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    460 &t)e 3Le&tjeV. Saturdav,

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    GERMAN MOVEMENTS. In n Ministerial Counc...

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    GERMANY IN 1850. The following letter fr...

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    OFFICIAL SALARIES. The select committee ...

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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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    '. Working Men's Memorial To Peel. A Mee...

    ( Hear , hear . ) For , whatever might be their rank in life—high or low , rich or poor—there was in most men a disposition to benefit themselves at the expense of others . In the person of Sir Robert Peel we had a man abundant in wealth—in a high position . Any situation he could wish to have was at his command ; but now it was known , by the record that would remain a perpetual memorial of his real character , that he had not sought those things , and he had left his last request that no member of his family should accept any public honour

    or emolument for any services he might be thought to have rendered to his country . ( Cheers . ) He knew of no such record extant to the memory of any other public man . ( Hear , hear . ) I t was on that account that he asked the millions and the masses who had been benefitted so much by his exertions in Parliament , that they should pay their meed of approbation—the meed of the middle and working classes , of which he assumed this meeting to be composed and to represent—and their gratitude to a man who had done them , so much service . "

    He then proceeded to state what had already been done . The subscription proposed by the committee was from , one penny to one shilling . They wished to bring together and unite all parties in this object , and to fix the period when the subscription should be closed . He was informed that the committee had been in communication with 160 local bodies , and had sent out 1000 circulars already . Handsome subscriptions had been received from many noblemen and gentlemen , to defray the expenses of the printing and other necessary charges incurred by holding public meetings , so that the pence collected should go untouched into the fund . He suggested that families of one , two , or four persons might subscribe each a penny separately .

    Mr . Bright , M . P ., proposed the first resolution , expressing satisfaction to witness the spontaneous disposition among the industrial classes to raise a fund for the erection of a durable memorial of the services of Sir Robert Peel . In the course of his speech he paid a high tribute to the memory of the deceased statesman , especially for his conduct during the last four years of his life . The resolution having been seconded by Mr . James YateB , a considerable amount of confusion ensued . A man wearing a white hat said he had an amendment to propose . This was the signal for a general uproar ,

    in the midst of which a great number of persons attempted to address the meeting at once , while the chairman and the gentlemen on the platform vainly attempted to restore order . A number of working men pressed forward to claim a hearing . A rush was made towards the platform , not with the design to inflict injury on any one , but with a view to the Chartists gaining possession , and turning it into a Chartist meeting . At one time the chairman and those on the platform rose in confusion , and the reporters' table being invaded by a great pressure from without , they found it convenient to vacate their seats .

    Two men , named Salmon , and Osborne , who called themselves costermongers , obtained a hearing each . They spoke exceedingly well for men in their station , and asked for something to be done for the protection of honest labour , and to enable hard-working men to get their living . Mr . Cobden afterwards moved the second resolution as follows : —" That this meeting recommends that preparations be made for a simultaneous collection on the same dny throughout the United Kingdom , and that Saturday , 'August 17 , be the day for such collection , and that all contributions be paid

    then . " The resolution was seconded by Mr . William Brown , M . P ., and was about to be proposed , when Mr . lironterro O'Brien addressed the meeting amidst much confusion , giving a list of all the unpopular acts of which Sir Robert Peel was guilty during his lifetime . He concluded by proposing , as an addition to the resolution , words to the effect that all the funds collected should be applied to the purpose of erasing from the statute book all the bad legislation in which Sir liobert Peel hns been concerned during the last forty years . The original resolution was , however , the

    carried by a large majority , as was also , appointment of a committee , and the meeting terminated near midnight . The indignation of the people was much excited by the appearance of the police in the courno of tho meeting , and one of the speakers ( a working man ) observed that , had not the police appeared , there would not have been any dissension or disturbance at all . The chief point which the working men in their speeches wished to convey was , that the money collected should not bo appropriated to a monument , but to the effecting some great object for the beneiit of the working classes . Educational institutions were advocated by most of them .

    460 &T)E 3le&Tjev. Saturdav,

    460 & t ) e 3 Le & tjeV . Saturdav ,

    German Movements. In N Ministerial Counc...

