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FREEDOM'S LYRE . BT MBB . MAKT H . MAXWELL . Attune the chords of Freedom ' s lyre , To boundless notes of glee ; And swell upon each burning wire , The anthems of the free ! Strike 1 strike again the notes of old , That swept these hills along ! Where Freedom's sons her flag unrolled , And shouted Freedom ' s song ! Wake ! wake the tones of victory now , For Freedom ' s heart beats hi g h ! And triumph sits on manhood ' s brow , And speaks from woman ' s eye . The sun that rose in cloud and gloom , 2 fow beams in radiance bright ; And in meridian splendour soon Shall blaze with Freedom's light .
When slavery ' s night shall pass away , And wide o ' er land and sea tjgam on every breeze shall play The banner of the free : Then tune the lyre—let music sweep Our hills and vales along ! While ocean s waves in gladness leap , And dance to Freedom ' s song .
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AMERICA COMPARED WITH ENGLAiSD . London : E . Wilson , Royal Exchange . The author of this -work , apparently holding ¦ withHeltetjus , that "the -virtues , and the vices of States are the effects of their legislation , " has written a well-filled volume of nearly three hundred pages , for the purpose of contrasting " the social effects of the American andEnglishSystemsofGovernment . " Our readers will not be surprised to learn that flie palm is awarded to the trans-Atlantic
system . The work is published hecause the author is " anxious to assist in bringing about a reform at home , by removing errors and prejudices , and inkling into the English people that knowledge of free institutions which must "be attended fcy their approval and gradual adoption . " In the present struggle of the nationsonthe Continent for freedom , "the desire to contribute something to facilitate the choice of political institutions in Europe , by presenting the experience of two great and dissimilar systems , has stimulated the author , in addition to his anxiety for his own country . "
The work opens with an account of " The Constitutions and Governments of the several States" of the American Union . There are now thirty States or Republics in the Union , and the number is constantly increasing , in consequence of the formation of new States in the Western and Southern territories . In a new territory , " the Confederation assumes the Government of it until the population
becomes sufficiently numerous to form a State , and then the people elect delegates to frame a Constitution . It must be a Republican Constitution , and no aristocracy is permitted , When the population of a territory Humbers aity thousand , it may ottain the rights of a State . The people of anew territory [ not yet formed into a State ] are represented by agents in Congress , who have a right to speak , bnt
not to vote . ' The different States have different constitutions , governments , and laws ; although all must be Republican , at least so far as the absence of royalty and aristocracy make a Republic . To enable the reader to understand the general character of the State institutions , as distinguished from those of the general confederation—the author of this work takes the State of Ohio as an example , the constitution , government , &c , of which he describes at considerable length . In Ohio the suffrage "is practically universal ; every white male adult
citizen , who has resided in the State one year , and has been charged , or is chargeable with a tax , is entitled to a vote . All are chargeable with a road-tax of fonr shillings a year , except aliens and negroes , who are not permitted to vote . " The voting is by ballot . The electoral districts are equal according to populalation , [ to secure that equality there is a census taken of the male adult population every four years . ] Elections are annual ; there is no property qualification for representatives , -who are paid eight shillings a day for their services during the legislative sittings .
One half of the members of the Senate ( or second Chamber ) are chosen every year , so that there is a new election of the whole every two years . The only qualification required is , that the Senator shall be thirty y ears of age , a citizen of the United States , and a resident of the district . The Governor of Ohio is elected directly by the people , every two years . He has a salary of £ 200 a year [ Think of that , Master Bidl ! ]
Justices of the Peace are elected by the people every three -years . The Judges of the Supreme Court , " and County Courts , are elected by the Legislature , every seven years . The people of each county elect a Public Prosecutor every two years . He manages all prosecutions , and the party aggrieved is put to no expense . On the whole , the judiciary system of Ohio has immense advantages over that of England ; still it is not perfect , and the author of this work points out evils which popular intelligence , working through popular suffrage , will doubtless remove ere long .
The people of each comity elect a sheriff and a coroner every two years , and a recorder of deeds every three years . The township officers are elected annually . All officers are paid for their services . In the militia the privates elect then * captains . Majors are elected by the captains and subalterns of their battalions . Colonels are elected by the majors , captains , and subalterns of the regiment . Brigadiers-general are elected by the commissioned officers of then * respective brigades . Majors-general and quartermasters-general , are appointed by a joint vote of both houses of the Legislature , &c&c .
