Current:

Leader (1850-1860), 6th August 1853, Edition Town of 2, Page 746

Page 746
Page 2
2 of 24

On this page

  • Text (2)

      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.

    • Untitled Article

      Untitled Article

    • Untitled Article

      Untitled Article

  • 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.

      Untitled Article

      Government in rejecting , for the twentieth time , the claim of the Baron de Bode . The Baron is the representative of a gentleman who possessed estates in Lower Alsace ; the French Revolution broke out , and his property was confiscated ; that gentleman was the son of a German father and an English lady ; he had property in this country , and was confessedly aii ^ g lish siibject * . After the Restoration , the French Government granted a sum of money to compensate all English

      subjects whose property had been confiscated . The Baron claimed to be of that number , but his name was excluded from the list by a mistake of the Commissioners , who regarded him as not being a British subject . From that mistake sprang a series of errors , and the Baron is to be excluded from his property in spite of authenticated admissions of his claim by the House of Commons , by the select committee of the Lords , by a Court of Law

      on two occasions , through the impossibility of overcoming the accumulated and complicated blunders of the official people . But to these mistakes the present Ministers add another ; the claim has lasted so long that they cannot pretend to xmravel it . The Baron may perish without his own , because the official people have been so much in the wrong , and for so long a time , that it is hopeless to set them right . A nice plea for a constitutional government .

      The British working-man will be slow to join in the cry , " Thank God there is a House of Lords . " Last night these hereditary foes of the rights of labour , and sentimental patrons of labourers , actually rejected the bill which places workmen on a footing with their employers in regard to combination . So much for equality before the law I

      The cases at law upon the social relations of woman continue with considerable multiplicity , and so do the outrages of violence brought before the police courts . In one case , a worthy husband has been exercising his traditional right of flagellation , after repeated punishments . It would seem as if Mr . Fitzroy ' s bill failed to check

      the crimes it punishes . That it has some effect we do not doubt . That its effect is complete we doubt very much , but as we have already said , perhaps the fault lies with the system of society which deprives the humbler classes of excitement , turns their fiercer passions inwards to their homes , and at the same time softens the natural resentments which used to be visited on the offender

      summarily . The Earl of Guildford , after enjoying an estate as a collective pauper , under the tittle of Master of the Hospital of St . Cross , has been at length called , ipon to account for the monies he has received s ' nee the date of the information . It is a pity that the Master of the Rolls could not legally extend tht term of the account to the whole term of the Mastership of this Reverend Peer .

      At Warwiik Assizes , Constant Derrade Moroda , the friend t , tid companion of the so-called " Baroness Vo . i Beck , " a spy , haa obtained damages against George Dawson , and three others of the benefactors whom the Baroness deceived at Birmingham , by a trial and a verdict that have excited astonishment and disgust in those , not

      limited to Warwickshire , who know the character of the case , and of the principal defendant . But we arc promised a communication on the aubjeet next week , which our readers will be glad to see ; rind we understand that George Dawson ' s more intimate friends are impatient to gather round him nt uii opportunity which will offer itself in Birmingham next Monday .

      Untitled Article

      THE WEEK IK PARLIAMENT . TUB EASTERN QUESTION . Additional declarations of the presant situation of tins disputo wove made by Ministers in both Houses on Monday . The following took plnco in the House of JjOhIh . Tlio Marquis of CliANKlOAJUMH r ° s ° "" d Ba'd : —' " My lords , I riso to put a question to the noblo earl , who X fioo in , his phvee , roppootinc : » omo reports which htwo

      lately been receive ^ , from the Danubian provinces of Moldavia and WaUai ^ ia . From the accounts in the newspapers , it appeals that the Russian military authorities Save taken entire possession of that country , and haw proceeded to adminiate * the govennnen * thereof . The reports to widen I allude go on to state that the Cdmmander-m-Chief of the Russian forces has ordered the Hospodar not fcb transput any tribute to Constantinople , and it has been stated iiv one xepoui that he went so far as to " say that any tribute paid fc > the' Sultan would require to be paitf over again to irim . Moreover , it is stated that those to who m the local admi nistration of the counthas been intrusted have been ord ered to hold no

      ry communication with Turkey . This , my lords , is a virtual and real assumption of the sovereignty of that country by Russia . It is impossible that such an act as this can take place without leading directly to a terrible war . It is , therefore , of the highest interest to the country and to your lordship ' s House , that we should have whatever information can be afforded us , without inconvenience , at the earliest moment , because it is a matter of the greatest importance . I hold that it is impossible for Europe , or for France or England , to submit to such an extension of territory in that direction by Russia , and such a diminution of the Turkish empire , without the gravest and most fearful consequences . The matter is of the utmost

