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    ^ tG ^ iviwn K ofj ^ rspni , iusfajneiT t > y a wild en ^ htiwa ^^ ! ^ re&o ^ bed . to ^ Hpir # * sem-Wige ^ asi ^ prea&hed i ? he most crazy ctbcfcrikes 5 n ffte Baost barbarous language It is melanpbbly to calculate how much , energy , how much zeal , how much intelligence is , thus peirrerted and' thrown away . But , these men , hay © their excuse in the examjgfe of those who affect to lie their social' superiors . A& ibr the middle clq , ss , though spme logical ideas are vaguely flitting in . its mind ^ it never was more aimless , or more disposed to be lied . The Jtidministrative Beform Association , which seized upon a proposal already enunciated by men not " so good" in the City , came asa relief amid the objectless fluster of the middle classes . That association , which "began feebly , collapsed at its third meeting . Numbering some excellent men among its members , it set to work upon a false plan , contradicted its professions by practice , and laid itself open to innumerable criticisms and satires . Its nrst address was marked by considerable egotism and considerable weakness ; its last is a specimen of incapacity . The authors , assuredly , would never have passed an efficient literary examination . They , at least ,, have no right to ridicule Lord Panmube ' s gazettes , or General Simpson ' s despatches . If their grammar be acquitted , it has had a narrow escape . The style of the address , Boweyer ,. is not its worst sin . The aristocracy could display no more intense conceit than is displayed by this sober association , which congratulate !? itself , congratulates the people about itself , congratulates unborn generations , and proceeds to justify this not very decent display by taking credit for good works which it has never performed . "Upon what principle does the Administrative IReform Association attribute to itself the merit of the changes that have been introduced into the " War and Ordnance Offices ? Is it to be " honourably mentioned" because , like General Simpson , it has existed during the performance of a meritorious act ? It ¦ w as not by gross boasting that the Anti-Corn-Law League gathered to itself a concentration of the political strength of England , or became , what it was , a temporary estate in the realm . The Association was not founded when it had been decided to effect these reforms , nor was it in existence , or in embryo , when the principle of examination for civil service clerks was admitted . Its real service was that of a demonstration . It expressed the public conviction that national affairs had been ignominiously mismanaged , and it popularised , upon a very awkward plan , a certain number of facts connected with our Executive system . But when it attempted to work as an agitating machine , it broke down ; and when this failure was evident , it incurred still further ridicule by affecting an administrative dictatorship . The . gentlemen of the Committee may have politicians "behind them . If so , let the politicans come forward . But by what process have the respectable citizens who represent the Association qualified themselves to pronounce on the subject selected for the competitive examination for artillery cadets ? Is all this criticism the genuine product of deep thinkings and yearnings in the mind of Mr . Mobijbt , or oi . " $$ x . Tbavebs P If not , who is the oracle ? When the leaders of the Association " suggested" to Lord Palmbbston the appointment of Mr . RowiAND Hill aa Postmaster-CJ-eneral , they rendered his appointment im-^ oBs . ible .. Happily for Sir w illia . m Moelsyrquisi , they , patronised hia , elevatiqn to the ( Colonial Secretaryship after the foot . Had their address appeared , earlier , and contained

    a " suggestion" instead of an " approval , " Sir Welliam :, perhaps * , would . Have lost : Bis promotion- *— -because at that moment the . Association " was full in the public view .. It created some noise , and colleeted ' . some money ; it wasb pretentious and excited , and only the f most injudicious or the most servile of all Ministers would have submitted to positive dictation from a private society . The Association committed its fundamental mistake when it interfered with particular appointments instead of dealing with principles and systems . It was inflated and fussy , and is practically dead . Meanwhile the members of the whitehanded class , educated to , politics , sport in the country , or lecture theijj constituents , or plan Parliamentary surprises . Some are converted to peace ideas , because , with the aid of the honest Peace party , they may , on pacific ' principles , inherit the patronage of Downingstreet . Otters , more economical and less vain , adhere to the war , because it keeps up the price of corn , and these gentlemen will not be easily managed by Mr . Diska ^ li—if , indeed , that splendid Expectant , studying the attitudes of Bolingbroki ; , has really prepared an amended draft of the Treaty of IJtrecht . There are other political classes . There are the amateurs , whose opinions trickle through the columns of the cheap press . They are often highly liberal , of bold and intelligent views , of healthy and vigorous sentiments . Generally , however , they are misdirected by some idol agitator who has opened the heavy valves of their imagination bv a wondrous tale of political mystery and crime . The editors of a huudred local sheets are adjured to put modesty aside , and save the nation . The nation , again , is commanded to " " or perish , " for it is " rotten " already . If this is not levity , it is frivolity ; it is the frivolity of minds that enjoy only tragic excitement . This irregular and desultory action is attributable to one fact : the nation has no polir tical aim , and no political organisation . It is worth while to consider the want and the remedy .

