from W. J. Linton, Joseph Mazzini, and two others, complaining of their
letters being opened before delivery, and praying that "The House would
be pleased to grant, without delay, a Committee to inquire and give
immediate redress to the petitioners, and prevent the recurrence of so
unconstitutional and infamous a practice." Sir James Graham (Home
Secretary) replied that "the House must be aware that from as early a
period as the reign of Queen Anne, power existed in the hands of the
Principal Secretary of State, to detain and open letters passing through
the Post Office; and the House would also be aware that this power had
come under the review of Parliament, at so late a period as the year
1837, and by the Act of 1 Vic., this power of issuing warrants to open
and detain letters, continued still vested in the Secretaries of State.
He must, for fear of creating misapprehension by his answer, state that
the circumstances mentioned in the petition were, to a great extent,
untrue. As to three of the petitioners, he doubted if their letters had
ever been detained, and no warrant as to them had been issued; but, as to
one of the petitioners, he had to state, that, on his responsibility, a
warrant had been issued as to the correspondence of that person, which
warrant was no longer in force."
On 2 July, a Committee of Secrecy was appointed "to inquire into the
state of the Law in respect to the detaining and opening of Letters at
the General Post Office, and into the mode under which the authority
given for such detaining and opening has been exercised, and to report
their opinion and observations thereupon to the House." The Committee
met, took evidence, and duly reported, when it being shewn that the
privilege was not often exercised (the total number of warrants issued
between 1799 and 1844 being only 372), and that, of late years, the
average of warrants had decreased, the public were satisfied, and the
subject dropped.
Chantrey's equestrian statue of the Duke of Wellington, which stands in
front of the Royal Exchange, was uncovered, amidst much cheering. It
cost 9,000 pounds besides the metal.
[Picture: Barry, the Clown, on the Thames]
On 23 Sept. Barry, a clown at Astley's, fulfilled his promise of sailing
in a washing-tub drawn by geese, from Vauxhall to Westminster. He
successfully accomplished his voyage, and repeated it on Oct. 11, from
the Red House, Battersea (where now is Battersea Park), to Vauxhall.
On 8 Oct. Louis Philippe, the King of the French, landed at Portsmouth on
a visit to the Queen. He was made a Knight of the Garter, and generally
feted, and should have returned to France, from Portsmouth on the 12th,
but the sea was too rough, and he had to cross from Dover, instead; but
even this trip was delayed by a great conflagration at New Cross Station,
so that he really did not depart until the 13th.
I meet with the first mention of that eminent fertiliser, Guano, in a
commercial point of view, in the _Times_ of the 18 Oct., where it says
that on 16th were put up for sale, at Liverpool, in lots of 10 tons each,
180 tons of the best African guano. But one lot of five tons was sold,
and that fetched 5 pounds 12s. 6d. The next lot was not sold, in
consequence of the price offered being under that, and the whole of the
remaining lots were withdrawn, there being no probability of the reserved
price being realised. It was then being fetched from Ichaboe, an island
off the south-west coast of Africa--but it was afterwards procured in
large quantities from the Chincha Islands, off the coast of Peru.
On 28 Oct. the Queen opened the New Royal Exchange, with great State, and
the Lord Mayor (W. Magnay, Esq.) was made a baronet; the reading-room at
Lloyd's was made into a Throne room for the occasion, and a sumptuous
_dejeuner_ was served in the Underwriters' room. It was a very imposing
pageant and pretty sight; but, although the Exchange was formally opened,
no merchants assembled within its quadrangle until the first of the
following January.
Whilst on matters civic I must mention the very rare fact of Sir William
Magnay's successor in the office of Lord Mayor (Mr. Alderman Gibbs),
being hooted and yelled at, on 9 Nov., whilst going to Westminster, and
returning thence. He had been churchwarden of St. Stephen's, Walbrook,
and the popular mind was imbued with the idea that something was wrong
with his accounts, so they virtuously insulted him. He had a hard enough
time of it both by land and water, when going, what his returning was, is
best told by a contemporary:
"The ceremony within the Court of Exchequer having terminated, similar
uproarious shouts to those which had hailed the arrival of the new Lord
Mayor, now marked his embarcation for the city; and, in his passage down
the Thames, with but here and there a solitary exception, the civic barge
was the target of repeated vollies of yells and groans, levelled by no
unskilful, or ineffective voices at it, from the banks and bridges of the
river. The landing at Blackfriars was attended with a more concentrated
attack of 'public execration,' for, there, an immense multitude was
wedged together, anxious to be spectators of the scene, though not
inactive ones. On the procession passed amid the continued
manifestations of public disapprobation of the present, and respect for
the retiring Lord Mayor. Many interrogations of a searching nature were
repeatedly bawled forth, not that they could reach the right honourable
ear, but they were exercises in that peculiar art, styled 'talking at
folks.' The same description must apply to Ludgate Hill, St. Paul's
Churchyard, and Cheapside, in which place some merriment was created by a
party chanting in appropriate style:
'Oh, Alderman Gibbs,
Pray dub up the dibbs!'
"It was somewhat after 4 o'clock, when the cortege arrived at the bottom
of King Street, where, immediately before Guildhall Yard, about 2,000
persons had collected, and others pressing out of the several streets,
caused a dense mass to be formed. This was the place where a parting
salutation was to be presented to the new Lord Mayor, by his pitiless
persecutors, and a very good view of the scene was attainable from an
upper window at the western angle of Gresham Street. Hearty and
continued cheering announced the progress of Sir William Magnay; but, as
soon as the State coach with the new Lord Mayor arrived, the yells and
groans which broke forth, were perfectly stunning. Never was the manner
in which the two Lord Mayors had been received throughout the day, marked
with stronger contrast. The accumulation of carriages in Guildhall Yard,
caused the detention of the State coach for some minutes, during which a
real tempest of execration was poured forth upon the unfortunate
gentleman; and many persons did not hesitate to testify their dislike to
him in a manner to be condemned, by spitting at the carriage, their
distance from which, however, defeated their intention. In truth, Mr.
Gibbs had to endure a perpetual and pitiless storm of hisses, yells,
groans, gibes, sneers and jeers; and at every stoppage where the crowd
was in close proximity to his carriage, unusually furious bursts of
indignation broke forth; yet no missile was thrown during any portion of
the day."
CHAPTER XXIV.
Murder by Tawell--Curious story--King William IV.'s Statue--Visits by the
Queen--Testimonial to Rowland Hill--Breaking the Portland Vase--Sad end
of William Austin--Sale of Van Amburgh's stud--Hungerford Suspension
bridge--Accident at Yarmouth--An Excise case--Beginning of the Railway
Mania--Sailing of Sir J. Franklin.
This year begins badly--with a murder--which I should not chronicle, were
it not that it was the first case in which the electric telegraph lent
its services for the detection of a crime. A man named John Tawell, a
member of the Society of Friends, and who occupied a decent position in
life, poisoned a poor woman at Salt Hill. A Quaker who seemed much
confused had been met close by her house, and he went by train from
Slough to Paddington. Suspicion being aroused, a message was sent from
Slough, giving a description of him, and asking that he should be
shadowed on his arrival. This was done, and, next day, he was arrested.
He was tried, found guilty, and duly executed. The case, at the time,
created an immense sensation, mainly because the villain was a member of
the Society of Friends. _Apropos_ of this, the _Observer_ of 23 March is
responsible for the following:
"THE MURDERER TAWELL.--The following strange statement has been made
by a person, who is a Quaker, living near Berkhampstead, and who is
acquainted with Tawell: About a year ago, the stillness and decorum
of the Quakers' meeting at Berkhampstead, at which Tawell attended,
was disturbed by one of the male members, who suddenly rose from his
seat and exclaimed, with frantic earnestness, that there was then
present, a person who was, at that very moment, meditating a most
fearful crime. His conviction was so strong, that he passionately
besought this individual, whoever, he might be, to reflect upon the
wickedness of his intention, and to implore his Maker's pardon for
his murderous thoughts. As may be imagined, the Friends were thrown
into great consternation by this strange and impetuous appeal, and
the meeting broke up in alarm and confusion. Tawell was present at
the time."
Early in January the statue of King William IV., by Samuel Nixon, was
placed on its pedestal, fronting London Bridge; but, as far as I know,
there was no public ceremony at its inauguration, for the _Times_ of 1
Feb. says: "That workmen are now actively employed in cleansing down the
colossal figure of King William IV., preparatory to the hoarding being
removed, and the statue thrown open to the view of the public. The base
will present a very novel and pleasing appearance, it being ornamented
with numerous naval trophies. The four cross footpaths leading to the
figure will be lighted by four gas lamps, on massive granite pillars. In
a few days the whole work will be completed, when it will be inspected by
Her Majesty, the Queen Dowager, and His Royal Highness Prince Albert,
those illustrious personages having intimated their desire to view it
when finished."@
On 15 January the Queen paid a visit to the Duke of Buckingham, at Stowe,
and the magnificence of her reception had much to do with the financial
collapse of the too generous Duke. On leaving Stowe she went to
Strathfieldsaye to stay with the Duke of Wellington. It was on this
occasion that the old Duke gave a lesson to the gentlemen of the Press,
which the interviewers of our times might well take to heart:
"Field-Marshal the Duke of Wellington presents his compliments to Mr.
