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.Jxheb ,13, 1855.J THE LEADER. £59
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PRESENTATION OF BURMESE MEDALS. [We were...
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AMERICA. T«c examinations of the porsons...
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M. Socle and Mr. Perky: Serious Charges....
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ADMINISTRATIVE REFORM DEMONSTRATION. A m...
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MURDER BY AN ENGLISHMAN IN FRANCE. John ...
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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.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
Prince Albert On Responsible Government....
r \ mr and diplomatic relations may be at tLeir height , an atfcvcerse vote in Parliament may . at a moment deprive the .. Queen of the whole of her confidential servants . Genrtlenren , our constitutional government is undergoing a Jiaavy trial , and we shall not get successfully through it rcmless the country will grant its confidence—patriotic , jintelligent , and self-denying confidence—to her Majesty ' s government . ( Loud cheers . ") Gentlemen , I propose to you to drink the health of Viscount Palmers ton and her ' Majesty ' s Ministers . " -Xiord Palmerston , in acknowledging this toast , made a very commonplace speech , full of stale quotations and metaphors about " the battle and the breeze , " " a long pull , a strong pull , and a pull altogether , " " the vessel of the state , " " weathering the storm , " " noble crew , " & c . Of course he was loudly cheered .
.Jxheb ,13, 1855.J The Leader. £59
. Jxheb , 13 , 1855 . J THE LEADER . £ 59
Presentation Of Burmese Medals. [We Were...
PRESENTATION OF BURMESE MEDALS . [ We were compelled by the extreme pressure of other matter to omit the following from our last week ' s paper . ] The presentation , by the Queen , of the Crimean . medals has been followed by a ceremony of a similar kind , less imposing , indeed , less touching , and less brilliant , yet of interest in these war times , when the : profession of the soldier has a gravity and importance very different from the idle , sauntering , holiday character of military men during the days of peace . On Monday week , Sir Harry Smith presented at Manchester themedals granted by the East India Company to the 51 st ( King ' s Own ) Light Infantry , which was engaged in the late Burmese war . The fact of the regiment being under orders for the Crimea added a deep , and we might almost say pathetic , interest to the occasion . The medals distributed were upwards of four hundred . . Sir Harry Smith , having addressed each soldier separately during the presentation , made some reremarks to the regiment collectively at the conclu-. clusion . In the course of these , he said : — " You are about , my men , to proceed on another -arduous service . I say arduous , because many of you know what it is to be a soldier . The life of a soldier is not that of a feather-bed . We don ' t expect a comfortable bed , but enough to eat and drink ; and fighting is all we look forward to , and an endeavour to keep out of hospital . And now , you old soldiers , try to teach the young ones what they have to do in camp , and not to expose themselves unnecessarily to the sun , or to drink when they had better be asleep ; teach them that our duty is to preserve ourselves for the purpose of destroying our enemy . Then , my men , we may obtain that glorious result of war — peace . And now , 51 st
Light Infantry , go where you may , well do I know < g > ou will uphold that character which the regiment lhaa teamed , and which is written on its colours . Do - ¦ your duty , my men , fear no one , and look forward to promotion . There is no reason why many of you now 4 n the ranks should not attain to elevated stations in her JMajesty ' s army ; and it is the desire of the Queen Jttfld the country to promote those who have shown ^ examples of gallantry , by the side of those who have 'Stood in the ranks like yourselves , and are now wearing medals , and are officers in her Majesty ' s service . Lot ms therefore hope that , by your assistance , this -war ' » dll soon be terminated , and that , when you come to your native land once more , you will strut about the . streets like gentlemon with the medals which have been , * his day distributed to you , and with others that your igfellantry will earn . "
There are certain points of comparison between the two ceremonies—that in the park at London , and that at Manchester—which involuntarily proscnt themselves to the mind . The Queen distributed her Tewards to men who had already gathered their fame in the -fields of the fur-off Chersonese , and who hud returned , pale and faint and shattered , from that ^ Titanic contest-which now holds the world breathless : ' Sir Harry Smith bestowed the medals of a private company upon men distinguished in n more distant but leas arduous scene , and who are now about to depart for that blood-stained peninsula from which
their comrades have come . back with honouiublu Bears . In the one case there was the sickness ot long Buffering , the premature lameness and helpless 'dependency of men hacked and rent in the pride ol their youthful manhood : in the other , confident and healthy strength , as yet untouched , but going hopefully forth to confront afc any rate a chance of the eaino fate . Let us trust , however , that at least a mnjority of those now on their route will return , to receive ( us they will assuredly deserve to receive ) thu added laurels of still higher deeds than thono which they havo oven now performed , mid to take their station with the recognised bands of Crimean horous .
