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    August 19, 1854.] THE LEADER, 781

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    THE PATERNAL GOVERNMENT. The Coalition G...

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    THE ANTI-MQLOCH MOVEMENT. The recent "ex...

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    N. Cardinal Wiseman Defendant. Those Rom...

    as an illustration of the mischief doue to genuine Catholics and Catholicism . The sting goes home to the heart of the Cardinal , raises the anger that was there before the benediction ; the conscience-striken dignitary thinks , by his feelings , that he knows the , author bfjfche charge as he knew the author of the wrong ; and straightway , smarting under a censure upon himself , he publishes , through the Roman Catholic journals of France and England , a studied libel upon the humbled and obscure Mr . Boyle .

    Of course the Ultramontane party would consider that Mr . Boyle , being under censure of a Cardinal , is ipso facto in sin , and should be tabooed ; should , at all events , not be allowed to appear contumaciously before his superior in a court of law . Is it not like bringing an action against St . Peter ; putting as ' . it . were . St . Michael at the bar ? Nevertheless , the occurrence is a fact . The particular trial failed for want of technical proof that the Cardinal was the author . He was

    brought into court , but by favour of a judicial . scruple , hewas let off . The plea was curious ; the form of the action was civil , but the judge considered that in . spirit it was a criminal > proceeding , and he permitted the Cardinal , who was present , to resist the summons as a witness , since the evidence would manifestly criminate himself / ' The

    " Cardinal took advantage pf that extra-judicial permission , iand thus virtually , by sheltering hiihself under the plea that his evidence would manifestly criminate himself , he co & fessed the authorship . The Case broke down for want of evidence on the point of authorship , although the testimony advanced in court left no moral doubt about it . It is not

    only on legal grounds that we may be surprised at the extraordinary indulgence granted by the Chief Baron—the special licence of a criminal plea in a civil action . We have before had great defendants in actions for libel ; and everybody can remember the case in which the Times figured by its late publisher , Mr , Iiawson . In such a case , however , a defendant conscious of his own dignity does not deny tbe statement which he has made , but manfully avows it , and places the defence on some other ground . It was

    evidently open to the Cardinal to do so . We are far from supposing that the otlier side was free from all blame . A priest who resists any new arrangements for the benefit of the Church , on the score that his own pecuniary emoluments are injured can claim comparatively small sympathy , still leas a pxiesfc who appeals from the injustice of his superior officer to Protestant sympathisers hostile to his Churcli . Cardinal Wiseman might have come forward in court , and have

    declared manfully that the letter was his , but that the court had no jurisdiction . He might have said ; " I have uttered no libel against Boyle which is within the purview of the court 5 I have not libelled him as a citizen and a man ; I have censured him only as my subordinate , for offences within our own Church , and in matters entirely within my own jurisdiction . " "Wo are not sure that that plea would have been less valid : we

    are sure that it would have been infinitely more dignified . The Cardinal , however , places his defence on such a ground that by Ins plea of evasion he confesses himself to have infringed the criminal law of this country . He escapes punishment only because he snoalcs oft * out of sight of tho oyo of the law ; for Cardinals can be punished in Great Britain if they * " ? i A ? ' there is llo 1 i a Priost in tho whole Uhurclx that cannot secure to himself all tho civil right of a citizen .

    AJus must be news to many countries . It does , however , only point out that state of civil rights towards which ono territory in Italy ia rapidly advancing , and to attain

    which a large party in the Roman Church is gradually but steadily exerting itself . As Cardinals are in England , so they will be at no distant date throughout the Piedmontese territories ; so they will , some day , throughout Italy . The essential tenets of the Church are not here in question ; there is as much truth in it—there is tbe -same fundamental

    truth , that there is in the Protestant Church , whose members specially arrogate to themselves that which they deny to everybody else—the " right of private judgment . " And the true Catholic party , whether in the Uoman or in the English Church , knows that the broad truth of religion is not incompatible with any other truth ; certainly not with the growth of knowledge and of liberty .

    August 19, 1854.] The Leader, 781

    August 19 , 1854 . ] THE LEADER , 781

    The Paternal Government. The Coalition G...

    THE PATERNAL GOVERNMENT . The Coalition Government is getting a principle at last— -its principle is kindness . It is put of pure consideration for the feelings of the Emperor of JBussia that the war is such a dilatory and delicate war and the same sort of amiability is creeping in ^ tb every operationof' dur GroVernment . Iiord Palmerstonliberated Mr . Jeremiah Smithy not because he was found to have been wrongfully imprisoned— -yrhicli is a questiGri— -but because his health was suffer ^ ing from confinement . Mr . Gladstone was less liumiliated for the public service by the liawley affair than he was pained lest Mr . ! Lawley * s career should be cut sliort ; and this benevolent sentiment , expressed in the House , he has hastened to carry out in the recess , by re-appointing that reckless and maimed young gentleman as private secretary to the Chancellor of the Exchequer- ^ private secretaries , be ib remarked , being paid out of thfe public money . Our Government is a paternal

    Government : and its assumption of that character is the consequence of the people having abnegated tlieii * pretensions to self-government . A paternal Government considers no matter too petty for its attention—just as a father is anxious , from , the curriculum to the toothbrush . Our Government in its Bribery Bill shakes its head in deprecation of banners , music , and wands—our Government in the Beer Bill requests its good public never to be out later than 11 o ' clock at night—our

