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      No. 462, January 29, 1859] T H E -. . T,...

      No . 462 , January 29 , 1859 ] T H E -. . T , JB A 1 ? jE R . 149

      Toulon And Brest Fleet Rendezvoused At C...

      Toulon and Brest fleet rendezvoused at Cherbourg . Still , thev are not without hope that a war with Austria may S into a war with England—the object of their Mnbttion and constant prayer . But the organs of m _ amifactures and commerce are opposed to war with anybody . 6 ne of these journals , which is regularly subsidised by I section of French traders , says with good senser-quite a rarity in its columns— " that present circumstances are verV delicate , but in all countries there are to-day ereat interests of all kinds which war would seriously Iffect and endanger . Assuredly no country can forget true that the Austrianyoke

      this Afterwards , it is quite ' is heavy on certain parts of Italy . Nevertheless it must not be forgotten that Italy is not accustomed to be free and it may very possibly come to pass that if oeople decide to conquer liberty for her , they may not receive much assistance from her . Although very Btrong reasons may exist for remodelling the map of Europe , is it prudent to bring it about by war ? " Were the press free , or had journalists not lost the habit of 6 peaking out , the opinion of French commerce against war would be more strongly and more emphatically pronounced .

      Berlin. (From A Special Correspondent." ...

      BERLIN . ( From a Special Correspondent . " ) January 21 . Your readers , I dare say , will be surprised to learn in what extraordinary manner the elements of a Parliament may be brought together . You know , no doubt , that the Hessian Government is > of a character in many respects different from that of other civilised states , but perhaps you are not so well acquainted with the process of composing its Chamber of Deputies , as reorganised in 1852 . It consists of sixteen landed proprietors , being owners of not less than two hundred Cassel acres :

      sixteen citizens , elected by the burgomasters , the members , of the municipality , the members of the town council , and an equal number of guild-masters and members , and manufacturers and merchants ; and sixteen rural members , elected by all the magistrates of the respective parishes . All members must be elected out of the numbers of voters in each district arid category . Moreover , all members , being magistrates , re ^ quire the permission of Government for taking their seats in the House . I leave it to your readers to judge how beneficial a Parliament , so composed , must , be to the country whose welfare is placed in its hands . Would it not be far better to have none rather than such a sham representation ? .

      Hessia is indeed a country of wonders . In the Lutheran church of Marburgh , a university , two ministers surprised their congregation , without previous notice , by the reintroduction of the liturgy instituted by the old church regulation of 1573 , while two other clergymen , in the same church , continue performing divine service in tl » e accustomed manner . Government lias called upon two of the so-called consistories ( clerical bodies ) to give their opinion on the subject , but these having turned out contradictory , matters are suffered to continue in a ( atu quo . ¦ .

      I am happy to afford you the means of contradicting a report , widely circulated in England , concerning the conjugal disagreement of a recently married couple , in whoso happiness every English heart is deeply interested . I can assure you , upon unquestionable authority , that their domestic happiness has ever continued without a cloud .

      Two Vice-Presidents Have Also Been Elect...

      Two Vice-Presidents have also been elected . The first is a M . Keichensperger , the second a M . Mathis . Some opposition was made to presenting ah address to the Throne , but it was decided upon in committee by a majority of 20 to 1 . The minority objected to an " imitation of foreign customs , " by which , of coarse , England , is meant . This is straining at the gnat and swallowing a dozen dromedaries , for the whole representative system of Prussia is an imitation , or rather a mockery—the principle and routine being of England , and the system of voting of Tlanse-town origin . The address is as follows :- — : and Lord

      " Most serene Prince , most gracious Regent , — The House of Delegates ( AbgeordneUn ) , for the first time summoned anew by your Royal Highness , commences its duties by expressing their reverential and devoted thanks in return for the gracious welcome which your Royal Highness deigned to offer to the representatives of the country . . " We unite with your Royal Highness in fervent supplications to the Almighty for the recovery of our most gracious King and Lord from the heavy affliction that still oppresses his Majesty , and which the King , supported by the self-sacrificing love of the Queen , his august spouse , has , up to this hour , borne with elevated resignation and patience—a Christian example to his people . ¦ '

