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!. ]^o.444, September 25, 1858. J THE LE...
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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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France. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Pa...
stances the protectionists fell back upon their o'd \ . system of agitation and misrepresentation . In the Council ¦ of State a rancorous and unreasoning opposition was organised against the Prince , which did not declare itself openly , but was manifested in a hundred mean and petty ways . In the manufacturing districts the opposition was of course more violent , and the Emperor was pelted with petitions . His Majesty may be well excused if he prefer peace to strife , even in a just cause . He has arrived at mature years , and has domestic cares gathering round him . At fifty few care to embark upon a crusade , especially when they wear the purple , I and command all the material enjoyments of life . Accordingly , at the beginning of the week , out came the Moniteur with a paragraph at the head of the non-official | l ui milk uuiuicti
attract wealth and emigrants . Let commercial freedom shine forth in Algeria . To-day we have free bread , the first taste whereof appears excellent . When will the I butchers' trade be free ? AH commercial liberties hold I together like bread and meat , and we hunger for them . " I If it may be permitted to speculate on the'future , on I can easily imagine that when Algeria becomes more I populated , it will grow more and more independent of I the parent State . Already , the tutelage—to use the Prince-Minister ' s own words—of a pure French bureaucracy and soldatesque administration is felt to be oppressive . The foreign element among the colonists | quite equals , if it does not exceed , the French one , and few among either of them will care to be kept in tradebondage in order that the manufacturers of Rouen , Lille ,
> . n , aiuLiug -r— oeveraj journals have announced , for some days past , that the Government of the Emperor thought of introducing serious modifications into the commercial regime of Algeria . These pretended projects , and the polemic to which they have given rise , have excited in the manufacturing districts a certain disquietude . To put an end to it , it is sufficient to state that it has in no wise entered into the thought of Government to change the customs law which rules Algeria , and determines its relation with France . " At first , this paragraph was regarded as a defea t for the free-traders . The protectionists have shou ted To pmans through their organs , but now , when the surprise has worn off , a shrewd suspicion is gainingground that both parties have been deceived—the free-traders in faricving I what was a mere postponements of victory to be a defeat , and the protectionist in claiming as a victory a decision which entirely defeats their pretension—nearly successful with Mare ' chal Yaillant—to secure the mono-I poly of Algeria- to themselves , by assimilating its customs dues to those of France , which wouldj of course , exclude many foreign goods . The contest is removed from Al g eria , and it is certainly more consonant with the dignity of the advocates of commercial freedom that the great battle of free trade should be fought in France rather than in an outlying province . That the cause of protection has gained nothing by the publication of the ministerial ' decision I verilv believ-p . fnr it hna ir , / t ^ ^\
-ana may p . the pro-I tectionists succeeded in their intrigues at the War-office , I the colonists would have had to pay a tribute of nearly I a million sterling annually , which would have amounted to a tax of five pounds a head , for the sole benefit of French manufacturers . Should this exaction be continued , the common sense as well as the interests of the colonists will rise up against the sj'stem , and Algeria may have her Declaration of Independence as weir as the United States . It must not , however , be supposed that all the colonists are as liberal and enlightened as those previously mentioned . Among the railways projected in Algeria is one to Oran . The line , it appears , would traverse the Santa Cruz Mountain , and place Oran in easy communication with Mers-el-Kebir , which is a | safe , excellent seaport , whereas the present port of Oran , Lamoune , is open to every wind and to every sea . The Chamber of Commerce of Oran consists of twelve gentlemen , who are proprietors of land and houses bordering the port of Lamouhe . The propertyj in consequence of an absurd speculation , stood at high prices some time , but these have now fallen very I low , in consequence of the prospect of a communication being opened with Mers-el-Ke ' bir . This fall has sorely vexed the Chamber of Commerce , whose wise men have prepared a petition against the railway , which they are I endeavouring to get numerously signed , for presentation I 4 ~ r \ £ l * n . TC ^»» 5 w » s * n HP i > A . 4- _« 1 __ A / *" V _ ± A ¦ " »___ * +. ¦*¦ ¦ * m I j . \ \ j , \_^*
the Prince Napoleon to declare his liberal sentiments all the more unreservedly . ,. Towards the conclusion of the session the General Council of the department , of the He ' rault—the stronghold of free trade—expressed a hope that on the occasion of his journey to Algeria the Prince would visit the harbour of Cette . To this request the Prince replied that the little time he could employ for hi 3 journey would , probably , prevent his staying at Cette ; and he added , " The question of commercial liberty raised by the General Council of your department I is one of those which the most excites my sympathy . The progress of our industry causes it to advance every day , and soon the revision of the customs tariff will I alarm no interest . " Had it not been for the publication in the Moniteur of the Ministerial decision , tho . PrinV .
