The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-03-15 00:00:00

MR. C.IIMVING A4VD MR. BRLAWII.4M.

In the last number of a French periodical work just p.
lichen!, the writer has undertaken to balance the respective
perfections of the leading Members of our House of Com-
mons. This is a task which requires ho common qualities
in the person who undertakesit ; hut a Frenchman goes to
work as gaily without his materials as with them. It is
curious to perceive what notions he entertains on this sub-
ject; and how gravely he plays the Oracle before the Pari-
sian public; he begins by referring to the discussion which
took place at the commencement of the Session on the
Catholic Question : " which demonstrates," isys the
writer, " to what a degree of perfection the soundness of
reason and the subtilty of logic has arrived in the English
debates. It would be difficult," he adds, "to adjudge the
palm where both sides contended with so much zeal, for
two ratters (pour dens entrees), which each held to be
honourable and just." He then proceeds seriously to de-
scribe them as two contending armies, availing themselves
each of tbeir utmost skill in tactics, of all their expertness
In artifice, and of all the strength of their heavy columnar
At length the chief combatants, after the example of the
ancients, encounter each other foot to foot. But we should
not do justice tothe representation, were we to give Uhl any
other words than his own :
Les deux amities ont fait 6galement usage de touts, les rex-
sources de la tat-Witte, de tout les subterfuges de l'adresse, de
tomes les forces des grandee masses. 11 y aeu des attaques
d'avant-postes, des charges' de reserve, et, ainsi que dans les
batailles des ancient, Ott a 1.4 lee chefs runemil se prendre corps it
corps et *ogee keens renew:hams personnels."
What strange notions of our House of Commons a
Frenchman must have, after picturing to himself this
heene of turbulent altercation ! Where this writer could
have acquired his insight into our affairs, and his know-
ledge of our Parliamentary Speakers, it would not be easy
to divine. He contrasts them, for the information of his
eciamlymen who can, hereafter, be at no loss to form an
esakete of ;heir strength and ability. His contra-position
of theni is somewhat whimsical. He goes over the ground
very smoothly, but seems greatly perplexed when he comes
to Mr. Hutchinson.
" Nous opposerions volontiers Mr. CANNING i Mr. BROUGHAM,
Sir J. MACKINTOSH I Mr. CrOCI.RURN, Sir FRANCIS BUR.
SETT i Mr. PLUNKETT, Mr. TIERNEY i Mr. PEEL ; main
nous n'avons rim i opposer i Mr. /I UTCHlmsoff. C'est un par-
tisan hard i et temoraire qui fait la guerre pour son eompte, et dont
les attaques brusques ne se soumettent i aucune regle hie."
He afterwards proceeds to a more deliberate and detailed
investigation of the respective merits of Mt. CANNING and
Mr. BROUGHAM. The style of the latter he describes as
characterised by force, bitterness, want of arrangement,
great energy in argument, and n bold and sudden transi•
Lion from the serious to the burlesque. What notion the
writer has of WESTMINSTER, or where he supposes the
Court of King's Bench to be situated, we do not know ;
but lie informs his readers. speaking of Mr. Brougham—
" Rarement it fait usage' an' sea diacours parlementaires des
ivueions admires dont it sea, rt dans les tribunal's. A IVEIT3IIN-
ITER c'est un tout autre hon qu'il la Cour du Bane du Rui."
How this critic discovered that Mr. Baouonsm used
the al tifiees of his eloquence with so much discreet atten-
tion to time and place, it would be in vain to inquire. We
do not think the Learned Advocate will be very ready to
recognise himself in the following critique:—
" 11 a totijoars un grand objet en vue, it le poursult avec Bchar.
cement, U temutse tout ce qu'al trouve cur son chemin, et parvient
son but en annoncant sa virtoire par un coup iclatant oil it parait
eputste les ressourcei de son eloquence. Deux ou trois udees fon.
damentales ferment toujeum la base des discours de Mr. Brougham ;
it les appuie par des faits, et les comment. avec cet ordre lumineux
qui entralne la conviction, et qui conduit aux consequences qu'd se
propose d'en tirer."
We have next the portraiture of "ron rival," Mr. CAN
NINO.

