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Leader (1850-1860), 17th January 1857, Edition 1 of 2, Page 50

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      Untitled Article

      ¦ Mr . Ki 2 f glake lias seized hold of the true gist of all these questions . We see numbers unemployed in the midst of prosperity , trades kept down while prices are rising , our foreign commerce endangered by diplomatic "bungling , . all because our < 3 ev « uzaent , on a professedly Tepreseniative basis , avowedly represents only a class , only a seventh of the people , and practically leaves the rule of affairs to some few families in . tbe state . Let the constibaencies in . the first place ' send better representatives of themselves into Parliament , let them , insist upon extending the franchise to the real English people , and we should soon find , out a way to manage matters rather more in accordance with English opinions and with the substantial interests of the whole body of the people .

      As to commercial morality , society may view itself this week in the mirror of the court of law . The winds and waves have beeii ravaging our coasts , wrecking- ships , destroying life . The Tyne is written down in the same list with the Northern Belle , the ; Violet , and many another fine vessel . Crews have been destroyed in a body—swept away ; but the destruction of property , of happiness , of life itself , bears probably a small proportion to the destruction of property , happiness , and life through the vices of society—vices , m great part , let us note .

      maintained by the inverted justice and the inverted morals which are statutable law . Take the cose at Newcastle , "where Mr . James "Watson is prevented from recovering a lawful debt in a court of law because he will not take upon himself to say that there is a state of future rewards sad punishments . Because he is not a liar and a hypocrite—concealing his real opinion , and asserting what few of us couLd prove in a court of lawhe is outlawed . A mean plea is put in to bar his just rights , and the court , by an existing' law , is compelled to give the award to meanness and lawlessness .

      Sometimes a noble protest comes from the seat of judgment , as this week in sentencin g Pierce , Burgess , and Tester , when Mr . Baron Martin uttered words eloquent from their simplicity and their heartfelt truth . Our readers know the story of the great bullion robbery—how Agar planned , the other men profited by it , and when he was 'lagged' for another offence , how Pierce defrauded Fanny Kay , the mother of Agar ' s cliild . Pieece had left the employment of the South Eastern Eailway Company , but Tester and Burgess were still servants . On them the sentence is fourteen years' transportation .

      on Pierce—not technically a servant violating his trust—two years' imprisonment with hard labour , and some solitary confinement . " But I do declare , " said Baron Martin , " that if I stood in that dock to receive sentence , I should feel more degraded to be in your place than in that even of either of your associates . " Agau gave 3 OO 0 Z . stock to be invested for the benefit of his child and its mother . " This you stole and appropriated to your own use . It is a worse offence , I declare , than the act of which you have just been found guilty . I would rather have been concerned in stealing the gold than in the robbery of

      that wretched woman—call her harlot , if you willand her child . A greater villain than you are , 1 believe , does , not exist . " It is indeed bad for society when commercial men and the servants of commercial men learn trade to convert it into fraud . But far worse would at be , if men could look on and sec a defenceless -woman defrauded , a child and its mother despoiled , and not sympathize ¦ with the father , helpless to protect them , or with the noble protest of Baron Martin , who did not conceal his sympathy with the man or the woman , low as they stood .

      KaaJPA-ra is transported for life , —a just punishment ; while Kent , Ids weak tool , is acquitted , as many another tool of each master swindler would be t all could bo put into the dock that have passively perhaps unconsciously , subserved' these frauds ' But not Redpatu , nor Uobson , nor Agar , had equalled the cold vjllany of PrencE , aad it , is a healthy sign that Judge and audience know how to discriminate between their elaborate crimes against property , and his heartless revolt against human icoimg .

      Untitled Article

      ACCIDENTS AND SUDDEN DEATHS Isaac Oubtobd , a man employed at the brewery of week into a largo reservoir of foiling liquor . He was 2 oJt ^??? V ° S « M P tod * "« which ho wot tout to lot some coH water but , in reaching over to

      get at tie tap of the cistern , he lost his balance , aud was precipitated into the scalding liquid . He was dragged out with all celerity , aad conveyed to the hospital ; l ) ut his head , face , aad chest w « re so fearfullyinjured , ifctft he died at niglit . —Another accident of a similar Mnd kas occurred « t -Liverpool on the sane day . A charity schoolboy was « s » aeavourmg to take * piece of beeE , weighing fifteen pouods , from a copper , -when the weight overbalanced lam , a » d , falling in , lie was so severely scalded that lie died on Friday weelcf—? &omz other dsatbs firom scalding are reported iu the papers An inepwst has been held before Mr . Balrer , at the London Hospital , on the body of a child , aged , four years , who , during the absence of an elder sister , drank some boiling water from the spout of a tea-kettle , ^ rhich caused its deatib . a short time after . Two other inmtests

      were held before tae same coroner , on the bodies of children , aged three and five years , tvIio were killed from the effects of scalding water . In each case , the jury returned a verdict of Accidental Death . The guard of a luggage train has met with a fatal accident at the Ilkeston Junction , eight miles from Nottingham . He was stepping on to the break before the train had stopped , when it was jerked , and the man was pitched over . He was frightfully mutilated , and died soon after his removal to the Nottingham General Hospital . ¦¦¦'• ¦¦ ' . ¦¦

