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Leader (1850-1860), 26th January 1856, Edition 1 of 2, Page 74, Untitled Article

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      successor . More than one name has been mentioned . Fox some time there has been , a talk of Lord John Russell ., whose tenure of a London seat has become vavy . p ^ fear 4 kttts . ' Tbe ^ fa ^ oiffiite candidate known is Mr . A » A = M BLACK /^ the eminent bookseller , who is thoroughly identified with Edinburgh , in conviction , feeling , interests , and habits .

      Death , too , has withdrawn Henry Goulburn , and Cambridge University has to provide a successor for Peel ' s Chancellor of the Exchequer . Here , again , more than one name has been ment ioned . There was , for the moment , an apparent chance of placing in the seat for Cambridge one of the finest thinkers of the day , whose -writing has had a powerful influence oa influential minds , Arthur Helps ; but while many of the electors

      was in his % and \ vriting , but the signature , he said , had been' forged by his wife , Anne Pa . lmeb , who is dead . " According ^ this confession ^ there fore ;* ANNE » Palmer ' -is- - a < hl 8 d to the 'liumber of her > inisband s accomplices ; but Palmer ' s friends complain that the press has "prejudged his-ease , and thev are about to remove bis trial by certiorari to a London court . In the meanwhile , the example has not "been unimitated ; or rather , if we may believe the story , Palmer had a rival . Thomas Bull . Holland ,

      a surgeon at Salford , has told before the magistrate-a strange stoiy , how two "men came to him as a medical referee to pass the life of the father of one of the men , Monogjian ; how , while the men were with him , lie was mixing some acetate of lead with water , and the younger Monoghan asked him if the same poison could not be so mixed as to'avoid the milky colour ; how , , on that question , he instructed them to mix the poison with whisky , which remains limpid ; and how Mosjoghany the father , has since died , the son claiming the sum insured—d € 300 . And this story are the Manchester magistrates examining , while Rugeley unfolds its moral for the edification of a censorious world .

      were getting up a requisition to invite him , more hurried agitators had prepared to bring forward Mr . Denman , who is well known in Cambridge , though less known to the public ; and Mr . Helps declines to oppose his friend . Mr . Denman is the candidate who would represent the philosophy , science , and liberal feeling of Cambridge . Mr . Walpole is put forward to represent the opposites—and he accepts the mission !

      His translation to the University seat would vacate Midhurst , and Mr . Samuel Waeben , the Recorder of Hull , the novelist of " Ten Thousand a Year , " the poet of the " Lily and the Bee , " the lecturer on the working classes , aspires to sit for Macraurst ; and although he is ex professo that untoward being a remarkable man , " his address to the electors is remarkable for nothing but a total abstinence of opinions .

      On © of the first subjects pressing upon Parliament will be a revision of the railway system . Tte contests within the Eastern Counties Company continue ; chairman and shareholders are pleading against each other in pamphlet and public meeting ; and Parliamentary intervention is imperatively needed . Another subject probably must be the ticket-ofleave system and reformatories ,. Reformatory institutions have multiplied in the English counties

      during the recess , while the enormities committed by ticket-of-leave men have rendered a continuance of the present system , imaltereds impossible . The highest and most active minds have bent tbemselves to consider a fitting refonn . A sort of preliminary debate has been worked off in this manner ; and we may expect cogent and practical discussions in Parliament , probably with measures to amend the ticket-of-leave system and to enlarge tlie powers for establishing reformatories .

      Another portion of our p « nal system will also challenge revision—that part which relates to uasca like that of Palmer , and which involves abuse of insurance . Some are anticipating a change in the law of insurance , so as to prevent the frauds and crimes to which the present practice of insurance offices has given encouragement , but the change will take place probably in tlie practice rather than in . the law . The Rugeley tragedy has given ua Mew scenes , Another verdict of " Wilful murder' * has been

      returned in the case of Walter Palmes ; a druggist ' s assistant having given evidence which corroborates the suspicion that prussic acid assisted the narcotic effects of excessive drinking , and that William Palmer administered the poison with his own hand . Palmer ha 3 also appeared as a witness for the defence in an action brought against tua mother on a bill of exchange for . € 2 , 000 , written with his own hand . The bill purported to bear , his mother ' s acceptance , and her signature "Sarah Palmeji . " In the Court of Queen ' s Bench Palmicr admitted that the bill

