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2 ft j>* ZLtaiieV. Saturday, I
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Xitms nf ifje Wnk.
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? The great news of the week is that the...
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THE THREATENED RAILWAY STJftlKB. The pro...
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.
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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.
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2 Ft J>* Zltaiiev. Saturday, I
2 ft j >* ZLtaiieV . Saturday , I
Xitms Nf Ifje Wnk.
Xitms nf ifje Wnk .
? The Great News Of The Week Is That The...
? The great news of the week is that the year 1851 has succeeded to 1850 , at least thai if the % {*« nouncement most prominently fsadf by the dtiUjr journals . Also , the events of the lajft half century ara duly reported in their natural opd < jr ; not that they have happened over again , " Ifat that the standing in the middle of a century is taken to confer the privilege of revfowipg m « m and events in a new light . We are also told , on £ he highest city authority in journalism , that the commercial year 1850 has proved peculiarly prosperous and satisfactory , which shows that at least the wealthiest classes of the wealthiest centres of trade have
enjoyed a good time—though we have heard complaints from humbler dealers . The researches of the Morning Chronicle have disclosed a vast amount of want and wretchedness , unreached by this prosperity ; landlords and farmers have grumbled pertinaciously ; and although the field labourers have desisted within the last few months from incendiarism , they do not confess any great improvement in their condition . With these drawbacksand , indeed , they do not obtain much attention east of Temple-bar—the commercial year has been very satisfactory . Even the dread of a glut of Californian gold , which a few weeks back was cultivated into a grievance , has died away , —a little drain of gold to the Continent acting as a set-off in the shape of a contrary fear *
The two most striking bequests which 1850 makes to 1851 are—the Exposition of Industry , which is to draw all the world and its wealth , by its representatives , into London ; and the work of following up the anti-Catholic agitation . The Exposition is the far fairer bequest of the two , and the visible growth of its crystal abode is watched with the most obvious pleasure . Independently of Lord John Russell ' s awkward task of contriving measures to follow up his letter , many embarrassing branch questions are showing themselves . Mr . Bennett ' s friends are pressing
upon the Bishop of London an argument that Mr . Bennett , of St . Paul ' s and St . Barnabas , resigned conditionally ; and although there is some inconsistency between the precise arguments of Sir John Harington , and the off-hand style of Mr . Bennett ' s apparent resignation , the Bishop himself had behaved throughout in so uncertain , wavering , and irresolute a manner , that he cannot say much in answer , and contents himself with a dogged demand for resignation . Mr . Bennett ' s case is felt to be peculiarly hard ; because in the fulness of his
zeal he not only advised the endowment of churches and schools , but himself set the example by a princely sacrifice of his own worldly means , trusting to his clerical income ; and , abandoning the church , he abandons his property . Perhaps the churches cannot be disendowed , nor would such a process of making good the loss ba just to the generous donor . But there does occur to us one way in which the Bishop might get out of his awkward scrape . His position is a remarkable contrast to that of Mr . Bennett . Mr . Bennett ' s connection with the Church has been
signalized by his sacrifice of property ; the Bishop ' s connection with the Church has been signalized by his receiving about a million of money : how easy it would be for him a little to redress the untoward balance of wealth , and to place in the hands of Sir John Harington the means of smoothing Mr . Bonnett ' s secession from the Church . He would thus relieve the Establishment of the reproach , that it expelled Bennett , but kept his money .
