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the highest authority on the subject should have weight -with our Government , and decisively persuade them to join witk Sardinia in bringing the affair to a speedy issue . The late accounts of the condition of the prisoners are shocking . We are glad that the Newcastle people are about to present a petition to Parliament in . behalf of theff fellowtownsman and his unhappy comrade . Last night , Mr . Roebuck roundly called Ministers to task for following their predecessors in want of vigour , — rendered more odious and inexcusable by the exposition of a legal opinion .
Whatever may have been the cause , it is felt that the Italian Conferences held in London have not attracted the attention , that might have been expected to have been given to an undertaking of the kind . Possibly the fact that the gentlemen who acted as the initiators of so large a scheme of moderate reformation were unknown , for the most part , in England , may have resulted in the comparative failure of their appeal . We have , however , dealt with the subject at length in another part of the paper .
Distressing news comes from Kansas . Mr . Buchanan ' s remedy appears , at present , to have produced a new outbreak of the disease under which the country has so long been suffering . The Free-soilers , that is , the anti-LECOMPTON party , have protested in the local House of Representatives against being admitted into the States' Union under the obnoxious Constitution , and have appealed to the whole world for support in their cause , which they determine to defend by force of arms , should the Federal Government persist in the course it has adopted under Mr . Buchanan .
Of a very different complexion are the political crises in the Australian colonies , two of which were in progress when the last mail was despatched . Both in Tictoria and in Wevr Soutli Wales this state of affairs was the order of the day , and it would appear to be a chronic form of disease so violent as almost to quench the legislative powers of the Government . So over-plentiful is money that we hear of the Bank being about to reduce its rate of discount from three to two-and-a-half per cent . No one ,
after the experiences of the past year , is willing to invest much money in speculative commerce ; and in America as well as in Australia large stocks of goods remain to be cleaved off before any healthy movement will be made in manufactures . Meanwhile there is a lively feeling in favour of Oceanic Steatn Navigation , arid several large schemes arc under weigh , and that in spite of the warning given bV the failure of the Coixins line . Franco and
America arc the great movers in these schemes , though England is not left out . From Virginia to Europe a line of four steamers is to run ; two of these are to be built in France and two in Amerioa . Othttr lines are to run from Havre to New York ; frotti Nantes to the "West India Islands , Panama , and Mexico ; and from Bordeaux and Marseilles to Brazil and Iia Plata ; These latter lines are all subsidized * Our Own Government has determined
to despatch a regular moil to Liberia . The social evil' question was brought undof the notice of the new Homo Secretary , on Wednesday lasfy by a deputation from some of the most iihptJrtfcht of the metropolitan parishes , asking for the assistanoo of Government for tho purging of our streets , and for the suppression of disorderly houses . Various documents were furnished by tho deputation , and Mh Waxfoxb promised to give them -hi 8 > eai ? nesb ^ atterttion »—rH 0-obsOfrv 6 d- * that ~ . ho-had received directions to obtain information upon the subject , and hoped soon to havo arrived at a decision .
