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    82 TIE; LEADER. [No. 460, January 15,185...

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    fashions. There is the modest and inexpe...

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    ATTEMPTED REVIVAL OF THE SLAVETRADE IN A...

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  • 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.

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    Royal Speeches—Sardinia And Prussia. Two...

    which these things have caused . Councils of Ministers sit from day to day . Large reinforcement ^ havje already been despatched to Italy , and Meld-Marshal Giulai is said to hold secret instructions enabling him to place the whole liombardo-Venetian kingdom in ,, a state of siege on the first appearance of outbreak . ' At a moment so full of interest and peril to the Austrian Empire the intentions of Prussia become a matter of the utmost concern . The ties that have hitherto bound the Court of Berlin to that ; of St . Petersburg have indeed been loosened , if not

    broken ; and the friendly dispositions known to prevail towards England and Belgium have not unnaturally led the Austrians to reckon sanguinely on the possibility of forming a counter alliance against IVance and Piedmont . The speech of the Regent of Prussia contains nothing which can be construed either into confirmation of these hopes , except in so far as it seems io be a deliberate revival of the high monarchic notions of the superseded King , and an attempt to resuscitate something of the military spirit'of personal government by the head of the State . It is not pleasant to find a primce , whose

    advent to power was so lately vaunted of as tlie inauguration of a new regime , wantonly indulging in hereditary heroics about " holding high thel > anner of Prussia , whereon is inscribed kingshi p by the grace of God , & c , " while not a word is said indicative of any constitutional ameliorations , such as the liberal majority of the Chambers were elected to 4 emand . For ourselves we have neyer ^ disguised our opinion of the character and tendencies of the Princ e © I Prussia . We have never believed him to be other than a thorough absolutist , rendered prudent by temper and experience , and accessible in matters x > f detail to reasonable remonstrance ; but a man in-• cab ' able " ' of cdnceivins : a policy different from the

    traditional one of his house , utterly devoid of con ^ stitutioiial sympathies or ideas , and mainly bent on applying in civil affairs the principles ot vigorous authority and implicit obedience which as a soldier lie hajs habitually practised in the camp . His ¦ speech on opening the Chambers is full of this spirit . It reads as it it were set to a running accompaniment-of bugles and drums . Although in this respect having a certain similaritv to the address of the King of Sardinia delivered three days before , it is in all else different , and not less dissimilar seems to have been its reception . The soul ^ stirring speech of Victor Emmanuel called forth loud and repeated bursts of enthusiastic applause ; while the formal and forced appeals of the Prussian Regent to the loyalty of the people And the fidelity of the troops were received for the roost part in silence .

    TFov our parts we profess to feel no great confidence that Austria may not succeed in cajoling Prussia and Bavaria , with the various minor states that lie between , into a new holy alliance for the maintenance of her power in Italy . We have , indeed , very serious doubts whether , after all , Russia may not content herself with having helped to set France and Austria at loggerheads , and when the hour of conflict arrives , concur with England in the wisdom of standing aloof and holding herself in reserve . We wqre amongst the first to preach the doctrine of strict neutrality , as far as arms are concerned , in the Italian quarrel ; and it is gratifying to observe that , almost without exception , the

    entire press of thjs country hag since adopted and enforced that opinion . Should the Cabinet of Lord Derby unfortunately commit the error of lending any degree of countenance or support to Austria , the leaders of Opposition , who desire to drag the country into an unnecessary war , would doubtless attempt to raise a counter feeling , professing themselves enthusiastic friends of Italian freedom , but in reality bent only upon diverting the thoughts of the nation from domestic economy and Reform . Nothing can be more hollow or more unsound than a Bonapartist alliance for intervention in the peninsula , and [ nothing deserves more uncompromising opposition .

