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who had paid towards the fund , which recommendation seemed , to be based on an equitable consideration of the subject , as those who had entered the public service prior to 1829 , and had not paid towards the fund , drew their pensions by that scale . Wliat strikes us as a fair adjustment of the matter is that according to the payments which have been made to the supposed fund , the claims of the contributors should be graduated , and that for every four years ' payment at five percent , towards the fund by these who entered the service between 1829 and 1858 , they should have -fa more on their being superannuated . This ¦ u / rkvilrl r » f \ t . nmnrint . +. r » « Y »\ rflnn <» pnnal +. 0 tiifi
sum of the contributions , and the accruing interest wliich would have taken place for the last twenty-eight years , had the payments been funded ; and when we consider that this tax lias produced more than 1 , 500 , 00 ( W ., wliich "the public have been relieved from paying , we think that those who liave sown should reap , at any xnte , a sjiiall proportion of their earnings . It may possibly be urged that those public servants wlio obtained their appointments after 1829 accepted them with the full knowledge that they were to pay the superannuation tax . But this is aii entire mistake . The act of 1834 was
wade retrospective . Here lies the injustice . It was framed to include appointments dating from 1829 , when no provision was in existence or contemplated for a superannuation fund . The names of the Chancellor of the Exchequer and Mr . Hamilton are at the back of "the bill . It will be superfluous to say that neither of these gentlemen would willingly lend himself to the hmictioh of a piece of pat pable injustice on any class of deserving public servants .
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CHURCH RATES DOOMED . Notwithstanding the bold face put upon their opposition by the Peers on Friday , church rates are doomed ; and the day when they shall have become matter of unpleasant history is not distant . The Earl of Derby gave up the principle on behalf of his Government when lie held out the offer of compromise . He will resolutely resist total abolitionso will the bishops , so will the 3 * 87 Peers who recorded their votes ; but he and all the reasonable Opposition are nevertheless open to any reasonable offer .- Well , the question is now narrowed to its sordid aspect . How much will the Dissenters consent to give ? Mother Church will not budge an inch from the assertion of her doubtful right to the pelf , but pay her a round sum down , and she wi ll pocket the affront , and say no move about the matter .
We do not altogether object to this mode of settlement . It is » the readiest way of getting rid of heart-burnings ., of dissensions , of contests that certainly confer no honour on true religion nor add one jot of credit to a Christian Church . The church rates , however 3 are not the only church imposts assuredly doomed . Looming in the future are other imposts which , from their abuses , are going rapidly out © f favour even of sound and conscientious
churchmen , and which will follow the road of church rates . But the conflict will be severe . Even in regard to church rates , the victory is gained but the reward is not yet reaped . Lord Portman , in the Lords , gave notice last night of a bill on the subject before the session closes . The Chancellor of the Exchequer , however , in the Commons , pointblank declared that Government would do nothing this session , but would introduce a measure next session . Nous verrona .
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Lady Bui-wick Lytton . — This unhappy lndy » whoso strange proceedings in connexion -with tho lato re-election for Hertfordshire caused considerable conversation , hns recently boon placed in a lunatic asylum near London . Tho Morniny P *> at understands thul her friends aro nbout to take steps to ondeavour to establish h « r sanity .
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Austraua .. —By the last Australian advices we loam that the line of railway from Melbourne to Sandhurst hns been contracted for at 8 , 867 , 000 / . Tho electric telegraph Is completed from Melbourne to Adelaide . The production of gold is on the increase , the supply being about 26 , 000 ounces in excess of last year . Money ¦ was plentiful at the last dates , trade hoalthy , and prices tending upwards . A bill to increase the number of tho House of Assembly from sixty to ninety-three passed the Lower House on the 26 th of April , and is now before the Legislative Council . A now gold-field has been opened on tlio New South "Wales side of the Murray tlver .
Thk Law Amendment Society . — This society wound up its- legal labours for tho season last Saturday evening , by a dinner at the Albion , Greenwich 5 Lord Brougham In the chair . His Lordship delivered a speech , in wliich he reviewed what had been done in the W » y of law reform , and the company were also addr « ssed by the Attorney-General . The day passed off with muoh enthusiasm .
