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demn some of Spurgeon's expositions ; many accomplished members of the Church of England will be astounded to see the Bishop of IjOndon inducing the special congregation which he gathered round him in St . Matthew's Church , in Bethnal-green , to believe that Heaven is a city of Beat and Bliss inhabited by men in real bodies . But the appearance of a real bishop earnestly preaching hope to the neglected poor is a sight that has
awakened strange feelings in Bethnal-green . We are strongly impressed with the conviction , that these specialties of doctrine are more likely to be corrected , should the members of this great community he brought together under a common Christianity , than they are , while the teachers of different sects , each segregates himself into his own building and remains unquestioned amongst his chosen followers . These movements have contributed
largely to nationalize our divided Church ; even those who are alarmed at Xord Shaftesbttby ' s proceedings in Parliament are unable to stand against the force of his movement ; they cannot resist his objects—they avow they cannot . He has therefore every inducement to perseverance .
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A WORD FOR THE THIEF INTEREST . DuaiNG the black fog which enveloped London on Tuesday last , the link-boys , it is said , reaped a rich harvest , and it is supposed that in some cases they did not content themselves with taking the property that was voluntarily given to them . They took that which they found , and sometimes that which they sought , without much regard to the original title . And why not ? Why should that particular
class , which is not in the mbst prosperous condition , abstain from ' assistance' which is largely taken by other classes ? The process of appropriation may be traced through every grade of societ y ^ until it met at the two extremes . The three London thieves preying upon Lady Elxesmere's luggage only completed the allegory . The two extremes of society prey upon each other 'like a
twoheaded serpent with both tails in each mouth —a new figure of eternity ! The peculiarity in this Ellesmere case is , that the professors of the art of appropriation are single-minded in their trade . Ai-WELii , Saint , and Whitty , are thieves , and nothing else . They can thieve with considerable adroitness ; but for want of sufficient information in other branches of their
business , they are liable , poor simpletons ! to be outwitted . To" a great extent they have the best of society . Lady Ellesmeke ' s jeweltrunk is placed by her faithful servants on the top of . a common cab , —about the best of all places to attract the attention of the London birds of prey . The three men see it . " May I be lagged , " cries Whitty , " but I'll have the big un ! " meaning the jewel-trunk , which he chose rather than another simply on account of its Bize . He seizes the trunk in
the middle of the street ; the cab is stopped by the jerk and the horse rears , but nobody takes any notice . The nearest policeman , intent on maintaining his deportment , has no thought for portmanteaus . Lady Ellesickbr ' s treasury remains in the hands of Mr . Whitty and Ms two partners . They carry it to the house of Mr . Jackson . Now here we rise in society . Mr .
Jackson is not only a fence , but he is an oil and colourman . in Leonard-street , Shoreditch ; and it is carious to see how this more educated man employed his better information of the world to outshine Whxtty . The poor thieves , who knew no better , were ajimbBt prepared to sell him Lady Elltcsmkbu'b treasury , valued at some 15 , 0002 . or bo , for 40 ? ., at which he valued it . " Wiiitty had already sold a diamond butterfly , value
50 Z ., to Mrs . Jackson for 2 s . ; but that appears to have been in a great degree under the force of the same politeness which made Jackson himself concede a pair of Lady Eilksmebe ' s stays to Whitty to be presented * to a lady named Polly Genti / ema-ny ' Atwelii , Saint , and Whitty were not quite so green as Jackson took them for : but still the oil and . colourman succeeded in obtaining the property at what linendrapers call
' ruinous prices . ' But a reward is offered ; and if the poor thieves are the first seized by the police—throwing away iu their flight , as Rokaob did his shield , some portion ^ f their spoils—even Jackson and his wife are ultimately placed before a police-court . In that grade of society men do not understand how to play the part of fence or ' unlicensed pawnbrokers , ' as Mr . Heni , e y calls them , without rubbing against the letter of the law . . ¦ - ' ¦• ¦'¦ - ¦¦ . . ¦¦¦ ..: - . ¦¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ '¦ ;¦ . ¦
A step higher brings us to Mr . James Edwaed Stephens , who has just been accounting for his own bankruptcy before the Sheriff Substitute at Edinburgh . Mr . Stepkens's proper business was that of surgeon in the Indian army ; in India he made acquaintance with ' Colonel' Waugh ; but being an enterprising man , after his return from India , in 1850 , Stephens became manager of the London and Eastern Banking
Company ; and he' managed' to some purpose . Still the genius of Stephens , however , was undeveloped j until he again encountered Colonel Waugh , now owner of Branksea Island and Castle , and projecting his celebrated * clay and brick works . ' The Colonel wanted a bank , Stephens wanted the spark of inspiration ; and from that moment the manager branched out into other businesses . He and the Colonel became ' the Branksea
Clay Company ; V he and a Mr . Lattey became ' Lattey and Co ., carrying on the watchmaking business of Barwise and Co ., Piccadilly , London . ' He and Mr . James Black became the lessees of ' Lett ' s wharf ;' he and the same Mr . James Black became 1 Minter and Co ., iVpholsterera , in Frithstreet , Soho-square , London ; ' Black being also 'Towns and Co ., ' pianoforte dealers . Capital was required for all these purposes , but it was easily obtained from the bank . Lett ' s wharf alone obtained sums to the
amount of 23 , 000 ? . beyond the sums paid back . This is the principle : Mr . James Edward Stephens only obtained his tens of thousands , Colonel Waugh obtained his hundreds of thousands . Messrs . Sters , "Waxker , and ( Syers , who obtained a certificate in the Court of Bankruptcy the other day , had been trading for two years to the extent of 1 , 000 , 000 J . sterling without any capital . So said Mr . Commissioner Goulburn , and he seemed surprised and hurt at the fact ; though a man on his bench ought to be hardened to these illustrations of the prevalent principles .
