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    746 THE LEADER; [^0.436^1^ 31, isssl

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    PARLIAMENTAET PEMMICAIST. On Friday, the...

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    ISlKTiiot'oxiTAN IHaim' Dkainacik.—A cop...

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    Interoceanic Communication. The Jirncxio...

    the isthmus of Darien are exploded schemes . The * a 3 wav across Panama is an accomplished fact , but defective in position , deficient in ports , deadly in climate , and without thfr necessary conditions to an adequate and permanent transit . A canal at Nicaragua is practicable in an engineering sense , but impracticable in a financial one . A transit there is , . at Dest , Ibut a temporary expedient , endurable only turtil commerce and travel can find a suitable accommodation elsevrliere . The proposed railway at Honduras has the prime requisites of good harbours and a salubrious climate , has been proved to be entirely feasible , is under effective political guarantees , and is in the hands of probably the most powerful

    -commercial organisation , ever brought together for 21 similar purpose . Tie waggon-road at lehuantepec is an enterprise of local interest , available *> iuy for the city ot New Orleans and its -vicinity , and debarred by disadvantage of position and absence of ports from ever becoming of general utility , as it is prevented by uhhappy political complications from ever becoming a point of investment for prudent capital . Looking to the simple question of position as regards these -various routes , we have the following comparative results : — From Liverpool to San Francisco ( and the differences are the same as regards Vancouver ) , touching at Jamaica : — Vi & Panama . 7980 miles . „ Nicaragua .... 7720 „ „ Telraantepec ................ 7740 „ „ Honduras 7320 „ From New York to San . Francisco : — Viet Panama 5224 miles . „ Nicaragua .................. 4700 „ ,, Tehuantepee 4200 „ „ Honduras ................. 4121 „ The positive saving , in distance , which the Honduras luie would afford over Panama , in the voyage fromOGreat . Britain to California and Vancouver , vould be ^ therefore , 660 miles ; over Nicaragua , 400 miles ; over Tehuantepec > 4 : 20 miles . As regards New "York and the Atlantic States of the Union , the gain ovei Panama would be 1100 miles ; « iiid over Nicaragua , 580 miles .

    746 The Leader; [^0.436^1^ 31, Isssl

    746 THE LEADER ; [^ 0 . 436 ^ 1 ^ 31 , isssl

    Parliamentaet Pemmicaist. On Friday, The...

    PARLIAMENTAET PEMMICAIST . On Friday , the Lords threw out the bill for legalising damage with a deceased wife ' s sister . That the measure should ever hare reached the Upper Chamber is a ¦ jnroof of what can fce > done iii this country by vreli •^ organised machinery , backed by plenty of money . The Marriage Law " Amendment" Society -will , probably , ^ continue their efforts , until tliey rouse society from its apathy , and then will come an expression of public feeling-which will put a stop to the agitation for one . generation , at least . The India Bill was read a third time after some interesting talk about the religious part 'Of the question . Lord Derby explained the principle upon which the Government intended to act , which may ¦ be stated in a few words to be " a cleur stage and no favour" fpr all religions , Christian , and Pagan , as long ; as none of them offend against decency and morality . His Lordship further stated that no officer of the Go-¦ vernment -would b « permitted , by any act of bis , to countenance any superstitious observance of the natives . Non-interference , in every respect , was to be the rule . Lord Derby's announcement , strange to say , carried ¦ unqualified gratification into the most opposite quarters . The lion and the lamb lay down together . Lords Ellenborough and Shaftesbury were equally delighted , aud so < wero high , and low . church , as represented by the Bishops of Oxford and London . Recollecting what has passed , it is worth mentioning that Lord Shaftesbury . uttered a strong denunciation of the cruel and insolent ¦ treatment of the natives by Europeans .

    On Monday , as was anticipated , Baron Rothschild took his seat in the House of Commons , amidst the ^ cheers of the assembled members . The resolution proposed by Lord J . Russell , authorising members cf the Jewish persuasion to omit the objectionable words from 4 h « oath , was not agreed to , however , without a division . This is a pity . Wo hoped that the minority would have been satisfied with , what they had already don «; but ¦ 4 / aa . must not decide dogmatically on aota - \ vhioh spring vfrom conscientious scruples on religious matters . After jill , has not the whole question turned upon a conscien--tious scruple on tie part of Baron Rothschild ? Thank Heaven , the contest is over ; but it may bo doubted whether the New ( legate party view tho settlement of the question with as much regret as the Whig political traders on the opposite benches .

