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    Coming General Election.—We are informed...

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    1420 Thf Leade1 [No/457, December 24 T«F...

    1 No j ^? ? j 1 ? gg 2 hJi ^ iiL---- ^ ^ JL ? liEAPER . 1421

    Biographies Of German Princes. No. Vii. ...

    opened the . veins of'his body withthe broken fragments of a glass bottle . Oji his person'were seen marks of the most horrible violence . His back was lacerated by the . frequent application of the lash . The brothers of Weidig thereupon laid a charge of wilful murder against Georgi , and strove hard to bring about an inquiry on the fate of their relative . The Grand-Duke , however , hushed up the affair . Still , evidence of the strongest kind' —proofs never refuted- ^ -oozed out of the fiendish cruelties practised on the unfortunate prisoner by his judicial

    executioner . It was shown that , in order to extort from Weidig a confession of . his associates and his political planSj he was constantly flogged , his feet during the operation being fettered to the prison bed . A judicial protocol was even detected , in which Georgi , his examining judge , made a minute , bearing his own signature , that " ne had had the culprit flogged until he barked like a dog . " Sufferings so prolonged and extreme were more than poor humanity could bear . No wonder Weidig anticipated with his own hand—at least , so it was given out— -the final scene , and put an end to a life which his brutal tormentor had rendered a

    longdrawn agony . Of this character was the' regime under which Louis III . passed the early years of his manhood . Could it have been wondered at if he , too , had imbibed something of the modes of administration in which his father so freely indulged ? Fortunately for him , the outcry of outraged humanity , raised throughout Germany against the hideous crimes of Louis ILj was such , that it afforded a very salutary lesson to his successor not to venture on a similar

    course . This , perhaps , more than anything else , contributed to render the Government of the present Grand-Duke more humane , or , at any rate , more prudent in its dealings with political an ^ tagonists . The Court of the present sovereign has consequently remained free from the more repulsive features that sullied the preceding Government . JDarmstadt has returned to , at least , the semblance of civilized rule ; and only occasionally the traces of the ferocity of former days are to be observed .

    Reactionary policy , however , forms a main characteristic of the present Grand-Duke , and has done so from the first day of his stepping into power . His marriage with Mathilde , Princess of Bavaria , has rendered his ears open to the suggestions from the Catholic side . His intimate relations with the Russian dynasty have exercised as well their full share of influence . Louis , III ., like nearly all his relations and the greater portion of German princes , is little better than a Russian Knes . He not only decks his person in the regimentals of the

    troops of Belozersk , but is , at heart also , an admirer of the autocratic system . Since the marriage of his sister Maria—now Maria-Alexandrowna- — witli the present Emperor of Russia , the Court of Darmstadt lias become the rendezvous of Muscovite intriguers of both sexes . A Grseco-Catholic chapel has been erected ; and quite a colony established of visitors in vitch and ski . During the late Crimean war , this Russian character of the Hesse -Darmstadt Court has often manifested itself in a marked

    manner . In the popular struggles of 1848 , Louis III . did pot long hesitate in showing his true character . He was early in adopting some of the severest measures against the rising cause of freedom . In March of that year , when the For JParlamettt at Frankfort met , and vast numbers flocked thither to assist at the inauguration of the principles of liberty , this petty Duke of Hesse-Darmstadt mustered courage enough to plant loaded cannon at the railway stations on his frontiers , and to cause every one , going through his dominions to Frankfort , who wore arms—which was the prevailing custom at the time—to be stopped and relieved of such danc-erous encumbrances . Perhaps this measure lias

    not a little contributed to weaken the force of the Democratic party at Frankfort . Numerous bands of Democraqts from Southwestern Germany were thus prevented from expressing their wishes nnd sentiments at the meeting of the For ParlanwU . Nor was the reigning Grand-Duke wanting in other devices for bringing about tho diminution of revolutionary power . Large bodies of paid claqueurs in the reactionary interest werq despatphed at his cost from Darmstadt , in 1848 , tojply their vocation at every popular meeting held in Hosse , Frankfort , Budon , & o ,, where they appeared armed to the teeth , and exeroised great terrorism , lliey were conveyed from place to place with the utmost rwridity : and generally managed , by their perfect

    organisation , to pack both in-door and open-air meetings with their partisans . Attending for no other purpose than to intercept and break up the meeting , they frequently attempted to storm the platform , aud to assault the Liberals who might have collected there ; and many a turbulent nielee in those days is to be traced to their violent interference . Whilst they thus worked at their dastardly vocation , the troops of the Grand-Duke lent a hand to the butcheries going on at the time in Baden .

