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Leader (1850-1860), 15th November 1856, Edition 1 of 2, Page 1082, Untitled Article

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      diplomatist of this country—the sometime Foreign Secretary , now Prime ' Minister * Sir Charles Napier is an ' independent 7 man—which in the present day means a crotchety man—whose ehief " business is to vindicate hiirlSteff against tlfe . sSspicions created by his fussy brkTriulo in the BaWie , and his total failure as a BrRJiSh Admiral in ' rafe greatest duty-ever entrusted fcb him . Mx . Bftflfr buck is about tlffe mosft ¥ tally inde £ Sri 9 ent man of the country , but wo may gravely ask him what he has effected ? He is the denouncer of abuses , but we want at present a man who can make himself the leader of the people of this country , not to make amendments in the detail of particular courses , but to

      regain for the people the political influence they have lost . The House of Commons is not appointed "by ^ the people of this country ; it is appointed by railway contractors and their trading connexions , "by country gentlemen and their dependents ; and tne only key to a recovery of the national resour ces for the nation , to re-establishing a control for England over the influence of England , is by giving " the people at large the right of appointing its own House of Commons . But in the interviews which Members have been holding with their constituents about the country , we do not see a word on this subject .

      The only powers who can vie with the diplomatist or the money magnates are the garotter und the swindler . These two interests decidedly have gained the ascendancy in the lower world . The garotter represents the . military autocrat ; the swindler communities are the Credit Mobilier pf the penal world . Just as we are sending the ' German legionaries to found a new Cartilage between the Bintisb . colonists and the Kafirs at the Cape of Good Hope , legionaries German and Italian are conducting their controversies with the stiletto against the British population , male and female . We have three or iV >» . v cases this weak .

      The stiletto , we say , is " iiot a British weapon : " the Englishman uges the ' garotte , ' imitated from the instrument of execution in Spanish America , and the * Iife ^ preserver , invented by the peace-. I ^ J ^ G ^ izen for his own defence . The life-preserver is in fact to John Gilpin exactly what the standing army is to the European people . Invented for defence , it is used for oppression . Mauley may plead that in using his weapon on Cope—who has died this week—he was only copy ing the example of Austria , who murders the Italians to make them give up their money , or to punish them for refuslnsr it .

      The elevation of society has extended to the outlaw class ; they have , in fact , recovered in our great towns the aristocratic position once occupied by gentlemen of the road . Mr . Agah , who planned and executed the great robbery of 15 , 000 / . of gold from the travelling safe of the South-Eastern "Railway Company , occupied a good house , used good hotels , and could give to waiters or porters those eloquent shillings which stop inconvenient questions and purchase active assistance . The autobiography of Agab in this adventure is as interesting as any tale in the Causes Celebrcs .

      Socially , perhaps , it is less interesting than the story of Leopold KErtpATn ., that eminent gentleman , who had a fashionable house in Chesterterrnce , was a governor of Clmst ' s Hospital and of St . Ann ' s Society , a director of several charitable societies , an ornament to charitable subscription lists , and an essential an many a Westend party ; and who condescended for a paltry sum , under 3001 . a year , to be chief register clerk to the Great Northern Railway Company . Rrdx » ath made an interesting discovery , that by simply writing " 0 " after figures in the register , he could create stock . He did create it , anc

      the directors found themselves paying fifteen or twenty thousand a year in dividends , more than the "whole stock of the company would have paid ! It had gradually increased to that figure , and had probably extended over some years , during which Hedpatii adorned society and fed charity , before the directors were struck with the brilliant idea , that it " would be aa well to have a thorough overhauling 'fl ? I > « y'B books . Tho clerks began to " read the bookB , and Rbdpath bolted . Too late , however , to reach Copenhagen . How many KedpAths woulK forthwith take thoir passage for Calms , Ostendoi ^ v ^ if the clerks oFaome tSompaniea w < tte to begm to road the booke 1

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      PUBIitC MEETINGS . ¦ ni fi SOUTHTVAKK REPRESENTATIVES . About five hundred of the inhabitants of Southwark assembled oh Tuesday night- in the theatre of the Literary institution , Borough-r 8 fta , to hear ad # ? e § ites from their representatives . JH % . ^ ellktt first "Sptffce , « Hd declares himself in favour « f the voluntary 'principle in church matters and in < S 5 ucati * i , and an a&vWSftte of non-TSterverrtWn in tlie SiRiiirs of 0 ther countries . Srb'Charlfe Napier th * h carrfe forward , an € Bald he had fufWrM Iris promts ** -Oif gfving a general Support to the Government of Lord Palmerston , but that , in some matters , he had been compelled to vote against it ; as , for instance , in the case of the bill which was brought in to enable contractors to sit in the House . He