, . _ . There is no church-estabhshment hi any of the States ; and in all , the people are generally well educated . In many of the States a lar < re part of the public lands has been appropriated to education , and the balance of the money required for that purpose is raised by taxation . The children of the poorer classes receive an excellent education unmixed with religion . A classical education is uestowed gratuitously in some of the States . The American labourer ' s son is usually better
educated than the son of an English master tradesman . All classes read boots and newspapers , and hear speeches , debates , and lectures . Public libraries and reading rooms abound in the large towns . In some of the States a public library for adults is provided , at the expense of the Commonwealth in each district The people are thoroughly acquainted with all the important news of the vorld , and take the deepest interest in whatever concerns the progress of the human race . We blugh to own that there is too much of truth in the closing portion of the following
extract : — POUTiaUi KXOWLEDGE IS AMERICA . « r « M POUHCAi IGNORAXCE IS ESGLAXD . The late continental revolutions—the fall ofmonarehv in France-the rise of democracy there and in Germany and Italy , excited the greatest enthuaisminAiieri ^ -thegi ^ t ciUes were iUuinniated and the inhabitants of the remotest villages shouted * ith jov . The electric telegraph extends over the Iflion ' from Maine to Lomsiana , communicating inst antaneous intelligence to the important towns of these great ±
•' md Tillages ; so that the news . u-^ pean events was made known throughout a circuit of many thousands of miles with the speed ot % tning itself . How was this news received in fnslanf ? "ffc saw more people collected together * london to learn the result of the races at Cnesltr than we saw at any time assembled to ascer-S " ^ results of the conflicts in Paris , Vienna , or fw in ! Aaias to the English country people , it ? « too much to sav that a majority are to this So /? of ^ " ^ strugg
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The constitution of Ohio affirms that the people have , at all times , a complete power to alter , reform , or abolish then * government "So that in Ohio it is no offence to excite disaffection to the existing order of things ; whereas , in England , it is highly criminal to do so ; for it has often been held to be sedition , and in serious cases it has been declared to be treason . " In all the States of the Union the people are the recognised source of all power . " The principal difference will be found between the constitutions of the free and slave States . In the latter , for example , laws exist to prevent discussion on the subject of slavery . Slaveholding needs sedition laws for its support like those of England . " Tlio i » nnotifnt ?/ un nt Oihin affirms flinf . tha
"Within the last twenty years the constitutions of several of the States have been remodelled . The tendency of the new constitutions is to deprive the executive of power . The various officers , formerly appointed by governors , are now elected directly by the people or then * representatives . We quote the following notice of the
NEW YORK COSSTITUMON . By the constitution of Kew York ( the most important state in the Union ) adopted in November , 1846 , all the judges , superior and inferior , the sheriffs , prosecuting attorneys , Ac , are to be elected directly by the people in their several districts . They are elected for short periods only . The same constitution provides that every male citizen of the age of twenty-one years who has resided five months in the county where he may offer Us vote , shall be entitled to vote . Formerly the elector was required to be a tax-payer , and the governor and sennt / itsi woro rwinired to nossess a small property
qualification . This restriction is also removed . Men of colour are allowed to vote if possessed of a freehold estate worth 250 dollars ( about £ 50 ) . This is the same as the old law . In some of the free States negroes are allowed to vote ; in others they are excluded ; in most of them they are allowed to hold land , bnt are subject to various disqualifications , the object of which is to prevent coloured people from being attracted to those States . The enactments imposing these disqualifications are al bad in principle as well as impolitic , and calculated to keep the free coloured race in a state of comparative ignorance and viciousness , besides fostering barbarous prejudices and antipathies . The legislative power of the State of New York is consists
vested in a senate and assembly ; the former of thirty-two members chosen for two years . The house of assembly consists of 128 members , annually elected . All the members are paid for their services so much per day out of the funds of the Republic . There are equal electoral districts , anc the voting is by ballot . So that the six jpoints of the Charter , which are in England the subject of so many ignorant remarks in the daily press , are the law of this great republic , as well as of most of the others ; and under the Charter thus reduced to practice we have the sublimest specimens of free government . The governor of New York exercises the pardoning power , and has a suspensive veto , which may be overruled by two-thirds of both houses .
The constitution of the United States was formed on the 17 th of March , 1787 , by delegates from a large majority of the original thirteen States , and was afterwards adopted by the whole of them . It went into operation on the first Wednesday in March , 1789 ; and certain amendments were effected in the years 1789 , 1793 , and 1803 . The constitution hasprovided a federal executive , a federallegislature , and a federal judiciary . The limits of each department arc defined , and there is as little interference as possible with the sovereignty of the several Republics . The legislative power is vested in the President , Senate , and House of Representatives . The Executive power is in the hands of the President and Senate .
The constitution of the House of Representatives is the same in principle as the constitution of the representative assemblies of New York , Ohio , &c . The Senate is composed of two members from each State , chosen by the State Legislature . There is no property qualification required of the members of either Assembly . The representatives are elected every two years ; the senators every six years , but an election of one-third of the number takes place every two years . The President is chosen for four years . He is not elected bythe direct vote of the people , but by electors chosen by the people . The number of electors to the as
which each State is entitled ^ same its number of senators and representatives in Congress . No property or religious qualifications are required of the President . He must be an American citizen by birth , and , at least , thirty-five years of age . His salary is well known , its amount being in this country often contrasted with that of the sum paid to that exceedingly useful personage Prince Aibert . The dignified simplicity of the American Executive forms a glor ious contrast to the "barbaric splendours" which—all things taken into account—a million of pounds sterling scarcely suffices to pay for . Oh ! wise Johx Bull !~ Oh . ' matchless Jack Ass I
After pointing out the peculiar excellencies and defects of the federal constitution , the author of this work gives it ais his opinion that the constitution will be , ere long , amended , so as to place it on a more popular basis . He anticipates the time when the slave States will be shorn of then * preponderance , and the disproportionate power of the smallEastern States be amended hi favour of the great "Western States . The chapters comparing the administration of justice in America and England will repay perusal .
