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Leader (1850-1860), 22nd June 1850, Edition Town of 1, Page 293, Untitled Article

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      Untitled Article

      and the space around it allotted to strangers were crowded . The gallery allotted to peeresses and their daughters was occupied at five o ' clock by about fifty ladies , among whom the Chevalier Bunsen , the Prussian Ambassador , was discovered to be sitting by the eagle glance of Lord Brougham , who took occasion to display his uncontrollably-meddling propensity by bringing the subject before the House . No sooner had the routine business of the evening begun than the eccentric peer started up to move that the strict rules of the House must be enforced against the gentleman who had been guilty of their infringement : —

      " My Lords , said Lord Brougham , " I have given notice—yes , I have given notice to the party on whose conduct I am now about to make some comments . I bslieve that it is well known to your Lordships that no peer or commoner has any right in the gallery of the peeresses , and that any nobleman or gentleman being there infringes on the rules of the House . There is one gentleman ( the Chevalier Bunsen ) there now , and he has no right to be there . ( Laughter among the peeresses . ) If he does not come down , I must move that he is infringng the rules of your Lordships' House . ( A pause . ) Beto him in the

      sides , that gentleman has a place assigned House itself , and by his presence in the gallery he is excluding two peeresses . { Hoars of laughter both in the House and among the peeresses present . ) I move that the standing orders be enforced by your Lordships' officers . ( A laugh . ) Let it not be supposed that I am doing this discourteously . I have given that gentleman ample notice that , if he did not come out , I would address the House upon the subject , and have him turned out . ( Continued laughter , and some confitsion . ) His Lordship then addressed the individual in question , and said , ' You must come out now . ' "

      Chevalier Bunsen who , no doubt , looked upon the whole affair as a very clumsy joke on the part of the recognised jester of the Upper House , remained immovable , whereupon Lord Brougham stalked down the House to the bar with great haste , and addressing the Usher of the Black Rod , gave orders that the recusant gentleman should be turned out ; which order was apparently put in force , as shortly afterwards Sir A . Clifford went into the gallery , and immediately the Chevalier Bunsen rose from his seat , and , accompanied by two or three ladies , left it . Next evening the Marquis of Lansdowne made an apology for the shameful way in which the Prussian Ambassador had been treated , and suggested that accommodation should be provided in the House for Foreign Ministers .

      The Times of Tuesday makes some stringent remarks on the misconduct of Lord Brougham : — " What will the English public say—what will be thought of us abroad—what will be the indignation of the Prussian people—when they read , what we are most unwillingly forced to write , that an Ambassador , a gentleman and a scholar , a stranger in our country , a representative of an important and friendly power , was last nicht expelled from the gallery not of a tavern , nor of a

      lodge of Odd Fellows , but of the English House of Lords by the menial officer of the House ? When we say expelled—we use the word literally—we mean tapped on the shoulder and forced to go . Had he refused to yield compliance to the summary command , nothing remained for it but that the Prussian Minister should have been collared and removed by force , like a drunken brawler at a playhouse . And the sole originator of this unseemly exhibition was Henry Lord Brougham .

      " Our brief report of Lord Brougham ' s speech can give but a faint idea of the scene . Imagine Wright at the Adelphi , or Keeley uttering a tissue of coarse drolleries , and giving effect to every point by contortions of face and figure ; and still the image will fall short of the reality . The gaunt figure of the noble and learned lord , as with his strong Border ' burr ' he delivere i his points , must be brought before the imagination . The real circumstances of the case are told in a few words . It appears that the gallery on the left of the throne in the House of Peers used to be allotted to the members of the Diplomatic Corps , but for some time a change has been made , and it is now set apart for peeresses and their daughters . No kind of notice of the change , however , has been given to the members of the various missions . The Chevalier Bunsen yesterday presented himself with

      his wife and daughter , and requested the officer to conduct him to his usual seat . This functionary asked him , if for that once he could content himself with a standing place on the steps of the throne . The Prussian Minister declined this proposal , for it appears a late serious indisposition would have made a standing posture for so many hours painful to him . Thereupon the Usher replied 1 that he had a right to his place if he insisted upon it , ' and conducted him to the gallery as usual , requesting him only to leave the places on the left hand of the door free , as these had been set aside for the use of the Jluchess of Cambridge . Lord Brougham , however , soon disturbed the Ambassador , and ordered him to quit the ^ laee . The Ambassador refused , merely replying , ' that bn was in the place that had been assigned him by the Usher . ' Then followed the discreditable but ludicrous

      scene described briefly in our report , the result of which was that the Prussian Minister was summarily expelled by Sir A . Clifford . "

