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Leader (1850-1860), 23rd October 1852, Edition Country of 2, Page 13, AIJD-KL. KADKR AND HIS LIHKIIATOK. CintT...

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      The "Daily News" For War. Ouk Contempora...

      that moves the more restless spirits of America ; lao a desire to have possession of the great master-key of the Mississippi , a possession which nv American statesman is bound to acquire for K country if he can ; the more so since Spain ~ V hoias it , is a feeble state , at the mercy of anv stronger power in Europe . It is like leaving the key of your street-door ,, out of doors , in the hands of a drunken man or an idiot . Thirdly , ~ V Relieve that the Americans are impelled by an impat ience to join issue with Europe , which las hitherto had the aggression mainly on its own -ide Shall we be accused of a Yankeeism for

      saying , that America feels peckish for lunching on Cuba , before dining on Europe ? The hopelessness 01 the enterprise suggested W the Daily News as a demonstration on behalf of the Black population in America , is shown by the writer ' s own hand . It is the free states , ¦ H -hich have had a majority throughout the measures in question , and which have given " their vote , and a heavy vote , " for all that has Tieen done . The measures , therefore , are the deliberate conclusion of non-slave-holding opinion in the Union ; that opinion , moreover , being

      national op inion , as contra-distinguished from sectarian fanaticism or extraneous interference . At the same time , the Daily News confesses that " the noble band of citizens" with whom it sympathizes " is scantily represented in Congress , " while " it is clear that American honour and integrity are not safe in the hands of the existing American representation ; " in other words , the freely-elected representation of the whole Union , including the non-slave-holding majority , is against those peculiar doctrines for which the leased to

      ¦ writer in the Daily News is p monopolize the epithets " honour and integrity . " " The American press , " says the Daily News , " does not or caunot tell the truth on this subject , and at present there is no press in any other country but ours . " In reply , let us point to the opinion amongst several of our London contemporaries ; and for the Leader , than which no paper is more absolutely unpledged to the views of any party or interest , let . us express the sympathy which we have for the truly national spirit of the American Republic .

      October 23, 1852.] The Leader. 1017

      October 23 , 1852 . ] THE LEADER . 1017

      A Voice From The Archdeacon Of Wells. As...

      A VOICE FROM THE ARCHDEACON OF WELLS . As when upon the appearing of tempestuous seas , Mother Carey ' s chickens flutter and scream over the swelling waves , so when the hour of travail approaches for our glorious constitution in Church , do Mother Church ' s chicks venture to spread their sable pinions and open their little bills . Convocation is nigh at hand , and all the " interests" are alarmed . There is fear in the

      Chapter House and the Chancery ; and as the gale rises , little pennons of opposition and affright rise up and dance before us . The great Church of . England , we are told , fears itself ; and tho ministers of the Gospel of Christ cannot embark on the open sea of discussion among themselves without inaugurating an internecine war . Wo IH ' ' not speaking " without authority . Indeed , il-is rather too abounding for the reputation of tlii ; Establishment . Eleven day 8 ago , to wit on the 12 th of October ,

      l * l )) l ) ftlll * Illl . ,,..,,... . . 1 * . i 1 . . . < ... (¦ j 1 f . 1 Sfc . /\» kt 1 L 1 > L |/^ j L ) I k I t * d \ rumour whimpered in tho ear of a Somersetshire clei-iryman that " tho Houses of Convocation " iglit ho permitted to proceed" to the despatch ot business in . November . So the gentleman in 'Piestion Hal , him down in bin study , at "Weston oiipcp Mare , drew up a petition , against the meas ure , wrote a , hitter to his elergy inviting i'V' " 1 f'O . sign it , and subscribed himself , " Your l ; lllll '' "l servant , Henry Law . " Henry Law i . s tho Archdeacon of Wells ; and ,

      11 We . are not misinformed , he in the very Michael "' . Hie faithful who love to set the lance of their llu l » t under the fifth rib of the High Church V r [\ \ y ' Wni l > l < l »•> the wet blanket of tho Dvnnh < lieiil H ( -ct , and looking through the spectacles Muiy provide for their followers , Archdeacon Law ( i ? M ^ '" '' " ' ' vvliich , under tho conditions Hie seer , is not at all surprising . Ho sees a j ^ 'P' - nt afa r oil ' , and he cackles over it , and "Itcrs about it in a Htartling inunner , which