      .... . " Your Royal Highness calls upon us in full appreciation of the high importance of pur office to support the Government of your Highness in the course which your Royal Highness , considering Prussia's tasks , her glorious history and native traditions , has resolved to pursue . " ¦ Such a call we readily obey ^ in the conscientious fulfilment of the noble duties laid upon us by our constituents for the sake of King and country . Our people know and feel that those national benefits which nations , morally and intellectually advanced , cannot dispense with , are to be obtained solely by keeping undeviatingly

      iri the path chosen by your Royal Highness , namely , by adhering strictly to justice and the laws , in union with the progressive development of Constitutional forms . But they also know that those benefits can be endurihgly useful only when the royal \ yill coincides freely and cheerfully with the wants of the nation , in accordance with the nature and historical customs of this monarchical land . In the unimpaired prerogative of the Crown , the Prussian people perceive the guarantee of their own progress and their own importance among : the nations of the earth . This unimpaired prerogative is as untouchable and sacred to them as to your Royal High

      would become of Northern Germany ? A glance at the map of the coasts of the North Sea and Baltic will show that the French fleet may be employed for other invasions besides that of England . I do not know what obstacles could be opposed to the landing of a French army in the Gulf of Jahde or any part of the coast of Frisia , or , indeed , oil the banks of the Weser and the Elbe . Prussia , in , war against France , hajs always been protected on this very vulnerable side hy the . fleets of England ; and she and the other states of the Bund hope , and I dare say calculate , upon such protection still .

      Tour readers are , doubtless , somewhat at a loss to understand the meaning of the . term Siegbewus $ ten army , i . e . army that knows it is victorious . Most people with whom I have spoken about it are equally puzzled . My interpretation is the only conceivable one , namely , " the army that knows it gained the victory over the people of Prussia , Saxony , and Hessia , arid other parts of the German fatherland in 1848 . " Some persons imagine that the Prince and Parliament allude to the deeds of the Prussians in the war against old Napoleon , against the Dane 3 in Holstein , arid some , of course jestingly , say that the Prince had the Riff pirates will be observed that the Address

      in his mind ' s eye . It takes no notice of the recommendation made by his Highness to increase the salaries of the officials . The recommendation , indeed , seems to have more foundation in policy than reason , for in one paragraph in the speech from the throne it is stated that everywhere the rate of wages is in proportion with the price of the necessaries of life , consequently the excuse put forward by the late Government that the increase in the price of provisions rendered an advance in the salaries of the officials desirable , no longer exists . The object is , of course , to gain the good-will of the Beamten , who are in Prussia just about what the Press is in England .

      After long years of negotiation and trickery , the Hanoverian Government has agreed with the Hanse town Bremen to lay down a railroad between Bremen and Bremerhaven , or rather Geestemunde . The line is being marked out , arid will be commenced probably this year . . . ¦ ' .. ' ¦ ¦¦¦ . ¦•

      ness . " The House has heard with pleasure the assurance from your Royal Highness that the condition of the country , as regards agriculture , trade , and manufactures , as also in the field of jurisprudence and finance , may be considered as satisfactory . With reference to the approved ! prowess of the ( Sicgheioussteuy Prussian army , and that of the whole war-trained ( kampfgeubten ) people , who will never decline any sacrifice when summoned by the Sovereign to defend the honour and safety of the entire Fatherland , we trust that this condition ( Zustand ) will continue to develop itself under the protection of peace .. To increase the welfare and power of the country is to create the instinct of morality and public spirit , the foundations of all civic virtues . We , on our part , will deVote our zealous attention to the bills promised to be laid before us upon these subjects .

      We rejoice with your Royal Highness at the continuance of friendly relations with foreign Powers , more especially with the other great Powers . We trust that the Government of your Royal Highness , in conjunction with the other Governments of Germany , will succeed fn obtaining for the German duchies under the Danish sceptre the full enjoyment of those rights , but too long already withheld , which have been guaranteed to them by the Federal laws and treaties . 11 With just pride , most gracious Prince and Lord , we

      look up to the banner which your Royal Highness unfolded on assuming the reins of Government with the cheerful acquiescence of our people . Your inscription expresses our dearest possessions . By following it Prussia has grown great in tho midst of nations already advanced in civilisation ; by following it still she will , with God ' s continued blessing , remain great till tho end of tho world . - " With moat profound reverence , & c . & c . & c , ¦ " The Housrc ov Dklisgatics . "

