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    PUBLIC MEETINGS

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    selves—mostly young men of stunted growth , with long , Bludlow , parallelogram-shaped "bodies , on short spare legs , curved outwards from the knee down , except when they resembled the hind-legs of a cow . Poor fellows ! the restless , suspicious eye , peering out at the corner , the hollow cheeks , and the lantern jaw , spoke of a hungry Childhood , and of a manhood alternating between want and wild debauchery , with black care in the form of a policeman dogging their steps , and ever dancing before their' mind ' s eye . Some few wore an extremely sinister and repulsive expression , but in general the external indications denoted only sensuality ¦ with deficient couscientiousneas— the natural consequence of hereditary neglect and ignorance . One fellow , indeed , might have sat as Mr . Leech ' s model . I % vas thankful I had not to walk in his company , that night , down a dark lane .

    I need not detain you , sir , with a detailed report or the . speeches . made on this occasion . The business of the evening was , of course , opened by the Earl of Rhododendron , who , for this one night only , forbore to wear the diamond ring which is pronounced to be a ' necessary' . witli individuals ( if I may be allowed to use that ¦ word in speaking of the aristocracy ) of his exalted rank , tightly Testing his delicate fingers on the front of the platform , and -swaying to and fro on his noble toes , his lordship told liis fellow-subjects that he had convened , or called them together—for he considerately varied has expressions— -in order that he might hear from themselves -what -they thought of the ticket-of-leave system . The amiable speaker kindly reminded them that

    they had all broken the laws of their country , and would have been transported had there been any place to transport them unto . But as there was not , they had been condemned instead to penal servitude—the meaning of which hard words they all perfectly understood—and after a time had been allowed to mingle once more with honest men , as a reward and trial of their repentance . Unfortunately , some of them had not kept their promise to ' society , ' " and ' society ' . was therefore very angry with them . But for his own part , before he legislated , that is , made laws for them , he was anxious to give them another chance , and would be glad to listen to anything they had to say for themselves . Of course , as the law-maker resumed his unpretending chair , tlie

    lawbreakers loudly applauded—the most refined and respectable audience could not have been more enthusiastic . A regard for truth compels me to admit that the speakers who followed were not endowed with the celestial gift of eloquence . Indeed , most of them prefaced their remarks with the somewhat needless confession that they were not much of ' spokesmen . ' They agreed , however , in condemning the vexatious interference of the police , and also in ascribing much of the difficulty they experienced in finding employment to members of their own families . One was pointed out to the police as a burglar by his own niece , and not one of them had ever been entreated , in the second column of the Times , to return to his heartbroken relatives-, oy to apply to A . Z . —the old address

    delivered this satisfactory address to the poor starving creatures , who had renounced their most pressing engagements—at Notting-hill and elsewhere—to gather the lessons of wisdom from an Earl , the silken folds of the immaculate handkerchief bursting from the noble bosom , were seen to pas 3 , gracefully and with stately condescension , down the room , diffusing choice aroma on either side . After the handkerchief , humbly , followed the choker , and after the chokei , I suppose , was borne the lay figure , but my eyes , dazzled by the brilliancy of the passing lord , could rest on no duller objects for a while . The gracious form vanished from my sight , and my ears were for the lasfc time regaled with that elegant and distingue cough—hay ! hay ! —so different £ rom the hoarse rough notes drawn from plebeian throats .

    I feel that it was a great privilege to have Been present at such an . interesting-exhibition of a live Earl , and yet—how hard it is for mortals to learn contentment!— - I could wish , sir , that his lordship had told his hearers tha . tfor the relief of their immediate necessities he would leave a cheque for 50 Z . with Mr . Mayhew ; that he disapproved of a house of refuge , as it would bring too many of them together , when the most vicious would exercise the greatest influence ; but that he would willingly subscribe towards a fund for providing them with means of emigration ; and that he would bring their ease "before the Legislature at the earliest possible period—instead of promising to ponder on their statements " at his leisure . " Has lordship did nothing of the kind , and I am afraid that his inconsiderateness will destroy whatever confidence the unfortunate beings had begun to place in their true-hearted friend Mr . Henry Mayhew . IJay more , if

    the lessons of history are of any value , I would re * pectfully , but earnestly , warn the noble Earl and his compeers against indulging in maudlin exhibitions of a dilettanti philanthropy . Can they not see that sympathy , offered in this manner , is an insult to the suffering classes ? No doubt they mean well , but their ignorance of the real wants and wishes of the people causes them to make lamentable blunders . Mere oppression may be endured . But when the privileged classes flaunt tiieir supercilious compassion in the face of their humbler brethren , they may expect no greater meed of gratitude than was rendered under similar circumstances to the old Trench noblesse prior to the First Revolution . Above all things , let tlicm beware of making themselvescontemptible . These are no times for the buffoonery of a Sir Robert Peel , the ruffianism of a Lord Ernest Vane Tempest , or the milk-aud-water sentimentality of an . Earl of Carnarvon . There is a poor blind Sampson in this land , Shorn of his strength , and bound in bonds of steel , Who may , in some grim revel , raise his band And shake the pillars of this Commonweal , . Till the vast temple of our liberties A shapeless mass of wreck and rubbish lies . Your obedient servant , Mus Rusticus .

