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TTTEXNA speaketh not—although the Plenipo-V tentiaries met on Thursday . The guns of Sebastopol are silent ; although the town has been set on fire by rockets . The Balaklava railway probably attained its full growth just at the _ time that the Vienna diplomatists began to nib their pens . Literally , this is-the-repori both from Sebastopol and Vienna .
" We have a nock of reports and some documents relating to the position of all the chief Governments concerned . From St ., Petersburg there are statements that the position taken by the new Czar is decidedly more pacific than that of his father ; but besides the text of his manifesto to the nation , declaring that he intends to carry out the wishes of Peter , Cathekine , Alexander , and Nicholas , we have his address to the Guards , . couveying-to-them-theJast . mess ; age _ . of _ NjLCjHpLAs : the expression of the late Czar , that if they were
faithful to the family " woe to the enemies of Russia , " is followed up by a warlike address on behalf of the new Emperor himself . There is nothing peaceful here . Nor is there anything peaceful in the continuance of General Wedell ' s travelling backwards and forwards between Berlin and Paris , with new expedients to put off the decisive answer for which the Allies are pressing . Austria is said to be backing into a more peaceful mood ; but the
latest official act that we have under the hands of the Austrian Government is the note of the 8 th , addressed to the German States , and repeating the argument in a previous note , showing that Prussia cannot be permitted to remain neutral , and that the German contingents are to be mobilised for the service outside the confederation . This is a sign that Austria has persevered since the death of the Czar in the course which she had
previously been pursuing . In Parliament , the Ordnance and Commissariat Estimates have passed ; and Lord Grey 1 ios taken the occasion " a propos des bottes , " to discuss the Ordnance Estimates in the House of Lords . Ho made a kind of general complaint that Parliament was passing largo votes without examination , although those votes involved items manifestly of an extravagant kind . He did not object to the plan of forming largo collections of soldiers , where they can bo trained in camp or brigade exercise , but ho objected to tho disproportionate amount of tho sum set dowri for tho
cost of erecting the barracks . Another objection was , that Government proposed to spend money in fortifications which Lord Grey , supposed to be expensive fortifications of stone ; whereas the whole tendency of theory and experience in regard to the fortifications confirms the opinion that earthworks are superior as a means of defence , less expensive , and not necessary to be constructed until within a short period of the anticipated attack . A very faint reply was made to
this objection . Still fainterJhave been the answers to renewed complaints about the deficiencies in the-supply of- the commodities or the services for ¦ which these large sums are paid . Lord Mokteagle detected in the Exchequer Bills Bill , where Government have taken a margin of about 5 OO , 6 OOZ ., a species of covert advance of money which he thought quite inconsistent with Mr . Gladstone ' s disapprobation of loans ; for such an nrlvanee is a loan without calling it so .
The Sebastopol Committee goes on , and we have more of the delinquencies of the transport , commissariat , and medical departments , established on evidence of men like tho Duke of Cambridge , Lord Cardigan , Lord Lucan , and other practical officers . The positive want does not appear to have been so extensive or so excessive as the earlier reports made out ; but the confusion , tho absence of system , the disregard of necessary duties , while slavishly taking shelter under forms , perhaps exceeds anything that ordinary newspaper reporters could either convey or
discover . It is now quite clear that the misappropriation of labour in supplying the want of land transport , —tho travelling of cargoes backwards and forwards between Constantinople and Balaklava while they were actually wanted at Balaklava , —tho loss of ships detained outside that confined port on a lee-shoro , —were disasters chargeable to Admiral Boxer and Captain Christie , and other subordinates , in the first instance ; and to tho Commander-in-Chicf who permitted those officers to continue in office after their deficiencies were proved .
