The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-06-19 00:00:00

A SUPP already become nsost conti2uouS in-the improved cultivation and extended resources of the distant marts of the empire. Nor have the moral and social effects of the increased facilities of communication been less important, or less conducive to human happiness. By reducing to a - third the expense, and to a fourth the time of travelling, they have extended its benefits to a proportionally wider circle, and, sir particular, brought them within the , reach of the middle class, to whom they were previously alMost unknown. A tradesman or mechaniecan now make - • the tour of the British Islands, or even of Europe, in a few days, which formerly was never attempted but by the nobility, and. accomplished in as many years. Immense has been the effect of. this happy facility, alike in dispelling prejudice, refining manners, and improving taste ; and these changes have powerfully reacted upon capital cities. It is from the railway system, and the desires to which it gave rise among a new and wide circle, •that the Great Exhibition of London in 1851, the subsequent ones at New York and Paris, and the glorious Crystal Palace at Sydenham, haVe taken their rise. In a political point of view, the effects of the railway system have been not less important. By bringing the distant pro vinces of our empire, comparatively speaking, into close proximity WithThe.metropolis, it has augmented their intelli gence, and in the same proportion increased their political power. The constant intercourse from travelling, the in creased facility for the transmission of books and newspapers, the almost instantaneous transmission of intelligence by the electric telegraph, which soon after followed, have powerfully contributed- to equalise the advantages of situation, and give to the provinces a large portion, if not the whole, ,of the intellectual activity which formerly was peculiar to the metropolis.- By enabling troops or police to he sent rapidly from one part of the country to another, it has aug mented the efficiency of the central government, and enabled it to provide with fewer men. and at a less cost, both for defence against external enemies, and the maintenance of domestic tranquillity.. That worst of all ascendancies in a community, the sway of the mob of the capital over the legis lature, 'from the mere force of proximity of situation, so fatally experienced in Athens, Rome, and Paris, has been in a great measure destroyed. A more striking proof of this cannot be figurod than was furnished by the fact, that when the disarmament of the National Guard in Belleville and Montmartre was carried into execution, after the suppression of the great insurrection in July. 1848, it was effected by the National Guards of La Vend6e, brought up by the Orleans Railway from that distant and secluded province. There is no unmixed good in human affairs. Advantages, how great soever, are invariably attended by corresponding evils. The railway system is no exception to this general rule; on the contrary, it affords one of the most striking illustrations of it. It is the greatest promoter that ever came into operation .4:4 the centralising systed, ; but it has induced its evils as well as its. advantages. As much as it has brought the physical force of the prOvinces to the supPOrt of govern. meat in the capital,' hai it brought the intellectual influence of the metropolis down to the provinces. The chief talent of the nation being there concentrated, from the objects of ambition, political, literary, or legal, which are presented, the sway a mind in a particular quarter has become well nigh irresistible. The empire has become a huge metropolis, which the London press rules with despotic sway. Originality or independence Of thOught in the provinces is crushed in all save a few intrepid minds, by the overwhelming weight of the capital. Norhas the material and political influence of great cities been less increased by,the change than their intellectual sway. The facility of reachine. themet metropolis has caused the great and the affluent to tra n sf er nearly all their purchases to London; the attraction s o f Manchester, Birmingham, Liver pool, and Glasgow, have drawn the most part of the purchases of the middle classes in the provinces to these great empo riums of wealth and industry. The l small towns have dwindled or become stationary. because. They r v e lo los s t their purchasers ; the great ones have swelled int i o e. Ba . n •because they have tripled theirs. Politically . speaking, change has been of incalculable importance. The landed proprietors have ceased to Infliteno the small boroughs, because all their purchases ure made in the great ones, or. the metropolis. The great ma nufacturing towns have become the rulers, because it is from them that the employment which feeds the lesser towns flows The only influence Which can be reckoned on as durable is that which gives bread or employment. When it is recollected that three fifths of the House of Commons consist of the members for boroughs, it may be conceived how important an influence this change has . come to have -on the balance of parties in the state, . - Experience has not yet enabled us to determine what influ ence the railway system, when