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Leader (1850-1860), 6th April 1850, Edition 1 of 1, Page 29, Untitled Article

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      Untitled Article

      being near the dockyard , and opposite _ Vesuvius , presented the curious spectacle of a mimic volcano . Gangs of forcats and dock-labourers were employed day and night to remove the coals , the greater part of which appeared charred , like coke ; and soldiers prevented the approach of the public , as there was danger from the flames , several labourers having fallen down insensible from exposure to them .

      Untitled Article

      SLAVONIAN , GERMAN , AND RUSSIAN MOVEMENTS . The Slavonic element still seeks to assert itself , still struggles against repression . In the Erfurt Parliament , in the Lower House , before separating for Easter , President Simson communicated a letter from Count Dzialynski , resigning his seat for a district of Posen , and conveying the resolution of all the other Polish deputies to take no part in nor recognize as valid the proceedings of a German Diet that assumed any portion of Poland to be German territory .

      * Austrian ITaynau has consented to exempt from the fine imposed upon the Jewish community all those Jews who can prove that they neither directly nor indirectly participated in the Hungarian insurrection ; the amount , however , to be contributed by the whole community shall in any case remain the

      same . A new stamp regulation , issued at Cracow on the 13 th of March , imposed a duty of 3 | per cent , upon all contracts , transfers , cheques , and payments . Another regulation prohibits in Gallicia the collection or distribution of funds in aid of destitute persons , unless the special consent of the Government be obtained . An imperial ordinance deprives Croatia and Slavonia of trial by jury , a right granted to them even by the octroyed constitution of March , 1849 . Endeavours continue to be made to impose

      the German language on the Slavonic races . In Styria the courts of justice refuse to receive even in civil causes complaints written in the language of the country , though German is absolutely unknown . So would Austria reconsolidate her ruined empire . Meanwhile Russia intrigues , advances , and watches its opportunities . The South Slavonian Gazette—a paper in the interest of Russian Panslavism—proposes to the different Slavonic races in the Austrian empire , to employ the Russian language in common and official parlance , instead of the German . The intention is sufficiently obvious .

      The Russian Government has addressed a note , bearing date February 6 , to the Cabinet of Berlin , urging in the most impressive terms the necessity ot Prussia making peace with Denmark . The Czar has no occasion to pretend to sympathize with German nationality . Russia has also intimated its intention of protectmi ; Greece . Greek sailors are tempted with advantageous offers to enlist for Russia . The greatest activity prevails at Sebastopol . The fleet has been placed on a war footing , and the workmen in the docks are employed night and day .

      Letters of the 9 th of March from Constantinople report that the Hungarian-Polish renegades passed the Dardanelles on the 7 th on their way to Aluxandrette . The steamer Taif is waiting at Varna for the Russian Pole- ' , who are to go to Malta . According to advices of the Gth from Brussa , in the province of Natolia , all preparations were being made for the removal of Kossuth and followers to Kintahia . The exiles are to be sent off in troops , composed of both Poles and Hungarians , instead of being separated as it was at first proposed . ' 1 he refugee question is not yet settled . Austria demands that the period of detention should be five years ; Turkey proposes one year . The end of the matter will probably be that the difference will be nplit .

      The Oesterrcicldschc Correspondent has a telegraphic despatch from the Piraeus , of March the 19 th , notifying that the statcof uncertainty continues . Admiral Parker has liberated eleven Hellenic vessels , and a British courier arrived at Athens on the 18 th : more is not told . Prince Schwarzonbuvg has addressed an official note , bearing dare of March 13 , to Count Lerchenfeld at Munich , declaring Austria's approval of the fundamental principles laid down in the draft of the

      Munich Constitution . Tho draft has been viewed with the greatest satisfaction , as tho Imperial Government considers it well calculated to satisfy the different Governments and the people , while it is ^ of such a nature that Austria can take part in it . The Tmpfrial Government had repeatedly announced that although it would uphold tho Act of Confederation of lSlo until such time as it wns altered in a lawful way by tho memburs of that Confederation , it had never denied the necessity of its revision so as to suit tho

      exigencies of the times ; and that Austria was accordingly now prepared to join Bavari : « , Saxony , and Wurtumbcrg , in the work of , regeneration . The long-expected Municipal Laws for Vienna have been published . The provision for the franchise is or so restrictive a nature , that tho future members of tho Town Council , 120 in number , arc not Jikoly to be of any degree of liberality . Government , however , provides even for the contingency by reserving the right of dissolving the Council if necessary .

