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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.
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THEE SLAVE-TRADE IN TURKEY . TKe removal of the Hussians from the Circassian ? coast Is said to have had one bad social effect ; £ . e-, that the slave-trade is likely to be more flourishing than before . la compliance with representations made by Xord Redeliffe the Sultan has issued striagent firmans against the traffic . A letter from Constantinople says : — ; " The attention of the British Ambassador has been especially directed to this subject , and , after many'representations , he las succeeded in obtaining firmans , worded in the most stringent language , for the total abolition of the Circassian and Georgian slave-trade . Not only may the -women 'be taken and set at liberty , so far
asa Mussulman female can be free , but the dealer will be subject to the punishment of a grave offence . "Whether the extinction of white or concubine slavery will follow this edict , it is difficult to say . Turkey is tlie country of high- » sounding reforms never carried into practice , and Imperial orders executed only -where a foreign ' representative is present to urge on their enforcement . But no doubt the'Porte and its advisers are in earnest , and the trade will cease for the present'as far as Constantinople is concerned . To discuss the question of polygamy and the results to the Turks themselves of tie practice « 5 f buying odalisks in any number -they -may desire , is useless . No one can'doubt ' but that the harem is"dtte of the chief causes of the sloth and cowardice of
the 'Turkish governing ; class . Putting -aside other considerations , it'is -well kno " wn' that the great household expenses , whicli'keep even the most successful plunderer among ' Pashas poor , arise mainly from the crowd of ¦ women and servants which are supposed to be due to lis state . " The 'more enlightened and Europeanised of the larks have generally but one-wife , and a stranger might be apt'to think polygamy -rather a thing of the past—a praetiee permitted indeed , ' but looked uponas disreputable by all but a few dfthe old school . But > even one wife-mastiave a host of slaves to support her dignity , and thevgreat body of the rich Turks are not like the few eminent individuals to whom Englishmen are generally introduceiL Among the minor class of officials , 'the
indulgence and waste of a large establishment are almost universal . There are secretaries and clerks at the Porte ¦ with incomes of about 1 Q 01 . a year of our money . How one of ttese can live at all in a place so expensive as Constantinople is surprising ; but he not only lives , ' "but keeps up a state fit for an English Cabinet Minister , He has probably'two wives , each with one or two '' white' * nd three or four black attendants ; each -wife 'has a carriage of her onwi in which she jolts over the stones of Pera , or sits eating creams at the Sweet "Waters . The functionary himself has a couple of horses for his own use , a groom to walk by his side when he rides in leisurely state to or from the Porte , and a man behind to carry his long and well-cleaned pipes . The means by -which this
magnificence 13 ' supported are well 'known to the initiated . Each man in office , froth the Pasha downwards , 'has transactions with some one who has a cause to gain or a favour to demand . The secretary represents to his superior that he is in debt , that the money-lender wiH ^ wait no longer , and that he must give up his post unless the request of some individual be granted-who has protndsed so many thousand piastres to the speaker for the buccossful mse of his influence . The matter is arranged , and the happy official receives for one corrupt transaction a sum equal perhaps to flvo years' salary . The discontinuance of a supply of -white slaves may perhaps cranse
no email change in the domestic habits of the TtCfks ; that it will tend to discourage polygamy cannot be doubted . In former times , when the -whole Miditernraean coast was swept by the Turkish fleets and the Ahjerino corsairs , and the wives of the Sultans were not Georgians nor Circassians , but Spaniards , Neapolitans , and Venetians , many an Inferior satrap possessed a household as large ttt that of Che present Sultan . With the scarcity of the supply tbo manners of the people have somewhat mended , and there is reason to hope that with tho utter extinction of the trade polygamy itself may . perhaps lELll *
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AMEEICA . A letter from New York says : — " A keen political statistician estimates the probable results of the election as follows : —Hards , 100 , 000 votes ; Softs , 60 , 000 votes ; Know-nothings , 60 , 000 votes ; Whigs , 250 , 000 votes ; total , 470 , 000 . The 4 Hards' are democrats opposed to the Administration ; the ' Softs' are democrats in favour of the Administration ; the ' Know-nothings' advocate the appointment of none but native Americans to office , and are opposed to all foreign influence , and especially to the Roman Gatholic , Catholic Irish , &c . The Whigs generally frateniise with the Know-nothings . For instance , John M . Clayton , the senator of Delaware , has -written a
letter indirectly espousing * Know-nothing' doctrines . But the most remarkable effect of > Know-nothingiam is a recent summersault by the Washington Union , in which it squints fondly at the secret order , and takes ground in labour of a kind of Know-nothing change in the naturalisation laws . Up to last week it had been bitter in rtg denunciations of the new and secret political society . But the conversion of the Government organ has evidently been brought about Tjy the display of ' Knownothing' power in Pennsylvania , and its threatening influence in New York . And then we have other parties —Slavery and Anti-slavery , Temperance > and Antitemperance—all the new partiesof'isms , ' 130 Galled , which , usually amalgamate with the Know-nothings . In New
