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Leader (1850-1860), 1st February 1851, Edition Town of 2, Page 98, Untitled Article

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      Untitled Article

      People , it is not the time to fear a revival of Roman dominion ! The real dominion which is dangerousl y reviving in Europe is that of Secular Absolutism . At Dresden , for example , the Conferences have taken an unexpected and adverse turn . It i » tUjiderstood that Prussia has at once realized » ft id « 6 f herowll , and fallen into the spirit of . the Austrian policy , by

      obtaining a form of the " Duahsmus " which was said to have been rejected . Austria tad Prussia are to possess the right oT war , totally , outvoting all the other States in the Confederation : for international purposes , therefore , the government of all the German Stales is handed over to Austria and Prussia jointly . It is a partition of Germany between treacherous Prussia , and Austria , the gigantic client of Russia .

      That Prussian or Austrian intrigue is engaged in the Swiss outbreak seems only too probable a conjecture . The great trait of all the accounts which we have respecting the disturbances at Unterlachen , in Berne , is a mystery which is in itself unintelligible . The accounts that we have are either fabricated and exaggerated , or the real history is suppressed . The vague reports of a " Socialist" insurrection put down by the authorities are unintelligible ; but with a sense of their reviving power , either Prussia or Austria would gladly see the central Republic of Europe disturbed .

      The Ministerial crisis in Paris has assumed a chronic form . Giving up the attempt to make a Ministry out of the incongruous majority or the minority , President Bonaparte has formed one of extra-parliamentary persons , heads of departments . The position taken by M . Howyn Tranchere is one calculated to embarrass all the contumacious leaders m the National Assembly . The Ministry , he says ,

      represents no idea ; it is 6 olely formed to carry on the Government while the Assembly is impracticable . * ' If you ask me what it leads to I say it conducts to a definitive Ministry . " But what is " a definitive Ministry ? " So far as the active machinery of the Executive goes France is under a Provisional Government , while there is no declaration as to the policy to which that Provisional Government leads .

      Untitled Article

      THE NEW FRENCH MINISTRY . The President of the Republic put an end to the state of suspense into which all France had been plunged for a week , by appointing a new Cabinet , not one of the members of which Mas a representative of the people . The announcement was made to the Assembly on Friday afternoon . M . Dupin said he had a message to communicate from the President of the Republic , which he had that moment received . The mesBage was as follows : — " TO THE PIIESIDENT OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY . Jan . 24 , 1851 .

      " Monsieur le President , —Public opinion , confiding in the wisdom of the Government and of the Assembly , has hot been disturbed by the late events . Nevertheless , Francs begin * to suffer from a misunderstanding which it deplores , nnd my duty is to do what depends on me to prevent any untoward results . The union of the two powers in indispensable to the reposo of the country ; but , as the constitution has rendered them independent , the only condition of that union is a reciprocal confidence . Penetrated with that sentiment , I will always respect the rights of the Assembly , at the same time that I will maintain intact the prerogatives of I he power which I hold from the people In order not to prolong a painful

      difference , I accepted , after the late vote of the Assembly , the resignation of a Ministry which had given to the country , in the cause of order , the most marked pledges © f it * devotednesa . Wishing , however , to form a Cabinet wilh a chance of duration , I could not take its elements from a majority having its origin in such exceptional circumstances , and with regret discovered that I was myself utterly unable to find a combination amongst the tfeernbers of the minority , notwithstanding its importance . In this conjuncture , and after vain attempt * , I have resolved to form a transition Ministry , composed of special man not belonging to any fraction of the Assemblv . and

      who have decided to devote themselves to affairs without » ny party virwa . The honourable men who accept this pstriotid task will have a right to the gratitude of the country . The administration will consequently continue as previously ; prejudices will disappear at the remembrance ef the solemn declarations of the message of November 12 ; the real majority will be reconstituted , and harmony will be reestablished without the two powers having sacrificed anything of the dignity which constitutes their force . France wishes above all for repose , and she expects from those to whom she has given her souftdence a conciliation without weakness , a tranquil firmness , and an impassibility in what in right .