America. T«C Examinations Of The Porsons...
AMERICA . T « c examinations of the porsons charged with enlisting recruits for the Crimea continue ; and tliu Oftsea havobeon adjourned . Three individuals have « Uo ,, bQ On examined on a charge of fitting out a biig
at the port of New York for the African slave trade ; and have been remanded . —Captain Kinney ' s " filibustering" vessel has been blockaded by three Government steamers and a revenue cutter in East River , New York . An attempt to sail was frustrated ;—Accounts from California mention that the crops are in admirable condition . The mistake or imposition about new diggings at Kern river was thoroughly exploded ; but fresh reports of still further gold discoveries were in existence . Business was dull . The Legislature had adopted an act to levy a capitation tax of fifty dollars on every Chinaman arriving in the State . —Santa Anna , at the latest accounts , was advancing on Zamora ; and
report spoke of the Government troops having gained a victory at Guanaxuato . The army of Santa Anna had been separated by the skilful manoeuvring of his opponents . —The news of the combination of the Sioux Indians against the whites is confirmed : their attitude is extremely menacing . — The Canadian Legislature has been prorogued , after throwing out a bill for applying the principle of popular elections to the House . The Toronto Globe intimates that the removal of the sent of the Canadian Government to Toronto is pretty certain . A Government agent has been at Toronto making arrangements for the necessary buildings . —The house of Page , Bacon , and Co ., of San Francisco , has again failed .
M. Socle And Mr. Perky: Serious Charges....
M . Socle and Mr . Perky : Serious Charges . — The New York papers contain a letter addressed to the President by Mr . Perry , United States charge ' d ' affaires at Madrid , in reply to the charges recently brought against him by M . Soule , who had denounced him as " a spy and a traitor . " Mr . Perry , in reply , taxes the Americo-Frenchninn with having- transmitted erroneous information to the Washington Government with respect to the real views of the Spanish Cabinet and people in reference to the sale of Cuba . He also accuses him of bavins purposely
mismanaged the affair of the Black Warrior , so as to impede the success of the reclamations of the American ministry ; and of suppressing for five months an important despatch from the Secretary of State to the Spanish Government , relating to that affair . Mr . Perry asserts that , after the departure of M . Soule , the case was properly adjusted ; a settlement was obtained of certain claims which had been standing over since 1834 ; and an overture was made for the negotiation of a great treaty conferring immense mutual advantages upon Americans and Spaniards .
Administrative Reform Demonstration. A M...
ADMINISTRATIVE REFORM DEMONSTRATION . A meeting of the Administrative Reform Association was held on Wednesday evening , in Drury-lane Theatre , which was crowded in every part . Mr . Morley was in the chair , and read letters , apologising for absence , and approving of the objects of the movement , from the Rev . S . G . Osborne , Mr . Hey wood , M . P ., Sir William Clay , M . P ., and Mr . Charles Dickens . He spoke at some length ; but his arguments were similar to those which have already been advanced on several occasions , and do not call for analysis . Mr . Layard then came forward , and was received with repeated bursts of applause . He said : — " If he were called upon to divide England into two parties as connected with this movement , ho should say that on one side were all the men of common sense , of respectability , and wealth , who by their perseverance and industry hoped to raise a name for themselves and to do good to the public service ; while on the other there was a . small party who claimed to themselves the monopoly of Government , and who lived , grew fat , and vegetated upon those corruptions and evils which the Association wore . determined , if possible , to remove . ( Cheers . ") .... What had . been the manner in which the war hitherto had been conducted V
Generally the blame was thrown upon the system , and an endeavour was made to exculpate persons . In the evidence given boforo the Sebastopol Committee , no singlo fault had been pointed out which was not either thrown upon the system or upon Mr . Ward , who died several months ago . ( Laughter . ) If anything waa found wanting which ought to havo been supplied for the comfort of the troops , it waa always said to have gone down in the Prince . ( Lang / iter . ) Now , ho bc-liovcd that all tlio misfortunes that had arisen were to bo attributed
to that system of lnisgovernmont of which the society complained , and which the public had for many yearn permitted to exist . . . . N « o < l thoy fool surprised at . thin when thoy know , from the testimony of Lord Aberdeen ( murmurs oj' disapprobation ) and Sidnoy Herbert ( murmurs ) , that during two months , while tho greatest event * wore in propjroSH , nnd while tho dignity and honour of tjiia country were pledged as they had never boforo boon pledgod , thorn -was no Cabinet Council hold ? ( Cries of' Shame P ) All tho Cabinet , with tluoo oxcoptjons—and thoy wore I ' oelitOH — woro away amusing thoinaulvos . Thoy found at tho commencement of tho