" His rival, not less energetic, prepares his approaches
with equal skill, and overturns with equal address every
obstacle which he has to encounter in his march. Nothing
can be more elegant than his diction, nothing more impres-
sive than his delivery, nothing more sonorous or full of
harmony than the inflexions of his voice, and the cadence
of his periods."
He then proceeds to descant in the following observations
on a particular feature of Mr. Canning's speech on the Ca-
tholic Question.
" Serre de pros par son eontraire, it evite le coup en fixant sea
regards sur un objet qui l'eblouit. C'est ainsi qu'su lieu de
l'epuiser en raisonnemens sue la questiim que l'on debattait, it a
(fere tout-e-coep 'Odeon de sa vie politigsse, et rehausse l'interit
piquant qu'un parch! expme desalt inspirer par la maniere drama-
tique dont it l'a expose. Jamais on n'a vu dans les discussions
publiquea un pareil exeirplc de finesse et d'habilete: meis ants/
jamais do details biostraplsogaes n'out ate plus honorable&
• Le style de cette pante du discours du mitestre a cc Moths de
doucetir et de simpliciti, enrol convenable i la visite des faits qu'i
Is modestie de l'orateur. Quand ii sborde la question, prineipsle,
c'est en employant cette graduation de force et d'interet qu'Ho-
race recommande dans les compositions dramatiques, et qui settles
peuvent convaincre sans exasperer, et entrniner sans soduire. Cet
eminent homme (resat excelle dens l'art d ffieile de dejouer le plan
de ceux qui i'attaqucnt, et de frustrxr la prevoyance de l'obierva-
teur le plus adroit. Son debut n'annonce jamais la fin qu'il se
purpose; les donnies qu'il itablit nc paraissent pas lifes avec In
consequence qu'ij en tire ensuite avec une admirable dextiriti.
James it ne decsite !.'impression que lui font les attaques qu'on lui
porte. Au regard sombre, aux genes expressifs, aux Inflexions,
foudroyants de son adversaire, it oppose tames un sourire malin,
tantio ce clime et cette digniti que donne la conscience de son
propre nierite. Au milieu de sea plus eloquentes tirades, de sea
raisonnemens les plus forts, In plus irresistible& on voit toujours
l'homme du monde, le porte et le litterateur. 11 a introsluit dans
l'eloqiience parlementaire un genre tout-3-fait nouveau, qui par-
ticipe de I'entrainement de l'inspiration et des is perspicacite de la
dialeetique."
Having finished his sketches of Mr. CANNING and Mr.
BROUGHAM, the painter puts away his easel, not thereby
meaning any ill compliment to the rest of our Representa-
tives, but because he considers the whole of their separate
excellences as summed up in the two leatlera he has been
at the pains to contrast.
" Aprils ce parallele entre deux orateurs qui laisseront un eter-
nal souvenir dans les fasts de l'iloquence, tout autre portrait pa-
raitrai t (raid et sans interet ; non que les orateurs que nous avons
nommis ne maritent d'etie pieces au premier rang : mists, par-
ceque ceux que nous mons de mettre en contesate, peuvent etre
considires calms riunivant tousles genres de 'nitrite qui distin-
guns les aunts."

A CEMOCS COINCIDENCE.—II is singular that the
two most admirable writers that modern Europe produced,
Shakspeare and Cervantes, both died on the same day, in
the same year, namely, April 231, 1616.
A nobleman observing one day at dinner a person emi-
nent for his philosophical talents, intent oil chusing the de-
licacies of the table, said to him, " %Vhat! do philosophers
love dainties?" " Why not ?" returned the other ; "do
you think, my Lord, that the good things of this world
were only made for blockheads?"
ON TIIE WOAD LITEZATI.—Tbe word //tenth, which
now confers honour, had at one time a very different signi-
fication. Among the Romans it was usual to affix some
branding or ignominious letter on the criminal, when the
crime was infamous in its nature ; and persons so branded
were called inseripti, or stigmatiei, or by a more equivocal
teem, literati. The same expression is likewise adopted in
Stat. 4 Henry VII., which recites, "that diverse persons
lettered had been more bold to commit mischievous deeds,"
&c. The present meaning of the word is taken from the
Chinese, among whom, however, it is applied more speci-
fically to one particular sect of learned men.
- - -

