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day at St . Petersburg ; the number of cases may vary b « t the malady never disappears . It is not in Kuseia only that it exists ; it rages in Finland , iu the Baltic provinces , in Poland , in the Crimea , and in the Caucasus , and wherever troops are assembled in numbers oholera is sure to be in the midst of them . One fact which is now beyond dispute , and -which has particularly attracted attention , is that the female population exceeded the male in proportions far greater than in any other European country , and 'the great difference between them is now more remarkable than ever . It would be difficult to give an exact notion of the misery which prevails in several provinces of the empire , and particularly in Poland . I have just traversed the whole southern part of
Volhynia , and I have found everywhere the same evils . The most ordinary articles of consumption are so dear that the peasants arc deprived of a portion of what is most necessaiy , and those who can afford to purchase arrive in crowds to empty markets , from which the greatest part return empty . The harvest has not , however , been bad ; indeed , it may be said that we have had an average year , but the corn is taken off for the Government and sent to the south , to form immense magazines which are destined to become the prey of flames , and are consequently lost to everyone . Iu certain provinces the grain intended for seed has failed , and I can declare , without fear of contradiction , that , at the very least , one-fourth of the arable land will remain out of cultivation for want of seed and of hands . We had counted on the
potato crop , which at first presented a favourable aspect , but the blight" has made terrible ravages , and fully one-third of the whole is affected with , it . " A money panic has commenced in Russia . At Moscow , Nishi-Novgorod , Astrakhan , and other places , bank-notes are refused . People are hiding money . It is feared that the interest of the public debt will be suspended ; and already the Government has ordained that , to facilitate payments from the State Treasury , the normal proportion of bullion to be held by the Bank against notes in circulation shall be diminished . The new Russian loan of fifty millions of roubles has been concluded at Hamburg at the price of eighty-two , with five per cent , interest . A third part will be issued at Hamburg , and the two others at Berlin and Amsterdam .
The Turkish Government has made a reclamation to the Austrian Government on behalf of Colonel Turr , on the ground of his being at the time of his arrest in possession of a firman from the Suitan . It has also consented to the Government of Moldavia ' s extending the permission to export timber to the article of salt also . The election of the various Presidents of the Prussian House of Deputies took place on the Gth inst ., and exhibited the overpowering majority of the members of the Right . The President , Count Eulenburg , the first Vice-President , Herr Von Aruiin Heinriehsdorff , and the second Vice-President , Herr VouBuchtemann , belong , however , to the ultra-Conservative party . It is now no longer intended to dispute the election of Count Schwerin .
Revolt op the Kurds against the Russians . — The Russian journal , the Caucasus , Btates that General Lonsdoff had been obliged to send a detachment of troops to Van , beyond Alladagh , against the Kurds , who had revoltod against tho Russians .
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MISCELLANEOUS . The Court . —The royal family arrived on Monday at Osborne . Incendiarism in Nottinghamshire . — Early on Sunday morning there were two incendiary fires within about a mile from Nottingham . A quantity of agricultural produce , belonging to Mr . Baker , of Colv / ick-park Farm , tlie value of which is estimated at . £ 1 , 500 , was consumed . Within half a mile of the same spot , about twenty tons of hay , in the stackyard of Mr . James , of Carlton , were also destroyed by fire . This is the third incendiary fire that has occurred within a short distance of Nottingham during seven days .
An Unfortunate Bankrupt . —The affairs of Mr . Thomas Masters were brought before the Bankruptcy Court on Saturday last . The case was one of great hardship . Mr . Masters , relying on the provisions of the Crystal Palace charter , which diseimbled the company from serving the public with refreshments , built at Sydenham an immense tavern called the Crystal Palace Hotel . The speculation at first answered very well ; but the company subsequently obtained a power of sei-ving the public within the palace ; the attendance
at the hotel necessarily fell off , and Mr . Masters found himself unable to proceed . He therefore called his creditors together , that none might obtain a preference , and was enabled to offer about ten shillings in the pound . Iu addition to hia money misfortunes , he had recently sustained a fracture of the leg . His creditors offered no opposition in the Bankruptcy Court ; and Mr . Commissioner Gould , after complimenting the bankrupt on his honesty , said the court had much pleasure in granting him an immediate certificate of the first class .