Crimean expedition , on the testimony of Lord Aberdeen ^ all the information which the Government received ¦ mss almost entirely derived from the . reports in the public papers . " Mr . Layard commented on the corrupt mode of distributing situations in public offices , and denounced our system of secret diplomacy , as well as the spirit of aristocratical cliqueism which rules in the formation of our Governments . Mr . Lindsay , M . P ., gave some singular instances of Government apathy and mismanagement with respect to shipping :
"About six weeks ago he was asked by Sir DeLacy Evans if the scarcity of shipping was still as great as it had been . His reply was , that shipping might be found to any amount ; when Sir De Lacy Evans said hi 3 statement was very strange , because for more than a . month he had been desirous of sending out 3000 horses to his division in the Crimea , and he had been told that it was impossible to find ships to carry them out . He ( Mr . Lindsay ) made inquiries into the matter , and subsequently addressed a letter to Sir De Lacy Evans , stating that some time ago a friend of his had written to Lord Panmure , offering to supply , in twenty-four hours , a magnificent fleet of the finest ships in the world , capable of carrying out 2200 horses , at the low
rate of 16 s . or 17 s . per ton registered tonnage . The answer received was the usual one—that the offer would be considered . Some time afterwards , another offer was made to the Government to find a fleet capable of taking out 2660 horses , and yet he ( Mr . Lindsay ) understood that to this day the larger portion of the horses referred to by Sir De Lacy Evans had not gone -out . " (" Hear , hear , '" and cries qf u Shame . " ") Mr . Lindsay then adduced further cases , in which the vexatious and inconsiderate conduct of Government with respect to shipowners had led to the loss of several valuable vessels , which had been taken by the French Government . In conclusion , he observed : —
" He had moved for returas to be made with respect to the transport service ; and , although the Government had taken five months to make them , yet there were so many errors in them—even wilful errors he was afraidthat if a clerk of his had made one-tenth part of them he would have dismissed him , and he would not rest until the men who had made the errors in these returns were dismissed . " Mr . Tite , M . P ., Mr . Otvray , M . P ., and Sir Charles Napier , briefly addressed the meeting , which then terminated .
Murder By An Englishman In France. John ...
MURDER BY AN ENGLISHMAN IN FRANCE . John Edwakd Piers , a native of the Isle of Man , has been tried in France for a murder committed under very singular circumstances , lie had resided for five-andtwenty years at St . Omer , and in the course of last April occupied the first floor of a house belonging to . a coal-dealer named Barbiou . On the 17 th of that month , Barbion was in his yard , talking with a workman ; and Piers was at his window , listening to their conversation . . Shortly afterwards , Piers invited Barbion up into his room , and instantly shot him . On being taken into custody , he stated that his motive for committing the deed was the fact of Barbion having mqdo abominable imputations against him ; that these
imputations were ot a nature to dishonour him in England ; and that therefore he considered himself justified in taking Barbion's life . His answers to the interrogatories of the President of the Court of Assizes exhibited singular determination , and the existence of a most deadly feeling of revenge . Being asked if he admitted having killed the man , he at onco said " Yes . " He had been found after the murder armed with pistols and other weapons ; and he now acknowledged that this was to protect himself from violence . Ho said that , on inviting Barbion up into his room , ho was firmly resolved to lull him . " Tho act you have committed , " observed tho President , "is tho greatest of crimes . " "Tho imputation cast on me , " retorted Piers , " was infinitely more serious than what I have done . It waa tho most
dreadful outrage _ that can bo made on a man ; and , without being dislionoured , a man cannot allow tho person who made it to live . " He added , that ho did not lire at Barbion while he v / as in tho yard because he was afraid of missing him . Tho President desired to know why , if ho bolioved himself insulted , lie had not challongod Burbion to fight a duol . "A duel , " replied Piors , " wuh impossible between us , becuuso it waa necessary to put him to douth , and it would not huvo boon possible to havo found seconds who would huvo consented to that . BosidcH , 1 wanted to take his life and not cxposo my own ; for , if ho had killed mo , 1 should havo died dishonoured . " Upon tho public prosecutor demanding whether , under tho saino circumstances , ho would again act in tho aaino way , I'iorn ropliod , " Yew , . Sir . "
In defonei ) , it wan assorted that the man was demented ; thai , ho lay undor continual wuspioion of persons talking ill « f him ; that lie would fretjuontly rino at night to listen whothur pooplo woro spunking against him in tho street ; and that on ono occasion ho fired a pistol at throe individuals who woro talking bonoath his window . Two medical men stated that thoy holiovod him to bo
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), June 16, 1855, page 7, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_16061855/page/7/
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