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Leader (1850-1860), 20th December 1856, Edition 1 of 2, Page 1214

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      Belooch Irregulars , we might so leaven their mass as to render them a most formidable host of light cavalry , or Eastern Cossacks , and capable of destroying in detail , by . force or famine , among their own mountain passes , any army that could be advanced from the ¦ w estward . * ' * The occupation of the passes and the opening a line of communication between the heads of these passes , would render our north-west frontier permanently unassailable .

      Our moral influence would also be gradually ex tended throughout Afghanistan , where a friendly feeling towards tlie British has existed from the time we held sway at Caubul and Candahar ; and where , as an unwilling witness—1 MV Feuhier—has admitted , very many still deplore the withdrawal of our army . Thus securely entrenched , we might patiently await the hour when the-Muscovite hordes shall idly dash themselves against the unshaken "bulwarks of our Indian Empire .

      It is worthy of note , however , what a singularly felicitous illustration of our system of self-government is afforded by the circumstances preceding this new war . The convention , of which so much is said in the Governor-Greneral ' s Proclamation , has not yet been submitted to Parliament , though three years have elapsed since it was entered into . It might be worth while to inquire how many

      of these promises to make war ' at sight' ai * e still in circulation . The cost of the present ' liability' will be no trifling sum , and in a great measure will have to be defrayed from the revenues of India , although the Government of that country was not so mueii as consulted as to the terms of an agreement which continually exposed it to the chance of hostilities .

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      AMERICA'S GIFT TO ENGLAND'S QUEEN . QtrEEN Victoria is a woman , a lady , and the Chief of the State , and it would be impossible for her to take part in the unwonted ceremony of Tuesday last without many a strange thought . She received a present rarely matched in its grace and spontaneous kindliness ; and from whom ? From the ' " rebels " with whom her grandfather , G-eokge III ., found it so difficult ; to be reconciled . On

      ably with a simplicity that is the very perfection of courtesy . He had come to present to her " a token , of love , admiration , and respect , " and in order to do it he had just passed through those fearful gales which have been sweeping the Atlantic with a force unfelt for years , in a sea not unfamiliar with those fearful storms which we know so well . He stood before her , therefore , the representative of a powerful republic , the representative of the most manly profession in the world , and the representative of manly success . He delivered his gift , not only as from one State to another , not only to the Queen as sovereign , but to herself .. " personcally ; " and in that little expi * ession it may be said that the personal relations of Queen Victoria , the representative woman of the British Empire , are restored to the other Anglo-Saxon family across the Atlantic . Other great states may present gifts to the British sovereign , but they are unable to achieve what the American republic has just accomplished . The sovereigns of those states

      possess a command of means which no one man in America can enjoy . The mere caprice of an Emperor could have bought up the Resolute , could hav * e ordered her to be fitted at the expense of his subjects , could have sent her biick by one of his obedient servants ; and probably , on such an occasion , the ceremony on the deck would have been somewhat more studied in its courtliness . Nay , we will not deny that such an Emperor , if he pleased , might have chosen a manl y ^ chivalrous officer to do his duty with errace and

      zest , let how could Queen Victokta . have felt , in such a case , that il Germany" or " -France "had presented to her a gift ? How could she discriminate with perfect certainty between . the court ceremony of herwelcome , and the heartfelt desire to welcome and to please her . It is literally the people of America , " my countrymen , " who have made her this gift , the whole republic of the West . It is absolutely impossible that auy adulteration of craft or sycophancy can have mingled with the friendliness ; aud the " personal" feeling which is avowed is thoroughly genuine .

      How can the gift be returned ? It is returned already ; every gift handsomely and spontaneously presented is returned when it is cordially aud frankly accepted .

      the deck of her own ship the Besolute , she was the guest ; her host was a plain sailor . "Unquestionably no small degree of republican sobriety marked the mode of Captain Hahtstein's address . He said : — " Allow me to welcome your Majest } ' on board the Resolute , and in obedience to the will of my countrymen and of the President of the United States , to restore her to you , not only as an evidence of a friendly feeling to your sovereignty , but as a token of love , admiration , and respect to your Majesty personally . "

      The Queen of the British Empire might have been struck with the democratic stubtornness which placed " my countrymen " even before " the President of the United States . " The " welcome" given to linn Majesty was stripped of some of the servility which she might have perhaps encountered in the officers of almost any navy in Europe ; in spiri t perhaps , - \ ve may except two—the Sardinian and the British . And yet from this

      very plainness , from , thia absence of imperial state , there must have been to Queen TiOTOjaiA . a peculiar delight and satisfaction in the whole ceremony . Before her stood a fair representative of the republic ; tor Captain Haetstein represents its energies , ita directness , and its independence ; yet he is a perfect gentleman , and the great Queen might naturall y ask herself at that moment , What man can be higher than a gentlemftn ? Captain Habtstein camo to do a graceful duty , and lie did it unquestion-* Our North-West Frontier . John Chapman .

