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Leader (1850-1860), 26th January 1856, Edition 2 of 2, Page 14, ' ¦ V ~ JZ ' ^ ~ ' (IDit.Ftt dyfliil'ITri'l w-pvM. mi/v^«*v*» *

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      Our Silen"Ce On The Hoile Case. A Corres...

      instance of the operation of laad law , rather than to generalise upon the principles to which these laws may be traced . Our duty , as we interpret it , is to probe more deeply and more calmly- the permanent causes of these passing evils . With more leisure and less space than our diurnal contemporaries , and partaking , necessarily , in some degree , of tlie character of essayists , we conceive it would be to trifle wi , th oua * readers , and to be false to our own opportunities , were we to £ 11 our pages of discussion with stale sarcasms and warmed-up severities .

      In the present case the Times had contributed its overpowex * ing publicity to a very just and very powerful condemnation of the magistrates , and the inestimable Punch had lashed the offenders with his best baton . The exposure was complete , the verdict univerjsal . We , in our humbler capacity , could do no more than xemind our readers , as we haye so often reminded them , that there , was nothing in th . ese

      instances of arbitrary and cxixel . couiityrlaw . eit & er .. exceptional or . astonishing , — -nothing that was not the natural fruit of , a system more barbaxous and . more intolerable than the legislation that taxed our . bread . "W " e , are fond . of crowing o ~ v ; er our poor distracted felloAv ; -creatures on the Continent , who . haye soinetimes -hastily , and with violence , xenjov . ed the landmarks of that Conservative tradition , wMcbi . under the nsttne of " the wisdom , of our

      ancestors , " it is our peculiar pride and glory to preserve in this favoured land . Assuredly we should-be sorry even to esxehange a bastard feudalism for the raore modem revivals of C ^ sjarism and bureaxicracy . Biit that bastard feudalism -which is set to administer the law , because it possesses , or is supposed to possess , " a stake in the county , " without the slightest

      reference to fitness or intelligence , is , in the opinion of some honest and moderate men , a disgraceful anachronism in this" latter half of tlie mneteeutli centtiry . * If -our correspondent hals honoured tis with a sustained atteation , he will "be able to refer back to some very unequivoqal opinions of the Luader , pn . the subject of county magistrates .

      Let us repeat that we have never entertained any violent objection to the owners of the soil conducting the business of their counties under proper control of the ratepayers ; nor do we see cause - why they should cease to wear t \ e uniform of deputy-lieutenants and the rank of Justices of the Peace ; but , in the name of law and order , and society , in which we too iiave a stake , we shall always protest against the administration of the law being confounded

      with the occupation of the soil—against justice beiiig treated as a privilege instead of q -responsibility .. In the case of the poor lad HcnqLE , indeed , there was a degree of harshness aud virulence displayed on the Bench , which was an outrage upon the commones t decency arid humanity ; but it must not be forgotten that the Game Laws are still in existence , and that , if the spirit of those laws is condemned by a , LoNDEspououan , their letter is . affirmed by a IViUEm

      86 T He Leader. [No. 305, Saturday,

      86 T HE LEADER . [ No . 305 , Saturday ,

      ' ¦ V ~ Jz ' ^ ~ ' (Idit.Ftt Dyfliil'itri'l W-Pvm. Mi/V^«*V*» *

      ( tott Cttnnril .

      T>W'A>Hib Bepabtmkni 1 , A3 A^H Ox Inign...

      T > W'a > HIB BEPABTMKNI , A 3 A ^ H OX INIGNK , HpwSVMHB BKCBIBMal H ( H , i ) iM |^ D h jiacpjiwaBipw , i vnn bpijcow NKq » pBAinj , , KpWQB HiMaKrjif HHspoirsniir « i !! van . wonj ? , ] is

      Tjae^E No ^Earned Man But Will Confess H...

      TJae ^ e no ^ earned man but will confess he hath EaxuflvpiofltGd by reading oontrovexisiea ,. hie eejiaea hTJvraSS ^ " ^ - **" Judgment sharpened . If . then , it . WW ?\ him to read , why shoxilcl it nob " at Aeaat » ibe M . Wablefot ;^ i ) 3 , advQJrsary , tiQ > v >; i , to ? -Mww / i * .

      T»A»Y4jsrt4<^Il Of A Tkivpk. Z2jt^Y J? 0...

