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Leader (1850-1860), 12th March 1853, Edition 1 of 1, Page 254

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      Untitled Article

      employers and workmen stopped in their industry , de p rived of income by the selfish speculations of traders following the maxim , that each must look out for himself and disregard the interests of others , " The staple trades" of Birmingham , we are told , ' * continue paralyzed to a considerable extent by the high price of metals , " for which" there are various reasons—partly the fact that the demand has been more rapid than the ordinary course of supply ; partly , also , that speculative attempts to buy

      up stocks of the raw material , in order to a future profit , have introduced disturbances into the regular operation of trade ; and partly , also , that the supply of coals falls short , which impedes the working of iron . Now , the short supply of coal is ascribable exactly to the same causes , with the addition , that masters and men have not been able to agree upon the amount of wages fairly payable ; so that the permanent dispute upon that point has contributed to check the supply . It was , of course , strictly for the interest both

      of masters and men , that the facts of that dispute should be ascertained as soon as possible , in order that an agreement might be arrived at , that industry might proceed , that the masters might sell , and that the men might earn their wages . And here , again , for the want of a general understanding , we find loss entailed upon all parties concerned . In Leeds business is generally good , because there has been as yet no very serious subtraction from the supply of wool . There is , no doubt , a

      striking improvement in the character of the trade . " The demand for ' all wool' well-made broad cloths is rather in advance of the supply " —an agreeable change after the general run for cheap stuffs and shoddy counterfeits ; the materials which help so many tailors in the metropolis to undersell each other , and to clothe their customers in cloths that wear out before they cease to be new . But we have no confidence in the continuation of the prosperity of the woollen districts . For this reason , that we have no confidence in the continuance of a steady supply of labour for the Australian colonies ; and if the Australian colonies are not kept going ,

      Leeds will feel the effect . If Yorkshire can succeed in securing the uninterrupted prosperity of Australia , Yorkshire will continue to cheer England with the spectacle of uninterrupted prosperity at home . It is not often that this reciprocal dependence of the several branches of industry , the one upon the other , is exhibited on so great a scale , and go palpably ; but the lesson may be useful to men in business , since it brings home to them an illustration of the practical value of the principle of Concert ; the principle , obedience to which leads to most of the success that is realized in trade—the breach of which occasions most of the grand disasters in trade .

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      THE CHURCH AND THE EMPEROR . It may not bo forgotten that in that grand tour in the South which immediately heralded the Empire , Louis Napoleon took occasion to romind the ecclesiastical dignitaries of Lyons , with rare unction of manner , and solemnity of deportment , that he at least had never considered religion aa a political instrument ; in othor words , that he loved the Church , much as "

      misunderstood" women aspire to be loved , " for her own aako . " Hence all the honours , wealth , and dignities heaped on the dispensers of holy oil , the teachers of implicit obedience , the consecrators of Buccossful massacres , and the chanters of 2 b Hexwis to Austrian Kaisors , who treat their subjects to 1200 , 000 cwts . of lead ! Honco the rostoration of the Pantheon of Groat Men ( so long desecrated by the ashes of Voltaire and Rousseau ) to bo once more the shrine of the relics of the virgin patroness of Paris , St . G 6 n 6 viovo ; hence the encouragement to religious houses , orders ,

      and confraternities , the fitful persecution of Protestants , thosuppression of thechairsof philosophy in tho University of Franco , the repudiation of tho " classics , " as Paganism in education ; lienco , above all , the frequent ombaHsios of mitred onvojb to liome , the coquetting with the College of Cardinals , the submissive invitations to Pius Nono to take up his summer rosidonco at Compj&ejno , and to astonish tho impressionable Parisians by the apparition of a real live Pope , rinpr , fiali , too , and all , mountod on a real pontifi-+ a 1 l ' autl % uring in tho forthcoming spectacle of tho imperial coronation , AH for pure

      love of true religion , and filial devotedness to Holy Mother Church . Not a thought of p # licy not a mental reserve of state-craft , not an arriere pensSe of imposing on the faithful ! In return for all these favours heaped upon the Church by her moat faithful son , does she not consecrate crime , deify success , and commend to all the saints the imperial adventurer , who saved society from pillage , —by making himself the one universal robber P The obligation is mutual , and the gratitude reciprocal . jBut what if there be one man ,

      one priest , found in these dark times , and in that crouching city , where confusion of all right and wrong sits throned , a triumphant blasphemy on Providence and justice : — -one whom neither favours and cajoleries can corrupt , nor tyranny silence , nor success intimidate ; who , from the pulpit of the most crowded church in Paris , will denouncejoppression , assertthe rights of man , and vindicate the Providence of God from a disastrous and damning complicity ; who will with unfaltering

      voice , like a two-edged sword , cleave hypocrisies asunder , and with words like thongs scourge the money-changers out of the temple : —oh ! then will that man , that priest , faithful servant of a Master who knew not Popes , and of a G-ospel that announced not cozening Primates , find favour with the imperial benefactor of the altar , and the disinterested lover of religion " for its own sake P" Ask Lacordaire , the exile , and Sibour , the accomplice .

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      COLONIAL AND OCEANIC POSTAGE . It really is a question worth reconsideration , whether the boon promised by Lord Canning to the colonies , in an uniform postage of 6 d ., had not better be superseded by one more thoroughgoing . The revenue derivable from the Post Office is not to be despised , but the colonial branch is not the most important in fruitfulness ; while the social and political advantages of freely extended correspondence between colony and home are unmistakeable . Under the influence of the penny postage in England , the traffic has increased so vastly that the " new" Post Office in St . Martin's-le-Grand is too small , and it is about to be enlarged . But already it is

      anticipated that the " Ocean Penny Postage" may be carried , and then we should want another enlargement . Now there is no better test and example of an ocean uniform postage than an English colonial postage . Other countries Jbave to a great extent fallen in with our example of an inland low uniform rate : Russia has a postage of 4 id . throughout her empire ; the United States of America have a postage of l % d . for 1000 miles ; France has greatly improved her post ; and other instances might be given . Difficulties exist in procuring the assent of foreign powers to one universal rate of a low amount ; but a practical example would be the mosfc cogent of all arguments .