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      the intellect of the heatlien that , after vearsTf progress , he becomes a Dove as well ' as a Habrisos-. It is impossible to found au objection upon such a trifle .- What tv 0 have to ask the missionaries is : How do thev ae count for the revival of fetisch ? What has been the value of their stewardship ? " WW has been the veracity of their reports ? ( Wl English public , which fill long lists with subscriptions for a most admirable and sacred purpose , be prudent enough not to rely in ) On

      missionary magazines alone , but put a ques tion . now and then to independent residents aud travellers . You may find that your brother of Congo , whose white hat you have paid for , attends chapel by da , y , and byniMit pours out a blood y oblation to Afumbo-Jumbo ; that your Singhalese convert has a secret allegiance to a demon ,-and . that . your Jamaican flock is gathered by the light of the moon to practise ¦ tho- ' . inosfc degraded form of worship known in heathendom "

      A QUESTION FOR MISSIONARIES . It would gratify us highly if Lord Siiaftes-Buiir , or Sir Culling Ea-udley , or * the Eev . Dr . Binnbt , or some other distinguished person , who ought to know , would send us a little information . "We should be glad to hear from anyone of these gentlemen , concerning a report of a most distressing character , which affects the honour of the London Missionary Society . Is it true that the natives of the Northern districts of Jamaica are returning to Fetischism ? After all that has been said in Exeter Hall , and -written in the JEartlien Vessel , we should as soon have imagined that Lord S icaetesbtjiit had become a Druid , or Dr . Biitkby a Fire-worshipper , as that tho established churches of JGngland and Scotland , the Wesloyans , Baptists , Scottish United Presbyterians , and Moravians have been unable to restrain tho Jamaica natives from resuming the devilry

      of ancient times . Perhaps they will say that we are confounding the practice of Obeah , or magic , with tho fetisch ritual . Not at all . It is notorious that scarcely an assize takes place in Jamaica at which several cases of Obcah aro not brought forward , Wo have become accustomed to tho idea that it is worthwhile to expend immense sums of money upon bodies of men who 00 far operate upon

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      " A BniTiSH Lifc . " —Under this heading , Mr . Mea « -her in Iris American journal < alled tlie . Jt ' Seicg , froths forth the following exquisite piece of Hibernian fury : — "A late numberof T / ia luomlon Tinics charges the editor of this paper with having expressed a . desire to become a slaveholder . Tlie anonymous bully lies . The only slaves Mr . Meagher would wish to have are the kind his ancestors , several hundred years ago possessed—lighthaiTetl , blue-eyed Saxon slaves . " What paper can lie allude to ? "We were not aware that there was any paper called " The London ' Times . '' ' Then , ho \ r supremely Irish is the assertion that Mr . Meaglier does not desire to become a shivel-oldcr . because " the only slaves " he wishes to have are light-hairecl and blue ^ eyed ! Ob , grand reconciler of paradoxes , mother Irish wit !/ •¦'¦ ¦ - ¦ . ¦ v '¦¦ .: ' ¦ . . ¦ . / ; . ¦ ¦ . ' : ¦¦ '" ¦ :.

      Salary of the llEeoRiiEn optoe City of-Loxnox . — -A discussion took place on Monday at a Court of Common Council , on the salary of " -the : Recorder .- The Officers and Clerks Committee , to whom the subject had been referred , recommended that the salary should continue at 3000 / . a year ; but Mr . Cox moved that 2 , 500 / . would be quite sufficient . In the course of the discussion it appearx-d that the retivuneration was originr ally only 120 / . a year ; that in 1790 , after much oscillation , it was fixed , at 10 O 0 / . ; arid that since then it had gradually crept up to 300 01 . It was the general opinion that the highest-faculty could not he obtained under that sum ; and the salary was accordingly iixed at the amount specified , with the addition of this proviso : —

      "And if irom any circumstance the duties of the Recorder shall be altered and diminished , and the salary reduced accordingly , we are of opinion that the Ilecorder should have no claim for compensation in respect of such reduction . "—On Tuesday , in the Court of Aldermen , Mr . Ivussell Gurncy was elected unanimously to the office of Recorder in placo of Mr . Stuart Wortley , appointed to tlie SolieitoT-Gcneriilsbip , and a vole of thanks to the latter gentleman , ' expressing the high esteem of the Corporation yrns passed bj * acclamation .

      Reform in tiik Citv . Alderman Wire on Monday , brought two bills into the Court of Common Council , connected with the great question , of corporation reform . The first was a bill for tlie final abolition of . street tolls ; and the second was a bill for the further repeal of the provisions of an net of Common Council made the 5 th of April , 1 G 00 , for the prevention of trading by nonfrecmen , and of another act of Common Council made on the 4 th of July , 1712 , concerning foreigners , and prohibiting their selling within the City . Kach of tile bills was read a first and second time , and appointed to be read a third time . The Court was unanimous upon the sufcject .

      This Manciitcstku ExuiumoN . —Wo have authority for stuting that the executive committee have reason to hope that the Queen may honour the Great Exhibition of next year at Manchester "with a visit . We arc Informed that tho committee aro empowered to state that Prince Albert has expressed his intention of honouring the opening ceremonial of exhibition in May next w » tn his presence . — Times . Clauis-Maukkt Kaciokd Schools . —A meeting of tho inhabitants of tho parish of St . Clement Panes and vestrv

      its vicinity was lield on Wednesday night at the - Tooms , Pickctt-Htrcct , in aid of tho ragged schools established in Portugal-street . The Earl of Shaftcsbury presided . Tho proceedings having been opened oy prayor , a report was read , winch showed most encouraging results from the operation of the sclioo during tho past year , no less than four hundred being tho daily average of scholars i » attendance . * » " > report concluded by asking increased public aid , tho expenditure being greater than the income

      . .. Gkkat Flood in Yoiucsiihiu . —Owing to the mpH thaw in tho north , acting upon tho largo accninulationB of snow and ice , tho <> n » e , in Yorkahire , has ovorllow «» Us channel , and caused very serious Hoods .

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      1214 THE I / EAPER . TNo . 352 . Sattt ^ ^ ' " ' ' "' ' ' i ii i ==-rr- ; _ _ J

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 20, 1856, page 1214, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2172/page/14/