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Leader (1850-1860), 24th December 1853, Edition 1 of 2, Page 1239, Untitled Article

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      sty zeal with which he sanctioned the absolutist Evolution of the 2 nd of December , although , two onths afterwards , the most formal and emphatic W oroval of the Premier was expressed in the House i Commons after mature deliberation . Lord Palerstbn ' reply , on that occasion , to the unfair attack made upon him by Lord John Kussell , who -ell knew that his adversary ' s tongue "was tied , and that he had consented to withhold certain painful disclosures , was , notwithstanding these

      disadvantages , a triumphant one . He affirmed , without contradiction , that , on the very day upon which he had expressed his qualified approval of the coup d'etat , in conversation with-the French Ambassador , his censor , Lord John-Russell , the President of the Council , and even his successor at the Foreign Office , had likewise expressed favourable opinions on the subject . Therefore a too hasty expression of opinion could not have been the real cause of his dismissal .

      On the 6 th of December , Lord Normanby stated to M . de Turgot , in Paris , that " He was sure , that had his Government known of the suppression of the Rouges at the time he had heard from them , lie should have been commissioned to ' add their congratulations to his own . ' " But Lord Palmerston , in his celebrated despatch to Lord Normanby , written ten days afterwards , gave it as Ms opinion that , " As to approving or condemning the step taken by the President in dissolving the Assembly , he conceived it was for the French nation , and not for the British Secretary of State , or for the British Ambassador , to pronounce judgment upon that event ; but if his Excellency

      wished to know his own opinion on the change which had taken place in France , it was that such a state of antagonism had arisen between the President and the Assembly , that it was becoming every day more clear that their co-existence could not be of long duration ; and it seemed to him better for the interests of France , and through them for the rest of Europe , that the power of the President should prevail , inasmuch as the continuance of his authority might afford a prospect of the maintenance of social order in France , whereas the divisions of opinions and parties in the Assembly appeared to betoken that their victory over the President would be the starting point for disastrous civil strife . "

      -The fact was that Lord Palmerston ' s dismissal was a preconcerted scheme , as the following paragraph of a letter from Vienna , dated December 23 rd , where intelligence of that unexpected event could not then have been received , clearly proves . The alleged reason , therefore , was merely a pretext , and the real cause of the dismissal of the British Minister for Foreign Affairs was , not that he had approved of an absolutist revolution , but , that he had refused to become a mere instrument in the hands of

      foreigners to forward the intrigues of certain Princes of the House of Coburg , who were closely allied to almost every despot or pretender in Europe , except Louis Napoleon , and were , therefore , resolved to supplant him at the first favourable opportunity in the interest of their Bourbon relatives . The following is the paragraph I allude to , which was publi shed at the time in the Breslau Gazette , dated Vienna , 23 rd December , 1851 : — " Humours are liero

      c of negotiations said to have been engaged in Vy h'gh personages in England with our Court without the knowledge of Lord Palmerston . Their object is said to be a rapprochement , between the two Courts , and the retirement of the noble lord from office ¦ ' ¦ > ' announced as certain to happen soon . The first index of this rapprochement has been tbfl admission of Lord Westmoreland to an audience , and his invitation to dinner by the Emperor . "

      With respect to Lord lVlnierston ' s late resignation , it has been assorted that he now quits theserv ice of the public because he cannot induce himself to support oven a moderate scheme of reform . But a 'i attentive obsorvcr of political events in this country is of opinion , that the noble lord hat ) , iti truth , resigned his oflico from an unwillingness to seo tho alliance between England and Franco compro mised by German intrigue , or the honour and interest of Grout Britain Hucrineed to the Austrian Policy of tho King of tho Uolgians , who now secretly * 'uU > 3 the councils and destinies of England . —I have the honour to bo , Sir , your obedient servant , W . C .

