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Leader (1850-1860), 3rd November 1855, Edition 2 of 2, Page 5, OUR CIVILISATION. Conviction of Stkaman,...

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      Miss Iiiuds, After A Painful And Long-Pr...

      MRrF : o : wxiRb and the drainage QUESTION . A statement was made on Wednesday , at the fortnightly meeting of the Metropolitan Commissioners of Sewers , vsrhich will prepare the way for settling an important question . Mr . F . O . Ward , the advocate of tabular drainage as opposed to the system of wide drains , has for some time been urging the Court to investigate his statements and evidence , in order to procare the adoption of his plan for the intercepting drainage of the metropolis , in lieu of the plan which was considered to he settled . On Wednesday , however ,

      Mr . Ward coupled this standing entreaty with a statement of a very grave nature ; he made a distinct charge of misconduct against Mr . Bazalgette , the chief engineer of the Commission . Mr . Ward accuses Mr . Bazalgette of having made serious engineering errors ; of having concealed those errors and sought to establish his ' own conclusions by tampering with the details , — such as altering the declivity of the ground in particular instances , omitting important data , and introducing without acknowledgment , formulae prepared by persons who are not recognised by the Commission . Mr . Ward moved a a resolution for appointing a committee

      to investigate and report upon his own statement ; the committee to be assisted by three eminent professors of mathematics , such as Professor Willis , Professor Moseley , Mr . Babbige , or Mr . Wheatstone . The Court postponed the consideration of the subject and appointed a special day , on which Mr . Bazalgette could appear to state his own case in answer- Thus the way is paved for a preliminary judicial decision on the question between large and tabular drainage .

      Not. 3, 1855.] , The Leader. , 1049

      Not . 3 , 1855 . ] , THE LEADER . , 1049

      Two Letters From Mazzini. The Following ...

      TWO LETTERS FROM MAZZINI . The following letters have been elicited from M . Mazzini , by certain opinions in . a provincial journal . They are addressed to the Editor . Sir , —You inserted , days ago , in your paper , a most extraordinary letter from Mr . D . Urquhart , in which , from the midst of copious unintelligible trash about confidence and foreigners , I read that I have been employed by Russia to circumvent Kossuth , and thereby cut him off from Turkey—that Kossuth declared tc him , in 1849 , at Kutayah , that I was a Russian agent —that in 1827 Italian deputies went to the Emperor Nicholas at Vognosith for revolutionary purposesand that I , Mazzini , have made an admission to him , Mr . D . Urquhart , that money for an Italian revolution was coming from Russia . To these wild , unaccountable-for statements , I beg to give Hie following answers : — I have never been , nor shall ever be employed by any Power : I believe all actually existing Powers to be unworthy of employing any honest man labouring in the cause of Right , Truth , and Justice . I never have circumvented Kossuth , nor cut him off from Turkey : I think that the manner of viewing the Turkish question is one of the very few secondary points about which Kossuth and I are still suffering . I do not believe that Kossulh has ever declared to Mr . D . Urquhart that I was a Russian agent . Kossuth himself has settled the point in a recent number of the Atlas . I do not believe any Italian deputy having gone from the national party to the Emperor Nicholas in 1827 at Vognosieh or anywhere else ; I was then , at all events , a simple student at the University of Genoa , possessed with no influence whatever on the national party . My political career began with my imprisonment in 1830 .

      I never have received , directly or indirectly , any money from Russia . I have never undergone the infliction of Mr . D . Urquhart ' s personal intercourse . I have never Eeen him : he has never , to my knowledge , seen me . Mr . D . Urquhart is , therefore , simply lying , or labouring under a strange hallucination , whenever he spenks of personal admission made by me to him . Between the horns of the dilemma I grant him the choice . As for your suggestion that a certain committee should call a public meeting in Sheffield , and chullenge me amongst others to be present and have the matter investigated , I bee : to state Hint the challenge would

      prove altogether ineffectual . 1 never grant anybody the right of dragging me to the bar to answer questions which I despise , and accuseia who are not worth my notice . English patriots would really be very weak and irrational , should they choose , on the first rambling affirmation , to doubt a man who was in 1849 — the time of Kossuth ' s alleged accusation—fighting for republican Italian liberty at Rome , and who , during twenty-five years of his life , hns ever unhesitatingly spoken , written , and , whenever possible , acted , against kings , emperors , czars , popes , and all crowned and uncrowned liea shamming truth and guidance an this earth of ours .

