry three measures—a measure of internal defence , the New Zoaland constitution , and " a complete reform in the Court of Chancery , " Tho last is the beet . The Militia Bill i $ not yot " popular , " and if pot very expensive , is not > yot biff enough to be " efficient ; " it is , as Mr . Disraeli himself has said , no more than a , beginning . Tho Now Zealand constitution Bill makes no groat way in tho task described
abovo , One groat good , indeed , tho loading Minister has performed , in explicitly taking his stand side by side with Sir lloberfc Pool . As to the expodienoy of Sir Jtobert Pool ' s measures he retains doulni i at to two—tlia udjniftiiott of * lavo » gr « nvn
sugar , and the repeal of ¦¦ t he . ' Corn , Jiaws . he observes , that neither , of them was brtgUjially contemplated by that Minister ; but , s a ^ s : Jffr . Disraeli , with the < 3 andoitr belonging iW /^ clear intellect— " The tinte h ^ gonejbyyf \& xi ^ injuries which the great producing interests < $ nilijre dan be alleviated or removed by a recurrence to the laws which , previously to 1846 , protected them from such calamities . The spirit of the age tends to free intercourse , BJxA . no statesman can disregard with impunity the genius of the epoch in which he lives . "
There is another thing , therefore , that the leading Minister does not intend to do *—he does not intend to reverse Sir Bobert Peel ' s policy . He proposes to offer a supplement to it , which he prefaces thus : —• . . " Every principle of abstract justice and every consideration of high policy , counsel that the producer should be treated as fairly as the consumer , and intimate that when the native producer , is thrown into unrestricted competition with external rivals , it is the duty of the Legislature in every way to diminish ; certainly not to increase , the cost of production .
" It is the intention of Her Majesty ' s Ministers to recommend to Parliament , as soon as it is in their power , measures which may effect this end . " How , or where , are to be found the means "to effect this end , " the Minister does not explain ; he only hints at " one of the soundest nieans by which this result may be a ^ contpiished , '' namely , " a revision of our taxation . " Under favour of " the times , " which he considers " favourable , " and of " powerful agencies" which Jiave " altered the complexion of the fiscal world , " " the possibility , " he thinks , " of greatly relieving the
burdens of the community by adjustment and reduction , seems to loom in the future" " Nothing however can be effected by any Ministryj unless they are supported by a powerful majority in Parliament ; " so that if the electors , on the next appeal to the country , supply Ministers with a powerful majority , they will endeavour to reduce the cost of production ; one of the soundest meaps of doing which . " seems to loom , in the future . " This is the only distinct pledge as to that future which , we collect from Mr . Disraeli ' s present address .
"We are at a loss to discover where the , foreshadowing of the ulterior manifesto can lurk among the paragraphs of the present . A revision of taxation cannot be all that " seems to loom in the future , " nor all that is descried by a statesman who scans the horizon of unacted history with systematic science . The grand reconciliation which he contemplates between Conservatism and Progress , between producer and consumer ,
town and country , England arid Ireland , aristocracy and popular freedom , national Church and religious concord , may bo possible ; but it seems to loom in the future only to social reformers adhering to doctrines which we will not obtrusively associate with Mr . Disraeli ' s name . Ho evidently sees the magnitude of tho work to bo done , and he talks about the possibility of performing it as if he were a . But we must not let our sympathies htfrry too fast towards an avowal . Even if Disraeli is to
be the Constantino of this age , ho must take his own time . Time indeed presseB ; for wo have arrived at a strange juncture in our history . The grpund has not boon moro rotten under tlio unseasonable raius of June than it is under tho feet of the practical politician . Free trade and Protection have both como to an end : thoroughly enjoyed , mon find that absolute freedom in more exchange ia not absolute prosperity ; but tlioy hayo also discovered that a systematic clvock to production is not iho
way to " lot live . " Projection is left behind , Frpo trade cannot go any farther ; and wkqt beyond ? is tho question . We are without a doctrine , except only that known to tho coconomical soot whoso name courtesy forbids ua from prematurely associating with Mr , Disraoli's . Ho ja an historical philosopher , and ho knows , as well as wo do , how our aristocracy is worn out , effete lost to influence with tho people , in danger of tumbling ,
draggling in tho mud , and lying , a wretched rag , like a forgotten banner in tho roar of a hurried army . No one values " the families" any mpre —even the heralds aro giving thoir " achievements" to any Snooks or Briggs that wants the traditionary symbols of illustrious exploits " found" for him . The middle class , Bitting with * out a faith or if will far any national or decisive purpoge , hao little dictatorial power ) insomuch
that Lord John Manners can send the favourite summer-house of its " arts and commeroe" to « . Sydenham . The working class of the towns is discontented , unattached ; and , alas 1 as a body , though , there are " splendid eioe ^ tlons , " without any generous faith or patriotic devotion . The peasantry > " the bold peasantry , its country ' s pride , " lias become the weary laughing-stock of easy wit ; iFbr tho next ; Euture , we are without
doctrine , faith , or spirit ,- « without measures or imen ,- ^ without agreement Or will . M ~ r . iDisraeli indeed is a keen-sighted politicianj an eager scientific philosopher , an ambitious patHot , an Alcibiades capable of wishing to be a ( Ddnstahtinej and he speaks with hope , with confidence , with evident pwrposei Therefore he at least has a spirit , a laitfii a dbctrinev How can we explaia the enigma P Surely he must be a « - *—But let us not ciilpably tear opei \ the disclosures sacred to time *
Kai/Mesbubt's Napqleoniq Idea; "French P...