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      Dece mber 24 , 1853 ] THE LEADER . 12 a 9 L _

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      THE ANTI-POOR-LAW MOVEMENT . Sheffield , Dec . 22 , 1853 . ( To the Editor of the Leader . } Sir , —Will you permit me to offer a few observations on your strictures upon the Anti-Poor-law meeting which was held in Manchester last week ? You say the movement ought to fail , because it is not confined to the " abuses" of the Poor-law Board . In my judgment this opinion is somewhat hastily formed , or else your real meaning is not very clearly , expressed . The whole history of the New Poor-law is one of deceit and trickery . It was passed by interested

      misrepresentation , and has been continued ever since by the same unscrupulous means . All the abuses flow from the principle involved in the law—that of centralisation . The yoke is becoming more and more galling every day . None can conceive the extent of the evil except they experience it in a practical manner . In Sheffield we have felt it in many ways , and groaned under it , until there is a fixed resolve amongst many of pur best men not to hold office so long as the harassing and vexatious centralising action of the Poor-law Board exists . I will give you a recent instance of this absurd and improper , though

      legal interference . The parish of Sheffield is divided into five townships , of which NetherHallam , wherein I have long resided , is one . In the year 1800 , a common was enclosed , and a central portion was awarded to the township , upon which a workhouse was built . The figure of a working bee-hive , in stone , adorns the front of the building , indicating that it was really a work-house . The present " unions , " or workhouses , are places where the inmates are compelled to play , by way of a labour test On the introduction of the New Poor-law into Sheffield , the township of Nether Hallam was absorbed in one of the

      unions , where a magnificent " Bastiile" ( the name by which it is commonly designated ) was erected out of borrowed money . The centralisers have long cast a covetous eye upon our old workhouse , which they wished to be sold , but the rate-payers have always resisted the various attempts that were made to accomplish this Object , and have retained possession of the workhouse for meet ings on parochial and other public business . In consequence of the rapid increase of population in the township , and the far greater activity displayed by the rate-payers on local matters than heretofore , it has been found that the

      building which was sufficient for the requirements of the year 1800 , is inconvenient for the present period . The overseers of the poor have had the subject under their careful consideration a long time . In June last ( six months ago ) , they called a special public vestry meeting for the purpose of considering the matter , and the meeting was numerously attended . The overseers submitted plans , specifications , and estimates for a new vestry hall , which was to cost GOO / . They stated that they had saved this sum from time to time , and it was then in the Bank ; so that no rate would be wanted to erect the new hall .

      After considerable discussion , the report of tho overseers was unanimously adopted , and they were authorised to proceed forthwith . So far for local self-government ; now for the centralising Poor-law Board . It appears that it was necessary for the overseers to obtain the consent of the Poor-law Board to what the vestry had decided upon , and all the documents were sent up for that purpose . Nothing could apparently be moro easy and simple ; but what is tho fact ? A public wardmoto of the burgesses of the township was held in the workhouse on the 5 th of this month . The Sheffield Free Press , of the 10 th inst .,

      contains tho following report of part of the proceedings : _» New Vestry / fa // . —Mr . Smith , tho vestryclerk , stated that tho oversecra had had a very long and tedious correspondence with the Poor-law Board , on the subject of the new vestry hall . The correspondenco was , in fact , immense . Tho Poor-law Board had raised many objections , and made many inquiries , which were promptly met and answered by the oversews . Ho thought they were approaching a conclusion now , and that tho Board were nearly satisfied . The overseers hud been fotterod in every step that they had taken in the matter by tho Poorof tho

      law Board ; and in consequence long delay which tho Board hurt occasioned , tho hall would cost more in erection than was originally estimated , labour and materials having advanced , " This is one iiiRtanco of tho obstruction caused by the obnoxious principle- inherent in tho New Poor-law . Similar annoyances arc being experienced all ovor tho country , wherever its baleful influence extends , la it to bo wondered at , therefore , that the Manchester meeting decided on going for tho entire abolition of tho Board ? Tho foot is , that we in tho provinces manage our highways well enough without any central influence : and wo think we can also manage tlio

      relief of tho poor in tho tmino manner . At all events wo aro determined to try . —Yours , faithfully , IHAAO IltONSIDJ !! .