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PAUUA . MENTAEY PEMMICAJST . The debate on Church Rates , in the Lords , on Friday , verified the opinions vre ventured to express in our last The abolition bill was rejected on the second reading by a large majority—151 , and the Earl of Derby sketched a plan of compromise , founded on voluntary commutation , which , -with , some modification , will probably be adopted hereafter . At present , both parties are playing a game of " brag , " as it were , each taking up grounds which , in their hearts , they know they mean to abandon , notwithstanding their blatant note of defiance and cry of " no surrender ! " The opponents of church rates , in-the'Commons , declared against compromise only to obtain , a
favourable one , whilst the Lords rejected the bill by as large a majority as could be mustered , avowedly for the same purpose . It is impossible to doubt that the antichurch-rate party were influenced in their course by motives of policy , unless , indeed , it can be supposed that they are prepared to act unreasonably and unjustly , a supposition which we will not for a moment entertain . The Dissenters must then claim to be relieved from the payment of church rates , on the broad ground of justice . When , therefore , the Church party in the Commons announced their willingness to give un the contest , and
concede the Dissenters' demand , it seemed somewhat perverse and unreasonable in them to say tliat they would riot be satisfied with being relieved themselves , but must insist on total abolition , from philanthropic regard for the pecuniary interests of churchmen . Their intention , doubtless , was to make the Lords understand that the time had arrived when the question must be settled by completely exempting Dissenters from an impost to which they object as violating of conscience and infringing the principle of religious liberty . The Lords have taken the hint , so plainly given , and the question will be settled in the spirit indicated .
In the Commons , great progress was made with the India Bill , both at a morning and the evening sittings . The motion for going into committee on Lord Lucan's bill for the relief of the Jews gave rise to a short discussion , in -which the only thing worthy of note was a short speech of Lord Lyndhurst . Every fresh effort of this remarkable man- —now in his eighty-sixth year—increases one ' s admiration for him . Such sagacity , such eloquence ! True eloquence—apt thoughts clothed in fitting words . Inexperienced persons listening to Lord Lyndhurst would he likely to think it an easy thing to speak as he does , so lucid his ideas—so simple his style —all that he uttera seeming to well forth , as it were ,
without premeditation . Yet these are precisely the qualities -which are so difficult of attainment in oratory , and , therefore , are so rarely met with . The apparent spontaneity and unstudied character of Lyndhurst ' s eloquence is the result of the severest mental discipline , in combination -with refined taste and logical power . During the last half-century we have had many—and still have some—speakers who could delight by their rhetorical skill , or kindle enthusiasm by fervid appeals to the imagination ; but Lyndhurst has stood alone . No man but he could enchain the attention of his audience for a whole hour simply by mastery over their judgment ,
Well , " the old man eloquent" as he may justly be called , took the first clause of Lord Lucan ' a bill , and tore it to pieces . He sarcastically inferred , from the verbose superfluity which characterized the clause , that it had been drawn by some person who was accustomed to be paid by the number of words which he used , a sort of legal " penny-a-liner . " Having brushed away the draughtsman ' s verbal "rubbish , " Lord Lyndhurst pointed out that the learned gentleman had committed a gross blunder by providing in the clause that the words , " and I make this declaration upon the true faith of a Christian , " should be omitted from the oath of abjuration when , in fact , that oath does not contain Any such -words ! If the unlucky draughtsman happened to be present on the occasion , he must have -writhed under the vigorous application of the noble and learned Lord ' s critical scalpel . Lord Lucan took the dissection of his bill in good part , and promised to amend it .
The droll aspect of this important question—for it has its droll aspect—may excuse a passing observation , Up to the present time much angry feeling prevailed on the subject . The Oaths bill had passed from tho Commons to tho Lords , with tho certainty of feeing rejected there , and on that rejection depended consequences the most grave and even alarming ; for politicians could not contemplate without apprehension the possibility of tho disturbance of the constitutional balance by the House of Commons passing a resolution which was to override tho law . That the law would have been put in operation cannot be doubted ; and if it had come : to bo a question between Jews and Judges , there is no knowing wl » it turn popular opinion would have taken , and whether the Commons might not have beon vanquished by AVestminster Hall . In that case all tho -work would have had to bo done over agnin .
by which the " dead lock " has been removed Whfl 7 ever his motive , it must be confessed that Lord Lucan h »» done good sendee , and his bluff , honest manner Snot been without its effect on the Peers . ot We have now ( Wednesday ) before us Lord Luran ' amended bill , and find that an important alteration has been made ui the second clause . It now enacts that either House of Parliament may , in the case of a member of the Jewish persuasion , omit the words " and I make thU declaration on the true faith of a Christian " from tho oath , " which by an act passed , or to be passed in the present session of Parliament , has , or may be , substituted for the oaths of Allegiance , Supremacy , " and Abjuration in the form therein required . " Thus the relief to the Jews is made dependent on the passing of the Oaths Billbut as this measure is a good one , and will assuredly be accepted by the Commons , we shall have the pleasure of seeing Baron Rothschild take his seat before the end of the session .