The author of this work insists that the general prosperity of the people of the United States is to be attributed entirely to their democratic institutions , and not to the abundance of land . " Russia has an abundance of land , so has Lower Canada ; and yet , in consequence of the want of democratic institutions , the people of those countries are poor and ignorant . " The superior morality of the people , he attributes to the same cause . " The women of America are far more chaste
than those of England , taking the whole mass of the people of both countries into account . " " If there were a titled aristocracy , and a privileged class in America , but little respect would be shown to females in the lower ranks of life . They would be seduced by the glitter of titles , wealth , and power ; a bad example ' would be set by the most prominent men in the country ; this example would be generally followed , and the morals of the people would be sapped and destroyed . " We are not told hi this work , that America
is in all things an Elysium , when compared with England ; on the contrary , the author states that : " The climate is not so temperate , nor so healthy as that of England : nor is the country so beautiful . " " Many of the large towns are not well drained , cleansed , lighted , paved , and watched . Parks and public walks are generally wanting . The roads are almost everywhere bad . " " Food is abundant and cheap , but inequality of the meat , poultry , &c , is inferior to the English . " We mayadd , that
in many an Englishman ' s home , the meat and poultry is vorse than inferior » seein S , * thereis none of either ! Better lean beef than none at all . The evils of competition abound in America , as well as in this country ; employment in the cities and sea-board towns is / uncertain , and wag es in many departments ot industrV are but little ( if any ) better than m England . Needlework is so badly remunerated , that the " Song of the Shirt" might find a wide application on the other , as well as on
this side of the Atlantic . Still , on the whole , the Americans seem to be well off , compared with the masses in this country . And this fact cannot be disputedthat the people have the power to revolutionise society , without pulling a trigger or shouldering a pike . They possess political power amply sufficient to enable them to establish the reign of Social Justice whenever they please . Experience will yet instruct them how to properly employ the almighty power of Universal SU The S ch » p ters on the "Social Influence of the Aristocratic System in England ; " and
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the ' * Restrictions © f the Liberties of Englishmen , " are admirable exposures of the working of that " glorious constitution" so often extolled by designing knaves , for the purpose of humbugging gullible fools . The illustrations , taken from the reports of the recent Chartist trials , will come home to our readers , many of whom number relatives amongst the victims , and all may be said to number friends—sacrificed at the blood-reeking altars of Privilege . From these admirable chapters we quote the following : — + Jm ( f T ?« j _' . i : _/• j , t •• .. <•_ ¦ .. .
INFAMOUS OPPRESSION—THE VILE PBESS-GANG . Within the last few weeks , the laws prohibiting the people from learning the use of arms , have been put in force hi England and in Ireland ; one man has been transported for saying " right shoulder forward , " and several have been tried and competed for similar offences . The laws against public meetings have also been rigidly enforced , so as to prevent assemblies of persons complaining of the House of Commons . And public opinion , so far from being outraged by these exhibitions , has looked on with complacency . The newspaper press made no complaints against the very objectionable doctrines propounded by the Attorney-General , or laid down by the bench on trials for political
offences , hut treated all such doctrines as undoubted !/ sound , just , and proper , and requiring no legislative correction . * VVe feel no hesitation hi saying , that if the government had arrested every popular advocate of the working classes in England , had seized and destroyed all the Chartist presses , had suppressed every radical association directly , and prohibited every Chartist meeting , had instituted a search for arms and put in force all the raiiting laws , the Parliament would have passed a bill of indemnity , sanctioning any overstepping of the bounds of the law ; " public opinion , i . e . the opinion of the wealthy classes , would have assented to all this , and clamoured for more coercion , and the leading newspapers would have applauded the entire performance .
What may be termed the second part of the work is devoted to a consideration of " The Mission of Democracy , " in which the author points out the various social reforms which he believes would follow the establishment of Universal Suffrage hi this country . Hs evidently looks forward to Communism as the grand , though distant , remedy for all social evils open to human improvement . His account of the co-operative Communities in America is interesting , and , altogether , the second part of this volume is not the least valuable portion of the work .
We observe that the Times , inreyiewing this work , assailed the author for his "fanatic attacks upon religion , and his licentious assaults upon the sanctity of Marriage . " The author replied , denying the charge , and challenging the Times to produce proof of the " attacks " and " assaults . " The Times published the letter , but added a rejoinder , commencing after this fashion : — " We acquit the author of attacks upon Christianity in the abstract , whatever may be our convictions of the really anti-Christian tendencv of his views of human nature and society ; whathe does attack , and that in the most bitter and fanatical spirit , is the Church of England and certain portions of her teachings which stand in opposition to his views for revolutionising this country . "
The rest may be imagined , So to attack the Church of England is to attack religion What will the Dissenters say to that doctrine ? But this is the way of the Times , and the " respectable" Press generally . Let a man write a book in the spirit of honest independence , and for the purpose of enlightening—instead of misleading the people , forthwith the Press-gang raise the yell "infidel and anarchist . " If the author has the spirit to reply , and convicts his accusers of falsehood , he only
gets himself assailed in terms of increased abuse . The liar assumes the bold front of the bully , and takes credit with not a few brutes and fools for defending (!) " property , " " family , " " religion , " " law , " and " order , " against the attacks of " anarchists , " " infidels , " and the rest of the terrible phantoms usually paraded by the Press-gang to convince the " intelligent classes" how much they owe to their " bestpossible instructors . " One word to the author of this work . We
notice at page 21 a slur cast upon the members of the late Chartist Convention . Amongst other things he says , " Some may be said to have appointed , themselves delegates . " We beg to assure him he has been misinformed , for we take it fer granted he has not made this unfounded assertion onhis ownknowledgeof that body . If there were some men who from lack of education , discretion , or general political knowledge should not have sat in that Assembly , it should be remembered that the choice of the people was limited in the
extreme . The " respectable" and "intellectual" Reformers will not associate with the proletarians , who are , therefore , thrown upon then * own class for representatives of their wrongs , sentiments , and desires . Amongst those representatives are men who , for sound political knowledge , and devotedness to principle , are second to no men on this earth . We admit , however , that those men are too few ; not sufficient to stock a popular Assembly , without the alloy of less competent tribunes of the masses .
