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liability to the actual amount subscribed or staked by each shareholder , would in itself be a great boon . That which was once a perfect bugbear in the House of Commons , limited liability , now appears to be received with favour by many parties , including the Government ; and we welcome for it the advocacy of our ceconomical contemporary , the Daily News . The workingclasses , however , should watch the progress of this question strictly ; for they may be assured , first , that they will be able to obtain advantages from the pliancy of legislatures precisely in proportion to their own zeal in exacting as much as they can get ; and secondly , they may be assured that every step which they gain is an advance towards more .
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A DOUBLE " INDISCRETION . " Me . Diskaeli , Louis Napoleon ' s Attorney-General , vice Malmesbury , invalided , made a great display on behalf of his client , last Friday week . He was in glorious voice ; not a note of his splendid organ was out of tune . He was in rude health , fresh from the triumphs of the chase . Every feature , every limb , was under command . He shook his locks , he threw back his chest , he thrust his hands into the depths of his pockets ; he was philosophic , he was insolent , he was jollily sarcastic ; the Disraeli of 1846 stood once
more upon the floor of the House , with the halo of a Cabinet Minister still upon his brow—the Mercury of sarcasm . And what a theme—the cause of peace and an Emperor ! How he rattled away ! Now upbraiding the press , his " only escocheon ; " then impaling Sir Charles Wood ; this time sneering at Sir James Graham , that , flinging a shower of epigrams on the head of Lord John Russell ; now , damning Lord Aberdeen with faint praise , then , executing a rapid charge among the Radicals . Above all , convicting " All the Talents" of an " indiscretion . " Everybody laughed and cheered with delight at the display ; but nobody was deceived . Even the gentlemen
behind him knew that they only assisted at a '" brilliant display of fireworks , " an attraction reserved for that House alone . Even the journals of the Emperor treat it as nothing more . Base ingratitude ! But while arraigning the Government for its warlike tendencies , some busybody , in an unlucky moment , placed a circular in th # hands of the orator . He had appealed to the House to pronounce that he was not factious in demanding an explanation of the intentions of Ministers , and lie was met by " loud ironical cheers . " Turning fiercely upon his foes , he
exclaimed" Do you think so ? What is the opinion of the merchants , bankers , traders , and others , in the City of London ? Here is an invitation to ' a meeting of the merchants , bankers , traders , and others in the City of London , who feel called upon at this time publicly to express our deep concern at seeing the efforts continually beiner made to create and perpetuate feelings of distrust and hostility and of ill-will between the inhabitants of two great nations—France and England . ' Therefore , I should recommend the honourable gentleman who disturbed inc , or attempted to interfere with my observations—if he does not favour us with his observations hero to-night—to go to the London Tavern and tell the merchants and traders of England
that they are factious , and that because they are alarmed , disquieted , and full of distrust for their commercial transactions , they are showing a feeling of faction towards her Majesty ' s Government . " He gained a triumph for tlio moment ; ho made a successful hit ; his party cheered . But who had heard of this portentous meeting in the city V The " merchants , bankers , traders , and others" in the House must have- felt uncomfortable at being thus discovered in their patriotic attempt . It is such a noble thing to "Do good by stealth , and blush to find it fame . "
Strange that oven the Times knew nothing of the " invitation . " Nobody knew anything of it . An awful mystery porvnded the whole affair . Monday paused by , and no evidence was forthcoming . . Hut on Tuesday the bubble burnt . The Times found it out . It appears that the circular wjih private ; that it had been issued on tho very day the speech was delivered ; that tho " merchants , bankers , traders , and others , " were created to round of ! Mr . Disraeli ' s periods , and tlnit the " invitation " eume from—Mr . Sidney Smith ! Tho invitation to a pubiic meeting wan another iictioa ; the
illustrious Mr . Smith had convened , for Monday last , only a private preliminary meeting of &few leading merchants , bankers , and others . So that Louis Napoleon ' s attorney-general had committed more than an " indiscretion "—he had negligently perverted the facts . As to the illustrious statesman , unattached , who rejoices in the name of the witty canon of St . Paul ' s , we admit he had been badly used by Mr . Disraeli . On
Wednesday , Mr . Smith wrote to the Times , very properly complaining that Mr . Disraeli had made an " unwarrantable use" of his circular , in his " factious" attack on » the Government ; and had moreover induced the impression that the " meeting at the London Tavern had a party object . How shocking ! But then Mr . Smith was also indiscreet in the oificious step he took towards placarding an opinion of the City of London . ITor what did he propose P
In his circular , Mr . Smith informs us it was " an opinion very generally expressed "—by whom P — " that some manifestation should be made of the disbelief of the commercial body in any hostile designs being entertained by France towards this country , and of the strong desire of the mercantile community for the maintenance of friendly relations between the two countries . " What a state of distress the " commercial body " must be reduced to , when they require the
intervention of Mr . Smith to manifest their disbelief in the hostile designs of France ! The " mercantile community , " too , —we suppose a distinct set of persons from the " commercial body , "—how thankful they must be to the obstetric Mr . Smith , who so opportunely came in to deliver them of their " strong desire I" They must be thankful for the recondite information that they desire peace—as if anybody did not desire peace ! But what sort of evidence is their desire for
peace , of the truth or falsehood of the prevailing suspicion of the designs of Louis JNTapbleon P Wiry , Mr . Smith has almost rendered a counter declaration necessary . Here are grave doubts as to the intention of a military autocrat ; and Mr . Smith asks the City of London to meet them by saying—Oh , we are very desirous of peace . We remember the story of the clergyman who read the bible to the thieves while they grimly ransacked his desk and carried off his property . We are reminded of the pacific man who , in the
presence of the quarrelsome bully , loudly proclaims his intention of keeping the peace . Mr . Smith wants the City to propitiate the Emperor by condemning , at a public meeting , the hostile criticisms of the press . We live in that land which is " the last refuge of the liberties of Europe ; " we have seen one man by stealth , by perjury , by murder , trample out tho freedom of a great nation , and we are asked to bo silent , lest wo should exasperate and alarm him—for it is all a farce to talk about tho " French people , " that disingenuous habit of tho peace orators .
