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T between the heart of and the No. 460, ...
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THE ELBE TOLLS
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THOUGHTS, FACTS, AND SUGGESTIONS ON PARL...
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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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Attempted Revival Of The Slavetrade In A...
Stives , and they ask for suspension of pubbc Son unt il their motives can be expi red and tE argatnents heard . The proceeding , therefore Snot the act of an individua , but of a party . It is most likelv , indeed , to combine both aspects , to be performeci under the patronage ^ party i or the profit of an individual . The Africans are said to have been four hundred in number . There seems to have b een some difficulty in disposing of them , but it is scarcely denied tbat purchases were made . After the cargo was landed , Captain Come , tnc owner of the Wanderer , sent her round in care of another seaman to Brunswick , and in various ways efforts were made to throw any suspicious persons off the scent . ¦
, , While the extreme pro-slavery party , however , has thus participated in the proceedings of Captain Corrie , the authorities of another party , ' . -which seems to be more numerous , have not only expressed a strong opinion against the legality of the act , but have taken legal proceedings to bring those ¦ who are implicated to trial . Several persons who have been arrested for complicity in the slave trade were brought before the United States Commissioner ' s Court , and Judge Henry did his best to trace the proceedings of the vessel , its captain and crew ; but at the very threshold of thetriat counsel raised an objection with no small amount of success . The question was raised . ' whether the witnesses
should be compelled to testify so as to criminate themselves , as the act of which they are accused is more ¦ than a misdemeanour—is a felony , subjecting those who are guilty to the highest penalty of the law , and oh these grounds the judge decided that no person should be required to give evidence which should criminate himself or tend to that result . With regard to the general character of the evidence there does not appear to be the slightest doubt ; but under these circumstances there was an evident difficulty in rendering incomplete , and it is more than probable that the failure which attended the appeal to the law in the case of the Echo would be repealed in this case .
It is more than probable , however , that the course taken by the patrons of Captain Corrie would have a result very different from that which they anticipated . It was supposed that the success attending this experiment would afford the occasion for a good deal of brag on the side of the extreme southern party . It is quite evident that , it will afford a handle for the abolitionist party , and also for that more numerous party which resents any encroachment upon the laws of the republic ; for there is not the slightest question that , the law has been broken , and in the most flagrant manner . Captain
larger supply of labour . It cannot be asserted that anything but moral injury to society can come of these importations . The laws of the country have been broken , the public sentiment of the Whole country offended , piracy committed , and guilt deliberately incurred , solely for sordid gain . Heretofore the pride of the South iias been that her cause was the cause of the Constitution and . the laws ; but now some of her own people endeavour wantonly to abrogate and set aside those instruments . " With regard to the sentiments of the federal executive there is no doubt ; in no case is it probable that the Government at Washington could in
any way toberate such a proceeding as that of Captain Corrie . There is no necessity for concession the party to be conciliated by accepting the outrage as an act of spontaneous legislation is too small to be really of any importance , although it is common in this country to assume that if the South is not unanimous in favour of restoring slavery , there is a majority holding that opinion ; let it is obviously as impolitic to encourage such an idea , as it is false in fact . It is partly because the violent minority in the Southern States has been made much of that it has been able to keep
up an appearance of . success . There is another reason : by affecting to consider the South as countenancing these violent propositions , the North has made an enemy for itself which need not have been called into the field . An outrage like this , however , is too excessive for the upholders of the law in the South to remain in equivocal silence . Accordingly , they are declaring themselves without reservation . The majority in the South-, therefore , and the North almost unanimously , would not only expect the President to take a * course for the active vindication of the law ,
but will lend him an active support in doing so . Mr , Buchanan ' s own sentiments are well known ; he deprecates alike extreme opinions on both sides ; lie has never countenanced the dictation of the North , which would make an easy sacrifice of other people ^ s property to an abstract idea ; for to the federated republic of the North negro slavery is an abstract idea . Mr . Buehanan has equally discountenanced the proposal to relax the prohibition upon
the slave trade ; and , indeed , it is well known that his earliest political connexions belong to a distinguished pwrty which favoured the idea of prospect lively abolishing slavery . "While , therefore , he is the very mail to hold the balance in the present disturbed state of the Union , he will heartily share the feeling and conviction of the dominant majority , though we have in his well-known prudence the guarantee of that caution which would restrain lam from any re-actionary extremes either way .