York , on the Other hand , the Germans have held a miass meeting , for the purpose of agreeing upon 'a ticket on which they can all unite at the coming election . The Irish also are arranging a Similar demonstration , on the plea that the Know-nothing movement demands that they should do something for self-preservation . Indeed , the -two great turning points of political power , just 'now are Know-nothingisni and the Nebraska question . The excitement on both swells as the New York election approaches , and the probability now is stronger than ever , that the pro-Nebraska" ( pro-slavery ) government of General Pierce will be severely rebuked by the New York vote , and 'that ¦ Know-nothingism will successfully
exert its balance of power in electing the next president of the United States . European readers , judging at so great a distance from , the scene of action , may feel 'disposed to believe that the divisions and subdivisions of so many parties must threaten the integrity and existence of tho Union itself . But the questions are merely domestic , some of the new parties ephemeral , and several of the issues got up as electioneering and other political pretexts . In loyalty to the Union they all agree , a vary few zealots perhaps exceptcd , and no party exhibits a stricter American and federal feeling than the Knownothings , however liberal their' vicwa may be as regards foreigners . "
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MISXICO . Saista Atsna is said to bo endeavouring- to do a good stroke of business . Ho offers to tho European governments that if they will support him against tho United States , and accede to his becoming King of Mexico , ho will settle tlie succession to tho crown , upon any ono named by « European congress ! On the other hand a TSTcw York paper states that " tho government of tho United States at Washington and tho cabinet of Santa Anna have already I 11 M tho buHis of u new treaty , which is at tho presont mo » meat in process of negotiation . Tfoia treaty will bo entirely of a commercial nature . "
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SOCIETY FOR IMPROVING THE CONDITION OF THE LABOURING CLASSES . Oh Wednesday , upon the invitation of the Earl of Shaftesbury , a number of gentlemen interested in the improvement of the dwellings of the labouring poor , assembled at Wild-court , Drury-lane , for the purpose of inspecting a row of thirteen houses which have been taken by the society up&n a long lease , with the view of being purified and repaired . The whole of the district east of Erury-Iane , and bounded by Great Queen-street , Lincoln ' s-inn-fields , and Clare-street , is one of the worst possible in the metropolis . There are not such appearances of utter squalor and 'wretchedness as are to fce met with in some neighbourhoods , still there are evidences of
great tnieery and destitution , aggravated by filth , a teeming population , and the absence of sanitary provisions of the commonest nature . Wild-court is situate on the northern -side of Great Wild-street , Ijincoln ' s-inn , and it runs in a norfch * easterly direction into Chapel-place , which leads easterly into Duke « sfcreet , and westerly through Middle-yard into Great Queen-street . The court is ^ paved throughout , and is about sixteen feet -wide . An open gutter traverses its centre longitudinally , and other transverse gutters occur at intervals . Though presenting externally a dilapidated appearance , the houses -are in reality substantial brick structures— -the beams , joists , and other bearing timbers being principally of English oak , ^ and in a sound-state .
These 13 houses , "Tvhiqh < eontain an aggregate of 1 O 8-separate footos , 'h aye < been . leased by the society at an average annual "rental of 15 / . 10 s .. They are all occupied at < the present moment , and are calculated to contain 200 families , or about 1000 people . The court swarms with children , wretched-looking little'dbjects , and the population is chiefly Irish . Trhe men . are , for the most part , labourers , but -when out of work they "follow the markets , " as the phrase
among'them is , and on Sundays they crowd our streets-with baskets of oranges or other seasonable fruits . Though generally honest , some ; portions of the -houses are'Occupied by'known , thieves , and a considerable-number of destitute persons of questionable reputation nightly sleep upon the stairs , for which , they pay no'lent . The whole iplace is in a most filthy and foul state . The basements are unpaved and unoccupied , ; and droni them the most horrible effluvia are at times emitted . There
is-scarcely a whole-pane'of glass to be found in ' all the windows , and the back yards , which are most imperfectly drained , range from not more than 5 feet to 7 feet wide . The mode in -which the soil and refuse are god rid of by the families occupying the garrets of these houses would hardly be'credited . It is thrown , in the first place , througlia small aperture on to the roof at the back . It tben passes along a 5-inch wooden trough , or gutter , fixed-to the wall of
the front room , and thence to a gutter behind the parapet outside , which presents the -appearance of an elongated cesspool , disgusting in the extreme ,, and furnishing an intolerable stench . It is then carried off by the rainwater-pipe to the drains . Some of the ( troughs as they -pass through the room are quite open , so as to expose the refuse to view , and others have flaps , which may be opened and the soil emptied into it , in order to save tho necessity of conveying it to the back of the ho * ise .