      " Accept , Moimeur le President , the assurance of my vntiments of high esteem . ( Signed ) " Louis Nai'olkon Uonai » ahtk . " The following is the Hat of tho new Ministry , oh givm by tho Atonittrur :-

      —Interior *« M . Vaisse . Foreign Affairs M . Brennier . War General Randon . Marine **» Adhriral Levaillant . Public Instruction M . Giraud ( de 1 Institut ) . . Commerce . » ... M . Schneider . Finances , . i * v . M - 4 S Germiny . Pttblic Works i " M . Magn »; Justice . v .. M . deRoyer . Not one of these men has a seat in the Assembly . T / hey are all employed in different departments , and the reason given for the selection is detailed at length in the President ' s message . M . Vai&ae is Prefect of the Department of the North , and is said to be an able administrator . M . Brennier , the new Minister of Foreign Affairs , is chef de division in the same dewellknown member of

      partment . M . Giraud is a - the Institute , and inspector-general of the University . He was formerly professor of the University of Aix , and was a member of the Chamber of Deputies in the time of M . Guizot . M . de Germiny , the new Minister of Finances , is a receiver-general , and sonin-law of M . Humann . who was Minister of Finances many years ago . He is a particular friend of M . Fould , and his appointment to office is , no doubt , to be attributed to that intimacy . M . Magne , the Minister of Public Works , was ehef de division in the department of the finances , when he was suddenly transformed into a Minister of Public Works in the Baroche Cabinet which has just broken up . He is the only member of the late Cabinet who retains office . M . de Royer , the new Minister of Justice , is Procureur-General in the Court of Appeal of

      Paris . On Monday there was a crowded meeting of the Assembly to hear how the new Ministry would reply to the interpellations of the Majority . M . Tranchere asked whether the new Cabinet was an accident or a system . If it was merely " a Transition Ministry , " as the Message stated , then he had a right to demand — " Whither do you conduct us —to whom do you conduct us ? " M . Royer , Minister of Justice , said their mission had been defined in the Message—it was a temporary mission of administration : —

      " " We are asked whither we lead you to ? We lead you to a definitive Cabinet . We are asked what is ^ our policy ? It is , as long as we hold office , to be essentially a Temporary Power . It is to follow out with firmness the Message of the 12 th of November—that policy which has given calm to the country , and which is the joint work of the Assembly and the President of the Republic . { Hear , hear . ) We will maintain the independence defined by the constitution—that independence of power which is the first condition of a free Government . The Ministry which has the honour to address you to-day has no other explanations to give . "

      Thus then the matter stands . The Ministry holds office till the Assembly can make up its mind as to what shall be done . Meantime , it is said that the Dotation Bill will be brought forward speedily . That will bring parties into shape .

      Untitled Article

      THE SWISS INSURRECTION . For some weeks past the Continental papers have contained scattered notices of some widely-spread conspiracy which was to break out into open insurrection all over Europe at some appointed signal . What truth there may be in these statements we cannot pretend to decide . In Paris a number of Socialists were apprehended about a fortnight ago on the charge of having plotted an insurrection . Letters from Vienna also state that a conspiracy of a revolutionary nature was discovered in that capital on the 23 rd ultimo , and that twenty individuals have been arrested . In Switzerland an insurrection has actually broken out , if we may rely upon the very meagre accounts which are given of the affair , which are only as folio ws : — ' Accounts from Berne ( Switzerland ) state that an insurrectionary movement had taken place at Interlaken and other places . At Interlaken the rebels concentrated their forces for the purpose of expelling the public functionaries . In endeavouring to effect their object they attacked the Government-house on the 20 th nltuno ; hut they were repulsed by the troops , and the rioters fled . The Stadtholder , Dr . Muller , was seriously wounded . The Kolner Zeitung says that the insurrection was spreading , that Oberhofen and Erlenbaah wer « in arms , and that Seelund was preparing to follow their example . " Another account says :-

      •—" It having been reported that the troops marched against the insurgents of St . Imier had thrown up the butts of their muskets and joined them , the Socialits inhabiting the mountains adjoining Interlaken descended in arms , and entered that town without resistance . The authorities having sought refuge in the castle ^ the revoltera laid siege to it , but were repulsed . The Governor was dangerously wounded in the leg . The Conservatives of the neighbouring districts , on hearing of what had occurred , repaired to Interlaken in considerable force , and drove tho Socialists out of the plain .

      " Other letters from Berne of the same date state that these events had greatly complicated the state of affairs in that city- The Conservatives met at two o ' clock on that day , at tho riding-school , and resolved to reorganize free corps for the defence of the Government . That appeal to arms would , It wu « feared , produce reprisals on

      the part of the Bdftialists , who were expected to hold a meeting for th « pitfpese of concerting measures either on the 23 rd or 24 'h ihttant . If the battle should take place , it will be a serious one * and may extend all over the Confederation . It wa »> hdwever , still hoped that it would be prevented ) tty ttk « trtiops now marching towards the Oberiand , and thote about to be raised in the vicinity of Berne . " , _ _ .

