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    public opinion of this country , or will even have objects which the people of this country desire . For anything we know , it may turn into a war to put down the Italians in the name of the . AUies—namely , of Prance , Great Britain , and Austria .

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    THE FATIGUES OF THE SELF-GOVERNED . Some of the self-governed would like to he governed without so many appeals to their free will . They are poisoned by adulterations , and-they want-. Parliament to protect them against the vendors . They are harassed by hearing of suicides , and they ask Parliament to guarantee the repose of their nerves by forbidding the sale of poisons . Of course , to forbid the sale of poison is to forbid the sale of medicine , since all medicine , taken in

    excentury has made considerable progress , and finds expression , from time to time , in an indirect manner , and with ridiculous gravity . We have even heard a proposal that Government should take all the charities into its own hands , inspect the accounts of public companies , establish a Central Board of Management to regulate the proceedings of

    [ Railway , IBank , and Assurance Directors , and-undertake a variety of other duties , to make up for ? a deficiency : of good sense on the part of the public . But the self-governed will find that , by entrusting their affairs to Government , they effect a sacrifice of ^ dependence without a diminution of responsibility . They will have to protect their . own interests , let the Legislature do what it will .

    cess , is poisonous . They must have their health seen to , and be prohibited from living in close rooms or undrained neighbourhoods . The Supreme Legislature must , next session , indicate where the self-governed may bury their dead ; must compel the vaccination of every individual in the realm ( though some hold vaccination to be a form of murder , while others abhor it as irreligious ) ; must , for the twelfth time , introduce a new code for the medical profession ; must

    calculate the produce of the fields ; must provide schools for the nation ' s children ; must help the Metropolitan Board of "Works to raise money , must do all that the selfgoverned cannot do for itself . These may be prudent schemes , but where are we to stop ? We are not accustomed to put that question , considering that because we ought to stop at the end of two miles is no reason why we should not go a mile and a half . But the tendency is evidently a growing

    one . We saw , not long ago , how Sir G-ecw&ge O ^ ret was compelled to provide the counties with police . We have seen now the Home Office has placed the police magistrates under its control . We see Lord Pailmerston widening the arena of his patronage by dealing with the aged bishops . We see Sir Benjamin" Haxl ' s authority ramifying far and wide among the local Boards of the metropolis . We have even seen the Marylebone Yestry , which was once

    called " the fourth estate , " depriving itself of public sympathy in a contest with the Central Poor-Law Board . We are afraid lest in England we natty soon have too much government . It was with a strange delight that some persons heard the anecdote concerning the Queen' s objection to the appointment of Dr . Trench to a bishopric . They enjoyed the idea of Lord Palmer-STON , the representative of Parliament , being ' set right' by the royal prerogative . If the

    royal prerogative would go further than it went according to this anecdote ( which is , of course , a compound of rumours and guesses ) , certain persons would be still more gratified . They are tired , and want rest . It appals them to learn that , in America , Berious things are discussed in a violent manner . We are all becoming very white-handed in England , and the public avows , with a yawn , that it is ' bored . '

    Whenever any matter goes wrong , " the Government ought to interfere . " If a jury return a foolish verdict , wise people have long doubted whether we can adhere to the system of juries . If a session be fruitless , there ib reason to believe that we have p . asBed tnat period in our historical lite m which parliamentary institutions are useful If a particularly vile forgery is oomrmtted it is to bo regretted that capital punishment foP BUch offences is * o longer the law of tho land . Thi 9 disposition to revoke tho social changes of the

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    BRITISH EXPEDITION AGAINST KABllAK . At the opening of the present century the objects proposed to be achieved by British diplomacy in Persia were twofold—to raise up a counterpoise to the power of the AfEghans , and to neutralize the influence of Prance . For some time previously , the

    invasion of India had been contemplated by the Affghan pr ince Shah Zeman , instigated as much by the golden promises of Wuzeeb Ai < i " of Oade , as by his own ambition . To create sufficient employment for the hostile Shah within his own territories , was at that time deemed a matter of chief importance ; and Lord WeTjLesle y actively intrigued with the Court of Teheran to create a diversion in

    the province of Ivhorassan . In this his lordship encountered no great difficulty , as Eutteh Ali Siiah had already avowed his intention of " conquering and reducing the countries of Caudahar and Herat . " Thus far , then , Captain MAiiCQLir found his mission sufficiently easy , though the subsequent dethronement of Shall Zem : an was effectea solely by the intrigues of his younger brother , Shah Maiimoud , without either British or Persian aid . Captain Malcolm even