      Opposed this because he thought all contractors would vote in favotir of Government . " Let them give Mm a good contract , and he would vote for the Government himself . " { Laughter . } Having- explained his various political views , which were for the most part similar to those enunciated by Mr . Pellatt , Sir Charles came to his old grievance about the Baltic expedition . He said , with reference to bringing the matter before Parliament , that " he was opposed by the Government , and by Sir James Graham , one of the most unscrupulous men that ever sat in the House ( cries of ' No , no . ' ) , and , though he had the materials to make out his case ( and it would

      come out some day ) , he had not the talent to do it against sucii opponents . Qffear , hear . ") He went to Croustadt ( cheers and lauffJtter ) because he was extremely anxious to examine it -with his own eyes , to see whether he was right or wrong , and he must confess that the fortifications were much stronger tlian lie believed they ivere when he was off it . (//

      talent and ability , and was perfectly honest and plain with . him . He said that , if the British fleet had attempted to go into Croustadt , it would have been destroyed . More tlian a thousand guns , he said , could be brought to bear upon the fleet ; that there was not water-for the large ships ; that the channel was narrow and . filled with infernal machines ; and that even the Russian ships in passing were in danger of fceing blown up . He ( Sir Charles Napier ) then asked the Grand Duke why they did . not meet them at Kiel when they were badly manned and disciplined ; and the Grand Duke held out his hand to him in a most frank and

      sailor-like manner , and said he did not know it until it was too late : but perhaps it was very lucky he did . not meet them . " Alluding to Sir Robert Peel ' s recent speech , Sir Charles said : — " I have laid the case before Lord Palmerston , and begged of him to lay it before the Cabinet . I have not received an answer to my letter , and I have written him a second letter ; but I think it proper to preserve a discreet silence on the present occasion until I get Lord Palmerston ' s answer . I am not afraid of niy coiuhict being investigated ; and , if Government do not grant me an investigation , it is a strong proof they are afraid that things will come out that will be prejudicial to them . "

      A vote of thanks to , and confidence in , Mr . Pellatt and Sir Charles Napier was proposed and seconded , and , after a long discussion , which in its progress occasionally assumed a stormy character , the motion was agreed to , and the meeting separated .

      PLATITUDES PROM BLAYDON . The first anniversary of the Blaydon News-room and Literary Institute was celebrated on Thursday week by a soiree , which took place in the schoolroom of St . Cuthbert's Chuich , Blaydon . About three hundred and fifty sat down to tea , after which a meeting was formed . Lord Ravensworth occupied the chair ; and among others present were tho Hon . H . G . Liddell , M . P ., Rev . Dr . Davies , Rev . R . G . Moncrieff , &c . After the report had been read , the Chairman delivered an address on the subject of " Revealed Religion . " The Newcastle J ) aily Express has thought fit to burden its columns with tho lieavy weight of platitudes which his lordship uttered on that sufcject ; and , far more wonderful , the Times has actually

      carted the rubbish into its own pages . More hopeless imbecility—hero and there illuminated by little spiteful gleams of feeble malignity , trying to wear an air of charitable allowance—a more garrulous , yet stammering utterance , as of some old lady whose rapid fury makes her forget the beginning of her sentences foeforo slio has reached tho end , so that the one half is ^ in preposterous warfare with tho other—we have rarely experienced even in the region of noisy talk . His lordship paid h « rose with no Binall anxiety , because ho was expected—especially by tho visitors of the female sex- —to amuse and

      tell you that those who may attempt it may nr 2 m find themselves under the prosecution of her 3 lawf f Attorney-General . " However ( kind so , l !) , » the nght of private judgment , and repudiates pe ? C tlon—though not prosecution . lie " would not iJiiliVriL call into action the terrors of the law ; " he only " tS the ' condition of those who do not think " ex cathedra " that is , in accordance with himself , the cliairman " Finally , he declared that he did not wisli to hurt any one's feelings , but that he desired " to show a bold front in the cause of religion and morality ; " and , having- exhibited the said front with a degree of boldness which will certainly not be denied , he sat down . ;

      other ittstittitiohs for not doing likewi ^ n . . "" < qutrted Sfr William Blackstone on the ^ Si ' tv ^ he f ^ Jtotianity as part of the law T TaS ™^ ing , Wrfh jm eye to comfortable ' respeetabilitv ' « f ' let irte tt ^ u this , that not only upon the WghTr ir ciples 4 feBgion and morality have the nrS * this Jrisfifftte acted well and wisely SwfthdS Ti ° a fort ** one and promoting a new one ^ but S at 7 of mete prudence , of mere worldly prnltence « , £ , ?* HhStany open defiance of Christianity , or openlvL pugning the doctrines of revealed religion , beco , 1 offence in the eye of the law , and might , WS £ and should , if necessary , be brought under the colT 7 > of the Secretary of State of thit country ' and 1 tT

      Then up rose the Hon . G . II . Liddell , M . P ., and making a preliminary flourish about the" eloquence the powerful reasoning , and the carefully-weighed arguments , " by which " high moral truths had been driven home" ( by the noble chairman ) , straightway opened his budget of platitudes . He repeated , in other language some observations recently put forth by the Times , in favour of working men reading romances ; but lie warned his auditors against translations of French hovels , ¦ ¦ as beinimmoral

      g and irreligious . If the }* wanted li"ht reading , let them go to " a Scott and a . James . " Not a word of our older novelists ; not a word of Dickens , Thackeray , Buiw « r , arid other eminent writers of fiction of the present day . Mr . Liddell ' speech , however , was far above Lord Ravensworth ' s . He exhorted labouring men to attend to the education of their children , and especially warned them to study tlie question of cholera , so that they might be the better enabled , to guard against the disease .