      importance , not merely to the political balance of Europe , not merely to the honour of this country , which is a party to treaties with Turkey , but also to the material interests affecting the welfare of all classes of persons , ^ aboye all hi Germany , hi France , and also greatly in this kingdom . It is a matter Upon which your lordships must all desire to have the fullest information t hat can with propriety be given , and , therefore , I trust the noble earl will not think I am indiscreet if I ask him whether any such accounts as the reports to which I have referred have reached him officially , and whether he can inform your lordship ' s House how far it is true such an assumption of sovereignty by Russia has really taken place P "

      The Earl of Clarendon answered : — "My lords , so far from thinkiig that my noble friend has committed any indiscretion in the question he has put to me , I can assure him I take so entirely the same view that he does as to what would be the result not only to France but to Europe , and more especially to this country , of any permanent alienation of the territory , to which he alluded , from the Turkish empire , that I am glad he has put this question , in order that I may satisfy the public mind ,, so far as I am able , by giving him all the information I possess . By a despatch , dated the 17 th of last month , I learn from lord Stratford de Redcliffe that a communication had been made by the Oonsul-General of Russia to the Hospodar of Moldavia , iaforniing him that his relations with the Ottoman empire were to cease ,

      and that the tribute usually transmitted to Constantinople was to be placed at the disposal of the Russian Government , upon the ground , as it was stated , that during the military occupation of the province , the sovereign power was necessarily , though temporarily , suspended . I have to state also that the Turkish Government expected to hear similar information from the Hospodar of Wallachia ; but I have received a despatch this morning from Mr . Colquhoun , our Consul-General at Bucharest , dated the 22 nd of last month , in which he says that , up to that time , no such communication had been made to the Hospodar there . However , such a communication was naturally expected by the Porte to be made to the Hospodar of the Porte

      Wallachia , and it was the intention of , as soon as it received that communication , to order the Hospodars to withdraw and cease their functions . Lord Stratford do Redcliffe further added , that , in such an event , he should consider it highly improper that British Consuls in the Principalities should continue to exercise their functions , and I lost no time in communicating to him the entire approval of her Majesty ' s Government in his adopting that course . I can only further inform your lordships that I shall , by the messenger who leaves London to-night , instruct Sir Hamilton Seymour to demand from the Russian Government those explanations to which we aro entitled upon a matter which I view in the same light as my noble friend . " In the House of Commons , Lord Dudwey Stuart ,

      alluding to the postponement of Mr . Layard's motion , said to Lord John Russell : — " I do not wish to ask my noble friend to state at present , or to fix a day , when this subject may bo discussed ; but what I would wish to ask is this : whether ho will , before the prorogation of Parliament , which cannot bo very long delayed , set apart a day when my honourablo f riond may make his motion—when the subject may bo discussed , or at least when tho Government would bo prepared to lay a statement before tho House and tho country , and explain tho present state of our relations with the different powers of Europe . " Lord John RusbkIiIi : " On tho last occaHion when this important subject was mentioned , the House concurred with her Majestya Government in thinking that it waa not desirable to have a discussion in the present state of

      tho negotiations on tho subject . I am quito ready , howover , to £ j ivo to my noblo friend and tho House u \ l tlio information which it is , at present , in iny power to givo . When tho ambassador' of his Majesty the ICmporor of Russia left Constantinople , it appeared to her Majesty ' s Government that it waa doHirablo that thoro should be a conlbronco of tho representatives of all tho Great Powers of Europe , in order to endeavour to arrive at terms which might put nn amicablo termination to tho differences between Russia and tho Sublime Porte . It was the opinion of tho Government of Austria that it was not doHirablo to havo any such conferences while tho matter remained in tho state of diplomatic relations , and that it would not bo desirable to have such a conference unless tho JSmporor of Russia , by invading tho Principalities , should , lor a timo at lonat , put an end to the status quo in Europe . Whan that event ooourro < L tho Government

      of the Empew& of Austria , in conformity with its previous declaration , declared its willingness to hold a conference , and at "Vienna sxuniQoned the representatives of the four other Great Pbwejrs of Europe to attend , for the purpose of a conference on the affairs of Russia and Turkey . The Minister of the Emperor of Russia did not attend , but the Ministers , of England , of France , and of Prussia attended that conference . Certain terms were then agueed Upen ; which , in the . opinion of the . representatives of the four Powew ,. might be accepted with honour by the two Governments ! of Turkey and Russia . Those terms have been assented to by the Governments of England and of France , and , according to our belief , have been transmitted from Vienna to St . Petersburgh and to Constantinople .