    On Monday , Lord Lyndhurst , in asking for the production of the correspondence relative to the right or , « a it now appears , we should call it the wrong—of visit -and search , delivered one of those lucid and convincing orations which can be heard only in the assembly which lie adorns . By invinciblo logic , backoid by citations from tho highest authorities on international law , tho

    noble Xord demonstrated that no such thing : as the right of visit and search existed—that a vessel on the seas was part of the nation whose flag she lawfully bore , and that to visit her , against her will , was equivalent to an invasion of her country ' s territory . In a case of grave suspicion that a vessel of one nation , wrongfully assumed the flag of another , a naval commander might visit her ; but he must do so at bis own risk , just as a policeman may arrest a person whom he suspects of being a malefactor . If the naval commander ' s suspicions should prove to be well founded , then his act would be justified ; "but if otherwise , he , or his Government , must make ample apology and compensation . Lord Lyndhurst characterised the conduct of the B ritisli Government in abandoning a claim Avhich could net be wisely enforced , as " v ; ise , prudent , and just . "

    Thus far all was correct ; but there occurred one of those remarkable scenes in which even the gravest of our public meu sometimes play a . part so equivocal , and represent facts with which every one supposed himself acquainted in . a manner so exactly contrary to the received notion , as almost to induce the belief that the world has been in a trance for the last quarter of a century . Up jumped my Lord Aberdeen , and expressed the " utmost astonishment" that the Government enn be supposed to have given up a right which never existed . The law , he said , had been accurately stated by Lord Lyndhurst ; he settled that point , exactly twenty 3 * ears ago , in certain despatches , which he then wrote . " Of course , Lord Granville was not going to let the Derby

    Government have the credit of baving acted " wisely , prudently , and justly , " and , therefore , he too declared that " he had never heard the state of tbe law as laid down by Lord Lyndhurst questioned . " We are , doubtless , expected to accept these statements ; but then what must we think of the morality of the Governments to which these two Lords belonged , in encouraging our naval officers , under instructions issued from home , to violate the law -systematically ; ' The thing is avowed . "I am afraid " says Lord Aberdeen , " the zeal of our cruisers has converted into ' a rale that which was intended only to be an exception . " And pray what difference did it make to the Americans whether they were

    insulted according to the exception ? Did the British Government , ever before the present time , wben the Americans have complained of the " zeal " of our cruisers in the exercise of what Lord Palmerston called the " pretended right " of visit —( whose pretence was it—not the Americans' ?}—declare , unequivocally , that it was abandoned ? Lords Aberdeen and Granyille knew tlrat this question cannot be answered : affirmatively . The evidence of the suffering party ought to determine the point . Let us hear , then , what America , says , speaking through her representative at the British Court . Mr . Dallas , addressing his countrymen upo » a a lecent occcasion , spoke thus :-

    —" While I am able to announce to you this gratifying fact , I think it should be accompanied also by the assurance that the . termination ' ' of that for which we have struggled for nearly half a century has been brought about with a degree of honourable candour and fair dealing on the part of the British Government deserving of every acknowledgment on our part . " Can we suppose that the ' cute Americans have been struggling for half a century to obtain "what was conceded to them twenty yeavs , ago ? Struggling , too ! There could have been no struggle without resistance on our part ; and so Lords Aberdeen and Granvilie must e ' en tell their story to the marines—the sailors won ' t believe it .

    The Corrupt Practices Prevention Continuance Bill was read a third time , and passed , in tbe Commons on Monday . < The measure experienced considerable opposition during its progress , chiefly owing to a clause , introduced by Mr . Ayrton , to legalise the payment of the carriage of voters to the poll—not to tho voters themselves , but to persons carrying- them . Hitherto , the decisions of election committees on this point have been conflicting ; some being for and some against the payment of voters' travelling expenses . Something may be said on both sides of the question . In tho first place , it is urged that if you do not allow voters to bo carried to the poll , many who live at a distance and cannot afford to pay for their own conveyance , would bo , Virtually , disfranchised . In this respect , however , they would be only in the same position as the great body of the richer

    electors in populous boroughs , who , virtually , disfranchise themselves by abstaining from voting even when tbe polling-booths are close to their doors , Then it is contended that tho carrying of voters to the poll would operate us a bribe ; but it is not likely that a man . would make his vote conditional on his boin g treated to a ride in a cab or an omnibus ; and if ho should do so , could the bargain , fairly , come under tho category of bribery ? Suppose a voter should insist on having a song from a candidate as tho condition of voting for him—would that bo bribory ? Yet tho favour would bo much greater in the one case than in tho other . It ia , however , suggested that persons whose conveyances avo hired mny , in promotion of their own interests , bribe electors to vote for the candidates who employ thcrn . This , cortaiuly , is possible .