In addition to the extracts already given , we have copied into another column a lengthy extract from this work , on the important subject of the laws affecting the transfer of Land in England and America . Were we inclined to be critical , we might take exception to some of the views set forth , in " America compared with England ; " but viewing the work as a whole , we regard it as a valuable contribution to the literature of Democracy . As such we heartily recommend it Ho those who , in the words of Robert Nicoi , are resolved to " mak the warld better yet !"
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our sincere wishes that its enterprising and talented proprietor may succeed in weathering the adverse gales which at preseut menace his progress . TT I ~~~~
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LAND REFORM . AMERICA versus ENGLAND . THE ADVANTAGES OP DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS SHOWN IN THE ivfia HHATOSO 10 TUB TBASSJER OF LAUD Iff AMERICA , CONTRASTEn WITH THIS ENGLISH SYSTEM OP GOUGING HUNORT LAWTEBS AT THE EXPENSE OF HONEST ISDUSJRY . ( From America compared with England . ) The laws for the simplification of the transfer of land are of vast importance . In all the States there are registers kept of all the deeds relating to the land , whether conveyances , mortgages , or leases . The importance of this system is not known in England , or a popular demand would be raised for its introduction into this country . An explanation of the system of transferring land in Ohio
will serve by way of illustration of the system prevailing throughout all the States , for the principle is the same in all of them . In each county there is a register kept of all the deeds affecting the title to the lands within the limits of that county . An officer , called a recorder , is elected by the people every three years : it is his duty to cause the deeds brought to his office to be copied at lull length into the books kept for that purpose . The fees for making these copies are about three shillings . The recorder ' s certificate appended to the copy of a deed , makes the copy good evidence wherever the original deed would be received . All wills , judgments , and decrees affecting the lands in the county , arc also recorded in the
office of the clerk of the court of common pleas or supreme court . The whole legal title , therefore , is on record , and open to the examination of anybody without charge . Generally speaking , the title to land is , in consequence of this publicity , notorious , and the purchaser does not find it necessary to fully examine it . Ho may easily look at the recorded title-deed of the man from whom he intends to purchase , and ascertain whether he has charged or encumbered the property . This will cost the purchaser nothing—theve are no fees to pay for the search ; and if he be a man of ordinary intelligence he is quite able to make these inquiries himself ; nor can he have far to travel , for the recorder ' s office is in the centre of the county , which is only
twenty miles square . In some cases , however , where the title is obscure or complicated , it may be expedient to employ an attorney to examine the records , for which , and preparing the conveyance , the fee of one or two guineas is ample remuneration . All proceedings relating to the sale , mortgage , partition , or other disposition of land , are simple and inexpensive under the American system . A voluntary partition ef land owned by two or more in common is effected in Ohio at the expense of 5 s . A compulsory partition , costing about £ 5 , is effected as follows : —A petition , on half a sheet of foolscap , is presented to the Court of Common Pleas : three freeholders are appointed to make the division , and the proceedings are recorded . If no division is
practicable , the property is appraised . Any one of the parties interested may elect to take the property at the appraised value . If no such election is made , a public sale takes place . The sheriff conducts the sale , and makes the deed to the purchaser ; but , bofore doing so , report'' his proceedings to the court , where any party interested may raise objections , and a new sale may be ordered for good reasons . The proceedings occupy about three months . In this way , the interests of minors , idiots , and lunatics are sufficiently protected , and at the same time prevented from injuriously interfering with the rights of the other owners , and property is not locked up and kept out of the market . Guardians for minors are empowered , by order of the court ,
to be obtained , on a proper showing , to sell the lands of their wards . Executors and administrators may obtain orders in like manner to sell land for the payment of debts or legacies , which are the first charges upon it . All these ^ proceedings are simple , brief , and inexpensive . Contrast them with English law _ and practice . The compulsory partition of land is so expensive in England that it is very seldom resorted to . Where minors are interested , the property is practicably unsaleable , and the adult owners must wait till their co-tenants' majority . The lands of minors can seldom bo sold for their benefit , and where any judicial proceeding are necessary for that purpose , the costs are ruinous , unless the property is very large . A chancery suit , to subject lands to the payment of debts , can only be resorted to in certain cases , and then the expenses are
overwhelming . It would not be easy to overrate the importance of the advantages possessed by the Americans in these respects . It is their policy to facilitate the transfer of land on all occasions in every possible way , and to simplify the instrument of transfer : the consequence is , that there is a vast body of freeholders . In England , on the contrary , the legislature has never had such an object in view , but has constantly inclined to the preservation of the present system , as part of a glorious whole , the ultimate result of which is the monopoly of the land by a privileged few . The more wo examine this subject , the plainer will it appear that the difference in the social condition of the American and English people is chiefly caused by the difference between their laws and political institutions .