      A notion clings to the mmd that a groat distance deserves a great payment ; and tho Postmaster-General , it appears , cannot bring his apprehension of a colonial postage lower than fid . — a penny for Great Britain , a penny for the colony , and Aid . for tho sea-passage . Now this calculation seems to us to involve more than one fallacy . Is tho Postmaster-General obliged to trouble his head with tho revenue of the colony P If there were a great increase in the sea-borne lotters . each colony , without any great increase of cost , would derive a proportion of profit from its own internal postage . Boflidos , most letters involve answers ; and tho simplest way , perhaps , would be , to lot the colony keep all tlio postago it might collect

      in prepayment , on condition of delivering gratuitously all prepaid hitters sont out from this country , and of paying a portion of tho contract money , if any , for conveyance of the mails . Tho English department would thus bo burdened only with levying the revenue accruing at home . Again , Mr . Uowland Hill showed most ; satisfactorily that tho cost of tho department lies mainly , not in tho carriage , but in the collection and distribution of letters ; and assuredly tho length of tho voyage makes little difference , freight is not at ; h , d . an ounce : tho wildest freights to Australia have been considerably under a penny for twonty ounces ; and ordinarily tho freight would be an mapprociablo part of tho smallest ( join in the currency .

      At present a letter from Australia may cost you from a couple of HhillingH to five or more , and the coat is a very serious " object" to a poor man . It is also a serious item to commercial

      men , who ought to send freely in duplicate , and , not to crowd too many subjects into one letter , Insurance business is in great part transacted by letter , especially with distant places ; and for some time to come that important branch of business will be transacted for the colonies , at home . For these reasons a perfect freedom in the us 0 of the post is most desirable . It is true that a uniform rate of 6 d . will be a

      great improvement upon the present rates ; but we do not anticipate from it the full advantage It is very nearly the average rate for the inland postage before Mr . Rowland Hill's time , which was about 6 % d . ; and we can all remember how much , evasion and abnegation were resorted to in those days rather than run up an outlay for postage . Since 1840 the gross revenue of the postage has

      increased from an average of 2 , 250 , 000 ^ ., or less , to 2 , 422 , 000 ? . in 1852 ; and the number of letters has increased from 75 , 900 , 000 in 1838 , to 400 , 000 , 000 in 1852 j showing that to the cor . respondent five letters are allowed in place of one ; and if , with augmented expense , the net revenue of the post-office is not quite replaced , the loss is enormously more than compensated by the gener ral stimulus to trade and revenue . There is

      no reason to suppose that the same principles do not apply to colonial postage ; and when the Postmaster-General proposes to bring the colonial postage up to the level of English rates before 1840 , we only ask whether it would not be financially and politically more judicious to proceed at once with the principles of 1840 . While we thank Lord Canning for the 6 d ., we may still ask for the Id . ; and beg him , while he makes his building arrangements , to have in his eye the grand probabilities which are already foreseen .

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      THE DETENUS OP LOUIS NAPOLEON . Napoleon the Thied has supplied the commercial Englishman with a test by which to judge his character ; for the commercial Englishman readily applies to moral questions the familiar test of £ s . d . " Do you know Mr . So and so P " was the question respecting a literary man , put to a tradesman . " A great rascal , sir ; owes me five pounds . " By the same rule Louis Napoleon must be an extremely grand rascal . There are certain railway companies , who

      entered into contract with the Trench Government , some years back , to form railways from Fampoux to Hazebrouck , from Lyons to Avignon , and from Bordeaux to Cette ; and according to French usage they lodged with Government , in all , 22 , 500 , 000 francs ( 900 , 000 / . ) of caution money . It is upon this money that Louis Napoleon has seized : ho takes half of it for himself . It is true that the companies have not carried

      out their contracts ; but upon that fact two remarks must bo made . In such cases , other foreign Governments have returned the caution money , which is lodged , not for direct forfeiture in case tho whole bargain fails to come off , but as a tost of good faith , and of completing the project when once begun . Spain has acted on that view . Secondly , tho oontract in the case of these railways was not carried out , because difficulties were interposed by tho Government of Franco itself .

      The bearing of ^ ie present Government shows the extreme doubt which it entertains of its own conduct . These contracts were declared to have been forfeited in 1847 , by the Minister of Public Works under Louis Phifippe ; but Louis Philippe did not attempt to take the money : he did not rotuni it , but lie never repudiated the English ownership of tho cash . Even Louis Napoleon does not attempt the direct forfeiture of the whole , but ho seizes half , roturning half on certain conditions , and those conditions

      show the hollowneas of his case . Tho half ih returned on the conditions that tho companies desist from all further claim , and from all present proceedings on tho subject of tho caution money . One of the companies , wo believe , has an action at law against the French Government on this very subject ; and thus tho Emperor illustrates tho morale of French equity , by seizing the half of tho matter in action , and offbring to abandon the second half , on condition that the plaintiff withdraws the suit !

      Tho pica that tho companies had broken their contracts , when the Government would not supply them with tho opportunity of fulfilling those contracts , does but add to the turpitude of tho transaction : it is like llobin Hood ' s fining tho

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      254 THE READER . '{[ Saturday ,

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), March 12, 1853, page 254, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1977/page/14/