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Leader (1850-1860), 9th September 1854, Edition Town of 2, Page 852, Untitled Article

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      Untitled Article

      him the martinet assumes a mild appearance , and proceeds to ask him questions which any naval cadet of six months' standing -would T > e able to answer . Our readers may be as ignorant as the candidate for honours of the precise nature of the terms that follow , but they will see better than the martinet the qualifications of the young aspirant . The examination proceeded thus z—Captain . Mr . , I believe ! Have the goodness to sit down , and make yourself quite comfortable . How would you get your ship under weigh ? Candidate ( after a long pause ) . I should haul the anchor up . Cap . Eight enough for a beginning ; but how would you proceed to perform that ? You do not pass the cable itself round the capstan , do you ?' Can . No , sir , decidedly not : the—the- — -

      Cap . The messenger , as you were going to say . You fasten this to the cable ? Can . By ropes ( doubtfully ) . Cap . Precisely-r-by lopes , that is , stoppers ; and then you heave round . By-the-bye , how is your uncle , the Xixst I ^ ord ? Cati . ( eagerly finding one question he can answer ) . Very' well , thank ybu , sir ; that is , not quite well . Laid up , ha fact , with a severe attack—— --Cap . ( laitk true sympathy ) . Indeed , I am sorry to hear it . Well , you have passed your examination very "well , aritid , if you come in half an hour vre'U sign your ; certificate ! . ' . {

      Such was actually a fact , an 4 such a midshipman really did pass iii the-way recorded . He was suffered to remain on ihb station for some time as acting mite before he departed for ^ England . But on his arrival there he had to go through the examination , to whose severity I have before alluded ; , It consists of being examined in' gunnery on . board the Excel-IenV and in arithmetic and navigation at" the college . " It is needless ' to add the result of this candidate ^ examination tfo ^^ We heard that he had teert turned hack twice , but are ignorant as to his after career . . ' : " ' :.. : '¦ ' ¦ ; ' . , \> - ' ¦ '¦ ¦ ¦ '

      We may , perhaps , have occasion to return to the Governing Classes afloat in a future paper . But ftough they cause indirectly a great deal of the disagreeablehess that exists afloat , they sttfe Tiot the racist prominent causes of the general dislike' evinced for the seryice , arid , to those more important subjects Our succeeding article shall be devoted . Hate A Mibiyr . '

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      GRYSTAl ^ PALACE NEWS JROOM . ( To iJte Editor , of the Leader ^ ; . Sir , —In order to remedy , in some degree , the evil effects of forcing people into public-houses to obtain the . news of the day , and while the paper duty and Stamp Act so grievously interferes with the increase of newspapers , I would urge the necessity of pr o ^ viding public Reading , or News Rooms , in places of popular resort . An Educational Court at the Crystal Palace , where newspapers and the leading-periodicals could be seen , as well as scholastic publications , by paying a small charge for admittance , would be a great accommodation and attraction , not only to men of letters , but to all classes . Yours , &c , M . H . ] ? EIX . DE .

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      THE DUTIES OF THE CLERGY . ( To the Editor of the Leader . ) Sib , —PuT > lic controversy—will your correspondents pardon me for saying so?—is not my favourite occupation , I thought the Church to which my services are vowed misrepresented , and , however unintentionally , calumniated , and accordingly said as . much ; but I must be pardoned for not entering in a discussion of " verbal inspiration , " Yet so much I will say for the satisfaction of Mr . Birch ( I ought to writo f of tho M . A . " since he lias so humorously denominated me " the Curate" ) , that there ia no point on which tho orthodox apprehensions of any congregation arc liable to' bo more easily and painfully excited than this very ono of the Inspiration of Holy Writ , and this most reasonably ; because if this l ) o once sot aside—Church authority being ignored—there would

      remain no barrier whatever to the inroads of individual rationalism . Therefore , if tho imaginary or real clergyman of tho Portfolio confesses to having shown , unconsciously or not , that he did not believe in the inspiration of the Old Testament ( wo need not take account of tho word " verbal , " for it is absolutely certain that a congregation would not I ) I am fully justified in my remark , that ho hnd no right to complain of being thenceforth regarded with extreme suspicion by tho great body of his parishioners . A definition of the exact limits of inspiration might bo difficult : I will not attempt it ; and will only add , for fear of misconstruction , that I fully and from my heart accept tho 6 th Article of tho English Church , to which Mr . Birch refers , nnd that no man can do so , imnxy judgment , who does nob believo in the historical truth of the Old Testament , and in tho divine insplrntion of Moses , David , and tho Prophets . lo pass to Mr . JUomviUe ' s inquiry , how I oan

