The Express.
London, England, 1848-05-10 00:00:00

IM

THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY EVENING, MAY 10, 1848,

.. .
whatever.
Sir W. MOLESWORTII—It is quite clear that this was
a silly order of the Lord Chamberlain's, of which the noble
lord at the head of the govsroment cannot gett
ther at the true
history. (Hear, hear.) I ITU informed thae is not
the slightest chance of its being carried into effect. ("Hear,"
and a laugh.)
The Marquis of GRANBY expressed his warm approval
of the order.
THE MAURITIUS.
Lord G. BENTINCK understood that despatches, con-
taining distressing news, and coming down to the I.sth
February, had be. n receiv from Ale Mauritius. Would
there be any objection to ed
laying those despatches on the
table ?
Mr. HAWES said that the latest dates received at the
Celonieleatfice were the 13th, and they contained no news of
a distressing character. On the contrary, they held out
every prospect of amendment in the affairs of the colony.
THE EXCISE LAWS.
In answer to a question from Mr. Femurs,
Mr. MOFFAT stated that if not anticipated by the r•
vernment, he would shortly bring forward a measure relative
to the excise laws.
NAVAL DOCKS.
Mr. M'GREGOR, who was nearly inaudible, rose to
move for a select committee to inquire into the state et our
naval dockyards. We understood the hon. member to soy
that he did not bring forward his motion from any malevo-
lent motive, or teem any wish to embarrass the government,
but merely with a view to render the most potent r
am of the
national defences as efficient so possible. The hon. member
proceeded to read in a low voice various bibles, the purport
of which we understood to be that upwards of a million and
a ball bad been spent in the various dockyards in experi-
mental shipbuilding, the greatest portion of which sum
might have been saved had our shipwrights proceeded on
some replier system. In consequencethis vast of thexpenditure
e want of
1 some defined plan of action all
I might be looked upon as so much money wasted.
Sow time ago it was thought that some of the old it gun
Mips might be, with advantage, converted into steam fri-
gates. 'They were accordingly placed in a private dock-
yard, and fitted with machinery on the strew principle ; and
the result was that after spending some 60,0001. upon them, 1
they were found to be wholly unfit far service. Then, with I
retard to the stockyards themselves, great expenditure Lad
been incurred in works and altercions in them from time to
time, which, to a large extent might, he believed, have been
avoided. A plan had recently been laid down for constru
wo
ct,
ing a new open basin at Devonport, to accommodate t
ships, against which many objections had been raised, and
boor ged upon government to consider well those objections
before they Melded upon incurring the expense. Ile be-
lieved that, under good management, fully one-third of the
motley expended on ourleaval docky 'Matinee 11432 might have
been saved without any sacrifice of efficiency. Looking at
the heavy taxes by which the country was burdened, and
the deficiency, which could scarcely be less at
tha close of the present year than between four and
five millions, it was the duty of that house to consider how far
the public expenditure might be reduced, having regard
always to the efficiency of the several departments of the
public service, and therefore it was that he had ventured to
bring this subject under consideration. He might go into
numerous details to show in what respect economy might
be effected, but with the confidence he had in the present
Secretary of the Admiralty he believed it was only neces-
sary to draw his attention to ensure men retrenchconsmeident as
might be effected with safety. (Hear.) He red,
however, that the present state of the country demanded
that a full and searching inquiry should be instituted as to
the general management and expenditure in this depart-
ment of the public service. Ile thought it high time that
some change in the system with regard to shipbuilding
should be established, so as to secure to the country the full
benefit of the professional keowledge of Mr. Lung and
others. He had full confidence in the present management
of the Admiralty, but for want of time or some
other reason they had not searched so narrowly into 1
the various details of their department with the view
to ascertain where economy might be affected, as they might.'
