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which destroyed all the constitutions and all the laws pro - tecting individual freedom , property , and the press of the opposition , Dr . Euge lived retired at Bremen 5 but after a reat of seven months the Bremish authorities declared that they could not longer protect him , and so he was obliged to embark himself and his family to the hospitable shores of England . "He chose Brighton , where he has lived since 1850 , in . order to earn his living by his superior knowledge of the literature , the philosophy , and the language of his country , in which his prose works are considered as standard works of the period , like those of Leasing at his time . He has not been altogether deceived , and England , where the press and public discussion are free and beyond the reach of any Pope or Despot , has become a new residence for the philosopher who at Halle , at Dresden , at Paris , at Bremen , had experienced ' that truth and libert y had no home . ' May the hospitable shore of England ever prove to be the secure abode of the persecuted . "
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PICTURES OF AUSTRALIA . The condition of the great gold colony is illustrated more by scattered facts than by any general account . The diggings still remain the centre of interest . The latest discoveries have taken place at Ballarat : here the gold ia found not in such general richness as at Mount Alexander but in large lumps , " few and far between . " The nugget worth 80002 . has been discovered by a party of four , one a railway clerk , who arrived but some weeks before in the Great Britain . Two other monster nuggets , weighing about 1501 b ., nearly all pure gold , have been also found at Ballarat : but not without hard
work . " Some of these finds , " says the Times correspondent , " are at a depth of some fifty feet , a great part of which is through rocks and slate , and other hard substances . Hear this , ye white-handed youths in shady offices and ' soft goods' shops , and pause before you throw up your situations to rush away to the diggings . Fancy digging half-a-dozen such holes and finding nothing . I know a party of sturdy fellows who sank nine deep holes , one or two of them like wells , and found nothing at the bottom but water and disappointment . " Still there are fine prizes . A large nugget of several pounds , pure gold , has very lately been found at Bendigo , and a good authority adds : — " I have always said the talk about worked-out fields , and a failure in the gold , was nonsensical , and only founded on temporary circumstances and individual experiences . " [ It is now suspected that there is an original matrix or fountain-head of gold not far from Ballarat . ]
The gold fields of New South Wales are not so rich in yield as those of Victoria , but it is found that the gold is spread over a larger breadth of ground , and is more evenly distributed . The actual export of both colonies is very great . In thirteen montlis and five days ( up to Feb . 5 th of this year ) the mines of Victoria have produced 5 , 166 , 234 Ounces , worth 19 , 373 , 3772 ., while the export of the New South Wales mines have amounted in value to 3 , 57 O , 1 O 5 Z . Society at the
diggings is wild and dangerous . The diggers are rough and ready for outrage and riot . Lately , at the Ovens , a policeman having accidentally killed a digger , the whole body rose , assailed the commissioners and the police , most murderously assaulted the policeman who had offended , and smashed all the muskets , arms , and accoutrements they could find . With great difficulty order was restored . As some check to such disturbances tho sale of spirits has been prevented at the
diggings . The social condition of Melbourne is chequered . Many hardships meet tho emigrant on landing . Tho difficulty of transporting luggage from tho wharves to Melbourne induced a singular " institution , " of which the following story is told : — Bag-fair was a pioce of ground on tho wharf , whoro tho numerous immigrants who found thomsolves unable to move a step on landing for want of monoy , congregate to sell their little stock of clothoH , books , bedding , and other articles , opening tho boxes and bales , and spreading out tho contents . Some of tho things often soli well , and this provoked tho Bmall shopkeepers , nomo of whom sent
emissaries , with boxes of goods , to take part in tho dealing . The Government has now stepped in , and abohshod Kagfair but , at tho samo time , has oponod a ground of its own , at tho rent of 11 . & week for a small otanding ! Shortly after this—indeed , within a few days , the regular markothouao of Melbourne was burnt . Nothing but tho walls have been left . " Tt i « generally admitted that thin was the work of incendiaries , but nobod y seems to guess at tho motive or incitement . But some of thoeo who woro driven away from Hag-fair oould toll a good deal about it . With Buch a multitude of wooden houses , the town had a narrow oBcapo of a conflagration such as thoso at San Francisco » uid Montreal . "
On the south Yarra , Government has built tomporary lodging-houses , whero emigrants paying 21 . can lodge for ten days , at the end of which they are turned out . Hut the tents sot up by the emigrants themselves form quite a town on tho south side of tho rivor , and constitute the now village of " Canvass Town . Tho ground belongs to tho Government , which charges 5 * . for ench tent , but will not allow any but vory temporary erections . This was lately shown in a harsh way : —
"To nrotoet themselves from wind and rain , many of tho inmuteH of those tents had added a few board * . at tfio bottom or sides , and aovoral had eroctod wooden imnu * ,
on which they had nailed canvas . This has alarmed tho paternal authorities , and an order has been sent to these comfortable dogs to pull down and tear up all their boards , and make no more kennels upon so luxurious a plan ; but an excellent petition was drawn up against this order by a number of the tent population , and no more was done in the matter . As for sending a handful of policemen to evict several thousand people ( there have been as many as between 6000 and 6000 , and there are as many as 600 tents at the present time ) , the thing would be preposterous . The inmates would never pull down their only abodes themselves . A poor Irish village may be coerced in this way , but a mixture of English , Scotch , Irish , with some Germans and French , is not likely to see it done submissively , even though a few files of soldiers were marched down to enforce the eviction . " The want of all decent lodging is especially bard on
