Current:

Leader (1850-1860), 31st December 1859, Edition 1 of 2, Page 1408, O^ Oitv ctJOUtC ITtJUtTft ^ " <^>»*l

Page 1408
Page 4
4 of 24

On this page

  • Departments (1)
    • O^ Oitv ctJOUtC ITtJUtTft ^ " <^>»*l
  • Text (4)
  • Transcript

    • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

      Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.

      O^ Oitv Ctjoutc Ittjuttft ^ " ≪^≫»*L

      Smnq' $ qw %

      Untitled Article

      IiOBD John Russet has -written as follows in reply to the memorial from the inhabitants of Glasgow as to the policy of Government at the approaching Congress on the affairs of Italy : — "I have received -n-ith great satisfaction the address of nearly 5 000 of the inhabitants of Glasgow , including the Ijord Provost and the members of Parliament for the city The support -which is thus given by the flourishing and enlightened city of Glasgow to the principles by which Her Majesty ' s Government have been guided , and the policy they have announced cannot fail to give encouragement and add strength to the just cause they have espoused . "

      On Wednesday evening a grand banquet -was given to Sir John Paxington , Bart , M . P ., in the Assembly Room at the Guildhall , Worcester . Upwards of 200 gentlemen of every shade of political opinion assembled upon this memorable occasion to do honour to the right ho . n . gentleman , and after dinner he -was presented with a magnificent shield in oxydised silver , commemorative of his services in the various public offices he has held from time to . time . In returning thanks , Sir John said : — "I cannot refrain from an expression of my wish that this day , so memorable and so gratifying to me *—so memorable to those dear to me—^ -should , if possible , be of benefit to others . I am one of those who believe that we may always draw a moral lesson from such proceeding ^ as these . There are not a few of those who are here

      this evening , and there are still more who will read what has passed here to-day , whose course of life is Btill before them . I hope that you will not think that I am guilty of presumption or egotism if I venture to touch for a moment on those principles of action to which I mainly attribute the honour which oh this occasion it lias been my fortune to receive . Have I attained those honours through the exercise of any great or transcendent talents ? Certainly not . Have I gained them as the reward of extensive and varied acquirements ? Certainly not . But , if it has been my good fortune to merit in any degree that favour which I have received from my most gracious Sovereign ; if I have deserved any portion

      of that kindness which I have received in this my native county ; if I have been able ; to administer those various departments of the State . which have been intrusted to me without disadvantage to the public service , and without discredit to myself , I firmly believe that I am indebted to the exercise of qualities and the adoption of rules which are equally in the power and compass of those who hear the , and of any man who id desirous to take - part in the public affairs of the country . I am indebted for whatever measure of success I have obtained in my public life to a combination of moderate abilities with honesty of intention , firmness of purpose , and steadiness of conduct . If I were to offer advice

      to any young man anxious to make himself useful in public life , I would sum up the results of my experience in three short rules—rules 80 simple that any man may understand them and so easy that any man may act upon them . My first rule would be—leave it to others to judge of what duties you are capable and for what position you are fitted ; but never refuse to give your services in whatever capacity it may be the opinion of others who are competent to judge that you may benefit your neighbours or your country . My second rule is—when you agree to undertake public duties , concentrate every energy and faculty in your possession with the determination to discharge

      those duties to the best of your ability . lastly , I would counsel you that , in deciding on the line which you will take in public affairs , you should be guided in your decision by that which , after mature deliberation , you believe to be right , and not by that which , in the passing hour , may happen to bo fashionable or popular . Fashion has its uses , and is all very well when applied to the light und trivial things to which it relates ; but fashion in public affairs ia out of place . Popularity in the lowost and most common sense is not worth the having . Do your duty to the best of your power . Win the approbation of your own conscience , nntl popularity in its best and highest sense is suro to follow . "

