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    were the camp of a new enemy , has long been a deadly place for all living near it , and the public and the authorities have long been aware of the fact . In the ashpits of North Shields and Tynemouth refuse matter has been stored for years : and now seventy cart-loads a day have to be removed , because the common enemy has been reinforced by a new ally . And yet even to this day on which ¦ we write , our best fight is made , as we have seen , by individuals . We see energetic exposures , but hear more slowly of remedial , action . An inspector rapidly reports a house in a most filthy condition ;

    but the guardians " do not meet till Friday , ' ' nothing can be done till then . In other cases we find nuisances noted without the slightest intimation of the manner in which they may be removed . In most districts there seem to be confused notions as to the proper persons who should take the lead in abating nuisaHces . Mr . Ingham , the magistrate , said on Saturday , that " his hands were tied up by the Act of Parliament ; " therefore he could not direct the proper means for the abatement of the evil . In another case on the same day , Mr . Combe ,

    said that the law gave linn no powgr to suppress a notorious nuisance from bone-boiling in Southwark . If these be samples of the result of an appeal to magistrates , if Commissioners of Sewers are unable to interfere with " anything but drainage , " as Colonel Jebb said last week ; if Sanitary Committees cannot meet daily , thereby checking promptitude of action—the resources of the people from governmental organizations are very small indeed . The energy of volunteers and the vigilance of individuals must do what Boards and " bodies " are powerless to effect .

    "We like to see Englishmen practised in this hand-to-hand exertion . It will give them a good habit of taking counsel together , and of meeting for local purposes . The centralized dictation of the press may enlighten , but we wish to . see spirit and action aroused in . every parish and in every street . Each man must be made to clear dirt from around his own house : and the coercion to this end comes with best grace from the man ' s neighbours . The Government should play its part with such skill that all local action should arise , or seem to arise , from local spirit . They should recognise and stimulate rather than construct or compel local organization . For instance , if a committee of householders is formed to carry out

    a house to house visitation , the Government should get their names and addresses , send them plentiful supplies of instructive papers , supply them with rooms for meetings , pay their casual expenses of stationery , and in some cases of travelling , nnd in general recognise them as workers in a good cause . This is better than sending down a Medical Inspector at live guineas a-day to make a survey of the district , write an independent report , and interfere with local officials . Jt is also right that the police should summon the person permitting or causing a nuisance , and should

    make him clear it away . But tins principle is now put into practice too slowly . The policeman , or the medical officer , sees a nuisance ; he reports it to the clerk to the guardians , or other officer ; and after some necessary delay a summons is issued . If issued in the evening , the case cannot be heard until the next day , and if convicted , the magistrate must give the man at least n day to clear it away . A more summary method might be adopted . A body of sanitary police should patrol a district with summonses ready-made in their pockets . On seeing

    a , nuisance , they should at once «« rvo a . summons , pointing it out , and calling the man to account before the magistrate- that very day . And on full evidence , the magistrate . should direct , that if the man did not begin the removal of the nuisance within an hour , some more munmrry method of compulsion should be applied . Of course , if the man hud reasonable grounds for refusal , the nuisance . should be removed at the public expense-, and the offender kept in jail till the expense were repaid . We want , nlso , in London , mid in all our towns , a . summary , power of ejecting

    families who arc living in unwholesome houses While the people live in . such places disease will be bred .... and while the houses ntmul , the neighfl i -, W SI ' \ Stf < fti fhood Avill . suffer . For the rents paid for such / " -- ( ,. •¦[ ' ";' " ] 7 <}\ viy ^ x \ x the Government could give the people / ^ ' ' ' ' ' ' iilfV * Iwtaings in tents , or in many unused store-/^ -i / ' . ' lioufef . *\ In Newcastle , a local act enables the i ^ - 'j > • - •; , J . ¦ . ' B « m | -d ;/ af Guardians to clone houses unfit for \ r V ' . ' , ["' ¦ ' ' Jfumiifl ^ Jiubitation ; and fluch it power is much V ^ ; v , > " ! , , Wajifeed / in all our great towns . \ j < A ^—V <¦ J ¦ ¦ ^ TCho mea , si m ' n wo advise muy savour of despot-Hiavai L