In America , the labourer or mechanic can , with great ease , become the owner of a house and lot , although the price of the property may be as high as in England . He makes the purchase without the intervention of a lawyer , pays down say onetenth part of the purchase-money , and executes a mortgage for the balance , payable in , perhaps , from three to eight annual instalments . He may thus become the owner in a few years , by paying a little more annually than he would pay as a tenant for rent . If he fails to make a payment , according to the terms of the mortgage , the mortgagee may foreclose and sell , but the expenses are insignificant ; and in most of the States the mortgagor is protected from sacrifice by judicious regulations , providing for
an appraisement , and public sale of the property , after due notice , and forbidding a salo at less than two-thirds of the appraised value . In England , if the mechanic desires to purchase a dwelling-house , there are various difficulties ia his way : the expense of the conveyance and of a mortgage to secure a portion of the purchase-money , may be estimated at £ 30 or £ 40 , and he cannot transfer his interest to another person without great expense . If a foreclosure is resorted to , the costs will entirely eat up the property . In this state of things , it has been impossible for the practice of purchasing small properties on credit to become common ; the cost of a few transfers would soon exceed the entire value of a small tenement or lot of land . Whenever , then , a man is willing to encounter
tne expense oi a tranaer , and seeks for a small piece of property , he soon discovers that he is asking for a thing which not being in common demand can hardly be found at all . The owner of a row of small cottages never thinks of selling one of them singly ; and if the purchase of one of them is sought for , the purchaser must be content to dispense with an examination of the title , and must , in addition to enormous law charges , pay a fancy price , as all people must do who wish to purchase that which is not offered for sale . The desire to own land is a strong natural desire , which is gratified in America and suppressed in England . If the English mechanic could , like the American , mirchase his dwelling-house , he would
soon acquire provident habits ; the anxiety to own the dwelling occupied by him wouldlead to economy , care , and industry , and the ownership of land would elevate his character . Political equality , a good system of education , and the introduction of the American system of conveying land , would in the course of a few years , effect a complete reform in the character of the English nation . But many other important measures may be added to those just named . One of the consequences of an inexpensive system of conveying and mortgaging land would be the discontinuance of the grants of building leases for ninety-nine years , or other long terms , not renewable . These leases are now preferred to purchases of the land , because the builder has not sufficient capital to pay the purchase-money , and the beneficial system of purchasing on credit , and giving
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—^ . — ., a mortgage for part of the money is , owing to the expensiveness of conveyancing , almost unknown . There are no such leases in America , and yet the price of building-ground in cities and large towns is higher than in England . In Cincinnati , the largest city of Ohio , land in the principal streets is worth from £ 100 to £ 200 per foot front , running back 100 feet . In this city of 100 , 000 inhabitants , 2 , 000 houses will be built this year j three-fourths oi which will bo built by the owners of the lots , principally mechanics . In America , a mortgage is given for the principal part of the purchase-money to be paid by five or ten yearly instalments . The seller of the land is . assured the payment of the purchase-money , because the erection of buildings ! I ! . ..
upon the land sold will greatly enhance the security . So , under a similar system of conveyancing in England , the obnoxious leasehold tenure would be superseded by freehold titles . The builder would purchase the land , and give a mortgage for the whole , or greater part , of the purchase-money , payable with interest , in ten or fifteen years , by instalments . The leasehold tenure is very obnoxious , the covenants in the leases with respect to repairs , insurance , and other matters , are rigid , and there is always a liability to forfeit tho lease . The creation of long leases with these conditions ought to be prohibited altogether . The adoption of the American system of land titles and conveyancing would lead to tho discontinuance of building societies on their present
basis , because those persons desirous of purchasing houses could readily obtain credit from the vendor for the greater part of the purchase-money , securing him by a mortgage , according to the American custom . But the greatest result Of Ml would be the division of great estates , and the establishment of small farms . To effect this consummation so dovoutely to be wished , the aristocracy must be prevented from enjoying the spoils of government and monopolising the various offices ; the necessities of their families will then force them to sell largo tracts of land , and these will be sold in
small parcels , if the expense of conveyancing be reduced to a mere nothing . Better prices will be realised by selling in small rather than large parcels , under such circumstances . These changes can only be effected through Parliamentary reform . Until that is obtained , the aristocracy will quarter their sons and relatives on the public , and retain their vast estates entire . The utmost resistance would be offered by any House of Commons elected under the present system to the abolition of entails , and to the introduction of a complete registry of deeds , without which there can be no cheap conveyancing .
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OLYMPIC . An English version of the well-known French drama Un Secret was produced on Monday under the title of the Lost Diamonds . The plot turns on the conscientiousness of a banker ' s wife , who , finding that her husband has in early life ruined an unfortunate man by surreptitiously taking a sum of money , endeavours to repair the injury by protecting the son of the victim , and making him her husband ' s cashier . The interest she takes in the young man awakens the suspicions of the banker , who loads her with , reproaches , and the crisis of the
drama is produced when she retaliates upm him , by repeating the story of his early dishonesty . The anxiety of the suspected wife , and her triumphant repulse of the aspersions heaped upon her , gave scope for some excellent and powerful acting by Mrs . Stirling ; and the agonies of the jealous husband were depicted with much feeling by Mr . Stuart . A comic gentleman , who is a keen investigate * into the affairs of his neighbours , but absolutely blind as to what concerns himself , is quaintly represented by Mr . Compton . The piece has been repeated with success .
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STANDARD . A new domestic drama has been produced from a tale by Mr . E . Roberts , entitled ' Punishment , or the Victim of a vitiated Society . ' This piece should be Been by all who value the well-being of the community , and especially by those who take a livelj interest in our prison discipline . It show hows the once innocent victim of poverty is dragged to a dungeon , and treated as a criminal by the harpies of the law , and how , in every stage of his career , the Ian pursues its victim to the death . Such scenes are ,
however , unfortunately of daily occurrence in the streets of the metropolis , and we almost fancied we were witnessing the reality instead of the ideal , while following the ' Victim of Society' in his doomed career . The piece ( which has been played a fortnight ) , is eminently successful , and great praise is due , not only to the author , but to the excellent acting of Mr . Freer , and Mrs . Honnor who personates the hero . It is well put upon the stage , and will no doubt reward the enterprising manager as he deserves .