      At a meeting for tho enfranchisement of the borough of . Chelsea , Mr . Tokukns WCvhhxon was present , find said that the promises made by a . Liberal Government were not much more to bo relied on than those of the Tories , The recorded promises made were so long overdue that ho confessed his faith was stone cold . He therefore pressed upon tho meeting most earnestly to rely upon themselves and their own contribution to the power of public opinion , and on nothing else whatsoever , because in the present nicely-balanced state of pwUos In Parliament no bill whatever would , bo

      carried except ic was indispensably necessary to the existence of the Go-wrnment . They who were listening at the keyholes of power heard mutterings ' and murmurings that both parties were now inclined to do them justice . So much the better for them . He thanked them for nothing when he got nothing , but he would thank them much when he got a little . But it depended on the weight of the knock whether it would be heard or no ^ and he was for knocking loudly and incessantly till the door was opened . When they met last Lord Derby was in power , and nothing was then said to show any distrust of his government in this matter . But L . ord Derby ' s government were unable or unwilling , or perhaps partly both , to pass such a bill as they could accept . It fell ; and so he hoped would every government that

      foundered in broad daylight , and did not do its duty to the people . What was party to them or to hinaj compared with the contentment and satisfaction of the people ? They saw that the people were ready , to undergo fatigues . and unusual discipline for the sake of defending the honour and glory of the country , and yet they were told that these men , who showed that they were ready to sacrifice their time , their comfort , their money , and it might be their safety , for their country , were hot entitled to have a voice in the imposition of taxes . If the next bill did not include Chelsea , it would be their duty to come there again . If their wishes were not complied with they should become extremely nasty , as Mr . Bright said . They should become extremely troublesome and noisy , if the Government , imitating the errors of its predecessors , did not do them ample , full , complete , and speedy justice .

      The Volunteer question has again , this week , brought out-some men of mark as orators . At Bedford Lord Weksleydale said : — " He could himself rely with confidence on the declaration made by that extraordinary man , the Emperor of the French , that he is friendly to this country . He did not believe the reports that the French people were hostile to England ; and especially the great body of the good and sensible had no unfriendly feelings towards \ as , but as in individuals so in nations ; an individual was subject to ebullitions of passion when he found his own interest assailed , so in the case of nations , though it was the interest of all , and particularly of this

      country , on account of her commerce and manufactures , to be at peace . But still he contended the country ought to be placed in such a condition as to be able to meet any contingency , whatever might happen . He was sorry to say , looking at the present condition of the country , whilst it had largely increased in wealth and . power , it was more vulnerable to outward attack than it ever had previously been , and he believed that at this moment no country in Europe was less defensive , and more liable to the conflict of a sudden invasion . He knew it might be said that the country had already a paid body of armed men ; but that paid body of armed men did not preclude the possibility of obtaining

      another body from the population , that they may be trained to arms , taught the use of the rifle , and be made use of in case of need . He remembered the . volunteer , movement in 1803-4 . At that time it wan proposed by tlje ministry to introduce a bill giving Government power to levy en masse ; the object of the measure was , in . fact , to compel every able-bodied man to take arms , unless the volunteers came forward in sufficient numbers to obviate that necessity . The bill gave a right to the Crown to call upon the subject in time of threatened invasion . In former times all the people were trained to arms , archery for instance , as a matter of legal compulsion ; hence the superiority of the English as archers , and

      the bow became a powerful weapon whether employed in foreign or domestic warfare . Ho should bo \ exy sorry to see any necessity for compulsion . At tlio time he alluded to the great political lenders of that day , Mr . Pitt and Mr . Fox , though tho leaders of opposite parties , both expressed their opinions in nearly tho same language , and ho had been very much struck with the application of what Mr . Fox said to the present time . He said ho gave his hearty concurrence to the measure } ho could not oppose a measure which tho state of tho war made nocossary . Ho could

      conscientiously support tho measure , because it was for the dofonco of the country more than for any object of offensive war . Ho relied principally upon the armed mass of the poople to resist invasion . As to any regular force , ho wished it to bo as great a good as possiblej yet ho could no more think of placing his entire dependence upon tho regular forces than on our navy j both might bo oxeollont , yet subjoot to events j whereas the mass of a great people ,, instructod In tho use of arms , was a safe and pormanont soourity , that did not depend , on tho event of one battle , nor would by any untoward circum * stancos be rondiorod inefficacious . Mr . Fox -went on to express a hope that an armament of this nature might bo obtained voluntarily , and without any