    —where they would hear of something to tlieir advantage . They also insisted upon the groat benefit to be derived from having a house of refuge to go to ou their release from prison—or , in their own picturesque phrase , when they first went ' home' The possession of a ticket-of-leave , they said , Tendered them the same good service iij obtaining employment that a previous conviction would do towards a mitigation of sentence at the Old Bailey . In this country they had no chance of earning a sufficient livelihood by honest industry ; their only hope was in emigration , but this required means "which they did not possess .

    Then again uprose ihc Earl of Rhododendron , wise in council , eloquent in debate , and winged words flowed from , his lips , sweeter than honey or the honeycomb . Ho said that he had heard their narratives ¦ with much , interest , and listened to them with considerable sympathy . He would give them—a piece of advice . ( Their briglitening faces again faded into gloom . ) If they could not get work in one place , they had better try another . In fact , his lordship recommended them to travel—to winter in Rome , and spend the summcT at Badcn-Daden , unless they could content themselves with Brighton , Leamington , Cheltenham , and Bath . They must remember , too , that they were bottcr off than many of their countrymen . During their imprisonment they had all heen taught some trndo or handicraft , nnd no industrious man need long want

    employment in this great metropolis . ( Oil , good my lord , is this really so ?) But if they did fail , let them not bo discouraged— let them not fall away from the patliB of virtue—lot thorn make one moro attempt . ( Ilia lordship forgot to say how they were to live in the meantime . ) Boskles , they liad enjoyed tho inestimable privilogo of having heard " GiuI ' h holy wnod " road to them . Let them cliiifj ; to those blessed truths . ( My lord , my loi'd , ia it not written among those blessed truths that it doOB not aufflco to tell the hungry and the naked to bo fed and clothed , if you do not givi ; them food and clothing ?) Then bin lordship kindly inquired if they would lileo to go to tho colonies , and if so he would ask them to hold up their IiuiuIh . All were held up without a . single exception . " Ah , I thought ho . Tlw : nk you . " Tlu ; illustrious chairman then dismi . sHcd them ( o their ¦ homea ( V ) , - with a request Unit they would Bepa-JCftte in iv peaceful and orderly manner . IIuvihk

    Public Meetings

    BIRMINGHAM AND MIDLAMD rSSTITOTE . A soiree , in connexion with this institution , was held on the evening of Friday week , at tie Musie-hall , Birmingham . The attendance was numerous , and included Colonel Sykes , chairman of the East India Company , with whom were Mr . Sheriff Mechi and Dr . Booth , as a deputation from the London Society of Arts , to explain the system recently established by the society for the examination of students attending classes of literary and scientific institutions , and for awarding prizes and certificates to meritorious candidates . The company assembled at six o ' clock , and passed a couple

    of hours in . partaking of tea and coffee , and in . inspecting an extensive display of photographic pictures , specanxens of the photo-galvanographic process , stereoscopes , microscopes , bronzes , electro-deposits , and other objects of artistic and scientific interest . The various speakers explained to the meeting that the institute especially addressed itself to the education of working men , which is notoriously extremely deficient , even m the merest elements of their respective crafts . Much good , it was stated , bad already accrued from this educational society » and it was anticipated that its sphere-of operations would speedily be enlarged .

    M . KOSSUTH AT MATICHESTBB .. M . Kossiith , last Saturday evening , delivered his lecture on the present state of Continental Europe to a large audience in the Free-trade Hall , Manchester . The lecturer insisted on the utterly futile character of the late war ; pointed out the unnatural condition , of slavery in , which Europe at present languishes , and which he thought is mainly supported by Louis Napoleon , * ' the parvenu lEmperor ; " prophesied the coming struggle for freedom ; and exhorted the English nation to give its countenance to the cause of liberty . The proceedings concluded with a resolution expressing sympathy with the lecturer , and repudiating English alliances with despotism against the peoples .