---, and begs to say he does not see what his house at Strathfieldsaye
has to do with the public press."
On 21 Jan. a National Testimonial was presented to Rowland Hill for his
labours in connection with the introduction of the Penny Post, and Mr.
Larpent, the Chairman of the City of London Mercantile Committee on
Postage, handed him a cheque for 10,000 pounds, which handsome sum had
been raised by a public subscription, which was not confined to the
mercantile community alone, persons of every rank, and of both sexes,
contributing amounts varying from large sums to a few pence.
Just before the closing of the British Museum at 4 p.m. on 7 Feb., a
crash was heard, and the famous Barberini, or Portland Vase, was found in
pieces on the floor. A man, named Lloyd, in a fit of delirium produced
by drink, had smashed it out of pure wantonness. The vase was valued at
1,000 pounds by the Museum authorities, but, of course, that sum was
purely nominal, as the vase was unique. It was deposited in the British
Museum in the year 1810 by the Duke of Portland, and was considered as
his property; hence the name of the "Portland Vase." It was found about
the middle of the 16th century, about two and a half miles from Rome, on
the road leading from Frascati. At the time of its discovery it was
enclosed in a marble sarcophagus, within a sepulchral chamber, under the
mount called Monte di Grano. The material of which it is made is glass,
the body being of a beautiful transparent dark blue, enriched with
figures in relief, of opaque white glass. For more than two centuries it
was the principal object of admiration in the Barberini Palace. It came
into the possession of Sir William Hamilton, from whom it was purchased
by the Duchess of Portland.
On 11 Feb. the delinquent was brought before Mr. Jardine, at Bow Street,
and the Museum authorities electing to prosecute him for the minor
offence of breaking the glass case which held the vase, and which was
under the value of 5 pounds, he was convicted of that offence, and
sentenced to pay 3 pounds, or two months' hard labour in the House of
Correction. He could not pay, and was committed to prison, in default,
but on 13 Feb., someone paid the money, and the man was released.
An employe of the British Museum, named Doubleday, undertook, and
effected, the restoration of the Vase, and it may now be seen in the Gold
Room of the British Museum, but, alas! "all the King's horses, and all
the King's men," can never make it as it was. Wedgwood feebly reproduced
it in ceramic ware, copies of which are now worth 200 pounds each, and
one copy, if not more, was made in silver.
I come across a curious paragraph in the _Morning Post_ of March 13:
"WILLIAM AUSTIN.--This person, whose name must be familiar to all who
have had any acquaintance with the history of the Parliamentary
proceedings in the case of the late Queen Caroline, or the eventful life
of that unhappy Princess, arrived in London, last week, from Milan, where
he has been residing for several years, for the most part, in a state of
fatuity, the inmate of a lunatic asylum. We understand that he has been
removed to this country through the intervention of the British
Government, under an authority from the Lord Chancellor, in whose care,
his person, and some considerable property, left to him by the late
Queen, have been placed by certain proceedings on the part of his
relations. He was conveyed hither from Milan under the charge of a
medical and two other attendants; and immediately on his arrival, was
visited by two London physicians, who, after an interview with him of
some duration, at the hotel where he stopped, signed the necessary
certificate for his detention in a private asylum, where he now remains.
Austin is a very good-looking man, apparently about 40 years of age; and
though, beyond doubt, mentally enfeebled, has no betrayal of such
imbecility in the expression of his face. He has been in his present
unfortunate condition since the year 1830; and, for a great part of that
time, he has maintained an immovable taciturnity. No ingenuity has been
able to extract a syllable from him. He answers no questions, nor asks
any--enters into no conversation--and, even during the whole journey from
Milan to London, he never spoke a word to his attendants, or any one
else. Neither could the medical gentlemen who waited upon him here
induce him to reply to any of their inquiries; and no doubt, this fact,
of itself, formed no inconsiderable ingredient in the judgment at which
they arrived. The unhappy man is extremely docile, has no disposition to
violence, and readily understands and obeys any signs made to him."
Van Amburgh's stud, lions, etc., were sold at Manchester on 17 March, and
fetched high prices; a fine black maned lion, 350 pounds; another, 6
years old, 310 pounds; two lion cubs, eight months old, male and female,
sold, the one for 12 pounds 10/-, the other for 35 pounds. An elephant
realised 750 pounds, and a giraffe 400 pounds.
Hungerford Suspension Bridge, the first of its kind over the Thames, was
opened on 1 May, and, although a toll was demanded, it was calculated
that, before dusk, some 25,000 persons had crossed from one side of the
Thames to the other. It was taken down in July, 1862, to make room for
the Charing Cross Railway Bridge. It was transferred to Clifton, and
there opened, on 8 Dec., 1864, and it now spans the Avon.
On the next day (2 May) a terrible accident occurred at the Suspension
bridge at Great Yarmouth. A clown was to emulate Barry's folly, and
cross the river in a washing-tub drawn by geese; and thousands of people
assembled to see him, of whom a great number (accounts vary from 300 to
600), containing very many children, were on the bridge. Some of the
suspension rods snapped, and the crowd fell into the water. Every
assistance was rendered, but the number of recovered dead bodies, nearly
all children, or young persons, was 77, and many are supposed to have
been swept away by the current.
On the 2nd of May, the famous Excise trial at Bar, _i.e._, before twelve
judges, the Attorney General _v._ Smith, came to an end, after lasting
eight days. Mr. George Smith was a distiller, in a large way of
business, at Whitechapel, and the premises of his brother James, who was
a rectifier, adjoined his. The law forbids the junction of the
businesses of distilling and rectifying, or any communication between
premises carrying on such businesses; and, in this case, it was presumed
that all spirit would be conveyed from one to the other by means of the
highway. But the contention of the prosecution was, that the Excise
officers, finding a great deficiency in the spirits ostensibly produced,
as compared with the "wash," had detected holes in a large receiver, and
found, moreover, that they could themselves convey spirits from the
distillery to the rectifying house, through pipes under ground, which
were mixed up with those which supplied water, and so escaped detection.
This the defendants denied, and brought forward evidence that the pipes
were obsolete and disused. In the end, the verdict of the jury was, "We
find for the Crown; but we are anxious to express our opinion that there
has not been any evidence adduced before us which shows that the pipe has
been fraudently used by the defendant." The amount of damages claimed by
the Crown was 150,000 pounds; but, by agreement, this was reduced to
76,000 pounds; and, finally, after an appeal from Mr. Smith, the
Government were content with a cheque for 10,000 pounds.
About this time commenced what is well termed "The Railway Mania," or,
rather, public attention was particularly called to it, as it was
becoming a crying scandal. So much so, that it attracted the notice of
the legislature; and, if we look at a "Return to the Order of the
Honourable the House of Commons, dated 8th April, 1845, for an
alphabetical list of the Names, Description, and Places of Abode, of all
Persons subscribing to the Amount of 2,000 pounds and upwards to any
Railway Subscription Contract deposited in the Private Bill Office during
the present Session of Parliament," we shall see that amongst the names
will be found many of the leading nobility, large manufacturing firms,
names well known in commerce and literature, mingled together in a most
heterogeneous manner. The same column shows a combination of peers and
printers, vicars and vice-admirals, spinsters and half-pay officers,
Members of Parliament and special pleaders, professors and cotton
spinners, gentlemen's cooks and KC.'s, attorneys' clerks and college
scouts, waiters at Lloyd's, relieving officers and excisemen, editors and
engineers, barristers and butchers, Catholic priests and coachmen,
dairymen and dyers, braziers, bankers, beer sellers and butlers, domestic
servants, footmen and mail guards, and almost every calling under the
sun.
And these, it must be remembered, were subscribers for 2,000 pounds and
upwards; those who put down their names for less were supposed to be
holders of 21,386 pounds 6s. 4d. in Stock.
Of course, _Punch_ could not overlook this mania for speculation, and we
find the following in the number for 31 May:
"The night was stormy and dark. The town was shut up in sleep; Only
those were abroad who were out on a lark, Or those, who'd no beds to
keep.
[Picture: "How many hundred shares have you wrote for?" Railroad
Speculators]
"I pass'd through the lonely street, The wind did sing and blow; I
could hear the policeman's feet Clapping to and fro.
"There stood a potato-man In the midst of all the wet; He stood with
his 'tato can In the lonely Haymarket.
"Two gents of dismal mien, And dank and greasy rags. Came out of a
shop for gin, Swaggering over the flags:
"Swaggering over the stones, Those shabby bucks did walk; And I
went and followed those needy ones, And listened to their talk.
"Was I sober, or awake? Could I believe my ears? Those dismal
beggars spake Of nothing but railroad shares.
"I wondered more and more; Says one, 'Good friend of mine, How many
shares have you wrote for In the Diddlesex Junction Line?'
"'I wrote for twenty,' says Jim, 'But they wouldn't give me one';
His comrade straight rebuked him For the folly he had done:
"'Oh, Jim, you are unawares Of the ways of this bad town; _I_
always write for five hundred shares, And _then_, they put me down.'
"'And yet you got no shares,' says Jim, 'for all your boast'; 'I
_would_ have wrote,' says Jack, 'but where Was the penny to pay the
post?'
