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Kft T H E L E A P E R. [No. 408, January...
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PUBLIC MEETINGS. ram abowtion oir t«w wa...
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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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—?—A Fresh Attempt Upon The Life Of The ...
to bring about an organization and active co-operation of reformers of all sections , are likely to prepare the public for taking part in the approaching debates on the Ministerial Reform Bill in a way that mar considerably modify and enlarge that measure . And in order to show that a measure introduced by the present Government mqy be enlarged , w $ have only to refer to the Diverge Bill , which w & , s introduced as one measure and left the House a perfectly different measure—a mujjli more extensive , much more valuable , and a far more thorough . goifig reform . '
The position of the moneyonarket is extremely curious . The unsettled state of trade continues , and houses are still showing the effects of embarrassment ; nevertheless , improvement is steady , aJi . d it is established beyond doubt by the reduction of the Bank rate of discount from 6 to 5 per cent . Some short time bapk there was an expectation that the rate would soon be brought down still lower , and we observe that in the ( 3 ity they are all calculating upon 4 per cent , within a month . Already private houses have gone down to 44 or 3 i per cent ., while considerable sums of money at present
go a-begging . All the arrangements for the royal wedding are now in a state of forwardness that must be extremely comfortable to those who are responsible for their completion ; it would seem that they have almost accomplished the miracle of making out of the Chapel-Royal sow ' s ear a very silk purse ? of convenience . It is confidently hoped that at the last moment nothing will be found to have been forgotten . One point , particularly , about which all the brides-expectant of England and Prussia may have felt much concern , is settled : the trousseau of the royal bride is complete , and everything that could be wished—even down te the chaussures , -which are said to be ' perfect loves . ' In Berlin , the same state of forwardness is reported ,
and everything is there done- that can be thought of to make the reception worthy of the great occasion . The oause of two nations' happiness , however , seems destined to be the cause of grumbling on both sides of the Channel , though the ground of complaint in Berlin is exactly the opposite of that in London . In Bei'lin , some of the close-fisted ^ are » saying very ungraceful things about the determination of the municipality to spend 60 , 000 thalers , about 9000 / ., on a gold table with an engraved plan of the city on the top , as a present to the young married couple ; in London , the complaint is that 90 little is to be spent and so little done to give popular fidat to an event in which the people take ao deep an interest .
Preparations of a far less agreeable character , and grumbling far more serious , are going on on the other side of the Atlantic . The Free-soil majority have refused to vote , and the opposite party have voted the Lccompton constitution with the slavery clause . Upon this issue the two great parties , not only of Kansas , but of the United States , stand angrily face to face ; and almost a word will suffice to set them on . to a death-struggle . Another trouble which has very unexpectedly come upon the American Government is the illegal capture of General Walker . An over-offleious
Commodore in the service of the United States has landed in Nicaragua and taken Walker prisonerqommitting an p ^ ence agajnst the neutrality laws of the two countries exactly similar to the offence for which he has taken upon himself to capture the General . The Supremo Government have been obliged to admit ) that Walker ' s capture was illegal on . d ordered its officer home to tt \ ko his trial . Meanwhilo , Walkjsr demands to be conveyed baok in a Government vessel to the place from w ; ienco ho has been unlawfully removed , and his cause is * going ahead' like wildfire in consequence of his victory . Tho dilemma is one of diffloulty . ¦ n iii * i / til ii i i i 1 * 11 details of tho lato earth wluoh have
The quake , been carefully suppressed by tho Neapolitan Govornmont , aro finding their way before the public hero , through tho lottors of travellers to tho dovastated localities . A tcrriblo piolu . ro they present . -UpWJlKd ^ Qj ^ the number of those who have received injury " * immense tvs may bo imagined , Tho Bufferings of tho poor appoar to have been hoftrtrondmg , and aggravated by tho want of anything like organised assistanoe on tho part of the Government . Many wore soon , days after tho occurrence of tho calamity ,. sitting amid , it \ w ruins of their homos , weeping and ftSarvjwg ^ (^ ncl with not even assistance givou thorn to bijry their dead relatives and friends . Another dark memory tq bp treasured in tho hearts of King JBoMBA . ' a loving subjects . , 4 udg « d by % iw speech with which Queen