    It was stated by some ono during the discussion that , at the last election , a candidate for ono of tbo metropolitan districts hired a number of cabmon who wero to

    be paul a guinea a head for every voter they brou ^ hTT " to poll for their employer . We may be / ure S th utmost cabby -would give to the voter would be half' e what he himself received , but the probability is that v would not exceed a fourth part . Well , it , / ay la * * that tins is a shocking state of affairs , and that it iieceasnry to take precautions against its recurrent But the question which immediatel y occurs to a DerJr , " of plain common sense—but to which no one will eivo utterance in the House of Commons—is whv sliouli men who sell votes for five or ten shillings have votes } n sell ? Bernal Osborne appeared to same ad van tdce in the discussions on the bill , and one of liis sentences U worth recording . —" Some persons describe the franchise as a trust , and others as a privilege ; but , as at present exercised , it would be more correct to designate it as « perquisite . "

    On 1 uesday the Lords ' amendments to the India Bill came under consideration , and one amendment with respect to competitive examinations was rejected Aa the bill went up to the Lords , it provided that Indian appointments should be given to successful competitors by virtue of that special enactment . In the Lords it was thought that the enactment in question trenched somewhat on the prerogative of the Crown , and via amendment was made by which the appointment of successful competitors for the Indian service would ua \ e

    been dependent , as is the case with respect to competitions for English appointments , ' upon an order in council instead of this statutory provision . It is tlfis amendment to which the Commons have refused- tlieir assent . Lord Derby ' s noble declaration on this subject has sunk deep into the hearts of the people . It delights one to see a man , even more illustrious by his intellectual gifts than by his ancient lineage , repeating , in the presence of lis peers , the sentiment which the . Ayrshire ploughman has immortalised in his lines ,

    " The rank is but the guinea stamp ; The man ' the gowd for a * that . " "A man ' s origin / " said Lord Derby , "is nothing ; the question to be asked is , ' What are his qualifications for a scientific appointment , aud what is . liis moral cliaracter ? ' If you show me a man who is superior in both of these respects to his competitors , I care not what may be his birth—that man L » the best eutitled to the appbintment to which lie aspire 3 . " These words will be remembered by many a voter at the next . election .

    A memorable session will close on Monday . A Government apparently- strong , from the supposed number of its supporters , has given place to a Government which has become really strong from the hold it has obtained on sound public opinion . From the highest to the lowest , tlie administrative offices are iilled by able men , and the country has been no less surprised than pleased at - \ vitnessiug the earnest and business-like spirit in ' which they have set to work and executed their work . Short as lias been their tenure of ofliee , and unprepared as they were to enter upon it , the present Ministers have passed several useful measures : and two , the Scotch

    Universities IJill , and the Sale and Transfer of Land Bill , of sufficient importance to establish the character of any Government . In short , it may be truly averred that Ministers " have won golden opinions from all sorts of people , " and Mr . Bernal Osborue only gave expression to the prevailing sentiment when lie said tbe other day " be had begun by opposing the present Government , and he ended by giving them a cordial support . - He gave credit to the right honourable gentleman ' the leader of the House ( Mr . Disraeli ) for tlie able tnul judicious manner in which he b : ul conducted the business , and the very important reforms ho had originated . "

    But the future ?—They mny be defeated—' as any Government might—on their Reform Bill ; but , looking to nil circumstances , we think the chanced are in favour of it being accepted by Parliament .

    Islktiiot'oxitan Ihaim' Dkainacik.—A Cop...

    ISlKTiiot'oxiTAN IHaim' Dkainacik . —A copy of the report jmsscnted to tho ' Metropolitan Board of Works by Messrs . liawkslcy , Bidder , and Duzalgcttc , last April , was published on Tuesday . The report of the ( Jovernment referees , from which these gentlemen dissent has already been noticed . Tho latter conclude , after a long review of tho circumstances of the question , tlmt the causo 3 of the apparent impurity of the river Tlunnos havo been greatly exaggerated and much , misunderstood ; that tho sewngo entering the river is soon decomposed and

    rendered innocuous by tho oxygen contained in tho water ; thut tho mud deposited on the haulm putrefies , anil is tho great source of tho oflensivenwss attributed to the Thames ; and that the proper remedies would bo" 1 . Tho interception of tho greater part of the sewage of tho m itropolia nbovo the prcsout outlets , and its removal to , and discharge nt , parts of the river below London vliero its presence will bo harmless ; ami , 2 , the construction of terrace embankments on both . sidiiu « f tlic Thames , to confino the tidal channel , accelerate the velocity of tho stream , and prevent the cxposuni of tlu bed und banks of tho river . " Tlio scheme of tho Government reforoes is denounced by tho reporters as " needlossly largo , excessively coatly , und , as a work of con-Htructipn , all but impracticable . "

    Tub DliNisTKurAr , Wiutkiiait Dinnkk took plneo fit the Ship tavern , Greenwich . Tho whole of tlw JMiniatcra were present .

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), July 31, 1858, page 18, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_31071858/page/18/