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but they have remained hitherto passive spectators of the method in which their best hopes and dearest interests have been squandered and betrayed . Perhaps they have cherished a hope that at the . meeting of Parliament allthings would be well . Perhaps tnev have been content to read their sentiments faithfully reflected in the columns of the press . Whatever be-ttie cause of their silence , that cause exists no longer , and we have to look for an expression of public opinion , from one end of this country to the other , which will convey to our governing classes a most clear and intelligible warning that tlie patience < jf the nation is exhausted , and thatthe necessity of widening the area from which our Executive is to be taken is great and paramount . The enthusiastic
meeting at the town of Derby has led the way , and the remaining towns of England will not T > e slow to follow . The cry is for practical statesmanship , for opening a free career to talent , for placing our resources in Tiands equal to the emergency . The Derby petitioners hold no extravagant or exaggerated language ; they declare their confidence in the justice of the war , they express their humiliation and regret at the disasters which have occurred , they pray for a BeaTohing inquiry into their causes , and suggest remedies'adequate to the emergency which we have to meet . While Ministers are defeating hawto-fiH Hp the most important offices with the least competent persons , -and considering the < jlaims of rank 1 < of fama . \ vand of connexion—of-everytbing except merit and © £
c ^ paciiy—while the Mends " risingyoung statesmen " of the true breed are indefotigably soliciting i ; heir odvancement from office to office , the people of England , who care for none of these things , are gravely taking the matter into their serious consideration , and coming to conclusions but little favourable to the stability of * he present governing classes . "We have been ready to allow place and patronage to be monopolised by a few great families . We have been content tolive in . oar own country , strangers to our own € toveisnment , excluded from . theWorkings of our own institutions , but it was only on condition that our national pride should be TCspected , . and ourin * wests and position in the great family of nations remain inviolate . This our aristocracy havse
failed to . secure to us , and therefoBe-. the peopleiof England will , we hope , demand , ^ no spirit dF wild « ad theoretical levelling , innospirit of hatred or animosity to way ^ pertkai of the community , but in the spirit of practical - reform of an urgeat-and . intolerable grievance ,, that th * system which , excludes plebeian talent from high office shall henceforth be discontinued , ami that in tha army , at the desk , and in the council , those men shall be called to tie public servaoe wo © are best able to serve the public W « wish , all success to this movement . It has been © or painful lotto witness more , nearly than others and toobtain moro ample iinformation as'to the manner in which this ( war has bena conducted , and we < do not hesitate to
express the opinion -that without an « ntire change of system , a substitution of youth and energy for age and decrepitude , —susless some plan can be hit upon by which merit . shall be the only criterion in the filling up of civil and military offices ^ —without , in fact , < a completeabandonmentof the claima of - wealtk , of-femily and of interest , iu . favour of that higher nobility which the handof God has impressed oa the forehead of every mdn ^ of talent , it is v * in for us to continue the present contest , and better to accept any conditions , however ' degrading and however humiliating , since no degradation and . no humiliation suffered at the hands of the enemy can exceed those which our own servility and tneannmB have inflicted , and-are about to inflict upon ourselves .
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A NEW STORY OF IRISH X 1 FE . Irish life and death have beon illustrated in . a more than usually romantic manner in the Dublin Chrnicery Court . It will be observed that a distinguished member of onr House of Peers , one of the burning and shining lights of our Governing Classes , figure rather . prominently in this exciting drama—of murder , adultery ,. and fraud . The cause come on for hearing before the Lord Chancellor of Ireland on the 24 th of last month . It was a petition by John Stratford Honflcock , the heir ** t- * lair of his niece , Miss Honoria Handcook , who died on the 12 th December , 1868 , intestate . OflPcoming to ** ko possession of hit property lie found that certain deeds , executed by Honoria <« fid her two elder sisters , who bad pre-dooeasoa tier , oartatn judgments entered up 'by oue of them ,
Josephine , and certain charges created by her will , would iave the -effect of depriving hhn of the estates and vestng them in too respondent Delacoor , a natural . son of he mother of these young ladies , and a minor . Th * tetffclou was that flieee deeds and other charges shoulA ie dfldaxwd fraudulent and void , and be t aside . As he « as « is sMt without its lessons both in morals and lolitfcs , we lay before our reader * a short abstract of it akon Anhk too opening statement of the petitioner ' s ou « M ^ 'tibo Attorney-General . That statoment is , inleodi ve »« or < s , but it has not bua answered . Wm JBUaa Josephine Kelly vma " a great beauty , ind dl « o > a Tsrjf ambitious and designing woman . " Jt ippean that Am , -with the assistance of Lord Clanrisarda , * rmsd tfaa project of allying herself to Mr . ffnnrto—fc , *> wmQmmma > vt comMmwU * property in tha
county of Galway . Accordingly , in the month of December , 1824 , shortly after Handcock came of age , this ambitious -and designing beauty Accomplished her object . A marriage was celebrated ; the estates , after a life use , were settled on the children in tail , with a jointure of 7 D 0 Z a year for the widow . , Mn Hancock ' s , friends were averse to the marriage , yet it took place , and three daughters were the issue . The sad history of these three unhappy girls is one unbroken tale of misery and persecution : told even in the cold language of the Chancery lawyer , it makes the blood run cold . further children
Eroml 828 to 1840 there were no . In this latter year , in consequence of a suspicion of too great an intimacy between Lord Clanricarde and Mrs . Handcook , there was a separation , and Mr . Handcock went to Erance- In October of that year Mrs . Handcock was the guest of Lord Clanricarde at Eortumna Castle . This Jaot ireems ,-however , to have escaped the recollection of Lord Clanrioarde , as his affidavit states that it was impossible for him to have seen Mrs . Handcook during that year , as he passed the winter in Russia . A deed of separation was executed in July , 1841 , * nd in the same year , when Mrs . Handcock was on the continent , and after she had been some time separated from her husband , she gave birth to an infant , the present respondent Delaoour , but no one could say who was his father or when he was born .
