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Leader (1850-1860), 10th November 1860, Edition 2 of 2, Page 5, VOLUNTEER VANITIES. r I"VHEY are very yo...

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      Hard Lines In The City. It It* Hard Lino...

      other means of doing- so than by selling- thing-s in the streets , and if she was not allowed to do so she and her children must starve . The worthy Alderman . —all aldermen , we believe , are worthy—¦ was very sorry for her ., very ; but he was bound to ' administer the law . And this is what he said to the poor woman : — - " It was nonsense for her to talk of starving 1 , because in this country no one was permitted to starve ; and if she could not obtain a livelihood without breaking the law , she ought to apply to the proper authorities , and she would be taken care of . " How delig-hted the poor creature must have been to hear that in this country no one was allowed to starve , and that there were : "proper authorities" whose business it was to take care of every one who could not take care of himself . But if she sought out those proper authorities , she would find them installed in a large mansion , with a sternly-barred outer-gate , from which , on her application , a head would be thrust , and a harsh , gruff voice would tell her that there was no room , and order her to go her ways . And there , on the cold stones , with her six starving children shivering around her , she might lie all night , and console herself as she best might with the magistrate's assurance that no one is allowed to starve in this country . We are ^ rlad to see that Sir Walter was merciful in this case . He would discharge her this time , but he sincerely hoped she would not repeat the terrible offence of annoying- the rich wharfingers and ware * housemen of Lower Thames-street , by attempting- ' to ' 'get an honest living before their counting-house windows . Sir Walteu enjoyed a sort of grand massacre of guilty street-folk on this 3 rd of October . His victims were brought up ' in relays of three or four at a time . 'Atlength it came to the turn of an Irish girl who had actually had the audacity to appear with a basket of apples on'her arm in Cheapside—iu Cheapside , under the very nose of Sir JRobeut Waltkr Ca ' x himself . Could audacity further go ? And / she actually said that the LoitD Mayor would eat her apples . Sir Walti-: u was very anxious to know if that were true . The constable , whom the girl declared to be " melting with lies , " said it was . Sir Waltja ^ s . judicial ¦ . ¦ niin & was inade up at once , fined half-a-crown ';¦ or , in default , three days' imprisonment . The girl ' s furious . comment upon the judgment points the moral of . this ruthless ' -and' heartless system—' ¦ I hope I may die before I come here iigiiiii , you wicked old wretch . '" ' It is easy to interpret the meaning- of this 'expression . It is a natural ebullition , of anger and resentment at a cruel and selfish law , which hounds down the poor because they are poor , and will not allow them to ^> e honest if they would . Caii it bu right or just to prevent this girl from getting-her living in the oiily way open to her , simply because the City : has said , " we shall have no beggai-s , or street vendors , in our thoroughfares , to get in our way and offend our eyes ? " . This girl has , perhaps , learned no handicraft . She must not beg . She must ' not sell ; apple ' s in the streets . String 1 ; healthy , and ablebodied , is it likely that she will tamely accept the life of a pauper in a ^ workhouse r Is there not every cause impelling her to a life of vice and crime ? This cruel law denies to the poor a soul to call their own . They arc degraded to a lower level than that of the brutes , for they are forbidden to exercise the superior faculties which God has equally implanted in the heart of the lawgiver and the beggar . The law is a City law , and a City law exclusively . It is one of many other of tho same Draconian stamp ,, which City hcartlessness will not allow to beeomo obsolete , Street vendors are not so persecuted outside tho City bounds . At the west end of tho town costermongors are allowed to follow their trade in the . streets without molestation from tho police , if they do not create a disturbance ) or'block up tho thoroughfares . All that is required of them is that they shall move when they aro required to do so . If tho City law wero enforced by the metropolitan , polico and tho paid magistrates , thu result would bo that man ) ' thousands of industrious persons woxild bo deprived of tho means of gaining an houost livelihood , and till tho workhouses of tho town would not bo largo enough to hold them . In faot , the occupation of costermongor would bo wiped out from tho category of trades , and the poorer portion of the population would bo . deprived of a ready and oouyonicnt mni-kot for tho purchase ) of tlio ordinary necessaries of life . It is very rarely , indeed , that we hoar of a seller of apples or combs being sent to prison , by one of tho paid magistrates . They are brought xip by tho police , as other persons nro brought up , when they create a breach of the peuoo , or persist iu violating tho reasonable- rules by which their traelo is regulated ; but they aro never charged with tho ofibnoo simply of neH » n < i ffouili in tho streets . And when any caso in relation to these poor street folk oomes boforo a west-end police-oourfc , wo invariably find tho juclgmontsof tho gontlomon who preside at I 3 ow-stroot , Worship-street , Southwark , AVustminstor , and tho other Coiirts whoro tho magistrates aro properly qualified for their oflioo , tempered with , consideration ana mercy . The Biune- charity anel kindly fooling" in ovinood by the west-end nhopkoopors . In Oxford-atroot , Tottoiilmm-oourt-rotul , thu Strand , and many other thoroughfares , groat anil nm nil , tho loadiug shopkeepers porniit poor puoplo to sot up stalls in oloso proximity to their promises ' . They pay no rent , but their right to tlio sitos marked out for thorn in fully roooguisod ; and no opposition out-door morohnnt would bo permitted to dispute their , tonuro . In . tho City , however , those poor pooplo are tho douhirod onomiosof aoeioty . Shopkeepers and more-hunts will not permit them to come between tho wind and their purse-proud nobility . Tho polico ore sot to hunt thorn , as bloodhounds aro lot « lip upon fugitive Virginian slaves . ' Fortune-making must not bo interfered with by ragged waifb trying- to scrape together a few halfpence to keep body and soul tog-ether , The City is'no placs for thorn , fcet thexn