Isabella favoured her senators and deputies on opening the- Cartes , Spain must be one of the happiest as well as prosperous kingdoms in Europe , and its Government one of the firmest . If there is just a little shadow to be detected in the midst of the bright picture , it is in the announcement that the liberty of th § press is to be yet a little more restricted , to aftbrd profession , to 'interests which are deemed most sacred \ ) p the Spaiiiish people . ' One other point in her Majesty ' s speech is noticeable , as seeming to indicate an anxisfcy m ilie matter of the estimates j § he said , that hee ministers would present to the Cortes
various bills , having reference to extraordinary expenses , and the inconvenience of having to make annual demands for them ; these bills would bo pre ? sent . ed with the ordinary budget of the year ; she was desirous that , while they were about it , they should discuss the budget for 1859 ^ to sav e time . Perhaps she is right ; the future is always doubtful , —in no place more than in Spain , at least as far as politics are concerned . A change of ministry in Spain must create much less attention there than a change of weather : in England the phenomenon is looked out for every few weeks , and is now observable . The Spanish ministry has resigned because Bravo Murillo was appointed President of the
Cortes . Much more of English interest and sympathy followed the remains of Hacuet . to their grave in Pere la Chaise , on Monday morning last , than would be moved by the death and burial of the best bad Ministry poor Spain is for some time to come likely to suffer under . If there is one thing more than another notable in French artist-society it is the homage which all in it pay to genius . The death of a great artist is a subject of mourning to the whole of his order , and the tears shed are unfeigned , and honourable alike to the object on which they fall aud to him by whom they are shed . to the of
Prom the concerns of death concerns life . The Insolvent Debtors' Court is a first-rate school of manners . A few hours' study there , now and then , gives us some broad views of life and conduct such as we might live very long lives indeed without getting a glimpse of from any other stand-point . The case of Mr . Edward Scratton , heard on Monday , for instance , afforded some uninterrupted insights into the collegiate life at Oxford exceedingly well worth having . This gentleman had set his wits to do everything that was fast and expensive , and in due course he had pledged his ' expectations' at 60 , 70 , and 80 per cent , to the accommodating Jews who are at the service of all of think
young gentlemen of Mr . Scratton ' s way - ing at the two great English Universities . After a few years of struggle , during which his friends paid some ten . thousand pounds to save him from arrest , Mr . Scratton found himself in prison , from which he was released on security , in the shape of warrants of attorney , " , " said Mr . Sargoop , " when they ran out , he was run into prison again . " His debts from 1844 amounted to 96 , 4 * 48 / ., and for this amount of liability he had received 34 , 517 / . —the difference representing the sum he had been charged for bonuses , interest , & c . & c . upon bills and renewals . Mr . Commissioner Phillips said ho really did not know how to deal with such a case ; but as not one of tho creditors thought propor to appeav in opposition , Mr . Edward Scratton was discharged , with a word or
two of counsel as to his future conduct . Now , it appears clear to us , that it is not Mr . Commissioner Phillips who ought to be left to deal with this crying evil of oux Universities ; tho romedy s hould , como from tl \ e heads of thoso establishments The expense of tho students in ovory one of our colleges may , and ought to , be regulatod to a penny , and his subordination to regulations in respect of expenditure should in reason be as much insisted on as it is in any other reaped ; . It is here only necessary to point out tub matter , its discussion belongs to another part of our paper . Wo must not forget to roporfc the progress inado this week in the launching of the Loviatlmn . Sho lias now ton feet of water under her , and is expected * l 6 n ) o " nMt ed-by-the ~ higlrtido-of-tl > e ^ li 4 t ' . — ,-, —~~
Kft T H E L E A P E R. [No. 408, January...
Kft T H E L E A P E R . [ No . 408 , January 16 , 1858 ,
Public Meetings. Ram Abowtion Oir T«W Wa...