generally introduced, is fitted to have on military operations—the attack or defence of nations; for the only greatwars which have taken place since its introduction—viz;, those in Italy and Hungary in 1819, Kid Turkey in 1854—took place in cpuntries where it had not been at ail, or only partially introduced. It is usually consi &red as having strengthened the means of defence rather than attack, by facilitating , the concentration of troops. which it certainly does, on the men aced point. Yet must - this be taken with some limitations ; for if it facilitates the concen tration of the defending, it in an equal degree aids the accu mulation of the attacking force: if it will bring the military -strength of all France in three days to the menaced point in Belgium or the Rhine, it will not less certainly bring the whole invading force of Germany in as short a time,to the same point. If generally introduced into Russia. it would double the already overgrown military strength of the Czar, ty more than halving the distance which his troopS have to march, and rendeing tine translation of them from the .ttaltie ,EM ENT TO THE LIVERPOOL, STAN 'to the Eu±ine, or' from Poland to the Caucasus, the Worli of a few days only, and-of no fatigue or loss to the mets. Undoubtedly, however, upon the whole, it favours the arms of Civilisation in a contest with barbarism ; for it re quires an effort of skill and expenditure of capital for its general adoption which can only be'looked'for in a wealthy, and enlightened state: If it is equally adopted by two coun tries in a similar state of civilisation, as France and Germany, and 3uffered to exist ; it may cause war to• resemble 'more closely a game at chess, by enabling the players to make , the moves at pleasure. But if one, when invaded, has the courage or the patriotic spirit to break up the system, it may give a very great, perhaps a decisive advantage, to the party making the sacrifice; for if the retiring army tears up the railway lines and breaks down the bridges, it retains the advantages of the system to itself, and takes them away from its 'oppo nent. In this way it may be rendered an essential element in the defence, and important in maintaining the independ ence of nations. Probably, to take advantage of it, fortresses wilt come hereafter to be constructed in the heart 'rather than the frontiers of kingdoms, in order that an invading enemy may find his own facilities diminish, and the forces of his adversary increase as he approaches the centre of his power. HaVing so disposed of the past, the present, and the future of the railway; that great instrument of civil isation and human improvement, the historian next proceeds with a consideration of those causes which immediately led to passing the lleforni Bill of 1832, and in doing this he is necessarily i m p e ll e d t o a n exa mination of the public character and history of the leading men by whom that great change was brought about. In discharge of this portion of his historical labours, Sir Archibald passes in masterly review the political and moral characters of the“Toremost men" in that important movement. Strong inclination prompts us to quote some of those admirable sketches, which want of space prevents us from" doing - more than briefly alluding to. In his delineation of these - charac ters, .our author displays some and not a feW of his best qualities—in them he manifests clear sagacity coupled with irreproachable candour, sharp p ene t ra ti on is backed by sou n d . judgment, inflexible justice and stern honesty of purpose are 'counterpoised though not controlled by gentleness of disposition, and in every instance he exhibits an anxious desire to nothinc , extenuate. Nor set down aught in malice:" and this • strong earnestness renders the intellectual portraits he has produced as tributary to his moral worth as they are creditable to his mental character, and honourable to that literature of which he forms-at once a pillar and an ornament. Instead of seeming more encumbered by difficulties as he approaches the period of his labours, the task appears easier to Sir Archibald, as he approximates towards its completion : a. sure . indication • that the work has been well considered in all its complicated bearings. As in any carefully-designed undertaking, each succeeding step in its progress tends more and more to illustrate thpse which have preceded, while it also gives more intelli gible token of ;the form and colour to be assumed by those which are to follow. In short, working to a pre-conceived and well-digested plan, the perfect sym metry of proportion, the entire harmony of parts, and the complete homogeneousness of the structure become more obvious as it approaches completion, and will not be fully developed, till it is finished in all its noble pro portions and details of tall pinnacle and strengthening buttress. of charming colonnade, rich frieze, and well proportioned cornice. - Blackwood's Magazine. Edinburgh : Blackwood. Whether we seek for entertainment or instruction. for amusing fiction or serious political discussion, Blackwood is always welcome. It is looked for with anxiety, perused with avidity, and concluded with satisfaction. The number for this month opens with a dissertation on the writings of the Rev. Charles Kingsley, the author of " Alton Locke," "Westward Ho !" &c. The next article, entitled " Aland—the Baltic in 1854," gives an interesting description of the Alanders, and the destruction of ihe forts of Bomarsund last year. The continuation of " Zaidee : a Romance," introduces the reader to new scenery and persons pleasantly original. In a letter to Eusebius, the writer makes a running - commentary on a work recently published under the title of " Once upon a Time." Then follows a third part of " Notes on Canada and the North-west States of America." descriptive of the upper part of Lake Ontario and the mineral riches of t he district. In an article entitled " Spanish intolerance of Insolvency," we have au explantition of the recut difference botwee: , Lorj i 9, 106; , 9 1 6111 0 7. 