On this page
- Departments (1)
-
Text (3)
-
No. 437, August 7, 1858.] THE LEADER. *6...
-
^ -A tttiMtt- rfp f ftiV ^Vt iM^ fc- pu?tflvm Ot Iflt iX'tlK
-
IN spite of the best-formed calculations...
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.
No. 437, August 7, 1858.] The Leader. *6...
No . 437 , August 7 , 1858 . ] THE LEADER . * 6 * ' ' : .. ' °
^ -A Tttimtt- Rfp F Ftiv ^Vt Im^ Fc- Pu?Tflvm Ot Iflt Ix'tlk
% nm of tk Wnk
In Spite Of The Best-Formed Calculations...
IN spite of the best-formed calculations of the best-informed politicians , the Derby Government lias held its way in safety over the stormy ocean of a Parliamentary session ; and not only docs it get safely into port , but the ministerial vessel is in better trim than when it first set out upon its perilous voyage . Truly , it may be said that the vessel which lias accomplished this feat is scarcely the same that originally started upon the
adventuresuch great changes have been wrought in every part of it , hull and rigging . Starting as a Conservative , heavy-sailing galleon , it comes home a fastmoving steam clipper . The oldest hands on board hardly recognise their ship , painted as she now is of a colour so very different from that which formerly distinguished her . But , after all , there is nothing wonderful in what lias happened . Lord Derby and his party have but obeyed the tendency of the time to break down the old barriers that
divided Conservatives from Liberals . They have moved one step upon the road towards a broadbased Government , such as we long ago pointed out as the great Hational want . We have no right to expect that they will advance far along the " right path . " As far as the present is concerned , however , the fact is that , with the odds apparently dead against him , Lord Derby—profiting by the blunders and short-comings of his predecessors in office—has steered through every danger of the session with a success that is not to be measured by the horrible badness of the address which brought the business of the session to a close on Monday afternoon .
Throughout the past session the ministry of Lord Derby have had to thank the leaders of the Independent Liberal party for the fair play which they determined to see between the supporters of the late Government and those who at present hold office . The impartial and independent position taken by Lord John Uussell defended them securely from the attacks of any purely party combination ; they have had also the benefit of much out-of-door sympathy for the difficult nature of the work they were called upon to execute in
forming a Government for India . They have also ¦ won a legitimate and unaided success by the active and straightforward dealing of Lord Malmesbury in the Cagliari affair . Much good fortune has attended theix- course : at the very moment when the labours of the session were being wound up , news arrived from India that points to the possibility , at least , of a not distant termination of the rebellion . Still , the foundation upon which the Ministerial structure rests is one that may crumble from
beneath it at almost any moment . Government cannot command a majority xipon any question that it may attempt to legislate upon ; it has only the general support of a majority which , on many questions , is bound to outvote it . It has its lie form Bill to bring forward and to tremble for ; but even . should it , by conciliating all parlies , as it did in the construction and conduct of its India Bill , escape ihc perils of that ordeal , almost any incident in the chapter of accidents may be the cause of its overthrow .
Meanwhile , the books of the House of Commons ave loaded with notices of motions to be made on convenient occasions next session , many of them on subjects long standing for settlement . Tor example , there are three notices of motion on the subject of church rates , one by Sir Arthur Elton , moving the House to pass resolutions prohibiting the levying of church rates , except for payment of existing charges on the rates , and confiding the maintenance of the fnbric of the church to the zeal and liberality of tho clergy and laity . This , with the other provisions of Sir Arthur ' s scheme , will reopen the subject , closed for the timo by tho Lords' rejection of
Sir John Trelawny's bill , and after the Archbishop of Canterbury's expression of readiness to accept any settlement of the question that is not wholly a surrender of the interest of the Church , we may hope that the dispute will be finally put an end to . Several subjects of importance were introduced at the final sittings of the House of Lords , all looking to future legislation . With reference to
the better conduct of one branch of the Houses own business , that relating to private bills , Lord Redesdale lias proposed to add several standing orders to those already existing , the operation of the new ones being to save the time of the Hous ' e and the pockets of the suitors , at the same time enabling the House to form a more correct judgment upon the cases submitted to it than it can do
at present . A more directly important object was brought forward by the Lord Chancellor for the express purpose of being ventilated during the recess , this is the state of theBankruptcy Law . The main object of the reform proposed by the Lord Chancellor is to place the estate of a bankrupt absolutely in the hands of the creditors , to be made the best of for their own interest , by the process of liquidation , under the superintendence of trustees . By the provisions of the proposed bill , either the debtor or the creditor would be competent to petition the
Bankruptcy CoxirtAvith a view to liquidation , and the whole conduct of the estate might be left to the creditors , aided by the debtor , the Court of Bankruptcy being still available for the winding up of the estate , in 1 he event of the trustees desiring to invoke its aid . Lord Chelmsford courts criticism , during the recess , upon the scheme which he has roughly drawn up , and the subject is greatly interesting all classes of the commercial community . Upon one point—namely , the punishment of
fraudulent bankrupts—feeling- is . already warmly aroused . The , Lord Chancellor will not consent to give to the Court of Bankruptcy the power of imprisoning a fraudulent bankrupt ; he insists that all such cases shall he decided by a jury , and his determination is very remarkable , seeing that the . Insolvent Commis . sioner already has the power of inflicting imprisonment to the extent of three years . Such an oversight in the Lord Chancellor—the highest law officer in the realm—is likely to provoke more criticism than he intended to invite .