Crystal Palack Comfany Report . —The report of the Crystal Palace Company was issued on Saturday , together with that of the committee of shareholders . Up to the 80 th of June last , the total expended was £ 1 , 231 , 000 , and tho further want was then estimated at . £ 45 , 000 , exclusive of a balance of -656 , 000 falling due in 18 f > 8 , in connection with land purchases . Instead of £ 46 , 000 , however , the amount now required to close the capital account will be £ 70 , 000 . To meet this , and to repay £ 68 , 500 which has been appropriated from revenue , it would be necessary to raise £ 188 , 500 . Under their charter , the borrowing power of the company is limited to a sum equal to a third of their capital—namely , £ 833 , 000 ; and tho authority granted at a meeting last year to oxerciao this to the extent of £ 300 , 000 haa already been used up to a point which leaves only £ 74 , 225 availublo . Botween now and tho 30 th of April noxt ,
the directors " hope the state of the money-market may admit of these remaining debentures being placed upon favourable terms . " Tho plans of the directors Boom to have been chiefly confined to outting down expenses . In tho noxt aenHion of Parliament , a bill id to be introduced to facilitate the disposal of land , to enable furthor capital to bo raised in case it should bo desired to ropay , in tho shape of dividends , the Bum borrowed from revenue , and to authorise tho issue of life-tickets in exchange for shares . With regard to tho report of tho committee of investigation , the prinoipal recommendation it contains i » for tho appointment of a general inanagftr , whoso roimuieration shall bo proportioned to tho dividends paid on the original shares . In relation to tho proapeots of tho undertaking , it ia stated that , from the experience of tho past yoar , its revenuo from nil wnirceM may be cfltiumtod nt about £ 100 , 000 : while its future ex-
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penses , including interest on preference capital , &o ., will be about £ 73 , 000 , " leaving a balance of £ 27 , 000 to pay interest on such new capital as may be required , and go towards a dividend on the original stock . " la relation to the recommendations of Mr . Fuller , Mr . Sotheby , and others , for a reduction of the charge on Mondays to sixpence , the creation of various classes of life-tickets , the setting apart of two days for season-ticket holders ( Thursday and Friday ) , instead of Saturday , and a system of Sunday admission , the opinion of the committee is that they are all inexpedient , or at present impracticable . To the issue of life-tickets there are legal objections , which , however , they desire to see removed ; and a Sunday opening , even for shareholders , would , they still conceive , bring the validity of their charter into question . Tie report was not unanimous , two of the committee , Messrs . Fuller and Price , declining to
concur m it . —Times . The Ticket of Leave System . — Mr . Serjeant Adams has written to the Times , to point out what he considers to be the evils of this system . Rapidly glancing over the history of transportation , he imputes the original fault to an abandonment of the principle of assigning transported convicts , after a while , to persons of respectability in our various colonies , -with whom they lived as servants without wages . When this system was no longer pursued , the colonists , having lost the advantages which they derived from the unpaid labour of the convicts , saw only the evils resulting from a large criminal population . The convicts were then all transported to Hobart Town ; but
they speedily increased to so large a number of males with but few females , that a state of things ensued , the reports of which to the Colonial Office are unfit , says Serjeant Adams , for the public eye . _ The Cape of Good Hopo was the next place to which the offscourings of our population were sent ; but the colonists violently resisted being compelled to receive them ; the Home Government yielded , and the present system , deprecated by Mr . Serjeant Adams , was the result . Of that system the Serjeant observes : — "I would ask , if the wildest dreamer of dreams ever hit upon such a system of reform—young men in the prime and vigour of manhood , youths at the most dangerous period of their lives , and even
childrenhomeless , houseless children—sent indiscriminately to their old haunts and associates in tho worst parts of tho metropolis , with , on the average , £ 5 in their pockets to celebrate their return , but with no provision for their future employment or well-doing , and no certificate of character but a ticket of leave . The working of the system has not tended to diminish my preconceived opinions ; and I still think that if the victims of our wretched system of criminal jurisprudence , as regards juvenile offenders , had been , either before or after their respective imprisonments—and I care little which—been dispersed in different settlements where population is scanty and labour scarce , not as convicts , but under proper guardianship and
superintendence , the State would have been better and more cheaply served , and the offenders have enjoyed a far more rational chance of becoming honest members of society than will ever be attained by then retention in the mother country , either with or without the aids of gratuities and tickets of leave . " In connexion with this Bubject , " G . W . E . " writes to the Times , calling to mind that an expedition from the English Government , about ten or twelve years ago , discovered , on the north-west coast of New Holland , two fine rivers which muat have their source in a fertile though unexplored land ; and he suggests that this locality is worthy of attention as a possibly available " dust hole " for our refuse population .