      compulsive measures : but he should say , notwithstanding that , if necessary , compulsion should be resorted to . He thought at the present time they ought' to have a much larger force than in 1804 inasmuch as the population was only about half then to what it was now ; then the population of England and Scotland comprised about ten millions , now it was about twenty-one millions . The population of Ireland had not increased in the same manner , but , speaking in round numbers , the population of the United Kingdom in 1859 more than doubled that of 1804 . At the same meeting , the Rev . Lord John Thynne asked what is our condition ? Were they prepared to protect the country against an enemy ? Suppose had to be convinced that

      they reason there was no danger of an immediate assault , they should bear in mind that , whatever enemy might come , whether French , Russian , Austrian , or Spaniard , they would come armed with all the advantages of science and skill , their rifles will reach as far as ours , and they cannot be met but by men prepared to meet them with equal skill , thoroughly disciplined , and of equal science . How At-ere they to prepare to do this ? Were they to levy an enormous army to defend the shores Of Great Britain , or have a powerful fleet to move up and down the Channel ? But were they prepared to pay the extra taxes that either of these plans would involve ? Ought they not rather to put their own shoulders to the wheel , and by a

      little exertion on their part endeavour to meet the requirements of the present emergency , rather than force that additional service on the Queen ' s troops who were paid for their services . He addressed those who were not enlisted in the regular army or in the militia , but who had comfortable homes and families to defend ; these were called upon to give up a little of their time , to know how to move in companies , to know their right hand from their left , how to conceal and how to skirmish , and how to fire their rifle with precision . But all who joined must be prepared to make sonic little sacrifice , and by acting , together , as he had stated , they would be able to assist each other arid more effectually defend their hearths and homes .

      At a public dinner at Newcastle , Earl Guet said : " I confess that it appears to me to be of great importance for the nation ' s safety that there should be efficient bodies of volunteers formed upon a very large scale indeed . I hope that we shall soon be able to reckon upon the services of , 50 , 000 men—I should be glad if it were even double that number —but , at all events , upon the services of f > 0 , 000 men , well drilled , and well taught in the use of that formidable weapon , the rifle , ready - ? . t a moment ' s notice to come forward in the defence of our common country . I know there are some persons who throw cold water , if not absolute ridicule , upon the present movement in favour of tl ; e formation of volunteer rifle corps . I have hear it said , ' What is the necessity for doing so ? We have no near neighbour

      who can possibly attack us , except France ; which by its geographical position is the only European Power from which it is possible to apprehend any attack , and with France we arc upon the very best terms . ' Far bo it from me to impute to the Emperor of the French , or the gallant nation which he governs , that he or they cherish hostile designs ngainst - this country . 1 am willing to give him credit for those assurances of a friendly disposition towards England which we are told are constantly reiterated by the Emperor , but still I say that within the lust few years circumstances havo arisen which make it expedient thut this country should increase its means of defence . We have had vory recently the strongest proof of how very great and sudden an effort France can make ; for at a moment when wo were told that eho could not

      disarm , becauso she had never arnioil , in an edibly short space of time she was ablo to assemble beyond tho Alps an army of 200 , 000 or 300 , 000 men . Now , gentlemen , I say that when wo see all these measures . we aro bound also to look to our own moans of protection . , I am quite aware that when I speak of tho defence of the country every Englishman feols that tho first and greatest reliance should bo placed in our navy , ( cheers . ) I beliovo we can rely upon it . I trust that tho 13 ritiah navy is , and I hope that it long will be , in a state in which » need not fear to meet any hostilo fleet thut wny " 0 brought against it . Gontionion , inthcsodayaof stoam , and ospeeiully when French stoam transports havo

      been constructed on such a gigantic , scalo that they can carry , wo are told , 2 , 000 men , and lor a very short passage avon 3 , 000 men with a fair proportion of artillery—I say in those days it doos appear to mo time ¦ wo cannot too confidently reckon upon its being impossible thut a hostilo expedition might elude our navy and be thrown upon our shoros . I trust twos such a contlngonqy is not likely to happon j but A do say that such an attempt is fiir more likely to DO made if it is known that the party to bo attaclcoa doos not possess tho moans of promptly encountering tho forco to bo landed . On the other hand , gentlemen , if it is known that a hostile expedition ,

      Untitled Article

      POTVTTICAL FORESHADOWISTGS

      Untitled Article

      1408 THE LEADER . fNo . 510 . Deo . 31 , 185 9

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 31, 1859, page 1408, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2327/page/4/