      Untitled Article

      GRAND ASSAULT AT ARMS AT PORTSMOUTH . A grand " assault at arms" took place at Portsmouth , at the Queen's Rooms , on Wednesday , under the direction of Miijor-Gcnoral Lord Frederick Fitzclarenco : — 41 Mr . Angolo came down from London on purpose to superintend and manage the spectacle , and the famous swordsmen , Mr . M'Turk and Mr . Alford , accompanied him to give more interest to it by exhibiting their skill

      Untitled Article

      April 6 , 1850 . ] 1 & % t Hxtf ' WX . 29

      Untitled Article

      EVENTS IN INDIA . Indian letters and papers , by express , bring news to the dates of 20 th February from Calcutta and 2 nd March from Bombay . In civil affairs there is nothing of much importance . The dispute with the Rajah of Sikkim is over : the Company has appropriated all the Rajah ' s country on their side of the Great Runjeet river , "leaving him only his barren hills , out of which he may make what he can . " " No better arrangement could have been made , as the country which is abandoned to the Rajah is unproductive , and would have been expensive to hold . " The portion annexed yields an annual revenue of £ 1600 . The £ 600 allowed the Rajah for the cession of Darjeeling will be withheld in further punishment of his contumacy .

      A court-martial to investigate the mutiny of the Sixth Bengal Native Infantry has promulgated its sentence upon certain of the mutineers . Three men have been condemned to fourteen years on the roads , twenty-one to seven years , about thirty to six months ; and sixty or seventy have been dismissed the service . The court-martial was still going on ; and it was probable that the worst cases were left to the last .

      In the Punjaub assassination is rife . Two artillerymen have been killed outside the walls of Peshawur . It would seem from the cases here and at Lahore , and from reports of similar outrages elsewhere , that the Sikhs , beaten in the field , are resorting to the more covert mode of assailing us . Attempts have been made on the life of the Deputy Collector of Deenanugger and oh that of Mr . Blythe , Assistant Commissioner at Buttula . Both gentlemen are said to have been wounded , and some attendants of the first killed ; but such occurrences are hushed up as much as possible . Thieves continue to inh-st the cantonment at Peshawur . On the

      2 nd of February some of the Affreedie tribes set upon a party of tappers employed in making a road through the hills , between Peshawur and Kohat , killed twelve of them , wounded others , and plundered their camp . To avenge this , a strong force under Colonel Bradshaw , with the Commander-in-Chief and Sir C . Campbell in company , marched from Peshawur on the 9 th , notice having been previously given that the villages of the offenders would be destroyed , and that such attacks would be always so punished . The force consisted of tvi'o hundred men from each of the

      throe European regiments , the Sixtieth , Sixty-first , and Ninety-ei « hth ; the Twenty-third and Thirtyfirst Native Infantry , Cooke's Punjaub Infantry and Lumsden's Guide Corps , Fisher ' s ( Second ) Irregular Cavalry and Daly's Punjaub Cavahy , and Fordyce's troop of Horse Artillery , with one hundred rounds per gun ; elephants accompanying the artillery lest horses should be insufficient f . r the work . Fouiteen days' provisions were taken with the force . Officers of the staff were ordered to " double up " and officers of regiments to " treble up" in hill tents in order to travel as light a * possible . Four officers of the regithe

      ments left at Peshawur were attached to baggage to see that the camels , &c , were kept in their places in the column , and not allowed to lag or straggle . A provost-martial was appointed , and the most stringent orders were given to prevent marauding . The enemy had established themselves in a pass , which they had stockaded . The Delhi Gazette gives the latest intelligence from Peshawur . The expeditionary force returned on the 14 th , having been completely successful . No regular stand was made by the enemy ; but there was much skirmishing and a galling and uncertain fire was kept up in the passes .

      The Thirty-first Native Infantry and Cooke's Infantry suffered severely ; the Utter " behaved splendidly . " Ensign . W . H . Sitwell was cut to pieces , and Lieutenant Hilliavd , of the Twenty-third , was severely wounded . Only three or four European soldiers were wounded : they are said to have gone to their work very steadily , and did not fire until sure of their mark . The shrapnellfrom Fordyce ' s guns astonished the insurgents more than anything else . Six villages were destroyed and of course a great number of tho enemy , though it is impossible to compute their loss . A force was left to occupy the pass near Muttunec ? .