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T jir Wat to VTis A Kiss . —The late Mr . Jarvy w , Lf T L \ . with a story told of a brother 5 i , nnf lrL ° ^ ' ^^ P ^ cuit / As the coach was ; Lii ™^ m . ' , l " asfc ' the lnodes ' limb of tl ohwapproached the landlady , apretty Quakeress , who was seated behind the bar and ^ id lin could not think of going witnout giWng her a ki s " Friend , " said she , " thec must not do if" "Oh ! by heavens I will ! " replied the barrister . » Well friend , as thou hast sworn , thec may do it but thou must not make a practice of it . "
liue . —Time is like a creditor -v-rh p nlloTrs an ample space to make up accounts , but is inexorable at last . Time is like a verb , that can only be of use in tiie present tense . Time , well employed , gives that health and vigour to the soul which ' rest and retirement afford to the body . Time never sits heavily on us but when it is badly employed . Timo is a grateful friend ; use it well , and it never fails to make a suitable requital . Juvenile Cosclvsioxs . — "Mamma , " said a girl , " Solomon must have been very poor . " " Wh y ?" said her mamma . — " Because it says in the Biblo Solomon slept with his fathers , and if he had been rich , he would have had . a bed to himself . " Forms op Intemperance . —There is the intemperance of mirth , and then its victim is a silly buffoon ;
the intemperance of seriousness , and then he is a gloomy ascetic ; tho intemperance of ambition , and then he is the laureled hero of a hundred fights , a madcap poet , or a mountebank statesman ; the intemperance of love , and then lie is a good-for-nothing driveller ; the intemperance of anger , and then ho is a frothing madman ; the intemperance of dress and manners , and then he is a glittering fop ; tho intemperance of the purse , and then he is a sordid miser ; tho intemperance of the palate , and then ho is a filthy glutton ; the intemperance of the bowl , and then he is a ' reeling drunkard ; therefore , let " reason in all things" do your constant guide . Curious if True . —Frederick Dickens , brother of " Boz , " has married a lady of tho name of " Weller . "
Jj ! . \\\ Y LiN'D . —Xothwithstanding all the rumours of retirement , marriage , &c , Jenny Lind is engaged for tho coming season at her Majesty ' s theatre .
THE IAHD . A people among whom equality reigned -would possess everything they wanted where they possessed the means of subsistence . Why should they pursuo additional wealth or territory ? No man can cultivate more than a certain portion of land . —Godwin , Jfo one is able to produce a charter from heaven , or has any better title to a particular possession than his neighbour . —Paley . Ose Town ' s JVewspapeks . — Eighty-one newspapers are published in Boston ( U . S . ) , of which fourteen are dail y , nine semi-weekly , and n'fty-eighb "weeklv , The Schoolmaster Abroad . —The following notice may now be seen in a window in the Crescent , near the Gas Works , Bury : — " Number Ellis to Menu Here . "
t Joy go with Him . — The Roman Catholics of New York are about to hold a public meeting to request the Pope to take us his permanent residence in America . Dalmatian Proverbs . — " He that is prodigal of thanks is avaricious of gratitude . "— " When the wolf is fatigued , even his tail is heavy . "— " lie that seeks to act gloriously must not act dexterously . " — " When you steal another man ' s hen , tie your own by the leg . "— " Every one praises the rose while it gives a pleasant odour . "—" When misfortunes come , pause not to weep , but hasten to change . "— " Tho heads fullest of brains are often the most liable to extravagance . "— " Choose your wife by your ears rather than your eyes . "
A Trifle . —At a student ' s farewell visit to a professor , on leaving one of the German . Universities , he said , among other complimentary speeches , "I am indebted to you for . all that I know . " Ah'' returned the professor with equal politeness , " don't mention such a trifle !" To Smokers . —The Plough recommends smokers to try hops , instead of tobacco , observing that the fragrance is balsamic , and , diffused in a bed chamber } will bring calm refreshing sleep . AVbry proper Club . —WcfindfromtheAmerican papers that "the bachelors of Philadelphia have formed an association called the ' Want-to-be-Married Club . '"
Cheap Bread . —It is curious that the termination of all but a nominal duty on corn was ushered in by a small improvement of prices in all the English markets last week . Reading . — The amusement of reading is one amongst the greatest consolations of life ; it is tho nurse of virtue—the proof of independence—the support of a just pride—the strengthener of elevated opinions ; it is a shield against the tyranny of all the petty passions ; it is the repeller of the fool ' s scoff and the knave ' s poison . —Sir Egerton Brydtfes . A Good Heart . —There is no nobility like to that of a good heart , for it never stoops to artifice , nor is wanting in good offices where they arc seasonable
Extraordinary Swine . — At Vaughan ' s farm , O'Connorville , near Itickmansworth , may he seen two extraordinary specimens of tho " swinish multitude , " each possessing six i ' cet . One of them , a sow , is little more than a year old , and has two feet on each of the fore legs . About a month since the sow had a litter of seven pigs , one of whom also was born with two feet on each of the fore legs . The animals are of a fine quality , no doubt , too , mentally as well as physically , seeing that six-footed pigs must necessarily possess a good xinderstanding . Of course , they are " whole-Aiv / " ad' / ocatos of the " six points . " They are , however , strictly for " moral force , " holding in abhorrence the " point" of a knife .