    SIB ERSKCSE PERKY AT DEVOHrORT . The annual reunion of the Devonport Mechanics Institute took place on Thursday week . Sir E-rskino Perry , one of the members for the borough , was among the speakers , and the object of his address was to point out the natural tendency that the men of Devonshire have towards paiuting ( as evidenced in the unusually large number of fine painters which the county has produced ) , and to argue from this , coupled with the fact that Devonshire has no important natural productions and no great manufactures , that the natives of the county would do welt to cultivate their taste for the fine arts , so that we might not be obliged to depend so much as we now dp upon France for objects of taste and fancy . MR . WILLIAM DRIVER AND THE BELVEDERE-CBESCENT

    KEFOlttLATORY . Anaddress delivered by Mr . William Driver to the boys of the Belvedere-crescent Reformatory on New Year ' s-eve has just been communicated to the papers . After pointing out to them that life is eternal , and that they cannot avoid living if they would , Mr . Driver aeked : — " What are you prepared to do for the world ? It is all very well for you to talk of getting a living , but what arc you ready to give in return for your living ? Listen to this . Before you . ask the -world to keep you , you roust show it that you are worth being kept . Living must not be your first thought . 'Take no thought for your life what you shall eat . ' I am not afraid to say those words . I don't waut to smooth them over , cither

    PUBLIC MEETINGS . BlU . MIALti AND HIS CONSTITUENTS . Mr . Mia . t . 1 ,, M . P ,, met his constituents at Rochdale on the evening of Friday week , according to annual custom , for the purpose of submitting to them an account of his Parliamentary conduct during the preceding session , and of giving them an opportunity either to approve or condemn his policy . Mr . Jacob Bright , the Mayor , presided , and delivered a speech , in which he criticised the foreign policy of the Government . He then introduced Mr . Miall , who gave an abstract of liis last year ' s Parliamentary services , and confessed two errors , which consisted in his having heen accidentally absent from two important divisions . Relative to the Persian difficulty , Mr . Miall said : — " We are an insular

    people : why should we be continually interfering with the business of our neighbours ? Look around you for the fruit of the Palmerstonian policy . We have already had two wars , two occupations—one unsuccessful from imperfect administration . We have a war with Poraio , as I read in the paper to-day that our naval armaments have taken possession of liushire . We havo sent iui army 5000 strong to the north-west of India , to penetrate iuto the central regions of Asia , to drive tho 1 ' oraiane out of tho town of Herat . I'll bo bound that not twenty persona in this hall would caro to know wlioro Herat is ; but we « re nt a war that may possibly coat as bloodahod

    much money , and vory nearly as much , , aB that whick ia happily now concluded . Nobody knows what it is about ; but thoso who are best informed tell us that it is about a lady . (/ I laugh . ) It is no matter of laughter , though it does assume most cortttioly ft ludicrous aspect . Another subject is tue bombardment of Canton . I can only trace this to the determination of tho European to p ick a quarrel with , tho Chinese . " Tho hon . member proceeded to condemn at considerable length tho policy of the British Government towards the Chinese ; and , after a reference to Italy , Hungary , and our relatioua with Franco , concluded n speech of two hours . ' duration with somo remarks ou Lord Johnltuasoll

    and reiorm . Mr . ( iourgo Aslnvorth then moved , and Mr . John Petrie seconded , n vote of confidence in Mr . Miall , which wns unanimously cai'ricd .

    for you or for myself . I want you to take them as they stand , and put upon them the plainest meaning . If you go out into the world to try how much you can get out of it , and how little you can give in return , be sure it will be down on you some day in a way you won ' t like . If you lot the world sec that you are of use to it , you need not fear for your life . SIiow that your life ia of value , and you will find plenty to take enre of it . Don ' t measure out your cervices as if you were afraid of giving too much My l ) oya , I do not want to frighten you .-, I do not want you to think , you arc going out into a hard-hearted wilderness of a place not worth living in . Don't think tho world was made only to dig graves out of . It really is not a bit like a wilderness , ana I should t > e sorry if you thought so . Don't be out of heart at tho muddles think that

    you will come across sometimes , nor yet any other days wqko better tlvan theac . Perhapa tho finest tln ' og would bo to live when there are no muddles ; but certainly tho next best thing is to live when there are > lonty , and to havo a Imnd in clearing them away-You-will see many things you will not bo able to understand .. You may think some aro too rich , while others are too poor . That sooio die whom it seems as if they ought to live . Do not worry yourselves about this . Do not bo haBty to judge , and , above all , don ' t say any of those things aro wrong . If you could ace the other side of the grave as woll as this , and if you were above all , and could see everything at once , you would be better ablo to judge . It is enough for you to understand yourself and your own duty . .... Our business is tho work of to-day . Do what it * right < 3 uy by day ; never mind to-morrow . Hight to-day , right for ever . ' THK INOOMK-TAX MOVKMKNT . Meetings have been held at Hu . verfonhv « sfc ( to represent the wliolo county of Pembrokeshire ) , at Khyl ,

    Untitled Article

    January 31 , 1857 . ] THE LEADER , 99

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 31, 1857, page 99, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2178/page/3/