"'I lost, for I couldn't pay That first instalment up; But, here's
taters smoking hot, I say Let's stop, my boy, and sup.'
"And at this simple feast, The while they did regale, I drew each
ragged capitalist Down on my left thumb nail.
"Their talk did me perplex, All night I tumbled and tossed, And I
thought of railroad specs, And how money was won and lost.
"'Bless railroads everywhere,' I said, 'and the world's advance;
Bless every railroad share In Italy, Ireland, France; For never a
beggar need now despair, And every rogue has a chance.'"
And yet another extract. Who does not remember Thackeray's _Diary of C.
Jeames de la Pluche_, _Esqre._? but few know how the idea was started.
It was by W. M. T. himself in _Punch_ of Aug. 2:
A LUCKY SPECULATOR.
Considerable sensation has been excited in the upper and lower circles in
the West End, by a startling piece of good fortune which has befallen
JAMES PLUSH ESQ., lately footman in a respected family in Berkeley
Square.
One day, last week, MR. JAMES waited upon his master, who is a banker in
the City; and, after a little blushing and hesitation, said he had saved
a little money in service, and was anxious to retire, and invest his
savings to advantage.
His master (we believe we may mention, without offending delicacy, the
well-known name of SIR GEORGE FLIMSY, of the firm of FLIMSY, DIDDLER AND
FLASH) smilingly asked MR. JAMES what was the amount of his savings,
wondering considerably how--out of an income of thirty guineas, the main
part of which he spent in bouquets, silk stockings and perfumery--MR.
PLUSH could have managed to lay by anything.
MR. PLUSH, with some hesitation, said he had been _speculating in
railroads_, and stated his winnings to have been thirty thousand pounds.
He had commenced his speculations with twenty, borrowed from a
fellow-servant. He had dated his letters from the house in Berkeley
Square, and humbly begged pardon of his master, for not having instructed
the railway secretaries, who answered the applications, to apply at the
area bell.
SIR GEORGE, who was at breakfast, instantly arose, and shook Mr. P. by
the hand; LADY FLIMSY begged him to be seated, and partake of the
breakfast which he had laid on the table; and has, subsequently, invited
him to her grand _dejeuner_ at Richmond, where it was observed that MISS
EMILY FLIMSY, her beautiful and accomplished seventh daughter, paid the
lucky gentleman _marked_ attention.
We hear it stated that Mr. P. is of very ancient family (HUGO DE LA
PLUCHE came over with the Conqueror); and the new Brougham which he has
started, bears the ancient coat of his race.
He has taken apartments at the Albany, and is a director of thirty-three
railroads. He purposes to stand for Parliament at the next general
election, on decidedly conservative principles, which have always been
the politics of his family.
Report says that, even in his humble capacity, MISS EMILY FLIMSY had
remarked his high demeanour. Well, "none but the brave," say we,
"deserve the fair."
This we may call the commencement of the mania; in their proper places
will be noticed its culmination and collapse.
On 18 May sailed from Greenhithe the two Arctic discovery ships, the
_Erebus_ and _Terror_, under the command of Sir John Franklin, whose
instructions were "to push to the westward, without loss of time, in the
latitude of about 74.25 degrees, till you have reached the longitude of
that portion of land on which Cape Walker is situated, or about 98
degrees west. From that point we desire that every effort be used to
endeavour to penetrate to the southward and westward, in a course as
direct towards Behring's Straits as the position and strength of the ice,
or the existence of land, at present unknown, may admit. We direct you
to this particular part of the Polar Sea, as affording the best prospect
of accomplishing the passage to the Pacific."
They were provisioned for three years, but when, in 1850, Captain
Ommanney discovered, on Beechey Island, traces of the expedition having
spent their first winter there, he found large stacks of preserved meat
canisters, which, there is little doubt, contained putrid filth, and had
been condemned by survey.
As nothing was heard of the expedition, another was organised, in 1847,
to start, for search and relief, from Hudson's Bay; and, indeed, no one
can say that the two exploring vessels were forgotten; for, from that
date, till 1857, _thirty-nine different expeditions were sent to look
after them_. The first to find traces of them was that of Capt.
Ommanney, in 1850; then, in April, 1854, Dr. Rae heard, from the natives,
of a party of white men having been seen, four winters previously, and
that their bodies had afterwards been seen. From these Eskimo, Rae
obtained some silver spoons and other small articles which left no doubt
but that they had belonged to the ill-fated expedition. But it was the
_Fox_ yacht, which was fitted out by Lady Franklin, and commanded by
Capt. McClintock, which settled the question of their fate. Early in
1859, a boat, a few skeletons, chronometers, clothing, instruments,
watches, plate, books, etc., were discovered; and, towards the end of
May, a written paper was found, which gave news of them up to 25 Apl.,
1848, and told that "Sir John Franklin died on 11 June, 1847, and the
total losses by deaths in the expedition has been, to this date, nine
officers and 15 men; we start on, to-morrow, 26th, for Back's Fish
River." From the Eskimo was learned how one of the ships sunk in deep
water, and the other was wrecked, after which they all perished
miserably, some "falling down and dying as they walked," as an old woman
told Capt. McClintock.
CHAPTER XXV.
The Queen's Costume Ball--Copper Coinage of William IV.--New Oxford
Street opened--Sale of Napoleon's relics--Story of Nelson's coat--Visit
of King of the Netherlands--Railway speculation--Hire of
newspapers--Reverse of fortune--Prince Albert and his taxes--Waghorn's
overland route.
The Queen gave a Costume Ball, at Buckingham Palace, on 6th June, which
was a magnificent affair, and gave plenty of food for conversation.
Every guest had to appear in a costume appropriate to the period of
English history between 1740 and 1750; but, with the exception of the
minuet, the dances were modern.
I have only space for the dresses of the Queen and Prince Albert. Her
Majesty's dress was composed of gold tissue, brocaded in coloured
flowers, green leaves and silver, trimmed round the top, bottom and sides
(the upper dress being open in front) with point lace over red ribbon;
the dress looped up with red satin ribbons, and two large bows, in each
of which was a diamond bow and tassel. The stomacher was composed of two
large diamond bows, and a diamond point; the sleeves, which were tight,
finished with point lace ruffles, and trimmed with red ribbon; on the
left arm, the Garter in diamonds, and, on the right, a diamond rosette.
She wore the blue ribbon and diamond George as usual. The under
petticoat was of white and silver tissue, trimmed with a deep flounce of
rich point lace (which had belonged to Queen Charlotte), headed by a
quilling of red satin ribbon and bows; above, a narrower flounce of point
lace, trimmed like the other; in each ribbon bow, a diamond rosette.
Prince Albert wore a suit of the richest crimson velvet (of Spitalfields
manufacture); the coat lined with white satin, edged throughout with
gold; and the buttons were of gold. On his left breast His Royal
Highness wore a most splendid star of the order of the Garter, composed
of diamonds, with the exception of the cross, which was formed of rubies.
The badge of the Order was confined at the shoulder by an epaulette
composed of large brilliants, and a most splendid George was suspended
from the ribbon, wholly formed of brilliants. The Prince also wore the
insignia of the Golden Fleece, formed of opals and diamonds. The Garter
was set in brilliants, and the hilt of His Royal Highness's sword was
covered with diamonds. The waistcoat was of white satin, richly and
elegantly embroidered with gold, the buttons being of gold. Shoe buckles
of diamonds. Hat, three cornered, edged with gold lace, with handsome
diamond ornament in the cockade in front.
The Earl of Cardigan could not masquerade as Bayard, but "he excited no
little attention. He wore the uniform of the 11th Dragoons at Culloden;
and, with the costume, which became him extremely, he contrived to assume
the portentous bearing, and the true jack-boot stride and swagger."
The _Morning Chronicle_ is answerable for the following: "For some time
past the copper coinage of William IV. has been eagerly purchased by
persons who are stated to be Jews, and a report has, in consequence,
gained ground that gold is contained in it. What reason there may be for
this it is impossible to say; but it is a well-known fact, that agents
have been at work for the last two months buying up those particular
coins in Westminster, and they now fetch double the price of their legal
issue. The mania has extended eastward, and twopence for a penny piece,
and a penny for a halfpenny, etc., are now asked for the 'precious
issue.'"
On 9 June, the new street connecting Holborn with Oxford Street, and now
called New Oxford Street, was thrown open for carriages.
Messrs. Christie and Manson sold, at the Egyptian Hall, Piccadilly, on 23
June, the first portion of the "Napoleon Museum," collected by Mrs.
Sainsbury, and which had long been on exhibition. The prices fetched
were ridiculously low, as the following examples will show. Among the
bronzes, an infantine bust of the King of Rome, formerly in the
possession of Josephine, at Malmaison, cost 20 guineas, sold for 1 pound
10s. A drawing in sepia, by Debret, of Napoleon visiting the wounded on
the field, after the battle of Eylau, 5 pounds 5s. The pictures
illustrative of the principal events in the life of Napoleon, were almost
given away; the highest price obtained, being 12 pounds for one by the
great French painter David, of Napoleon, with the crown raised in both
his hands, to place on the head of Josephine, at the Coronation in Notre
Dame. Twenty beautiful enamels by Lienard, of Napoleon, Ney, Berthier,
Junot, Joseph, Lucien, Louis and Jerome Bonaparte, Murat, Caroline, the
youngest sister of Napoleon, Cardinal Fesch, Marie Louise, etc., fetched
but 76 pounds, and, on the other days' sales, the lots went for far under
their value.