      SLr Joseph Paxton has "had a narrow escape at Sydenhann . He was riding 5 n a carriage drawn by two horses , one of which , a hunter , took fright and darted off . The driver -was thrown from the box , and the wheels passed over his legs . The horses then ran against a gas lamp-post , which was knocked down . Sir Joseph here availed himself of the momentary stoppage to get out , after which the horses again ran off , and finally dashed against some iron railings , severely Injuring themselves , and smashing the railings and the carriage to pieces . The animals were then removed to the Crystal Palace stables , and the coachman was provided with medical attendance .

      A woman has died in Guy ' s Hospital from the effects of a glass of Burnett ' s disinfecting fluid , taken in mistake for gin . The liquid is wliite , like gin j ^ , being made of chloride of zinc , it caused , ulceration of the stomach , and subsequently death . A lamentable occurrence took pla . ee in Dorset-street , Spitalfields , about one o ' clock , p . m ., last Sunday . A large stack of chimneys gave way , and , falling through the xoof , carried that dovra also , destroying the ripper part of the house , and burying the inhabitants in the ruins . Two young children belonging to a poor sailmaker were dug out , shockingly mutilated , and were conveyed to the London Hospital ; but one of them died on . the road , and the other shortly after its arrival . An old man named Cuthbcrt escaped , in a remarkable

      manner . He was found in the same room , but almost uninjured . He stated that while sitting in his own room , above and near the lire , the flooring sank beneath his feet , and he with it , through the intervening floors . All the other families weie out of the house , or the loss of life must have been still more lamentable . The remainder of the building ia shored up , and the thoroughfare stopped . A great many houses in Bethnal Green are in a dangerous condition , and the officers appointed by the building act are incessantly occupied . A Mr . Whalley , of Welsh Whittle , fell down suddenly in the streets at Preston , and expired . Disease of the heart is supposed to be the cause . Upwards of 5007 in cash and notes were found in his pockets , besides a receipt for a deposit of 8500 ? . in a Preston bankinghouse .

      A melancholy accident happened at Colmellie , in the upper part of the parish of Edzell , on Old Chriatmasclity , which is still kept as a holiday in the glen , and generally taken advantage of for out-door amusement . David Duke , youngest son of Mr . James Duke , farmer , Colmollie , and another boy , were amusing themselves shooting small birds ; while passing through a fence , the gun went off accidentally , aud the contents were lodged in David Duke ' s side . Th « wound proved fatal Ln a short time . The other boy is nearly distracted . A perilous leap was taken a few days since during a hunt with Mr . Koch ' s hounds at Bolton-hill , in Pembrokeshire . The whipper-in , James Morgan , in taking

      a hedge jumped his horse into an unfenced coalpit thirty foet in depth , which lay unobserved on the other Bido of the hedge . Man and horae went down the shaft , at the bottom of winch was a depth of eighteen feet of water . Fortunately , the sides of the pit had been made sloping , eo > that , before the horse was entirely submerged , ho gained a footing on the slope , whore ho maintained his liold . ' The rider was thrown into tlio wator , but on rising grasped the saddle , and thus held his liead above Tvater until assistance arrived , when he tvi \ b safely drawn up , perfectly uninjured . The horse was next drawn out , also unhurt . They soon recovered from the accident .

      Untitled Article

      THE ORIENT . PERSIA . Tub Persian troops despatched into the province of Ferzah , of which the head-quarters are at Ferzah-Sabzawar , have occupied ( says the Monitmrde FArmtfe , on the authority of accounts from Teheran ) the fortresses of Gourian , Lacli , and Djou-weine , situate in Seistan and in Feizah . The Shah's array has established itself without difficulty on all those points . There has been only a slight skirmish between the cavalry of Dost Mahomed and the Persians . The latter remained masters of the field . The Affghans appeared discouraged , and a great number of tribes , long opposed to Persia , were every day making their submission .