London is not the only Bishop in diflieultieB : Oxford has also been accused of winking at Puseyite practices among Iuh clergy , and he has made , a difficulty for himself : He iirst tried to overawe the accuser , daring him to name the impugned clergymen ; and , when his correspondent did name oertain clergymen , the Bishop replies with a soothing manner , which confesses much , and recals Dr . Wilberforce ' s UniverHity nickname of" Silky Sam . " Meanwhile , Church meetings are held in several
places to put down PuHcyite practices on the spot . It might be supposed that the Anti-Catholic agitation is likely to turn into Anti-Puseyite agitation , which would be at once less gratuitouu and less interfering , more practical , and fur more embarrassing for the superior authorities . Meanwhile , common anti-Catholicism ia not abandoned : stories of miracles , like the new one of St . Saturnin , which are circulated on the Con . tinent to promote the faith , are not less diligently circulated in this country to promote sectarian
enmities—circulated by the vwy people who will take part in Gorbajnite difcuasions on a prsevenient grace , or circulate fabricated stories about priestly attempts to seduce Protestant young ladies . One of these 8 tc * iM > going the round of the press , it self .. conviqt « 4 of fefgery , by tot grogs ft neglect as » the use of Protestant and not Catholic phraseology in pretended letter * . If the miracles are a p ioua fraud , what tort of fraud is this Protestant trick ? Among the ev « n ^» of the vveek has l * een the publication of various documents—the *? Suggestions ' * of the Common Law Commissioners , the report of
Mr . Simon , City Surveyor , on sanitary measures m the City , of Captain Maconochie on Birmingham gaol , & c . How much ability is displayed by the writers of documents like these—how little does their ability avail the public ? What matters it that Captain Maconochie should for years have expounded the most simple , practical , and practicable plan of correctional discipline ; that Mr . Simon should unanswerably make out the necessity and practicability of making the City wholesome ; that the Common Law Commissioners should proposethe mildest of improvements , and ask to abolish nothing
more defensible than special demurrers or " colour" ? These things it would be most good for the country to have , but between their authors and the public there is a " false medium " : the statesmanlike measures of a Simon or a Maconochie have to be filtered though a Common Council or a Parliament , with a Whig Cabinet acting as damper over all . To be well connected and without positive purpose is the way to succeed in office nowadays . Anything like practical purpose has to pass through the mould of no-purpose before it can become an act of Parliament ; leaving all its virtue behind .
The intelligence that Gal way Union is added to the list of those now trying with striking earnest of success the plan of industrial employment ; for paupers , reminds us of another department , in which the responsible Ministers of the country are waiting for " pressure from without , " while they are leaving the real debates of legislation to provincial town councils and poor-law boards . The agitation for the abolition of the duty on
paper begins to look , formidable . Sir Charles Wood had better ask himself whether it would not be well for him to include this unpopular impost among those which he intends to surrender next ses-8 ion- * -under cover of the surplus which the forthcoming revenue tables are said to indicate so high as three millions . The meeting at the London Tavern went even further than the tax on paper—very properly adding the newspaper stamp and advertisement duty , as still more mischievous and odious .
In Foreign Affairs there is little progress to be reported . The Elector of Hesse Cassei has been reseated on his throne b y Russian and Austrian troops . His people received him with sulky indifference , but as the military procession passed , the native troops were loudly cheered : in feeling , they are known to be with the people . The Conference at Dresden has not yet advanced much beyond preliminary Imatle and formalities . In France the grand incident is the exposure of the informer Allais , who accused certain persons of an intent to assassinate Monsieur Dupin and
General Changarnier . Allais proves to be one of the blackest scoundrels and liars that have ever shown themselves on such occasions ; he ia consigned to historic immortality , as the very pink of spy fabricators . It was a question whether his rascality had not been shared by hia patron , Monsieur Yon , Commissary of Polioe to tfie National Assembly ; but the Commissary appears to have been a dupe , the " plus sot" who took Allais ' s lies for revelations . Rogue or goose , Monsieur Yon ' s unfitness for his situation was palpable ; he has been dismissed , and ia consigned to history us the yoke-fellow of Allaia .
The Threatened Railway Stjftlkb. The Pro...
THE THREATENED RAILWAY STJftlKB . The projected strike of the engine-drivers on the London and North-Western Railway has been suddenly quash * d by the unexpected course which the directors have taken . With u view to force the men to un instant decision a printed document , of which the following is a copy , was placed in the luuulu of the men when they received their wages on l ' riduy evening : — " London and Nohtii-Whhtkun Railway . " NOX 1 C 11 S TO THIS BNUlNB'lUUVUKa AN 1 > nilKMlIS OK THIS 8 OUT 1 IUUN JHVIHION . " The present state of suspense as to a Htrike ought not longer to continue . " If the men on the southern division , having no grievance of thfir own , elect to leave the company ' s service , the directors mu » £ at onco curry out their piling ot
temporarily reduefag tfc « number of trains , and puttine on the new hands whose services are now available . " The ctlfWtors must of course continue to reserve to themselves the right to make , from time to time , any regulations neoeMaiy for the sale and certain working of the line , though % hty hare no intention whatever , unless the men force th » w to da so by these threatened strikes to altef the regulations now in force as respects the f outhern . division , " Each man is , therefore , called upon to state whether he wishes ta res & ata in-.-the service of the company undo * th » existing regulations ; if he does , the directors hope hi he- able to retain him ; if not , notice must be given to- him that his services will not be required after fourteen days .