      T » A » y 4 JSrT 4 <^ il OF A TKiVpK . Z 2 JT ^ Y J ? " ^ " ^*^* Sir Artbwp Elton , in a »© w »» oft . lottora . , tho Zeade ^ MM ^ ndeiwroured ,, 4 o , of j omlte ^ ion , Hfc fou ^ dtf W opinionB on theE mt * i ? ie policy o ^ tWwfco a « e § SSCr ^

      loftier aim than to regulate -that balance of power which for a century and a half has been the mere bete ? ioi 7 ' of routine-bound diplomatists and philohistoric statesmen . I confess myself one of that small minority who coincide in the general opinions expressed by your correspondent . I had imagined , however , that the bulk of the people of England were as dissatisfied as we were with the want of a defined object , or an honestly-stated principle for which to combat at so enormous a cost , but that once engaged in the contest they thought it advisable to proceed at all hazards , on the look-out in the meantime for a favourable opening through which to back out with

      some degree of eclat . In this I was mistaken , for in the acceptance by Russia of the Austrian proposals such an opening has occurred , and , if we are to judge of public feeling by the opinions of the press , instead of being greeted with thankfulness and eagerly clutched as an omen of peace , it seems to have proved only a damper , to the aroused pugnacity of the nation , and a positive disappointment to its expectations . This unloolsed-for humility of Russia appears to have fallen . on' our spirits as would a shower of rain on a Fifth of November , and like whining schoolbays we vent our disappointment that our vast

      preparations fqr , the campaign , of' 56 are not after all to astonish tlie world , that pur squibs and our crackers must be laid by , safe from the fingers' of the Manchester school , and let off upon , some future occasion . No one will-. for a moment deny the wasdom of due caution , in treating with Russia , and of not being over anxious . to grasp her pi-offered hand " of friendship ; " but * a man must be a superficial observer of public feeling who cannot detect behind this ostensible motive for . the continued , war vrhoop of the press ,, the lurking gangrene , of a wounded , military vanity , which of all national epidemics is the most childish , the most fatal . > ,...

      Tj'hat pur statesmen should be influenced in their actions by such petty considerations is not to be conceived , but . / that . they ¦ may allow themselves to be overruledby the clamour of the npisy and unreflecting , who mostly swell the ranl ^ s of "a . war party in all countries , is more than probable . Moreover still more probable is it that some of . them may truckle to this pugnacious feeliug , knowing that a return to peace , now , whilst the indignation of the people at the blunders in the commencement of the war is Dot yet cooled , will be more daugerous to our shaken political system than a continuance of the struggle allied with a man who , fwrvenvu as Vhe may be , is not supposed ; to be tainted with the vulgarities of extreme opinions .

      Surely our wisest course is to avail ourselves of the present golden opportunity , and make peace if at some sacrifice . We have grave abuses to reform in our owai . hotises , and , ; Eoglaud and France will better serve the cause of liberalisia in Europe by the force of ; example . than by that of arms . Even supposing , that should the war continue , Louis Napoleon and Lord Palmerston were unwillingly forced to enlist papular sympathies in their service , a case now more than ever remote , seeing the late disposition of Austria , what would civilisation gain , as Sir Arthur Elton remarks , from the state of

      uncontrollable anarchy which must result from this policy ? Liberty "born in stormy periods and baptised in blood , has , ever been a sickly bantling , and has never yet | reached maturity . Yet to those professing liberal opinions who do not choose to accep t the present opportunity of returning more or less to the status quo , this anarchy is the choice of "the two evils in prospect should the war continue ; the other > yretched alternative being the accession of Austria and Prussia to the Alliance , thereby adding the prestige of our good name and of victory to the power of Despotism in Eurppe . Yours , & c , Paris , 2 § rd Jan . Pantaqhubi ,.

      The- Theory Of Consumption. (To The Edit...

      THE- THEORY OF CONSUMPTION . ( To the Editor of the leader . ) Sm ,-r-The . fodder m a review remarkable for clearheadednesfl , straightforwardness , hitting diroqtly the point _ pf any question , and the absence of a } l dodge or quibbling in its argumentation . I am sorry to observe-1 a total absenoo of these qualities in the letter of , 'Dr . MtPp ^ i nack , admitted , to your columns 9 f . Dec ] . ; 2 ^ nd . Upw far lie exhibits that Hibernian " obfuftcation" of ; ideas ho would impute to others , yoiir readers will best judge . His remarks are the nearest to Uwmy of anything I have over before seen , in . the only part of the leader where such ooukl

      ppflBjfrly find en trail oo ., " " Th < 3 simple ( ideations at issuo betweon M'Cormack and myself are : —1 st . Are our theories identical ? and 2 nd * Whioh' has , tho priority of . promulgation ? To . BQfctle , tho . abov . e questions , i / j p . } ! tha ^ lje l-eader « $ P # ots , in any v < w ] y of Vk \ M'O ' s to . my . lottor in tho Xtittfor . of Deo . 1 , —tho objeot of that leader , being Bimpty to identify Dr . M'Cormock ' H alleged new I and wHsfinal mww ® m with tho theory published ia . Afln , » ther medical , w ^ rfc more ., thtsa , , a yeaivbqforq N . ftw r . iijptoad , pf staking to thjifl # ] Hin poija | b ,, wl > a , t dpea , Dr . M'pp ^ mack treat us to ? An ontnjo diversion from the subject . A totally groundless and irrelevant allegation ia made Di % MfCorjniaolt

      challonges me with the " inconsistency" — the " singular pretension , "twice repeated within a few ] iIlt ^ —of " reviewing ,, or proposing to review , " a work 1 had not taken the trouble to look into . My letter makes no pretensions of the sort , as all readers of it very well know . Not a word of review is expressed hinted at , or intended ; such was both inadmissible and uncalled for . The reviewer of Dr . M C . in tlie leader is oue , I imagine , who , seldom leaves it to any man to finish up hie work after / ' him . Again ; diversion , or moitiioeuvre the second , of Dr . M'Cormack ' s—and an allegation quite aa far-fetched