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treasurers , and auditors , for their services during the past year , J Mr . Charl ** Dickens led the usual attack of the reformers on tie management of the society . - "The committee , " be observed , "< lid not like to go into figure *; buty if tber ** were any members of the Literary Fund who had attended then for the first time , tftoy -woald be surprised to learn that , oat of forty-one case * tfart had been relieved , there were only fifteen that were new , the othe r * having : been relieved from one to eight times . He and tlicwe Hrho supported llfm entertained but one earnest and single wish , and that was the distinct assertion of a plain principle on their own part , or to fasten on the committee and their opponents a principle equally plain . The statements of the society showed that to distribute 1001 cost from 401 . to 50 / ., and he contended that that wa 3 not quite satisfactory , and that its continuance from year to year ought not to be sanctioned , and he accordingly protested against it . He would therefore move the following amendment : — ' That the accounts of the Literary Fund , showing a systematic expenditure of from 401 . to 4 . 51 . in the giving away of the grants ^ are not quite satisfactory ; that such an appropriation of money subscribed with a clearly defined charitable object is not quite right ; that its continuance as a distinctive feature of the Literary Fund is not so consistent with the professions of the Literary Fund as to tend to uphold that institution in general confidence ; that such continuance , therefore , ought not to be sanctioned from year to year , and is now protested against . '"— -Mr . Dilke seconded the amendment . Mr . Monckton Mimes , M . P ., said that , if ( as asserted by the reformers ) the subscriptions to the Fund had fallen off , it was owing to the exertions of Mr . Dickens and his coadjutors , who had sought to make the public believe that the subscriptions were mismanaged and wasted . " The expense of the collection was great , but it would be no greater if the amount were double what it waa ; and it would have been double what it Was , if Mr . Dickens , Mr . Forster , and Mr . Dilke had given themselves half the trouble in assisting the institution which they had in attempting to destroy it . Mr . Dickens had always said that he had no ill-feeling against the secretary ; yet he affirmed that other societies pay only 50 / . a year , and the inference was that they must take off this salary 1501 . a year , or , if they could not do that , that they should dispense with the secretary ' s services altogether . " Dr . William Smith , while expressing great respect for Mr . Dickens , Mr . Dilke , and Mr . Forster , characterized the pamphlet recently issued by those gentlemen ( of -which we gave an analysis last week ) " an unworthy production . " Its authors had shown that they were not the friends of the society ; and he ( Dr . Smith ) denied that the committee had dealt out the pittances of the Fund , with a reluctant hand . He thought that literary men are not the right persons to have the management of the society . Mr . Purton Cooper asked if it waa true that the expense of distributing the funds of the society cost more than 4 . 0 / . in the 100 ? ., as had been stated . Mr . Robert Bell said , he had no knowledge of any application having been mado for any portion of the funds to be appropriated to the purposes of any other society . He believed that there was no motive on tho part of those gentlemen who brought forward the amendment but to do that which they believed to be strictly correct ; and he therefore asked them to believe that the committee wore acting entirely in tho same spirit . Coming to the consideration of matters of figures , Mr . Boll admitted that last year the expense of distribution was nearly half of what was given away , for tho distribution amounted to 1225 / ., while tho expense was 652 / ., which included that of secretary , collection , and distribution . " It was not , however , fair to draw o comparison between tho expenses of tho Bociety and tho amount of relief awarded ; they should take the gross receipts , which wero 20641 ., and thoy would then find that tho expenditure did not amount to more than twenty per cent '; in fact , it was loss . He was quite prepared to justify tho expenditure of tho 6521 . For the seventeen years prior to Mr . Blowitt's connexion with tho association , tho expenditure had boon 10 , 048 / ., and the receipts 28 , 711 / . ; while , for tho subsequent seventeen years , tho expenditure had boon 10 , 000 / ., nnd tllo income 89 , 060 / ., showing anincroneo In the oxpoiuliture of 2057 / ., and in tho incomo of 10 , 049 / . " Earl Stanhope ' s resolution having been put and carriocl unanimously , Mi ' . Diukonu ' s amendment waa ( by ptovlotts consent ) put as a substantive motion , and n « g « tived T . on . ft . a ] uoAy-, pLl ) mudfl ,. by « . 7 J )_ to . _ L'i . _ „ ,. Mr . Pnrtou Oooper then moved that a sxib-cominittoo bo nppointod to inquire and report to tho noxt general mooting whether it bo possiblo to tllinininh tUo aumwil oxpondltiiro In any and what respect , without injury to tl ( o funds of tho society . Tho motion having boon seconded , a long disousalon iu'oho , nnd on n division it wns negatived by a majority of GO to 1 H . Tho mooting conoludod with n voto of tlinnka to tho chairman , and tho olootlon of tho various ofllcors fur tho year .