      Untitled Article

      WAK MISCELLANEA . Tina Nium'iNaALK Fund . —The rosultuof tho rooont meeting in London in aid of tho Nightingale Fund have boon communicated to tho army in tho Crimoni tho mombora of which , of nil rajikB ., have boon invited to ttHHiHt , Tho commander of tho forooH haw givon ono day ' n pay . All tho contributions aro to bo voluntary . This Sisa ov Ahof . —ItusHian official aououMtn » ' < ipresent tho Sou of Azof au being lro / , cm for a " ° " eidorablo difltunoo from tho i-thoro on tbo 20 th vilt . HOW TIIBY MATTAOia MaTTEHB AT Kh / . WUOUM . --Tiio wholo HVdtom of admiuiatratfou here ( Knsoroum ) in corrupt boyonil moaauro . It hn » n routino , t <><> , which ridoH it liko « . nightmare , and , forcing oiio ' h wi > y

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      74 THE L : E ADEB . 1 No . 305 , Saturday ,

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      PEACE »; jiro 8 pects have almost extinguished war faefcs . Russia r has ordered an armistice ; France has provisionally suspended the exportation of shot and shell ; winter-has countermanded active operationsjjiand " diplomatists are doing their best to stop the threatened contest in the spring . According to the latest accounts , however , the firi ng continued on both sides of Sebastopol , though to but little ffectThe

      e . blowing up of the docks is still prosecuted with vigour . The Allies , according to the Journal de Constantinople , have now 180 , 000 troops in the Crimea , besides 13 , 000 persons not belonging to the army ; so that Russia has some reason to desire an avoidance of the murderous struggle that must ensue in the spring unless peace be concluded . The cold in tlie Crimea has considerably diminished .

      The French General of artillery , Le Boeuf , has arrived at Kinburn . He has visited the fortifications and means of defence afforded by the flotilla , and has pronounced the place to be strong enough to resist any attack . An attack was apprehended about the (> th inst . ; but none has been made . These apprehensionsarose from its beixigstated that the Russians had 30 , 000 men in echelon between

      Petrosska and Otchakoff . The garrison of Kinburn has been reinforced by French troops . The flotilla is frozen in , but , it is said , would aid the defence , should the Russians attack : General Vivian is apprehensive of an attack on Kerfcch * has therefore called for officers of infantry and artillery to be sent to him from Constantinople . The Russian armistice will render these precautions unnecessary for the time .

      A few items of news from Asia are supplied by a despatch from Constantinople , which says - ;—" General Mouravieff , after having destroyed the advanced works of KZars , has left a forcp in that place , and directed his march upon Gumri with th © main body o £ his army . There were at Trobizond 15 , 000 Turks and Egyptians , the greater part of whom are on their way to th » oueeour of Erzer / oum . These troops endirre all sorts of privations , and suffer extremely from the bad state of the roads , which are encumbered with snow . "

      Another despatch says that Omar Pacha is to take up his winter quarters at Erzeroum . He has been reinforced by the Egyptian division , and the Porte is constantly -sending fresh troops into Asia , particularly Albanians . Should hostilities continue , it is stated that the spring will see a corps of the allied army operating in Georgia under the command of Sir Colin Campbell . But these projects must for the present be held in abeyance till we know the results of the grand diplomatic " palaver . "

      THE FALL OV KAKS . General Yivian , according to the statements of the Times Constantinople Correspondent , was applied to by- Lord Stratford to go the relief of . Kara with his contingent . He agreed to this , but , " from inquiries which ho caused to be made by General Smith , he found that ho should want an addition of 2 , 000 men to tho 8 , 000 ho then possessed . The Turkish Government consented to place 35 , 000 or 40 , 000 men under General Vivian , who , together with Lord Stratford , exprossod great willingness to attempt a diversion . The jiropogal was thon sent home , and ropeadly urged ; but the answer , of tho English Government was to stop all proceedings .

