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Leader (1850-1860), 19th July 1856, Edition 1 of 2, Page unpag., %mitw of ijtf BJwk---

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    • J^A e P a cr et. 0IITICA1 AND LITERARY REYIEW.
    • Contents :
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      Untitled Article

      AS extremely old persons sometimes astonish the world by cutting teetb , so the session exhibits a wonderful number of new bills just towards its close ; the new bills being all of rather a strange order , as if the ruling power were not exactly conscious of its own purpose . It every day gets more plain that for some reason or other the Government does not intend to carry out the principles which it was supposed to embody , or that it has some intestinal difficulties which it cannot surmount ; while it is not prepared to come to a clear understanding with the nation . Hence it

      compromises its largest duties , and endeavours to supply the deficiency by make-shifts . Ministers were called upon on Monday , in both Houses , for explanations respecting the course t akeu in Italy . Lord Lyntdhuiist—certainly not a revolutionary man—laid before the House of Lords one of his lucid statements of the actual condition of the peninsula , with which indeed our readers are already well acquainted . Lord John Russell somewhat differently modified the story , going back to the past , and showing how this

      country lias repeatedly come forward in apparent support of I talians , and has afterwards ) by a sudden and unexpected abandonment of the cause , left the Italians to bo more easily conquered by despoticftl Austria or treacherous Naples than they would liave been if we had never proffered our help . A constitution is still the law of the land in Naples ; yet wo , who hold om * selve s

      pledged to fulfil our compacts with crowned persons , have connived at the royal embezzlement of the rights of the people . We are lukewarm in the support of the King of Sardinia , who has regenerated a portion of Northern Italy , because ho takes the popular side , while we are more than liberal in construing our obligations with Austria , for no other reason that we can perceive , except that Austria has been the most successful of all

      powers in stealing the rights of the people and in keeping up a groat armed oppression . Lord John Russkli , showed how , at the Conference m Paris , Lord Ciarknuox had displayed an apparently cordial satisfaction with the plan of constitutional reform in Italy proposed by Massimo d'Azeqlio , and laid bofore the Conference by Count Cavour . Ho showed how Lord Ci . abendon had specifically spokon of Beculmizing the ltoman Legations nnd " demanding an amnesty "

      from Naples ; and how there had heen no results And he asked Ministers whether they intended now to abandon any further interference , or to persevere ? The reply amounted to much the same in both Houses ; it is this : Ministers have made " friendly representations" which Ifaples has answered by dilatory pleas , implying very little respect for the representations ; butif is hoped that the advice of Austria may do something ! The Pope of Rome has been somewhat more

      favourable in his answers . And if Sardinia should be attacked , without giving any provocation , then Ministers will feel bound to support her . One tiling , however , is perfectly plain—that when men like Lord John Russeix , or ordinary Englishmen , talk about the rights of the people , and the faith of compacts with the people , they mean things much more substantial and binding than are meant by the same words when they are used in the mouth of a Kinrr of Naples or an

      Emperor of Austjua z now it ( Joes appear that Lord Palmerstom ' s Government stands somewhere between these two sides , and that , upon the whole , our relations with France and Austria are much closer than those with Sardinia or the Italian people . Lord John moved for papers , and asked for an explanation . He had so much of reply as we have said ; and the motion for papers was negatived without a division . If he had pleased , he might have pressed the subject ; we believe that he might have carried it against Government ; but he defaulted . It is difficult to find in the House of Commons , in the present day , a man who does not falter .

      In the meanwhile it appears that Sardinia is proceeding independently . The fortification of Alessandria is continued , in consequence of the menacing accumulation of troops on the Lombardo-Venetian border , and in Piacenza , which , in failure of the line of Parma , would revert to Sardinia . A new loan is to be levied for the cost . The reports of aa Austrian withdrawal from