      reconcile the neglect of the 59 th Canon for public catechising " with common honesty , " I beg to ask him whether he does not know that the Church of England has been stripped by the State of the right to meet in Council for correction and furtherance of discipline ; and that , under these circumstances , it having become impossible to adapt the Canons to the exigencies of the times , some of them have fallen into absolute abeyance ? Canons , which are not and have not been enforced for 15 O years—are they really , all of them , binding in pro conscient < B ?—or only such of them as Mr . Domville , or any other individual , may happen to consider commendable ? Give us the free working of Convocation , and we shall soon distinguish betwixt obsolete and essential Canons , and constrain obedience to such as shall be then confirmed .

      Meanwhile , as a matter of fact , public catechising ( though too often neglected ) is by bo means universally so . I suppose Mr . I > omville does not think that the essence of the Canon consists in the half hour before the time of service ? In the church and parish which I am privileged to assist in serving , we have , on the Sunday , besides one cottage-service , morning , afternoon , arid evening prayers . In the course of the afternoon service public catechising takes place after the second lesson . Does not this fairly meet the intention of the Canon ? But , further . * the Canon alluded to obwiousljr contemplates a state of ecclesiastical , discipline which it is . well nigh impossible to realise ijx ' any parish—nay , > ' the spirit of the age , " good or evil , -would fbrtwl its literal execution . Could

      the adult ; " ignprantSj" could servants ^ could apprentices ,. couldgrowingyouthsland ^^ maids be easily prevailed upon to exhibit their defective , knowledge before a gazing and listening congregation ? A sense of personality , with its consequences— -pride arid shame , jdid not exist , in the year 1603 in ibe sense in which it now governs Arell nigh all minds : the world was more naive then ; moderns , perhaps ^ will saymore barbarous ; Be that as it may , a more private procedure : is now eminently desifable for all who have reached the age of a&olescehce- ^ say 16 . On , this ground many clergymen have private classes of young people before or after seryice ( I have pne such njyself every Sunday morning ) to instruct them in the elementary truths / of ¦ ' ¦ -. religion and duties of morality . -: ' :: ' : '' -. '¦¦¦ . ¦ . ¦ . ' :. i - - . '¦ ' ¦ - ¦' . . . ¦ : ¦ . ' . '"

      Finally , no njan can have a deeper sense than myself of the'practical deficiencies of the English Church ; the only : wonder is in her past state of servitude , that she has retained all essentials , and has still so strong a hold on the national Iiearb arid mind- But she is a living branch of the universal Church of Christ : God is in- hery despite her weakness , and therefore she cannot fall . I remain , Sir , your Tery obedient servant , Aeciibb Gurite y , Curate of Buckingham .

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      "A CLERGYMAN'S EXPERIENCE OF SOCIETY . " ( To the Editor of the Leader . ) 89 , Great Portland-street , Portlancl-placo , Sept . 4 , 1851 . Sir , —Will you , allow me , a working-man , and a Member of the Established Church of England , that Church which is said by the writer of the fine letters printed in your columns , " to occupy a position as he thinks halting ever between two opinions , serving God and Mammon , founded in lust , nursed by tyranny , supported by opinion , " to say that my opinion of the laity , the clergy , and fche bishops , is aB good now , as it was before I read the said to be , and perhaps truly so , experience . of one whom I think has evidenced in his writing , that ho lias been , and is , " unstable as water . "

      In referring to tho ordination service for deaqons , I find that your contributor has said that " ho trusts ho is inwardly moved by the Holy Ghost to take upon him that office , " and again that , "he unfeignedly believes all tho canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testament , " and in the ordering of priests " that ho thinks in his heart , that he is truly called , according to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ to the order and miniBtry of priesthood . " Once more , has he not subscribed to tho 39 articles ? Allow me to ask now , if I am mistakon when I affirm that it is tho conclusion ovary intelligent reader would come to that has road the letters alluded to , that the Author of thorn did not beliovo at the time what he took an oath he did in his hoart ? This being the case , your readers will know best what value to sot upon this clergy man ' s assertions .

      won by feelings and notions , by beautiful architecture , elaborately finished paintings , and soft melodious music , with works of righteousness which we can do , but as in an earlier church , the church that has been , and now is , and ever will be—the elect who instead of winning a " sainthood , " are made saints by that Third Person of the Trinity , who convinces of sin , and leads to the only Saviour , in whom they have " wisdom , righteousness , sanctification , and redemption . " I will only add that neither myself , nor any other Sabbath school teacher , whether male or female , with whom I am acquainted , desire , for one moment , to part with the peace and joy which we have through a lively faith in a living , pleading , and coming Saviour , for the earthy , sensual , and superstitious religion of " Borne , " or " Exeter . " " Is this wise ? " Yes it is . J . Clifford Park . ee .