Now in the case of the steamers they found that the packets
I,
repairs;
by Cunard ran for yeers with littl or no expense for .
tre ; hut the steam shi;seonstructed iue our dockyards were
scarcely afloat ere it was found necessary. to bring them back
into dock to undergo repairs or alterattons ; in many cases
requiring en expenditure of 30 or 40 per cent, on the origi-
nal cost. The Sidon, notwithstanding the care which bad
been taken with her, had proved a failure ;and the Queen's
yacht was one of the most imperfect vessels that bad ever
been launched. His object was not to diminish
the efficiency of the service, but by a vigilant
superintendence to render it more effective at a
less cost. The people were at this time loudly demanding
economy in every department of the public service, and with
good retson, for they were now suffering the burden of
taxation with greater severity and with less ability to beer it
than at any former period. His object was ecosemy com-
bined with complete efficiency ; and it was with the view to
effect that object that he had given notice of the motion with
which he would now conclude--" That a
on selteche t commmanageee
be appointed to inquire lute and report up
ment and expenditure of the several naval dockyards." (Rear.),
The motion having been seconded.
Mr. WARD rose to oppose the motion, not because he did
not sympathise in any attempt to infuse the most rigid
system of economy that could be combined with perfect effi-
ciency for the regulation of the navel affairs of the country,
but because he believed a weaker case for such
a motion sa that wills which the e se m-
ber bad concluded had never been brought honourabl
forward.
The hon. gentleman laboured under some strong hallucina-
tion whets be asserted that the subject had not been before
considered—he seemed to forget that a select committee was
now sitting on the naval estimates, by whom every branch
of the subject would be inquired into, and from whom they
might soon expect a report containing the most valuable
information. He would not follow the hon. gentlemaninto
the charges which he had brought against the late surveyor-
general of the navy. Sir William Symonds' failures and
successes had been already discussed a dczen times M that 1,
house, and in those discussions be had been accused on the II
one side of wasteful and wanton extravagance, while on the
other he had been praised to the skies,. Upon this subject 1
he would give no opinion, though he believed the truth in
this cve as in most °them, would be found to be in the
Judea milieu. (Hear.) With regatd to the building
of our ships war the whoM system was now
changed. Everyof possible precaution was taken by
the present and had been taken by the late Board
of Admiralty to prevent those precipitate changes—the
putting up and pulling down—which occasioned the ex-
penditure of so much money uselessly, of which the on.
member complained. Under the present regulation the
most searching inquiry was instituted before the orders of
the board were given ; and the board were too well
not aware
be
of
the importance of preventing unnecessary expense to
anxious to do all in their power to effect that object.
Hieing shown that the expenditure for the Blenheim, to
which the hon. member for Glasgow had alluded, had been
for necessary repairs, and explained the charges he bad made
SI to other vase's, the honourable gentleman contended,
that there could be no stronger proof of the desire of
e government to inquire into all matters of expen
1 the government to inquire into all matters of expenditure
In regard to our dockyards, than the course which theyditure had
taken with regard to the basin at Devonport. It had been
stated that they might save 130,0001. in tproposed
and thethere,
works
there, without impairing the efficiency of the yard ;
moment this statement was made, the board order
the most
ed that
the works should not be proceeded with until
searching inquiry into the matter should have been made—
(pinion
of before any decision would be come to, the
opinion of competent
.persons, and amongst them of some
eminent practical engineer, would be taken. The honour-
able member had also complained that a great
and useless expenditure bad been going on for some time
past in our dockyards, and had expressed • hope that a dimi-
nution of that expenditure was possible, and if so that it
would be effected. The hon. gentleman appeared to forget
that a diminution had not only bean found possible, but had

LEAVE OF ABSENCE.
On the motion of Mr. M'GREGOR, leave of absence to
the Lord Provost of Glasgow until the 21st of May war
agreed to.
HEALTH OF WESTMINSTER.
Sir H. WILLOUGHBY said he had been informed that
In a part of Westminster, not far from that house, a very ma-
lignant species of typhus fever had broken out, and that its
appearance was intimately connected with some chemical ex-
periments which had recently been made (or the purposes of
do-odorising the sewers of the neighbourhood. He wished
to know whether the tuts he bad stated had come under the
knowledge of the noble lord at the head of the Woods and
Forests.
Lord MORPETH believed the truth to be that a consi-
derable amount of fever prevailed within the precincts of
the abbey and in Westminster School, but he had user-
taihed that no ces-pool had been cleaned or opened in that
neighbourhood by order of the commission since Feb-
ruary last. He believed the drainage of the neighbourhood
to be very deficient, there being oely one mein sewer across
the dean's yard. All the rest were private drains. Dr.