    sm , but in reality they are but the organization of methods , by which th # people themselves may put down a fierce foe t a foe to their liberties and common health . Centralization of popular power is not the array of despotism . The public health is a treasure that must be guarded by a centralization of sentinels—a circle of fortifications . We love the indigenous energy of individual exertion —the personal patriotism which stirs each man to work well in his own sphere ; but in the matter of public health , we cannot entirely trust to this kind of personal bravery in detail . The danger does not attack us singly . The foul ditch behind our houses is as bad for a man ' s ueichbour

    as for himself , and both have an equal right , and an equal duty , to have it taken away . The dweller in Belgravia has an interest in the health of Bermondsey . Cholera , once in a city , does not respect police boundaries . Besides , the nature of this task of providing for the public health is such , that it requires an army of men , working together with one will . It requires a prying into private places , to be done not now and again , when alarms are rife , but day by day , and under a regular system of reporting . It requires greatforethoughtto detect the real foundations of disease , and the preparations for epidemic in apparently innocent proceedings . We pointed out before , the frequently dangerous materialsb which underlie the best houses . In such

    cases , early and keen inspection is needed . In all our towns there area thousand evils which nothing but a system of scientific observance and paid poliec can meet . Look at the surface drainage Of London , as now generally managed . The half liquid matter is carried down through a hole bedecked with so many iron bars , into the sewer , without any trap or eject to prevent , when water is not poured down , the exit of sewerage emanations at all hours .-- These are , in fact , every day manufactories of cholera . A Jike evil are the necessaries attached to every house , mostly left uncovered ,

    most frequently unfinished with water , and reeking with poisonous gases , which if carried into the higher regions of the air by some influence settle down in a verv mantle of death during the hours of the night . Think of the impurity thus derived to our rain water , which must pass ' through them before it reaches the earth . And still in this water we cook our vegetables , and infuse our teas , cocoas , and coffees ; ami in it we are wont to wash our mouths and nostrils , night and inorniiv nt least . An ewer full of the impure fluid , taints ° bedroom all through those hours of darkness when

    disease most easil y attacks us . These things show that there is required a regular organization of intelligent and active persons as a regiment of life-guards for the people . It is the vice of popular institutions , that the people are often misled by foolish persons who , under our liberal constitution , are free to print nonsense , or to act unwisely . We see many cases noted in the daily papers of diseases , caused by the removal of nuisances . Some masses of bad matter are more harmless when hardened over and partially closed up , than Avhen stirred up for removal ; and the action

    of change is most dangerous . In all cases the police should see that a proper disinfecting fluid should be used : and it is in the prescription of such agent that a central authority is much wanted . We have , ourselves , carefully looked into the matter , and knowing that these columns are read by persons anxious for useful information , we notify that according to the very highest scientific and other authorities , the very best disinfectant is that patented by Sir William Burnett , namely , chloride of zinc ; though it should be used with ' caution , as it is an irritant to the respiratory

    organs . Jt has been tested in an extensive use , and has done a great deal of good . While on this point , we advise our contemporaries to be careful what proscriptions they publish from persons not medical men . Some may foolishly take up the prescriptions nnd use the worse , or improperly use even suitable remedies ; or others may as rashl y reject all . For instance , we refused to reprint the proscription of a mustard-emetic and a brand y-stimulant , suggested by Mr . Lane . We have si

    nce heard on good authority of u most striking case *> f recovery effected by its application , while Dr . Mackintosh reports a total failure Still we ineline to the belief that the regular doctor in the bent man to apply to at lir . st ; and meanwhile the practitioners should hold themselves free to try prescriptions , even though they do come from the city where JNouruddin made his famous pastry , or are put forward by one wejll read in the Arabian NjghtB .