      '" 'w « s 1 lH many apprehensions for his safety . »*¦» us many apprehensions lorlus salety . a j doc ument which lie baa incubated , and 1 ' ¦ ensed to hJH clerical comateH in the Archdea-() »\ y of Wells , is an address to the Queen . \ |)( ' illu"g in tho collective name , M r . Law iwl-< 'hh (! h lu ,,. Majesty " an appointed of (« od ;" ll u 'ill tho world " Mr . Law included , knows

      that she ia appointed under the Act of Succession . Having made his bow in the Eastern fashion , Mr . Law , from " motives of allegiance , " " duty to the Church , " and what not , expresses the apprehension and regret with which he and all the supposed signataries " regard the desire now strongly expressed that your Majesty would permit the Houses of Convocation to resume the active functions which have - been so long and so wisely suspended . " The next paragraph ends , not in a shower of fire , but a shower of verbs . Mr . Law admits , and "

      deplores the divisions" of the Church . He declares that they are a " constant humiliation" to his soul ; but he is only anxious to cover them up . Mark , it is not really their existence that he deplores—it is their exposure . For he says , "The restoration of synodal action , instead of being a remedy for such evils , would tend to widen , and irritate , and aggravate , and multiply them to a fearful and inconceivable extent : " that is , these

      evils , otherwise divisions , would assert themselves , instead of remaining hidden . What Mr . Law ' s opinion of his fellow Churchmen is , may be guessed , when he says , we " would not conceal from your Majesty our dread lest unseemly and intemperate discussions should bring discredit on the Church . " And then , again fearing only the visible , he writes with tender trepidation , " We are also tremblingly alive to the possibility lest extreme views of doctrine and discipline might be advocated , which , would prepare the way to a separation ; " apparently not feeling the scandal of the existence of extreme doctrine so

      long as it is not advocated in an official way . " A sudden spark , " he remarks with profound originality , " may kindle a flame which no waters can quench ; " not even Lord Maidstone ' s Deluge . Having delivered himself of his fears , he continues with a respectable sniff , "We have heard , indeed , much of visionary advantages ; " but he cannot imagine " any practical benefit" likely to result from the revival of convocation . Possibly not ; that is not one of the g ifts attached to an archdeaconry . On another subject he may be supposed to be better informed . He says that he and his possess every " facility for the full discharge of their ministerial duties . " Is this a delicate allusion to the Chancery at Wells ?

      But the cream of this address lies in the specific proposed by Mr . Law , as the remedy for all evils . What do you think it is , reader ? Listen . " We would further state , that the great blessing which the Church of England seems to need , under God , is—repose . '" After remaining torpid for above a century , the Church is awakened in great pain , and one of her most unctuous soothsayers suggests as a soothing syrup for her troubles — MORE IiEPOSE ! Some hundreds of years ago , it was said , " Go ye out unto the ends of the earth and preach the gospel ; " it was not said , " Go ye out into all the snug places ye can find , and—repose . "

      It is therefore in full consistency with this sleepy morale that Mr . Law implores the Queen not to open a door in the Houses of Convocation , for " the outbreak of further distractions . "

      Aijd-Kl. Kadkr And His Lihkiiatok. Cintt...

      AIJD-KL . KADKR AND HIS LIHKIIATOK . CintTAiisr acts forbid criticism , and Louis Napoleon ' s liberation of Abd-el Kader is oik ; . If we were to compare this last- act with . the same man ' s previous achievement , wo might find grounds for suspicion as to its single-inindedness ; but let us reject such grounds altogether . To look rusp iciously into the motives of iicls which are great in themselves , is poor spirited : it is treachery

      even to tho greatness which it p rofesses to dofend . If an act of generosity is greater than him who performs it , that man , ho to speak , extorts the tribute of our respect by stepping into a , higher grudo than that which he bad previousl y occupied . It is the very essence of a sanctuary , that it should avail for all , from tho noble trespasser to tin ; basest mercenary ; and tho sanctuary of generous spirit should avail for all who < Mif , < tr it .

