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Leader (1850-1860), 24th May 1851, Edition Town of 2, Page 481, Untitled Article

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      Untitled Article

      the French , as usual in these partial engagements , vere worsted by the sudden fury of thS Romans ! Iteinforcements were brought on both sides , and the affair became so serious that half a battalion of French _ troops was required to put an dnd to it by occupying the whole scene of action , and placing ad-7 SS- sent " * ° hmder any one from coming down the adjacent streets . Three French soldier ? , who had taken refuge in a passage and closed the door , vere alarmed by the sudden entry of a tailor , who happened to hve in the house , and ran in to escape the shower of missiles flying between the combatants . 1 he Frenchmen , thinking themselves attacked , rushed out , charging bayonets down the passage and killed the unfortunate tailor on the spot .

      Un the next day hostilities were resumed in Trasteyere between the Roman and French soldiery . A Koman sergeant , in command of a small party of infantry , was relieving guard , when , passing near the church of San Giovannino dell a Malva , a group of French soldiers , perhaps irritated by the occurrences of the preceding evening , made as usual some insulting observations concerning the soldats du Pape . This title not being tamely received by the Romans , one of the Frenchmen was imprudent enough to step forward and strike the sergeant in the face , an outrage which the latter immediately resented by transfixing him with his bayonet , leaving him mortally wounded on the spot . The Frenchmen fled at this

      sight , and the Romans proceeded on their march . The French beat to arms subsequently , and patrolled the quarter in strong parties , arresting and illtreating Roman soldiers wherever they found them . The sergeant was conveyed with his arms tied behind him , under an escort of six gendarmes and twentyfour soldiers , to the residence of the French commandant de place , there to undergo the sentence of a couit-martial , which it is expected will condemn him to degradation and six years of the galleys . A Roman artilleryman , who split a Frenchman ' s head last year , for having spat in his face , was only condemned to six months' imprisonment , and that not for having killed his aggressor , but for having pursued the other three who had insulted him also , and threatened them with his bloody sabre .

      The Romans consider that the sergeant is very hardly treated , as he was insulted by a blow while in the execution of his duty , and was therefore fully justified in making use of the weapon in his hand "; but the French military authorities are furious at losing any of their men , and prudently considering that their force is but small in presence of a hostile population , have insisted on the Roman infantry being sent out of-Rome .

      Meanwhile the Pope was seen , on the same day , walking near the Lateran , with his cairiage and guards following—the wind was very strong ' , and a sudden gust took his broad scarlet hat off his head , but he caught it again in mid air , and thrust it firmly on ; not an unapt emblem of his losing and regaining the tiara * His major-domo , walking beside him , then respectfully held the papal hat in its proper position !

      In imitation of the Lombards the people of the Romagna and La Marca have determined to abandon the habit of smoking , in order to deprive the Government of the profit arising from the lucrative monopoly of tobacco . The Romans have followed their example ; and , albeit , much devoted to the inhalation of the weed , which suits " the gloomy temper of their souls , " the greater purt of the Romans have joined in the anti-smoking demonstration—a demonstration triflin g in itself , but important as nhowing the unanimity with which the Pope ' s lieges join in any line of conduct displaying hostility to the Government , even to the sacrifice of their

      own personal comfort . The police authorities have made the matter worse by thrusting cigars between the teeth of all the spies and sbirri of the town , so that many of the moderates , and even neri , who would have otherwise continued smoking , have flung away their cignrs in order not to bt / confounded with that class of satellites . Princo Torlonia , who farms the monopoly of salt and tobacco , is horribly annoyed at the demonstration , which has bo sensible an effect on his revenues that he lias already niudo a protest to

      the Government ; stating that he eannot consent to oocome a loser by a purely political inuvcmienr , not at all depending upon the quality of his tobacco , or the exactness with which he carrion out tho conditions of hia contract . Tho Government will , of course , lau ^ h -n such grounds of complaint . Meanwhile , in the one week ' n aouount from Bologna , it was found that ) that city iilono there was o diminution of ( 1000 dollars on . the average Hale of tobacco . In Home Vie- retail venders state that their « nlt >» amount to Hardly one-third of the ubuhI quantity .