My readers may possibly remember how, on 8 Dec., 1900, a number of Nelson
relics in the Painted Hall, at Greenwich Hospital, were stolen, during
the night, by a burglar, who escaped; and may like to know the story of
Nelson's coat. The _Times_ of 9 July, copies the following from the
_Spectator_:
"An interesting relic of Nelson has been discovered; and some
interest also attaches to the manner in which it has been secured to
the nation. Sir Harris Nicolas, in his laborious researches for
editing the hero's Despatches, had satisfied himself that the coat
and waistcoat which Nelson wore when he fell at Trafalgar, were
carefully preserved. In pursuance of the Admiral's directions, they
were given, with several other things, by Sir Thomas Hardy, his
captain, to Lady Hamilton; by her, they were transferred, under
peculiar circumstances, to a late alderman of London, and they
remained in the possession of the alderman's widow. The lady is not
rich, and she asked 150 pounds for the relic. This sum being beyond
his own means, Sir Harris determined to raise it by subscription, in
order that the coat and waistcoat might be deposited, like the coat
which Nelson wore at the battle of the Nile, in Greenwich Hospital.
With that view, he put the proposition in writing, and had it printed
as a circular. Before issuing this circular, however, he sent a copy
to Prince Albert, who immediately desired that the purchase might be
made for himself, as he should feel 'pride and pleasure' in
presenting the precious memorials to Greenwich Hospital. Sir Harris
Nicolas took them to the Royal purchaser on Wednesday; and we
understand that the Prince manifested a very fine feeling on the
occasion. There is kind and generous wisdom in this act; for nothing
could so help to identify the Queen's husband with the British
people, as such little tributes to their maritime pride. The coat is
thus described in Sir Harris Nicolas's circular, and it will be seen
that it has an historic value: 'The coat is the undress uniform of a
vice-admiral, lined with white silk, with lace on the cuffs, and
epaulettes. Four stars--of the Order of the Bath, St. Ferdinand and
Merit, the Crescent, and St. Joachin--are sewn on the left breast, as
Nelson habitually wore them; which disproves the story that he
purposely adorned himself with his decorations on going into battle!
The course of the fatal ball is shewn by a hole over the left
shoulder, and part of the epaulette is torn away; which agrees with
Dr. Sir William Beattie's account of Lord Nelson's death, and with
the fact, that pieces of the bullion and pad of the epaulette adhered
to the ball, which is now in Her Majesty's possession. The coat and
waistcoat are stained in several places with the hero's blood."
Further confirmatory evidence is given in the _Globe_, copied into the
_Times_ of 22 July. "It will scarcely be believed that the coat of the
great naval hero, together with his cocked hat, and an immense quantity
of his property, was, as it were, mortgaged for the sum of 120 pounds,
yet such was the fact. The late Alderman Jonathan Joshua Smith was
executor of Lord Nelson with Lady Hamilton; and, prior to his death,
goods sufficient to fill six crates (amongst which were the coat, hat,
breeches, etc.), were placed in the Town Hall, Southwark, under the care
of Mr. Kinsey, the chief officer, and who now attends the aldermen at the
Central Criminal Court. Kinsey was Alderman Smith's confidential servant
for a number of years, and to whom 120 pounds was owing at his master's
death. Application was made to the Court of Aldermen, by some members of
the Nelson family, for the restitution of the property; and, after a long
discussion, Alderman Lucas consented to act as arbitrator between the
family and Kinsey, and 30 pounds was paid to the latter, in satisfaction
of his claim, upon which, the things were repacked, and sent to Mrs.
Smith, at Heron Court, Richmond, in whose possession they remained, until
the purchase of the coat was made by Prince Albert."
The King of the Netherlands paid the Queen a visit on 24 July, and the
good man must have thought well of us, inasmuch as he was very much let
do as he liked. In London he stopped at Mivart's Hotel, went to the
Opera, paid a few visits, was a guest of the Duke of Richmond for
Goodwood Races, was made a Field Marshal, held a review in Hyde Park, and
went back again; a far lighter sentence than is usually passed on Royalty
when visiting this country.
We now find the inflation of Railway speculation attracting attention;
and, in the _Times_ of Aug. 1 is a letter, a column in length, of which I
give the following extract, referring to the inquiry into the Dublin and
Galway Railway:
"The next case is that of letters addressed to 1, Park Place,
Devonshire Street, Mile End Road. So great is the number of letters
delivered here, that additional assistance has been given in the
duty. Upwards of 1,000 letters have been delivered here within nine
months; only last week 120 were taken in on one day, of which, at one
time, no less than 16, and, at another, 30, letters were delivered.
This No. 1, Park Place, is up an obscure court, consisting of three
small houses, of about 5/6 rent per week. No. 1 is occupied by a man
and woman, and the next door by their daughter. The proceedings of
these persons have been closely watched. Directly a packet of
letters has been received in the morning, off starts the old man and
woman, and, sometimes, the daughter, to the places appointed to meet
the receiver. On the first occasion, the old woman, who had received
16 letters, evidently wanted to deposit her treasure at Crosby Hall
Chambers; for, opposite to them, she halted, carefully looking about
her; but, unfortunately, she found she was watched; and, escaping
through the Excise Office, hid herself somewhere, till her pursuer
lost her. The next morning, another packet was received, with which
the old man was intrusted; he started immediately, and, after a most
circuitous route, to avoid detection as to where he deposited his
treasure, he was seen to enter the King's Arms Tavern, Bishopsgate
Churchyard, where he was seen to deliver his despatches to a smart,
dapper Jew, well known, who, after a few moments' deliberation, left
the house, and was speedily joined by several confederates at the top
of the churchyard, who, after dividing the letters, dispersed as
instantaneously as can be imagined. The next day, it became
necessary to augment the detective force, for the old people became
more wary; the old man went out before post time, and the daughter
was selected as the messenger with despatches; she was fleet of foot,
but she had been carefully identified, therefore that did not avail
her much, as the detective force was divided, and stationed at such
places as were likely to succeed. She took a most circuitous route,
but, eventually, found herself opposite the Auction Mart, evidently
looking out anxiously for someone; she saw she was watched, and away
she started, and, after a long round, found shelter in Maidenhead
Court, Aldersgate Street, in a little smith's shop--which turned out
to belong to the identical party who resides at No. 1, Park Place,
where the letters were first delivered. Here the pursuit was given
up. No further attempt to trace the receiver was made, the inquiry
before the select committee coming on; but sufficient is shown to
exhibit the system existing to this hour. How, it may be asked, do
they procure the signatures to the deed, one party holding so many
letters of allotment? The system is this: one party signs the deed
as often as disguise will shield him from discovery; then the
practice is resorted to of procuring persons, from 15 years to 60, to
accompany the holder of the banker's receipt to the Railway Office,
to sign the deed in such name as he may direct; for which, when done,
he receives remuneration, varying from one shilling to ten, according
to the premium the scrip may bear in the market." There were several
police cases as to writing and forging these bogus names, and prudent
people were beginning to look shy at railway scrip.
Here is a case which we can hardly understand nowadays. As long as
Newspapers were stamped, it was a misdemeanour to allow anyone to read
them, unless they purchased them, as it was considered a fraud upon the
Revenue. On 23 Aug., in the Court of Requests, Kingsgate Street, a case
came before the Commissioners for adjudication, in which a newsvendor
summoned a person for a small sum, for "reading" the various newspapers.
The plaintiff, in stating the case, said the defendant had been in the
habit of seeing the papers daily, for which a penny a day was charged,
and the present proceedings were taken to recover a balance due on that
account. The Commissioners said that he could not recover, as he had
been guilty of a gross fraud upon the Stamp Office in letting newspapers
out for hire. The plaintiff: But he was in the habit of coming to my
shop, and seeing them. The Commissioner: That don't matter; it is a
fraud upon the Stamp Office, and you render yourself liable to an
information being laid against you for it.
* * * * *
Here is a little anecdote chronicled in the _Annual Register_ (6 Sep.):
"REVERSE OF FORTUNE.--Edward Riley, living with his family in Hadley
Street, Burton Crescent, having been proved next of kin to Maj.-Gen.
Riley, who recently died at Madras, leaving property to the amount of
50,000 pounds, to the whole of which he has become entitled, has greatly
amused the neighbourhood by his conduct. From having been but a workman
in the dust-yard in Maiden Lane, he has, now, become a man of
independence. Some days after his sudden acquisition of wealth, he
called, in his cab, on a tailor in Seymour Street, and, taking him to the
dust yard, desired him to measure the whole of the men in the yard for a
suit of clothes, which being accomplished, he ordered them to go to a
bootmaker, where they were all served. On the following Sunday, he
ordered a butcher to supply each of them with a joint of meat. Riley has
taken a house in Argyle Square; and, upon entering it, purposes to give a
dinner to all the dustmen in London, and illuminate the front of his
house."