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    £$% Q 'BMty JaM ^ TkM ^ [ N& 201 * SA / EEKDt ^ , ¦ • : i '' " ^— Mi—1 ' — ,

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    THE SARDINIAN STATES : THEIR HISTORY , GOVERNMENT , AND LAWS . ( From , a Correspondent . ") Wb have-said that the Counts of Maurienne rapidly extended their dominions north of the Alps . Humbert II . acquired Tarantasia ; and the investiture of the whole of Savoy as an Imperial county was granted by Henry V " ., Emperor of Germany , to Amedeus III ., styled henceforward Count of Savoy . Peter , whose sister married Henry III . of England , obtained from Richard of Cornwall ( afterwards Emperor of Germany ) the canton do Vaud north of the Leman Lake . Amedeus V . received the barony of Paucigny from his cousin Beatrice . He it was who assisted the Knig hts of St . John to defend the Island of Rhodes against the Turks , and assumed the white cross on his arms and banner , which is still the ensign of Savoy . Aymon made great improvements in the administration of his northern dominions ; ho appointed a high council of justice to hear appeals from the local courts ; he permitted private individuals to summon any judge before the assizes , and instituted the office of chancellor . It was Aymon ' s successor , the famous " Green Count , " -who first firmly established the sway of the house of Savoy in Italy . Hia predecessors had nominally ruled soveral of the cities in Piedmont as great vassals of the German Empire ; hut an Italian's hate to the Qiogo Tedesco iB proverbial ; it is not , therefore , surprising that the Tedesco a vassals were not , always popular .. During

    the greater * part . of the twelfth century the peninsula w , as devastated , by th < wars of Frederick , Barbarossa . and his suc . cess . qrs , * who looked on , the . Italian citizens as revolted subjects of the German Empire . Humbert III ., Count of Savoy , refusing to- follow the imperial banner , was deprived' by Barb ^ possai of his-possessions iru Piedinont , which were restoned to Thomas P ., against whom , the citizens themselves revolted . They , however , submitted , to Amedeus , son of Thomas , who was falso created Duke of Chablais and Aosta ^ So run& the- story for years . The yoke of Boniface , the next Count of Savoy , being too absolute for the republican Piedmontese , they took him prisoner and confined him in Turin , where he died . For fifty years after the death of the second Frederick the German emperors were too much engrossed with their own affairs to trouble Italy with their presence ; but in I 3 IO Henry of Luxemburg entered Piedmont by Mount Cenia to receive the homage of his Italian vassals , and to appoint " imperial vicars , " who should " govern in concert with the municipal magistrates . " He appointed Amedeus V . as one of these , and gave him the county and town of Asti , which was but a nominal gift , as the Anjous of Naples held possession of it . Amedeua VI ., the Green . Count , soon- dispossessed the Anjous of all they had acquired in Piedmont ; defeated the powerful Viscontis of Milan , and the Marquis of Monteferrato , who had also made encroachments ; and was chosen by the citizens of Piedmont to govern them , they preferring this good and valorous prince to the tyrants whom he had displaced . When this Amedeus VI . was called on to do homage to the emperor for his several territories , he tore up ( according to the feudal custom ) the first five banners , but the sixth was the white cross of Savoy—" that , " he said , " had never touched the earth , and , please God , never should . " The Green Count established the order of the Annonciade , and the first expedition of the fifteen knights who composed it was against the Turks , who had taken Adrianople from John Paleologus . During the wars of succession in Naples the inhabitants of Nice ( formerly subjects of the Anjous ) entreated Amedeus VII . to protect and rule over them . Thus this valuable port in the Mediterranean , with its Iagurian traditions and privileges carefully cherished ( which we shall note hereafter ) , was added to the house of Savoy . Amedeus VIII . extended his dominions , either by purchase or inheritance , until all the territory lying between Lake Leman and the Mediterranean north and south , and between the rivers Rhone and Sesia east and west , belonged to the house of Savoy . He bore the titles of Duke of Savoy , Chablais , and Aosta ; Prince of Piedmont ; Count of Genevois , Bugey , and Nice ; Baron of Vaud and Paucigny ; and Marquis of _ Italy . _ The Emperor Sigismond confirmed him inall his possessions , and annihilated the rig ht which his subjects had formerly possessed of appealing from the duke ' s judgment to that of the Impenali throne . Thus the sway of the Dukes of Savoy tended strongly to absolutism , but the general assemblies restrained their power , and they were for the most part too wise to abuse it . The code of laws entitled Statuta Sabaudice was collected and compiled by Amedeus VIII .

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    * Wo cannot refrain from adverting to the famous " League of Lombardy , " to which the encroachments of the German emperors gave rise . " Tho consuls took the oath , and their constituents afterwards repeated it , that every Lombard should unite for tho recovery of the common liberty ; that tho league for this purpose should last twenty years ; and , finally , that they should aid each other in repairing in common any damage experienced , in . this sacred caiiao , by any one member of the confederation . Extending this contract for reciprocal security even to the ' . pftst , the league resolved to rebuild Milan . ' [ After three years of heroic struggle , Milan had been compelled to surrender to tho emperor , who gave orders that the houses and walls should bo razed to U > e ground , so aa not to leave one stone upon anothor . J The militias of Bergamo , Brescia , Cremona , Mantua , Verona , and Treviso , arrived tho 27 th of April , U < " » on tho ground covered by tho ruins of the great city . All th , o Milanese camo in crowds to take part in tins pious work ; and in a few weeks tho now-grown city was in a state to ropol tho insults of its enemies . " If nU u ,, inhabitants of the peninsula would unite as " JtaltanB , not ) " Municipality , " and form such , a leaguo , they woum aoon bo In a condition to ropel tuo . inaulta of tho Strawnn of overy name and nation !

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 20, 1855, page 1010, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2111/page/14/