Fincham, the medical attendant at Westminster School, had
informed him that out of the school he could find no
traces of fever in the neighbourhood. He (Lord
Morpett, ) did not think the fever
the cod
tom trac
ed
s be
ed
to the cleansing of cesspools, as
had, since their formation, cleaned out 635 cesspools in
various parts of the metropolis, and with great and marked
benefit to the sanitary condition of the district.
Mr. BANKES asked when it was the intention of govern-
ment to introduce a bill for the sanitary improvement of
London and Westminster ?
Lord MORPET Li hoped shortly to bring in bills on those
subjects, but could not as yet he the day.
BRITISH MANUFACTURES.
Lord G. BENTINCK wished to ask the noble lord at the
head of the government a question of the greatest importance
connected with the free-trade principles of which the
noble lord was one of the staunchest advocates. He need
not remind the house of the royal command which had gone
forth to the ladies of England, in consequence of the presethe
nt
depreciation of trade and. mattufaaures, to appear at
approaching drawing rooms and royal assemblies in no attire
—(great laughter)—except the products of British industry.
The question he had to ask the noble lord was, whether that
royal command had Leen dictated by the impulses of her
Majesty's own heart, beating for the distress of the people,
in Spitalfields, in Leicester, in Nottingham, and elsewhere,
or whether it had been issued at the suggestion of her
Majesty's responsible advisers ? Had it come to her Majesty's
knowledge that wit Lin the first three months of the present
year French silk goods to the amouet and value of 400,0001.,
and which if manufactured in this country would give em-
ployment to 31000 had t een importcd into the
port of Lyndon alone ? Had weavers,her Majesty heard that during
the same period lace to the value of 20,0001., and needle-
work to the value of 20,0001. mue, sufficient to employ
4,000 needlewomen • and 7,000 pairsr of boots and shoes, suffi-
cient to employ 12,000 cordwains rs (6,000 of whom were at
this moment out of employment in London)r
tae had also
coLeen
imported? (Hear, hear.) lie asked whethe royal
mend was was the result of her Majesty's, having been made
acquainted with all three matters, or whether it was that the
noble lord at the head of the government had determined
that the free doctrines were to be put abide with dismay, and
no longer to be tolsrated or encouraged by Enlishmen or
Englishwomen ? He asked his noble friend whother this
command was to be taken as an indication that her Majesty's'
ministers were about to abandon a policy which had brought
the node and manufactures of this country to beggary and
ruin ?
Lord J. RUSSELL—The noble lord has certainly made
• speech ;but it would be rather a ifficult matter to evolve
an intelligible question out of that speech. (A laugh.)
But I understand by a reference to the votes, where the noble
lord's question is much more easily understood than in his
speech, that he means to ask whether her Majesty's con-
mend to the ladies of England to appear at court in dresses
the products exclusively of native industry, was her Majes-
ty's spontaneous act, or was suestested by her responsible
advisers ? It is certainly true 'hat her Majesty issued such
commands through the Lord Chamberlain, and I believe
there is nothing new in such orders, which were frequently
issued by former sovereigns. ( Protectionist cheers.) It was
merely an act of kindness intended 'or the benefit of persons
engaged in the manufacture of article's of dress. The noble
lord goes on to ark whether this command is to be taken as
a symptom that the present advisers of the crown have
changed their opinions as regards foreign manufactures, and
whether it is to he looked upon se the commencement of •
change of system? Now, in the first place, the matter is in
the department of the Lord Chamberlain and I have not
offered any advice to her Majesty as to how ladies should
appear at court. But with regard to the foreign
manufactures recently introduced, it should be recollected
that formerly very large quantities were introduced
without being entered in the customs, having been smug-
gled over at an insurance of 10 or 12 per cent. in consequence
of the high rates of duty. In the next place, I believe that
the introduction of French and other foreign manufacture
contributes very much to the improvement of the maienufac-
tures of this country. In the third place, I believe
the although there may be particular clean of persons in
this country who suffer inconvenience by the intieduction
of foreign goods, still their introduction stimulates the pro-
duction of other goods, which arc exported in return. (Hear,
hear.) Now, believing these things to be the result of the
changes in the duties which were made of late years, one of
the last things which I should think of advising to her Ma-
jesty would be any return to the old state of things. And if
I did think of it, I very much doubt whether such advice
would be so acceptable to her Majesty as noble lords and gen-
tleman opposite seem to think. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. BRIGHT had been der the impressi that the
Lord Chamberlain was a political officer, and thaotn whatever
be did was the act of the Queen's responsible ad-
visers. He did not attach much importance to orders re-
b: td
ohnee
ssteoculd %a dress,
TteorYd7luucelhe trg"wttedorkinthgactlllyethiigo
the belief that they could be served by driving away the
products of other countries. (Hear, hear.) He feared it
would be looked upon abroad as an act of retaliation for the
expulsion of English workmen from France. (Hear, hear.)