    succeeded in the more momentous task of counterbalancing the prestige of jSTapoleon Bonaparte , then in the full career of conquest , and by his immense largesses accomplished the expulsion of the . French from tlio Persian territory- As time glided on , a liussophobia succeeded to the Gallophobia . There was little to be apprehended from our Gallic rivals so long as Louis Philippe was sitting in his chamber , counting out his money . But Nicholas was Czar of All the Russias , and the cold shadow of the Cossack darkened Central Asia . It was undoubtedly through Hussian counsels , supported by the promise of the engineering services of Baron Ache , that an expedition was designed against Herat in 1832 . The interposition of Mr . — now Sir John—McNeil availed , however , to cause its postponement until the following year . In the autumn of 1833 , Maiiommicd Mikza was at length able to gratify his longcherished ambition of leading a well-appointed army into Western Afghanistan . But the valour of tho Heratees and the death

    of Abbab Mirza compelled him to raise the siege of their city , aud return to his own Government . On the decease of Futteh Alt Sit ah in tho latter part of 1834 , * Mahommed Mikza was placed upon tho throne by the united good offices of England and llusBia . The ascendancy of the latter Power now became

    Rpeedily apparent , though it was actually to tho former that lie was chiefly indebted for his elevation . The new Shah had no great cause , indeed , to be grateful to tlio Muscovite , but ho had experienced his superiority in . war . After the rout of Ganjah , nothing but the uootneBS of hia living chivrgor liail saved him from death or captivity . Tho terror

    of that moment never passed from his memory-And it must be admitted that the Russian Mi nister at his court spared no pains to humour his evil inclinations and to inflame his desire for martial glory . On the other hand , the British envoy -was too honest and upright to advise him to his own hurt . He - urged-the Shah to stifle his ambition , and to devote his energies to the happiness and welfare of his people- It is not surprising that Count Simon-icti became a greater favourite than Mr .. McNeil .

    The people of Herat had furnished reasonable cause for the Shah ' s indignation . Notwithstanding the treaty they had concluded with FuTTEit Axi Shah on the death of Abbas Mieza , they made frequent inroads into the Persian dominions , for the purpose of carrying off captives to sell in the markets of Bokhara and Khiva . But in 1837 , Prince Kamkak sent an ambassador to Maiiommed Shaie , the bearer of rich presents aud of most

    advantageous propositions . Nothing , however , would satisfy the Shah but the acknowledgment of his suzerainty , an indignity little likely to be accepted by the Anglian prince whose independence had been recognized by the defensive treaty concluded in 1809 with the British Government . The envoy from Herat had been especially instructed to solicit the good offices of the English Elcliee , who appears to have exerted himself to the utmost to recommend nuld

    counsels to the Shah . It was all in vain , and the envoy returned to his master with the assurance of the Shah ' s wrath , but of the Elchee's good wishes . Thinking it possible that the envoy might receive further communications from Prince Kamcrajst while on his return homewards , Mr . McNeil sent a native

    servant of the British Embassy , to accompany him a few inarches . Hearing , however , that an English gentleman was lying sick at Herat , the envoy very considerately took the Gholara the whole way , to give the invalid an opportunity of writing to his fellow countryman . The Persian authorities , therefore , arrested the Gholam as he rode back to , Teheran on

    the plea that he was an emissary from the enemy . Mr . McNeil lost no time in demandin g his servant ' s liberation and proper redress for the insult to the British flag . A long correspondence then ensued , conducted on the one side with admirable firmness , temper , and knowledge of Oriental character , and on the other with ultra-Oriental duplicity and subterfuge . The matter in itself would

    be comparatively unimportant were it not for the sus picious coincidence that on occasion of tho present expedition against Herat ft somewhat similar dispute has been get up by the subordinate officers of the Persian Court . It is probable that in both instances tho object has been to betray the lElcheeiuto an unseemly exhibition of temper , nud thus divert his attention from more serious questions . In Mr . McNeil ' s case the artifice

    was easily baffled by that gentleman ' s long Eastern experience , but in tho present instance it seems , unhappily , to have been moro successful . In the latter part of 1837 , Maiiommed Siiaii sat down before Herat with 40 , 000 men and 80 pieces of artillery . The Russian Minister , Count Simonich , marked out ; the batteries , directed the guns , and p lanned the 23 rd

    grand assault that was delivered on the of Juno , 1838 , and which was so signally repulsed by Aftghan valour , guided and confirmed by British skill and solidity . 1 | 10 defender of Herat was [ Lieutenant Eldbed Pottingeji , a young artillery oflicer in tlio Hon . Company ' s service , and one ot the many heroes that scrvico has produced , i- ' failure of tho assault would probably have sufficed to compel the Shah to return to MS

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    1346 THE LEADER ; __ [ Ko 345 , Sattopay .

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Nov. 1, 1856, page 1046, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2165/page/14/