Star.
London, England, 1831-09-26 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THIS DAY'S JOURNALS.

T I MRS.—The Universities of the continent have long
been celebrated for their liberal encouragement of the genius
of other countries. Overlooking all political distinctions,
they are proud to record the names of illustrious foreigners
in their books, with the honours which are so justly due to
the benefactor, of mankind. 3laskelyne, Wollaston, Kater.
and ilerechel, hays received more flattering testimonies to
their merit abroad than at home; and we have lately had an
opportunity of noticing the same circumstance with respect
to the late Sir Humphrey Davy. On the death of that emi-
nent man at Geneva, he was fol:owed to the grave by all the
leading members both of the Government and the Univer-
sity, and his remains arm interred in the rind*
church, wholly free of expense; indeed, the repeated
offers of Lady Davy to remunerate the clergy and
other functionaries who assisted on the melancholy
occasion, were, as is well known, peremptorily refused. Her
Ladyship, nct to be outdone io generosity, lately sent 1001.
for the use of the University; but it was only accepted on
the condition of being appropriated to preserve the memory
of her lamented husband ; and to effect this object a thy-
mical prize has been established, to be contested for annu-
ally, the victor receiving a silver medal, the produce of
the interest of the gift. We have seen the first medal
that has been struck for this purpose, and a most credit.
able instance it is of the state of the arts at Geneva.
One side commemorates all the labours of Davy that
can be made the subject of emblematical description,
such as the composition of alkalis by the voltaic
rile, the safety lamp, the •Ilereulanesn manuscripts, and
the various attributes of chymistry ; on the reverse is a
wreath formed by the plant which bears after him the name
of •• Davya," with the inscription, l• Clerk par ['Aca-
demic de Geneve a Lady Davy." In other years it win
have the name of the successful candidate for the prne.
This forms • pleasing contrast to the conduct of the Chap-
ter of a certain wealthy Cathedral (in the west end of the
town), who, after expressing an earnest desire to have
within their walls some memorial of their illustrious
countryman, ultimately refused to admit a tablet of very
moderate dimensions, except on payment of a charge which
would have exhausted the humble fortunes of most of the
philosophers either of ancient or modern times.
HER A I.D.—When Viscount Melbourne stated in the
House of Lords that Government were devising means for
the more effectual protection of agricultural produce and
other farming property, from the acts of secretlacsaillaries,
we supposed that government were, at length, about to try
what effect the improvement of the wretched condition of
the labouring classes would have in restoring to property of
this description that security which was not broken down
until the actual cultivators of the soil were reduced ham a
state of comfort and comparative independence to degra-
ding destitution. The causes which destroyed the
moral pride and self.respect of an honest and manly
peasantry, rendered the property of the Onnala sod cc-
copiers of the soil insecure, for its true protection was
rem when abject eittress banished the comforts and decen-
cies of life from the poor man's cottage, and drove the rural
virtues from the land. There is oo moral truth more est.
taro titan that good government Dater demoralised an boatel
people, nor drove a well-ordered population into acts of mad-
den and despair. And where does there exist a country
which, until of late years, possessed a better-ordered, a more
virtuous, decent, and manly peasantry than Ragland did ?
What a deplorable change has taken place . and what a de.
• placable series of errors and vices in government have led to
it I The riots and burning' of last year were the &Eliot • po-
Station who had lost all affection for their superiors, though
abet did not shed their blood, apd who had lost all conSdence
in their rulers, though they entered into no plait of political in-
• sunset lan. Was it because their labours were adequate! t paid
that they lost their affections for their employers ? Was it
because their petitions of distress were listened to, and means
taken by a paternal Government to alleviate it, that they lost
all confidence in their rulers? The parish books will furnish
an answer to the one question, and the recads of a deceased
Parliament the other, But, instead of attempting to remove
the causes of the crimes against property which have of late
prevailed among the peasant, of England, Lad Melbourne
contents filmset( with trying experiments of legislative
quackery spun their effects. Ragland Imo hem already
afflicted with too many of those statesmen who have
no idea of preventing any crime which happens to be
,prevalent, but by adding new terrors to vindictive law,
or by reinforcing with new enactments of blood a ale
initial code already disgustingly profuse of sanguinary
punishments. It never occurred to his Lordship that, if Go.
verrimeot think it too difficult and laborious a task to see
ablaut bettering the condition of the peasantry, then was ems
mode of eenuering the law which punishes crimes asides*
property More effecove than It is at present, and that is by
rendering it less sanguinary, so that the common &chop of
mankind would be less shocked by seeing it carried into ef.
feet, and there would not be among a civilised and Christian
community the repugnance which now exists to be emessory
to its enforcement, and which so often prevents the injured
party from prosecuting, makes witnesses reluctant to give
evidence, and renders Juries averse to mintict. At
present the highest • punishment that man ean inflict on
man is the sentence of our law for burning wilfolly
houses or other property. From the mediated man-
sion to the heap of straw in a lonely livid no distinction is
made, and menages differing widely from each other, both in
moral guilt and social danger, are visited with the one ex-
terinineting doom. Yet so ineffectual has nmesiles law been
found to be, that the crime of arson, or withal busalas, bee
increased
warder it to a degree which, we aids, bee Mimeo
alarming to society. So touch for the "Pow of
of law ! bat much fur the blessed results of that met
legislation which sets up in the temple of august sel.,
like Justice the grim idol of Revenge, and, 'Whiled with
pertomiing me rites of blood which it demands, cares no.
thing for the moral prevention of crime !
C H RON ICL E.— The inhabitants of Bitutioghate ad
ito neighbourhood are about to give a striking deoleasteedell
to the House of Leeds, that the public enthusiasm in hum
of the reform bill bas not abated. The council of the Pk.
' ininghasn Political Union have called a scooted meats of.
the inhabitants of the town and neighbourhood of
ham, to be held In tbe open space at the foot of New
bill on 3londay next (the 3d of October). MeV' see•la-
tie* of the mused runs thus :--" That the nmeadbehmalee'
and trade:ea se. of the town be respectfully invited Mimi
their .wurkpoups aid nanufactorlis, at ten 'dock le thei
rooming of the shovetneationed day, In the Whole
population of she town may have an aof oncost-
tag thmeetMg, and of exhibiting their mid by
= ally us their Lest Wh to en Kzethek • his
*pin
Majesty's Government...easel t . ileasediefills so we every
lesal and consrinidosiM mama hi their to enure the
yeeeiag or e 1/41. oesimpetiei to ths the %pp
of die people, and to shoiseservidee e( abide
libla
society." ely wait raddhip OW a
afforded byteie while yersdelies emus*. the
Is

she pit
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