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    SECRET DIPLOMACY . The folly of secret diplomacy was admirably exposed in Mr . Cobden's immortal illustration , when he said that no . mercantile firm would permit it . clerks to keep their own management secret on the plea that they could manage so much better if they did . No doubt the clerks often think so but every trader knows that sometimes -commercial travellers make rash bargains , sometimes they forget commissions , and sometimes they embezzle ; hence an invincible commercial prejudice in favour of supervision . Now , if the Ministry exists for the country , and not the country for the Ministry , the same principle applies to diplomacy . We must have diplomatists the commercial travellers of statesmanship ; but they work best under supervision . The pretext that diplomacy succeeds best when kept secret , we deny point blank . It does not always succeed at all ; and , when there is a certain success , it is not always for the country . Take recent instances . Not long since British Ministers were committed to negotiations , in which they were playing the tool of Spain , who was afraid of losing Cuba , and who begged England either to cajole the United States into a pledge against the separation of Cuba from Spain , or to guarantee the

    Spanish possession m spite of the United States . " Official Spain . " has shown her faith to this country in her performance of treaties , her honesty in payment of her bonds , her friendship in the conditions annexed to the burial-ground at Madrid , her power in asking tis to be the instrument of keeping Cuba . Nevertheless , in the idea of serving this grand , honest , and generous ally , English Ministers committed themselves to a correspondence with American Ministers in such a tone as , but for considerable forbearance in the American

    Government , might have plunged the English , people in War with that Kepublic , which'is really our most important ally . But we knew nothing 1 of all this until it was over ; and then , in a tardy Blue Book , we discover the risk we have run . That risk could not have been incurred save with secret diplomacy . Not very Jong since the people of

    Sehleswig-Ilolstein tried to establish their independence of the Danish Crown , and their alliance with Germany ; to which , by blood and predilection , they belong . The King of Denmark roused a national pride , used the Liberals of Copenhagen to subdue the provincials ; and then turned round upon the Liberals by submerging the Danish succession in that of Schleswig-Holstein , and so favouring the reversion of Denmark to the Russian Czar . That

    project was ratified by secret diplomacy in a conference which sat in London , and was assisted by our Minister . If diplomacy had not been secret , the experience of the Menschikoff intrigues would not have been needed to make the English people protest against such a prostitution of English power . Not ninny years ago this country was startled and disgusted , beyond need we thought , at tlio spiritual and titular " aggression" of a hierarchy , organized by the Pope , to convert us all to Koinanism ; Dr . Wiseman came A latere , with Hat and cro / ier , to hook us all iixio the fold , m ^ s and

    Margaret Cunninghaine has gone into Tuscany given away a Bible and Pilgrim ' s Progress . * Ve passed an angry bill to prohibit the bishops from styling themselves by local titles : the Growl 1 / uke has thrown Miss Margaret into prison ; nn « Protestant England is aflame . But if Eng lishmen who now call out for the rescue of M »« 3 Cunninghame , m et armis ^ wxW look into a certain blue book , they will discover that when t »«/< jl . ;> our spiritual aggressor , and instigator of A' * Margaret ' s imprisonment , was assisted oft »>» throne on the Seven Hills , he was restored by tnc French , with the express concurrence of tin English government . This grand feat , too , » '

    longs to . Secret Diplomacy . . Wow for a ease of success . ¦ Ever Hince -tli « suiting behaviour of M . Hulao . inann in WaHin « h toil , tho Americans have been very nnpry "' Austria ; and at all events they nre row » y «< n ¦ '"; no arrogant pretensions of Austria shall v 10 > ¦ the dignity of the Htnr-Hpanglcd banner . Jvoj . ^ who cJaiiiiH American citizenship , was seizo * ^ Smyrna by Austrian bmvoH , and rescued iv American officer ; and he is now on " ^/ y ' -J „_ America . JNot long since , an American < HI >' tie fluent in the East appeared dispose d to » couccHBions to the Alwoiutiat powers ; tn ai became known : and ho was obliged to conwu

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    972 THE LEADER [ Saturday ,

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 8, 1853, page 972, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2007/page/12/