      go to the west-end and sell their apples , their combs , and their other trumpery merchandise . Here City selfishness comes out in its . full force . " Move on , " they say to these poor wretches , " anvwhere out of the City . " For all they care , " anywhere , anywhere , out of the world . " ' We believe that this foul plot upon our civilisation arises solely out of the great unpaid system . The same harshness and cruelty towards the poor are exhibited in every place where justice is dispensed by amateur magistrates . There are no more ruthless persecutors of the poor than the country squires and parsons , who preside at petty sessions—except , perhaps , City aldermen . That these incompetent persons should be allowed to enforce laws which , have long been rejected by common sense and common humanity , is a stain upon the administration of justice , which can only be wiped out by wiping out the monstrous system which permits and fosters so great a scandal .

      Nov. 10a I860] The Saturday Analyst And ...

      Nov . 10 a I 860 ] The Saturday Analyst and Leader . 925

      Volunteer Vanities. R I"Vhey Are Very Yo...

      VOLUNTEER VANITIES . r I"VHEY are very young-, probably , these gentlemen who are JL proposing to visit Paris in their Volunteer uniforms , ; . otherwise we should imagine that the English were losing * what I used to be a marked English feature—a detestation of display ; we ! should fancy that in our very cordial embrace of Our neighbours 1 and allies , some of their medals , filligree , and red ribbons , had got . entangled with our own buttons , and that the serpent of vanity had taken advantage of the embrace to pass from one national bosom to another—to borrow an image from Virgil ; or , at any rate , to ! transmit one of its little viper-lings . ! It would be difficult to conceive anything more silly , or in worse I taste , more r / auclic , as the French would call it , than this idea of forcing ostentatiously on their notice a personification of English patriotism , dressed out in all shades of grey and bottlergrecn . Patriotism ought to be dignified and retiring * in all cases , except before an armed enemy . Vain people hate vanity , and have a keen eye for it , especially in the person- of a neighbour ; and if the French respect us at all , it is for qualities which ar . our ¦ oii ' -u , and not theirs . If any of our young Volunteers wish to visit Paris , let theln go as simple Englishmen in their ordinary attire , and without any desire to show off . What occasion can there possibly be for it ? The Parisians are quite familiar enough . with the ordinary English aspect of face and limb , and they are quite aware that there are about two hundred thousand of us , such as we are , ready to resist any unfriendly approximation . This is all that is necessary for them to know . One exhibition of this kind of bad taste was enough . When the Orpheonists were here on their harmonious and strictly amicable visit , nothing would satisfy tis but a vast parading of our Volunteers in front of the gallery where the musicians were dining . The Frenchmen were of course not wanting in cheers of politeness ; but that such an exhibition , on such an occasion , was likely to increase their national respect for us ,. we must take the liberty of very much doubting . With all his vanity and love for outside decoration , the Frenchman knows how to manage his master-passion , with some grade , and possesses a kind of native sense to instruct him in tho '; proper . " If we must have his vanity , let us , at any rate , borrow from him a little of his tact .

      Wellington—The Avarrior And The Statesma...

      WELLINGTON—THE AVARRIOR AND THE STATESMAN . * rplME is at his usual work , converting the past into an ideal stago , JL with myths for facts , and heroes for ordinary actors . Napoleon has long been regarded as a representative man j and Wellington , though moro slowly , is arriving at tho same honour . From the beginning 1 , Napoleon had this advantage . AVclling-ton ' H rise was i ndeed rapid . Entering tho army at soventaon as an ensign , ho became at twenty-one captain , member of parliament , and aide-decump to the lord-lieutenant ; at twenty-four , ho was lieut .-colonel ; and at twenty-six , colonel , llut favourable as fortune was to Wellington , sho was still more favourable to Napoleon : though humbly born und without family interest , Napoleon , by the ago of twentyseven , hud risen through the lower grades of his military career , and was a general in Italy , whilo Wellington was serving in India as a subaltern . By the aid of his brother , however , tho lattor rose into importance , us nn authority in finance , and in civil and military policy 'Ho was found equal to tho management of important afluira ' , and entered on a path of greatness like u man born to it . Ho seized on nil offices with ease , and mastered tho details ol tho moat difficult business with adroitnoss , and with a mature thoughtfulnoss wonderful in one ho young . In tho Mahratta war , being employed as u commander , ho « avo the world assurance of his genuw in tho battlo of Assnye . Tho campaign besides served as an admirable preparation for tho task lie had to perform in tho Spanish peninsula . Accordingly , ho returned from his nine years' apprenticeship . a practical general , familiar with the details of tho supply oi arrows m Sroum « tancos ot' exceptional difficulty . ttoou . Hto . no 4 £ rejonorio oonJUutinff interest * unions his » ubordin » to » and ul Imw , »™» Jj tr ° f of groat uTtturs with powerful potentates as au equal , sometime * as ft fewhilo , Napoleon hud twice conquered Italy . had over-ruled tho French revolution ; had boon ohiwo » * irst Consul ; UuU mode

      * Wmmton', Oarer , . Itituw «»<< ''"""'«...

      * WMMton ' , oarer , . Itituw «»<< '' """ ' « ' «»**>»* »* ™ «« llrllc 0 Hatnloy . Win . Wlftoiwoort & So" ^ .

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Nov. 10, 1860, page 5, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_10111860/page/5/