women . " Numbers of respectable young women find they have made a sad mistake in coming to Melbourne . To an advertisement which offered a respectable woman a free passage to England in return for taking are of two children on the voyage , there were between three and four hundred applications the very next morning . Men ^ f merely literary education find themselves equally misplaced . A few days ago , as Captain Chisholm was standing at the door of a shop in Collins-street , a gentleman , a perfect stranger , stepped up to him and said , Sir , I beg your pardon for the liberty I take ; I am a Fellow , &c , of an Oxford college ; I am almost starving ; would you be so kind as to give me a shilling ? ' "
For working men there is every likelihood of success . In Melbourne there is still crime , outrage , and disorder ; the criminal calendar for February showed a list of 140 prisoners for trial at Melbourne alone ; but the increased exertions of the legislature in preventing the immigration of Van Dieman ' s Land convicts , in preparing for the rapidly augmenting population , and in organizing a better police , will soon diminish this unusual amount of offences . Other "bits" of the picture of Melbourne society are the employment of some Chinese lately landed , almost as slaves , and the rush to the Post-office on the landing of the mail ; the chance of a "letter from home" being an immense attraction . An ej e-witness says of a late arrival : —
" During ^ the first and second days after the arrival of this steamer , the front of the Post-office was so densely besieged by the crowd wanting letters , that those who were successful after hours in getting up to the box , could not by any means work their way out again , and were literally hoisted over the heads of the crowd , women as well as men . " In the sister colony of New South Wales the condition of society is in every way more quiet and regular . The gold fields have never been so excessively rich as to tempt the masses from good employment , and industry and order have been but very little disturbed .
Miscellaneous facts are many . The price of gold in Melbourne has gradually risen to 3 £ . 16 s . per ounce . The banking institutions of New South Wales have made very good progress , and the energy of the people is additionally shown in the establishment of an escort from the Victoria diggings to Sydney , in the hope of diverting to the capital some of the immense gold traffic of Melbourne . Ten thousand souls were added in January to the Victoria population , house rent is ,
consequently , very high- The legislative council of the latter colony has just terminated its protracted session of nearly eig ht months . The tariff has been reduced to an cquitablo and liberal scale ; the port and harbour duos have also been reduced ; many desirable legal reforms have been instituted , and largo sums have been voted for the purposes of furthering education and religion , and promoting public health . Three railway schemes have been Banctioned by the legislature , but tho want of labour delays their execution .
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AN AMERICAN CITIZEN'S YACHT . The pleasure yacht of a private American citizen has arrived at Southampton , and has caused a " sensation . " The peculiar circumstances justify the general interest that baa been excited . The North Star is the property of Mr . Vanderbilt . Ho is a private gentleman of fortune , and has commenced a voyage from Now York to St . Petersburgh and the Mediterranean . His yacht is a model of marine architecture , built in tho best , American Btyle , and of magnificent proportions . She is a paddle-box steamer , with two funnels . The length of keel in 2 G 0 feet ; tho length of spar deck , 270 feet ; beam , 38 foot . Tho cylinders are GO inches
diameter , with 10 feet stroke ; and the paddle-wheels 3 < t feet in diameter . The steam in generated in four boilers , ouch SJ 4 feet long and 10 foot diameter , with single return flues . Tho interior arrangements are handsome and luxurious ; everything is fitted up in a costly stylo , with every convenience to suit tho tastes and desires of the friends who accompany the owner and bis family in this extended and princely pleasure tour . Tho vchhoI is of larger tonnage and greater power than our royal yacht , the I'ictoria and Albert ; and in every arrangement there is u liberality almost royal in extent and style . Besides tho suite of personal attendants the crow consists of nearly 100 men , including officers , seamen , engineers , firemen , and minor
employes . Her weekly expenses are about 350 ? ., and her consump tion of coals averages three hundred tons weekly . The superiority of her build is evidenced by the speed of her voyage from New York . She made the distance in ten days , eight hours , and fifty minutes ; and when we consider the newness of her machinery this remarkable run must be considered a new triumph of American skill . In one day of the voyage she ran 344 miles . Her burthen is 2000 tons , and her cost has been 500 , 000 dollars . The arrival of the North Star at Southampton on Tuesday week attracted much
attention : as the monster steamer entered Avith the American colours flying , tho interest in the town was universal , especially when it was made known that this private ship had brought later dates from America than those received by the last steamer . That the energy of a single citizen of a republic should have equalled the achievements of a great national postal organization is characteristic of the people and of our times ; and that the pleasure ship of a private gentleman should thus splendidly assert the " proud regality " of the broad sea , ia a fine proof of that development of individuality which American institutions encourage .