The Attorney-General thought it would be a rash attempt to conjeoture who the father was , for it was a wise man that knew his own father , but people generally understood who . their mother was . ( Laughter . ') Lord Clanrioarde in bis affidavit said he oould not state anything as to the birth or parentage of the minor respondent John Delacour , and that he never saw liim until lie was apparently about three or four years old , as he recollects , and he . positively says that-Mrs . Handcook never stated or . intimated to Mm who were the parents of John Delacour ; The Attorney-General suggested that perhaps the lady thought it quite unnecessary to give the noble Marquis any information on that point . Mr . Handcock-having , gone-to Erance , Lord Clanricarde and Mrs , Handcock also appeared there , and it seemed that Mr-. Handcock -endeavouued to conceal himself , for he appeared , under the fictitious name of Captain Browne , not being anxious to see either Lord Clanricarde or . Mis . Handcock .
In 1842 Handcock returned a dyingemanto England , and took up bis abode in MiDhaers-road , Brorapton . There was areason to believe that when he first -came there he was not anxious to renew intercourse with Lord Clanrioarde or his-wife . Lord Clanricarde , . however , pnevailed upon him to accept of his good offices . He reconciled the " husband and father , a few days before bis death in JU& 43 , to Ins discarded wife and deserted children . This would appear to be an act sufficient to give moral dignity to a commoner—but who can fail to be impressed with so touching and elevating . a picture as that of a Samaritan in hi g h life Had the story only ended there , who would not have gloried in this additional illustration of " Erin ' s honour and Erin ' s pride •?"
, But Irish atoriesliaye a habit of running to too great lengths , and " the ^ pointing of " £ EeTnoralTinake * " ffieTB ~ . Ifo = glishmen sigh for an unadorned tale . The sagacity of the Attorney-General led him to procure a diary which had been kept 'by the eldest daughter , Josephine , and which diary mtkflr shakes our belief in the authenticity of the pretty Cueistian-like picture above . Hear the . Attomey-iGeneral t—¦ "A notice had been served on the respondent in this ( cause to . produce a diary which the eldest daughter , Jo-; seplune , appeared *© . have kept , and he ( the Attorney-General ) had examined it , and anything more touching than the accounts so given by that young lady of the miserable somes she then witnessed , he never
heard . The father was in the custody of a spy m the pay of Mrs . Handcook , her object being to acquire the custody of those children and the control of their fortunes . It was known that Mr . Handcock had made a will by which bis brother-in-law was to have been intousted with the most delicate office of protecting his children , and this spy was placed about him , and , like poisons in bis condition , he endeavoured to betray the person ho was employed to betray and the person who ¦ employed him , bis object being to obtain a will for himself . However , the daughter was brought . to die father b } ' Lord Clanrioarde from day to day until his affections were arousdA and weakened , and lie was prevailed upon to add a codicil to his will in July , by "which the
unhappy gentleman appointed the wifo he had discarded the guardian of his throe daughters . He was attended by Lord Claaricarde ' s family physician , who w * s plodgod to secrecy ; his brother , therefore , had much difficulty in learning where ho was , a » d arrived only ¦ after h » had breathed his last . Th « clorgyntan who attended him describes it as a most frightful deathbed . In July , 1646 , he died . In August the widow was appointed . guardian of the children , and Lord Clanrioarde of the property . The widow had then 700 k a year jointure , but ais lordship , the guardian of too property-, node her an allowance of l , 600 A a-ycar ; and the court , acting on the security erf this nobloman of high rank , granted her a mansion and demesne rent free , and < M ) W . to furnbih it . " So tha neoeasttiw and comforts of the three young
ladies were at least provided for . Again Jiear the Attorney-General : — " He could state positively that during . the time they resided in this mansion a more abjeot state of misery than those young ladies were kept in . he hardly remembered ever to have read of . He could not but apprehend that their- early and premature deaths were owing to the manner in which they were treated , and he trusted in God they were not so treated designedly . During this time the boy called John Delacour here , but who went by an euphonious name , and one to which perhaps he had as good a title—John de Burg h—was living in the house . Instead of being treated as the unhappy daughters wero , this adopted eon . was indulged in