These are the places upon which this useful society is about next to operate . It has already erected model lodging-houses in various parts of the town ; but these , although yielding from 5 to 6 iper cent , interest upon the capital expended , have hardly held out a sufficiently tempting prospect to induce builders or others to undertake them as a matter of speculation . The system more recently adopted by the aooiety , of renovating and adapting existing houses ,
has proved much more successful as a matter of profit — one house in Charles-street , Drury-lane , having yielded as much as 16 per cent . It is this plan therefore which is to be adopted here ; and it is estimated that for an expenditure of between 90 / . and 100 / . pelf house , they-may be rendered completely eoinforfcnble and healthy habitable dwellings . They will then be let to respectable tenants at rents not higher , but probably considerably lower than those at present paid for the wretched accommodation afforded .
The object of IiOTd Shnftesbury in inviting a few gentlemen to viart the spot on Wednesday was that io twelve months' time , when the improvements contemplated will be effected , they may bo enabled to contrast tho state of things nt tlie two periods , and to judge oftho good absolutely accomplished . Many of the present tenants have lived in this miserable court for years , and some of tliorn lmvo requested to be permitted to return when the repairs shall be completed . No doubt they will bo entitled to first choice .
Ihonobleonrl , -who takes bo livoly « n interest in the welfare ot tho poor , apeakB with confidence of the success of this and similar undertakings , and remarks that the Common Lodging-honae Act h « a proved one gpewt fact , « na * ho . t ia . that tho Irish
lodging-house keeper is not incorrigible . A great improvement is already perceptible in the conduct of these places , and every day the system is becoming less objectionable . There was not a very large muster on Wednesday , the visit'to such a neighbourhood not being attractive to the Tnany ; but among those present = we noticed Sir B . Hall , Mr . Chadwiok , Dr . Sutherland Mr . S . Hughes , Mr . Godwin , the Rev . E . Biekersteth , Dr . Gavin , Professor Taylor , Mr . Wood , and others .
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MANCHESTER ON MAURICE . The Manclwater Examiner , in an able article on the Working Man ' s College , Bays : — " We wish our conviction were stronger than it is , that Mr . Maurice and his colleagues are the fittest teachers on such an important topic , We are Afraid that the economio views which they ato known to centertain are more likely to produce an enfeebling eentiinentalism , than a spirit of noble and vigorous independence ; and to make Una working man fcol something like a
patronised and potted victim of misfortune , iuatoa *! of ~ n free and solf-roliant member of the social < iommonwcnUh . . . . Colleges for working men will never bo thoroughly efficient , till good primary schools aro in active operation for tlio young ) and honco tho strong sympathy with which wo -vlo-w tho praiseworthy oxortlona of Mr . Maurico only umpires us with a more heartfelt tviu-li that sectarian jealousies retarded no longer tho « 8 tal ) lishmont of such a syatein of education ao alone oau incut the imperious wants of the ago . "
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There ate three great facts in tho news from Canada : a " Maiue Liquor Law" has been passed ; and , on tho news arriving- of the victory at Alma , " the House , " on the motion of Sir Alan McKab , adjourned " amid cheering ; " while Sir George Grey ' s letter , announcing the withdrawal of nearly all the troops from tho province ( in accordance with the general intention expressed by Lord Grey in 1853 ) , has excited no discontent whatever . Thus we see that tho concession of self-government ensures " lovnlty . "
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The new Governor , Hon . T . Manners Suttom , has assumed tho administration of Now Brunswick . Tho Legislature , summoned specially to consider the new council treaty with the United States , was addressed by tho GovernoT in a speech congratulating tho ( province < hi the nssuraneea offered by the treaty of ' the conthraed good limdarstanding botweon Great Britain « nd tho United States . GjRATifcTiKG . — 'JPhenewsia contradicted : Soulouque has not deolored -war against tho United Statesl Ho allows them to retain their St . Domingo station !
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106 2 THE LEADER . [ S attjkd a y ,
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Leader (1850-1860), Nov. 11, 1854, page 1062, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2064/page/6/
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