      In this state of affairs , I think the House will feel as strongly , if not more strongly than it did before , that it is quite impossible for me to say that it is desirable , at the present time , to discuss these affairs , or to fix a day for then * discussion . I can assure the House that , as the tune for the prorogation approaches , her Majesty ' s Government will be ready to give every information which it may think proper to give consistently with then * duty to the public service . " Mr . DisnAEiii : " I wish to to inquire of the noble lord , with respect to the question addressed to him by . the noble lord' the member for Marylebone , whether there is any particular time when her Majesty ' s ministers are induced t . n TiaIWa t , haf , an answer will De returned from St . Peters *

      burgh ?" lord J . Rttssem .: "I should not like to be responsible for naming any particular time , for I do not know exactl y how many days the Russian Government may take to consider the proposition made to them . I think the proposition left Vienna probably on Sunday last , therefore the right honourable gentleman can calculate for himself . " Mr . DiSBAEiii • " There w as a phrase in the noble lord ' s answer to the question of the noble lord the member for Marylebone which appeared rather obscure to honourable

      members on this side of the House . The noble lord said that the proposition was agreed upon at Vienna , and that it received the approbation of the Governments of France and England . I inferred at the tune that it received the approbation of the Governments of Prussia and Austria also . I call attention to the point , in order that there may be no misconception . " Lord J . Ritssbix : " The proposition was an Austrian proposition , though it came originally from the Government of France , and no doubt the Government of Pruaisa is likely to consent to it . "

      THE INDIA BILL . In our first edition of last week we left Sir Charles Wood objecting to Mr . Bright ' s proposition to unite the offices in Leadenhall-street and Cannon-row . The amendment was defeated by 100 to 72 . Sir Charles Wood met with a similar fate , when he proposed that the salaries of the Chairman and Deputy-Chairman should be 1500 Z . each , and of each Director 1000 ? . a-year : 99 to 83 rejected his proposition . The salaries were therefore fixed at 1000 Z . a-year for " the chairs , " and 500 Z . a-year for each of the Directors . The bill then passed amid loud Ministerial cheers .

      The Scottish Universities Bill passed through Committee on the same evening . An attempt to introduce the words , " on the true faith of a Christian , " in the declaration by Professors , was defeated by 81 to 37-The second reading of the Government of India Bill was moved , last night , by Earl GRANViXiXE , who explained at length its provisions . He was followed by the Earl of Mai-mesbtjby , who criticised the Bill both as regarded its principle and its details .

      The Earl of Abebdeen briefly defended the measure against the attacks of Lord Malmesbury . The Earl of ELiiENBOBOXTGir , without opposing , objected to the Bill , directing his arguments especially against the double Government . He , in some measure , agreed with tho plan of the Government for reducing the number of the Court of Directors , but objected that tho reduction had not been carried out in the right direction . The Government had not availed themselves of the opportunity they possessed of dealing largely with tho question of the government of India , but had wasted their efforts on mere details . Several other noblo lords nddressed the House , among others the Duke of AbgyMj and the Bishop of OxtfOBD . Tho Bill was then read a second time .

      A CASK AGAINST " THE COMPANY . " Certain Parsee merchants advanced largo sums to tho Niznm , as security for which they recoived a mortgage upon certain districts . That mortgago waa executed with tho full knowledgo of the English resident at tho Court of tho Nizam , and deposited with him for safe custody for tho purpose of being placed among tho records of Borar . After some time , without any notice or caUno assigned , tho Nizam dispossessed tho

      merchants , of these districts with violence and cruelty , de- > stroying many of their servants , and repossessed himself of tho land . Tho East India Company , through thoir servants , wore repeatedly applied to for protection and redress . Thoy denied both . Thoy shortly refused , on the ground that thoir invariable policy was not to interfere in any money transactions between native princes and their subjects . Thoy themselves had money transactions with tho Nizam , originating fro *" tho same cause tut life money transaction * vritfo th «

      Untitled Article

      1 ¦ ' . ¦ " . ¦ v ¦ , ¦ , ¦ . . ¦ . ' 746 THE 4 |^ I ) EK v [ Saturday ,

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 6, 1853, page 746, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1998/page/2/