      Another obstacle to the efficiency of tho Turkish army haw arisen fro-in the working of tho Loau Commission . Some of tho conditions proposed l > y the commission did no-fc suit the Turkish Government ; and great delay was the consequence . Iu Hpito ol these difficulties , which aro still ponding , the commission has takon upon itself , without any nauvteri : il guarantee m ifca JiimkIs , 'to pay tho Turkish Government nearly a million of money , bo tUat , with tho . £ 000 , 000 which the ltothsohild « advanced , they have got .-e 1 , 000 , 000 .

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      THE WAR .

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      The Westminster Improvement Commission . — Some extraordinary revelations have come forth , with respect to this corporate body , which , was created by Act of Parliament ten years ago for the purpose of "building Victoria-street , Westminster . The body had -almost the character of a Government corporation , for it was endowed with an -unrestricted power of borrowing money , coupled with grants out cf # the London Bridge Approaches Fund and the improved rates of the parishes in Westminster . The accounts' were to be examined by the Commissioners of Woods and Forests . The corporation at length became involved ; bonds were issued to buildera , who advertised them for sale upon the lowest terms ; and in . January , 1855 , the commission became totally insolvent . A meetof the

      ing bondholders was called ; a ' committee of investigation was appointed ; and a petition has been presented to the House of Lords , and a bill of complaint filed in Chancery . It is asserted that the commissioners have incurred a deficiency of £ 100 , 082 . They have since , as far as can be ascertained , put forth bonds to the amount of . £ 1 , 030 , 570 , of which they say £ 89 , 700 have been cancelled , leaving £ 977 , 050 ad the amount in circulation on the 31 st of December , 1854 , when they stopped payment . Besides the means thus raised , the commissioners are alleged to have mortgaged the freehold property of the undertaking for £ 271 , 500 . The present value is only £ 167 , 200 ; but it is thought that about £ 140 , 000 worth of the mortgages would "be ignored by the Court of Equity , and it is calculated that the value of the street will be

      greater when it is completed . The cornmisioners are also accused of issuing bonds to a large amount without proper security ; of issuing £ 58 , 000 worth within a few days of their insolvency ;'" of making an undue ^ charge for interest ; and of executing preferential mortgages almost at the very moment of tho stoppage . They are now soiling bonds at the rate of about eight per cent . —a proceeding which will ruin many of the present holders ; but it does not soem that the commissioners are amenable to any punishment . Lond

      Heajlth op on . —Eleven hundred and tweutyone deaths wero registered in London in tho week that ended on Saturday , January 19 . Tho average number of deaths , corrected for increase of population , is 1 , 332 in the third week of January , which is the coldest week of tho y « ar , iu tho ordinary course of the seasons . The deaths wore 211 bolow tho average . 495 of the dead wore children and young persons ; 156 were of the age 20-40 ; 211 of the ago 40 ( 50 ; 217 of the ago ( 50-80 ; and bo few attain ripe old ago in tho present imperfect state of tho public health that . 42 only were of tho ago of 80 and 264

      upwards . persons of all agos died of em-all-pox , moasloB , scarlatina , hooping-cough , typhuB , and other zymotio diseases . Hooping-cough and typhuB nro epidemic . 182 persons diod of consumption , chiefly of tho ago of 20 and under 00 ; 2 G of apoplexy , and 34 of paralysis ; 191 of inflammation of tho lungs and air tubes . 12 women died of childbirth . —Last ' weak , the births of 817 boys and 827 gins , in all 1 , 044 children , wero rogintorod in London . In tlio tou corresponding weeks of tho yearn 1840-55 , tho average uumbor was 1 , 494 . — Froti the Ilcf / iatrar-Gcncral ' a Weekly Met urn , Tina Iliairr Hon . Sphncwk Horatio Wau-oms han

      accepted tho ofllco of Arohbishop ' u Churoh Eflfcrtton Commissioner , vacated by tho dooeiino of tho Right Hon . Honry Goulburn , Tho inooino attached to tho offloo is £ 1 . 000 n-yonr .

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 26, 1856, page 74, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2125/page/2/