      " The British fleet in the Persian Gulf , " says a despatch from Marseilles , " is hastening its operations , in order to have them terminated before three months , the period of the excessive heats . The English are inciting the Governors of the provinces to separate from the Shah . The Shah is making great preparations for defence , notwithstanding : the . penury of his finances and the fear of revolt . The Persian army . has taken possession of all the towns situate on the road to Candahar . The Russian flotilla in the Caspian Sea has already landed troops ia the Persel Islands , alleging the ancient treaties of alliance between Eusaia and Persia . The Russian Ambassador , AnnikofF , had quitted Teheran , it was said reall y charged with a mission to demand assistance for Persia at St . Petersburg . "

      Tho Patric announces , on the authority of a letter from Kalisch , that the troops of the last Polish levy but one have received orders ^ to le ave immediatelj- for the Caucasus . It is believed that they are to reinforce the corps of observation of 40 , 000 m « n which it is asserted ia assembled on the extreme frontier of Persia . "It appears , " adds the Pntrie , "that serious operations are expected in the beginning of spring , to counterbalance the probable results of tho English expedition to tho rersian Gulf . "

      CHINA . Accounts havo been received from China a fortnight later than those by tho last mail . Tho dates arc to the 20 th of November from Shanghai , and tho 25 th of November from Canton . From the latter place , the news ia important . Fighting had recommenced , and tho Americans had mndo common cause with tho Knglish . Jt is added that three Americans had been captured nnd heheadod , . and that their heads had been stuck by the Chinese on tho city valla . Business was , of course , wholly suspended , and a report was current that Shanghai had been attacked and taken by tho rebels . This , however , ia believed to be without foundation . — 7 'imcs .

      _ Tho memrtbors of tho East India and Cliina Association , London , have addressed a communication to Lord Clarendon , bogging him to insist on tiie right of English-

      Toti-Uirimw Nif Aattia Val^Luixx U* Uai11s

      to recover 14 s . lid . for periodicals supplied to that institution . On the filaintiff appearing in the witness-bo x the defendant ' s solicitor catechised him as to his faith ! Mr . Watson said he believed in the existence of a God ! " Whom we know as the Supreme Being ? " interrogated the lawyer . Mr . " Watson answered , " I cannot exactly tell what yon know ; but I believe in a Supreme Being . " The lawyer then proceeded to the subject of " a future state of rewards and punishments . " On this head , Mr Wataoa said he -was not prepared to give a decided answer ; he hardly knew whether he did or did not be-Beve . He wished the learned gentleman to explain to him what he meant by " rewards and punishments "

      The lawyer -suggested heaven and hell as his interpretation of that phrase , and asked Mr . "Watson if he believed in them . " I believe there are such things talked about " replied Mr . Watson ; " but whether there are such things I can't tell . " On . this , the lawyer contended that Sir . Watson ' ^ evideace could not be received , and the Jud ga ( Mr . Losh ) concurred . There being no other witnesses in attendance to establish the claim , the plaintiff was nonsuited , and he was required to pay the costs of the defendant . In the course of the discussion , Mr . Watson said that , if the defendant had been called into the box , "he could not have taken an oath , aad been honest in reference to the matter . "

      Mt . Story , the lawyer ( -who must assuredly consider that he has had a retaining fee from the genius of orthodoxy ) , made the following rampant exhibition of himself in the interests of his distinguished client : — " The man who would give such answers as these is infamous in the eyes of the law . 'V The Judge : " It is not because he is infamous ; but because he can't be believed . " Mr . Story : " / say that the form used is ' infamous . ' He cannot be heard in any court of justice . " The Judge ( addressing the plaintiff ) ; " Suppose you are sworn in any particular way—do you consider that you-would be

      in any way bound by what "will take place hereafter in the way of punishments or rewards for it ? " The plaintiff : "No , I don ' t , sir . " The Judge : " Then I can ' t take your evidence . " Mr . Story : " Your honour ought to direct tliat he should be removed from the covirt . A man who Tvould give utterance to opinions of this sort——" The Judge : " He has a right to his opinion . " This calm and sensible observation put a stop to Mr . Story ' s -vulgar insolence , and the case ended . But with whom rests the sympathy ? and what are we to think of the association which was reduced to such a defence ? -

      THE VALIDITY / OF OATHS . Thk folly of our present system of refusing a man ' s testimony in a court of justice on account of particular opinions in connexion with religion , was again evinced tho other day in tho Newcastle County Court , in the caso of a Mr . James Watson , a bookaoller , who brought an action against tho treasurer of tho Chartist Nows-roome ,

      Untitled Article

      50 THE Ii . E APHK [ No . 356 , Sattojdat ,

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 17, 1857, page 50, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2176/page/2/