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Leader (1850-1860), 7th June 1851, Edition Town of 1, Page 531, Untitled Article

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      Untitled Article

      Swedish artist , was also grossly insulted lately , and Mr . Albert Tornguist , a Swedish pensioned architect , was stopped on the night of the 23 rd , coming out of the Caffe Nuovo , by the bayonets of a French patrol and the bludgeons of the sbirri , and dragged off to the governo prisons , where he was stripped , searched , and beaten . It was two days before his consul succeeded in effecting his release . Frenchmen , Germans , and Italians of other states have been similarly treated without a shadow of reason .

      A military reaction is reported by the last mail as having suddenly burst out in Portugal . If so , there will be a necessity for popular intervention . Great dissatisfaction is felt at the state of the press laws . The Cortes are dissolved , and the new Cortes are convoked for the 15 th of September ; to be elected by the indirect method . Altogether the revolution makes little progress .

      Untitled Article

      STATE AND PROSPECTS OF FRANCE . [ We have received the following letter upon the state of things in France from a friend in Paris , who is perfectly competent and every way well informed upon the subject . ] ? 'The state of political matters here is still , as to immediate probabilities , very uncertain . Both the large sections of the self-styled " Party of Order , " the Fusionists and the Revisionists , are doubtless anxious , as are the partisans of the President , for the overthrow of the Republic ; but , nevertheless , the Republic , I cannot but think , will stand — first , because of the really widely differing interests of its various opponents , united only in their hatred of that form of government which they are pledged to

      uphold ; and , secondly , because in truth they are without any political faith , except in their own personal advantage , while the Democratic jand Socialist party have a firm belief in their doctrines , and a steady determination to strive in every way for their triumph . " The President himself professes to be ruined , with , in all , nearly £ 60 , 000 per annum still left him , and has taken to give very dull receptions instead of the balls of last year . His salons fill chiefly with uniforms ( officers on guard , his own household , &c ., ) and foreigners ; few Frenchmen , except his Ministers and immediate friends , going . The Liberals because they dislike his policy , the Monarchists because they hate the Republic of which he is the unworthy head , keep steadily away .

      " The greatest uncertainty reigns everywhere as to what may be the result of the great questions to be brought under discussion in the Assembly this month . If universal suffrage were restored , and a quiet but steady course of political and social reform entered on , with real freedom of the press and of meeting , I have no doubt that all chance of a violent revolution would be avoided ; but with a Government and Assembly so blindly insane it is only wonderful that the people have remained so long quiet . They begin , however , to talk in a less peaceable manner , and I have heard words in the Faubourg St . Antoine that would cause no small uneasiness ia the more idle and fashionable ' quarters . '

      "A friend of mine who has lately made a tour in the western departments reports very favourably of the state of opinion there , and tells me that Working Men ' s Associations are springing up very fast throughout thatpurt of the country . I visited several of those in Paris , and am delighted to be able to tell you that thty are in a most flourishing condition ; having many of them between one and two hundred members , large workshops , and every appearance of increasing prosperity . One of them ( the Association des Tomrneurs en Chaises ) has 86 members out of the 300 of that trade in Paris , and , could they increase their workshops , would double their numbers in a few duys . I huve seldom seen a more striking sight than these associations rising amid every opposition and oppression , and , in spite of every calumny and falsehood , holding their own in the midst of the old

      competitive NyHtem which surrounds them , and slowly but steadily gaining ground every day ; and winning for themselves and their fellow-workmen that emancipation which will be the glory and the wonder of the next generation . May our Itaglitih associations but follow their example , and share in their succ <; hh . I was extremely struck by the intelligent and steady appearance of these men , who are among the best workmen of Paris , and whose civility to all who take an interest in the cause they serve so zealously is most remarkable . It is perfectly true that M . Thiers did ask some of the ' gerants ' <) 1 thoHe bodies to call on him , and professed

      himself extremely struck by liis interview with them . It- is really too absurd to hear repeated over and over again in England , if any one defends the . Associative Principle , 'Ah ! but those Paris Association !* huve utterly failed ! ' Failed , why they are increasing in numbers , in prosperity , and importance every < lay , mid mum show any one who will take the trouble to visit them , that Working Men ' s Associations are not merely theoreticall y good , but practically most poswb ei ( as indeed all Hound theory really is ) . . . . 'I he damage to the Cause I should most apprehend in , I confess , hurry and inconsiderate emeutes , combined with a neglect , ol active , ateady , individual

      propagande , especially in the country districts . But what the Democratic Party fail in doing for themselves , the Reactionists are , by their wholesale repression , rapidly doing for them , and the hour is not far distant when verily they shall have their reward . '" G . R .