We have seen, in 1843, _Punch's_ idea of Prince Albert as a farmer, and
we next hear of him, in connection with this business, as refusing to pay
parish rates for the Flemish Farm; so at a vestry meeting held at
Windsor, on 18 Sep., the subject was brought forward. It appeared that
the estimated rental of the property was 450 pounds, and that the last
rate, at 8d. in the pound, amounting to 15 pounds, had not been paid. It
was stated that the Prince had refused to pay the rates on two grounds,
first, that he had no "beneficial occupation," and, secondly, that "the
property belonged to the Queen." The reply to this was, that the Prince
certainly had a beneficial occupation in the farm, for the two prize oxen
sold by him, last year, at 70 and 80 pounds, were fatted on this farm, to
say nothing of the crops and agricultural produce, from which His Royal
Highness received great profits, and it was thought there was no reason
why he should be let off, and the poorer farmers made to pay the rates.
It was settled that the collector should make application for the
arrears, amounting to over 200 pounds.
_Punch_ drew a harrowing picture, of the brokers being put into Windsor
Castle, and of a paragraph which might appear in the _Court Circular_:
"Yesterday, Her Gracious Majesty visited Prince Albert at her own Bench."
But matters did not go so far, for on 14 Jan. next following, the Prince
vouchsafed an answer to the Vestry, in which he denied his liability _in
toto_, acting on the advice of the Attorney and Solicitor General, and
Sir Thomas Wilde; and, after crushing the poor vestry, the letter winds
up thus: "And His Royal Highness feels himself at liberty to take the
course which is most satisfactory to his own feelings, and to pay, as a
voluntary contribution, a sum equal to the rate which would have been
annually due, had the legal liability of His Royal Highness been
established. It is also His Royal Highness's intention that the payment
of the sum referred to should commence from the year 1841."
And so it has continued to the present day, if we may credit the
authority quoted in the accompanying cutting from the _Globe_ of 8 June,
1901: "HOW THE KING PAYS TAXES.--It is not generally known (says the
_Free Lance_) that the King pays taxes under protest--that is to say, His
Majesty, like Queen Victoria, claims to be exempt from impost, and yet is
willing to contribute, without prejudice, to the rates. For instance,
part of the Windsor farm land lies within the radius of the borough. The
municipal authority issues demand notes for the rates. The Royal
officials respond by paying a sum just under the amount requested, and
the collector is satisfied. There is no question of going to law, for
how can the King be summoned in his own Courts?"
On 31 Oct. Lieut. Waghorn practically demonstrated the feasibility of his
"Overland Route" to India. The regular Mail and his Express arrived at
Suez by the same steamer on 19 Oct. The Express was given to a man on a
dromedary, who, stopping nowhere, entered Alexandria on the 20th. The
Express was delivered to Mr. Waghorn, who started at 11 o'clock. He had
been waiting on board an Austrian steamer, which had remained in
quarantine, so that he arrived at Trieste in free _pratique_. He landed,
however, at Divina, twelve miles nearer London than Trieste, and hurried
through Austria, Prussia, Baden, and Bavaria, with a passport ready
_vised_ by the representatives of those countries. He reached Mannheim
in 84 hours, proceeded by a steamer to Cologne, thence by special train
to Ostend, by boat to Dover, to London by railway, and arrived at 4.30 in
the morning of the 31st. The news from India thus brought, was published
in all the London papers, which were in Paris before the Mail from
Marseilles was on its way to London.
[Picture: Punch Illustration]
CHAPTER XXVI.
The Railway Mania--Deposit of plans.
The accompanying illustration from _Punch_ (18 Oct.) justly holds up to
ridicule the Railway Mania, which might then be said to have been at its
height. It is called "THE MARCH OF SPECULATION.--'This is the young
Gent, as takes my Business, Mem. I'm agoin' into the Railway--Director
Line myself.'"
As a proof of this Madness, see this paragraph: "Oct. 25. During the
past week there were announced, in three newspapers, eighty-nine new
schemes, with a capital of 84,055,000 pounds; during the month, there
were 357 new schemes announced, with an aggregate capital of 332,000,000
pounds."
On 17 Nov. the _Times_ published a table of all the railway companies
registered up to the 31st October, numbering 1,428, and involving an
outlay of 701,243,208 pounds. "Take away," it said, "140,000,000 pounds
for railways completed, or in progress, exclude all the most extravagant
schemes, and divide the remainder by ten, can we add, from our present
resources, even a tenth of the vast remainder? Can we add 50,000,000
pounds to the railway speculations we are irretrievably embarked in? We
cannot, without the most ruinous, universal and desperate confusion."
Here is a Parody on the situation, 1 Nov.:
"There was a sound, that ceased not day or night,
Of speculation. London gathered then
Unwonted crowds, and moved by promise bright,
To Capel Court rushed women, boys and men,
All seeking railway shares and scrip; and when
The market rose, how many a lad could tell
With joyous glance, and eyes that spake again,
'Twas e'en more lucrative than marrying well;--
When, hark, that warning voice strikes like a rising knell.
Nay, it is nothing, empty as the wind,
But a "bear" whisper down Throgmorton Street;
Wild enterprise shall still be unconfined;
No rest for us, when rising premiums greet
The morn, to pour their treasures at our feet;--
When, hark! that solemn sound is heard once more,
The gathering bears its echoes yet repeat--
'Tis but too true, is now the general roar,
The Bank has raised her rate, as she has done before.
And then, and there were hurryings to and fro,
And anxious thoughts, and signs of sad distress,
Faces all pale, that, but an hour ago
Smiled at the thought of their own craftiness;
And there were sudden partings, such as press
The coins from hungry pockets, mutual sighs
Of brokers and their clients. Who can guess
How many a "stag" already panting flies,
When upon times so bright, such awful panics rise?"
Mr. Francis, in his _History of the English Railway_, says: "The daily
press was thoroughly deluged with advertisements; double sheets did not
supply space enough for them; double doubles were resorted to, and, then,
frequently, insertions were delayed. It has been estimated that the
receipts of the leading journals averaged, at one period 12,000 and
14,000 pounds a week, from this source. The railway papers, on some
occasions, contained advertisements that must have netted 700 to 800
pounds on each publication. The printer, the lithographer, and the
stationer, with the preparation of prospectuses, the execution of maps,
and the supply of other requisites, also made a considerable harvest.
"The leading engineers were, necessarily, at a great premium. Mr. Brunel
was said to be connected with fourteen lines, Mr. Robert Stephenson with
thirty-four, Mr. Locke with thirty-one, Mr. Rastrick with seventeen, and
other engineers with one hundred and thirteen.
"The novelist has appropriated this peculiar portion of commercial
history, and, describing it, says gravely and graphically: 'A colony of
solicitors, engineers and seedy accountants, settled in the purlieus of
Threadneedle Street. Every town and parish in the Kingdom blazed out in
zinc plates over the doorways. From the cellar to the roof, every
fragment of a room held its committee. The darkest cupboard on the
stairs contained a secretary, or a clerk. Men, who were never seen east
of Temple Bar before, or since, were, now, as familiar to the pavement of
Moorgate Street, {279} as the stockbrokers; ladies of title, lords,
Members of Parliament, and fashionable loungers thronged the noisy
passages, and were jostled by adventurers, by gamblers, rogues and
imposters.'
"The advantages of competition were pointed out, with the choicest
phraseology. Lines which passed by barren districts, and by waste
heaths, the termini of which were in uninhabitable places, reached a high
premium. The shares of one company rose 2,400 per cent. Everything was
to pay a large dividend; everything was to yield a large profit. One
railway was to cross the entire Principality without a single curve.
"The shares of another were issued, the company formed, and the directors
appointed, with only the terminal points surveyed. In the Ely railway,
not one person connected with the country through which it was to pass,
subscribed the title deed.
"The engineers who were examined in favour of particular lines, promised
all and everything in their evidence. It was humourously said of them,
'they plunge through the bowels of mountains; they undertake to drain
lakes; they bridge valleys with viaducts; their steepest gradients are
gentle undulations; their curves are lines of beauty; they interrupt no
traffic; they touch no prejudice.'
"Labour of all kinds increased in demand. The price of iron rose from
sixty-eight shillings to one-hundred-and-twenty per ton. Money remained
abundant. Promoters received their tens and twenties of thousands.
Rumours of sudden fortunes were very plentiful. Estates were purchased
by those who were content with their gains; and, to crown the whole, a
grave report was circulated, that Northumberland House, with its princely
reminiscences, and palatial grandeur, was to be bought by the South
Western. Many of the railways attained prices which staggered reasonable
men. The more worthless the article, the greater seemed the struggle to
obtain it. Premiums of 5 and 6 pounds were matters of course, even where
there were four or five competitors for the road. One company, which
contained a clause to lease it at three-and-a-half per Cent., for 999
years, rose to twenty premium, so mad were the many to speculate.