      Untitled Article

      THE BEflRttfG'S STRAITS EXPEDITION . Despatches wet * received at the Admiralty , on Sunday , from Captain . Kellett , of the Herald , dated at sea , the 14 th of October , 1850 , on his return from Behring ' s Straits . The Herald had communicated with the Plover on the 10 th of July , at Chamisso Island , where the latter had passed . the preceding winter . The two ships proceeded to the northward until they sighted the pack ice , when the Herald returned to Cape Lisburne in quest of Captain Collinson ' s expedition , and on the 31 st fell in with the Investigator , which had made a surprizingly short

      passage of twenty-six days from the Sandwich Islands . The Herald remained cruizing off Cape Lisburne , and again fell in with the Plover on the 13 th of August , on her return from Point Barrow , Commander Moore having coasted in his boats , and minutely examined the several inlets as far as that point from Icy Cape , without gaining any intelligence of the missing expedition . Captain Kellett , having fully victualled the Plover , ordered her to winter in Grantley-harbour ( her former anchorage at Chamisso Island not being considered safe ) , and then returned to the southward on his way to England .

      Despatches have also been received from Captain Collinson , of the Enterprise , dated Port Clarence , September 13 , and from Captain M'Cltire , of the Investigator , dated Kotzebue Sound , July 28 . Captain Collinson had gone as far north as the 74 th degree of latitude , but was unable to proceed further , owing to the ice , which left no opening for his vessel . Seeing no chance of being able to reach Cape Bathurst at that time he set sail for Point Hope , where he arrived on the 31 st of July , and from there to Grantley-harbour . His intention was to proceed to Hong-Kong , where he would remain until the 1 st of April for

      further instructions . Captain Me Clure , of the Investigator , writes that he passed the Aleutian group on the 20 th of July , got fairly out of Behring's Straits on the 27 th , and was in a fair way of reaching the ice by the beginning of August . As tve have already stated , the Herald communicated / with the Investigator off Point Hope on the 31 st of July , and the Plover a second time fell in with her on the 5 th of August , in latitude 70 deg . and longitude 159 deg . 52 min . West , " when she was standing to the North under a press of sail , and in all probability reached the vicinity of Point Barrow fifteen days

      previous to the Enterprise , " and found the coast line comparatively free from ice . Captain Mo Clure'a plan , in the event of the season having been favourable , was to get to the northward of Melville Island and resume his search along its shores and the islands adjacent as long as the search could be carried . In the spring he will send out parties provisioned for forty days to make every possible search by land . Should these parties return without tidings of the missing ships , he will then , if possible , push on to Wellington Inlet , examining every place practicable , in the direction of Jones ' s Sound . Should he reach

      that point without finding any traces of tho missing expedition , he will deem it his duty to return to England as speedily as possible . He adds : — " In the event of this being our last communication I would request you to assure their Lordshipa that no apprehension whatever need be entertained of our safety until the autumn of 1854 , as we have on board three years of all species of provision , commencing frorn the 1 st of September proximo , which , without much ueprivafion , maybe made to extend a period of four years ; as , moreover , whatever is killed by the hunting P " .. T intend to issue in lieu of the usual rations , which win still further protract our resources . "

      THE TAX ON PAPER . A conference of delegates was held at the King fl Arms , Palace-yard , on Wednesday , fof the pirfpow of making arrangements for an interview , appoi nted for Thursday by the Chancellor of the Exchequer , with a view of hearing th * representations of a deputation of gentlemen interested in the abolition oi tho tax on paper . Among those present vrere Mr . Crompton , Mr . C . Knight , Mr . Chambers ( of Edinburgh ) , Mr . J . Cassell , Mr . 8 . C . Hall , Mr . Towle ( oi Oxford ) , and other paper manufacturers and

      publishers m the metropolis and the provinces . . Mr . Crompton having been called to the chair , siu « he had had forty years' expertetice of the practical working of tho tax of which they hud met to promote the abolition ; and during that period he na < scarcely ever known the time -when there wero n numbers of fraudulent traders in the paper traae . From a return in his posacuHion , he found that «> - tween 1840 and 1848 about 1 / 5 per cent , of tho entire number of paper manufacturer * in England , Scotland , and Ireland vrero fraudulent traders , many ^ whom had been convicted over and over # *» «» n " yet received fresh licences from tho Government , without tho pcnaltios being duly enforced . M w olearly impossible for a fair trade to bo carried o

      Untitled Article

      98 CU « n , ea * $ V . Saturday

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Feb. 1, 1851, page 98, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1868/page/2/