As to the great quantity of French silks imported daring the

Then there is the Board of Trade, in which vacan-
cies have occurred, and are about to be filled up.
Surely if this country and its mercantile n
this
ment that England's capacity should be first-rate. The
president of the Board being of necessity mucchounc occils,u-
pied with political affairs, cabinet
and parliamentary business, an active and full.
experienced Vice-President is most desirable. But
the system, it seems, does not want talent or exile-
rience. And Lord GRANVILLE, who would make
an excellent adjunct to the Foreign-office from his
skill and experience in that department, is thrust into
the Board of Trade, where he must be out of
place. Why ? Beath. be is a lord, and the Board
requires a representallfve in the upper house. Then,
in addition to a Vice-President who is a lord, and
who is transferred from the management of the
buck hounds to preside over the trade of the country,
there is a new Secretary, just as inexperienced.
Sir Deters LE MARCHANT is
hipper-in, a very able ]
adroit
office functionary, functionary, a capital w nmanager of men and of journals, and of all the
men" of politics. But why he is put into the Board
of Trade, to fit himself for which he must go to
school, we are quite at a loss to conceive, except that
the secretaryship is an office from which he can-
not be removed, and where he will anchor
for better for worse to his own comfort
and the public disappointment. It is quite plain that
the Board of Trade was Mr. WILSON's sphere, a
11,-
nd
that there be really could be useful. But ere,
a
nos has not yet served his full time of toadyism, and
ho is accordingly sent to the Board of Control—to
rse a
business which he, too, has to learn. This perve
obstinacy to put every man into the w
therong
pettiest
place,
and sacrificing the public service to
personal motives, has the unfortunate effect
of discrediting the whole system of public
appointmenth, and rendering every office as insecure
as it is inefficient. As to the Board of Trade, such
appointments merely drag it down to the reputation
and usefulness of the Railway Board, and provoke,
some future day, the extinction of its idle existence.
It is the cue of our aristocratic journals to cry
fie upon the French and upon their National As-
semblies. And we will not deny that such suc-
cessive experiments have their hazards and their evils.
But one good at least they have, which is, they call
forth andcommand the political talent of the country.
There is no country in which administrative talent is
so abundant. All Ogitnes have contributed to it.
And whenever the talent of one section or layer of
society is exhausted a revolution bares another layer
and brings forth whatever of it is capable or useful.
Without the July revolution where would have been
Outzur and Tutsas ? And now that Guizor and
TIIIERS have been set aside for the time au extended
cuff-age will fling up, no doubt, a number of
capable men which the old system of corruption and
monopolised elective franchise would have stifled
for ever.
We by no means desire to go French lengths ; in-
deed, we should scorn to see England imitating or
following any country. Universal suffrage we depre-
cate. But truly we desire electoral reform, and a
turning up of more and wider intellectual soil ; for
never was parliament more poor in talent, or its great
parties more incapable of facing, or even forming an
opinion upon:the great questions which agitate society,
and which imperatively demand a solution.