"Every branch of commerce participated in the advantages of an increased
circulation. The chief articles of trade met with large returns; profits
were regular; and all luxuries which suited an affluent community,
procured an augmented sale. Banking credit remained facile; interest
still kept low; money, speaking as they of the City speak, could be had
for next to nothing. It was advanced on everything which bore a value,
whether readily convertible, or not. Bill brokers would only allow
one-and-a-half per cent. for cash; and what is one-and-a-half to men who
revelled in the thought of two hundred? The exchanges remained
remarkably steady. The employment of the labourer on the new lines, of
the operative in the factory, of the skilled artisan in the workshop, of
the clerk at the desk, tended to add to the delusive feeling, and was one
of the forms in which, for a time, the population was benefitted. But,
when the strength of the Kingdom is wasted in gambling, temporary,
indeed, is the good, compared with the cost. Many, whose money was
safely invested, sold at any price, to enter the share market. Servants
withdrew their hoards from the savings banks. The tradesman crippled his
business. The legitimate love of money became a fierce lust. The peer
came from his club to his brokers; the clergyman came from his pulpit to
the mart; the country gentleman forsook the calmness of his rural domain
for the feverish excitement of Threadneedle Street. Voluptuous tastes
were indulged in by those who were previously starving. The new men vied
with the old, in the luxurious adornments of their houses. Everyone
smiled with contentment; every face wore a pleased expression. Some,
who, by virtue of their unabashed impudence, became provisional
committee-men, supported the dignity of their position in a style which
raised the mirth of many, and moved the envy of more. Trustees, who had
no money of their own, or who had lost it, used that which was confided
to them; brothers speculated with the money of sisters; sons gambled with
the money of their widowed mothers; children risked their patrimony; and
it is no exaggeration to say, that the funds of hundreds were
surreptitiously endangered by those in whose control they were placed."
But Railways had been projected, and, in order to carry them through, the
plans must, by law, be deposited with the Board of Trade, before, or on
30 Nov.; and, on this occasion, there was a scene, which is very well
told in the _Annual Register_:
"An extraordinary scene occurred at the office of the Railway Department
of the Board of Trade on this day (Sunday, 30 Nov.), being the last day
on which the plans of the new projects could be deposited with the
Railway Board, in order to enable Bills to authorise them to be brought
before Parliament, in compliance with the Standing Orders.
"Last year, the number of projects, in respect of which plans were lodged
with the Board of Trade, was 248; the number, this year, is stated to be
815. The projectors of the Scotch lines were mostly in advance, and had
their plans duly lodged on Saturday. The Irish projectors, too, and the
old-established companies, seeking powers to construct branches, were
among the more punctual. But upwards of 600 plans remained to be
deposited. Towards the last, the utmost exertions were made to forward
them. The efforts of the lithographic draughtsmen and printers in London
were excessive; people remained at work, night after night, snatching a
hasty repose for a couple of hours, on lockers, benches, or the floor.
Some found it impossible to execute their contracts; others did their
work imperfectly. One of the most eminent was compelled to bring over
four hundred lithographers from Belgium, and failed, nevertheless, with
this reinforcement, in completing some of his plans. Post horses and
express trains, to bring to town plans prepared in the country, were
sought in all parts. Horses were engaged days before, and kept, by
persons specially appointed, under lock and key. Some railway companies
exercised their power of refusing express trains for rival projects, and
clerks were obliged to make sudden and embarrassing changes of route, in
order to travel by less hostile ways. A large establishment of clerks
were in attendance to register the deposits; and this arrangement went on
very well, until eleven o'clock, when the delivery grew so rapid, that
the clerks were quite unable to keep pace with the arrivals. The
entrance hall soon became inconveniently crowded, considerable anxiety
being expressed lest twelve o'clock should arrive 'ere the requisite
formalities should have been gone through. This anxiety was allayed by
the assurance that admission into the hall before that hour, would be
sufficient to warrant the reception of the documents.
[Picture: Deposit of Railway Plans with the Board of Trade, 30 Nov.,
1845. Ill. Lon. News, 6 Dec., 1845, p. 358]
"As the clock struck twelve, the doors of the office were about to be
closed, when a gentleman with the plans of one of the Surrey railways
arrived, and, with the greatest difficulty, succeeded in obtaining
admission. A lull of a few minutes here occurred; but, just before the
expiration of the first quarter of an hour, a post chaise, with reeking
horses, drove up, in hot haste, to the entrance. In a moment, its
occupants (three gentlemen) alighted, and rushed down the passage,
towards the office door, each bearing a plan of Brobdingnagian
dimensions. On reaching the door, and finding it closed, the
countenances of all drooped; but one of them, more valorous than the
rest, and prompted by the bystanders, gave a loud pull at the bell. It
was answered by Inspector Otway, who informed the ringer it was now too
late, and that his plans could not be received. The agents did not wait
for the conclusion of the unpleasant communication, but took advantage of
the door being opened, and threw in their papers, which broke the passage
lamp in their fall. They were thrown back into the street. When the
door was again opened, again went in the plans, only to meet a similar
fate.
"In the whole, upwards of 600 plans were duly deposited."
CHAPTER XXVII.
Collapse of the Railway Mania--Sheriff's Officers--Hudson, the Railway
King--First "Ethiopian Serenaders"--The Nigger Minstrel
Craze--Commencement of Irish Famine--"The Battle of the Gauges"--Railway
Surveyors--Suicide of Haydon, the painter.
Although the collapse of the Railway Mania really began in 1845, its
effects were not fully felt until the commencement of this year, when 10
per cent. on Railway Capital had to be lodged with the Accountant
General, within seven days from the assembling of Parliament, which in
this case meant the 29th Jan. It really received its first serious wound
when the Bank of England rose its rate of discount on 16 Oct., but it was
only when the calls had to be paid, that it was found how rotten the
whole concern was, as the Marquis of Clanricarde, in a speech, plainly
exposed. Said he: "One of the names to the deed, to which he was anxious
to direct their attention, was that of a gentleman, said to reside in
Finsbury Square, who had subscribed to the amount of 25,000 pounds; he
was informed no such person was known at that address. There was, also,
in the Contract deed, the name of an individual who had figured in the
Dublin and Galway Railway Case, who was down for 5,000 pounds, and who
was understood to be a half-pay officer, in the receipt of 54 pounds a
year, but who appeared as a subscriber in different railway schemes to
the amount of 41,500 pounds. The address of another, whose name was down
for 12,200 pounds, was stated to be in Watling Street, but it appeared he
did not reside there. In the case of another individual down for 12,500
pounds, a false address was found to have been given. Another
individual, whom he would not name, was a curate in the parish in Kent;
he might be worth all the money for which he appeared responsible in
various railway schemes, but his name appeared for 25,000 pounds in
different projects, and stood for 10,000 pounds in this line. Another
individual, who was down for 25,000 pounds, was represented to be in poor
circumstances. A clerk in a public company was down for upwards of
50,000 pounds. There were several more cases of the same kind, but he
trusted he had stated enough to establish the necessity of referring the
matter to a Committee. There were, also, two brothers, sons of a
charwoman, living in a garret, one of whom had signed for 12,500 pounds,
and the other for 25,000 pounds; these two brothers, excellent persons,
no doubt, but who were receiving about a guinea and a half between them,
were down for 37,000 pounds."
The story of the collapse is so admirably told by Mr. Francis, that I
prefer giving his version than writing of it myself:
"Money was scarce, the price of stock and scrip lowered; the
confidence of the people was shaken, and a vision of a dark future on
every face. Advertisements were suddenly withdrawn from the papers,
men of note were seen no more as provisional committeemen; distrust
followed the merchant to the mart and the jobber to the Exchange.
The new schemes ceased to be regarded; applications ceased to be
forwarded; premiums were either lowered, or ceased to exist. Bankers
looked anxiously to the accounts of their customers; bill brokers
scrutinised their securities; and every man was suspicious of his
neighbour.
"But the distrust was not confined to projected lines. Established
railways felt the shock, and were reduced in value. Consols fell one
and a half per cent.; Exchequer bills declined in price, and other
markets sympathised. The people had awoke from their dream, and
trembled. It was a national alarm.
"Words are weak to express the fears and feelings which prevailed.
There was no village too remote to escape the shock, and there was,
probably, no house in town some occupant of which did not shrink from
the morrow. The Statesman started to find his new Bank Charter so
sadly and so suddenly tried; the peer, who had so thoughtlessly
invested, saw ruin opening to his view. Men hurried with bated
breath to their brokers; the allottee was uneasy and suspicious, the
provisional committeeman grew pale at his fearful responsibility;
directors ceased to boast their blushing honours, and promoters saw
their expected profits evaporate. Shares which, the previous week,
were a fortune, were, the next, a fatality, to their owners. The
reputed shareholders were not found when they were wanted;
provisional committeemen were not more easy of access.
"One Railway advertised the names and addresses of thirty--none of
whom were to be heard of at the residences ascribed to them. Letters
were returned to the Post Office day after day. Nor is this to be
wondered at, when it is said that, on one projected line, only 60
pounds was received for deposits, which should have yielded 700,000
pounds.
"It was proved in the Committee of the House of Commons, that one
subscription list was formed of 'lame ducks of the Alley'; and that,
in another, several of the Directors, including the Chairman, had,
also, altered their several subscriptions to the amount of 100,000
pounds, the very evening on which the list was deposited, and that
five shillings a man was given to anyone who would sign for a certain
number of shares.