      Disturbances arc reported at Wuzcerabad and Umritsir , and are anticipated in the neighbourhood of Bunnoo . A letter of tho fith of February to the Calcutta Englishman states that the Sikhs were undermining about Lahore ; that all Europeans had been ordered to hold themselves in readiness to turn out n \ a moment ' s warning , and that the authorities had already commenced throwing up a strong wall round the magazine . in the ral

      The Supreme Government published prm orders of tho 9 th of February a resolution having for its object to « ive aid , direction , and encouragement to tin .- people in forming schools in every village . The school master of each village is to receive an allowance from Government , in addition to what he may collect from his scholars . An amount will also be apportioned for prizes ; native visitors will superintend the districts , and a visitor-general report annually to Government . Tho system is to be first tried in eight districts .

      Untitled Article

      AMERICA AND HER NEW STATE , CALIFORNIA . The principal subject of the American news is Daniel Webster ' s speech on the question of admitting California to the Union , the debate on which was not concluded , according to the latest intelligence , brought by the Canada , which left New * York on the 20 th of MaTch . Mr . Webster commenced by declaring that he spoke , not as a Massachusetts man , nor as a Northern man ' , but as an American , for the whole Union . After an eloquent and rapid sketch of the agitation which pervades the American public , he added— " I speak

      to-day for the preservation of the Union . " He then proceeded to enlarge upon the differences between the North and South , admitted faults on both sides , but declared himself for the progressive abolition of slavery . With regard to California , he was against incorporating in its constitution any declaration for or against slavery , on the ground that slavery in that country was impossible , by a law of nature , —the law of physical geography , —the law of the formation of the earth , —a law even superior to that which admits and sanctions slavery in Texas . That law of nature settles for ever , with a strength beyond all terms of human enactments , that slavery cannot

      exist in California or New Mexico : —that is to say , the slavery in gross of the coloured race , transferable by sale and delivery as other property . California and Mexico are Asiatic in their formation : — composed of vast ridfges of mountains of an enormous height , sometimes broken by deep valleys . ^ The sides of these mountains are barren , their tops capped by perennial snows . There may be in California some tracks of valuable land , but scarcely any in New Mexico . What could induce anybody

      to go there with a slave ? Who expects to see a hundred black men cultivating tobacco , corn , cottort , rice , or anything on New Mexican lands , made fertile only by irrigation ? * ' I look upon it as a fixed fact that both California and New Mexico are destined to be free , by the Powers above us . I would not take pains to reaffirm an ordinance of nature , nor to re-enact the will of God . I would put in no Wiltnot proviso for the purpose of a taunt and a

      reproach , to wound the pride , rational or irrational , of the gentlemen of the Southern States . Wherever there is a practical good to be done—wherever there is an inch of land to be stayed back from becoming slave territory , I am ready to insert the principle of the exclusion of slavery . I am pledged to that from 1837—pledged to it again and again—and I will perform those pledges . But I will not do a thing unnecessarily that wounds the feelings of others or that does disgrace to my own understanding . "

      Mr . Seward , in one of the most important and eloquent speeches of the session , maintained the immediate admission of California into the Union . California ( ho urged ) was now a complete state . She could never again be a province or colony , could never shrink into the dimensions of a federal dependent territory . If she was not received as one of the sister states of the Union , she would soon set up for herself . She had many motives for independence ; if she did not contemplate it , it was because she did not expect rejection . If she chose it America had no power to prevent it . Nor would

      she go alone . Oregon , with the western declivity of the Sierra Nevada , and the entire Pacific coast , would follow in her footsteps . Mr . Seward was opposed to all compromise on the subject of slavery . He would not surrender any portion of human freedom for the gold and power of the western El Dorado . He had perfect confidence in the perpetuity of the Union . He could discover no omens of revolution . There would be no revolution but one that began and ended in Congress . He should , therefore , vote directly for the admission of California , without conditions , without qualifications , and without compromise .

      From California itself the advices to tho 1 st of February are gloomy . Wet weather had nearly put a stop to business . The inundation of tho Sacramento had subsided . But gold ia still abundant . At Sonoria Camps much no'd had been found , one entire piece weighing upwards of 231 bs . It was reported that a piece of nearly S £ lbs . had been picked up . Vessels continued to arrive at the rate of from six to twelve each day . The council at San Francisco had established a chain gang of criminals , for the purpose of employing them in public improvements . The population of San Francisco alone was estimated at 50 , 000 . " Pressure for money was great ! "

      Next to California and its constitutional position was the condition of Mr . Calhoun , who was not expected to survive many hours .

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), April 6, 1850, page 29, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1839/page/5/