Corrie and his coadjutors knew that they were forbidden to deal iu slaves , they knew that it was . a Capital offence , they have , however , done so deliberately although they have tried to evade the execution of the law ; they have done so in tiie face of day , and this extraordinary proceeding of a party which is in the minority , has aroused indignation amongst many who cannot in any way be rcckouccl with the advocates of Abolitionism . The majority of the Union are of course in favour of maintaining the law which has been passed and has been ratilied by the representatives of the people in Congress . The majority , comprising probably niiuMentjis of tho Union , will not permit its legislation and its
executive officers to be defied by a very small minority . In this way not only is public spirit offended at such a proceeding , but all thoughtful men at once perceive that if it bo tolerated it will end iu terminating all law , and in . placing the country at the mercy not only of a faction , but of a fraction . It will , tjicreforo , rally to a settlement of tho question many who have hil ' hei-to stood aloof from it , either because they depreoated division of tho republic , or becauso they could not share tho oxtremo views of the Abolitionist party . Nor is tho ofTeuco passed over without notice in the capital of the Federation . Tho Union of
Washington gives utterance to tho opinion that there is not a single circumstance to relievo tho moral turptitudo of the oriino . It has many circumstances to aggravate it : —" Tho law of tho country has been deliberately violated , and au act of piracy committed as . sordid and as wanton us over disgraced tho times of the buccftnoers . Why have gibbering negroes , littlo more plovntod in intelligence than eo * many lnonkoys , been brought from thoir nativo and odngenial wilds to bo thrust upon our soil P Simply for money value ., It is not protended that any advantage can acoruo to this continont , its people , or Us institutions , except tho more pecuniary advantage that lnuy result from a
T Between The Heart Of And The No. 460, ...
No . 460 , Ja ^ art 15 , 1859 . 1 THE XEADER . 83
The Elbe Tolls
munication between the heart of Germany and the other nations of the world . For a . long period England has remonstrated against the heavy tolls levied at Stade by Hanover oa all vessels entering the Elbe ; and they having been fruitless , notice has been given to the Government of Hanover by our Government that the treaty off 1844 , by which we were bound to submit to these tolls for a ' specific period , should terminate . On English commerce entering the Elbe , according to a statement iii the annual report of the Board of Commerce for Hamburg , these tolls levy a sum equal
to 60 , 000 / . per annum . A tax to that amount is paid to Hanover by the consumers of German products brought from the Elbe and consumed in England , or by the consumers of English products in Germany carried thither by the same river . For this sum , or rather for the larger sum which Hanover levies on the whole trade of the Elbe , she performs no services whatever . She merely exacts the money for her special advantage , and other nations are patient under the spoliation . ... The rapidly increasing trade of Germany , which is diverted from the Elbe , and especially from Hamburg by these tolls , is rousing a spirit of resistance even
amongst the placid and submissive Germans . By the Board of Commerce public opinion is appealed to , and is expected " to remonstrate strongly against such illegal obstacles to commercial intercourse , and demand ' their immediate removal . " Too soon it cannot take place . While the whole trade of Germany is increasing with unexampled rapidity the traffic on the Elbe of goods has fallen off from 2 , 033 , 000 cwt ; , in 1845 , to 294 , 000 cwt . in 1 S 57 . The tolls on the Elbe above Hamburg exceed the charge for carrying goods by railway to Magdeburgy Dresden , and Prague . In seventy-five miles ironi Lauenburg to "Wittenburer ., on which the freight is
from two to three silver grosschen the mile , the tolls levied by Hanover , Mecklenburg , and Denmark amount to six silver grosschen five pfennige . Hanover has lately made Harburg , on her own coast , opposite Hamburg , a free port , and from this port railways proceed to all parts of Germany . By exonerating the goods landed at Harburg from the lolls she continues to levy on the goods landed at Hamburg , Hanover now tries to ruin the trade of this ancient Hanse-town . If she could accomplish , it by offering to the commerce of Germany greater advantages at Harburg than it can enjoy at