KAI / MESBUBT'S NAPQLEONIQ IDEA ; "FRENCH PEOJET J > E LOI PJB ? EC ± Ep IN THE HOtJSB OF LOEDS . To I ^ ord Aberdeen wo owe it that the first move was made to tear the mask from the mear sure wloich I ^ or 4 ^ VTalmesbury endeavoured to pass in aii English House of Peers ,-under cover of a plea which few will deny , that civilized countries near together must have some provision for the mutual surrender of gross offenders against the ordinary laws , A long * standing desire to that effect has been impeded thropgh a series of years by practical difficulties , which have altogether prevented- . its consummatipn ; but Iiprd Malmesbury , overriding the obstructions that have hindered men more experienced and mpre trUsted > Iras promptly arrived at a convention with France . The fact would in itself excite suspicion amongst the English people ; but when t ] be public learns the character pi the measure whim has been unniasked by iord Aber ( leeii and his I * eers , suspicion will be converted into indignation , , The Earl of Malmesbury invited the liouse of Lords to Sanction a Parliamentary bill . for
giving legal effect to his new convention ; and it was in the debate on Tuesday evening , that the scope and tendency of that measure came out . In previous conventions with France , thrde ofFehces have been namefl , —^ murder , 'foSgery , arid fraudulent bitnkruptey ^ as recoffaised causes foB'the rediprocal extradition of oflenders ; but , slick hive been the practical difficulties in reconciling tho administration of French law to tho English sense of personal liberty and individual iustice , that the performance of that convention
in this country has been virtually a dead letter . Ili the new convention , however , the legal power for which was to bo embodied in the new bill , the provisions * as Lord Aberdeen says , might apply not to three , but to twenty different " crimes ; " and " he did not feel certain that , under the offences named in the bill others also might not be included which were rco ^ named . " Such is the power which a Malmosbury , in convention with the government of a Louis Napoleon , asks tho English Pnrliatiient to sanction ! . m
It aD pbars , also , from tlie speech of Lord doehi thai ) the bill is not prospective only , but that it reaches back some eight or nine years ; for what objoct , we presume the French ruler only can tell . The Lord Chancellor admitted this re trospeptiye effect , but averred that " it could only take place with respect to offences included in tlio former treaty , and not to the whole of those enumerated in the present convention . " Ho dm not , however , explain how this distinction couW bo enforced ; and a remark by Lord Brougli » m involves in susnicion even tho enumeration oi tno ncier
old treaty with tho new face put upon it . U a new administration of tho convention , tho oflence of fraudulent bankruptcy would leavo " aJargo margin , within which a number of persons mjBJJ be improperly and unjustiflablr arreetod . Aa ( J the spirit of the now convention to the letter , oi tho old treaty , and Englishmen may iind some difficulty In forocttlculating tho consoquoncos , Qi the combination . ... »• . i . wnion
Tlio very apologies for tho scheme with Parliament is snrprisod , stamp it with new subpieions . Along with this new bill , j ?™ rfi , n Parliament by I ^ ord Malmcsbury , wp must toKJ the bill rocpntfy carried by Louis Napoleon m Um * "Legislative corpse / ' where , as Lord Bwwgjgn nay * , "ho always ha , s ' a wooing fta { 0 " % in tho propoftiott of aomething like 24 » wjjr Undeif % ha now bill uarried bv tk « Fww » **
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), June 12, 1852, page 14, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_12061852/page/14/
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