    Government acts for the unprotected female , breaking the hearts of cab-drivers — our Government takes the investigation as to the best sorts of printing machinery off the hands of capitalists in the trade ; and it is understood the Government is appointing a commission to inquire into the excellence of various anonymous cures for cholera , as they are propounded from day to day through the newspapers , All the recent scandals maybe traced to the

    kindness of disposition in this and that Ministry -. —the Duke of Newcastle having got unpopular out of sheer good nature to mauvais sujets . The Cabinet allowed tho Ueform Bill to be introduced merely because they didn't like to give pain , to Lord J . Russell . And , in withdrawing his bill , Lord John did not feel ludicrous in crying , "because he knew his colloagues were so " keyind . " Mr . Strutt was so much influenced by the general suavity

    around him that lie only smiled when he was kicked out ; and a caresa brought back Mr . Bainea , though Mr . Baincs had been insulted . Sir B . Hall , taking Marylebono into his confidence respecting his arrangements , only thought it necessary to express his sense of tho " kindness" of Lord Aberdeen in giving him bo good an appointment . It was out of pure lionhommiG and affoctiouatcness of nature that tlio whole Cabinet went on Monday to the fete at Albert Gate House , Sir J . Graham , exuberantly good-natured , there , drinking to

    the health and long life of the man whom some time ago he pointed out to the English people as a bloodthirsty ruffian and a brutal despot . In fact , it was out of a general feeling of kindness that the Coalition was got together . Parliament catches the spirit of good fellowship towards one another , and of paternal feeling towards the people ; and the result is that meddlesome political wisdom now being eliminated in over legislation . Thus , with war raging and rottenness and anarchy in our political and social system , our great principles of Government continue to be—peace and charity .

    The Anti-Mqloch Movement. The Recent "Ex...

    THE ANTI-MQLOCH MOVEMENT . The recent " exceptional cases" have produced their result an anti-Moloch movement . We find the following report of a characteristically imbecile debate at the Marylebone Vestrya—•' ¦¦ TkE pisGBACEFui / Houses in EIew ; ma . n--stbeet and , St . « f © HN ' s-woop . ^ - —On Saturday , at the meetr ing of the Marylebone vestry , the chairman said he hoped the gentlemen vrho represented the St . Jolin ' sw-pod district would have an eye on an establishment in the Grove-end-road , which had been exposed during the week in the public press . Mr . Sqderi . said he . wishied to put a question , which would perhaps equally apply to the St . John ' s-wqod den as to anotherplace . The ( public : attentionhad been called through the medium ; of" the press to a disgraceful establishment in UTewinaii-streetj and he waa happy to find that the proprietor had been committed to gaol , " but what he wanted to kpo \ v ivas , what steps had been taken by the parish . 'solicitor in reference to the indictment of the parties for keeping the vile establishment in question ? Mr . Greenwell , the vestry clerk , said that since the original proceedings had been taken , the infamous house in , Newman-street bad changed hands , and the constable at Maidstone ,

    where the original proprietor had been committed to prison by the judge ori his own confession * that the house was a . brothel , had been bound over to prosecute ; but he , as they had * discovered , only intended to prefer a bill of indictmeiit , and then leave the matter * The solicitor for the parish of Marylebone , Mr . Randall , having made inquiries , was prepared to indict the parties , and to produce evidence and witnesses , so as to secure their conviction ; and he believed that the case -would be pressed to trial next Monday week ; Mr . Broughton , the magistrate , and other gentlemen , expressed their gratification at such proceedings being taken , and the subject dropped .

    Why did they express their gratification at such proceedings being taken ? Chief Baron Pollock mentioned Ills disgust , the other day , when the case of the Prench girl , who sued her landlord for the balance of wages , was forced on his delicate attention ; and the Chief Baron , a happy representative of the English " family man , " merely expressed a general public feeling among the respectable classes , iu reference to such matters . " Society" has made up its mind that the crime is not in public prostitution but in talking about

    it—in not keeping it out of sight ; and the Chief Baron , a responsible judge , fully believed that the interests of society would best be consulted by allowing French girls to be cheated , and excluding them from a pxiblic court . Now , do the Marylebone vestry differ from the Chief Baron ? Do they intend to force the evil on public attention for the public ' s good ? The 'Marylebone vestry mean nothing of

    the kind . They mean fussily to take advantage of tlio cry of a moment , to make a fow victims within their jurisdiction—and they will then leave tho crime to go on us usual . Will tho " public disgust" ho satisfied with this ? Will not tlio public instinct ; bo , thafc fcho Marylobono Vestry should bo a little more , or n little leas , Virtuous ? Anti-Moloch legislation haa always boon rogardod , more particularly by tho law makora , jis an absurdity ; but thoro is t > no thing more

    absurd—J I m » 1 * I / 111 J and that ia tho partial application ot that legislation . If tho vostry , who arc so active about sowers , aud are patriotically and frantically happy that their member ia to be Minister of iloalth . will undertake tho moral

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 19, 1854, page 13, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_19081854/page/13/