Current:

Leader (1850-1860), 13th October 1855, Edition 2 of 2, Page 4, PUBLIC MEETINGS. X^> BJ> JEVU-MEKSTON AT...

Page 4
Page 4
4 of 24

On this page

  • Text (2)
  • Transcript

    • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

      Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.

      War Miscf.Ll.Anea. Tim King Of Sardinia ...

      tfca ^ ate-Bmpwor , rw * e * r scaredy arriv ^ at ^ ieholaieff , bad coma to the resolution of going by Cherson to Perekop , whence he would proceed into the Crimea to inmecty * s well as events -would- allow him , the different corps of the army of the Crimea . It is thought here that the presence of the Emperor will produce a great effect on the spitits of the soldiers . It appears that the resolution come to by the Emperor had not been communicated to any one , not even to the Empress , who . has returned here from Moscow with her children . According . to the opinion the Czar may come to after aeeing the army of the Crimea , he will decide on the movements of the reserves . It is said that , before leaving Moscow , the Emperor ordered the Generals of the reserves to make the necessary preparations for their departure , in case that step should be required . It is said to have been in contemplation a short time back to withdraw the two divisions of Grenadiers from Finland ,

      as well as the other regiments of the line , all of which Were to have marched to the south , and to have been replaced by battalions of militia ; but , on the pressing entreaties of General < 3 e Berg , who commands in Finland , and who declared that he could not answer for the defence of the coast with troops but little accustomed to war , the measure has been abandoned . —St . Petersburg Letter in the Patrie . The Baltic—Letters from Helsingfors state that the Russians aze repairing with the greatest activity the fortifications of Sweaborg , which were so dreadfully damaged by the bombardment of the 9 th and 10 th of

      August . They are establishing new powder-magazines in the rock , in order to avoid the risk of fresh explosions ; the storehouses which were in wood are being built of atone ; the arsenal , which was completely destroyed , is to be placed in a more protected position ; the barracks , which before the bombardment were capable of containing 10 , 000 men , are being enlarged , and an attempt is to be made to fortify the Isle of Drunsio . General de Berg , the Military Governor , has visited the rock on which the French established a battery , to see if it will not be possible to construct during the winter a sort of citadel there .

      M ApsHAr . Pjelissibr has received from the Ottoman Government the dignity , of a Marshal of the Empire . Several of the French Generals have been made Pachas , and some of their colonels Beys . Silisxria . —The Journal de Constantinople affirms that the commander-in-chief of the Turkish troops encamped on the Danube has received orders to prepare provisions for 40 , 000 to 50 , 000 French troops , who may be expected at Silistria by the end of October .

      .——— , . ' ' ' ¦ ' *<^^^^M^Mmmmm Q76 Tff...

      . ——— , . ' ' ' ¦ ' *<^^^^ m ^ mmmmm Q 76 Tff ^ EJ L ^ IADIB . [ No . %$ 0 ,, & AVy * j > fiX >

      Public Meetings. X^> Bj> Jevu-Mekston At...

      PUBLIC MEETINGS . X ^> BJ > JEVU-MEKSTON AT ROM 8 EY . A . kind of triumphant reception was given to Lord Palmerston on Friday week at his native town of Romsey , in Hampshire , on the arrival of his lordship there in passing to his seat at JBroadlands . Evergreen arches were erected at various points on the road from the railway station ; and the Mayor

      and inhabitants , headed by a band of music and colours ,-went in procession to meet the premier . An address having been delivered by the Mayor , Tx > rd Palmerston , without leaving his barouche ( . in which he was accompanied by Lady Palmerston ) , replied at considerable length , the text of his speech being the recent successes in the Crimea . Speaking of the designs of Russia in maintaining such a fortress as that of Sebastopol . his lordship observed : —

      " Although , on retiring , the Russians blew up fortified works , exploded great magazines of powder , and destroyed everything that could be burnt within the time allowed for their remaining stay , yet we know that , when the Allies entered that town , they found among those * blood-stained ruins' no less than 4000 pieces of cannon—( Cheers ) —an . immense Quantity of powder , an enormous amount of cannon-balls and shell , and materials of various kinds necessary for the prosecution of war . Well , gentlemen , what does that teach us upon reflection ? Does it not show us the vast importance which th © Government of Russia attached to that

      stronghold of Russian power in the Black Sea ? Why was that vast accumulation of warlike materials made , more than oould be required for tho most prolonged defence of the place ? Why was it that the elements had been there accumulated for supplying great armies and fbr furnishing great -Aeeta ? It was because they felt that this Sebastopol was the stronghold of their power in the East ; that from , this centre was to radiate that intense and extensive power which was to lead them to the conquest of Constantinople , and to enable them from that centre of empire to sway in a great degree tho destinies of Europe . " ( Cheers . )

