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. AKm,.ll,-18S7.] TSS LEAP'EIL 3W ¦ ,:. ...
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.. .. u "CANDIDE" ON THE ELECTIONS. i (T...
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> IMPRISONMENT K)U DK1JT. (JJ'o the Edit...
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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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The Laws Relating To The Property Of Mar...
a family , witesa she Tie gifted with some special talent , and even then——! These observations form a reply to the perpetual assertion , " ¦' WelT ; but a woman should : know -whom she tru & ts , she- should he content to talce her cliance * look before you leap , " and a few other proverbs . Undoubtedly ; but a woman , and especially aaaffefr tionate one , is not gifted -with ' unerring foresignt -rith power of scientific analysis , when she leaves one home of comparative seclusion to enter another ; and there 13 a third party in the constitution of the family who has a moral , right to be considered , the child , who has an actual claim upon lria mother—his mother , who , on her side , has no right to promise away her powerof discharging her obligations in his behalf . People , if they look out well beforehand , have a certain right to leap , like the 1 ' ersian prince ^ into the air , if so be that they carry with theui . notlring but what is strictly their own , "but they have no right to leap with all their moral responsibilities with them > to promise away their own power of fulfilling their plainest duties , shuffling them off on to another person whose time is probably engrossed with practical external life , and , in faet , creating an entail upon their own consciences of the worst description : For a subsequent clause of the petition declares that '' the law , in depriving the mother of all pecuniacy resources , deprives her of the power of giving schooling to her children , and in other ways providing for their moral and physical welfare ; it obliges her , in short , to leave them to the temptations of the street , so fruitful in j uveniie crime . " This sentence * specially inserted , as I happen to know , at the request of a person much interested in and cognisant of the question of juvenile reformation , begs a point , which * were it proved by numerous examples , would exactly confirm wha . t I hare said above ; - ... The third clause of the petition alludes to thie " Courts of Equity , and of these a woman is -unfitted to argue , except in remarking tha , t Avhatever the mode or degree of success of their action , they are now wholly beside our question , on account of the expense attending any appeal to their aid , and that no separate tribunal oil matrimonial relations will be of any use to the nation at large unless its charges toe of the most moderate scale ; unless , in fact , they l > ecome County Courts for the settling of litigated questions in each separate district , without obliging the farmer ' s wife to leave her liens and cows , and ' the shoemaker his last , upon every occasion of appeal . It does not , however , seem likely that " appeals , " however cheap , are the best or teriderest methods oi mending broken hearts , heads , or fortunes , and a simpler common Law may prevent an amount of mischiel ¦ which , -when once done in so delicate a piece of machinery as a domestic household , neither judge noi jury can cure . What we want is the simple defence of Law—thatXaw so much respected in England thai its mere existence upon any point is an influenc < which penetrates into the secret closets of a house —that i . aw to which honest citizens never appeal , anc whose dictates thev never infringe , "but which never ^ ^
theless is around us all , from our cradle to our death , a band of gentle but steady- constraints , which in the person of an invisible police malces the streets of London safe amidst two millions of people—which constantly sends 5 / . notes to the Chancellor of the Exchequer , though no man knew of the defalcation —which tames even the sad ferocity of hunger , and enables us to risk the experiments of tickets of leave—the Law which has alread y secured so much
for the weaker sex , though not one in a thousand ever saw even the shadow of its wig and gown , except in their marriage license . For true it is , that the Law of a great and free nation is less a sharp and isolated authority than an nil-pervading atmosphere . If it is impure we breathe it at a thousand lungs ; we do not fight it , for "to beat the air" is proverbially childish ; but we drain our marshes and lay a ; penalty 1 upon > our chimneys , till we find we can say , " How clear it is to-day , thercis nothing in the air , " although there may be all the time a degree of pressure per inch which , if removed , would make us leap fifteen feet high at every step we took . Let it not be forgotten , therefore , that no patching process of extra tribunals will meet the requests set forth in the petition , which was , that the Legislature would inquire into and amend , upon various points relating to the property and earnings of married women , the present condition of the Law . 1 am , sir , & c , Bkhsin Hxyneu Patuces .
. Akm,.Ll,-18s7.] Tss Leap'eil 3w ¦ ,:. ...
. AKm ,. ll ,-18 S 7 . ] TSS LEAP'EIL 3 W ¦ ,:. ¦
.. .. U "Candide" On The Elections. I (T...