    The course of internal reaction in Hesse-Darmstadt has been pretty well the same as in all the Other German principalities . The same political promises were given with the same solemnity , and followed , as a matter of course , by the same perjuries ; the same encouragements held out to the Feudalist and Catholic parties , although these latter are the most dangerous rivals of the petty monarchs themselves . Against Democrats there have been the usual persecutions . Mayence especially , the nursery of republican sentiments , has had the ranks of its champions thinned by proscription . To give a striking instance of the hatred with which the Grand-Duke , even now , looks upon Mayence , we need only refer to the recent catastrophe of the powder explosion in . the fortress—a catastrophe brought about not merely by the negligence but by

    the positive malice of the highest authorities . * or many years past the citizens of the towns had repeatedly requested the transfer of the greater portion of the combustible materials to the magazines outside the town . This most natural request would , even from a military point of view , have been feasible enough . But the Grand-Duke persisted in desiring his Government to refuse the request , throwing out hints that he " considered it proper to intimidate the population by keeping so formidable a cause of alarm always in their midst . " At last the catastrophe came , and with it a frightful loss of life and destruction of property . Such is the paternal government of Louis III . of Hesse-Darmstadt , commonly reputed as among the most humane of the Landesvdter of Germany .

    Coming General Election.—We Are Informed...

    Coming General Election . —We are informed that an influential requisition has been made to Mr * W . Torrens Me Cullagh ( late member for Yarmouth ) , by the voters of Finsbury , soliciting him to stand for that borough at the next election . American Purity of Ei-echo : * . —The New York correspondent of the Daily New 3 saya : — " Our municipal election is going on very quietly as I write . One of the vacancies to be filled is the Comptrollership , as I told you in my last , or city treasurership . The salary is 1000 Z . a year only , but the ' chances * are enormous . An honest man ought to pocket nothing but his salary , but

    a dishonest one might very readily , by bribes and peculation , pocket 20 , 000 * . a year over and above , without much chance oif detection . The struggle is consequently fierce . The reform party has a highly respectable merchant in tlie field , who has never before meddled in politics , and the two sections into which the democratic party in this city is now divided , have each one , both local politicians , such as have too long managed our affairs . What the result will be it is hard to say ; I am afraid that the reformers are hardly as vigilant and

    skilful aa their opponents , and that we shall have the old regime on our shoulders for a little while longer . What this means you may guess , when 1 tell you that a recent examination shows defalcations in the city funds to the extent of 7 , 000 , 000 or 8 , 000 , 000 dollars within the last ton years . Shocking as this state of things is , the taxpayers and property-holders find it almost impossible to make head against the weight of the non-tax-paying vote , which , of course , is polled in utter recklessness as to its effects upon the finances of the city . "

    Secrets Wbvl Kept . —At the Society of Arts meeting , on the naval defences question , the lecturer , Mr . Keedo , an eminent naval architect , pointed out a remarkable idiosyncracy of Lords of the Amiralty ; they consider it their special function to deny to the British press and tho British public , and to the natives of minor states from which we have nothing to apprehend , information and facilities for gaining information which they cheerfully accord to officers of tho French , Russian , and American Governments , those whiuh can by any chance prove inimical to us , Mr , Scott Russell added something still more remarkable . Wo said that , by orders had been drawn

    of tho late Board of Admiralty , a report up by a committee , as to tho principles on which the future fleets of England wore to be constructed . I he existence of this report naturally produced groat anxiety in the minda of Scott Russell and others like him , engaged in naval architecture , to procure a copy . Ho tried every means to obtain ono , and failed , But at last ho succeeded , and did got one—from the Continent J A Lisbon Theatre . — I go iu , ono night , attracted by tho crowds that are flowing to the doors , light atcelflllngs flying to the arches of a magnet . The interior is rich , with hangings of topaz-coloured satin banded