1 11:, • Bowden and the :gpanislt :GON'ernmel rechip 0- it Was; in a veat - meastire, owing 'to an rtitobek, of the English Arnbassador. After. the tbe t '' essay On, the Palmerston AdMinistrate f, ;St concludes with 'a continuation of i t oea' Campaign, written 'in a 'tent in the LI it , ! t o f - - A T hat is the..t7se of our Cathedra ls • ? rt igetipa: 6 _Lord Stanley, , .Ifl P., on the .fru e Joel, Cathedral :Reform. By the Be: M.A.,. •Head Master .of the • O re ; London : Bell and Daldy. Ely •• - A pamphlet on an .important questiolty'l often more 'deserving of - ex tended notice tte ro t. - 104 0 volume—that is, when the writer t 1 ;1 1 for 4 i e subject, which is certainly the case Iv' call` o f ,l ite Both the subject and the occasion have of of exercise of his pen. Cathedral reforlal doe Do tb.j cries of the day ; cathedral spoliatiT ic itb to volx crimes': hii own cathedral, threa tole: be e sufficient to call for defence, it ha 6 1.1,610 1 , 1 (JO to appropriate two canomies of EIY stipends for two professorships at Cal% l i en' t oe t le sity. This proposal, Mr. Ing,le has c o t. saying, is- aet of spoliation —fir ., - o f t b i f iyiOte canonries were intended for the servi ct o f Ca' 01 4 11 ,41 dral of Ely, and not for the UniversitY r i c h and secondly, beCause the un iversitY endow its own professorships. But ti l l [ l tioo Of the manner in which modern kgis with our cathedrals. Ignoring , raesritt. ro 13 . - A i)t" rant of, the proper use of our catbe !: I )r i a t7 it teo er i has seized upon the revenues, and aPPrl ic ied; ' purposes tO, which they were never iat i L t i the ir . The inn also to - make the cathedrals. al unti t t ,"4oel' " subserve a purpose for which they ar e it of - idea that legislators have of the tr iecl le" the parochial Systeni ; so they 113 _,`,. ° o f i t ' f i l ef cathedrals and their officers a Pal' tir3t `• it' truth, it is not the parOchial s ysten tioo o l f orc iej, tried to carry out, but a:bastard int, it , lj i e t" e t /fil l e fl o/e system of " incumbents" with c" ijee f 110 t, the parochial system of the Chu i : i „oe' , '" Yet to seize upon the 'cathedral re s ole a'r: trf . ,o, them out to Peel districts has he'''' bee li -t1 00;10 1 " of cathedral reform. Another combine the cathedral system %s i t . o tlie:0 1 0 ,01 syStem, by proposing that cathec", 3 etitpi, j ' e be hold small livinga,' or livings tl' e .,t f r i l e This, as Mr. Ing,le shows, is equall,`" 0 :t 0 . 1 .1 1 ; , v it, he both : a man cannot be at two plaql. in the cathedral, he ought to be In w; f 01 1 fef , t' o ite celebrating the serv ice i n hi s o wn 1 1 . „ s 5 0 .010 oug,ht to be in the cathedral Sontiaisu y 11 which demand his preaence the p t J e Atb t ie, TA much demand his prese nce in Will be said, Let him keep a ca r '' well .iv' ti fPi another question occurs, If he isl e ' do es t'i, e t! r e .) . do the work of the parish while ite, to t" ffbe lic t: the cathedra', why not give the livt t ios? ( 1,14ci , and himself keep to his cathedral " to tall.1 0 ." e truth ia, that the two things "r e or cathedrals are . not parish churelle-2'froteP a / i. priests proper men to be canon:4- joetil.e, to r t trying to force a thing, out of itt P o . it d°. t re l $l l , anomalous, perhaps useieser by g . ,,i v t i ' ) ; o form which are unsuited to it , r e 5 hire'. tueeole'e the position that the cathedral v" - , s. o „ 1 41 4. and what are the duties of its o flk troy th ;if • ). 0' reform, reform them, but do not t s h t : t y s 7 t e he prli l v w e i d en t t o be eles-' h , thr , a ot i Leven p~ present power of expansion to be 5 - 0. le" et' The first are these : pal) t ti a „A l f Ist. The maintenance of the datdignity 1, jo lt Alrnighty God, on a scale of becomlng and the ir :r i b It' i h m e t e ` to 2nd. The liberal training of Y' 9 l't. l) '.. tosetb e. • 6 , r oef' both at school, and at the wa ivers - die s, ir of 0 Lectures. • the 0 1* ( 1 - int ir 0 1 3rd. Divers secular ° Wets,. 11' it bridges ; together with provision 1 s ucb ae a oi especially those disabled by war• )rt all 1., • .clll l/ ‘ t All the-se are eminently iiap(..tiov.: be carried out aceording to f the •'ll lll The public worship is ins ber ° th:ta -6'" management and small uura wor e t I (. 'of the cathedrals : few l l2ve •+0 ". 4 t i ' B ee" 0 11 '5• number of' singing-men and chO.l• dart;, oco t 1 c t for the proper celebration of (a lion 'l o ,ilie j second is too manifest to need T . ,. Theo Education ftw all classes is see't" deplot-eLie s iate , ti,• 'AED