      Untitled Article

      THE PRESIDENT AND HIS SALARY . The Pro-ident ' s Dotation Bill still continues to stop the way ; until it can be got to move on all parties and all powers , the Elysee , the Ministers , Itcpublicuns , Socialists , Legitimists , Orleanists , Bonapartists , and Counter-revolutionists , are locked wheel

      within wheel , and all the shouting , whipping , driving , and swearing in the world will not get them out of their troublesome situation . The history of the proceedings connected with the affair will form a curious chapter in some future history of the French Republic . After many consultations and much manoeuvring , the committee resolved to propose a modification of the Dotation Bill . By a majority , nine against six , it was decided to move the Assembly to reduce the Government measure to the following proposition : — " An extraordinary credit of 1 , 600 , 000 francs is opened to the Minister of Finance for the expenses in 1849 and 1850 , occasioned by the installation of the President of the Republic . This sum shall be charged by halves upon the credits of 1849 and 1850 . " Now , as the Ministerial demand on behalf of Louis Napoleon is for 3 , 000 , 000 francs , the difference is rather serious , more especially as every one who knows him is of opinion that the President would require the larger sum to make all straight . On Monday morning thirty members of the right met in a room of the Legislative Palace to attempt to come to an understanding upon an amendment to the bill , to be moved by the four Legitimist members of the committee , which proposes to grant the three millions , under the title extraordinary expenses , in founding the establishment of the President in 1849 and 1850 . This amendment wa 9 moved in the committee by three members of the majority of nine , and rejected by the Ministers . The meeting separated without coming to any conclusion . Many of the members declared that they considered the allowance voted by the committee exorbitant . MM . Thiers and Berryer conferred together on the course to be adopted on the dotation question . M . Berryer renounced all idea of influencing his friends , but said he would vote for the amendment of the committee . What course M . Thiers may take is not so well known . Previous to his visit to England , he was understood to be on anything but good terms with the President . Since his return , it is said that he shows much zeal in the interest of Louis Napoleon , and is exerting himself with great activity in order to procure the passing of the Dotation Bill . For this purpose he wants to hold a general meeting of the majority in the Club of the Conseil d'Etat to decide the question by vote . But M . Thiers proposes a mute vote , a circumstate not calculated , perhaps , to reassure the Cabinet , when it is remembered that it was a mute vote which procured the rejection of the Duke of Nemour ' s dotation , and upset the Cabinet of that epoch . The sittings of the Assembly have been altogether devoid of interest , members being too much absorbed by the crisis to pay the least attention to the business under discussion . The difficulties raised against the bill , and the absence of all satisfactory solution in order to reconcile the dignity of the legislative and executive power , form the universal topic of conversation . A great number of the most influential members of the majority loudly lament the division which prevails , and which has assumed so threatening an aspect . MM . Guizot , Duchatel , and Dumon were expected in Paris on Thursday last , on their return from St . Leonard ' s . The visit of these gentlemen to Louis Philippe creates great interest in Paris , and has given rise to the report that the reconciliation of the two branches of the house of Bourbon is nearly complete , and that the distinction between Legitimist and Orleanist is henceforth to cease . It appears , however , that both the Duchess of Orleans and the Prince of Joinvillo continue their opposition to the reconciliation . It is said that Louis Philippe ' s fortune is divided by his will among his children and grandchildren , in right equal parts , and that the share of each will be SOO . OOOf . ( £ 20 , 000 ) per annum ; so that Louis Philippe ' s private fortune , notwithstanding the great depreciation within the lust two years , amounts to £ 100 , 000 sterling a year . M . Thiers passed forty-eight hours at St . Leonard s . In the Constitutionnel he declares that his voyage was only a pious pilgrimage , and totally unconnected with politics ; that Louis Philippe knows full well that in these times the people dispose of themselves as they please , without heeding the counsels or restraints of their rulers . A petition was presented to the Assembly on Saturday from an inhabitant of Paris named Ferior , demanding a revision of the constitution , and that Louis Napoleon Bonaparte should be proclaimed emperor , and his powers extended to ten years .