" The directors did not wish to act harshly , but the requirements of the public and the government service will not allow them longer to be subjected to the present state of uncertainty . "The directors recognize the manly and strai ghtforward course taken by a large number of the men ; and they hope to show them that they have consulted their true interests by the conduct they have exhibited . " Thomas Smith , Chairman of the Locomotive Committee , S . Division . ( By order ) " Mark Huisk , General Manager . " General Manager ' s-office , Euston Station , Dec . 27 , 1850 . "
As each engine-driver or fireman arrived he had to present himself to Mr . M'Connell and Mr . Watkin , the under-secretary of the company , at the Camden Station . A printed copy of the notice was then handed to him , and some men were called upon to give an immediate decision upon the question , others had a quarter of an hour ' s consideration allowed them , others half an hour , and some were allowed until Monday to consider the matter . Anything like concert among the men under such circumstances was out of the question , and ,, therefore , each felt himself involved inegreat difficulty . Notwithstanding this unexpected proceeding , it is stated that there was but one man who signed a document " to remain in the service of the company under the
existing regulations , " and that the man referred to subsequently requested that his name might be erased . This at once showed a determination on the part of the men which the authorities of the company could scarcely have been prepared for , and in way , it is presumed , of reprisal , on Saturday notices were given on the part of the directors to seven men , for which they were equally unprepared , of dismissal . On Sunday evening a number of enginemen and firemen assembled at the Railway Tavern , Hamn- , stead-road , hut as the doors were closed against rep porters nothing is known of the proceedings , hB | from what has taken place subsequently it woVjt appear that the general opinion tnust have been opposed to a strike . By Monday evening it was ascertained that out of 210 of the drivers -who were asked
to state whether they would remain in the company a service , all answered in the affirmative but 20 . At the Camden station , out of 53 drivers and stokers employed there , the question of " content" or * ' noncontent" having been put to them , they all , without exception , expressed themselves satisfied with their present position . Upon the northern division of the line also the majority of the naen have consented to the proposal for a three months' notice . The following statement relative to the men we take from the Daily News : —
" Had a strike suddenly taken place , the consequences to the oompany would no doubt have been of a serious character , but the men themselves must have been injured to a much greater extent , for there ia now wo louger that lack of good and efficient drivers which existed when railways first superseded the ancient highways of the kingdom . " Upon the northern division of the line , applications for the situation of driver huve been received from n °
fewer than 230 men , and 26 new hands have actu *" y bjeen engaged , and are now employed in the worWhopa of the company . Upon the southern division , applications have been received from 128 men , and 4 £ have been already enguged . It is stated that nea'ty the whole ol theaa men have accompanied their ai » , f floation » with tcs timonials of a satisfactory charac ^ r » but } of c » ur * e , lwould b * idle to pretend that « -ven the majority of themt are nt persons to be entrusted with the responsible situation which they seek . 1 O have been iven to 13
' Up to thin pwrioul notices to quit g or 14 men only upon the southern division , au < J it ia believed that it will not be necessary to extend tin-in to beyoud one or two wore . These men , who are stated to be Home of tho most inefficient upon the lhu * , have also received notice that they must give up their cottages m a week ; but they have been , informed U >» t , should not that prove time enough to enable them to remove their furniture , a longer interval will , upon representation , permitted them . " Should the present drivers and firemen consent to romuin in the company ' s employment , there will bo no desire . to dismiss them ; and , although , so many now hands have already been engaged , ample emp loyment will be found for oil in the shops and elsewhere , as it >» calculated that about 80 additional drivers will be required In May next , in oousequenae of the Great Industrial Exhibition .
14 The men upon the southern division would , indeed , appear to have no ground of ju « t complaint ; not oi >« amongst them but a (( i »» jiUj the qon 8 idcjra . tipn with wlilo " . both individually and collectively , they are treated . A
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 4, 1851, page 2, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_04011851/page/2/
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