Rather Snobbish . — In the Darlington Times we read tho following : — " The weather is warm , and the sun peeps blythely into our editorial room as we indite this paragraph . " Sterne's Retort . —On Sterne's entering a coffee room at York , a Mr . A ., staring him full in the face , said , he hated a parson . Upon which Sterne rejoined " And so , Sir , does my dog , for as soon as I put on my gown and cassock , he falls a barking . " " Indeed , " replied A ., " how long as he done so ? " "Ever since he was a puppy , Sir !" answered Sterne , " and I still look upon him as one I " Capital Piwishmekt . —Being kissed to death by a pretty girl .
DYING SPEECH OF AN OLD PHILOSOPHER . I strove with none , for none was worth my strife : Nature I lov'd , and , next to Nature , Art : I warm'd both hands before the fire of Life ; It sinks ; and I am ready to depart . W . S . L ., in the Examiner . AR > " 0 tt * Ueqtjest . — "I ¦ wisb . you to make for the church , " said an Episcopal vestryman , one morning , to a carpenter in a neighbouring village , " two new commandment boards . We want them of free sound timber with no knots in it . " —" You'd better take some of the ' nots' out of the commandments , then , " ' replicdtlio carpenter , " I never s ; iw a commandment hoard yet that wasn't full of ' em !" The First Step . —Chateaubriand says— " In new colonies the Spaniards begin b y building a church ; the French a ball-room ; and the Englisn a tavern , " There is nothing the absolute ground of which is
not a mystery . —Coleridge . The WoMEtf of Montenegro . —Though able , the men are seldom inclined to carry any thing , or tane any trouble they can transfer to the women , who are tho boasts of burthen in Montenegro ; and I have seen women toiling up the steepest hills , under loads which men seldom carry in other countries . They are , therefore , very muscular and strong ; and the beauty they frequently possess is soon lost by the hard and coarse complexions they acquire ; their youth being generally exhausted by laborious and unfeminine occupations . The sheaves of Indian corn , the bundles of wood , and everything required for the house or the granary arc carried by women ; and the men are supposed to be too much interested about the nobler pursuits of war or pillage to have time to attend to meaner labours .
Inkovatiox , —Of all tho old things over soon or heard of , there is not one that was not once new . Whatever is now establishment was once innovation . —Bentham . Woman ' s Privilege . —You may meet with twenty men in a day who stutter , but you never heard of a woman who had an impediment in her speech . An Amorous Poet . —A young man sent his sweetheart a present on New Year ' s day , with the following lines . It is hard to tell whether the fire of the poet or the skill of the grammarian is most to be admired : — " Madam , myself and all the muses , Begs your acceptance of a pair of shoeses . " New Fashioned Weddings . —At a wedding the Other day , one of the guests , who is often a little absent , observed gravely , " I havo remarked that there have been more women than men married this year ! "
"Widders . "—A young Tipperary widow , Nelly M'Phee , I think he called her , was courted , and actually had an offer from Tooley O'Shane , on her way to her husband ' s funeral . " She accepted , of course , " said Grossman . " No , she didn't , said Smith . " Tooley , dear , " says she , " y ' re too late t four waaks ago it was , I shook hands wi' Pat Sweeney upon it , that I would havo him in adacent time arter poor M'Pheo went undorboavd . " " Well , " said Grossman , " widows of all nations are much alike . There was a Dutchwoman , wkose husband ,
Diedrick Van Pronk , died and left her inconsolable . He was buried on Copp ' s Hill . Folks said grief would kill that widow . She had a figure of wood carved that looked very like her late husband , and constantly kept it in her bed for several months . In about half-a-year she became interested in a young shoemaker , who took the length of her foot , and finally married her . He had visited tho widow not more than a fortnight , when the servants told her they were out of kindling stuff , and asked what should be done . After a pause , tho widow replied in a very quiet way :- " Maype it ish well enough , now , to sbplit up old Van Tronic , yat is up itav . .
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The Ethnological Journal . February . Edited by Luke Burke , Esq . London : 14 , Clement's-lane , Strand . Until the present number we Lave not seen this magazine for three or four months past . In the number before us we are sorry to observe indications of failure—that is , failure on the part of the public . It appears that unless
prompt assistance is rendered to Mr . Bukke , the next number must terminate the career of the Ethnological Journal , Such an untimely conclusion to that gentleman ' s labours would be a public misfortune , and , we trust , will be averted Tby those who , feeling an interest in his researches , ^ possess also the means to furnish , him with the necessary aid . The Ethnological Journal deserves ¦ well of the votaries of science and they will be unfaithful to themselves if they allow it io
perish . , One of a series of Mr . Gliddon ' s Lectures on Egyptian Archaeology ; and a paper on the "Im portance of Mythology in the study of Primeval History , " My warrant us repeatins the commendations we have before bestowed on this publication , and adding thereto
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TheReasoner . Part XXXIII . London : J . Watson , 3 , Queen ' s-head Passage , Paternoster-iw . This part commences the sixth volume of tho Reasoner . The Editor , in thanking his friends and supporters , announces himself master of an iiupw > v 6 d position , and full oi hope as regards future progress .