    82 Tie; Leader. [No. 460, January 15,185...

    82 TIE ; LEADER . [ No . 460 , January 15 , 1859 .

    Fashions. There Is The Modest And Inexpe...

    fashions . There is the modest and inexperienced applicant , who" encloses a stamped envelope , and informs you that the smallest contribution will be thankfully received ; there is the older and less scrupulous offender . ^ who does not enclose a stamps but works on ybur-feelings with harrowing details ; and requests an answer by return of post' ; " 1 here is the hardened and callous claimant , who does not prepay his letters , but encloses a card with the modest request that you will collect a hundred shillings from a hundred of your friends and acquaintance , and expresses surprise that his last it is

    appeal remained unanswered . The worst of that our consciences will not allow us to disregard the appeal , while our pockets object to its admission . We may dispute the good taste of such applications ; we may doubt , we may even say we do doubt , whether this system of solicitation promotes the true interests of charity or religion , but \ ye cannot deny that the evil complained of does in truth exist . We know that in town and country there are large districts almost unsupplied with church accommodation , that in the towns there are vast populations growing up without spiritual teaching and pastoral care . ' . ¦ .. : ¦

    The English public have no lack of zeal—still less are they wanting in charity . Before , therefore , we , who happen not to be enthusiastic in the cause of church extension , are condemned for culpable indifference or undue parsimony , it is only fair that our defence should be heard . We respect your cause—such is the substance of our apology to the advocates of further extension—we wish well to its success ; if need be , we will contribute to its rc ^ sources ; but still , after all , we are a commercial people ,, and like to get our money ' s worth for our money . The Church is already in the possession of

    large funds , which in one form . .. other are derived from the resources of the country . Let us see that you make the most of what you have got before we contribute more . The labourer is undoubtedly worthy of his hire ; but we like to know how he has spent his earnings before we raise his wages . All this is , perhaps , a very matter-of-fact and unexalted manner of looking- on so important a subject ; but in spite of ourselves it is forced upon us by the glimpses we get front time to time of the internaf organisation of the Church . The innovating spirit of irreverent inquiry lms invaded even

    the sacred repose of the City churches . We confess that if it were not for the vital interests at stake , we could not witness this intrusion without a kind of sentimental regret . Those City churches lie so quiet and retired in such quaint nooks and corners ; in the heart of warehouses , and wharves , and offices , you come unawares , upon the small flagpayed courts in which they stand . . Nobody comes near them , nothing seems to go on in them—amidst the noise and turmoil , and bustle of the surrounding City , they look like temples dedicated to eternal rest , where we can fancv that the spirits of departed

    citizens meditate undisturbed in slumberous and solemn silence . The sacrilegious hand which threatens to disturb their repose is that of the Bishop of London . By his desire the incumbents of the City churches have boon required to furnish particulars of their cures , and to return the numbers of their respective flocks , the amount of their stipends , and the fruit of their labours , as evinced by the attendance at their servicos . Thoy havo had to give an account of their stewardship , and out of then * own mouths they are convicted as unprofitable .

    City boundaries . There are , again , four City parishes which rejoice in the quaint designations of St . Margaret Moses , St . Martin Vintry > St . Mildred Poultry , and St . Nicholas Cole Abbey , whose joint population is only 1780 , who never , in their days of the ' greatest relig ious zeal * contributed more than 95 listeners in all to the services of the Church , and the ' annual stipends for which ' amount to ' . 100-8 / .: From the printed list we might call out dozens of instances of snug parishes where ' ¦ there is all pay and no work ; but we . refrain from do in g so , as it is the system itself , and -not the individual clergy , we object to . Now , if there were plenty of funds to prosecute the work of the Church throughout the country ,

    or even in this ¦ metropolis alone , we should be the last to complain of the existence of these City sinecures ; They form pleasant retreats for men of education and merit ; and if they do little good , they do less harm . The iniquity consists in the inequality of the system bv which , the . funds of the Church are-applied . Outside the bounds of the City , just beyond this favoured locality , are the parishes of Hoxton , of St . Mary ' sTlaggerstonc , and Spitalfields , whose populations "' amount , to 21 , 370 , 26 , 027 , and 17 , 160 respectively ; the value of these-livings' are only 450 / ,, 50 QZ ., and 19 SA a year ; and out of these amounts the incumbents have to provide for sev ' rates . " We might multiply instances like these if there were need for it . For any one who can use his own eyes , an hour ' s walk ' through , the courts and ' lanes of the eastern district of London will be