    GERMAN MOVEMENTS . In n Ministerial Council held at Berlin on the 3 rd instant , lion oval Radowitz proposed to call out tVio lamlwohr of Westphalia and the Rhino provinces , on tho ground that blows at Maycnco , between Austria find Prussia , are more than probable . But his proposition , bi'ing opposed hy Manteullel , who snw no urgent reasons to eonmu > ncM > a war , and would rather resign than t'onsent , the subject has been for tho present postponed . But it is certain that cither

    lliulowitz must be overthrown , or , should the King support his views , a war with Austria will become unavoidable . On the 21 st ultimo , Baron Prokesch , Austrian Ambassador at Berlin , received a dispatch from Prince Schwarzenberg , in which the Austrian proposals for an Austro-Germanic Customs Union , to be extended over a territory of nearly 22 , 000 German square miles ( upwards of 500 , 000 English ) , with a population of more than 70 , 000 , 000 , is again urgently recommended to the most serious consideration of the Prussian Government . The dispatch expresses the hope that , should the Prussian Cabinet respond to the call of Austria , the latter would expect that the former should use its influence in the Conference

    now open at Cassel to procure the immediate meeting of a customs' conference of all Germany , which may propose , and eventually conclude , an Austro-Germanic Customs Union ; or , what would harmonize more completely with the earlier expressed inclination of the Royal Government , that Prussia , Saxony , and Bavaria may be empowered by the collective Governments of the Zollverein to meet by their plenipotentiaries at Vienna , and , in conjunction with a representative of this Government , to form at once or at a period not too remote , a Customs' and Commercial Union upon the basis of the Austrian propositions .

    Germany In 1850. The Following Letter Fr...

    GERMANY IN 1850 . The following letter from a much-valued correspondent will give our readers a better notion of the state of Germany than can possibly be derived from our daily newspapers . The writer of it—a shrewd , earnest , thoughtful German—is thoroughly familiar with English and German politics ; his remarks are , therefore , well deserving of serious consideration . Wurzbursr , August 1 , 1800 .

    At the lower end of a small basin-like valley , formed by seven broad-based , round-backed hills , and intersected by the river Main , stands the stately " many-towered " city of Wiirzburg , the metropolis of ancient Franconia ; the country of the conquerors of Gaul , of the famous Mayors of the Palace , " of Charles theHamtner , and the strong men of the early Garlovingian period ; the seat of powerful Prince-Bishops , of warlike Barons , and insurrectionary peasants ; the country of wine , of corn , of cattle , and of merry , joyous life . Very noisy and changeful is its past history ; very dull and monotonous is

    its present existence . Minsters , churches , and palaces tell the story of the old , and also overshadow and obstruct the new . Upon the hills ripens the grape . High up amongst the vines the vine-dresser is seen toiling in the midday sun . Near him , amongst those yellow ribbon-like streaks of land , that contrast so strongly with the green crops on each side , is the peasant , with wife and daughter ( the son is in the army ) busy reaping his corn . The cathedral bell , deep below , booms out its solemn tones . The labourers on the hills stop in the midst of their work , the men uncover , the women fold

    their hands , they say a silent prayer , and resume their work . High up where the limestone comes to the surface , and the soil is but a coarse sort of gravel , blooms the spare clover , and below by the sandy banks of the river prospers the potato . Every inch of ground is cultivated , and the heat soon ripens multiform harvests . These lands belonged once to the Church , to the convents , to the nobles . They are now the property of the burghers of Wurzburg , of the peasants and artisans of the neighbouring villages . The forests also , which darken the hollows between tho hills , and provide fuel ,

    are the property of the townships , and every burgher receives annually his portion of wood . Land is dear ; those to whom it is " an instrument of labour " paying high rent for it . The rural population is hard-working , the soil fertile , provisions plentiful . Many elements of prosperity , and , in a certain sense , there is prosperity . There is much wealth in the town , and the country population have plenty to eat and to drink . Accordingly , there is much eating , drinking , and smoking going on ; and there is much , and

    often very good music in gardens and beer-cellars , and fat people are very abundant . Yet amongst all classes , and mostly amongst the intelligent- —which here , as everywhere in Germany are very numerous—there is complaint and dissatisfaction . Here too , ideas have penetrated , of improvement , of change and progress , of the possibility of a new and more manly life . Ideas which would get themselves realized , but cannot . The people here have long been accustomed to have every thing done by Government ; so they are angry with their Government for not satisfying these new

    wants of theirs and of the times . Government again is quite innocent of any capacity for initiating such new life , " or anything like it . It docs not in the least like the taste it had of it during the last two years ; and would prefer very much to return to the " old ways . " So it has two measures to propose—Church and Army . The little state of Bavaria had within this year some 90 , 000 soldiers on foot . At the doors of churches is to be seen an eloquent pastoral letter , in which High Church authorities point out " more faith" as the