PUBLIC MEETINGS . ram abowtion oir t « w wast in » ja company . A spugxal . general court of tho East India Company was 1 \ q \ A at the , Euafc India , Houeo pn Wednesday , in accordance wltl ) a requisition nignod by nine , proprietors tor tho * purposo of considering tho communication addressed to the Court of Directors from tho Government , respecting the continuation of the powers of tho Company . Mr . Mangles presided , and informed tho meeting that it was tho intention of tho Direotora , bofore Parliament mot again , to summon a upeolal Court of Proprietors , and to
lay before them the whole of the correspondence which might then have passed between themselves and the Government . In answer to Mr . Malcolm Lewin , he re . fused to lay before the court the letter he ( the chairman ) had addressed to the Ministers . No answer had yet been-received to that letter . The production of other letters was asked for , and refused . Mr . Crawsbay stated that "he had received memorials from Manchester , Liverpool , Birmingham , and other large towns , strongly opposing the proposition of the Government to ta . ke India under the direct control of the Crown . H e therefore moved a resolution confirmatory of that view , and then proceeded to trace the origin of the Indian Empire , which was commenced at a time
when such charters and privileges were common in this country . Now that the empire had grown up to magnificence and importance , the Government wished to deprive the Company of the powers and the property they had possessed for upwards of one hundred years . He denied , tha . t the Government would be able to govern India better than the East India Company could if properly managed at home . The Queen had not got such servants as the East India Company—would to God she had ! He did not mean to say that the Court of Directors were blameless , for they had acted most unjustly , and he hoped they never would be able to reconquer Oude . ( DisajW'obationS ) They never ought to have annexed it . " ( Hear , hear . ')—Mr . Malcolm Lewin seconded the motion , which was opposed by Mr . J . D . Mackenzie , who thought that India ought to be placed
under the direct government of the Crown , and that the Queen should assume the title of Empress of that country . —Mr . Remmington supported the motion , and Colonel Sykes spoke in favour of the Company , observing that "in 1844-5 , the exports were nearly eight millions , and in 1855-6 they had increased to above twenty-three millions , and the imports in the same period had increased from something over four millions to thirteen millions and a half . For those exports , 100 , 000 , 0001 . in silver had been sent into India in bullion that had never left that country , and it was not to be supposed that this money did not circulate through the country . It did , and the labourers and others benefited by it . " The Colonel was of opinion that the forcing of the greased cartridges on the Sepoys was the sole cause of the rebellion . —After some further discussion , the debate was adjourned till next Wednesday .
Parliamentary Reform . —Meetings in favour of Parliamentary Reform have been held during the lost few days at Bodmiii , Penryn , Liskeard , Newcastleupon-Tyne , Birmingham , and Manchester . —A meeting was held at the Freemasons' Tavern on " Wednesday nigbt , under the presidency of Herbert Ingram , Esq ., M . P ., in favour of Reform . Mr . Ingram expressed some doubt as to the excellence of equal electoral districts , but said he was inviolably wedded to manhood suffrage . Mr . Passmore Edwards then spoke in favour of a very radical reconstruction of the franchise , and proposed a motion declaring the absolute necessity of manhood suffrage in any measure of Parliamentary Reform . Mr . Ernest Jones warmly advocated a union between the
working classes and tho middle classes , and deprecated ! any attempt to create a split by proposing an amendment under ' the sacred name of tho People ' s Charter . He was here met with erics of " Turncoat I" and " Traitor 1 " Mr . Coiiingham , M . P ., spoko in support of the motion . Mr . Dickey moved , and Mr . Kadford seconded , an amendment proposing the various points of the charter , and Mr . Townsond , M . P ., urged the < luty of union ; and a groat deul of confusion ensued , caused by a body of Chartists , headed by Mr . Broinerra O'Brien . At length , the meeting , by a show of hands , refused to hoar Mr . O'Brien or to entertain tho amendment , and the original resolution was then declared to bo carried .
The State of the Haymaukjet , & c . —An adjourned meeting with reference to the disreputable state of some of our Wost-ond streets was held on Thursday at tho Chambers of the Society for the Suppression of Vico . Resolutions wero passed , appointing ^ deputation to wait on Sir George Grey ; instructing aucn deputation to urge upon tho Government the enforcement of public doconoy by moans of a department of police snopiully devoted to that purposo , and the passing of ao act for tho regulation of night houses ; and calling tho attention of Government to tho groat number of foreign courtezans In tho streets , and to tho moana of controlling that increasing evil . Equalisation or this Pooxj-Ratkh . — A meeting oi tho metropolitan clergy in favour of this object wna I ' ' on Tuesday at Sion College , London Wull . Petitions to both Houses of Parliament wore udoptod .
This Opium : Tbawwv-Mt . Pasamoro Edwards «« dolivorod a lecture at tho Guildhall , Bath , on tho auu-| oTrof ~ dW poWfhn > "f ^ opJum-in-India-for , the-pur |) flp . "l smuggling it into China . Ho donounood tho trnfllo in very strong languugo , and . a resolution condemning was carried . A petition to Parliament was also adoptou . Christianity in Inpia . —Tiio Arohbisliop of ^""^ bury presided on Tuesday over a largo mooting at to * Hall in favour of tho extension of missionary ° » "rW , ' India for tho converaion of the heathen . Besides > j " Grace , tho speakers wero Mr . Venn , tho Earl © I v «» cheater , tho Bishop of London , Mr . KinnalrU , t » ° « ° * O . Reuthon , Mr . J . O . Colquhoun , Mr . Thomnu , tu « Bishop of Winchester , and tho Rov . J . Hobson .
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 16, 1858, page 2, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_16011858/page/2/
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