      In this mnlter , Louis Napoleon has nt least shown himself . superior to those who went before him , ' —to Louis . Philippe , to Lainorioiere , to Cuvaignae , and all the Governments which mi ght have done what he has done , hut which neglected it . If ho has now shown himself superior to himself as ho was while ho delayed so long , wo are bound to accept this confirmation us proof that ho nfbant what ho said , when he promised to reloaao Abd-el J £ ader , Hoonor or later . If we

      say that it is cunning in him to take advantage of the respect which such an act extorts , his cunning is at least of a nobler kind than the dulness of Louis Philippe and the others who could not perceive the moral influence of generosity . If we say that he is taking advantage of moral feelings which he does not share , then the very fact of his subserviency to those moral feelings is -a great testimony to their rightful sovereignty . He admits that " the Emperor" is less than the generous man , and in so doing , though he himself may have belonged to an inferior caste , he helps in sustaining the nobility of generous feeling . Some of tis are amused at the lecture which he

      insinuated to the Arab chief on the subject of good faith . It is possible that the creature of bad faith may now feel , in his own case , the paramount necessity of good faith as the real governor of States , and if so , how striking the testimony to the higher influence ! It is possible also , however , that Louis Napoleon may not know that he has broken faith ; so complex are the self-deceptions of human nature . But whatever may be the inner workings of his mind , he has at all events shown that the man who has

      waded through treachery and blood to the throne of a day — who has deceived the whole world , and filched an Empire from > a people that lias lost its way—who has attained to the summit of power by vulgar means—still in his heart has the faculty to feel the highest motives of humanity , still trusts to that feeling in others , and still rests the crowning glory of his pageantry on an act of generosity to an almost forgotten prisoner . Rate the man and his motives at tho worst , and you cannot destroy tho greatness of the act .

      Taxation Reduced To Unity And Simplicity...

      TAXATION REDUCED TO UNITY AND SIMPLICITY . * V . THH TAXATION OF THE UNITED KINGDOM . In" our preceding article we pointed out that which we take to be the true subject matter of taxation—viz ., visible and tangible property . Our next step would be to discuss the principles of assessment ; but since our remarks on that branch of the subject , however susceptible of general application , will be best read with a special reference to the particular circumstances of the United Kingdom , we shall show , in tins paper , bow our own taxation would stand under the proposed system . From this , view of tbe subject we exclude all debate on the amount of our present taxation , on tho fitness of the purposes to which it i . s applied , or on the economy , judgment , or fidelity with which it is administered . We take it for granted that our present revenue' must be raised ; our inquiries relate to tho forms and incidents of tho taxation by which it is to bo raised , and to nothing more . W ( 3 iirst need to know what i . s the amount of visible and tangible property—that is , of taxable property—in the United Kingdom . Stafieians , wo believe , have not arrived at any very certain conclusion on Ibis point , l ' robably , however , tho following facts and opinions will . supply sufficient guidance for our present illustrative ; purposes .

      In I ' orter ' s I ' nu / rvss of the Nation ( See . VI ., (/ 'hap . 2 ) tho real property of ( Jreat Britain is estimated , from tin ; returns of tho Income Tax in 1812 , to be of tho value of 2 , 1582 , II 2 , 425 / . This assumes tin ; average value to lm that of 25 years' purchase ; and it , is said not to include properties of less than 150 / . per aim . We ought to add , that the income tax returns of 1 K 5 O and 1 Nf > I , under schedule A . treated in like manner , do not , give more than 2 , 27 : i . !) 5 K , OOO / . and 2 , 2 ("> l , 25-lv 5 OO / respectively . These numbers do not so ditl ' or from cadi other as to require us to depart , from Mr . . Porter ' s estimate for 1812 , which , considering the evasions known to have been practised of Into , is more likely than those of subsequent years , to have approximated to tho true value of the real property .

      In tho same chapter of the same work , tbe personal properly in ( treat Mritain is estimated from I ho legacy duties at , 2 , 200 , 000 , 000 / . in IKI 5 . Hut I hone duties aro not , payable on properties under 20 / ., and , from that cmise , with or without , others contributing to the same olloet , the properly left by only three-tenths of the heads of families , conies under tho operation of tho legacy duties : much persona 1 property also pusses at , or in anticipation of death , under arrangements which do not , subject it to duty at all . Tho sum above givon , then , probably does not fully represent , tin ; personal property in 1 K 1 ?>; nn inerenso too has tiiken pluoo since tlmt date . I'Yoni IHMi to 1 815 that , increase was estimated at 1000 millions , or 112 millions per aim . . . _ j Sou Leader , No . s . 10 H , 111 , 115 , 134 .

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 23, 1852, page 13, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_23101852/page/13/