      I omit the preliminary skirmishing which took place among tho fractions , as the parties are now called , respecting tho terms of tho Address . A discussion nroso as to whether the words Soliloswig and Ilolstoin should bo addod to " Gorman duchies , " but it was at length resolved to ooho tho words of tha Prince in his speech from tho throno . As I pointed out sotno time back , this talk about Schleswig and llolstcin is mere " leather and prunella . " Tho Prussians , in tho present stato of Europo , eon do nothing for tho duchies against Denmark . And whether tho . Prussian deputies , delegates , representatives , qr whatever thoy please to term themselves , maito mention of Schlaawig or not , it aigulfioa very littlo . Tho French Emporor has distinctly doolarod that if tho Germanic Confederation interfere with Denmark , lio will not remain noutral . Franoc in alliance with Denmark , ami England noutral , what

      GERMANY . ( From our own Correspondent . ) January 2 Cth , 1859 . Last week I' gave your readers a translation of the speech . of the President pro tem . of the Prussian House of Commons , and but that 1 was afraid of encroaching too much upon your space with subjects of such dubious interest , I would have added that of the Speaker or President elect , Cpunt Schworin , who was elected a few days after by 274 votes out of 810 , the opposition candidate obtaining 88 only . Tho Count ' s speech is not worth a literal . translation . He thanked the House for

      tho confidence evinced towards him , promising to do his duty to the best of his ability ; to maintain freedom of speech , within propor limits ; to decide in all easos with impartiality ; to further the business of the House as much as possible ; ami to uphold tho dignity of his office on all occasions . Ho then proceeded , in a jumblo of words which X fool inclined to prosont to your romlors in tho original , as a sort of literary curiosity . Suffice it that one sontonoo—if auoh a liodgo-podgo can bo totfrnod ft , sentence—contains between one hundrod and fifty to

      two hundred words . To got at tho true moaning hns Proved a drudgery ; to translate literally demands an Mivontlvo gonius . As far as I can mako out , he wishes to sftjjr that thoro is no nocd of arbitrary interference with tho freedom of speech in tho Landtag , for that tnoy aro « U of one mind with tho Sovorolgn in Booking tho wolfaro and , greatness of tho country ; and that * ni 88 la will be as groat , if not groator , undor a voprqaontatlvo form of government as sho has boon under a towpotlsm .

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      / to Iris .

      Mb. Johk Rtrssell Smith, Of Sblio-Square...

      Mb . Johk RtrssELL Smith , of Sblio-square / has just issued au interesting' collection of Extracts from the Journal of Sir Joshua . Reynolds , with a transcript by the Rev . J . Milford , of " Mason ' s Ob- > servations" on Sir Joshua ' s method of colouring . Mr : William Cotton , the editor , has appended copies of interesting letters to Sir Joshua from distinguished men of his day , and of his private accountbook in which the sums he received for many of his most celebrated pictures are entered by himself .

      Among the former is an amusing one from L > uarJ . es James Fox , illustrative of what may be called the " littleness of great men . " It runs as follows ¦ : ¦—" Dear Sir , —If it is not too late to have one of the papers upon the table in . my picture docketed 'A Bill for tlic Better llesjulatiug the Affairs of the East India Company , ' & c ., ' I should be very much , obliged to you if you would get it done immediately . If my object in this were only a little vanity , I should not be so anxious about it ; but as I have told

      many persons that it would be so , and as I intend it shall be so whenever the picture goes home , the omission of the docket at the exhibition , at this particular time , might be misconstrued into a desire of avoiding the public discussion upon a measure which will always be the pride of my life . This is the point upon which I am most anxious j but if another paper pould be docketed ' . Representation of the Commons to the King , March 15 , 1784 , '—t it would be so much the better . I beg your pardon for troubling you upon these things , which may appear trifles , but winch are not so from the misconstructions that may bo made—I am very truly , clear siryours ever—C . J . Fox . " ¦

      , , . ___ A few pages further on wo find the following from Boswcfl . " My dear Sir , —The debts which I contracted in my father ' s lifetime will not b . e cleared off by mo for some years . I therefore think it unconsoientious to indulge myself in any expensive article of elegant luxury . But in tW moan tune , you may dio , or I may die ; and I should regret very muoh that thoro should not bo at Auclunlech my nortmii ; . naiutod bv Sir Joshua Hoynolds , with whom

      I have tho felicity of living in sooial iutiinaoy . I have a proposal to mako to you , I am , for oortaiu , to bo called to tho English bar noxt February . Will you now do my picture , and the prioo shall Be paid out of Iho first foes whioh . I reoqivo as a barr riatqr hi Wostniinstoi' Hall ? Or , if that , fuud should fail , it shall bo paid , at any rate , live years henco by myself or my representatives . If you , are pleased to approve of this proposal , your signifying

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 29, 1859, page 21, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_29011859/page/21/