There have been motions in Parliament on other things not connected with tho war , tho chief of which , perhaps , is the passing of tho motion by 87 to 58 , for leave to bring in Mr . Hey-¦ woop ' s bill , authorising tho marriage of a widower with his deceased wifo ' s sister or niece . Thero have boon 12 , 000 such marriages within tho last twenty years ; and while tho existing law infliutH pain upon tho consciontious , it gives impunity only
to the vicious . Sir Frederick Thesiger summed up the usual arguments founded on " divine ri «* ht , " " social confusion , " " sanctioning a breach of the law , " &c , with -which we have been annually familiarised ; but Lo » d Palmerston settled the whole question by applying to it the rule " prosunt leges sine moribus " - —laws can be of no force unless based upon the customs of the people . Here the law and custom are at variance : Mr . Hey wood proposes to connect them ; and the House of Commons' sanctioned the proposal by 87 to 53 .
Mr . Cobbett has endeavoured to introduce a bill to amend the Factory Law as it was established in the acts of 1847 and 1850 . The first of tEese acts made it unlawful to employ women or young persons for more than ten hours each day in a factory . The second act lengthened by half an hour the daily time on the five first days of the week , and curtailed the time on a Saturday . By the system of " shifts , " however , many millowners are enabled to keep their mills -working for a very extended time during the day ; and here one
calculation of the working classes was frustrated . They expected that it' the women and young persons were prevented from working so long a time , the whole business of the factory would to some extent be stopped ; but relays of tho short-time workers prevent that necessity , and thus the adult male labourers make no progress towards short time for themselves , while practically the working day is in many cases extended , even for the women and young persons , although the hours of actual labour do not exceed 10 * hours . These
abuses Mr . Cobbett proposes to correct , but it is evident that at the present time it would bo impossible to engage tho House of Commons in further interference , and we arc convinced that the working classes must look to themselves . This , however , is a point that we shall reserve till next week . Meanwhile , the refusal of Mr . Conbett ' s motion is not likely to allay tho feelings of angry discontont which we liavo already mentioned ns mouldering in the factory districts .
Among public proceedings of tho week , one of tho most interesting lms boon tho dinner to General Vivian at tho East India Uousc . The General is appointed to command tho corps of the Turkish Irregulars . Ho will bo aided by u selection of Indian pfficorn , and tho dinner was to him that complimentary grcoting on his taking offico which . Sir Ciiaiulks Nai'ikr had at tho Reform Club on taking command of tho Baltic Fleet . TUorc was
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VOL . VI . No . 260 . ] SATURDAY , MARCH 17 , 1855 . [ Pbice Sixpence .
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NEV / S OF THE WEEK— p * o = i Imperial Parliament 242 The Old and the New Czar 244 The Emperor Alexander ' s Manifesto 245 The War 245 The Sebastopol Committee 245 Sir Charles Napier and Sweaborg 246 Continental Notes 247 The Australian Riots 247 State of Trade , Labour , and the Poor 247
The Literary Fund 248 The Elections 248 Lord Dundonald and his Secret 248 Our Civilisation 248 Miscellaneous 249 Postscript 249 PUBLIC AFFAIRSThe Present and the Coming ... 250 Humiliation " JEx-Offieio" 251 "Wanted a General of Cavalry ... 251 Railway Enterprise in Hungary 252
Prussia Perplexed 255 Pauper Labour . " . 253 "The Stranger" in Parliament ... 254 OPEN COUNCILWhat we Want 255 LITERATURESummary 256 The Art of the Ancients 257 A Strong-minded Heroine 258 Books on our Table 259
THE AR . T 5—The Exposition of the Fine Arts in Paris 259 Art Gossip at Berlin 260 Theatres 260 Births , Marriages , and Deaths ... 261 COMMERCIAL AFFAIRSCity Intelligence , Markets , Advertisements , &c 261-264
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" The one Idea which History exhibits as evermore developing itself into greater distinctness is the Idea of Humanity—the noble endeavour to throw down all tie barriers erected between men by prejudice and one-sided . views ; and by setting aside tne distinctions of Rehgion , Country , and Colour , to treatthe whole Human race as one brotherhood , having one great object—the free development of our spiritual nature . "—Humboldt ' s Cosmos .
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), March 17, 1855, page unpag., in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2082/page/1/
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