      PROFESSOR BIACKIE ON SCOTCH I > EARNI ^ O . Professoi Blaclde has delivered his introductory lectnre to the Greek classes , his audience being both large and distinguished , and including Mr . Thackeray , Professors Donaldson , Macdougall , and Fraser , the L ' ev . Dr . Hannah , &c . The upshot of Professor Blnclcie's discourse was to the effect that the university of Edinburgh wants reforming , and that academical learning , anil indeed learning in general , is at a very low ebb in Scotland . Enumerating the chief branches of study , lie assert that in none of these has Scotland distinguish )^ liendl * as she should do . She had some few rlJodnguishedmeD , he admitted ; but these wer » tlie exceptions , and they arose in spite of " the beggarly system , " and "the scurvy manner" in which the professors are treated , Dr . Chalmers he held to have been no theologian ,

      though a noble man . ( This was received with some hisses . ) lie complained of being obliged to teach boys , and claimed a higher status for the professors . He asked : "Why should a professor be thought inferior to a Sheriff-substitute ? In fact , ho looked upon himself as being as great a man as the Sheriff of Edinburgh . ( A laitff / t . y But how did the country mark the two positions ? Why , by giving Professor Blackie " ()/ . a year from the Queen ' s Exchequer , and by giving Sheriff Gordon 1 COOL or 1800 / . a year . lie had his fees , no doubt , and he was comfortable enough ; butwasit » ot a very paltry thing to'think of the Queen doling out to him 11 . . 10 . 8 . a quarter ? Indeed , if he ws- > not forced to take it because he had not yet furnished his house properly—( laughter )—ho would throw it siwny altogether . " Finally , the professor indicated the nature of the reforms which he considered necessary .

      MR . IIADFIEU > AND MR . ROEHUCIC AT SIIKKFIEI . n . A numerous meeting of the inhabitants of Sheffield was held on Wednesday nt noon in the Town-hull , to hear an address from Mr . Hadfield , M . P . Mr . Hocbuck , M . P ., was also present . The members were attended ty ' many of their supporters , mid vero received wit" (" applause . The Mayor of Shcnield ( Mr . . 1 . "W- l )' Smith ) took tho chair and introduced Mr . IIn < lneld , ivM > requested tlmt Mr . Roebuclc , aa the senior member , nup't be allowed to wpoak first . That gentleman , however , declined in favour of Mr . Ilndfickl . A mllicr long addrcsfi was then delivered by tho hit tor . 1 I < ' reviewed

      lua ParliamcntM' } ' career , nnd explained lii * opinions ¦ with respect to general politics , his support being always given to measures of a Liberal tendency . Hi' opposed , liowovcr , tho intervention in the internal nff ' iiirs ol otliet states , and disliked "that vagabond bill , ( 1 »« Fore P ' Enlistment Bill , which had compronilsod u * ° " ' Continc : nt , nnd all but involved uh in wnv > vitli I United States . " Alluding to Americnn rfnvcry , M rw "it Avaa n vast question . lOinmifipntioii cost it 20 , 000 , 000 / . for 800 , 000 slaves , and at tho enmo f « lc ' would cost America 87 , 500 , 000 / . The wlavrowners demanded much more . Their valuation wiih : > IiO , , Ho should exult beyond measure if the wealthy l ' ° I

      instruct , and ho was afraid ho should not bo ablo to do either , for , although " accustomed to public spoaking" in " another arena , " ho had never spoken " ex cathedra " before—if ho might " use a strange language . " Therefore , tho sonso of what lie had to say " weighed very strongly ; on his mind ; " but he thought ho might do some good to religion by being u neither amusing nor instructive" on the subject , so lio sailed Htraightway into his platitudes . First , ho complimented tho institute on excluding all " irreligious" books from tho library , and forbidding all " irreligious" lectures ; then ho upbraided

      Untitled Article

      • : . . . - . ¦ , - •¦* ' ^ - ^ - ^ l . - ,.. . ' , V v ' . s , ' \ V . \ ¦ . ' ¦ V-t ¦ ' . * - '\ A \\\ v . ^ .:: ' " . , . - ^ . 1082 THE XEAPER . [ No . 347 , S ^ TORI ) AV

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Nov. 15, 1856, page 1082, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2167/page/2/