We are sure, that even to see the slovenly
and miserable way in which the Health of
Towns fill has been discussed—the empty
nonsense that has been talked for and against
centralisation—the clamorous but disjointed efforts of
those who attacked, and the feeble and unsatisfactory
arguments of defence, capitulating at the last,
al* giving up the essence of the measure
to save the rag and the semblance of it—
such a show of debate and legislation does
appear to us so disgraceful, and does so stamp
the entire parliament with the brand of incapacity,
that we think this very debate one of the strongest
arguments fur going. to the country, and by a measure
of reform empowering its masses to try if a fuller
and fairer choice of representatives would not procure
from English society some better collection of busi-
ness-like and capable politicians than those who now
do nothing save smother every question, and spoil
every law that comes before them. ]leaven spare us
a revolution ; but may Providence send us something,
be it what it may, to deliver us from the reign of the

-----------
--------.-------already beeeffectedn vomited ; and that • considerable redaction
oul in this rest in the estinuess of the
reeedntyear; and that still furthepecr reductions were not car-
ried' outlets' oaring to the anxious desire of LaceAukland
and the board to do nothing that should impair efficiency
of our navy as compared with the naval force maintained by
other countries. (Hear.) The hon. gentleman had suggested
that Deptford dockyard might be altogether abolished,
and that the accommodation there afforded might be provided
at Sheerness; but at Sheerness every foot of ground was
already occupied; and neither there nor at Woolwich could
any substitute be found for
mightuild sli Chatham,ord.
It was possible Rome ground be had at but
then it would become a question whether it would be ad-
visable to incur a oonsiderable expense in constructing new ,
slips for the mere peewee of trensferring the work of one
yard to another. (Mar.). With regard to Mr. Laing and
others of the younger geniuses in ship-building, the board
had adopted regulations fur ensuring efficient service in that 1
department by making promotion depend on merit alone.
The hon. gentleman hail said that government might learn I
something from the contracts made fur building steam,
ship the merchent eervice, and had referred to the
Cuns for
ard packets. Rut there was a very great difference
between merchant vessels and ships of war. In the termer
speed and stowage was nearly all
the that was requisie ; whiry
le
in the latter it was necessary to compress machine
within the smallest, space to keep it below the water-line, and
to provide for the armament, and the means of using it to
advantage. These advantages could not be obtained but by
experiments and elperioice ; and, though no doubt there
had been several failures, there had been recently instances
of the most signal success, aa in the moo of the Terrible and
Fury, from which they had received reports of performances
unequalled by any merchant steamersailoat. And nodoubt they
would improve in this branch of naval architecture
wh ear
aller as
re-
they went on. and that those disappointmentsh
gretted, but which, in • branch of science which was
vecont,
m-
paratively new, it was impossible altogether pre
would be avoided. With regard to the suggestion of build.
ing ships of war by contract as a general rule—no private
merchant would, for the sake of government contracts, keep
on hand the necessary stock of t miser. There toe re now in
the government yards so lees than 60,
000 loads timber
stored and in process of seasoning. What private builder
could be expected to keep such a stock ; and, if ships
were built up In • harry as formerly, *knout such
necessary prepared n, look at the immense cos w
hich
hich
would be required fa re pairs I There was
more erroneous than the supposition that the small saving
which was sometimes effected by building ships by contract,
was real economy, or that the co entry did not in the end pay
for it ten times over in the test of repairs. 110 believed there
was not a ship-builder on the Thames who would not admi n
t
that ships built in the government yards were better i
quality, and In the end cheaper, than those built at any pri-
vate yard. lie would take two instances . the l'eterel was
built in • government yard, at • cost of 8,i901. ; the Ranger
by contract, the coat being 7,0201. The repairs of the former,.
during a certain number of 'Tare, averaged intl. a year, and of '
the latter 0401. Arlin, the Pengnin was built in a government
dockyard at an expenditure of 7,0631., the Alert by con-
tract, at a cost of 7,4681., the charge for repairs of the termer
had keen 1641. a year, and of the latter, 7371. (Hear.) Ile
might, if necessar, go througk a long list of similar cases,
but after what he had said, and seeing that • committee
already sitting on the subject gin rally, he hoped the hon.
gentleman would be induced to withdraw his motion.
Viscount INGESTRE gave credit to the present Board of
Admiralty fur a des:re to maintain the efficiency of the
navy, and spoke of the appointment of Sir Baldwin Walker,
as Surveyor of the Navy, as one that gave general satiate:.
tion. Ile thought, however, that the Admiralty would not
perform their duty until they appointed a scientific board,
of whch he shold like to se Sir B. Walker at the head, to 1
whom questionsu of ship-buielding and all scientific matters
connected with the service should he referred. lie wished to
know what regulations had been come to as to the depart- ,
ment of yore of the navy, and also asked • question, ,
whic was not distinctly heard, as to what steam-vewo ssels had 1
beesh built by contract. Ile hoped the motionwould be
withdrawn.