America . — The question between the English and United States Government continues to occupy tho attention of the journalists ; and from the Washington correspondent of the Journal of Commerce wo learn that tho representations of the American cabinet regarding the alleged violation of the neutrality laws by Mr . Crampton have been met , us it is generally bolicved , in a very straightforward manner . The mission of the West India squadron has been stated by Lord Clarendon to bo the protection of English commerce from privateers said to be fitting out in American ports , tho caBo of the Maury being cited in justification ; but this excuse appears likely in itself to lead to further difficulties , for the committee
appointed by tho New York Chambers of Commerce to ascertain and report tho facts connected with the seizure of tho Maurj' have come to tho conclusion that tho < iharocter of tho owners of that vessel has boon needlessly assailed , owing to a want of proper inquiry on tho part of tho English , diplomatic ngents , and that thoao agents have not properly apologised to tho owners of the Maury for tho " infamous impeachment" against them . The same report asserts that tho American Government has always strictly up hold and enforced tho laws of neutrality . There eooms to bo a probability that Mr , Crampton will either resign or bo recalled . —Tho government of Colonel Walker iu Qranadu is being rapidly established . An additional lorco of two hundred men have loft San Francisco to join tlie Colonel , who still retained quiot possession
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NAVAL AND MILITARY , Transmission of Money by Soi , dier 3 . —A mo morandum has been issued from the Horse Guards , dated November 30 th , enclosing a now form for the transmission of monoy by soldiers in the Crimea to England , the object of which is to give facilities for such , remittances . In tho new form , tho signatures of the officer commanding the company to which tho soldier belongs , and that of the soldier himself , aro omitted . Tho circular also requests commanding officers of regiments not to sanction tho transmission of coin- by soldiers which ia not only unsafe but unnecessary , now that such facilities aro given for Bonding money . Two Absistant-Stjrg eon's Petition . —The answer of Lord Panmuro to tho petition , alleging certain grievances , , whioh was transmitted to him by the assistant-surgeons in the Crimea , has boon published . Tho War Minister severally denies or disputes tho various causes of complaint , and ooncoives that tho youth of tho objectors , and the fact that at tho utmoot they have not soon more than two and a quarter years' service , while in some instances their experionoe is limited to six months , detraot considerably from tho worth of any opinions they may put forth . Tho reply states that " Lord Panmuro will not bo indisposed to consider tho caso of tho medical officers in roepeot to tho length of service whioh gives a claim for retirement ; but upon this point , an woll as tho general propositions following , hia lordship can give « t present no other reply than that they « hall receive fair consideration in any change of tho medical dopAVtment that may take pluce . " Admihalty Provision Contracts in Irhi ^ and . — Certain provision merchants of Cork have hncl an
interview with the Lords of the Admiralty on the subject of the provision contracts of 1854-55 . Mi * . Fagan . who acted as spokesman , said that the provisions had been treated in a very improper manner in the Government stores , the casks at Gosport being piled on each other in such a way as to cause great injury to the meat ; while , on dry days , the convicts were employed to " hose" them , in consequence of which the timbers shrank . As to the measly meat , it was contended that it could only have got in through , tho carelessness of the persons employed by the contractors . The Lords of the Admiralty , it is understood , consented to the following arrangement : — " That all measly meat be replaced by a sound and good article , and all found discoloured to be returned to the contractors , they substituting good meat for it , and the Admiralty paying the contractors the difference between the price of the meat to be supplied and the value of that returned . "
Launch of the Florence Nightingale . —The launch of a magnificent iron screw steamer , which has received the name of the heroic Florence Nightingale , took place at Havtlepool on Tuesday . This vessel has . been built by Messrs . Richardson , Brothers , by whom the rapidly extending trade of iron shipbuilding was introduced into the port of Hartlepool . She is a beautiful sisecimen of the clipper class now in vogue . The prow is ornamented ¦ with a full-length figure of the lady whose name she bears , and who is represented as in her usual hospital dress , having in the one hand a cup , and in the other a handkerch ief .
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uq 6 THE LEADER- fNo . 299 , Saturday ,
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Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 15, 1855, page 1196, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2119/page/8/
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