    enough to convince him of the work that there is for . the priest and pastor to perform . The reason why that work is not done is the want of funds . Within sight of those half-heathen districts , there arc churches without hearers ,. clergymen without : work , and funds without employment . When we ask how these things can be , how it is that the funds ' of the City churches have not been applied long- ago to their proper uses , we find that every effort "to remove them has been frustrated ,

    by a cry of vested interests , by the pig-headed resistance of civic beadledom , and , by more than all , the sentimental opposition , of men who style themselves the friends of the . Church , of England . For tho two former class of objectors there is no argument but force ; of the last , however , we hope better things . . We would urge on them that for the sake ot' the shadow they are sacrificing the substance ; that , after all , the congregation is of more importance than the church , and human souls than stone monuments . ,

    The Methodist child , when she was asked by the lady visitor at the Sunday-school . ' whether she believed in the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church , replied , " No , ma ' am ; I believe in the Weslcyau and Congregational Chapel . " No argument could induce her to retract her opinion . To her mind , the Church was the building , and the building was the Church . The idea cf an abstract church , of the Church of the Apostles and Martyrs , of the communion of Christians , of the assemblage of just

    men made perfect , wore to her , words without meaning . Apart from the building , the Church , in her eyes , had no existence . She believed in bricks , and her faith was in plaster walls . Strange to say , in support of her material creed the dissenting school-girl might have quoted the argument of those who opposed tho removal of the City churches , of enlightened bishops and university members , of tho ohoson sons of tho Church of England .

    The result of tho episcopal inquisition lias been to bring to li ff ht a variety of curious details . Within the precincts of the City of London thore are to be found fifty-seven parish churches . Exoluding tho population ot three parishes , the returns of which are not givon , tho whole population of these fiftyvsevon parishes is only 10 , 788 . Out of those 4 ) 7 , 000 parishioners , a very largo proportion of whom are prpbably Jews , the greatest number who ever attended divine service in tho City is found , by adding together the largest attendances in each church throughout tho year , to bo only 9478 .

    THE 0 HX 7 ROH IN THE CITY . We trust that none of our readers avo so poor or so disreputable as never to have received an appeal for their assistance in the cause of Church extension . You must be far sunk , indeed , in . poverty , or disrepute , to be exempt from such applications . Most of us receive hundreds of them . We can identify them at . flrst sight , as easily as if tho -words " Spiritual destitution ? ' were printed at the corner of the letter . Wo know by heart their yarious forms and

    As this is an exceptional and too favourable calculation , tho average number of attendants , on any Sunday at all the City churches , may safely bo put down as not above 0000 to 7000 . For tho cure of these 47 , 000 souls , and tho pastoral ministration , to these 0000 chosen sheep , tho City clergy reooivo incomes whioh , in tho net , amount to 24 , 937 / . a year . Taking the value of City proporty at flvo per cent , pel annum , wo may state that a sum of about 6 QQfQQQt , of Church property isappropriafced to tho oa . ro of tho 4 ) 7 , 000 souls who reside within tho

    Attempted Revival Of The Slavetrade In A...

    ATTEMPTED REVIVAL OF THE SLAVETRADE IN AMERICA . A cakoo of slaves lias boon landed on tlio const of Georgia , and the proceeding appears to bo something like the landing of bunaay voyagers on a quay near Glasgow—to try the actual state of the law ; not , indeed , that thoro is much doubf ; about tho atato of the law at present ,, but the extreme freedom of discussion ana of political action in the United States has begotton a state of fooling amongst many of the oitbous that they havo a right to act , not only upon tho law existing , but upon tho law of the future , that whioh ' thoy intend to bring about ; . According to tho reports * which appoar to bo tolerably oorrcct , the yiioht Wandorcr brought over tho slaves from Africa direct ; , and landod them in tho Eclgoflold district ql" Georgia . This aol ; , snya tho Mdgojiold Advertiser , on tho authority of au authorised otatotnont , has boon done by a combination of many ol tho ilrsl families ni Georgia aud South Carolina , from purely patriotio

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 15, 1859, page 18, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_15011859/page/18/