E t.o PE at e xr.—A young lady of the name of P—lt—n,
twenty years of age, the only daughter of a retired trades-
man, eloped on Saturday morning from her father's resi-
dence in the vicinity of Sloane-square, with Lieut. L—n—t,
a gallant son of Neptune, who visited the family, and no
apparent attachment was observed between the parties.
The young lady, whose expectations are great, was missed
at the breakfast-table; and the youthful ardour of the
parties preventing precaution, they took a hackney-coach
at the end of Sloane-street to Kensington, where they
took a post-chaise. The father and a man-servant traced
the fugitives to Maidenhead, where the clue was lost in
consequence of the different roads; but they got further
intelligence, and found the fugitives taking coffee at
Henley-upon-Thames, and the young lady was conveyed
safely home again.
A physician of the name of Buller, residing at Ham-
burgh, has lately invented a new surgical instrument, by
means of which he can amputate a leg in one second.
There is now at Foxley, near this city, a beautiful
Japanese Rose, twelve feet in height, bearing on one side
red, and on the other white roses. In the same hos-
' pitable mansion is also a fine damosel bird, confessedly .50
years old, fed, if not bred, in this country ; and a macaw,
with pale gold top-knot, who has likewise perched half a
century.—HerefiJel Independent.

THE itRITNFI PRESS.