every possible manner ; and , indeed , it appeared in the evidence that they ( the daughters ) were obliged to perform even menial services for him ; and it would seein that greater cruelty was never practised by a gaoler towards his prisoners in the worst of times than this unnatural mother displayed , towards her daughters , especially when they thwarted this young adopted child of hersT" In the mean time , too , the mother , it appears , had taken to drinking ; anu . ihiB may , perhaps , somewhat palliate the unnatural and loathsome nature of her conduct to her poor daughters . She accuses one daughter of criminal conduct with her solicitor ; saying , also , that her person was offensive—that she was rotten : and to account for the existence of young Delacour , « he states that he was the natural son of another daughter , by a
French gentleman of high position . In 1847 , the daughters Mary Anne and Josephine executed disentailing deeds , the grantee in both being Lord Clanricarde . In 1849 , Mary Amie , the eldest daughter , died , shortly after coming of age , leaving her mother 10 , 000 / . The property then became nested in the younger daughters , Josephine and Honoria , who executed disentailing deeds in February , 1351 , to Lord Clanricarde . In that month Josephine ' s « nd was approaching . She made a will , which was drawn by Lord Clanricarde ; by which she left 10 , 000 / . to her mother , to T > e paid on the marriage of her sister ; and in the event of her sister dying without issue before her another , her landed estate was to be sold , and the proceeds given to her mother absolutely . In June , 18 . 51 , Josephine died , and it was sworn that the exemplary mother manifested
^ neither surprise nor regret , but looked upon it as the accomplishment of her most desired-end . . In . 1853 , the last daughter , Honoria , conveyed all her property in trust to Lord Clanricarde , subject to an appointment ^ o herself fonlife , and afterwards to Jier another , lier heirs , and assigns ; but after the execution of these , deeds she never had possession of them in reality or substance . In addition to these deeds , the mother obtained from her sick daughter , on the brink of the ; grave , « bond for 4 , 000 / . In the mean time the mother sickened . herself , and died before her daughter , in the latter part of 1853 ; the daughter dy ing on the 12 th of December of that year , intestate . The mother , who complained so much of her poverty during life as to be obliged to "deny her daughters the merest necessaries , leaves to her son Delacour 20 , 000 / ., and to Honoria 50 / .
Delacour claims the chief part of the Handcock estates" under ^ the ^ Turious-deedsr&c ., ~« teou * ed-by the daughters ; the petitioner claims t » s heir-ifr-law to Honoria . The executors under the will of Josephine oppose : * so does the brother of Mrs . "Handaoofe . Judgment was deferred in expectation of a compromise , and the compromise has beenefteoted . The deeds and will aro to be cancelled ; the petitioner Handcock ts to get the estates , and he is to pay 20 , 000 ? . 'to the Tcsponflent , Delacour , on his-coming of age , and in the mean time four par < sent . on that amount . Delacour is "now only fourteen years of age ; and suonld he die before attaining twenty-one , the petitioner will have the estates absolutely without payment .
On the compromise being effected , i * fi 4 Lord Chancellor said he had no hesitation in saying that the arrangement was for the benefit of the minor , und <* mtlii 3 decision would have been far less favourable , supposing bis opinions to remain unaffected by onytlhing tkat might hove 'occurred .
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HOPE VERSUS AGUADO . Our roadore have doubtless not forgotten this remarkable case , which has been adjourned since last December , The statement of Sir J \ Tlwsjger for tho plaintiff will be remembered ^ how Mr . and Mrs . Hope wore separated , and adultery was subsequently discovered between Mrs . Hope and the Count Agiiado ; how they bathod together , drove together , managed to live in tho same hotels , mid to have their rooms communicating . This week the case was concluded . After various Witnesses had been examined in corxoboration of Sir J \ ThosigerV opening statement , tho Attorney-General ronliod for the defendant . He said : — It was quite true as had beon stated , that Mr . and Mrs . Hope wore not of congenial minds or . tastes . Tho lady was handsotno , gay , oxtravogant , fond of dress and pleasure , while her husband was tuoiturn , studaouts very particular in money matters , and , notwithstanding hia immense woaibh , excessively penurious . Under tlinso circumstances , after living in England tae some yours , tho plaintiff thought prqper to throw his wife int <*
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1 J 50 THE LEADEfi , C ^ tukoa ^
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Feb. 17, 1855, page 150, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2078/page/6/
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