      1 feol suspicion * of a man who writoB for Popery , and yet is so timid lest his readers should think for one moment that ho ohould bo understood aa wishing to favour oithor popes or cardinals . What ho suya of th « Puseyitp party , and their fervent piety , and their boautifu ^ pwturo of the early church , " with its jporjfpct flysfconi adapted to every want , a shelter for every . sorrow , a homo for every joy , ' * is all very pretty , and , no doubt to a lovely young girl , ono we may well suppose ignorant of tho dopruvity pf her own hoart , and that » " sainthood " was not to be

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      INDIA . ( To the Editor of the Leader . ) SiKj— -Your kindness in inserting my former very desultory letters emboldens me to trouble you once more with a few remarks on the subject of our Indian Empire . This time I would direct your attention to the unfair and anomalous position of the TJncovenanted Service . I need not remind you that the Governmerit of India is , in fact , an : oligarchy , the members of which exercise in their-way , the exclusiveness that characterises that system pf rule . The actual governors of the country are the Civil Servants of the jEEonourabJe Company ; and , talcing them as a body of well-educatedj upright gentlemen

      nothing can be said against them . ; But their education is not appropriate . It is not the sort of training that is best calculated to make good magistrates and judges , as well as Collectors of the revenue Something rnore is : wanted than a knowledge of Latin and Greek , or a slight acquaintance with Sanscrit roots ; It is necessary for a ruler , that he should be familiar with the spirit and circumstances of ids own times , and of the people he is called upon , td govern . And this sort of thing is not to be acquired at Hailey . Mry College , nor does it come by intuition . But there is one thing which is acquired at Haileybury ,

      and that is a class feeling . The" young civilians look upon themselves as . a superior caste—as the " twiceborn , " - —the elect of their countrymen . The consequence is , that they hold themselves not only far above the native population , bitt even above their military brethren ; while bankers , merchants , journalists , and " other" adventurers , are regarded as outside barbarians . Thi $ feeling is traditional , and took its rise in the times when few persons proceeded to India unconnected with the Company , save those whose antecedents would not bear a very close inspection .

      In the beginning , the Civil Service was conducted by a mere handful of individuals , but as our empire increased , it v ? as found necessary to add to the number pf the magistrates . This soon became extremely burdensome , owing to the amount of salaries and pensions . It Svas therefore resolved to institute a secondary corps , generally known as the Uncovcnanted Seivice , because its members can be dismissed at any time , without trial and a without pension . At present a very largo proportion of the public business is transacted by this body . They are employed as clerks in Government offices , and may rise to the rank of deputy collector , Their salary may also be gradually brought up to 600

      rupees a month . But this is the highest point to which they may attain , no matter how splendid their abilities , how sound their knowledge , how immaculate their character . In a social point of view they nro nowhere . Even men of gentlemanly birth and accomplishments arc not recognised as members of society . And yet in tho Uncovenantcd Service you will find very many who know more of the roal wants of India , of tho language , habits nnd feelings of the natives , than tho oldest judges of the Suddcr Ameen . Why then should not the government of tho country be thrown open to all who are competent to take a part in it ? If merit were the only criterion , sonic of the covenanted magnates would soon find themselves outrun in tho meo by tho very men they now affect to look down upon . They tell you , indeed , that tho nncovonantod aro generallv of low habits ,

      that they drink , that they marry native -women , thnt they themselves aro often coloured men , and that in short no gentleman could associate with them . There is somothing of truth in this , but if tho cause wore removed the effect would vanish , Men of flno feelings , unless greatly reduced in circumstances , will hardly enter a sorvicq that places tlrcm in such a false position . If the service of the Government wero an open ono , there would bo no lack of candidates oven for tho inferior grades , though those would after a time become tho abiding places of only tho incompetent . The country would of course gnlu immensely by tho energy thus infused into ita administration , but it is just possible that tho sons and nephews of Directors might fail to win tlie highest prissee . This is tho startling objection—this tho otumfrling block and rock of otfeuve , J . Hi

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      852 THE LEADER . [ Saturday ,

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Sept. 9, 1854, page 852, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2055/page/12/