"Nothing more decidedly marked the crisis which had arrived, than the
fact that everyone hastened to disown railways. Gentlemen who had
been buried in prospectuses, whose names and descriptions had been
published under every variation that could fascinate the public, who
had figured as Committeemen, and received the precious guineas for
their attendance, were eager to assure the world that they were
ignorant of this great transgression. Men who, a month before, had
boasted of the large sums they had made by scrip, sent advertisements
to papers denying their responsibility, or appealed to the Lord Mayor
to protect their characters. Members of Parliament who had remained
quiet under the infliction, while it was somewhat respectable, fell
back upon their privileges, when they saw their purses in danger.
There is no doubt that an unauthorised use of names was one feature
of fraudulent companies, and that, amidst a list of common names, it
was thought a distinguished one might pass unnoticed. The
complaints, therefore, of those who were thus unceremoniously
treated, were just; but the great mass of denials emanated from
persons who, knowingly, encountered the risk, and, meanly, shrunk
from the danger.
"It is the conviction of those who were best informed, that no other
panic was ever so fatal to the middle class. It reached every
hearth, it saddened every heart in the metropolis. Entire families
were ruined. There was scarcely an important town in England but
what beheld some wretched suicide. Daughters, delicately nurtured,
went out to seek their bread; sons were recalled from academies;
households were separated, homes were desecrated by the emissaries of
the law. There was a disruption of every social tie. The debtors'
jails were peopled with promoters; Whitecross Street was filled with
speculators; and the Queen's Bench was full to overflowing. Men, who
had lived comfortably and independently, found themselves suddenly
responsible for sums they had no means of paying. In some cases,
they yielded their all, and began the world anew; in others, they
left the country for the continent, laughed at their creditors, and
defied pursuit. One gentleman was served with four hundred writs; a
peer, when similarly pressed, when offered to be relieved from all
liabilities for 15,000 pounds, betook himself to his yacht, and
forgot, in the beauties of the Mediterranean, the difficulties which
had surrounded him. Another gentleman who, having nothing to lose,
surrendered himself to his creditors, was a director of more than
twenty lines. A third was Provisional Committeeman to fifteen. A
fourth, who commenced life as a printer, who became insolvent in 1832
and a bankrupt in 1837, who had negotiated partnerships, who had
arranged embarrassed affairs, who had collected debts, and turned his
attention to anything, did not disdain, also, to be a Railway
promoter, a Railway director, or to spell his name in a dozen
different ways."
The Sheriff's Officers had a busy time of it, and _Punch_, in "GOING OUT
ARRESTING," gives the following colloquy between two of the fraternity:
"'Vell, Aaron, my tear, have yer 'ad any sport?'
"'Pretty vell, I've bagged four Allottees, and two Provisionals!'"
[Picture: Picture of two men in carriages]
But a notice of the Railway Mania would be very incomplete without a
mention of George Hudson, the Railway King. He was born at Howsham, a
village near York, in March, 1800; was apprenticed to a draper in York;
and, subsequently, became principal in the business; thus, early in life,
becoming well off, besides having 30,000 pounds left him by a distant
relative. In 1837, he was Lord Mayor of York; and, the same year, was
made Chairman of the York and North Midland Railway, which was opened in
1839. In 1841, he was elected Chairman of the Great North of England
Company; and, afterwards, held the same position in the Midland Railway
Company. He speculated largely in railways, and, in the Parliamentary
return, already alluded to, his subscriptions appear as 319,835 pounds.
He came to London, and inhabited the house at Albert Gate, Knightsbridge
(now the French Embassy), where he entertained the Prince Consort, and
the aristocracy generally. He was elected M.P. for Sunderland in Aug.,
1845, and again served as Lord Mayor of York in 1846. The Railway smash
came; and, year by year, things went worse with him, until, early in the
year 1849, he had to resign the Chairmanship of the Eastern Central (now
Great Eastern), Midland, York, Newcastle and Berwick, and the York and
North Midland Railway Companies. He went abroad, where he lived for some
time, and tried, unavailingly, to retrieve his fortune. In July, 1865,
he was committed to York Castle for Contempt of the Court of Exchequer,
in not paying a large debt, and was there incarcerated till the following
October.
He fell so low, that, in 1868, some friends took pity on him, and raised
a subscription for him, thus obtaining 4,800 pounds, with which an
annuity was purchased. He died in London, 14 Dec., 1871.
We have been so accustomed to have nigger minstrels with us that I
suppose very few of us know when they began. Of course, I do not mean
the solitary minstrel like Rice of "Jump Jim Crow" fame, who was the
first, coming over here in 1836; but the first troupe. I find it in the
_Illustrated News_ of 24 Jan., 1846, whence also comes this illustration:
[Picture: The Ethiopian Serenaders]
"A party of American minstrels, under the above designation, commenced on
Wednesday night (21 Jan.), at the Hanover Square Rooms, a series of
concerts, for the avowed purpose of affording an accurate notion of Negro
character and melody. These artists are remarkably clever, and admirably
'made up.' They are painted jet black, with ruddy lips, and large
mouths; and, being capital actors, the deception created is so great,
that wagers have been offered that they are really 'darkies.' They dress
in dandy costume, _a la Jullien_--that is, white waistcoated and
wristbanded, turned up in the most approved D'Orsay fashion. Of course,
it is impossible to come to any right conclusion as to the authenticity
of the African airs, especially as they have arranged the compositions of
the great European masters in such a grotesque manner. The executants
are five in number; one plays the tambourine, Mr. Germon, who is the
leader; another the bone castanet; the third, the accordion; and the two
others, the banjo, or African guitar. The castanet player does not sing;
but his four colleagues have good voices, and, in glees, harmonize
charmingly. In a quartet, the parody on the Phantom Chorus, from
Bellini's 'Sonnambula'; and in a glee, 'You'll See Them on the Ohio,'
nothing can be more effective than the skilful blending of the parts. It
is, perhaps, the _buffo_ exhibition which will create the greatest
sensation, and in this quality they are inimitable. The tambourine
performer affects a ludicrous air of pompous sentiment, while the
castanet sable hero indulges in all kinds of buffoonery and antics. He
is a wonderful player--no Spaniard can rival him in rapidity, delicacy
and precision. A scene called a 'Railway Overture,' causes an explosion
of laughter; they seem to be endowed with perpetual motion; and the
scream of the whistle, at the same time as the noise of the engine,
beggars all description. The entertainment is quite a novelty, and will,
no doubt, be attractive. They have been provided with letters of
recommendation from President Polk, and some leading persons in America,
who must be better able to appreciate the accuracy of their African
delineations than Europeans."
They _were_ popular, with a vengeance--for every little street arab had
beef bones for castanets, and every new song was roared out in the
streets until it nauseated. _Punch_ drew policemen and dustmen as
Ethiopian Serenaders, and even suggested that Lablache, Mario and
Tamburini should adopt the style.
[Picture: Picture of musicians]
The Queen opened Parliament on 19 Jan., and in her speech, whilst
deprecating "the very frequent instances in which the crime of deliberate
assassination has been, of late, committed in Ireland," she went on: "I
have to lament that, in consequence of a failure of the potato crop in
several parts of the United Kingdom, there will be a deficient supply of
an article of food which forms the chief subsistence of great numbers of
my people. The disease by which the plant has been affected, has
prevailed to the utmost extent in Ireland. I have adopted all such
precautions as it was in my power to adopt, for the purpose of
alleviating the sufferings which may be caused by this calamity; and I
shall confidently rely on your co-operation in devising such other means
for effecting the same benevolent purpose, as may require the sanction of
the Legislature."
On 13 March, Parliament talked somewhat about the matter, and Sir James
Graham, the Home Secretary, confessed that distress "pervades the whole
of Ireland. It is to be found in every province, in every county, in
every union; nay, almost in every parish in Ireland. The course Her
Majesty's Government has taken, has been this. We have, in particular
parts of Ireland, established depots, where food can be bought at an easy
price, at the very lowest price, and, thinking that eleemosynary relief
ought to be avoided as much as possible, we propose to afford, to the
utmost possible extent, either by means of public works to be undertaken,
or by works already established, the means by which the people may be
enabled to earn wages, and so to purchase food at the moderate cost at
which it will be supplied."
But, in spite of all the Government could do, with the very best
intentions, gaunt famine was stalking through the land, and the hungry
folk could not be quiet, with the sight of food before them. They were
not going to starve when they saw the bakers' shops full of bread, and
the butchers', of meat. Human nature and a hungry belly could not stand
it--so we can scarcely wonder at the famine riots which ensued. The
shops were wrecked, the food was taken; they even laid their hands on a
boat proceeding from Limerick to Clare with relief, and plundered it of
its cargo of corn and maize flour. But, alas! this was only the
commencement of the sad story.