Hamburg it might be meritorious , but it is a flagrant wrong to continue for such a purpose the tolls she has no r ight to levy . She now deprives the Elbe of its natural usefulness , and places ourdens on commerce instead of promoting it . To see the gifts of Providence thus wilfully perverted and destroyed ; is enough to make men rise in rebellion against the destroyers , who are at war , as it were , with Nature ; but the Germans , long accustomed to submission * fancy no evil so great as restricting or throwing off an authority which can be so mischievous . The ? time , however , is obviously coming when men will prefer the authority of facts to the authority of sovereigns , and when these are in conflict , as ia levying tolls on the Elbe , the latter must and will go to the wall .
THE ELBE TOLLS . Continual complaints aro made of the slowness of the multitude to master the new knowledge which is from time to time revealed to the clever men of every generation . Their unwillingness , however , to adopt new truth is meritorious compared to the obstinacy with which their rulers , merely from prejudice , or sometimes from self-interest , refuse to follow the light by which all other men walk . It is a matter of notoriety that England owes much of her prosperity and growth to having all her rivers and alhor roods free from any other tolls than those necessary to preserve the roads in repair and the rivers navigable . It is a matter of equal notoriety that the commerce , with tho prosperity of Germany , has boon much retarded by the country being parcelled out amongst different states , each of winch crowded its rivers and roads with tolls .
They coin polled continual delays and examinations of goods , and were intolerable burdens on all , transit , After numorous complaints , and many attempts to lessen or get rid of such tolls , it was solemnly settled at tho Vicuna Congress , iu 1814 , that the " navigation of rivevs along the wholo course , from the point whore they become navigable to thoir mouth , shall bo entirely frco ; " and "tho tariff of
duties on navigation shall bo regulated iu such a manner as to oncourago commerce by facilitating navigation . " By this latter clauso it was meant that only such tolls should bo levied oil shipping as would suflloo to pay the oxponso of keeping the rivors free from oeounmlaUons of sand , and providing accommodation for vossols . In opposition to those principles , and in defiance pf cxporienco , tho Governments of Hanover , Mooklonburgh , and Denmark persist in levying tolls on vessels going up and down tho Elbo , and impeding tho com-
Thoughts, Facts, And Suggestions On Parl...
THOUGHTS , FACTS , AND SUGGESTIONS ON PARLIAMENTARY REFORM . No . X . In a recent speech at Sheffiold , Mr . Rocbuok , with ? his usual courage , tojd tho constituent bodies of tho kingdom that they had in a great degree themselves to blame for the exclusiveiless of past Administrations , and the doubtfulness of further reforms . Had tho great industrial constituencies of tho empire sent proper men to Parliament since 1832 , family compacts , and Cabinets oflordsand their lacqueys , would have long since become matter of history ; and had the great cities and boroughs in this respect dono their duty at the last general election , it would not now bo a question whother sound and useful moasures of progress . would bo oarried during tho coming session , nor would it bo a question whother a Bonapartist faction on ono side of tho Houso , or an Austrian faction on tho othor , can drag tho country into unnecessary war . But the shameful truth is , that the industry and intelligence already enfranchised has not done its duty , Honourable exceptions there nve , like Birmingham , Southward aiiofuold . Ashton , and Glasgow , with somo others that might bo namodj but the majority of tho largo constituencies lmvo oithor returned ono man or
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 15, 1859, page 19, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_15011859/page/19/
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