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Leader (1850-1860), 27th February 1858, Edition 1 of 2, Page 207

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      Untitled Article

      Ka 414 , Pbbbtjaby 27 , 1858 . 1 ' THE LEADEB . 207 ^ MM ^^ HMn ^^ MV ^^^^ HMM ^^^ MMMM ^^^ MMM ^^ MM ^^^^ MaaMMaMB ^ B ^ M *

      Untitled Article

      Why is our City embellished vitk gigantic , in ^ solvent , palatial warehouses and banks , but because trader * on the one hand , and depositors on the other , always did and always will- judge by ap pearances ? Xet the private banker adopt cabs , and a shabby coat—let the joint-stock bank resign its Corinthian portico , designed by the first architect in his profession , and its Babylonian staircase , built by the first contractors in England , and show the result at the end of a year in diminished capital and withered profits . , The case of the brothers Henry and Chesitn Haix , which is still in the Bankruptcy Court awaitin" - the decision of Mr . Commissioner Fane , is a notable example of this doctrine of appearances . Whatever these men . may have been in their professional capacity as solicitors and money scriveners , one thing is certain , that they would never have attracted the capital , and commanded the confidence of the persons whom they have so grossly defrauded , if they had confined their operations to the dingy precincts of a lawyer ' s office . It was as the frank , open country gentlemen , the hard riders , the straightforward fox-hunters that they won the ear of at least the most influential of their unfortunate clients . "Without this real , or assumed character , it is more than probable that these men would never have had an opportunity of operating upon Sir Chames Rushotjx . In the melancholy instance of Mrs . Dalgueisk , whose 2000 / . consols were quickly transformed under the hands of the unscrupulous brothers to a stable at Neasdon of the more than doubtful estimated value of 150 / ., this ill-used lady admitted herself that she would not have trusted them to the extent that she did , but for her knowledge of the fact that they kept a carriage . Here we observe again the influence of appearances , and the well-calculated , ' operation of the all-powerful ' carriage . ' . Any poor , plodding , honest professional man , who detrauds nobody , and yet with -difficulty is enabled to pay his way , may languish loneenough for the patronage of rich and powerful clients , because he cannot back his talent and principle with the external gewgaw of a carriage . Far be it from us to say anything that may seem to prejudice the very proper sympathy felt , and the subscription started for this unfortunate Mrs . Daxgleish , but we trust that the severe lesson which she has just learned -will shake her belief to the last day of her life in the necessary connexion between ' carriages' and true respectability . With regard to the town life of these interesting brothers , it seems , from all accounts , to have been what is called ' gay . ' Their ambition did not run in tlie same channel as that of Sir John Dean Paul . While he was adorning a chair at a religious meeting , these kindred spirits—kindred in the manner in which they accumulated funds—were dressing for the Wine Rooms , the Casino , or the more brilliant Bal Masque \ Wherever the shrill and hollow laugh of the half-dozen ' more unfortunate' was heard , mingled witli the furious popping of champagne corks , and the measured provocations of the varsovienne , there were' the liberal scriveners , the pride and envy of every humble Barnwell , in the place . Unsteady apprentices looked on with a longing eye , and sighed when they thought how much better in the race of dissipation it was to be & master than a servant . Wheu Sir John was hastening in his carnage to the familiar chapel that had grown up under his fostering hand , the wild , young , generous , sly scriveners were inside one of those snug , improper Trmriata broughams that roll from St . John ' s Wood , in the cool of u summer's evening , towards tlio Trafalgar at Greenwich , or the SUu and Garter at Richmond . Mrs . Daloleisu ' s little fortiuio wus sacrificed , because the apartments at Brompton , and the detached cottage somawhore about Regent's JPurk , with their fair , but exacting occupants , had to be paid for , and the ' social evil' patroniaed with no niggardly hand . Sir John is hordod with thieves and " vagabonds because it was a necessity of his trading position that ho should keep up appearances , and the nourish- ment of hi 3 existences that ho should live in an atmosphere of deportment and respectability , sur- rounded by the subal . nnl . ial realities of this world , -yhilcTTlWosmdl y-tinnK in hard times , when vice , although rampant , was hidden , and exposures wore young . His Judges thought ; that they had made tin example of him that would deter others from following in his footsteps , as doctors sometimes hastily out oil' a diseased limb to savo a body , whan the " body is worse than tlio limb , onl y the latter is weak enough to bo the lira I . to show it . The brothers JtLvix , for the paltry satis- faction of standing woll in the county , and tlio move

      M ^ aM ^^^^ H ^ MVBM ^ MMM ^ MM ^ MHHM ^^^ MMHM ^ Bi ^ MWailHMNM ^ BMVMMB ^^^ MMM ^^^^^ MMMMMM ^ W paltry ambition of outvying a few weak , idle clerks and shopmen , in the markets of uneasy virtue , are now awaiting a tardy judgment at the hands of a Bankruptcy Commissioner , which , if there is any even-bauded justice in the land , will be at least as severe as that which has fallen upon the fraudulent bankers whose ill fate it was to go before them . M s a _ ^ ?

