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    JSTo; 4.36, Zvtb 31, 1858] THE LEADER. 7...

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    rriSTERS have eaten, their whitebait at ...

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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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    Jsto; 4.36, Zvtb 31, 1858] The Leader. 7...

    JSTo ; 4 . 36 , Zvtb 31 , 1858 ] THE LEADER . 731

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    Rristers Have Eaten, Their Whitebait At ...

    rriSTERS have eaten , their whitebait at Greenwich ; in both Houses , the business has been despatched in batches during the week ; and , putting all things together , it appears unlikely that Parliament "will go on sitting after Tuesday . The difficulties and delays which might have arisen out of'the determination of the Commons to reject the Lords' amendments to the India Bill have all been averted by the Lords consenting to withdraw all tie amendments objected to but one , the exception being in favour of clause thirty-four , which provides

    for the examination of candidates for admission into tlie scientific branches of the service . Against the principle of competitive examination demanded by the House of Commons , Lord Derby and Lord Ellenhorough argued warmly , the one because it -would limit the prerogative of the Crown , the other because it would give the appointments in question to tbe sons of " rich grocers and linendrapers" who can , afford to pay for being prepared at " cramming colleges , " to the exclusion of young men less favourably circumstanced as regards their

    pockets , but in every other respect more desirable for appointment . [ Lord Campbell said the House of Commons has gone wild on the subject of competi tion examinations , and suggested that , perhaps instead of interfering with the prerogative of the Crown in the appointment to military command , honourable members would do better to subject tlemselves to a discriminating examination . But ,

    as the Times points out , it is not only on the question of patronage that the prerogative of the Crown will be limited by the present India Bill ; the transfer of the Government of India being accompanied by such , provisions and restrictions , being so entirely a renewal of the old Court of Directors and of the Board of Control under another name , that tie Queen ' s prerogative is " only extended to India svbmodo , in a qualified and conditional form . "

    The defeat of Lord Bury ' s Marriage Law Amendment Bill is much to be regretted . After passing through the ordeal of discussion in thcHouse of Commons , it is painful and provoking to find so 'wholesome a measure thrown out by the Lords "without a single new argument being brought to bear against it . How long are we to wait while bishops are , flatly contradicting each other on the scriptural passages relied upon by the majority of the opponents of this bill . The Bishop of Oxford is certain as to the prohibition conveyed in the passage in

    Le-¦ viticus ; the Bishop of Lichfield communicates to lord Granville his opinion that the passage is decidedly in favour of tlie promoters of the bill . It is an act of effrontery to affirm that the public opinion and the general feeling of the country is opposed to the passing of the bill , while such petitions as the < me referred to by Lord Ovcrston , signed by live lundred clergymen of the Church of England , are

    presented in company with others signed by Directors of the East India Company and of the Bank of England , by bankers , merchants , and solicitors , and by nineteen out of the twenty-six of the aldermen of London—in fact , by numbers of the most respectable and property influential men in the country . There is , however , no cause for despair : the measure , like many another which evokes religious pugnacity , will finally be carried . '

    Have they not the example of the Jews Bill before their eyes at this moment P At last we have the fruit of those long-sustained endeavours 1 o do right in the tooth of bigoted opposition . On Monday afternoon Baron Itothschild , by a resolution of the House , took his scat afLcr taking the prescribed oaths . The antics of the Spooncrs , Newdegates , and Warrens were renewed even when nothing but defeat and shnmo stood before them : the same majority that had . passed the bill was ready to vole ; for the scaling of tire Jew ; but none the less Mr .

    Warren " rose to order . " There was , however , on e speaker in opposition whose words were of more importance ; this was Mr . Secretary Walpole . He stated that , having always considered that it is inconsistent with the Christian character of tlie Legislature to admit Jews into Parliament , he could not be a party to the proposed resolution . He added , moreover , these significant words : "Do

    not , let me say in conclusion , suppose that you arc now closing this question . " What does that mean . ? The resolution moved by Lord John Uusseli simply gives effect to the legislation of the House of Lords . Has Government any design of reversing the decision arrived at after so much trouble and compromise ? Will some honourable member , before the House rises , ask Mr . Walpole what he means ?

    Tlie speech of Lord Lyndhurst on . the subject of the right of visit and search , sets forth our position with reference to America very clearly . It has been objected that , taking the statement made by Mr . Dallas at the dinner of the American Association as correctly describing the facts of the arrangement entered into between the British and United States Governments , this country had given up a most important and valuable right ; the answer of Lord Lyndhurst to these objections is , that we have surrendered no right whatever , for that no such right as that which is contended for has ever existed ; and he cited some of the highest legal authorities ,

    both of this country and of America , in support of his opinion . We have simply , he says , abandoned the asszanption of a right . America has undertaken to adopt measures to prevent the fraudulent use of her flag for slave-trading purposes , and France has expresed willingness and even anxiety to assist iis in attaining tliat object . The question is at last placed upon a reasonable basis ; but the question arises in many minds , will America perform her part of the contract ?—is she ¦ ¦ in terested' in doing so ? At any rate , we have not the right to coerce her into doing what she is not willing to do in this matter .