      1 do not believe in tho vitality of the Muhommedun Turkish' Empire in Europe ; and 1 think it unjust , unwise ; and unstiUeemanlike to persist in making a galvanised corpse a barrier to the encroachments of a young growing power like Russia , just as I always thought it unjust , unwise , and unautesinanllke in Mr . Urquhart ' that he should oppose , an ho always did , the

      free rising of our nationalities , in the hope of finding a useful ally against Russia in the rotten , doomed Austrian Empire . But I do not believe that Russia has any right of usurping what belongs to the Greek , Albanian , Bulgarian , Servian , Roumain , and other inhabitants of the soil . I do not feel bound to enthusiasm for a war which is fought side by side with imperial despotism , and which your Government has diverted from its proper liberal civilizing aim , for the sake of keeping up an immoral and absurd status quo , and of checking any national rising ; but I hate Tsarism under any shape , and I wish it to vanish as speedily as possible from the face of God ' s earth . I would not fro

      feel in the least guilty should I accept money m Russia or any other Power , for the sake of making poor forsaken Italy free , and of cancelling , there at least , the curse of Austrian tyranny ; but to no Power on earth would I yield an atom of my political creed , or of ray absolute freedom of action . And the \ ery frankness of this statement ought , at all events , to prove an additional pledge for the truthfulness of my declaration , that nd such a transaction has ever taken place , and that no man , sane or insane , will ever be able to prove before your committees anything to the contrary . London , Sept . 22 . Yours respectfully , ( Signed ) JOSEPH MAZZINI .

      This letter produced a long , dreary , and tortuous article , to which Mazzini addressed a reply : — Sir , — I have read the article concerning my letter to you , in your number of September 29 th . I have been attacked by Catholic priests , Austrian spies , and the lowest police agents throughout Europe ; never in such a paltry , despicable , irrational , misinterpreting , calumniating way . They were either asses or scoundrels ; the writer of the article is evidently a happy combination of the two .

      With an everlasting farewell to the Urnutiarhst mud , in which I really cannot condescend to stoop twice , I am , J . M . Oct . 1 , 1855 .

      The Gale. A Very Fearful Gale Raged, Par...

      THE GALE . A very fearful gale raged , particularly along the southern coast of England , towards the close of last week ; and in the northern parts- of the island heavy floods have fallen . The rivers Irwell and Mersey were swollen to overflowing ; and at Broughton , near Manchester , the former river rose above the left bank , arid the inhabitants of the neighbouring streets were confined to their dwellings by a depth of several feet of water . The lowgrounds adjoining the Mersey , far into Cheshire , have been completely covered with the floods ; and a great deal of damage has been done . The waters of the Thames at London rose to an unusual height ; several vessels came into collision , and bulwarks , spars , and rigging , suffered from the shock . The wind blow with such violence that houses in the suburbs were unroofed ,

      chimney-pots were blowu down , and young trees were uprooted . But the most serious results occurred , as we have said , on the southern coasts . At Plymouth , a Brazilian ship was driven ashore in Mount Batten Bay , but received slight damage . A Government emigrant ship drove about a quarter of a mile from her anchoraga , but was fortunately brought to . At Dover , as wo stated in our Postscript last week , the gale was- very violent . At Deal , Rye , New Romney , Swansea , and other parts of the coast , several vessels were wrecked or greatly injured , in gsome cases with loss of life , and in every caae with much sacrifice of property ; while around the Channel Islands , and on the north " const of France , the tempest was exceedingly violent . At llamegate , wo regret to add , some lives have boon lost , not without consideruble blame attaching to the authorities and the life-boat-men at that harbour . From an eye-witness , " A London Clergyman , " who writes to the Times , we derive tho following vivid account of the scene which took place on Friday week

      off the Ram agate pier : ——" A heavy gale is blowing from the south-west , and all Ilamsgate is crowding on tho pier . A small Colchester oyster-bout is on shore . Already all chance of saving it is gone , and the crowds are hastening to sco the cud . " She is close in , within fifty yards of tho outer wall of th-a pier , and there are four lives on board—precious , beyond words , to wives , or sisters , or children ; but amid all this hastening to see , there is nothing < l « mo to save . Is there no one in authority hero to give ordors in this emergency , and to see his ordors obeyed V Not quo . Is not Ramsgato harbour culled ' Tho Refuge of the Destitute ? ' and are there not lifeboats , and Manby ' s apparatus , and what not , provided by tho authorities ? Bat whore are they to day ?

      " One man is already lost , and tho throe survivors are clinging piteously to tho inasthoad , which alone , of all tlicir little craft , is now visible to tho oyo . But tho lifeboat rides snugly- within , and tho lifebuoys , and tho Manby ' s apparatus , and the paraphernalia of tho ' ltamsgato ihunnuo' ( if there be such , a thing ) are—vwlio known where ? And now a French screw gunboat , which haa been lying in tho offing all night , is in groat peril , and cornea rolling in upon tho surge , her screw broken , her rudder gone , and all unmanageable . And there aho drivea over the wreck of tho little oyster boat . And