    here and there with purple . The seals in the pit are all of cane ; there being every provision for airiness and lightness . There are , of course , some English middies and sailors in the pit ; who talk very loud , and have a defiant contemptuous manner peculiarly national . The only thing I can decipher out of the snuffling nasal Jew Spanish of the stage dialogue which is called Portuguese is , that a certain Dom Jose- -Herriero . de dos Santos— - who is dressed like Lord Nelson , and who nearly kills me every time he enters by his absurd bows and grimaces , has come in the disguise . of a poor artist to a family , with whom he is about to enter into alliance . The father , a little , prosy man with a dry drollery of his own , suspects him to be a swindler ; a suspicion that leads to various complications ; but is legitimately removed when the Dom appears in all his lustre , and claims his bride ; at which the little diplomatic man takes snuff and rubs his hands as if he had seen through it all the time . The drollest thing was , that , at the end of each act , every human being in the pit , rose with one accord ; without smiling , tied handkerchiefs to the back of their cane-seats , and retired to the lobby to hastily smoke a cigarette and eat stewed pears ; which were in active sale at the buffet . I do not think there was one woman in the pit . Indeed , in some Spanish theatres , the women all sit huddled in a sort of omnibus box by themselves . Now , that the men with the yellow teeth , sallow full faces , and scorched fore-fingers , have untied their hankerchiefs , and are waiting for Lord Nelson in the white satin knee-breeches , with intense expectation , I look up at the boxes , beating the covert for a beautiful face ^ What ? Not one ? No : only fat and sensual faces , all run to nose , as if by perpetually smelling at greasy dinners ; crisp , wiry animal negro hair ; full brown red lips ; mean , chins , and foreheads villandusly low . Bands and ropes of black shiny hair looped up with strings of pearl , ending in a top-knot strung- with gold and coral . Not one beauty ? Yes , one with fire-fly eyes and soft brown cheeks , deepening to a peachy red ; who , with rounded white arms , leans forward hanging upon the lips 6 f Lord Nelson in the court suit , tail coat , and white satin breeches , entranced . Household Words . . ' ¦

    From Putjjey to Richmond . —Near Putney la Koehampton , where Charles the First ' s lord treasurer , Sir R ichard . Weston , once kept a noble state , and had a fine mansion , where his son Jerome , afterwards Lord Weston , married the Lady Frances Stuart . A notable wedding ! for an archbishop ( Laud ) officiated , a king ( Charles ) gave away the bride , and a great poet ( Ben Jonson ) wrote the marriage song . In this same house Hobbes the philosopher resided for many years , as tutor to the son of the Countess of Devonshire ; Barnes once belonged to the canon 3 of St . Paul , who , it may be , once possessed here a barn or spicarium . Barn Elms , the old house , we mean , belonged to Sir Francis Walsingham , who entertained , beneath its roof his mistress . Queen Elizabeth . It afterwards belonged to Heidegger , George II . ' s Master of the Revels , and still later to Sir Richard Colt Hoare , the antiquary * Jacob Tonson lived in this neighbourhood , and frequently held at his house the meetings of the Kitcat Club , " originally named from a certain Christopher Cat > a pastrycook , who supplied mutton pie 3 for the suppers of its members . " Cowley , the poet , we may add , lived at the Old Barn Elms before his removal to Chertsey , and the New-Barn Elms was the residence of the late Sir Lancelot Shadwell . Fielding and Handel were both , at different period ^ , inhabitants of , or rather residents in , this picturesque hamlet . In a field near Barn Elms was fought , January the 17 th , 1667-8 , the famous duel between the Duke of Buckingham and the Earl of Shrewsbury , the shameless Countess holding the Duke ' s horse during the fatal encounter . We pass on to Mortlake ( whose etymology is somewhat affectedly offered by learned antiquarians as Mortutts lacua ) , once a possession of the archbishopric of Canterbury , and noted as the residence of the magician Dr . Dee , who died here in 1608 . In , th > church and churchyard are memorials of Sir Philip Francis , the first Lord Sidmouth , Partridge , the almanackconcoctor , and Pope ' s Sir John Barnard And so we arrive at Richmond . —Literary QazeUa East India Company . —A general court was held on Monday to receive the report of the committee of proprietors appointed at the general court of tho 80 tl » of August last , <' for the purpose of consulting with the directors in . reference to the measures to be taken for the future management of the Company ' s affairs ; " Colonel Sykos , M . P ., presided . Mr . Cra-vysuay read the report , and moved its adoption , which was unanimously carried . Mr . Crawshay then moved a resolution claiming on tlie part of the Company tho current and unclaimed ^ dividends , on which a very confused ami lengthened debate arose , and the court adjourned . On Tuesday the discussion on tho resolutions of Mr . Crawshay as to th « future management of tho Company , and acceptance of Lord Stanley ' s offer , was resumed . The debate was of a very personal and acrimonioui character , but eventually motions were carried with reference to the payment of tfi current dividends and the unclaimed dividends ( counsel ' sopinion to bo taken ai to the latter ) , as to , tho useof tneliidla House , and payment of salaries to the « crotary « nd Court of Directors , & e ., for carrying on the businoss of tho Company j tho rtviaion of the byelaws , & o ,

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 24, 1858, page 21, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_24121858/page/21/