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      THE GLASGOW ATHEN ^ UM . Glasgow Athenaeum , Dec . 21 , 1853 . { To the Editor of the Leader . ) SiRi—Our Athenaeum is a non-sectarian institution , professedly . In theory , it knows nothing of religious sect nor political party . It is strictly a secular institution , and is supported by men of every shade of theological opinion . Still , it is an eminently pious institution . It has an orthodox board of directors , purged some years ago , by special effort of Free Kirk , and other " evangelicals" of all heresy , honest enough to avow itself . It is strict as to the reputed orthodoxy of its lecturers , and , as an unfortunate result , its . lectures are very tame and

      veryuninteresting . Indeed , our Athenaeum is a verymodel of pious respectability , but somewhat whining and sickly withal . It keeps the Sabbath , too , and connives at no reading of profane newspapers or magazines on that holy day ; consequently , its reading-room , a beautiful hall capable of accommodating about 600 persons , is unoccupied on the Sabbath , for the purposes of the institution , and a revenue has been derived from letting it as a place of worship .

      The members never regarded this as anything but a matter of business ; it never occurred to them that it was any part of the duties of the directors whom they elected to sit in judgment on the peculiar opinions of those who from time to time applied to rent it , and decide that" this sect may worship here , but that shall not . " Nor , indeed , until very recently , did it ever occur to the directors themselves , that such was their duty ; and , in blessed ignorance , of this weighty responsibility , they rented their hall to the " Morisonians , " who occupied it so long as they required its use . Afterwards the hall was let

      to the Wesleyans , who now occupy it , and- another hall in the institution is , I believe , let to a " Christian Institute , " the members of which , with more zeal than wisdom , wage war from week to week with Scepticism , Secularism , and all manner of obnoxious isms . The halls were , however , let as sources of revenue , and it was never supposed by any one that the institution , in so doing , identified itself with either Morisonianism , or Wesleyanism , or with this termagant Christian Institute . So matters went smoothly o n until the U nitarians applied for the hall , on the usual terms , when it should be evacut of

      ated by its present occupants . Well , he course action was clear . The hall had been let without any question as to the views of its occupants heretofore , why should the Unitarians be subjected to exclusion more than others ? The rent would be as safe from them , and they would at least conduct their worship with no less decorum than those to whom the hall had been let . Let them have it . So would you have disposed of the question south of the Tweed . Not so thought the directors of the GlasgoAv Athenaeum . It was a serious matter to act consistently ; with fear of parsons before them , they couldn ' t do it . And a sleek member of the board

      suggested that tho matter should be disposed of quietly—that the secretary should be instructed to inform the parties that the directors did not feel at liberty to enter into any further arrangements regarding the hall at present . The suggestion was approved , and communicated to the applicants ; but tho Unitarians , plain-dealing , matter-of-fact sort of people as they are , wouldn't see tho full meaning of the smooth reply , accordingly , after allowing some time to elapse , they renewed their application , with a request that they should have a final yea or nay , in reply . This was was too direct to bo evaded - after confessing that

      the matter was discussed , and , tho Unitarians were " above the average of tho community in intelligence , " that they were " menof unimpeachable integrity , " &c , tho board decided that being Unitarians , they should not worship their God in the hall of the Athenaeum . Let it bo said , however , for tho honour of tho institution , that this infamous decision was not unanimous , that there was oven amongst thoso orthodox directors five " good men and true , " who entered their protest against it , and gave consistent testimony in behalf of complete religious toleration . Could you have believed it , Mr . Editor that at this time of day , when oven our themselves of

      universities » ro ridding religious tests , tho directors of an institution , purely literary in its character , could bo so bigoted and priest-ridden as to stultify themselves by tho introduction into its management of theological tests , which the spirit and letter of its constitution diHowui * Tho decision Hcems tome , Sir , a disgrace to tho institution , and unless its members bestir themselves to reverse this procedure on the part of the directors , it must be regarded simply as a tool of sectarianism , and it must become a quostion with tho liberal members how far they can , in justice to themselves , continue to support it . —I am , yours , & <\ , An Oi , i > Mmmukit ov the Institution .

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 24, 1853, page 1239, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2018/page/15/