      Untitled Article

      ENGLISH LAW IN INDIA . —JOTEE PERSAND . The India mail of Sunday brought news up to the 3 rd of May . The event of the fortnight has been the triumphant acquittal of the great contractor and banker , Lulla Jotee Persand : the trial lasted twelve days , and the verdict was unanimous on the part of the jury , and fully concurred in by the judge . It must be borne in mind that the amount of Jotee Persand ' s claim against Government considerably exceeds half a million ; that he was the contractor for the supply of the troops engaged in the Cabool and in both the Punjab campaigns ; that it is admitted by the prosecutors that his accounts , even for the first of these campaigns , have not been as yet adjusted , and that there is unquestionably a large balance still due to him , in addition to very large deposits still retained , though the contracts on account of which they were made have long since terminated . Jotee Persand having for many years in vain endeavoured to obtain a settlement of accounts , was so disjusted with the treatment he received , that at the commencement of the late campaign he refused to have any further dealings , vith the India Government . The officers of the commissariat were unable to dispense with his assistance , and every effort was made to secure his services ; but it was only by holding out hopes of a title

      of honour , and promising an immediate settlement of accounts , that they at length induced him to take the field -with them ; yet , on returning to the provinces with the victorious army , after sharing in the dangers of Ramnugger and Chillianwallah ( as he had previously those of Moodke , Ferozeshah , and Sobraon ) , and having discharged his engagements in such a manner as to elicit the warmest praise from Lord Gough , Sir Dudley Hill , and the entire commissariat , Jotee Persand found a settlement of his accounts as distant as ever . Finding all other means ineffectual , he gave notice that he should bring an action in the Supreme Court of Calcutta against the Government

      for the balance due to him , and it was apparently to ward off this action that it was determined a criminal action should be got up against Jotee Persand . Charges were consequently made against him at Agra . On this he petitioned Government that , according to English usage , his civil action might have precedence of \ £ heir criminal one ; but this was refused : he was hurried off to Agra , and on his arrival there was , together with his sureties , illegally fined by the company ' s magistrate some thousands of pounds for having been unable to reach his destination in the time allowed , which he had before protested was insufficient . These proceedings against him were

      founded on what is an every day occurrence in Indian commissariat accounts . It appeared that a portion of his claims ( amounting , however , to a very small part of the whole ) could not be admitted on audit unless further vouchers than had been sent in were furnished . A fraudulent overcharge was thence inferred : these alleged overcharges were contained in bills for carriage engaged for service in the Punjab by Jotee Persand ' s agents in tho north-western provinces , while he was himself far away with the army on service . Yet it was alleged not only that these returns were fraudulent ( even this has not been proved ) , but also that Jotee Persand , although so distant , was accessory to such frauds , and , as the

      bills had been sworn to by his agents , that he was guilty of subornation of perjury . The principal witness againt him , Mohish Doss , was once a servant of his own , who had endeavoured to extort money from him , amongst others , by threatening to bring charges against him , of which threats Jotee Persand had taken no notice . Doss then petitioned the Military Hoard : the board referred the petition to Captain Ramsay , who reported that " the character and calling of the informer , as well as the evidence on the face of the petition , prove that the object of the informer is to extort money , " and " therefore is not only unworthy of credence , but deserving of condemnation . " It was , however , resolved to proceed

      with the ease . Mohish Doss was at the time confined at Agra for perjury , but was promised a pardon if he would give evidence ngainst Jotee Persand ( the official promise of pardon found its way into the papers ) . lie agreed to do so , but seems afterwards to have repented , for he supplicated tho predecessor of the present Agra Judge to be spared the necessity of being compelled to give such evidence against , his old employer . His evidence ; was on the

      trial declared altogether unworthy of credence , and inadmissible . Another of the witnesses , an old man called llhowtumce , when put into the box , retracted altogether lvis former deposition against Jotee IV'rsand ; he swore that the original returns were ; correct , and that he hud been intimidated into making a statement to tho contrary . The evidence of ( Japtain Newbolt and the other English oflicers called for the prosecution Avas alt . 0 f 4 et . lKT in favour of the accused . They all gave very decided testimony to

