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Leader (1850-1860), 9th April 1859, Edition 1 of 2, Page 466, Untitled Article

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      because they are sold by weight ; and it is evident that a pound weight of fine cotton , say 80 s , is in -worth a good deal more than the same ' . weight of 3 Q ' s , having absorbed a great deal more labour in its production , with , the corresponding result ol giving a much greater nuinber of yards to the pound ¦ weight ; there is ho inducement to carry out-the manoeuvre with real thread , which is sold according to length , because , speaking roughly , 100 yards of fine is pretty much the same value as the same length of coarse . The extra labour in spinning out the one being about balanced by the extra weight of cotton in the other . There

      is another little eccentricity indulged in with ball sewings , which I dare . say will charm you as much as the preceding . I believe there was once a . very interesting controversy as to what " a pound was , " which some sage or other solved by saying that " a pound was a pound , of course ; what else could it be ? " Now I beg to say , that a pound is not a pound ; that it is , in fact , anything but a pound ,. as applied to sewings . In the first place , then , a pound of ball sewings includes the weight of all necessary papers that wrap it up , generally about 2 oz . Well ,

      that might pass ; the " custom of tjie trade , " that charitable mantle , might cover that ; but then , there are pounds of 14 ozs . and 12 pzs ., according to price , of course , and I believe even pounds of 1 Q ozs . though of this latter I have no testimony . You may judge , therefore , of how much , or rather how little , & man may get for his money who buys a case of ball sewings ; his pounds , instead of 16 . ozs . only , weigh 12 ozs ., from which you must deduct 2 ozs . for the paper ; and , beyond all that , the cotton is marked up to , perhaps , twice its : real fineness .

      Iiooking at the entire production of thread in this district , you will easily understand that it would be presumptuous in any one individual to state with anything like precision , the extent to which these frauds are carried ; but speaking only my own opinion , and open to the correction of any of your correspondents who may be better informed , I should say that about three quarters of the thread made hereabouts is dishonestly made up or packed . You are right enough , unhappily , in saying that this matter of sewing cotton is only an illustration of what is done in many other trades . There are whole branches of Manchester business that are

      founded and worked upon nothing more nor less than " thievery , " , did the time and occasion call for it or permit , I could a tale ( or tyro ) unfold that would show that Manchester , is no more free than her neighbours from those sins of which " the haste to be rich " produces so plentiful and flourishing a crop . Gvy JFawkjes . " In directing attention to these facts , we must not fail to remind the public that they are but the symptoms of a general disorder not by any nieaus confined to manufacturers or shopkeepers- Conir petition , like the growth of population , is n atural and necessary , and only brings the latent disease

      of the national mind into prominence . Like all moral diseases it is the result of error . A creed very false and very extensive , which still dictates the policy of states and . the theories of some philosophers , though now denied , taught all men tliat the welfare of one was only to be promoted and secured by restraining , oppressing and plunder- * ing others . The still prevalent diah . on . esty is one of the remanets of this false creed . It has left behind it many dangerous consequences . The upper , the governing , and the teaching classes , stall believe , for example , that they can only provide for their own welfare , and tlio welfare of the State , by imposing restrictions of various

      kinds on the great multitude . The whole nation is now agitated by a conflict to remove or retain restrictions which originated in this unfounded creed . It may be noted that this conflict turns on . on amount of franchise , or ft question of property , and on a fear in the upper classes lest they should be despoilcdby the pohtusal action of the lower classes . "We regard the apprehension as wholly chimerical , but it is a proof Iiqw deepseuted and wide spread , is still the creed that the welfare of some is best promoted by imposing restrictions on others . To carry out these , an enormous amount of taxation is necessary . On a variety of pretexts—many of which , as they all centre in the assertion that these restrictions aro

      for the good of the multitude , must be false— -this amount p , f taxation is increased from year to year . The Government ana , the upper classes , from unwise and unfounded , fear , set the bad ; example of appropriating property on fictitious and false pretences j and if they arc not the parents , they are certainly the nurses of the fraud committed by manufacturers , merchwnte , dealers , and others ,

      which are now the greatest plague suffered by the community .