      Parma were premature , perhaps false . Dje Crenneviixk still remains , and dictates . And we believe that Lord Ci-. ariendon ' s assertion , that Austria is diminishing her troops in the Legations , is baseless , save that there may have been some slight movement of troops for the present purpose of increasing the guard on the Sardinian border . Wo havo already explained how Austria dimi nislics her troops . Among tho measures which havo been introduced at tho close of tho session ia one for making

      a great inroad in the constitution of the Church . It is a measure , the principle of which -we believe to be perfectly sound , and quite necessary if the Church of England is to be maintained in an efficient condition . Its purpose is to promote the retirement of Bishops whom age Las rendered incapable of the performance of their duties , and to give those Bishops a retiring pensibn . 77 Now , we say nothing for the moment as to the amount of the pension , save that it is as much , a fallacy in a nation as in an individual when it doles out a mean

      allowance . If the Bishops at the end of their life are to receive only a third of the salaries they enjoy—presuming that a major part of their allowance must be spent in state—it is still , we think , not a larger proportion than should be allowed to any retired servant . The bill , however , is limited to two cases—those of the Bishops of London and Duhham ; and the valid charge

      against Ministers is , that unquestionably they propose an immense alteration in the theoretical tenure of the Bishop ' s office , suddenly put forward at the fag-end of a session , and to be hurried through on the plea that the poor old Bishops cannot yet be relieved . This would establish a precedent . The bill has passed through committee in the House of Lords ; it has not yet passed any stage in the House of Commons .

      Another measure brought before Parliament this week , on the second reading in the House of Commons , is the bill for organizing the Coast Guard Service into a naval reserve . In the last war our nnvy was recruited by voluntary enlistment , and we were enabled to raise the requisite number of soldiors by that means . However , it occasioned rather serious draughts on the mercantile service , and it is possible that there might be greater difficulties at another time . The Coast Guard has hitherto been a kind of semi-invalid

      corps , doing duty for the Customs and Excise . It will henceforward , although acting as a force at the service of the revenue , bo placed under the Admiralty and be recruited by young men . So far it is a decided improvement . But how it is possible to carry it in the proposed week , between the whitebait dinner and the prorogation , we do not know .

      On Thursday night the bill for establishing a Vice-President of the ^ Educational Coinnr !| £ jiEc £ of tho Privy Council was brought h ^ jep / t ^ t ^ oy House of Commons—another measure |^ iofcth' © & been slumbering throughout tho sossueju , a '« va ja 1 only now sent forward . It is , of com * sCJon 15 rfdJ& -J'V ^ lTV w --m §

      J^A E P A Cr Et. 0iitica1 And Literary Reyiew.

      J ^ e P a cr et . 0 IITICA 1 AND LITERARY REYIEW .

      Untitled Article

      ¦ The one Idea which History exhibits as evermore developing it 3 elf into greater distinctness i 3 the Idea of Humanity—the noble endeavour to throw down all the barriers erected between men by prejudice and one-sided views ; and , by setting aside the co 3 tincUon 3 - Vf Religion , Country , and Colour , to treat the whole Human race as one brotherhood , having one great object—the free development of our spiritual nature . "—Humboldt ' s Cosmos .

      Contents :

      CCotttents :

      Untitled Article

      KVKW OFTHE WttK- •«¦ ¦ I" *—!* « " ^^ " ^ clatU ,,, of United ^ JLfiSfcc . ™! , « T B" * - : ¦• : ¦•• :-::::::::::: tU ™ " miRS- . ^ J ^ S ? ¦ - ^^•• - ™ - ~ « M ^ SSS&fe :::::::::::::::::: S Continental Notes ... 678 Diplomacy and its Accomplices 683 LITERATURE- The Amateurs at Drury Lane 692 HMio firlpnt . 679 Italian Politics ., 684 Summary 688 ________ . AnSKviM ^ fttion 680 The Allegory of Apslcy Guise 681 Southey and Water , 638 Vt ^ J ^ T ^ de 681 Spanish Politics „ 6 S 5 The American Expedition to Japan 689 The Gazette 693 Ireland ' . ' . " . ' . " . ' . 681 Federal Union of Trades 685 Heine ' Book of Songs 690 . «__ -- „ -. _ . . „ . « ,,. i ^ and ' Military 682 Half-pay Bishops 68 C A Tragic Story .... 691 COMMERCIAL AFFAIRSMiscellaneous . 632 Tho liuins of Parliament House ... 6 S 7 New Editions 691 City Iutelbgence , Markets , &c 693 TOB

      Untitled Article

      VOL . VII . No . 330 . ] SATURDAY , JULY 19 , 1856 . PMdE { gag ^^ g ::-S 55 g ? -

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  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), July 19, 1856, page unpag., in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2150/page/1/