      and confounded as the last—I am . charged with misstating or und ; erstating his views . No w , if any charge of this sort attaches at all , it is tptho reviewer in the leader . But the reviewer makes no mistake . The passage which Dr . M'C * singles out and admits to embody his views is correctly quoted in the extract in the leader . On that extbact . I iod ^ d my lette r . Where , then , can be tlie room for charging me with mis-statement or understatement ? The charge is iai fact simply silly—nonsensical— -trumped jip only to " obfuscate , " Hibernian fashion , your readers—in other words to throw dust in their eyes , and under its cloud to make his escape froua a disagreeable conclusion .

      A parting word , Mr . Editor t ihis lettei is extorted from me ; I am not controversial . There ia no call for controversy in the present question . I re-assert simply what I did in my last , that Dr . M'Cormack ' s theory is neither ? mo nor original ^ ¦ 'Whose exposition of that theory is most up to the inarfc of modem science , keeps closest to the received facts of the latest phyaiology and pathology—makes fewest assumptions , and leaves fewest diffieulties---I Jeave < it to the profession to decide , . for , that is _ th . e only competent tribunal ; and its award I am cpn-fce ^ t to abide by . I have the honour to be , sir , b Youe constant reader * JofiN Balbibkee , M . A ., M . D . Bridge of Allan Stirlingshire . -

      Russia Aitjd Turkey In 17t2.—The Subjoin...

      Russia aitjd Turkey in 17 T 2 . —The subjoined piece of foreign inijelligenoe , dated March , 1772 , shows how little the designs , of , Russia have varied in the last eighty years : — " ^ araaw , March 14 . —Since the aiTival of two couriers , at the : Russian ambaaaadpr ' s house here , the news of a peace seems to be vanished , and there is an appearance that this object is not so far advanced as we had wished . A foreign Court seems much inclined to favour a peace , but the propositions of Russia are somewhat difficult to accept . Accoi'ding to the preliminaries , Moldavia and Wallachia were to he restored to the Turks ; the Tartars of the Crimea and theic neighbours were to

      he declared a free people , exenapt frqnj all protection , and their fox-tresses not to be . occupied by foreign troops ; Turkey was to pay Russia for the expenses of the war 80 , 000 , 000 dollars , of Lyons ; but Russia will not acce pt these preliminaries , and hath sent Lieutenant-General Elmpt with a body of 12 , 000 m « n , which , joined to that of Gleneral Romanius ,-who ia near Slonini , Breze , and Pinsk , will reinforce the Russian army considerably . Poland is also comprised in these preliminaries ; the confederacy is to cease for the future its operations ; the nation tP hold a free Diet , unrestrained by any foreign troops ; and the government of tho republic is to be regulated and established on a lasting foundation . " Salvage , —Tho dispute at Liveipool between Messrs . Bramley Moore and Co . and the reoeiver of

      the Droits , with regard to fees charged iu reapect to the salvage of a chain and anohor dropped from the Pied-nez , has been terminated by the Board of Trade having directed ^ the receiver to return tho amount . The case excited uauph interest among the shipowners at thcyfc port , not frp . xn . its intrinsic importance , but from jlta being considered to afford a means of testing a general principle . In their reply to the . Board of Trade / acknowledging the award , Messrs . Bramley Moore and Co . state it to be a matter o £ notorio-ty that a systematic plan of plundering ships is carried on an tho Mersey j that it ia no uncommon thing for the buoys of anchors to bo cut away , in order that the anchors may afterwards be picked up as salvage ; and . that , in thoir opinion , tho foes claimable ,, in , Buch cosoh operate to prevent the system fvqm being vigorously put down . —Times ,

      Communication brtwismn Guard and Driver . — This ^ oriouH . want iu railway traiiiB m Hocurod by « now invention about to be applied on the Soutja-Woatern ltnil > vay . Every , tra . iu . will luivo a guttapercha tube extend lug its wholo Jength . This fcub « will be formed of parts wb , ich fwro attached to each other by a spring clip , bo that tho length of tho tube can be made to correspo-nd with the length of any train This tub * . i « . connected , with , ai > air piunp iu the

      guard ' s V £ ia in . i > 'ont , and with the gunrd ' a van tho end of tho . train ,. By a stroke of thi « p \ imp tho nir ) fi forced through tho tvibe to tho opposite end of the train , anciproduces a vory loud nutt uhrill wblallo » t a mout ) lvi > iftcc . ttt ( ta « b . fld [ to th « tube iu oaoh gW < l '« van , ft ^ tp n m ^ utjiiniove wh ^ ph fj ^^ iids n \ no < j 1 oho to tho oogino-driyor . Ono -vvhiHtlo nnjans " Looli out , " two whisWea flignify " Caution , " and tl » rov whietles , donoto dwigojr .

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 26, 1856, page 14, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_26011856/page/14/