      the extraordinary ability and services of Jotee Persand as contractor for the commissariat supplies of the British army in different campaigns and at periods of great emergency . Captain Newbolt stated that the retrenchments made by the audit authorities in Jotee Pereand ' s accounts were notconclusive—that , infact , subsequently to their being made , he had received from Jotee explanatory vouchers by which such retrenchments would be probably abated to the extent of £ 20 , 000 . He stated that it was utterly impossible that Jotee Persand , while with the army in the Punjab , could exercise any real supervision over the overcharges of hi 3 Gomashtas ( commissariat agents ) , in the north-west provinces ; he believed that all subordinate commissariat agents were

      rogues , and that those of Jotee Persand were no exception to the rule : he said that he had been himself eighteen years in the commissariat , and had never known of such overcharges being considered fraudulent or cognizable by a criminal court , and that he believed there was not a commissariat Gomashta in the company ' s service who might not be arraigned for fraud as the defendant then was ; and that if every commissariat Gomashta was brought up for fraud , for overcharge , as he supposed they might be , the commissariat system would certainly be paralyzed , and that it was absolutely necessary for the officers of the commissariat not to take notice of attempts at deception unless very glaring .

      Mr . Lang , in his speech in defence , overwhelmed the company ' s judicial system with ridicule , spoke of the encouragement tol false evidence it afforded , and called the 200 witnesses who were assembled a regiment of Mr . Thomason ' s ( the Lieutenant-Governor of Agra's ) " chartered perjurers .: " he spoke of the peculiarities of his own position ; an English barrister addressing a court in a case in which judge , jurors , and advocate were all servants of and dependents oa the prosecutor . With reference to the opportunities of oppression afforded by such a system , he remarked , with great truth , that though Burke had asserted that the company had not , and could not , delegate arbitrary power , yet that every company ' s official in India , from the Governor-General to the Nazir , did

      in fact possess it . A Mr . Denison of the civil service had come to assist the Government prosecutor , but was declared disqualified on its being discovered that he himself was , like his honourable masters , a debtor to the great banker . He came to prosecute , and Mr . Lang made most of the circumstance . He concluded by commenting on the company ' s forgetfulness of past benefits . Captain Newbolt had spoken to the zealous services of Jotee Persand in times of great difficulty . •« Services " ( to use Captain Newbolt ' s own words ) " which ought not to be forgotten when the emergencies which created them had passed away . " What , asked Mr . Lang , is the reward of all this zealous service rendered in such disastrous times ?

      " A seat in the dock ! Throughout the proceedings the population of the whole city of Agra were crowding in and about the court . The natives , who have been so long accustomed to the sycophantic style of pleading which Vakeels deem it prudent to adopt , were astounded when they beheld Mr . Lang frequently in fierce debate with the " huzoor , " and not yielding a single point without a contest and a struggle . So great was their rejoicing at Jotee Persand ' s acquittal , that they intimated a wish ( which was declined ) to chair him from the court—a distance of three miles * , —a demonstration unparalleled on the part of a Hindoo crowd . The Delhi Gazette stands alone on the side of the

      East India Company . Public opinion and the press , even Government supporters like the Bombay Times , condemning the prosecution as a ' * stupendous plunder . " The Calcutta Englishman regards it as " the most flagrant case of oppression which has disgraced the East India Company ' s Government for years past ; " and the Agra Messenger and other papers also remark , that the trial of Jotee Persand is of greater interest than any Indian state trial since that of Nuncornar .

      Untitled Article

      DARTMOOR PRISONS . [ A mibscriber to your paper , being in the south of Devon , availed himaclf of the opportunity to visit Dartmoor and the prisons ; he ia quite right in " believing that future official reports of the progress of these penal establishments on . the moor will claim your ncriou * attention , not only from its peculiarly reformatory character , but also for its importance in developing the principal of concert in human labour . " ] Liintlscovo , Aahburton , Devon . Starting on one of these fine May mornings , from tho neighbourhood of tho secluded woolHtapling towns of Ashburton and BuckfiiHtleigh , I soon reached that beautiful district on the banks of the river Dart , called the Cha . se , in nil the richness and variety of hill and dale , rocks , wood , and water , and journeying on some five or six miles , arrived on the edge of the moor and then farewell to verdant iields and flowery hedgerows . ' for barren moorland , far as tho eye enn reach on every side , appears , and huge stony hills and dark valleys , without a tree or shrub to relieve ; th « wolitary vastnessof the scene . The granite peeping through the green moss on the hill * , gathers in Iiukc blocks near the bummilH , and piled one on

      Untitled Article

      June 7 , 1851 . ] ®!) tf Healltt . 531

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), June 7, 1851, page 531, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1886/page/7/