.- • &
METROPOLITAN WATER COMPANY.
PYesterday a Meeting was held at Bier City of London Tavern,
purausat to M. followin • notice
' "It having been considered that the Dill now pending in Par-
• liament for establishing a Company for the supply of spring water
to the Metropolis, will, if pinged into a law, be the means not only
, of stopping the operations of the breweries, distilleries, dyehousee,
t and 'ranch" other manufacdnies and public estaglishments in Lou-
doa, but also of cutting off the supply of the public pumps—A
' Public Meeting of the opponents of the measure will be held for
the purpose of agreeing to a pet itkin to Parliament against it."
CIIARLS9 BAISCI.Ay, Esq. having been called to the Chair,
said, that as the Meeting was attended by many gentlemen who
had turned their attention to the subject before
,the Meeting, he
would confine himself to • very few remarks ; lacked it was
with great reluctance he yielded to the solicitation of thof.e interested
in opposing the present scheme. He was, however, consoled by
the conviction that every defect In him would be more than sop.
plied by the gentlemen to whom he before alluded. The principle
on which the contemplated Company went was to dig wells in
various places in and near the metropolis, at such a distance under
the clay as to ensure a supply of spring water. Now, in the me-
tropolis there were three sorts of springs. The first which he would
notice, were the land springs; the supplies from which was
lately very much diminished ; they were almost drained, particularly
in the northern district of the metropolis, where Canals had been
dug. The deepening of the Sewers was anothef and a strong cause
for the fulling off. Deeper again thin these last were to be found,
another set of springs, which altOrded a good supply of very pure
water, that was principally used by manufacturers. The adequate
supply from these springs was not so much an object as the tem-
perature of the water, which never varied, and was frequently in
summer 23 degrees below the heat' of the atmosphere: that cir-
cumstance made it highly useful for the purpose of cooling. Should
the proposed Company succeed in being incorporated, they would,
by digging their wells to the depths they intend, and by raising the
water with engines of great power, destroy the wells at present dog
from these springs; or, at all events, so far diminish the supply
as to make them altogether useless. ,To prove the truth of that
statement, he would mention a fact =netted with his own manu-
factory. He had on his aide of the river • well sunk down to the
blue clay. Mr. Calvert had, on the paste side, on his premises,
another well sunk to a corempoodtag th. When either of these
was worked, a munislis Wen welt p ulted on the other. To show
what little chance the Chmpsny had of ring a large supply of
water, he would wooden ter, WU to the Menteg. It was possi-
ble, by means of an engine of a very small form, to lower the
water in his well fifteen feet ig one hour: and further, it was
found, that when on Monday the water had risen to its greatest
height in consequence of the cessation during Sunday, if they
did not commence working it early in the morning its depth would
be considerably lessened by other pumps being at work. He was
sure that many gentlemen present who had welle could supply facts
of a similar nature. The result of the proposed
,ffierouire, if carries
into effect, would be, that the proprietors of breweries, &c. would
have to apply to the Company for water; 'and supposeahey should
offer compensation gild insert a clause to that effect, in. the Bill,
what compensation, he would ask, could be sufficient for the loss of
water on their own premises ? besides any compensation they of-
fered would fall far short of the demands they would insist on If
' applied to for a supply of water. lie knew an instance lately
where the proprietor of a manufactory had occasion for • casual
supply ; the Company that furnished it, though not more exorbi.
tarn than others in its prices, yet insisted on such payment for it as
would amount to 1,0001. per annum for a continual and sufficient
supply.
The 'Resolutions (for which our Advertitement) were put seriatim
and agreed to.
Mr. lilavrox felt himself called on to make a few observa-
tions in answer to a statement put forth in the Morning Papers in
support of the Bill. It was first stated, that the intended supply ,
of water would be from the deep springs below the blue clay form.
ing the London Basin. Now the fact was, that at the present
moment many of the large pumps, those' far instar.ce in Russell-
square and in some of the hospitals were supplied from the great .
depot of water below the blue clay. Mr. Mahon, after some further
remarks, stated, that the present Water Companies derived but
small profit from the investment of their capital. In answer to
the last fact put forward by the New Company, namely—that, in
consequence of the abandonment of the Beaufort-buildings and
London-bridge Waterworks, there were two less than before; and
that amongst the remaining Companies there existed a most op-
pressive combination and monopoly—he begged to remark, that
there existed no monopoly ; and further, that the two Companies •
alluded to were not dissolved, but had united with the New River
Company.
Mr. COCIEMELL remarked, that though they had not met there
to serve the New Company, still they were conferring on them the
best benefit when they advised them to give up their foolish scheme,
for it was totally impracticable. (Hear.) Indeed all the wells the
Company could sink, together with those now in use, could not be
sufficient for the supply of the metropolis unless they succeeded in
discovering • fresh water sea below the earth. (Hear and a laugh.) ,
The water proposed to be raised by them would not exceed a tithe
of the necessary quantity. The Company had fixed On Pad-
dington m a scite for one of their wells, but on being strongly op-
posed
by the proprietor of the soil they agreed to give up the
idea; however, they did not state where they meant to remove to;
he had asked the question of the advisers of the Bill, and was not
answered ; he supposed they had privately agreed between them-
selves. He remembered a circumstance that some time ago a Com-
pany were about cutting a canal across a gentleman's property; he ,
remonstrated with them, and they promised to alter the course at
first intended; this lulled the gentleman. The Canal Company
got their Act of Parliament, and proceeded in the on
eserseg the gamlainese was thsusdratssli ; be eisaindal. dam.
of their promise, and the only answer they gave was, " We ,
don't find it in the bond." (Cheers and laughter.) Mr. Coekerell
went on to say that the intended Company state they intend having ,
five stations or depots ; they give no intimation where they mean to
sink, so that they can multiply their wells ad rnfinition ; indeed
such would be the effect of their sinking • well near many private
ones, that a horse-wheel would be required to be substituted for
the present labour of a child, for noboby could doubt the s eneral
principle that existing wells have been affected by sinkir g thers in
the neighbourhood. Mr. C. said, in continuation, that 'lofting
could be done before the Committee on the Bill; those wh3 lied
ever travelled that course must well know that nothing told there
but counting noses. (Great laughter.) The best course would be
at once to deny the facts in the preamble of the Bill. (flea-.)
A Gentleman inquired if there were a compulsory clause in the
Bill—a clause forcing a person to sell his property, whether he
wished it or not ?

Mr. Al ALTON replied, that the Company were merely empower.
ed to treat with the proprietors.
Mr. Cocatitru.—Oh, then we have only to open our mouths
and we will soon atop them and their waterworks. (A laugh.) The
Honourable Gentleman in continuation said, he heard individuals
would be induced for large offers to come into terms with the Com.
pany. The effect of that would nearly be as bad as a compulsory
clause. In conclusion, he begged to be understood as coming there
and taking part in the Meeting solely in his individual capacity.
He had then two petitions before Parliament on the same subject ;
one as Chairman of the Grand Junction Canal, and the other as be.
longing to the parish of Paddington ; but he appeared there as one
of the public. Before he sat down, he begged to suggest that
either in the petition or in one of the Resolutions, ;t may be stated,
that the proposed measure would materially lessen the supply of
water in the West-end of the town—that might frighten persons of
influence, or as some called them, " the West-end of the town
people."
The petition to Parliament was then agreed to.
A desultory conversation ensued as to the most effectual means of
opposing the Bill, and after a vote of thanks to the Chairman the
Meeting separated.