We have not yet reached the top of the scale . We find trading corporations called banks which dispose of millions sterling ; some of these trusted depositories have been the means of employing many persons' money in wild speculations for the benefit of others , yet they have even , after the facfc , received formal testimonials from great public assemblies attended by dukes , lords , merchants
and manufacturers . Perhaps there are reasons for this sympathy . If tho banks have used the money in speculation , so have merchants , so have manufacturers . Tho great object of British commerce is to get hold of capital , and lately it hn& not been thought necessary to inquire too closely to whom the capital belongs . ' Take any man ' s horses , '—take any countess ' s trunks . Why , then , are we so severe upon tho thieves ?
Really , the traits which strike us in their conduct as most peculiar to themselves are the simplicity of their character , the moderation of their levies .
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THE OATHS BILL DEBATE . Some spirited remarks by two or three youunmembers were the only reliefs to the apathetic monotony of Thursday's debate . It was felt that a comedy was being enacted , in which the leading parts were filled by the Premier and his ' noble friend . ' Lord Palmkkston sat the whole evening m ¦ slumber , real or affected , as if mesmerized by the Conservative minority . Not an utterance came from the Treasury Bench ^ not even the oracular response of a snore . We admire the First Minister ' s complacency , and his pleasant , lively way of keeping the House of Commons t
aan easy trot . By critics less forbearing than ourselves" he is said to deal , witk respect to foreign affairs , in a policy of bluster ; in that case , his chaff is probably intended for home consumption . How much of that material will be manufactured before there comes a glut . in tlie . market ?¦ lord Palmebston gives up the principle of religious liberty ; Lord John Russell dandles it as though he were its grandfather ; Baron Rothschild is dissatisfied—though " . "he himself is no Ajax in the cause of his co-religionists ; and . we are all left to wonder why avg have a House of Commons , and where the " , gentlemen are who flourished so many heroic trumpets on the hustings .
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LORD PALMERSTON'S CITIZENS AT ' ; . . ¦ .. ;; ., NAPLES / - \ . : ¦ ••; ¦ ; ¦ ¦ ;• ¦ : While Lord Talmerston was ' satisfying' the House of Commons that no outrage Lad been committed on British subjects at Naples , the Daily ZTetcs was confirming the worst that had been alleged . The statement need not he repeated in detail . Its truth has been substantially admitted by the Premier himself , who would do well , in Future , to- rely less upon official misinformation and more upon ¦ ' anonymous writers . ' A distinct public recognition , however , is due to the Daily News for the lorce and persistency . with which it has kept ; this question alive . . " ¦ Had not its correspondent contradicted the Government version , ana forced Lord Palmerston to admit his error , there would
Lave been nothing to show that the imprisoned engineers had been barbarously maltreated . We liave ourselves repeatedly returned to the matter , and we confess , after so many complaints , it , was somewhat startling to hear the ! First Minister of the Crown quoting the testimony of the engineers themselves , to demonstrate that they had met with nothing but kindness and courtesy . Happily more authentic evidence was at hand , and Lord Palmerston , upon the next opportunity , was drawn into . an . invective against the authorities he had been defending . But where is the [ Newcastle
petition ? "Will not some independent member move that it be printed , if only to put himself in order while claiming the attention of the House to this flagrant case ? It is very unsatisfactory to have such questions disposed of by friendly arrangement . There is always some stirrup-holder of the Government ready to point a discreet question at the Treasury Bench ; but when a Liberal member rises , as Mr . Conin&ham : did , to declare that ' the lives and liberties of Englishmen are not to be trifled with in this way , ' the rules of the House are enforced to stifle discussion . Now , this will
not do . Lord Palmkbston may be a very successful State wizard , with a body of confeacnif . es in the pit , and ttouj / leurs in abundance to assist him in deceiving tlic public ; if no one to speak , however , without a previous understanding with the Government , such a political underplot may amuse the House of Commons ; but we appeal from that club-house to tho constituencies . -Ihc apathy and indifl ' crcnce of Parliament would be sufficient to briner representative institutions into
contempt throughout Europe , were it not that there is some possibility of a reform , demanded out of doors , and carried by popular pressure . The House- ot Commons , no cloubt , is callous on the subject , ana ia actuated less by its pledges than by the dread of a dissolution , the charm which Mr . Haytkr employs to quell any rising turbulence on the Opposition and independent benches . It is the silence of the few that screens the hypocrisy of tho many . A motion in connexion with the imprisonment and cruel usage of two Englishmen at Nap les would , at . all events , act as a test . Perhaps it might at length
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1188 . THE LEADER . fN 0 . 403 , December 12 . 1857
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 12, 1857, page 1188, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2221/page/12/
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