    greatness of the work which has nearly been completed there . Docks , basins , storehouses , that in description appear sufficient to accommodate all the fleets of the world put together ; , fortifications that , on paper , seem strong enough to defend whatever is behind them from all the guns in Christendom and China besides . But more wonderful sfcil are the stories they tell of the intended extortion , of the good townspeople when the f & tes actually take place : the prices demanded for beds might fluster a Rothschild—or even Sir Robert Peel , in

    spite of his Bussian experiences . But what is of more consequence is , that , there is no room for doubt that the arrangements , as far as they regard her Majesty ' s visit , have , within the last few days , undergone considerable modification . Her Majesty will not land , but will be entertained on board the French flagship , the Bretagne ; she will , therefore , not be called upon to act a part that would be embarrassing to herself and distasteful to her people

    by assisting at the ceremony of uncovering the statue of Napoleon I ., with its magniloquent inscription of "J ' avais resolu de renouveler a Cherbourg les merveilles de l'Egypte . " Moreover , it is now confidently affirmed that the head of the figure is to look towards the port instead of northwards towards England . For all which attentions let due credit be given to Louis Napoleon ; at the same time , let us be glad to have so strong an example of the influence of English public opinion .

    But while France is strengthening herself so as in case of need , to be able to strike heavily at England , Belgium is thinking seriously of what might be her condition should the course of events once uaore make her fields the " battle-ground of Europe . " In her present comparatively undefended condition , ' open to easy invasion by Trance on one side , and by Prussia or Russia on the other , her Sovereign and Government have no place of" security to retreat to , but might be hopelessly overthrown before succour could reach them . The

    By a majority of twenty in a very thin House tlie Lords have provided an ingenious evasion of the Corrupt Practices Act , by permitting candidates to provide vehicles for the conveyance of electors "to the poll . The passing of this bill will be a step backwards on the road of Parliamentary reform , the proper end of which is perfect liberty of choice

    grand question at the present moment , then , is whether the city of Antwerp shall be put into such , a state of defence as shall make it a place of asylum in the event of . such a disaster being imminent . While opinion in Belgium is strongly in favour of the plan , there is , unfortunately , a strong diversity of opinion as to the money that ought to be expended on it : the upshot will , howcTer , in all probability , be that Antwerp "will be made one of the strongest fortified places in Europe , a result which

    for the elector , and freedom from expense for the candidate . The opinion of Lord Stanley of Alderky comes very near the truth : the bill , he said , ought to be called a measure for the " promotion , " not " prevention , " of corrupt practices , for it will open the door to numberless tricks of bribery and corruption short of the actual purchase of votes with hard cash .

    the friends of constitutional government will be heartily glad to witness . ' The New York Times , gives an cx . citing account of the effect produced in California , by tlie intelligence of the productiveness of the gold fields on JTrazcr River . A vast emigration . has commenced , and not less than fifteen thousand persons are computed to have taken their way to the new El Dorado in the- two months preceding the 21 st of June , and the succeeding two months were expected to see as many more depart . The rapidity and extent of tliis emigration , says the New York Times , has never been paralleled .

    But if the Lords prevent ; the purity of election , they have been hard at work with tlie great measure for the purification of tlie metropolis ^ and particularly of the Thames , its most important thoroughfare . They have read the Local Management Act Amendment Bill a second time , and in a few dajs , in all probability , the Metropolitan . Board of Worlds , after its long- life of active uselessncs 3 , will find itself in such a position as will enable it to act with effect whenever it is so disposed . The measure which is to give it real powers is so framed that the

    3 from India and China wo hare full details of the events referred to in the lato telegrams . Sir H . Rose appears to have taken full satisfaction for the blow inflicted by the Gwalior rebels on our faithful ally , Scindia , who has been rcconducted to his capital m triumph . Sir Hugh Rose reached Qwalior on the 16 th of June , about the time that Brigadier Smith came up to it from another side . Alter a . sharp fight of five hours and a half the enemy fled ; and on the following day the fortress , one of the strongest in India , was found deserted . Twenty-seven guns , besides elephants and a large quantit y of treasure , were captured . What is of moro innnodiute

    imutmost freedom of action will be provided for the Board , the utmost possible latitude , as Lord Derby explained , will be given it to abate , on its own responsibility , that which has become an intolerable nuisance . The Board , therefore , is to settle its own scheme , to choose for itself the point of outfall , and is not even to bo too closely bound by the estimate given as to the funds required ; it has only then to bo sure to act upon the principle that , whalcvci it may do , the work when accomplished shall be of a kind to bear future modification , extension , and

    importance is , that the enemy is honuncd in on al sides by our troops ; and , at the latcat dato , a large force under General Roberts was marching upon Jeyporc , whero the enemy were said to ho assembling . The China muil gives us the whole story of tho capture , of the forts at the mouth of the Toiho , and confirms the intelligence given by tho earlier telcgrums , that tho combined . KiiffIish and Ircnch forces were moving up 1 ho river to a city within sixty or seventy miles of Pckiu .

    provement . Special correspondents aro busy as bees at ) Cher bourg , and wonderful arc the talcs they tell of the

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), July 31, 1858, page 3, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_31071858/page/3/