      Untitled Article

      LORD MALMESBURY AN EXTRADITIONIST . Lord Eaxmebston has been driven out of office on a question of national honour . Lord Dekbt _ has been lifted into office upon that same question . But his appointment of Lord Malmesbtjky to t he foreign Office is peculiar , as an illustration of the principle upon which ' national honour' is to be vindicated . We have no desire to prejudge the diplomacy of this nobleman , or to condemn him for the sake of a foregone conclusion ; but the facts of his biography must be remembered . In 1852 he was made Foreign Secretary by Lord DtuauT , and the Patrie rejoiced that the most intimate friend of Louis Napo : leon at Ham had been chosen to represent the foreign policy of Great Britain . Tn that year , moreover , he introduced a Surrender of Criminals Bill , which , after much opposition , was withdrawn . His language upon that occasion was repor ted as ' courteous and supplicatory ; ' but Lord Aberdeen condemned the measure as one ' which required nothing but the French Letter of Accusation to warrant the apprehension of the alleged criminal ; ' Lord Brougham urged 'how very little security there would be under this bill for the safety of political offenders ; ' Lord Campbell declared that ' if this bill passed , the result would be that we should be bound to deliver up to the French Government any Frenchman in our dominions whose presence was wanted in France by that Government for any purpose whatever . ' The Earl of Malmesbtjry replied , in defence of his bill , ' with artful simplicity , ' and the measure was read a second time ; but the Cabinet was ultimately forced to abandon i t , although a Convention embodying i ts provisions was actually signed at London On the 28 th of May , 1852 , by Lord Malmesbuhy and Count Walewski on behalf of their respective Governments . Without wishing prematurely to discredit the new Foreign Minister or his colleagues , we must be allowed to doubt whether the national honour' question has been settled by the transfer of the seals of the Foreign Office from Lord Clarendon to mon eher Malmes-BTJRY .

      Untitled Article

      THE HAVELOCK MEMORIAL . The Ha"Velock Memorial Committee have appealed to that which is , we think , one of the sentiments most deeply rooted in the British character—the admiration of pure patriotic devotion . Having obtained from the late Government a site in Trafalgarsquare , they propose to erect their monument near to that of Sir Charles Jamus Napier , the conqueror of Scinde . Havblock ' s name is one which the world will not willingl y let die , and this is the moment for testifying to his public services and' personal worth . His countrymen will honour themselves in honouring the memory of this good and gallant soldier , who saved the garrison of Luckuow , and perished before the proud acclamations of the British people reached him on the battlefield .

      Untitled Article

      , , " , j ] * MR . COBDEN . We have heard with deep and sincere regret that there- is no probability of Air . Cobden ' s accepting a scat in Parliament for a long time to come . J ) omestic afflictions , one upon another , conspiro to prevent him from taking any active part in public business , In the existing state of the Liberal party in the House , so contused and incoherent in its principles and its personal followings , the presence and authority of Mr . Buight ' s traditional compeer would be felt oa an earnest ; of a polioy , and a pledgo of independence and advance

      Untitled Article

      ' j ( i < Tint Indian Riswicif Fund . —A report has boon issued by tlio Gun oral CommUtuo of the Indian Relief Fund , in which wo Toad : — " The United Kingdom has alroiidy contributed 822 , 082 / . lla . 7 d . Tho English colonies liuvo not nil lmd Bufllciout time to respond to tho appeal ; but a sum of 2 G 05 J . 10 h . lid . haa been received from thorn . In t | io North American colonies , llata have been opened nnd liberally sustained , wliilo wo are informed Unit from nil or motst of them legislative grants may be expected . Foreign Stutea ( following the generous

