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May 23,1857.] THE LEADER, 495 _ m _ fl A...
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THE LYNCII-LAYV SPIRIT AT STAMFORD. "Whe...
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Street Preaching.—A meeting, which was n...
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Transcript
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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 Ballot Argument. The Principal Polit...
fraud is easy ; territorial representatives vindicating the right of non-electors to influence electors ; the transparent ballot-box of Paris adduced against the real ballot-box of Geneva ; an outcry of practical incredulity in the presence of a secret suffrage working effectively and satisfactorily in Australia and in Belgium . But the ground narrows under the feet of Mr . Berkeley ' s . antagonists . They have tried their own alternatives , and their own alternatives have failed . The last general election was a carnival of menaces and bribes . It is time for Lord John Russell to redeem his pledge . " If I see the tenantry of England made to vote at elections contrary to
their own opinions , I will at once reverse my former opinion , and adopt the Ballot . " The Society at Guildhall-chambers should empannel a jury , investigate the case by evidence , and demonstrate to Lord John Rttssexl that the tenantry of England are coerced . The Whig statesman must then honour his promise , or fly off upon a quibble . Before the Parliamentary discussion comes
on Mr . " Wiiitehurst should produce a statement of the corrupt aud unconstitutional influences that weighed in the return of the present House ; for , after all , the triumphant point in favour of the Ballot is that a great evil undeniably exists ; that every other remedy has been tried in England and has failed , but that the Ballot has been tried in Australia and has succeeded . The hand of corruption has there been cut off ; the voters are blind to frowns ; the elections take place quietly , and not a single doubt has been uttered as to the integrity of the scrutineers .
Six local journals reported the perfect working of the Ballot ; one journal , not local , satirised the proceedings , and from that journal— a third-rate print not published in the colony—the Times derived an account upon which it founded its story of ' a dead failure . ' The dead failure was a complete success , as was testified by the Attorney-General of Victoria , and b _ y Mr . Foster , Chief Secretary , both of whom had vigorously opposed the introduction of secret voting . Dr . Greaves , the member for Melbourne , was a zealous anti-Ballot man , and delivered a public lecture in behalf of the old system : but
when the experiment had been made , he professed that ho would never sacrifice so excellent an institution as had been newly established . What becomes , therefore , of the fallacy that the Ballot must fail in its practical working ? If avc look for an example in a European republic wo find it in Geneva . In Belgium secret voting Avas introduced ' to ensure a real representation of the people , ' and wo hear nothing of a break-down in
that quarter . Yet there was , beforehand , tho customary small talk about a sneaking , underhand , un-Bolgian practice , the- truth being that political independence was itself tin-Belgian not many years ago . No doubt , also , tho electors heard that they were the trustees of tho non-electors , nnd accountable to them for their votes . " Now , what is intended by tho voto by Ballot ? " aakw . 'Dr . Lushington . "Why , to givo tho public trustees tho best way to cnablo them to execute tho trust confided to them . "
Practically , the eloctoi'H in counties , acting for tho non-electors , voto in diametrical opposition to their views ; tho wliow of hands is ono result ; tho majority at the poll ia another totally different . More than one-fifth of tho county doctors , Mr . AVuitkiiituht hIiowh , aro Chandoa-chiuso , or teiiant-at-will vol . ern . It was by them that Sir G . 1001 to is Gkioy , in 1853 , was rejected in Northumhei'land . " Such undue inflnenco will compel me , and othcrH , to support tho Ballot . " At Carliwlo , Sir Jamiss Ghaham caught a glimpao of
Tory gold : " I suppose at last I must come round to the Ballot . " Lord Derby admits the influence , but denies that it is undue . " It is only necessary to ascertain the political opinions of the great landlords in a county to know what candidates will be returned for that county at any election . " This is a boast , not a confession . Has power changed hands ? Are the counties less influenced than formerly ? Is there less bribery in the boroughs ? Have all the
Attorney-Generals of all the administrations since 1832 devised one scheme for checking the tyranny of the Chandos clause , or limiting the resources of corruption ? At the last general election , it is true / the Tory landlords , in numerous instances , were beaten by Whig candidates . Their party , however , had dwindled immeasurably , not in reputation or in intellect only , but in funds . It is well
known that , if they desired to command an organ in the press , they could not subscribe money to purchase it , and are therefore without that political vantage-grotind . Of course , no representative capacity is attributed to the charivari print which excites the ridicule of the Carl ton by its juvenile fashion of flattering the ' vastly superior' attainments of Tory lawyers , bishops , diplomatists , and administrators , in the weak hope of being recognised
as an organ . That Toryism has been defeated is no argument against the Ballot . Indeed , we have almost a right to claim Lord John Hussell ' s vote to compensate for the loss of Mr . Disraeli ' s , since there is no guessing when that revolving adventurer may again , show _ the Ballot-front of his imagination to a British
constituency . The public is convinced ; what will convince the Whigs ? There is the Ballot Society , and in conuexion with that the public may do its share of the work .
May 23,1857.] The Leader, 495 _ M _ Fl A...
May 23 , 1857 . ] THE LEADER , 495 _ m _ fl A *««» _ ^ m ^ h ^ m A — -
The Lyncii-Layv Spirit At Stamford. "Whe...