      Untitled Article

      THE HALL OF INDUSTRY IN HYDE-PARK . After a large amount of preliminary deliberation , the committee appointed to superintend the preparations for the Industrial Exhibition of 18 / 31 have decided upon the form and extent of the immense structure which must bo erected , and have commenced operations in earnest . The building they propose will fill the entire space of ground between Rotten-row and the carriage drive in IIydc-pu ) k , which runs parallel with the road to Kensington . lr will be no lun * than 2300 feet Ion " , upwards of 400 m

      breadth , und the roofed area will be 000 , 000 square foot in extent . The most striking feature ot the building will be a vast central hall , surmounted by a munificent dome , GOO feet in circumference , or nearly double the size of the dome of bt . 1 iiul s . The central hall will be . a polygon of sixteen sides ,

      and its height , from the floor to . the summit o the dome , will be about 160 feet . In the daytime the hall will be lighted from the summit and centre of the dome , which , as the committee remark , " will form a striking feature to illustrate the present state of the science of construction . " The building will be of brick , except the dome , which is to be constructed of light sheet iron . It is proposed to ornament the outside of the Hall by using

      bricks of different varieties of colour . There will be four entrances , the principal being that towards the south , immediately in front of the Prince ' s Gate . The north entrance , which will front Rotten-row , will nearly correspond with this ; and there will also be handsome entrances at the east and west ends . To aiford still greater facilities for exit , there will be twenty-five corresponding doorways , situate at equal distances from each other , at the sides and ends of the building .

      The door of entrance at Prince ' s Gate will lead at once into the Great Hall . This edifice is to be devoted to sculpture and the plastic arts . A corridor , fifty feet in breadth , will run out of it the entire length of the building . The whole of the space to the west of the hall will be devoted to manufactures . The uniformity of its arrangement will be varied by the formation of ornamental gardens under the clumps of trees , which it is intended to preserve , and amona' which refreshments are to be provided

      for those who choose to pay for them . At the eastern part of the building there will be a large central court of the same kind . One-half of this part of the building will be appropriated to the exhibition of raw materials , and the other will be devoted to machines , numbers of which will be kept in motion by a steamengine which is to be provided . We must not omit to mention that a space adjacent to the Great Hall is to be appropriated to agricultural implements , and a corresponding space to another refreshment-court overshadowed by the park trees .

      The principal points the committee have endeavoured to attain in this plan are , they say , first , economy of construction ; second , facilities for the reception , classification , and display of goods ; third , facilities for the circulation of visitors ; fourth , arrangements for grand points of view ; fifth , centralization of supervision ; and , sixth , some striking feature to exemplify the present state of the science of construction in this country . The whole building is required to be built , finished , and delivered up to the committee by the 1 st of January , 1851 . The builders , therefore , have by no means too much time before them .

      A striking fact was mentioned to us the other day , as illustrating the deep interest which the preparations for the Industrial Exhibition have already excited throughout Europe . The landlord of a pretty large inn , in the busiest part of London , has applied , to his landlord for leave to build an additional story to his house , in order to obtain increased accommodation for the numerous visitors whom he expects next summer . The inn which he occupies contains some 90 or 100 bedrooms , and , in addition to that , he has taken two houses adjacent , to prevent being over-crowded next year . Such , however , hns been

      the demand for lodgings for the summer of 1851 , especially from Germany , that the whole of his house , with the additions we have named , has already been engaged for neatly the whole of 1851 , and he is now about to build an additional story , with a view to provide room for twenty or thirty more guests . If this may be taken as a fair sample of the " coming events" which " cast their shadows before , " the tavern-keepers , shopkeeepers , und cab-drivers of the metropolis will hail the 1 st of May , 1851 , as the coming of the true golden age to them , whatever it may be to other classes .

      Untitled Article

      June 22 , 1850 . ] Sfll & ££ & £ ? + 293

      Untitled Article

      UNFORTUNATE MARRIAGES . The House of Lords assembled , on Tuesday afternoon , to hear further evidence in Ashby's divorce . The previous hearing of the case was on the 25 th of February , when evidence was given in support of the petition . The Reverend Edward Qucenby Ashby , who petitions to be divorced from his wife , married Miss Elizabeth Sophia Palmer on the 2 Gth of May , 1842 , the lady being at thut time under age . After tlie marriage they went to reside at Dun ton , in Buckinghamshire , where Mr . Ashby held a living * of the value of about £ 500 per annum . Here they resided for two years , and then , on account of the lady ' s bad state of health , they went over to Italy ,

      where tlioy remained some time , and then returned home . The illness of Mrs . Ashby continuing , shu and her husband went to Madeira , in 1848 , and it was on arrival there that tho first acquaintance between Mr . Ashby and his wife ' seducer , Mr . Henry Seudamoro Stanhope , took place , in the laaaietto , whore till the parties wore performing quarantine . During tho five months they ronklod at Mudeira , Mr . ? Stunhopo was a frequent visitor at Mr . Ashby's , and before they left the island it had become notorious that that gentleman was too intimnte with Mrs . Ashby . Sir William Coekburn , who was examined as a witness in favour of the petitioner , said the supposed familiarity between Mr , Stanhope and Mrs .

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), June 22, 1850, page 293, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1843/page/5/