      example of the Emperor of the French anct Imperial Guard ) have contributed 15 , 1871 . 8 s . 2 d . The actual contributtons from all sources up to this date have been 942 , 9292 . 18 s . 4 d . The cities of Edinburgh , Glasgow , Dublin , Cork , Manchester , and Liverpool have acted separately in the Realization of funds ; Edinburgh haa - contributed its earliest collections , while the other Scotch cities , with the exception of Glasgow , lave transmitted their contributions . Manchester and Liverpool stilt retain the control of their contributions ; but the Irish cities have consented to co-operate with the committee , and have remitted the amounts of their several funds . In addition to pecuniary contributions , generous offers L have been made to maintain and educate gratuitously ' orphan children , male and female , of which the committee has already partially availed itself . Offers have been ! received to maintain without cost fifteen , boys and five girls ; and numerous applications have been made to i receive children of both sexes on moderate terms , of ; which advantage will be taken as opportunities occur . " Metropolitan Improvements . —A report was pre' sented to a Court of Common Council , held on Tuesday , from the Improvement Committee , with respect to the bill for the abandonment of the Metropolitan Railway , and for the dissolution of the company . The report recommends that a petition be presented by * the court against the bill . The court adopted the report , and agreed to a petition . It also uuanhnously adopted a report from the Improvement Committee , recommending that a petition should be agreed to in opposition to the Omnibus Tramway Bill , on the ground that it would be unjust and impolitic to allow any company to appropriate any part of the public streets for their own advantage , "' it . * Hamfsteax > Heath . —Mr . Daw , the chief clerk ox the City Commission of Sewers , read a report , at » meeting on Tuesday , from the General Purposes Committee , to whom it had been referred to consider the Hampstead Heath Park Bill now before Parliament . The report stated that the committee were of opinion that the bill is objectionable in many of its provisions , especially as it would entail on the inhabitants of the City , in common with those of other parts of the metropolis , a considerable charge . The report ( which was received ) recommended the court to petition the House of Commons against the bill . Law Amendment Soctett . —A general meeting of this society was held on Monday evening—Lord Brougham in the chair . The Secretary read the report of the committee on the Law of Legitimacy , which stated that the law at present is so deficient as to prevent any person from establishing before a court of justice his status of legitimacy , unless some question of property be concerned . The report suggested that the law " of England in this respect should be assimilated to that of Scotland . The document having been adopted , a paper was read by Mr . Harris on the appointment of auditors to trust estates , and ordered to ba printed . The New Houses of Parliament . — A Parliamentary paper has just been issued , containing some correspondence between Sir Charles Barry and the Board of Works relative to the expenditure by the former , aa architect , on the New Palace at Westminster . Sir Charles has been directed to give no further orders for any work in the palace the cost of which cannot be defrayed out of the balance of tbe vote * for the current year . The architect appears to have exceeded , to a considerable amount , his estimates for sundry expenses in connexion with the Houses of Parliament , and to have entered into special contracts for works without the sanction or knowledge of Sir Benjamin Hall , and contrary to hie express desire . Eakly Sowino in Scotland . —Tho seaaon still continues so fine in the north of Scotland , ( hat the sowing of the more early cereals has commenced on Deeside . There has been only one snowstorm in . Scotland this winter , and that lasted but a few days . Thk Cmskcyman v . the Physioian . —Mr . Farnell , Assistant Inspector of the Poor-law Board , attended a speciul meeting of the Greenwich Board of Guardian * , lust Saturday , in order jto investigate a . complaint made by the Rev . John Poltimore Courtenay . curate of St . John ' s Deptford , to tho effect that , whilst engaged in I rofessionally visiting- the sick poor , he had been grossly insulted by Dr . J . Arthur , medical olficor for Deptford district , who'hud threatened to expel hi : n from the rooms , of various pauper patients- Tho doctor , it appears , asserts that the gloomy appearunco « n < l sepulchral notes' of the clergymen—more © specially of Puaeyite clergyman—induce tho patients to think . them » olve % booked for the next world , and no exercise a prejudicial effect on their houlth . The whole case will bo referred to the Poor Law Board . Tim Gamui Laws and Pooh Rklihb . ' —It appear * that , in tho year 1860 , 2 B 5 women and 780 children were nlniiw » ru ^ iinhBrpoornwto 8-in ~ BnBland Taud- \ Vale 8 f-Mi T * ' --i--- ^ -- - ~ total cout of 705 fc for thoU support in and out of doors , in conaoquonce of tho persona by whom tliey were usually maintained being immured In g « ob ton QOmema , nguinat tbe game laws . Thia appoura from a return « moved lor by Mr . Oolvile , M . P . DisxitBHS in Spitawtuciups . —Mr . II . JU WiUloma > Hon . Sec . to tho Kin / , ' Kdward Bugged School of Industry , Albort-Btrcef , Spitulttelda , huu written to , tho Tima * to call attention to tlio distressed condition . < tt the poor In that neighbourhood . | :

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Feb. 27, 1858, page 207, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2232/page/15/