---. — . - -. ^ -v , * w . v j JcaiUUS \ JL LUC laTUC of the three tailors of Topley-street , styled themselves " the whole population , " and as that phrase appeared too small for their importance , they gradually expanded into " Europe and Algeria altogether . " Falstaff ' s men in buckram are beaten hollow by the twelve Qranites , who I in their organ called the railway a " poison and a hang ^ man s cord . " As it would be a pity that the leaders of , the twelve should be unknown beyond Oran , or that the world should be ignorant of the names of the three wise men that have risen up to preach against railways I forward them , wreathed in immortal verse by an Oran | poet , presuming that the opponents to the railway were I originally only five : — I " De neuf qui nous e'leve a douze ? I Ramoger , Bonfort , et Toulouze . vtui iiuus uttus
letter would not have seen light . The Patrie , which is inspired by M . le Vicomte de la GueWniere , who is , perhaps , the most liberal among the supporters of the Empire , and almost a personal friend of the Prince , applied for and obtained permission to publish this letter to vindicate itself from the charge of having misrepresented the opinions of Algeria and the colonies . None of the protectionist papers have yet published the letter that I am aware of . nor has the Siccle , which has just given its adhesion to moderate protection . The events of the week , therefore , are not calculated to give peace of mind to the partisans of monopoly . They are not to bo further protected than at present in Algeria , and the Prince Napoleon has declared for free trade . The last is the greatest blow of nil , for in case of — — - -.--... « , v > . v ( -, vcttwav uiuiy ui mi , ior in case or the
lujicuu le wanger r I Bonfort , Toulouze , et Ramoger . I Applaudissez tout au plus fort , Ramoger , Toulouze , et Bonfort . " The report of the Minister of Justice upon the state of crime in France for 1856 has just been presented , from which I extract a few melancholy facts that may not however , be without instruction to the reader . During the I aforesaid twelve months , there were 4189 suicides , of which 1028 were women ; 8605 accidental deaths , and 1325 sudden deaths , but from natural causes . The crimes proved were—assassination , 202 ; murder , 95 ( I confess not to know the difference between the two ) : poisoning , 30 ; parricide , 13 ; infanticide , 190 ; wounds , followed by death , without intent , 76 ; other serious nlf ^ v' 3 zinri wAnn / ia en . ivl * t ....- > n ... i j I blows and wounds 62 blowand wounds .
Emperor ' a death he would be chief of the Regency Council and would necessarily exercise considerable influence . Should death overtake the young Prince Imperial , ho would succeed to the empire , and aa ther e are remote contingencies , but not impossibilities , your readers can well understand how great ie tlio fear and doubt ng of the protectionists . One of the organs of the Algerian and colonial ministry remarks , with equal lorco and justice , that shortly tho frco-trado party will bo reconstituted , when it will bo tho bottor ablo on tho question being brought forward again , to dofond the wanta of Algeria against tho exclusive interest of the mauttfaoturinff distriota . What tho colonists think , 2 ™?* f they . . «* > « oems t 0 be entirely forgotten JomS ?\ ° r ? / them ftre ftfdently attached to ^™™ lcAa ? free . ° R ° * the very boat of all
roasona-, ; s envers u n ascendant , 54 j rebellion , or serious violence towards functionaries , 23 ; rape , or assaults with intent on adults 181 ; rape , or assault with intent on children , 650 ; false witness and aubornatiou , 45 ; false money , 38 ; various forgeries , 499 ; robberies , 1886 ; incendiaries , 206 fraudulent bankruptcies , 117 ; and other crimes , 148 * total , 4535 . The punishments awarded in 1856 wore death , 46 , of whom 17 were executed ; hard labour for life , 248 ; hard lubour for stated periods , 1051 ; aolitary confinement , 971 ; banishment , 1 ; impriaonmont , 2221 fined , 6 ; children sent to penitentiaries , 24 ; total , 4568 . Ihoro is a discrepancy between these two totals , which may probably arise frdm rest being loft from the preceding year . I now pnas to the second order of crimes or misdemeanoura—tMfo . Tho total number accused in iufiui
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. www ,, « . . , oi wiioui » i , y 3 / wore acquitted , or , being children , wore sent to their paronta ; 89 543 impriaoned , and 114 , 281 wore fined . Tho category Jlt- ^ ij ») i ^ awns ^ HU 6 . ws , * leavin ^ aBiUeH ) he-acquittal 8 ' : » bsonpnd convicts , or from survoillanco , 889 CS ; vagabondage , 0183 ; mendicity , 4 7 21 ; rebellion , 2181 ; outragoa and violoiico towards pnblio functionaries . 06 Q 5 ; oftonccfl to religion and outrages towards ita miniature 182 ; voluntary blowa and wounds , 10 . 605 : offences against doooncy , 2808 ; defamation , insults , and dainorous donounoiiigs , 0297 ; simple thuft , 86 , 848 t aiinnlo bankruptcy , 001 ; cheating , •«>/> 10 ; abuse of confldonca ^ 000 ; deception aa to -quality of gooda eold , falao welghta ami njoasuros , 10 , 780 ; destruction of orona trues , cnoloauroa , mid animula , 1140 5 politienl ofloncoa
— """^^^ i ^ HHi ^^ i ^ MMHIH ^ HlHI ^^ i ^ H ^ HMiM ^ HMJ 518 ; hawking and distribution of printed matter without authority , 176 ; unlicensed opening of wine and coffee shops , 392 : manufacture and possession of arms and powder , 392 violation of game-laws , 20 , 843 ; penal offences and marauding , 951 ; smuggling , 2389 ; using postage-stamps that have already served , 3970 ; othe * postal offences , 152 ; offences against forest laws , 42 , 688 : offfences against carrying laws , 1836 ; other offences unspecified , 8112 . The observations in a previous number as to the ignorance of English by the police authorities who undertake the office of censor of English papers have borne good fruits . The Leader was not stopped in the post last week ; ¦
!. ]^O.444, September 25, 1858. J The Le...