    only panacea in these singular and dangerous times Some weeks ago , at the feast of Kiliani , the patro n-saint of the town , three skulls—said to be those of the three martyrs Kilian , Colonat , and Totnan—and which , after having been lost a long time ago , had recently and almost miraculously turned up again , were exhibited and carried in procession with great " pomp and circumstance " not accompanied by a recommendation t o the people to imitate the lives of those valiant men ( Englishmen I

    believe , all three ) who initiated the " new life " of their period in these regions , and were faithful unto deat h to their calling ; — but by a promise , that all who walked in the procession should be partakers of certain spiritual advantages and unspiritual indulgences And a very grand procession it was , with music , and soldiers , and nags , and pictures , and gold and silver images , and baldachins , and waxtapers , and incense , and hosts of priests in magnificent vestures . It was almost as beautiful as the coronation scene in the

    Prophete ; and Father Newman would have rejoiced to have seen it ! But I overheard a countryman , returning from it , say to his neighbour , " To-day we have been at it again , throwing dust in peoples ' eyes . " ( Heut' haben wir wiedereinmal die Leut'blindmachenhelfen !) The fact is , nobody , whose belief is worth anything , believes in it ; yet they all acquiesce and conform ; and a crust of insincerity and hollowness covers , by general consent , a most fearful abyss , —which will open some day , and swallow one knows not how much . Germany has seen some convulsions lately , but its day of trial has yet to come ; and it will be severest in the Catholic districts . The

    people have still much of the old Teutonic temperament . They understand nothing about " constitutional opposition , " and I doubt whether they will ever learn it . They are patient , long suffering . They emigrate . They can swallow a vast deal of discontenttill the measure is overful , and then their rage is of the Berserker sort . It is not self-government that , at bottom , these people want , but wise government . They are a most governable people ; but it is long since they have had a right sort of governor , and there will be a dreadful search after him these days . In the mean time such

    •• improvements" as the " course of nature" brings with it have been and are going on here also , though somewhat slowly . The condition of the people is , on the whole , better than what it has been twenty or thirty years ago , though they complain much of taxes . Many of the peasant proprietors have been getting rich during the late years of high prices . Railways , too , are approaching , and the Maine carries its little steam-boats . Very extraordinary , too , is the quiet , noiseless , communication between these inland countries and—America . People go and come , carrying German hands and hearts to those new regions ; bringing and sending tidings of new ways and methods to the old ones ; and thus the

    • ' Saxon kindred , " after having been dispersed by their innate love of wandering and adventure , are being drawn together again by that same tendency of their nature which has outlived ages and civilization . Everywhere , too , the English element is gaining ground and influence . The people here , as in other parts of Germany , study English literature and English modes of proceeding , and admire English ways as they once did French ; and the politicians say , " There are but two states in Europe now , England and Russia ; Russia obstructs , England leads onward ; we are for following England . " Lead on , then , right bravely , Old England , mother of nations ; there is a great way before thee yet , and much noble work to be done ! And thus we will conclude our letter from the ancient and many-towered city of Wurzburg . F . N .

    Official Salaries. The Select Committee ...

    OFFICIAL SALARIES . The select committee appointed to enquire into official salaries have published their report . The first subject of consideration is the salaries of offices held during the pleasure of the Crown , which arc usually filled by members of either House of Parliament , and are voted in the annual estimates . The salary of the Junior Lords of the Treasury is proposed to be reduced from £ 1200 to £ 1000 , and that of the two Secretaries to the Treasury from £ 2500 to £ 2000 . With respect to the Board of Trade , it is recommended that the duties of the Railway Board , formerly discharged by that establishment , should be resumed by it , with a view to saving the salary of the Rnilwav Commissioner . The salary of the

    Vice-President , who also discharges tho duties oi laymaster-General , to be reduced from £ 2000 to £ 1500 for both offices . The duties of Lord Privy Seal it is recommended should be transferred to some other department , and the salary discontinued . The Judge-Advocate ' s salary is at present £ 2000 ; the committee propose its reduction on the next appointment to £ 1500 , and that tho future holder of this office shall not be demurred from the practice of his profession . The salaries of tho Junior Lords of the Admiralty , of whom two receive £ 1200 , and the vest £ 1000 , with a residence , are recommended to be fixed equally at £ 1000 , and residences allowed only to the First Lord , Senior Naval

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 10, 1850, page 4, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_10081850/page/4/