Well , Mr . Smith issued his cards of invitation to the great men of the city , and held his meeting on Monday . Mr . Gurney was there . But , strange to say , others came also . That practical absurdity , the projected declaration , was strongly opposed ; even a chairman was not appointed ; the meeting was a fiasco , as tho circular convening it wan an " indiscretion . " JNTow , we should like to know who really got
up the affair P Is it one of the first movements of Mr . Oobden ' s projected agitation ? Were the circulars paid for out of the £ 10 , 000 fund P Understand , reader , these are only questions . There are two facts patent : Mr . Sidney Smith was a loud littlo gun in tho Anti-Corn Law League ; and tho loud great guns of that successful revolution are the captains of the movement which patronises at once peace and Mr . JDisrueli ' s imperial client , Louis Bonaparte .
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'NIK ( JKNKSIS or PARLIAMENT . Loud Eni < mKM ) , when candidate for Chatham , stated boldly to the admiring electors , whom , of course , the eyes of " Europe were upon at thai moment , that it had always been his chief wish to promote , as far as he could , their individual interests . The precedent , slightly modified , seems to have been very generally adopted ; from the huntings , indeed , imperial topics are now-n-da , ys onliniirily descantedon ; but insecludedspota . Huch as back lanes ami public houses , it seems that "individual interoHts" are still the questions principally attended to . Drink , too , sooma to be an important , element in the Constitution ; and bribery , or corruption , us it is more classically
termed , an essential preliminary to a seat in Parliament . Let us illustrate the present state of affairs with a few examples , not , of course , in the hope of expediting any reform—the present Government is too strong to be hurried—but simply with the intention of showing that we , who have thought " finality" a mistake , have not been altogether without grounds for our belief on the subject . lvedthat there has
At Blackburn , it is " reso " been something wrong . Strangely enough , for the gentleman turned out swore—he being at the time an " honourable member" —that he had no anxiety to be elected , though he had six paid agents . He was happy in the affection , but unfortunate in the judgment , of his family . They had not the confidence they should have had in the popularity of their father ; and therefore , unknown to that gentleman of course , and mosj ; unnecessarily moreover , they drew a cheque upon his banker , and disbursed money to his constituency to an amount so extravagant , that tho Committee—who probably manage their elections more economically—thought the example a bad one , and visiting the sins of the sons upon the father , unseated the victim . of filial clevotedness .
Bridgenorth is a small town , but not an inexpensive one . The reports of the last week show that a great outlay is necessary before a footing can be established in this borough . Voters require breakfasts mysteriously , and those who are modest are even told , that at certain remote public houses they will find " liquors , and wine , and everything they want . " Most of them are pliable enough , ready to sell their franchise on very fair terms , and in cases where principle , or , according to the Coppock morality , the hope of a better bargain , makes them obstinate , a " distress" is threatened , and generally ,
Willoughby , one of the Committee , with a no doubt , found efficacious . Benevolent agents come , unauthorisedandunpaid , frorndistantplaces 5 and" make facetious allusions to the absurdity of combining conscience andpovert } 7 . Solicitors " sink their politics in their profession ; " and Sir Henry shrewdness which we hope is not derived from experience , finds that " a trap" has been laid for a petition , and that simpletons have been , induced to be bribed , simply in order that their sin might invalidate the unwary briber ' s friend ' s ( it is never the candidate himself who bribes ) election .
ButClitheroe , perhaps , is themost smiling corner of the world foravagrant citizen with no particular local attachments . There a ten-pound householder may get large sums for his vote . They ask 150 / . — fancy a liability to tho income-tax , as the result of being an elector !—but the candidates sticklo for 50 £ ., and that , even , is perhaps worth acceptance , especially as , in these days of unstable
Governments , contests are rather frequent . But let us not lead anybody into danger without warning . Clitheroe is open to this objectionthe Conservatives aro rather ferociously inclined . One gentleman , a voter , received this time an intimation from " Aspinall ' s party , " that " 300 fighting men would be required " - —poachers—has Conservatism come to thisP—to have the preference !
Then there is Chatham ; and after the evidence , touching this place , the divil Service Gazette must expire . " Gentlemen in search of Government appointments , " instead of wasting their substance in the purchase of that periodical , which only tells them what oflicos are vacant , must henceforth take the far wiser course of becoming ten-pound householders in Chatham , whereby they will obtain the posts , and not . merely bo told that they are vacant . A " situation in tho dock-yards" must ; be worf . Ji having ; and recollecting Lord . Hnlield on " individual interests , " one scarcely can blame the poor voter who quietly sells himself to put his ropntsedl . ative in a position to go through the same operation .
At Canterbury a public duiracter appears , Coppock in person , the liberal VV . B . We have not a word to say against him not , a titl le of evidence to produce . Oddly enough , people < lo find sovereigns in beds , without being surprised , and appropriate them without being given into custody . But suspicion attaches to nobody ; and though voters occasionally " alter their minds , " everything i » done " conscientiously !"
They petition at No wry , by mistake ; the potilion has been withdrawn vory properly , no nfluenco , wo aro assured , having been brought
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Eebruary 26 , 1853 . ] THE LEADER . 205
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Leader (1850-1860), Feb. 26, 1853, page 205, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1975/page/13/
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