      Untitled Article

      STEEET VIEW OF ITAI ^ . — No . V . , ROME ANJO THE CAMPAGNA . There is a sort of dead look about . Rome which accords well with the memories of the place . With the exception of the English cmartei \ and the Corso , the streets are at all times solitary . There are few carriages , and not many passers-by on foot . A great portion of the space included within the city walls is unoccupied , and the side streets all seem to end in nothing and lead nowhere . Indeed , upon the whole city there is a dull , sombre look , which never varies . It is at night , however ,

      that the silence and desolation of the Eternal city strikes you most forcibly . Af ter ten o ' clock at night , in Rome proper , ^ town * deserted . The streets are but poorly lit—and to walk alone through the narrow lanes , with their high houses and deep shadows , requires a certain amount of moral courage * . . Everything-is as suggestive of assassins and stilettoes , as the tombstones of a moon-lit graveyard are of ghosts . The Pontifical police , too , is none of the best . We know ourselves a gentleman who in broad daylight was stopped in the middle of a crowded thoroughfare , in one of the transpontine streets , and his scarf before

      had his gold pin pulled out of he could recover from his astonishment at the audacity of the attempt . The bystanders looked on with indifference , and every attempt to obtain redress , either from the Papal or the Imperial police was unavailing . In the true spirit , however , of pr iesthood policy—on that " straining at the gnat and swallowing the camel" sy stem , which from the / days of the Pharisees downwards has been distinctive of the class—every precaution is taken to secure outward decorum . If report is not altogether false , the standard of private morality at Koine is certainly not higher than in

      less favoured cities . But to do the Papal Government justice , the outward show of decorum is preserved intact . There is no city that we know in Europe where the streets are so absolutely free from vice in any .-form . The wine shops are few in number—never noisy or crowded , and closed early . The theatres are all shut during Lent , and are poorly attended ; but , indeed , the whole atmosphere is . unfavourable to the drama . The priests are not great patrons of the theatre , and never appear there except in screened boxes . It is only within the last few . years that women have been allowed to appeal' on the stage at Home—and even now the ballet is interdicted . With the exception of the last night of the Carnival , masked balls are strictly

      forbidden . Newspapers , yoxi might almost say , are an invention that has not yet penetrated to Rome , for the Government JDiario Romano can only be called a paper by a stretch of charity . In truth , a Roman editor would have a pleasant easy time of it ; for as nothing is allowed to be done in the way of business , and even the banks and post-office are closed on fast-days , and as saints' - days occur in the most rapid succession , his intervals of repose would be long and frequent . Indeed , as far as the cessation from labour and closing of the shops is concerned , tho appearance of Rome on a Sunday would satisfy tho most rigid of Sabbatarians . Even the E ng lish reading-room is hermetically closed .

      Were it not for the French and "English occupation , we think the whole of Rome would collapse into a state of stagnation . Whatever there is of the life and movement of a groat city about Rome is found in tho English quarter . The Ghetto , where the Jews used , till lately , to be looked up at eight every night , is not more decidedly Jewish than the Piazza do Spagna is English . Amidsts the Jowish street you can fancy yourself in the Judcn-Strasso at Frankfort , or in St . Mary Axe nt homo , ^ trolling along tho Via del Babuinb , you could almost imagine

      Kou wei * o at Brighton ov Cheltenham . The Bhops aye English headings . Tho oanuages are English built . English is spoken , on every side , and about the whole place there is that indescribable air , which iB characteristic of an . English watering place . Hard , by , too j there stands the English Protestant church , which , with a worthy return for our liberality is not allowed to pollute tho saored city by standing within its walla . Tho American and _ Prussian ambassadors have both chapels within their own embassies ; but as we choose to

      keep up our character for consistency * . by ignoring the existence of the Pope , we cannot ; complain at the price we pay for the absence of an envoy . Fortunately the " Porta . del Popolo , " outside which the church is placed , lies close to the English quarter . Till very recently , music was ° allowed at our church , for fear of Roman orthodoxy ' being perverted by the sound of Protestant harmony . The ' character , however , of the English colony would not be complete if we had not among us a member of the royal family . The Prince of Wales was a source of nevcr-iailinnattraction * The church , since the Prince ' s arrivaf ¦ ^ . .