      The recommendation which had been given by ¦*• no mean judges of international or of military and naval affairs , " that we ought to have attacked the Russians in tho Danubinn Principalities , and thence to have penetrated to the heart of tho Russian Empire , would not , contended Lord Palmerston , have fed to such valuable results as the attack on Sebastopol , and would have imposed greater labours and jterilfl on uaY But , properly speaking , there had been no siege of Sebastopol , nor had that town been dcfonded fey a garrison ,

      - ¦ •*• The-Allied armies of England and France , assisted from the beginning by a portion of the Turkish force , and assisted ; latterly by the brave Sardinians—a body of troops worthy of admiration by all for their discipline , their skill , their science , their good order and braveryhave not been besieging a single town and attacking a small garrison ; they have been fighting the whole military force of the Kussian Empire . We have been contending , not merely with an army in the Crimea , eqxial to oureelves , and sometimes superior to ourselves in numbers , but—I say it without exaggeration—we have been contending with the whole military resources of that vast military empire , that empire which devotes the great proportion of its revenue to tho maintenance of an enormous standing army , an army which they call 1 , 000000 men , but which may bo set down at 600 , 000

      , or 800 , 000 men . Well , gentlemen , almost the whole , or the greater part , of that force was set free , from tho Baltic to the Euxine , by the neutral position of those powers which border upon the European frontier of Russia . Russia had nothing to fear from Austria ; she had nothing to fear from Prussia . She was , therefore , at liberty to send down to the Crimea and defend Sevastopol , and drive our armies , as she vainly boasted she would do , into the sea . She had nothing to prevent her from sending division after division and army after army the garrison of Poland and the garrison of St . Petersburg—every mau she could feed at so distant a place ; she had nothing of danger upon her frontier to prevent her reinforcing her Crimean army , and replacing by fresh recruits the losses she had sustained in battle . "

      The idea of the invincibility of Russia had been destroyed ; and we had seen the great disadvantage at which that power is placed in having to transport her troops over many m iles o barren steppe , while the Allies carried their troop 3 fresh and unfatigued across the sea . Referring to the " neutral" powers , Lord Palmerston observed , " I believe that , if the nations of the Continent were to determine the course which they should pursue , simply according to their own sentiments and feelings , there are countries now resting in inglorious neutrality which would have joined the alliance , and done honour to he

      themselves and the cause . " Subsequently , spoke of" mistaken views of their interests , as he thotigfit , " leading the " neutral' Governments to a pacific line of policy . With respect to the Baltic operations , Lord Palmerston stated that our squadrons have never been superior in numbers to the ships of the Russians . His speech throughout was received with great enthusiasm . At the conclusion , three cheers were given for Lady Palmerston , and three for the Queen ; and the Mayor , gentry , & c , accompanied the premier to his seat . In the evening , the Mayor , the town council , and the clergy , dined with his lordship .

      SIR JOSEPH PXXTOS AT COVENTKT . The architect of the Crystal Palace lias recently been at Coventry , the city which he represents in Parliament , and has been distributing prizes at the School of Design , and presiding at the annual meeting of the Mechanics' Institute . He was also entertained at a public dinner given by one hundred and fifty of the electors . Sir Joseph addressed them in a speech of great amplitude , in which , after reviewing his parliamentary career , and stating his opinions in favour of atmy reform , he gave a short history of tho Army Work Corps , lie said : —

      " They would remember that on a former occasion he told them that in his opinion soldiers were unfit for trench-work and road-making , and ho suggested tho sending another class of men to do that particular work . In compliance with the wishes of the Government , ho carried out tho principle on a umall scale , and 1000 mon aa an Array Work Corps were Bent to the Crimea . Their utility wag Boon discovered , and General Simpson » ent home for more . By the end of tho week , including artisans and labourers , 8000 will have sailed . Thpir duty will be to do work to make tho soldier comfortable , in order that he may be kept to his own particular work . Now , in obtaining this corps , he acted upon a commercial principle . In order to get good mon and officers , you must par them well ; and ho had not experienced tho such class had

      slightest difficulty in getting a . Men come from all parts to the office in London , knowing that if engaged they would bo well clad , have good rations , and be well paid . That , indeed , was really economy . What had the war cost ? It had been stated that H would cost 80 , 000 , 000 / . or 90 , 000 , 000 / . this year . Why , if ovory soldier in the Crimea received XI . a week , that would only amount to 2 , 000 , 000 / . during the year out of the 80 , 000 , 000 / . ; and where was tho rest gone ? He mode a suggestion to Government with reference to hotter pay being given to soldiers , a part of which they adopted , but did not go farenough . Soldiers might readily have been better paid and had comforts In . tho Crimea nt less cost than had been expended , and their wives and families at homo might have received a portion of tho pay . " ( Cheers . " )