      Untitled Article

      THE ANTI CONVJUT MOVEMENT . When the mails , recently arrived , left Adelaide me transportation question wuh hi ill BtniouHly ngi-1 , ;* -A-1 "feting of delegates from all tho colonies "' '" -Id at Melbourne on the 27 th of January "fit , when an asHooiation wns formed , calltsd "The AUHtrnlHtuan League , " tho object of which is Buffi-< -ienuy described in tho following aolemn engagement Hubacnbod to by the members : ~•

      " 1 . That they engage not to employ any person hereafter arriving under sentence of transportation for crime committed in Europe . ¦ " 2 . That they will use all the powers they possess , official , electoral , and legislative , to prevent the establishment of English prisons within their bound ; that they will refuse assent to any project to facilitate the administration of such penal systems ; and that they will seek for the repeal of all regulations , and the removal of * 11 establishments for such purposes . ' 3 . That frortl the 1 st of January , 1852 , they will refuse all dealing * , intercourse , and fellowship ( so far as may be consistent with religious or natural obligations ) with any and all colonists who may be found advocating or endeavouring to procure the transportation of British convicts to the Austral . sian colonies .

      ' And lastly . That they solemnly engage with each other to support by their advice , their money , and their countenance all who may suffer in the lawful promotion of this cause ; and that they will never dissolve this league until the transportation of convicts to these colonies shall entirely cease . " A demonstration convened by the sheriff was made at Adelaide on the 8 th of February . The Chairman , Mr . John Morphett , remarked that the expressions made use of by the Secretary of State in a despatch to the Governor of New South Wales , dated August 30 , 1850 , showed the inclination of the Minister

      against the system , and his anxiety " for the moral prosperity" of the colonies . The first resolution stated in effect—The colonists feltassured that the province would suffer , both in a criminal and moral point of view , by indirect transportation , so long as the system of transporting the convicted felons of the United Kingdom to Van Diemen ' s Land continued . A petition , drawn up by the Sydney Committee , against the renewal or continuance of the moral pest was adopted . A Mr . Bonwick was introduced , for the purpose of giving his practical opinion on the evil working of transportation in Van Diemen ' s Land : —

      " He was sent out with a Government appointment nine years ago under the Russell Government . He found he had to compete with men who in talent were far his superiors , but who were not free men . At the time he arrived in Hobart Town , there was only one schoolmaster , a prisoner , and when he left it nine months back , there was scarcely one who was not a prisoner . There were not less than eight schools , the masters of which were all prisoners . The head master of the Church of England school was , although a talented man , a prisoner , and the mistress was a lady of highly respectable connections ; but what degradation for her to be associated in a school with such a

      character . It was , in fact , useless fo think of competing with hond labour . A clergyman , in fact the examining chaplain of the Bishop of London , was sent out to Van Diemen ' s Land , as might be expected , for our good . He was aent on a probation party for two or three years , and his conduct was so bad , that he ( Mr . Bonwick ) had heard the men upon the same station declare that he was so disgraceful a character that they would not associate with him . Being possessed of a good address , at the termination of his probation he came to Plobart Town , and was at present keeping a highlv respectable school .

      Persons who came to South Australia were surprised to find the same peisons here they found they had left behind , and more was to be dreuded by their presence here as they were unknown , while in Van Diemen ' s Land everybod y luiew them . They did not in purt know the contamination to which they wero subjecting their children . When his ( Mr . Bonwick ' s ) sou began to grow up and go into the bush , how did he know that his companion was not a truly convicted felon ? Let the colonists of South Australia , by assisting to relieve Van Diemen ' s Land from her present difficulty emancipate themselves . ( Cheers )"

      As the movement was not a political , but philanthropic one , it was carried that the signatures oi females be attached to the petition .

      Untitled Article

      METROPOLITAN FIRES . Before the excitement , caused by the crash inOracechurch-street had diminished , on Saturday , another calamity occurred in the City , nearly us fatal and quite as frightful as that event . The Kose and Crown is an old tavern in Love-lane , Lower Thanus-Htreet , and tradition says that it CHcapcd the Great Fire of London . Mr . Harvey , the landlord , and his household , consisting of his motherin-law , a lodger , a pot-boy , and a bar-maid , went to bed on Saturday night alter " seeing all safe . " About , two o'clock , 1 ' oliceman Triuibcr , passing down Lovelanc , » aw amok (» rushing out of the front shutters , and at once sprung his rat tie and begun knocking at the street-door . Hut publicans and their servants sleep heavily on Saturday nights . For ; i long time he could make no one hour , and when he did the lower part of the house was all in flames . What became of them no one knew . The engines came up in good time , and the maiiiM of the New River supplied plenty of water . But by that period the entire ran ^ t ; of premises belonging to Mr . Harvey were enveloped in one immense sheet of flume , and the lire hud cxtemh'd to the roofs of the houses on either side , belonging to Mr . 1 ) . Beard , a baker , nnil Mrs . Blundoll , a Huh-boiler . Tho While . Hint Tavern , in Hotolph-lnno , and the premises of Mr . Stuart , tho fish factor in Thames street , were also burning with Mich rapidity jih to threaten the entire clump of houses in the immediate vicinity witli destruction . Menu while , Elizabeth Chambers had been loaned by the noise without , and on awakening she could scarcely breathe for smoke . . She leaped out of bod , heard the voice , of Mrs . Gray , tho mother-in-law , culling "ltichard , Kichard , " and when / she opened