.. .. u " CANDIDE" ON THE ELECTIONS . i ( To the Editor of the Leader . } . ' SiR ,- ^ It has long been to me a source of min gled pain < and regret that so able a journalist as yourself should s have "become a . victim to the modern fallacy of imagin- i ing , or at least of asserting , that whatever is , is not 1 always best- Trom articles that have recently appeared , i in your paper it might be inferred tli at the most competent men are not on all occasions returned to represent their countrymen in Parliament—that the electors themselves are not unfrequently influenced by unworthy motives in making their choice—and that the cordial understanding which exists at election time between the candidates and their constituents is hollow , fictitious , and ephemeral . Fortunately , sir , it is in my power to dispel your delusions , and , if your honesty is at all equal to your ability , you will not refuse to accept the refutation of your unwholesome and narrow-minded theory - from even so humble an individual as myself—one , liow' ever , who , like Mr . Meagles , is a practical in an . Allow me to premise that I am at present making a ' tour through , the eastern and midland counties of this
great and enlightened country ; though you will pardon my not gratifying your idle curiosity as to whether I am enduring the restraints of the honeymoon , or indulging in the amorous falsehoods of the commercial gent . It was , if my memory deceive rue not , on the night of Wednesday the 18 th ult ., that I found myself standing in the arched doorway of a commodious family hotel in a large county town . The gas shone out with . its usual brilliancy—the air was redolent with bad . tobacco—the pavement dotted with orange peel , and the shutters were beingr poked from the shop-door into the eye of the passer-by . Suddenly a throng of hilarious citizens swept past me into the yard of . the caravanserai , then more and more , till the big drops swelled into a full stream . In the crowd I distinguished an individual of a timid and retiring disposition . Upon Mm I swooped , ns an owl upon a mouse , and demanded the cause of the gathering . He trembled , one hand went up to his mouth , i ! i , i I , 3 ,
and thus lie hastened to reply ; — " Oh , sir , don ' t you know , sir ? I suppose you ' stranger , sir ? This is a grand meeting of the Odd Fellows to meet the Liberal candidates . " " Expound your moaning more clearly , " quoth I . "VVell , , you see , sir , our old member is one of us ; so wo all said we'd stand by him . Hut you see , air , we don ' t rcnlly like him no ] iow , for lie ' s nllers been very good in the way of lending us monoy and helping us in our straits . You know , sir , nobody cares to remember that Bortof thing , so we just guv a . hint to the other candidates that if they would demean the . sselvesto join us , we'd rco what wo could do for them . Well , sir , they ha' tuk the hint , and now we ' re going to ha' a < lrop o ' sumthing with our now brothers . You can come , sir , too , if you ha' a mind—there baint nutlung to pay . " After this , of course I went . A long room was * filling fast with bipeds , who cullod lustily for various beverages and for cigars—though later in tl > e evening pipes were preferred . Presently two gentlemen were UBhore < l in by Mr . G . P . R . James—no , no , I don ' t mean that , but I never think of two gentlemen -without an association witlv the . name of that lierring-iiower prolific novelist . Two gentlemen came in , attended by various local eclubritio * , in the midnt of enthusiaHtie cheering—it wan clear that they had not yet laid any one present under the irksoinuness of nn obligation . The ono wim an unllcil ^ ud Welling , who had kccii sumo twenty-live suimnorn . Tin vies the eldest uon of the Karl of Wliiteclmllc , whom ! idourt ( m tho Huhjw . f . ' of practical benevoleim : had rendered him unpopular with nuuiy of hia fellow countrymen . The other waa u Louden merchant ; but both i 1 ; e f n r r ii y
of them appeared ta regard the-present as the happiest and proudest moment of their existence . I need not particularize the various toasts , sentiment ? , songs ; cigar * , pipes , and grogs , that rapidly succeeded each other 'tfll the " wee liour ayont the twal' . " But what I do insist upon is this , that , If elections can produce so much kindj genial , sympathetic feeling between the extreme points of the social scale , It is a very great pity they do not occur every year . Oh , I know you . will say that after the election neither the lordling nor the merchant would be seen to enter an . Odd Fellows' crab . That , my good sir , is begging the question , and , for my part , I sball look for these worthy gentlemen at every convivial meeting during the ensuing season ; whether at Evan &' s , Cramorne , the Cider . Cellars , or Canterbury ; Hall—ayv not even excepting Almack ' s . Two days after-witnessing this touching andintere 3 t- ' ing : scene I happened to "be in Sitockington . In that neighbourhood the Duke of Neufch & tel is the Pttrltelion ; No matter what may be the first frivolous fancies of the aborigines , it is sufficient to say , U Due lee volt—in Ehglish , Men cntendu—to have an entire change effected in their intentions . The Duke is not only wise , heis also kindhearted : ho is not only kindhearted , ho ia also affable ind condescending-. My worthyand excellent landlady waxed warm in praise of his Grace : — - 1