THE LYNCII-LAYV SPIRIT AT STAMFORD . " When , in the presence of a magistrate and a crowded court , the wife of Bacon denounced him as the murderer of her children , there was very naturally what the reporters call a sensation . The justice himself experienced it and indignantly ordered the unfortunate man into custody . Had tlie popular f ( Milin . < r then found a voice it would have cried
" Murderer ! " — the Lynch-law spirit was roused , and a majority of the persons in court would undoubtedly then aud there have hanged Bacon out of the way . As for rumour , it hanged him again and again ; the dead spoke , through their representatives , from a dozen graves ; the public had settled the point that , after an unparalleled course of villany , Bacon had killed hia own oft ' apring . We think we were alone in endeavouring to allay this calumnious frenzy ; but there are
great judges on the bench . Lord CamvbeltJ ; from the first , saw through the complication of evidence , and the man was cleared of all suspicion Avhatever in connexion with tho Walworth crime . Ho then passed into the charge of chief-constable Reed , Avho took him to Stamford . Found innocent of hia children ' s blood , ho is impeached as tho nssaaaiu of his mother . Bacon , tho suspected matricide , arrives at Stamford . The people of Stamford ,
with a generous abhorrence of matricide , receive him with yella , and throw stones at his solicitor . They lash themselves into a fury , and seem an if impatient of tho delay which inuat intervene before Bacon itf executed . Why not execute him at once for having been nccusod of poisoning his mother ? For that , at present , ia tho amount of hia proved guilt . Whether or not ho poisoned hia mother in another question . \\/ e have no right to express an opinion on the subject . Bui ; , us it would bo prematuro
to put him to death before lie is tried , is ifc not premature to hoot him , and is it not a discouragement of justice to throw stones at his solicitor ? By the way , why has Mr . Atteb abandoned the case ? "We confess that we dislike this growing tendency out of doors to prejudge the guilt or innocence of prisoners awaiting their trial . The contamination of prejudice must necessarily reach those who are to sit in the jury-box , and it is then a farce to tell them to dismiss from their minds all they have heard . If Bacon ' s friends desire to secure an impartial inquisition they will make an effort to transfer it from Lin' . ^ _ ^
coln to the Old Bailey . Suspicions of partiality are the natural results of such displays as the burst of execration and violence at Stamford . In Palmee ' s case there were almost factions for and against him . In Bacon ' s again , opinions run high , but generally against the law ' s presumption that he is innocent tmtil proved to be guilty . ~ We repeat , we offer no suggestion on that point ; but , although the Stamford populace are animated , no doubt , by a pious sentiment of loathing towards a man who could poison his mother , they forget one essential element necessary to justify their verdict—Thomas Fuller Bacon is accused , not convicted .
Street Preaching.—A Meeting, Which Was N...
Street Preaching . —A meeting , which was numerously attended , was held on Monday evening in the Music-hall , Chester , to give expression to a feeling of sympathy with Mr . Reginald Radcliffe and the missionaries from Liverpool , who -were arrested and sent to prison by order of Major French , a magistrate , while preaching in the streets during the time of the Chester races . Sanitary State of the Cixr . —The Medical Officer of Health for the City ( Dr . Letheby ) presented to the City Commissioners of Sewers , on Tuesday , a report referring to a hundred and forty-four houses that had been inspected during the week , and he submitted a list of ninety-nine places which require the orders of the Court for their sanitary improvement in various particulars . He also presented certificates of the overcrowding of several houses in St . John ' s-court , Smithfield , and Blythe ' s-buil dings and Lamb-alley , Sun-street . He likewise drew the attention of the commission to the state of a wretched tenement ia the yard at the back of No . 5 , Thompson ' s-rents , Halfmoon-street , where one man , two women , and two children lodge in a couple of rooms not fit for human habitation . The mortality table for the week indicated a favourable state of the public health , the total number of deaths being but forty-seven . Mr . Abraham moved that the report be referred to the General Purposes Committee . Mr . Barkly seconded the motion , which was carried unanimously . Dr . Livingston was presented with the freedom of the City of London on Thursday at a sitting of the Court of Common Council . The court was cr owded to excess , and among those present were numerous ladies . The rev . gentleman was introduced by Sir John Key , Chamberlain , and Mr . Saunders , the mover of the resolution for conferring the freedom upon him . Sir John Key , who was attired in his robes of office , addressed Dr . Livingston in a highly eulogistic speech ; nnd then presented tho casket , which was made of African rock , with silver plates , inscribed at the sides , while on tho top , in gold , Europe holds tho hand of friendship to Africa , beneath the shade of a palm-tree . Tho doctor , in returning thanks , dwelt at some length on the African character , nnd on tho good work we might perform in rendering tho black man entirely free . Total Loss ok this Ska Kino , nisaii Hoi ^ yhkad . — This fine ship , bound to Liverpool from Callno , was totally lost , during a thick fog , on Monday night , in Carnarvon Bay , about eight milea from Holyhead . It was thought that tho ship had a good berth oft" tho coast , but she struck on 11 sunken rock , gradually fillod , nnd settled down , her cargo ( guano ) washing out . She has become a total wreck . The Sea King was nearly a new ship , of more thnn 1000 tons burthen . Tho loss of vessel and cargo will involve several thousands . Both aro reported to have boon insured . Attkmi'tkd Murdisk of a Qranbmotiieb . —A man named Alfred Bartlett is under remand at Marlborough-Btront , charged with robbing the houso of his grandmother at Charlton , near Stroud , and with attempting to murder her . lie had ransacked tho house during Monday night , and had attacked tho old woman with n heavy poker . Sho was found next morning in Iior bedrooin , with her skull fractured , and with other fearful injuries . Her lilb is despaired of . Bnrtlotf , was arrested on Wednesday night in London . . A Smoiit MtSTAKK . —In tho first cntulotfiio of t ^ Manchester Art Treasures Exhibition , Onnovn a Mngdnlen' was marked as ' Tho Dying dludmtor .
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), May 23, 1857, page 15, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_23051857/page/15/
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