On Monday the India Bill got through committee in the Commons , and on Tuesday the report -was discussed On this occasion Lord Palmerston courted and sustained two or three fresh defeats . In one instance he led fortyfive " Liberals" into the lobby in opposition to the wise provision that the Government should not be allowed to carry on -wars in the East—such as the late Persian war —without the knowledge and consent of Parliament . Not content with obtaining a ro > ad for vehicles between Buckingham-gate and Marlborough-liouse , the mndreds or thousands who are able to ride in carriages and cabs , regardless of the safety and comfort of the
millions who are obliged to walk afoot , are now seeking permission to drive over nursery-maids and children on their way from Marlborough-house to Storey ' s-gate . For what object ? "Carriage folk" are not likely to visit the classic regions of Tothill-street or Strettonground : no , the points to be reached are the Houses of Parliament and Westminster-bridge , and it is actually nearer to them by way of Pall-mall , Charmg-cross , and Parliament-street , than it would be by the Park and Storey ' s-gate . The subject was broached on Monday in the shape of a question ; but Lord John Manners properly set his face against the project .
On Wednesday the House assented to the second reading of Mr . M'Mahon ' s bill for giving criminals the right of appeal against conviction . Mr . Bowyer , illustrating the optical proverb about the mote and tie beam , sarcastically observed that if the existing state of the English law 011 this subject prevailed at Naples , we should probably resolve on sending a three-decker to our ally , to enfore a demand for its reformation . The proposed amendment is just ; but we would have the appeal directed , not to a jury , but to a tribunal to l ) e established for the purpose , composed of three judges , to whom the judge ' s notes should be referred , and wlio should have power to re-examine "witnesses and call for fresh evidence .
On Thursday the Lords were called 011 to go into committee on Lord Lucaii ' s bill , previous to which , Lord Lyndhurst addressed a Tew observations to the House . His Lordship called attention to the alteration which , had been made in the first clause , nnd as noticed above ; by which the relief of the Jews is made to depend , or , to use Lord Lyndhurst ' s more idiomatic language , "to bang " upon the Oaths Bill being adopted . It gratifies ua to find that the noble and learned lord confirmed the views which we had , by anticipation , taken of the subject , aud expressed his conviction that both the Oaths Bill and Lord Lucan ' s Bill will pass into law this session , and in this conviction Lord Derby shared .
Lord Lyndhurst added that , under these circumstances , he would refrain from moving some amendments which lie had prepared , and he also stated that , on the part of the Jews , be as en ted to the introduction of a clauso by the Duke of Marlborough , to prevent members of the Hebrew persuasion from presenting to benefices . This is the spirit which should animato men who aspire to settle great questions of public policy . Tho bill passed through committee , and the tliird
reading was fixed for the following day . In the Commons , the India Bill was read a tliird time , after many compliments to young Lord Stanley , iu whom men seem to recognize a mind of no ordinary calibre . Lord Palmerstou caine out well at lust , saying that although he disapproved of soino parts of tho measure , he gave the third reading of tho bill not a grudging , but a willing and hearty support . And so , nftcr a neat littlo speech from Disraeli , tho famed Imlin Bill was sent up to tho Lords with cheers to speed it on its wiy .
Tho now Colonial Secretary explained tlic provisions of his bill for placing Vancouver ' s Island ( tho now gold fields ) under tho authority of tho Crown . Tho measure obtained general assunt , and was read a second time . In tho courso of tho week twenty-one divisions have taken place in both Houses on various subjects , and in every case tho " weak Government " had a considerable majority .
"Well , at this critical moment—when contending parties were preparing for a great struggle—Lord Lucan unexpectedly enters upon tho sccno , like the Beefeater in tho Critic , nnd with like success ; for the belligerents at once throw away their weapons , an amicablo arrangement is immediately effected , and tho audience , tho while , can only look on and wonder at the simple agency
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664 . „ TU : E LEADEB . _ Jg ° ^ 33 » Jtot 10 , 1858 .
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Leader (1850-1860), July 10, 1858, page 664, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2250/page/16/
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