THE LITERARY FUND . Tn ») annual gonoriU mooting of thla corporation wan htii on Wednesday . The Chairman ( Earl Stanhope ) having moved an address of thanks to tho registrars ,
TfEB FORTHCOMING SOLAR ECLIPSE . A rOPULAH VIEW . TBB phenomena attending a total eclipse of the sun are universally considered to be among the grandest and most imposing effects of nature , and we may conceive the perplexity and consternation with which , the ancient inhabitants of the work ! must have regarded these—to them mysterious and in . explicable- —disappearances of the principal celestial luminary , when even in our own days of advanced knowledge and scientific research they cannot bo observed without feelings of awe and astonishment . It is well known that an eclipse of the sun is caused by . the moon passing between the sun and the earth ' and thus intercepting the light of the former , and the eclipse is denominated total or partial according as the sun is entirely or only partially hidden from view . The diameter of the sun is four hundred times that of the moon , but the sun being about four hundred times more distant than the moon , they both appear from the earth to be about the same size . The moon is not , however , always at the same distance from the earth ; consequently it appears larger and covers a greater space in the heavens at some times than at others . It is evident that a total eclipse can take place only when" the apparent diameter of the moon is greater than that of the sitn , which is only the case when the moon is near the point of its orbit least distant from the earth . But it frequently occurs that in an eclipse which would otherwise be total , the moon is too far distant from the earth , and consequently of insufficient apparent diameter to completely cover the sun . The appearance is then that of a thin ring of solar light surrounding the moon , and the eclipse is said to be annular . Such an eclipse will occur on Monday next , the 15 th instant . It is exciting some degree of interest , as it is the most remarkable of any that will be seen for many years to come . The ring will , however , only be visible at p laces situated very near the central line of the eclipse . Among the places in England wliich are near this line may be mentioned Bridport , Swindon , Northampton , Peterborough , Oundle , and Holbeach . Swindon is generally considered to be the most convenient spot for those observers who wish to view the eclipse to the greatest advantage . In London the eclipse will be almost total , and all that will be seen of the sun at one o ' clock in the afternoon will be a very fine thread of light at the south-eastern part of its disc . The eclipse commences at nine and a half minutes before noon , nnd ends at seventeen and a half minutes past two , r . M , The moment of greatest observation Mill bo about twenty seconds after one , when only about one-hundredth part of the sun's disc will remain uncovered . ! For n few minutes before and after this period , some of the brighter stars and planets may be expected to appear . Meroury and Venus will ' bo closo to the sun , the former eight or nine degrees to Ilio south-west , the latter four degrees to the casl . Jup iter will be high up in tho south-east . Vegn , Castor and Pollux , Capella , and some other of ( lie brightest of the stars will most probably be soon . If tho observer make himself acquainted with tho position of thoso stars beforehand , lie will readily bo able to identify them at tlio time of tho eclipse . "When tho sun is completely covered during n total eclipse , a brilliant halo or ' corona' ia seen surrounding tho sun nnd moon . It nppcnrs l <> consist of luminous diverging 1 lines of fibres , sonic of which arc much longer than tho others . Home r . ppcaiunoc of this kind may bo expected In occur during tho oclipso of this month , though il will nut , of oourso , bo seen to such- advantage ua when O . ' . c sun is entirely obscured . During tho total cHip * " of July « 8 , 1 . 851 , tho light of tho corona win fslimated by Mr . Sn . sseJl to bo equal to thai , of Ilio Hill an on n , —~~ , — ~* , ,. _^~^___~_ , . „ , _„_ Tho most remarkable feature of ( he dai-kiie . ** produced by an oolipso of tho sun nppoarw I <> fonsi . il not , so much in its intensity as in Us j > pfl ! ili ; ir c' ] n ' motor , approaching , on some occasions , !•> I ' ' darkncsH which may bo foil . ' All nature MHsniiica an inimrthly cadaverous liao , and tho sk y nnd Howls appaar to dbsooncl and closo iu upon tho obwrrcr , producing an ofl ' ect which , when onoo witnessed , is not easily forgotten . Domostio nniinala in fjciierm
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242 THE IE A T > E R . Pfe ^ Q * M ^ g ? ls j-858-
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), March 13, 1858, page 242, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2234/page/2/
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