The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1852-08-31 00:00:00

A PATERNAL GOVERNMENT.

THE " Holy Roman Empire" of Austria enjoys what
is called " a paternal government," that is, a government
which claims the right of a father to whip his children—
male and female.
It is not long since an Austrian general officer visited
London. in ignorance of the disgust with which Britons
looked on his amiable penchant for flogging ladies. The
unpleasant lesson which Austria received on that occasion,
in the person of Marshal Haynau, does not appear to
have altered the opinion which that power entertains of
the peculiar privileges of a paternal government. The
following paragraph has been going the round of the

papers :
" The Vienna Gazette, of the 17th instant, states,—
' The court-martial sitting in Vienna has sentenced Maria
Swobada, clothes-maker, to 15 blows with rods, and 14
days' confinement in irons, for verbal and actual injury to
the officers of public security.'"
Hereby we learn two remarkable facts ; first, that in
Austria milliners and dress-makers are tried by court-
martial ; and secondly, that when convicted of scolding
a policeman (which we understand to be the meaning of
a " verbal injuiry to an officer of public security") the
poor girls are scourged with rods and confined in irons.
" It is really a treat to live in a Catholic country," says
Lord Shrewsbury, writing from Cicily, which has the en-
viable advantage of being subject to another " paternal
government." When his lordship has fully experienced
the blessing of Neapolitan rule, we recommend him to
tear himself away from the fascinations of the sixty-four
convents of Palermo, and to spend a twelve-month in
Austria ; but let him take care how any female member
of his family inflicts a " verbal injury" on a pert official,
or he may have to change his opinion as to the luxury of
a residence in a Catholic country.—Dublin Lveneng Mail.

THE HOLMFIRTH DELUGE COMMITTEE have just
made public an interesting report of the charitable exer-
tions that disastrous catastrophe gave rise to. The total
receipts from donations, salvage, and bank interest
amounted to £42,434 14s. 2d. After paving all claims a
balance of nearly £23,000 remained at the bankers. Of
this it has been determined to pay a premium of £1,078
to an insurance office, to allow all the orphans from two
to twelve years of age ss. a week till they
-are sixteen.
£4,500 is to be invested for the benefit of Mrs. Hirst, of
Digley Mill, and £B,OOO towards the rebuilding of the
reservoir. The rest of the money to be returned to the
subscribers.

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A REJECTED LETTER.—The vicar of Frome has laid
down a rule never to receive unpaid letters; and a very
good rule it is, but, like many others, it is open to ex-
ceptions. The other day a letter arrived, and, being un-
paid, was returned according to the rule ; on being opened
at the General Post-office, it was found to contain a note
for £l5O, sent by a lady admirer towards paying for the
rev. gentleman's furniture. A communication was made
by the Post-office authorities to Mr. Bennett, who, ga-
thering some idea of the nature of the contents of there-
jected letter, consented to violate his rule, paid the 2d.,
and received the £/50.—SherLorne Journal.