      Untitled Article

      THE FALL OF TUB EDIFICE IN GllACECUURCH-8 TRKET . Since the fall of the iron roof of the Brunswick Theatre many years ago we have had no similar accident ho tragic as that which occurred on Saturday in Graceehurch-street . The premises , which wen ; the property of Messrs . Bell and Corhett , of Tope ' s Iieadulley and Adelaide-chambers , King William-street , occupied the site of the Old Ci-osh Keys Inn and house

      coaching- , on the west side of Graceehurch-Htrei-t . They were intended exclusively lor chambers and other private offices ; and Home idea may he formed of iheir extent when it . is stated that the number of apartments amounted to 110 . The propeity comprised one lofty range of buildings , four stories in height , and extended some 200 or : !()() feet into lhill ' seourt , ( loorge . yard , Lombard-street , the south frontage running the wholu length of Allhallows Churchpassage .

      'I ho works had been going on for the last six or eight months , and it . jippunrs that the firm who owned the premises were their own builders , the workmen and labourers being under the direction of a Mr . Dennett , a kind of Huperintending foreman . Tho walls mul flooring were built so as to render them fireproof , the girders being of iron , and tho intermediate ( . puces filled with concrete . Men were ut work in all part * of tho building , some on tho upper floors pouring in concrete , « om <» below mixing mortar and sand , on Saturday ; the uppur

      floors had been just completed as a preparative to laying down the roof . Mrs . Beckett and Mrs . Back , two neighbours , were looking on . Suddenly they saw the pillars which ran up between the windows appear to split in . the centre oi the building , and one after another give way "just like the falling of a house of cards built by children . " Workmen were seen leaping off the building on to the roof of Allhallows' Church and the adjoining houses . Six Irishmen , one after another , ran along the

      uppermost floor , and let themselves down into the street by the projecting iron stays . A girder in the centre of the building two tons weight had snapped with a report like a musket shot , falling upon and breaking another beneath , and making the walls collapse , crashing down upon those below , carrying with them those above , shaking tho foundations , and smashing the windows of near habitations , and , finally , settling down into a chaos of brick and iron , shrouded in a thin veil of dust , and mingling dying and dead and wounded in the ruins .

      Consternation , wonder , excitement everywhere ! A crowd rushing from the populous streets of the City , shrieks for help from the unhurt but ' imprisoned workmen , shrieks of pain from the wounded , created a scene as by magic alone after the tremendous crash . But there was panic nowhere . One report says that in ten minutes workmen , police , and passers-by hid entered the ruins and rescued from twenty to thirty men . The wounded , seventeen in number , were carried to a chemist ' s over the way , and thence eleven , more dangerously hurt , were sent to St . Thomas ' s Hospital . How many were buried in the ruins none could say . At first two were missed , then three ; and these have been found . Afterwards the number increased to five ; and there may be more .

      As it was feared that the remainder of the building would fall , the police had orders to clear the street and barricade it at both ends . A survey of the premises was made on Monday by the City authorities , and a coroner ' s inquest was summoned for Tuesday . The evidence taken before the coroner throws little light upon the causes of the catastrophe . The surveyors examined agree in stating that the brick work was sufficient , and they generally agree also in supposing that the snapping of the iron girder , which proves to have been faulty , was the cause of the accident . The jury returned the following verdict : —

      " We find that Timothy Donohue , Matthew Connor , James Harrigan , Murtagh Cronin , and Joseph ITandiey , met their deaths from the falling of a part of the building erecting on the site of the late Cross Keys Hotel , Gracechurch-street , which it appears from the evidence his been caused by the accidental breaking of one of the iron girders . " The jury added the expression of their wish that the hoarding at present in Iront of the building- might be removed , as it was not required for safety , and was a great obstruction to the thoroughfare of the street . In the course of the day it was accordingly removed .

      Of the six other sufferers who remain in the hospital five are convalescent ; the sixth , it is feared , is a hopeless case . A subscription has boon entered into for the relatives of the deceased and wounded . The ward has contributed £ 5 , private parties have come forward , and Messrs . Bell and Corbett have attended in the kindest manner to their wants .

      Untitled Article

      Mi . 34 , 1851 . ] mt a * a »* t . m

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), May 24, 1851, page 481, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1884/page/5/