" He i » quite a gentleman . Qniy the last timehe was in the town lie walked into our bar while Miss Salmon"Xa wave of the hand indicated thub the mermaid was the Hebe of the hotel ) and me were at dinner . ' Ati » Mrs . White , ' he said , ' caught you at dinner , eh . ?' ¦ ' A pleasant occupation . ' In course we both of iis rose from our chairs , and I said , ' Will your -Orace plense to -walk into our little parlour ? ' 'No , thank you , ' says he , Til just " sit here and have a chat with , yon while you ' dining , if you'll allow mo . ' In course * -we botli of us said we should feel greatLy honoured . And I give you my word , sir T I never was so amused in my life . After he had gone ,. I said , to Miss Salmon , says I , ' I declare I don ' t seem to caxe about my dinner . His Grace has quite pub me off my appetite . ' And Miss Salmon said , ' Well , do you know , Mrs . White , I was just thinking , I should like to have a duke by my . side ^ every day at dinner time—it ' s as good as a band of music '" ¦ ' -: .. Is riot that , sir , a pleasant vignette ? A great duke bringing out all Ms intellectual treasures for the recrea .-tion of a Bonifacia and her barmaid ! And yet foreigners accuse us of being haiighty and reserved . What ! " His son is standing for the county ! " "Well ' . what of that ? Shame on you foi the paltry insinuation . In the midland counties there is an important town named Costello . The inhabitants have , from time immemorial , been held to be the property of th . e great baron , Lord Parry , owner of men and patron of ballet danoers . Insensible to their good fortune in belonging to such an illustrious master , these foolish ¦ people bethought them of setting up an image of their own manufactured Tlicy had not long to wait for an urban deity . The deus ex machinery was bight Coour de Lion Brindled Sherricobler , Esc [ ., a worthy man , and wealthy to boot . Indeed , Ms introducer , Mr . Togia , said that he was prepared to put 10 , 000 / . into any local bank they pleased , if they would honour him with their suffrages . What a contrast to your John Macgregora and Humphrey Browns . Mr . Sherricoblor himself shot far ahead of the cautious Pogis . He was not asliamod to acknowledge tliat he waa in independent circumstances , that he liad made his own fortune , that he was cousin two generations back and only five times removed , to a Sherricobler who never paid his tradesmen and always took in hift friends , that he had money in many railways , and that he -was also concerned in underground operations . Finally , he was still open to conviction—he could be moulded as they pleased . At present , ho waa ob a pearl on a pig ' s snout , but it was in their power to transform him into tho golden calf— unless they preferred him . as the goose with tlie golden egg . Need I say that the electors of Costello are delighted with their novus homo as an agreeable vurioty after the vir antiqwte to whom they have hitherto been subjected . Aa a commercial community , they have Teason to rejoice in their anticipated emancipation from time-worn prejudices ; and . I am mire , sir , that even you will admit that the fittest man to represent an influential boroug h , ia one who has ten thousand " notions" to invest in local undertakings , -whilo ho ia unlettered l > y any opinions or prejudices of
his own on any subject whatsoever . Hut last night it was my privilege to -witness one . of those decided manifestations of public opinion which do so much credit to thi » our native land . There could not have been fewer than 7000 mngnaniinouB Great Britons trampling on ono another ' s toes and yelling into ono another ' s cars . They had assembled to receive an account of the Bayings and doings of their past representatives . The ono was a tall , fine-looking man , about nixty-three yenrs of ap ; e , with white hair , huge shirtcollurs , a bluck beard , long and tttrong aa horsehair , and a tremendous bamboo eane , an terrible as a " Penang lawyer . " His black surtout was fastened only by tue lowest button , so that the upper part bulged out to corrcHpond with his " giLln , " and ho stood defiantly with hia hnndti upon his hips—woincwhat resembling an undent amphora . IE « grunilriud at thu troublo tUc electors had given him in bringing him down from town .: he disputed tl & uir right to interfore with , hit ) personal con-
> Imprisonment K)U Dk1jt. (Jj'o The Edit...
> IMPRISONMENT K ) U DK 1 JT . ( JJ'o the Editor of the Leader . ) Audi altcrevi port em . It has of late , in my opinion , oeen somewliat too much tho practice to abuse tho creditor for seeking to enforce payment of his just demands from his debtor hy the punishment of imprisonment . _ I do not for one moment wish to defend the prnctice of imprisonment for debt ns it now obtains in France , but I cannot help thinking that the ubscMicu of power to imprison certain classes of debtors in carried to too great an extreme in England ,
purticu-. — . - - .. ¦ ¦ : larly in cases where the sumrecovered by a judgment is under 20 L And I will give you an instance . In the year 1854 a West-end tailor employed a poor sempstress to make his waistcoats , & c , and continued so to do until nearly the end of 1856 , by which ! time he was- several pounds sterling in her debt for work done as well' as for goods supplied . The creditor being unable to get her money , sued the debtor , and obtained * judgment against him : in . the County Court . The ' debtor took no notice of the order of the court , and an execution was levied oh his goods , when the debtor politely offered the bailiff , not the money , but a bill-of-sale by way of mortgage of aUTiis goods , dated in the year 1853 , infavour of a person who turned out to be a friend . The debtor had , throughout the period of his employment of the creditor , always kept a well-furnished house , three female domestics , and dressed ami lived in good style , and the creditor naturally considered her debtor was a man of means . Subsequent inquiries , however , show that the debtor was discharged from his debts at Ipswich in 1853 , in London in 1855 , and agaia in Ipswich in 1856 . The debtor has all this time kept possession of the same furniture , and lived , and still lives , ' in the sa , rae style that he has done for several years , and laughs at all his creditors . May . I inquire of your correspondent " Givicus" whom he or . Lord Eldon would consider the more " worthless" of the two in the case I have above narrated . I can furnish hini -with names and other details ; unfortunately , there are but too many cases of a similar kind . . JFiAt Justiti . v .
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), April 11, 1857, page 11, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_11041857/page/11/
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