On this page

• Departments (1)
  • 
• Text (3)

  Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

  • 

    STo. 436, JTJ3LY 81/1858.] TEE LEADER. 7...

  • 

    %tmm nf the Wttk

  • 

    MINISTERS have eaten, their -whitebait a...

• Transcript

  • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

    Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.

    Sto. 436, Jtj3ly 81/1858.] Tee Leader. 7...

    STo . 436 , JTJ 3 LY 81 / 1858 . ] TEE LEADER . 731

    %Tmm Nf The Wttk

    % tmm nf the Wttk

    Ministers Have Eaten, Their -Whitebait A...

    MINISTERS have eaten , their -whitebait at Greenwich ; in both Houses , the business has been despatched in . batches during tlie week ; and , patting all things together , it appears unlikely that Parliament will goon sitting after Tuesday . The difficulties and delays which might have arisen out oi the determination of the Commons to reject the Lords' amendments to the India Bill have all been averted by the Lords consenting to withdraw all tie amendments objected to but one , the exception being in favour of clause thirty-four , which provides for the examination of candidates for admission into

    the scientific branches of the service . Against the principle of competitive examination demanded by the House of Commons , Lord Derby and Lord EUenborough argued warmly , the one because it would limit the prerogative of the Crown , the other because it would give the appointments in question to the sons of " rich grocers and linendrapers" who can afford to pay for being prepared at " cramming colleges , " to the exclusion of young men less favourably circumstanced as regards their pockets , but in every other respect more desirable for appointment . Lord Campbell said the House of Commons has gone wild on the subject of competi

    tion . examinations , and suggested that , perhaps instead of interfering with the prerogative of the Crown in the appointment to military command , honourable members would do better to subject themselves to a discriminating examination . But , as the Times points out , it is not only on the question of patronage that the prerogative of the Crown will be limited by the present India Bill ; the transfer of the Government of India being accompanied by such provisions and restrictions , being so entirely a renewal of the old Court of Directors and of the Board of Control under another name , that the Queen ' s prerogative is " only extended to India zuhmodo , in a qualified and conditional form . "

    The defeat of Lord Bury ' s Marriage Law Amendment Bill is much to be regretted . After passing through the ordeal of discussion in the House of Commons , it is painful and provoking to find so wholesome a measure thrown out by the Lords without a single new argument being brought to bear against it . How long ate we to wait while bishops ar « flatly contradicting each other on the scriptural passages relied upon by the majority of the opponents of this bill . The Bishop of Oxford is certain as to the prohibition conveyed in the passage in

    Leviticus ; the Bishop of Lichfield communicates to Lord Granville his opinion that the passage is decidedly in favour of the promoters of the bill . It is an act of effrontery to affirm that the public opinion and the general feeling of the country is opposed to the passing of the bill , while such petitions as the one referred to by Lord Overston , signed by five hundred clergymen of the Church of England , arc

    presented in company with others signed by Directors of the East India Company and of the Bank of England , by bankers , merchants , and solicitors , and by nineteen out of tho twenty-six of the aldermen of London—in fact , by numbers of the most respectable and property influential men in the country . There is , however , no cause for despair : tho measure , like many another which evokes religious pugnacity , will finally be carried . '

    Have they not the example of the Jews Bill before their eyes at this moment P At last we have tho fruit of those long-sustained endeavours to do right in the teeth of bigoted opposition . On Monday afternoon Baron Rothschild , by a resolution of the House , took his scat after taking the prescribed oaths . Tho antics of the Spooncrs , Newdegatcs , and Warrens were renowed even when nothing but defeat and shamo stood beforo them : the same majority that had passed the bill was ready to vote for the seating of tiro Jew ; but none tho'less Mr .

    Warren " rose to order . " There was , however , one speaker in opposition whose words were of more importance ; this was Mr . Secretary Walpole . He stated that , having always considered that it is inconsistent with the Christian ' character of" the Legislature to admit Jews into Parliament , he could not be a party to the proposed resolution . He added , moreover , these significant words : " Do

    not , let me say in conclusion , suppose that you are now closing this question . " What does that mean ? The resolution moved by Lord John Russell simply gives effect to the legislation of the House of Lords . Has Government any design of reversing the decision arrived at after so much trouble and compromise ? Will some honourable member , before the House rises , ask Mr . Walpole what he means ?

    The speech , of Lord Lyndhurst on the subj ect of the right of visit and search , sets forth our position with reference to Ajnerica very clearly . It has been objected that , taking the statement made by Mr . Dallas at the dinner of the American Association as correctly describing the facts of the arrangement entered into between the British and United States Governments , this country had given up a most important and valuable right ; the answer of Lord Lyndhurst to these objections is , that we have surrendered no right whatever , for that no such right as that which is contended for has ever existed ; and he cited some , of the highest legal authorities ,

    both of this country and of America , in support of his opinion . We have simply , he says , abandoned the assumption of a right . America has undertaken to adopt measures to prevent the fraudulent use of her flag for slave-trading purposes , and France has expresed willingness and even anxiety to assist us in attaining that object . The question is at last placed , upon a reasonable basis ; but the question arises in many minds , will America perform , her part of the contract ?—is she interested in doing so ? At any rate , we have not the right to coerce her into doing what she is not willing to do in this matter . ' :

    By a majority of twenty in a very thin House the Lords have provided an ingenious evasion , of the Corrupt Practices Act , by permitting candidates to provide vehicles for tie conveyance of electors to the poll . The passing of this bill will be a step backwards on the road of Parliamentary reform , the proper end of which is perfect liberty of choice

    for the elector , and freedom from expense for the candidate . The opinion of Lord Stanley of Aldeiiey comes very near the truth : the bill , he said , ought to be called a measure for the " promotion , " not " prevention , " of corrupt practices , for it will open the door to numberless tricks of bribery and corruption short of the actual purchase of votes with hard cash .