! . ]^ o . 444 , September 25 , 1858 . J THE LEADER . 995
GERMANY . ( From our own Correspondent . } September 23 . Last week I reported warnings , stoppages , and confiscations of journals , this week I have to report two more confiscations , viz . that of the Prussian journals , Volkn Zeitung and NationalZeitung ; the first for lese-Majesty ^—wegen verletzung der Ehrfurcht gegen den Konig ( literally for a breach of the reverence due to the King ) , the second without any reason given by the police , but it is pre-. sumed in consequence of an article headed "No Co-Regency . " The editor mournfully informs his subscribers , who , besides being deprived of the news of the day , lose their money , that no grounds were stated , for the confiscation , nor did the authorities condescend to serve him with a written notification , which is , evidence that a new system of repression has bee aintroduced , because formerly a written statement of the . reasons for the confiscation used to be given , as likewise extracts from the law which had been infringed . The , question which the National ventured to discuss is that , which forms the chief topic of conversation , not only : in Prussia , but in all Germany , namely , whether the Prince , of Prussia should govern as ; sole Regent , or
conjunction Court party , who , at present , I under the pretence that the King is ovly temporarily diseased , are ruling the country in his name with all the tyranny of irresponsible despotic power . The King has , hitherto borne all the blame , but it is evident that what ' is now being done does not proceed from him . The Liberals naturally long to see the Prince sole regent , trusting that a change of men will produce a change o £ measures ; their hopes , however , have been lately con-| siderably damped by a speech addressed by the Prince ' to the Mayor of Breslau , in the . course of which he : said that the ideas current in 1848 , and the dangers attendant upon them , had not been eradicated , but were merely held in check , and that it behoved them ( the authorities ) to be always on their guard . In this th <* Prince is perfectly right , and all Germanv . France , and
Italy know it , but if he imagines that any further measures of reprc » iion will tend to soften men ' s minds towards his clas s , he will discover his error when too late to I repent . The Liberal journals appear dismaye d at these sentiments of the Prince of Prussia ; but they ought to remember that their hopes were founded upon his silence , not upon his worda . " Ognuno vedo qoel che tu pari , ppchi senjtono quel che tu sei , " aaya I Machiavelli to Lorenzo de Medici , and who knowa but that princes now-a-days follow his precepts ? and so their subjects discover that m porere , e non essere , 4 come fijaro e non tessere . " A letter in the Cologne Gazette , written by an eminent lawyer , has created some little aenaation , After laying down the ea--tabhshed laws which are acknowledged to retrulate the , „» . „ . »¦ . » » 'nv . u mo u ^ jkiiuwieuguu . io regulate tin
auccesaion in monarchical States , the writer quote * the 56 th Article of the Pruasian Conatitution , which runs to thia effect : — " If tho king be an infant , ox otherwise incapable of governing , then tho next adult heir to the throne becomes regent . He has to , convoke the Chambers , who ; in general assembly , will coufirm tho regency . " The writer then proceeds to maintain that according to thia article tho present position of tho Irince is altogether unconstitutional , for aa it ia notonous that the King haa been suffering from un affection of the brain , which his . physicians have declurcd unfits him to attend to State affaire , it follows that by the . article of the Constitution quoted above , the government devolvea upon the Prince as a matter of courae , thoroforo tho Commission which invests him wi-u power from one period to another ia of itself null and void . Tho Prince ia acting upon unconstitutional powora , and the people nro not bound to obey him ; and \\\ opnolusion h _ o . Sftya ;— " jtj' I "WertfyWovr' -Obcr A'roourutor ' ( Ijiglj aliofiff ); ha I was "t one tune , I would not oxeoutoa sonteuce of death signod by tho Priuuo , becauao aa Kogqnt lie has not ncquiracl that prerogative , and aa Plenipotentiary ho conjil not poasosB a power appertaining solely to tho Crown , What ia then to . bo done ? " ho linnlly ael « a . AVliat ought to have boon dono at jfli-at : the jiroi-lftiiintion of tho Regency . If any high sheriff should at present exist in Prussia na bold na tliiu gontloinnn is in word , his refusa l to oxoculo a aciitcnuo afgnocl by either of tho present incompetent powora would yivo rJso to singular ooinplications .
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Sept. 25, 1858, page 11, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_25091858/page/11/
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