      what shall save these three poor fellows , clinging for their life , from , instant destruction ? Thank God ! the gunboat just shaves them ; and one fine fellow , with that energy which love of life lends , springs from his- frail perch and just hits the bulwarks of the Frenchman , and is safe . " But two still hang on . And every wave is lessening their chance of life . The craft is rapidly breaking up , and soon the mast must fall . Crowds of pitying fellowmen are looking on , —but will no one save ? At last , there is the lifeboat . Good and precious minutes have been wasted , it is true ; but surely , now , this life-saving crew will do their duty , and go in boldly and promptly to the rescue . No such tiling . They hang back . They

      delay . This is not right , and that is not Tight ; and when , at length , they reach the wreck , it is the time of the last struggle of failing strength . One man is fresher than Iris fellow , and , catching the rope first , is hauled up through , the angry surge , and his rescue i 3 secured . But the other poor fellow , benumbed and paralysed by long clinging , and too feeble to extricate himself from the meshes of the wreck , sinks with the lifeboat at his side . Five minutes saved from delay would have been life . Another victim has gone down to an untimely graveanother victim to the want of management of those to whom the English people intrust their funds for the proper protection of human life . t

      " Ttie Trench gunboat is all safe . Her Governmen can pay for the tugboat which has just rescued her , and all is right . But will you ask the authorities at Ramsgate who is responsible for the disgraceful exhibition , of to-day ?" Another letter to the Times from another eye-witness confirms this narrative in every particular , la answer , however to the'e statements , an extract from the harbourmaster ' s journal has been sent to the Times , from which it would seem that all was done which could possibly be effected , but that some delay took place in manning the lifeboat , owing to the Ramsgate mariners being engaged succouring distressed vessels inside the harbour . The stove

      life- boat , which at length went out , got against the fishing smack , and was run into Broadstairs , upheld entirely by her air-chambei-s . The harbonr-inaster adda that the crew , before making for Broadstairs " backed the life-boat out clear of the Raffle , throwing at the same time a Carts' lifebuoy to the remaining smacksrnan , into which he succeeded in placing himself , and the lifeboat's crew endeavoured to haul him out clear , but , strange fatality , his legs were so fixedly entangled in the ropes and ringing , that they were obliged to desist . Ho , with great apparent presence of mind , released one arm from the lifebuoy and endeavoured to extricate his legs , but the cause which held him fast ( as a heavy sea broke over him ) drew him out of the lifebuoy , and lie disappeared .

      The gale was very violent on Tuesday at Shields , and many vessels were driven towards tho shore . The pilots behaved with their usual gallsmtry .

      Our Civilisation. Conviction Of Stkaman,...

      OUR CIVILISATION . Conviction of Stkaman , Paul ,, aj * d Bates . — The trial of the bankers was brought to a close on Saturday . The facts of this case have been so ofteu before our reader .- * , that we need not here repeat tlioni ; and have therefore little more to record , than that all the prisoners were found Guilty . On Mr . Baron Alderaon asking the opinion of the jury , as to whether the disclosure before the Court of bankruptcy was genuine or not , the Foreman replied that their opinion was , that it was no disclosure in which inion the

      within the meaning of the act ; op Judge entirely concurred . The latter then proceeded to pass sentence , and , with much emotion , said ho should have been glad , had it pleased God that the task had fallen to some one else , since he recollected one of tho prisoners under very different circumstances — sitting beside him on the judicial bench , and occupying a high office ; but . as ho could not concoivo any worse case of tho kind , ho felt it his du * y to pnas the highest sentence permitted by the law—viz ., that the prisoner * bo severally TiiANsrom-KO fok Fourtiokn Yisars . The prisoner ,

      who seemed astounded at their sentence , leant against the dock as if they expected their counsel to make some observations to tliu Court ; but , after a short interval , tlioy slowly retired in ciuitody . Sir J . D . Paul was particularly affected , and , claHping his hands , trembled ^ violently . Tho prosecutor , Dr . Griffith , was observed to shed tears when tho sontonco was pronounced ; but tho j udgmunt appeared to give satisfaction to a crowded court . Jvv bnilb KucWANWM . —John Fdwanln , n boy thirteen yearn of ngo , i . i under remand at Westminster , charged with Hcriounly wounding Mr . John Hodges . Tho youth , together with some others , was pulling a truck

      about in front of Mr . Hodgas ' u house in iMizfibeth-squuro , Chcltioi ) , when , on that gentleman endeavouring to drivo them away , Edwards throw two stows at him . Tho " " rat struck hiin . on tho buck and did him lii tic or no harm but the second inflicted a wound upon hit * bond , from tno effect of which he fell to the ground homucJmw , « " < ' waa conveyed to a surgeon '*) . Ho is now « u « orln « from eouou Jion of the brain , and 1 . 1 . condition tor a tl . n . iju . npt bing ^ rx l ™! s :- -= - 7 — : £ b ^ serving her in tho aume way .

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Nov. 3, 1855, page 5, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_03111855/page/5/