      Sir Joseph warned his hearers not to suppose that ho hud entered into a contract with the Government : what he had done was done gratuitously , for tho good which ho trusted would result . Referring to tho

      necessity fbr education and refining influences among the working classes , he made a very gratify ing assertion . " Two million persons had visited the Crystal Palace , out of which not more than three police cases had arisen , and two or three cases of drunkenness . By different classes thus meeting together , a feeling of self-respect was engendered , and an improved taste promoted . lie would have grounds for innocent recreation , with museums , reading-rooms , libraries , & c , not in an expensively decorative style as some of our large exteriors now are , but neat and useful . As he had promised at Halifax so he would promise here ( or rather more here ) and elsewhere—he would give all the drawings and superintendence . " ( Loud cheers . ) Sin EDWARD BULWER LVTTON AT nCNTINGFOHD . The annual meeting of the Hertfordshire Agricultural Society was held nt Buntingford on Thursday week ; and , at the dinner which was given by the members of the society , Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton delivered an address , in which he referred chiefly to the war . Having alluded to the noble and heroic officers whom Hertfordshire ha 9 produced , and more especially mentioned the names of Sutton , Powell , Clutterbuck , Blake , Ryder , and Delmer-Ratcliffe , he contended that , though repulsed in our attack on the Redan , we have materially contributed to the success of the siege . Yet he held that we had notoriously failed as regards the arrangements of our armyfailed , owing to our not availing ourselves of modern facilities and inventions . The war must be prosecuted with vigour ; and , to the credit of the House of Commons , no man who opposed himself to the national will in connexion with this struggle could maintain his position . Referring to his party , he

      observed : — " Let mo say this on behalf of the minority with whom I have for the most part acted , and with whose sentiments I am most familiar— -I say , you cannot miajudge that minority more than by supposing that they , or those who may be regarded as their leaders , are unduly anxious for the transfer of political power . I declare that , during the whole of the startling vicissitudes of last session , I saw with sincere admiration their absorbing anxiety to make the safety of the country , the maintenance of the army , and the honour of the Crown , paramount to all other considerations . " ( Cheers . )

      51 . DK METZ ON TDK MKTTKA . V ItUFORMATOBY . The Guildhall , Bristol , was the scene on Saturday last of a meeting of ladies and gentlemen interested in Reformatory ^ Institutions-, who assembled for the purpose of hearing a statement from M . de Metz , the French philanthropist , with reference to his Reformatory ut Mettray . Ilaving mentioned that his attention was first called to the subject by the numbers of children brought before him in the performance of his duty ns judye at Paris , M . de Metz ( who spoke in French ) continued : —

      U M . do Courtoillcs and myself commenced tho institution of Mutt ray in July , liSoi ) , by assembling twenty - three youths of respectable parenLage , whom for nix months we occupied ourselves in training for teachers . We thus began the Ecolc Pre ' paratoire * , or school fur officials , which I believe to be the most important feature of the institution ; t ? o important , indeed , that , if it were to be given up , Mettray itself must cease to exist . In January , 18-10 , we admitted twelve young criminal * , and very gradually increased the number . Mettray has first for its basis religion , without which it is impossible lor such an institution to succeed ; secondly , tho family principle for a bond ; and thirdly , military discipline na a means of inculcating order . The military di . iciplinu

      adopted at Mettray is this : —The lads wear a uniform , nnd they inarch to and from their work , their Iopsoiis , and their meals with the precision of soldiers , and to tho sound of a trumpet and drum . liut , aa the sound of the trumpet and tho drum lend men on to perform acts of heroism , ami to surmount the greatest difficulties , may it not reasonably bo employed with the same object at a reformatory school , where , in resisting temptation ami conquering vicious habits , true heroism is displayed , and a marvellous power of overcoming difficulties must be called forth ? A striking proof of tho hold tho system had obtained over tho mind * of the boys was given at tlio time of tho revolution of 1818 . Franco was then from onoondof the country to the other in a state of anarchy , and all the Government schools wero in rebellion . At Mettray , without walls , without coercion , there was not

      a sign of insubordination ; not a Mingle child attompted to runaway . It wan in allusion to the absence of walls ; that M . lo Baron do la Crosae , Sucnjluiro du Srfnat , oh- j served , * Hero in a wonderful prison , where thoro is no I . key , but tho clef ties vhamjm ! If your children remain ; captive , it Is proved you have discovered tho koy of their hearts . ' During tho revolution , a bund of workmen caniu to Mettray with flags Hying and trumpets sounding , and , mooting tho youths returning tired from " Hold labour , their plcknxes on , their whouMorH , thus addrossod tlwiu : — ' My boys , do hot be such fool * as to work any longer . Urcad is plentiful ; It is ready for you without labour . ' Tho c / itt / who wan conducting tho lads , and who behaved with tho greatest calmness and taut , immediately oii » ' < l , ? Halt ! form in line . ' Tho lml « , boing accustomed to march like soldiers , immediately formed . ThucA

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 13, 1855, page 4, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_13101855/page/4/