    But it the Lords prevent the purity of election , they have beeu hard at work with the great measure for the purification of the metropolis , and particularly of the Thames , its most important thoroughfare . They have read the Local Management Act Amendment Bill a second time , and in a few days , in all probability , the Metropolitan Board of Works , after its long life of active uselessncss , will find itself in such a position as will enable it to act with effect whenever it is so disposed . The measure which is to give it real powers is so framed that the

    utmost freedom of action will bo provided for the Board , the utmost possiblo latitude , as Lord Derby explained , will be given it to abate , on its own responsibility , that whicli has becomo an intolerable nuisance . Tho Board , therefore , is to settle its own scheme , to choose for itself the point of outfall , and is not even lo be too closely bound by the estimate given as to the funds required ; it has only then to be sure to act upon the principle that , whatever it may do , the work when accomplished shall be of a kind to bear future modification , extension , and improvement . Special correspondents avo busy as bees at Cherbourg , and wonderful are the tales they tell of tho

    greatness of the work which has nearly beei completed there . Docks , basins , storehouses , . tha in description appear sufficient to accommodate al the fleets of the world put together ; fortifications that , on paper , seem strong enough to defend what ever is behind them , from all the guns in Christendom and China besides . But more wonderful stil are the stories they tell of the intended ex . tortion of the good townspeople when the fetes actually take place : the prices demanded for beds might fluster a Rothschild—or even Sir Robert Peel , in

    spite of his Russian experiences . But what is oi more consequence is , that , there is no room for doTibt that the arrangements , as far as they regard her Majesty ' s visit , have , within the last few days , undergone considerable modification . Her Majestj will not land , but will be entertained on board the French flagship , the Bretagne ; she will , therefore , not be called upon to act a part that would be embarrassing to herself and distastefulto her people

    by assisting at the ceremony of uncovering the statue of Napoleon I ., with its magniloquent inscription of ee J ' avais resolu de renouveler a Cherbourg les rnerveilles de l'Egypte . " Moreover ,- it is now confidently affirmed that the head of the figure is to look towards the port instead of northwards towards England . Tor all which attentions let due credit be given to Louis Napoleon ; at the same time , let us be glad to have so strong an example of the influence of English public opinion .

    But while France is strengthening herself so as in case of need , to be able to strike heavily at England , Belgium is thinking seriously of what might be her condition should the course of events once inoie make her fields the "battle-ground of Europe . " In her present comparatively undefended condition , open to easy invasion by France on one side , and by Prussia or Russia on the other , her Sovereign and Government have no place of security to retreat to , but might be hopelessly overthrown before succour could reach them . The

    grand question at the present moment , then , is whether the city of Antwerp shall be put into such a state of defence as shall make it a place of asylum in tlie event of such a disaster being imminent . While opinion in Belgium is strongly in favour of the plan , there is , unfortunately , a strong diversity of opinion as to the money that ought to be expended on it : the upshot will , however , in all probability , be that Antwerp will he made one of the strongest fortified places in Europe , a result which the friends of constitutional government will be

    heartily glad to witness . The New York Times gives an exciting account of the effect produced m California by the iutellifenee of the productiveness of the gold fields on 'razer River . A vast emigration has commenced , and not less than fifteen thousand persons are computed to have taken their way to the new El Dorado in tlie two months preceding the 21 st of June , and the succeeding two months were exjiected to see as many more depart . The rapidity and extent of this emigration , says the New York Times , has never been paralleled .

    Fxoin India aud China we have full details of the events referred to in the late telegrams . Sir H . Rose appears to have taken full satisfaction for tho blow inflicted by the Gwalior rebels on our faithful ally , Scindia , wno has been reconducted to Ms capital in triumph . Sir Hugh Rose reached Gwalior on tho ICth of June , about the time that Brigadier Smith came up to it from another side . Alter a sharp fight of five hours and a half the enemy fled ; and on tl \ e following day the fortress , one of the strongest in India , was iouna deserted . Twenty-seven guns , besides elephants and a largo quantity of treasure ,

    were captured . What is of more immediate importance is , that the enemy is hemmed in on at sides by our troops ; and , at tho latest date , a . largo force under General Roberts was marching upon Jcypore , wlicre tho enemy wore said to bo assembling . The China mail gives us the whole story of the capture of the forts at the mouth of tho 1 'eiho , and confirms the intelligence given by tho earlier telegrams , Hint the combined English and French forces wcro moving up \ he river to a city within sixty ov seventy miles of Vckin .

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), July 31, 1858, page 731, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/ldr_31071858/page/3/