The people of Southampton are well disposed to do Mr . Vanderbilt due honour . They propose , after tho fashion of the natives of this country , to give him a public dinner , on a grand scale . His demeanour , in this country , appears to justify such distinctions . He has very courteously opened his yacht for inspection , and has very kindly ordered that the poorest shall have an opportunity of seeing its splendour .
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THE FIRST RAILWAY IN INDIA . The Great Indian Peninsular Railway stretches from Bombay eastward . At Callian , thirty-two miles from Bombay , it divides into two lines , the one inclining to the north , the other to the south , but still continuing the easterly extension of the communication . Tlie first twenty miles of tho line have been already completed ; they pass through a country remarkable for engineering difficulties and singular scenery . The country at first is level , but full of creeks , and of flats periodically overflown , and studded with innumerable islands , half embedded in mud and half swamped in water , shallow or deep , according to the season . But the line passing the Concan approaches Tannah river at a point called Sion Ferry . The view here is beautiful . The rocky promontory of Senhora del Monte rises seaward , and groups of fine red hills bound the inward view . The ruins of an old Mabratta watch tower surmounts one , and on another is perched the old British fort of Sion , curiously built for purposes of war , but now surrounded only by the palms , the banyans , the mangoes , and p lantains of the little valley , and almost assailed by the rich flowers of the thick-leaved crocus clambering- up the battlements . The view from this fort is fine and varied . To the south is the lighthouse of Cobala ; nearer
the dark fort of Bombay ; while square-rigged vessels fill the intermediate distance mingled with nativo craft , British mcn-of-wiir , and packet steamers . To tho south is the blue hind of the Pirate Coast , witli remains of the pirate forts still standing ; to the west are the barracks and burying ground of Mutoonga . The sacred and curiouH cave temples of Elcphunta ( Buddhist temples , 2500 years old ) are also visible ; thoir handsome architecture discerned amid tall palmyra trees . scattered over the red hills . More distant is Sal . sette , with its white Catholic chapels ; and in tlin same group is Sion Causeway . The sen glistens in the strong- sunlight ,
throwing deep shadows from the cocoa-nut groves and banyan trees in the plain . ( Tho Lady . Tainsetjee Causeway below looks like : i dark thread across the creek ; it was built by tho private munificence of the lady whoso naino it boars , tho wife of the princely 1 'ursce who , within the last twenty years , has given of bis private fortune 25 , 000 / . for the public good . The work cost 17 , 000 / ., and is of great use . ) Tho railway next crosses the ferry , and cuts through a ridge of hard earth and rock . It then runs along a truck of flat paddy ground , about ten feet above the sea , and quite level ; it passes tho yellow rocks of Corla , ranged in regular columns ; and crosses a beautiful country , a mixture of open woodland and cultivated ground with tho toilsoMe hills
to tho west , tho most magnificent of tho Ghauts on the other side , leaving behind it in the distance , Htill visible , Houibiiy harbour , with its islands and shipping . Passing Uhimdoop distillery , it crosses the river about half a mile from Tannah , and runs over a hamlsomo viaduct ( 500 feet long . It next , reaches Tuimnh , an old Portuguese town , with the remains of forts and a thriving silk manufacture . Tliis portion of tho line , twenty miles long , was opened on tho M 5 t . li of April . Tint rest of II 10 line is to proceed to Callian , there to separate into two linen -the 0110 to run north-oust to Shapoor , ascend thoGlmut to Kgpooru , and from thence ( , o Miiimmr , distant from Itoinhuy 1 ( 50 miles ; the other to . stretch Kouth-ooalward from Callian over three miles
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June 11 , 1853 . ] THE LEADER . 561
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Leader (1850-1860), June 11, 1853, page 561, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1990/page/9/
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