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?! The National Guardsman . London : J . "W atson , 3 , Qucen ' s-head Passage , Paternoster-row , London . A new Radical penny paper , containing some very good , and some rather curious articles . Amongst the latter weobserve one headed " Our friends of the Press , " in which the assertion is made , certainly most erroneously , that " the majority of the weekly press works for the people !! " The writer goes on to recommend to popular support the Standard of Freedom , Jerrold ' s Weekly News , Weekly Dispatch (!) and Sunday Times ( !!) And these are all the " people ' s (?) papers" the "National Guardsman" affects to he acquainted with !!! *
Varieties ^——^— ^
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Horrible Tragedy . —It was near Lizan that occurred one of the most horrible incidents of the massacre of 1843 , caused by the invasion of Beder Khan Bey , the chief of the adjacent Kurds . Ten thousand men , women , and children were slaughtered in cold blood on this occasion , and a large number of girls , besides , were carried into a slavery which is worse than death . An active mountaineer offering to lead me to the spot , I followed him up the mountain . Emerging from tho gardens , we found ourselves at the foot of an almost perpendicular detritus of loose Btones , terminated about one thousand feet above us , by a wall of lofty rocks . We soon saw evidences of the slaughter . At first a solitary skull rolling doira with the rubbish
then heaps of blanched bones , further up fragments of rotten garments . As we advanced those remains became more frequent—skeletons almost entire still hung to the dwarf shrubs . I was soon compelled to renounce an attempt to count them . As we approached the walls of the rock , the declivity became covered with bones , mingled with the long plaited tresses of the women , shreds of discoloured linen , and well-worn shoes . There were skulls of all ages , from the child unborn to the toothless old man . We could not avoid treading upon the bones as we advanced , and rolling them with the loose stones into the valley below . " This is nothing , " exclaimed my guide , who observed me gazing with wonder on these miserable heaps ; "they are but the remains of those who were thrown from above , or sought to escape the sword by jumping from the rock . " When the fugitives who had escaped from Asheeta spread the news of the massacre through the valley of Lizan , tho inhabitants of the villages around
collected such parts of their property as they could carry , and took refuge on a platform at the summit of the rock in question , hoping to escape the notice of the Kurds , or to be able to . defend against any numbers a place almost inaccessible . Beder Khan Bey was not long in discovering their retreat ; but being unable to force it , he surrounded the place with , his men , and . waited until its occupants should be compelled to yield . The weather was hot and sultry ; the Christians had brought but small supplies of water and provisions . After three days tho first began to fail them , and they offered to capitulate . The terms proposed by Beder Khan Boy , and ratified by an oath on the Koran , were accepted , and the Kurds were admitted to the platform . But after they had disarmed their prisoners they commenced an indiscriminate slaughter , until weary of using their weapous , they hurled thefew survivors into the river below . —Nineveh and its Remains .
A Spiteful Woim . —A few daya ago , a foreign ambassador , on his way to the Court of Sardinia , took up his quarters at one of the first hotels of the Rue Richelieu in company with his mistress , a very beautiful woman . Some dispute having taken place between the latter and the mistress of the hotel , an offensive epithet was applied to the ambassador's lady . This so galled her that , on tho day on which she and the ambassador went away , she cut , hacked , and destroyed the furniture , carpets , pictures , curtains , looking-glasses , in a word , everything in the apartments . The work of destruction ms not discovered until some time after she had left , but complaint was immediately laid before the Commissary of Police , who communicated it to the Embassy oi the nation to which the ambassador b 3 longs .
Encroachment o . v Nbw-hoad , Islington . —Prom the corner of Osnaburgh-strcet to the top of the hill at Pentonville , says a correspondent of the Builder , the ground in front of the houses , originally appropriated as gardens or open courts , has , in numerous instances , been built upon , to form shops and places of business , close out to the footpath , particularly between the first-mentioned point and the Hampstead-road ; and a large group of shops has very recently been erected near the cornel of Osnaburghstreet . Thus , the view and free air are obstructed , and the openness which characterised this leading thoroughfare is becoming gradually extinguished . For man y years past I have observed the increase of
this evil , and lamented it as one that could not be remedied or prevented , conceiving that the parties had a right so to deal with the premises , and that the public view of the matter , if it ever occurred to them , was not for a moment weighed against the commercial or pecuniary advantages to be gained by this mode of occupying their frontage ground , tinder these circumstances I was agreeably surprised to learn that these erections are actually illegal , and in contravention of a law specially framed for the prevention of all such obstructions ; it is , therefore , not a little astonishing that the law should not have been enforced , and that it should bo long have remained inoperative ,
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F ebruary 17 , 1849 . THE NORTHERN STAR . o —»»
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m > Our Great Military and Naval Parliaments . London : ~ No . 353 , Strand . The substance of this pamphlet , now published in a cheap form , originally appeared in the Standard of Freedom . A list is given of three hundred and forty-six " individuals" in the House of Peers , and another list of three hundred and fifty-six in the House of Commons , who are themselves military or naval officers , or are immediately connected with the
¦ war establishments by their brothers , sons , nephews , and other relations . Small chance has Mr . Cobden of compelling retrenchment to any considerable amount in the naval and military departments , when—independent of office-holders and office-seekers , and the hangers-on of the aristocracy—such a host of " men of war" stand ready marshalled in both Houses to oppose all reform . There is but one adequate remedy for this state of things : —The Charter !
TTe cordially recommend this pamphlet to our readers , and -wish it a large circulation .
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Citation
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Northern Star (1837-1852), Feb. 17, 1849, page 3, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/ns/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1510/page/3/
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