      used to be thronged , especially by Americans , whose chapel was , in consequence , deserted . Why however , people should have gone to church to gaze on royalt y , -when they-could sec it any day in the open air , is one of those many mysteries which a philosophical mind does not attempt to solve . Every morning- and afternoon you could sec the young Prince being taken to some sight ov other always accompanied by Lord liruce and some other coadjutor . Being a small lad , placed between two tall , elderly men , we confess—¦ without disloyalty — that the impression always

      produced on us was the strong resemblance to ¦ a ver , y . small offender being marched along by tAvo big- policemen . His Royal Highness , indeed , always looked as if the greatest kindness you could have done him would be to tell him that the sight he was being taken to see was . dosed- ; and , indeed , never seemed to enjoy himself j ' except at the eminently unclassical and imintellectual amusement of bonbon pelting at the carnival . We could not help thinking that , if the Prince read " Dombe ' y and Son , " the description of T . ozer and bis uncle must have struck him with jiecu-liar sympMtyy' . ' -. „ .

      Another great attraction at Rome were the lectures of the ex-Archdeacon Manning . With the peculiar neatness with which the Roman Catholic priests conduct all their operations , a church was chosen for these sermons close to the Porta del Popolo , and the hour was fixed exactly af ter the Protestant service was over , so that crowds of English dropped in on their way home . However , as we had never the slightest desire to hear Mr . Manning when he was a good Protestant , we saw no reason for hearing him ' when he had

      become an indifferent Catholic ; and , putting aside all theological considerations , we have no sympathy with an English gentleman who can lower himself to the company of Italian priests . Indeed , in spite of the Record and Exeter Hall , we cannot conceive , as a rule , a greater safeguard against perversion than a sight of Rome and its priesthood . You might as well think to encourage a passion for the stage by taking the aspirant behind the scenes in broad daylight ; or try to give your guests an appetite for dinner by showing them the cooking apparatus uncleaned and the cook unwashed . ' ... . is

      The exit from Rome , via Civita Vcoelna , a worthy termination to a tour to tho Pupal btates . The distance is -, scarcely fo miles , but wo tooK twelve hours in doing it . There were n siring ol some seven dilligences started on the night we leit , and as soon as wo got outside tho city walls we had an escort of dragoons . If ever one diligence lagged behind , the others waited for the Ueiuulici to come up . At every stage the postilions woke up the passengers , to bully them into giving an extra " buono-mano , " as they term it , and tins , oouplcd with the necessity of closing the windows for fear of the malaria in the air , makes the journey anything but a pleasant one . The utter d ^"" ""* of the road can hardly be imagined . A ^ it > tue iiouw

      exception of tho post stations , there is not a . along it , and after the endless suoeousiqiw ol ban-on hillocks you ascend and descend , the »» tfut ol uw blue sea is perfectly delightful .

      Untitled Article

      THE LAW ,, 0 F REAL PROPERTY . [ communicated . ] Tub law of real property , originally obscure , liua in each succeeding age been rendered more intrioato by the well-meant , but oflon ill-dircctou , efforts of some enthusiastic law-giver , who , fancying himself a Solon in his country ' s cause , lias endeavoured to simplify the existing code by adding to it some theory of hie OAvn , which m many oases , instead of promoting that most deairnl ^ o result , hae only terminated in rendering " o ° " fUsion worse oonihundod . " TlUs entangled mtwu oi

      Untitled Article

      466 THE LEADER , [ No . 47 ^ April 9 , 185 9 . '———^« mm » iiHE »^ OK—g ^ MO—mO !^ ^^ m ^^^ 'O ^^^^ am mm ^^^^^ ¦ * J 7 " ¦ ~ ¦ ~ ' '

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), April 9, 1859, page 466, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2289/page/18/