Admiral DUNDAS replied that the regulations for the
surveyor's departsuent of the navy were under the censide-
ration of the board, and would be laid before parliament as I
soon as completed. The only government steamers built by
contract were the Holyhead packets.
Capt. HARRIS reminded the house that unwise economy ,
was generally found to be extravagance in the end, and i
warned them against any measure which should impair
' the efficiency of this important branch of the service.
Mr. MU ME observed that there was • great difference be- ,
tween economy and waste, and he believed the result of the I,
inquiry now going on would be to show that there had been ,
going on for some time • most lavish and wasteful expendi-
ture n the nav es irt othe departments. Ile advised his
hon.i y friend to withdraw his motion until the report of the
committee now sitting should be presented, and if it should
appear that they had not extended their inveetigation ante
this branch of the subject, with sufficient minuteness lie
could then bring it forward again. Ile concurred with the
suggestion of the noble lord (Ingestre) as to the propriety of
establishing a (ennui superintending board.
Captain I'EC lIELL thanked the non. gentleman for the
speech he had made in bringing forward his motion, con.
vinced that many of his statements must force themselves on
the attention of the government.
Mr. M'OREGOIt having said a few words in reply,
The motion was by leave withdrawn.
IIItITISII INni leltV IiNTION IN PORTUGAL.
Mr. URQUHART rose to move an address to her Ma-
jesty representing that the intervention undertaken in her
name in Portugal is unlawful, and praying her Majesty to
forbid the continuation of this or the repetition of similar
measures by her servants. The hon. gentleman was pro-
ceeding to address the
An ho in sawn of his motion, when
lION. MENDEN moved use
that the house he counted, and
only 36 members bring present, it was adjourned at half-
-et seven to twelve o'clock this day.

Tim opposition to the health of Towns Bili has been
undoubtedly swelled by selfish interests, derived from
very impure sources. Its most inveterate opponents
arc the cottage owners, who have been throughout
hostile to the extension of sanitary regulations, where
these in any way interfered with structural arrange-
ments. The class of cottage owners have long exer-
cised much power over corporate jurisdictions. We
have gone over, with much care, the lists of council-
lors in sonic of our largest provincial towns, and, with
the aid of those having a local knowledge, have mark-
ed the names of persons known to be largely interested TIIE last two or three publications in the Gazette
in cottage property ; and, in nearly every case, we have of the weekly condition of the Bank of England have
found a large majority who bad a direct pecuniary in- served to arouse apprehensions which we arc in-
terest in tenements inhabited by the labJuring classes. dined to regard as somewhat disproportionate to the
These men see with alarm the approach of powers occasion. It is not the least of the many mischiefs
which are to injure their " vested rights." They inflicted upon commerce by the present Bank Act, that
have sunk wells and fixed pumps, charging it brings the salient features of its position prominently
their poor tenants exorbitant rates for a miserable before the public at intervals too frequent to admit
supply of water. generally hard, and contaminated of accidental exceptions taking their true place in an
with the drainage of surrounding cesspools ; and they impartial average, and separated by an interval too
are thoroughly convinced by the all powerful arga- short to permit the false impressions derived from
mt./aunt ad saechultan, that it would be most unfair one return t ) become corrected before the appearance
for waterworks to furnish abundance of pure and of the next. That the merchants, and bankers, and
wholesome water at a small fraction of thc cost of the manufacturers of this trading nation should have an
present stinted and miserable supply. Where water- easy access to all reasonable information relative to
works now exist, these benevolent cottage owners the movements of the Bank of England is a pro-
have erected cisterns to encroach upon, the already peeition long since removed from the arena of disputa-
much tee confined space of the dwelling, and to im- on. But thenth e this is one of those problems where the
bibe all the impurities of a close and vitiated atmo- admission of general fact does not give us much
sphere, charging rarely less than 15 020 per cent. as assistance towards the adjustment of the details. It
a rental on the outlay ; and they see with horror the is clearly desirable that a patient should be made
attempts made to induce towns to substitute a con- acquainted at certain times with the progress of his
stasit for an intermittent supply, on the introduction disease, or his convalescence ; but surely it would he
lof which all the cisterns will be rendered useless. esteemed, not less an extravagance of announcement
1 These same righteous cottage owners have small than a device totally destructive of its purpose, to
patches of land, on which they build back keep both the sufferer and his attendants in