Another subject , with an interest of a very different kind belonging to it , was opened up by Lord Redesdale , and will command some attention during the holidays . His Lordship has pointed out the fact that at the present time there are upwards of one hundred Baronies in abeyance . The House of Lords is much . occupied with the investigation of the . claims of persons who petition the Crown to call many of these Baronies out of abeyance in tlieir favour . Lord Redesdale moved for a return of all Baronies in abeyance , and also an address to
the Crown praying her Majesty to determine whether , for the future , cases in which the Barony has been in abeyance for a certain number of years shall be brought before the House , and < o act inrclalion to such Peerages as shall seem expedient to her . One of the great objections to calling a Barony out of abeyance is that the successful claimant—if the title has been long in abeyance—may take
precedence of Peers inheriting their titles through uninterrupted descont of many generations , as in the instance cited of Lord Botctourt , who , after his title was called out of an abeyance of 358 years , sat as third lord only of that name , but took prc-CCv' !? ncc before the seventeenth Lord Audlcy and the fifteenth Lc : Slourlou . Lord Campbell suggests that a Peerage should *) C u » clahuablc aftci lying in abeyance for one limtdrcd years .
Her Majesty commenced 1 lie week by the performancc of a duty of a kind which is known to be particularly agreeable to lu : r . On Monday evening she distributed t \ vcnt > onc Victoria Crosses as rewards for special acts of . yulour performed hi the Crimea ami in India . The presentation , took pluco
on Southsea Common , and the scene is described as being extraordinarily beautiful . The high ground on three sides of the common was covered with spectators , while , on the fourth side , Lord Lyons ' s fleet lay in a double line , and over all the sun shone brightly . The whole fleet manned yards and saluted on the arrival of the Queen from Osborne , and again on her departure , producing-an effect indescribably fine .
Of the festive events at Cherbourg no detailed accounts have been received up to the time of going to press . We know , however , that her Majesty breakfasted with the Emperor and Empress on Thursday , at noon , and that the royal party afterwards made tie tour of the city , being everywhere received with enthusiasm . Her Majesty afterwards dined with th e Emperor and Empress on board the Bretagnc . Some notion of the numbers congregated at Cherbourg may be formed from the facfc , that 40 , 000 passports are said to have been granted in Paris alone . The weather throughout the week has been real " Queen ' s weather . "
The news from Belgium is of a disappointing as well as of a painful kind . The desire of the Government to create for its own security a place of safety in case of foreign invasion , is extremely reasonable . Open on all sides _ to hostile molestation by powerful neighbouring states , the advent of a hostile army upon its soil would drive the Executive into exile , from the fact of its having no asylum to which it could retreat . The refusal , then , of the Chambers to fortify Antwerp as a remedy for this serious national defect is to be lamented , the more , because monetary considerations have been dominant with the
party opposing the scheme . The country has also , this week , suffered an irreparable loss in the destruction by tire of its famous old Exchange , \ vith whose history our commerce is very closel y associated . ; ¦ ¦ ¦ . ' : . " . ¦' ¦ ' ¦ ' ' ¦ •' . ¦"¦ ¦ ¦ ' . - ' ¦ ¦' .. ¦ From India the news is of a very hopeful kind . The successes of Sir Hugh Rose and Brigadier Hope have bad great moral effect upon the enemy . At last there are real signs of a tendency on the part , of the rebels to give up the struggle . Great numbers have already given up their arms and submitted themselves to be dealt with by British justice . One incident of the news is startling : it
is that , after following up the enemy with such splendid daring and success , Sir Hugh Rose has determined to retire from the command of the Central India force . The need of repose is assigned as the cause of his taking this step ; but it is not impossible other and better reasons can and will be given . Meanwhile the value of Sir Hugh Hose's services are not unrecognised even m official quarters ; rewards arc to be given him , and as a first instalment he has been appointed to the command of the 45 th Regiment . To turn from the labours of war to those of peace , the present week will be famous in the history ol human progress , for to it belongs the
accomplishment of perhaps the noblest work of any age . The telegraphic wire has been safely conducted from the shores of the American continent to those of Great Britain . Time and space arc thus put out of account in our communications wit h our friends and relations across the Atlantic : it is not being over sanguine to hope and believe that the fruits of our closer intimacy will ripen with a rapidity worthy of the sublime means of intercourse now afc ' our mutual command . Not only arc we nearer to each other mentally and morally , but we desire to be nearer to each other in the flesh , and we arc ceaselessly
endeavouring to shorten the journey that lies between us even by an hour or two . The latest attempt is by means of a line of steamers from the port of Galway , from whence New York can be reached in eight days . To fit the harbour of Gahvay for this grand undertaking ' , a deputation has waited upon Lord Derby to ask him for tho assistance of Government to make a breakwater . The sum of money asked is , however , a serious consideration , and at present there is not much likclihoed that it will be forthcoming . Meanwhile , we have nc room for discontent with our present menus of
transit to America , ior they arc magnificent . "With rcgivrd to the length of the voyage to India , there appears to be no chance of any Kiiortor pat li being discovered al present . Mr . Robert Stcplieiison ' s ' 7 + « r iu Ihe Times of Tuesday goes far to settle IV . "' . '¦ " * <> f tho Suez Cunal . Few English the question , .. fOUJlti billing to risk their speculators will now ,, . . . , wit ^ 0 llt l ^ wy , money in the enterprise , ana , ' . under , money no such work is ever likely to do > . taken .
-
-
Citation
-
Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 7, 1858, page 763, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/ldr_07081858/page/3/
-