to back houses, courts in eat de sacs, alleys a perpetual alternation of hope and fear by
of impassable width, and, *ith the fra'ernal live a
proclamations of every change in his pulse,
viction that man is a social animal, fitted to live and every vicissitude in his appetite. We arc by no
with his kind, manage, as in the case of Liverpool, to means singular in the belief that the weekly return
cause 658,000 human beings to live within the space of the Bank is distinctly open to an objection of this
of a square mile. They now see a termination of this character. It gives too much information of one sort
sacrifice
which provides certain widths for alleys, and deliberations, but gives us no clue to their reasons,
certain magnitudes for courts. and it confers a pernicious importance upon mere
Never was there such an unholy or selfish opposi- specialities in the experience of the Bank, simply be-
tion to a measure of improvement, as that now at- cause the interval embraced is too short and narrow
tempted to be raised. We do not impute a partici- to admit of an impartial and true perspective. We
pation in such motives, to those members of the cannot conceive that any just complaint could be
House of Commons who have allowed themselves to made if the present form of account, divested of
be blindly thrust forward by the true opponents of some of its ridiculous features, was consolidated into
the bill, but we do ascribe to them an ignorance an average return for four weeks, and published at
the most extreme, and a facility in allowing them- the end of every. month.
selves to be deceived, a quality much prized by con- The feature in the last return which has attracted
stituencies who prefer pliability to judgment in their the most attention, is the further decline in the but.
representatives. lion. " Here," runs the commentary, "is a departure
When we find it gravely stated by members of the of 360,0001. of treasure in one week, and a diminu-
house that the common law is sufficient to prevent tion of treasure from the highest point on the 25th
and repress " nuisances which affect the health of March (1848) of two and a half millions. Vs are
man" we aro inclined to doubt whether the know. the inferences ?" Let us see. So far, we are happy
ledge on matters of public hygiene has really so ex- to believe that none of the causes which have pre-
tended itself over the country as report led us duced this drain upon the Bank ran justify any great
to believe. What a ponderous and sluggish machine solicitude. The apprehensione, whatever they may
the common law is, to bring against nuisances which amount to, refer much more to the future than the
may devastate whole cities before the law can be made past.
to recognise their existence! Previous to the intro- It can hardly have escaped the attention of the ob-
duction of Lord MORPETH'S bill for the suppression servent, that the supposititious advent of sedition
of nuisances, there was no other method for their which has cast so peculiar a haze of notoriety over
removal exe2eit by indictment, and this could cnly be the 10th of last month was fixed at an especially in-
\
supported by the oaths of persons who experienced convenient time in this land of periodical payments.
the nuisance in public thoroughfares. Slaughter- The quarterly exhaustion of the resources of the na-
houses and dunghtlls in courts never could be brought timed creditor and the great apotheosis of chartism
under the operation of the law, which from its expen- fell with an unfortunate coincidence upon nearly the
siveness would have been practically timeless, even if same date of the calendar. Now it admits of no possible
it had comprehended them. The office of question that if therebe any class of the community who
inspector of unisances in all large towns thus more than another cultivates a sensitive acuteness upoh
became an actual sinecure, and indeed had ceased matters of national solvency and cash payment, it is
altogether, or became emaciated with other offices assuredly the heterogeneous groups who, at the end of
and existed only in name. The recent law of Lord every three months, choke up the dividend offices of the
Warren, avowedly only a temporary measure, has Bank of England. In ordinary times bank notes
certainly been productive of much good, by substi- occupy a place in their estimation as select as that
luting a summary conviction befor e a magistrate for which is set apart for the literal riches of gold and
a lengthened process by indictment ; but it only re. silver. But let a breath of apprehension diversify
cognises nuisances after their existence, while his the current of their routine equanimity, and the de•
present bill goes much further, and provides for their wand which would have been previously contented
prevention. The bill, throughout an ire details, has with paper, can then only be appeased by that which
essentially a preventive character, and, in this
by the paper represents, and dividend warrants become
differs from all the pokers hitherto possessed by in truth so many calls for cash. To those whose ob-
existing laws. servation ranges over a larger space, and who are ac-
We have not been blind to the defects of the bill contonleatoratetheseaccidentalPerturbationßover their