There was an alternative, open to those who had the money--to
emigrate--and this they did--see the following, from the _Cork Reporter_,
copied into the _Times_ of 18 April: "For the last fortnight our quays
have been daily thronged with the fine and stalwart peasantry of this and
the adjoining counties, preparing to emigrate to various parts of the
trans-Atlantic world. Perhaps, upon no former occasion, even before the
hope of railway employment was held out to the people, and when
"Government grants" for their relief were never heard of, did the number
of emigrants from this quarter exceed the proportion of this present
year. Besides the various large and full-freighted vessels, which have
left the quays of Cork, direct for America, several ships were despatched
to the west of the county, and had no difficulty in obtaining their full
complement of passengers. Two large ships went round to Berehaven, a few
days ago, and have, since, left the shores of that bleak district, with
over 200 passengers. Several other vessels have proceeded, or are about
to proceed, for Baltimore and Berehaven, localities in which the
destitution of the present year has been severely felt. Three hundred
persons have been ready, for the last fortnight, to embark from Dingle;
but, not being able to get a ship to visit them, sufficiently commodious
for their accommodation, have been obliged to make the best of their way
to Cork. Several vessels, now lying at Passage, will sail this day,
these taking five hundred and fifty passengers . . . At a moderate
computation, about 9,000 emigrants have, or, within the next month, will
have, left this port for America. It is to be hoped their anticipations
will be realised. There can be little fear, however, that their
condition could be worse, or their prospects more disheartening than
those which the 'potato famine' in this country, little mended by the
promise of Indian corn, had occasioned. _La faim chasse le loup hors du
bois_. To starve, or emigrate, are the only alternatives of the people."
The _Waterford Chronicle_ thus comments: "There will have gone, after the
season is over, upwards of 3,000 people, from this country, by this port
alone. Not to talk of the rearing of these people--the trouble and
expense of bringing up a healthy man, woman, or child, and, especially,
leaving out the irreparable loss to society, in this country, of their
affections, hopes, and family ties--all, now, sundered and destroyed--not
to talk of the countless living deaths of wholesale emigration from a
feeling and warm-hearted mother country--the amount of capital taken by
these 3,000 is immense. Assuming that each individual spends 10 pounds
in his passage, and before he settles, and that he has 10 pounds more to
establish himself, here is direct taking away, in hard cash, of 60,000
pounds gone out of the bleeding pores of Ireland, to increase the misery
which is left behind. We are in possession of facts which show that many
cunning landlords are sending away their people yearly, but by degrees,
and not in such a manner as to subject themselves to a 'clearance
notice.' If this system be continued, we shall be tempted to give names.
After these things, who will blame the people for outbreaks occasioned by
famine? There is nothing plentiful in the land but ruin! Employment is
scarce--money is scarce--the people are being thinned--farms are being
consolidated--bullock land is progressing--
"Ill fares the land, to hastening ills a prey,
Where cows accumulate, and men decay."
For some long time there had been a conflict of opinion as to the merits
of different sized gauges for railways. Brunel, the magnificent,
advocated a width of seven feet, and practised it on the Great Western;
others wished for something far more modest. Great was the wrangling
over this "battle of the gauges," and a Royal Commission was appointed to
inquire into the matter. They gave in their Report on 30 May, and the
question was settled by "An Act for regulating the Gauge of Railways" (9
and 10 Vic., c. 57--passed 18 Aug., 1846) by which it was settled that,
in future, all Railway lines in England were to be 4 feet 8.5 in. wide,
and in Ireland, the width was to be 5 ft. 3 in.
By the way, Railway surveyors were paid well, and almost everyone that
had ever dragged a chain posed as a surveyor. As a sample--on 23 Ap. is
reported the case of White _v._ Koe and Maun--where a witness said
"Levellers are always well paid. I have received, before this 10 pounds
a mile, and I could level from seven to eight miles a day. These are not
extraordinary terms. I had to find hands to help me. I had three men at
7s. a day each."
On 22 June poor Haydon, the painter, committed suicide. He was extremely
egotistical, and nothing could persuade him that he was not the best
painter of his time. His fixed idea was that he was without a peer--but
no one else thought so. His diary is very sad reading. Here is an entry
(Ap. 13) relative to the exhibition of his picture, "The Banishment of
Aristides": "Receipts 1 pound 3s. 6d. An advertisement of a finer
description could not have been written to catch the public; but not a
shilling more was added to the receipts. They rush by thousands to see
Tom Thumb. They push--they fight--they scream--they faint--they cry
'Help!' and 'Murder!' They see my bills and caravans, but do not read
them; their eyes are on them, but their sense is gone. It is an
insanity--a _rabies furor_--a dream--of which I would not have believed
Englishmen could have been guilty." He even wrote to the _Times_ about
it: "GENERAL TOM THUMB, last week, received 12,000 people, who paid him
600 pounds; B. R. HAYDON, who has devoted 42 years to elevate their
taste, was honoured by the visits of 133.5, producing 5 pounds 13s. 6d.,
being a reward for painting two of his finest works, 'Aristides and
Nero.' HORACE VERNET, LA ROCHE, INGRES, CORNELIUS, HESS, SNORR, and
SCHEFFER, hasten to this glorious country of fresco and patronage, and
grand design, if you have a tender fancy to end your days in a Whig
Union."
CHAPTER XXVIII.
The last Post Office Bellman--The "Corn Law" Act--Sir Walter Scott's
monument--The Irish famine--The Duke of Wellington's statue--Gun
cotton--Introduction of ether--Model dwelling houses--Baths and
Wash-houses--Smithfield Cattle market--"The Bull Fight of
Smithfield"--The first submarine telegraph.
_The Illustrated London News_, of 27 June, gives us "THE LETTER CARRIER'S
LAST KNELL.--We have just lost another of what poor Thomas Hood called,
'Those evening bells.' The Postmaster General having issued his fiat for
the abolition of 'ringing bells' by the Letter Carriers, the last knell
was rung out on the evening of Wednesday last; and, as a memorial of the
departure of what appeared to most persons, a very useful practice, our
artist has sketched a Letter Carrier, on his last evening call at our
office; and another hand has appended the following lament:
The Dustman was first to forego his brass clapper,
The Muffinboy speedily followed his shade;
And, now, 'tis the Postman--that double-tongued rapper--
Must give up his Bell for the eve's promenade.
"_Tantae Animis_?' sage Legislators!
Why rage against trifles like these? Prithee tell,
Why leave the solution to rude commentators,
Who say, that at home, you've enough in one _Belle_?"
On 26 June the Royal Assent was given to an Act (9-10 Vic., c. 22),
called "An Act to amend the Laws relating to the Importation of Corn."
This regulated the duty on corn by a sliding scale of prices, which was
to be in force until 1 Feb., 1849, when it was fixed at 1s. per quarter.
The passing of this Act caused general rejoicing throughout the country,
and put an end to a great deal of political rancour.
[Picture: The last Post Office Bellman. Ill. Lon. News, 27 June, 1846]
The inauguration of Sir Walter Scott's Monument, at Edinburgh, took place
on 15 Aug., the anniversary of his birth. It was erected in 1840-44,
after designs by Mr. George M. Kemp, at a cost of 15,650 pounds. It is
cruciform, with a Gothic spire, chiefly modelled on the details of
Melrose Abbey; and includes, beneath its basement arches, a Carrara
marble sitting statue of Scott, with his dog _Maida_, by his side, which
is the work of Mr. Steel, and cost 2,000 pounds.
The potato crop utterly failed again in Ireland, and the outlook there
was indeed black. In the _Times_ of 2 Sep., its correspondent, writing
from Dublin, on 31 Aug., says: "As it is now an admitted fact, on all
sides, that the destruction of the early potato crop is complete, there
can be no earthly use in loading your columns with repetitions of the sad
details, as furnished day after day in the accounts published by the
Irish newspapers. It will, therefore, nearly suffice to say that,
according to the reports from all quarters, the crisis of deep and
general distress cannot be much longer averted, and that it will require
all the energies of both Government and Landlords to mitigate the
inevitable consequences of a calamity, of which both parties have been
duly forewarned. In the meantime, the following statement in a Limerick
paper of Saturday, is another curious illustration of the Irish
'difficulty'.
"'In the Corn Market, this day, there appeared about 4,000 bushels of
oats, and about an equal quantity of wheat. All this grain was purchased
up, principally for exportation, whilst the food of the people, as
exhibited this day in the Potato Market, was a mass of disease and
rottenness. This is an anomaly which no intricacies of political
economy--no legal quibbles, or crochets--no Government arrangements can
reconcile. In an agricultural country which produces the finest corn for
the food of man, we have to record that the corn is sold and sent out of
the country, whilst the individuals that raised it by their toil and
labour, are threatened with all the horrors of starvation.'
"From a multiplicity of concurrent statements respecting the pestilence,
I shall merely subjoin one, which appears in the last _Tralee_ paper: 'A
man would hardly dig in a day, as much sound potatoes as himself would
consume. But that is not the worst of it. Common cholera has set in
among the people of the town, owing to the use of potatoes, which contain
a large quantity of poisonous matter. A professional gentleman in this
town, of considerable experience and unquestioned integrity, assures me,
that he has attended, within the last fortnight, in this town and
neighbourhood, more than 12 cases of common cholera, and that he would
think a person as safe in consuming a certain quantity of arsenic, as in
using the potatoes now exposed for sale.'"
This is how the Famine of 1846-7 began, and what followed is a matter of
history, which everyone ought to know, and ponder well over, but it can
hardly come under the name of Gossip. There were, naturally, a few food
riots in different parts of the country, but everyone tried to do their
best, even in a blundering way, to alleviate the distress. The
Archbishop of Canterbury composed a Special Form of Prayer, to be used on
Sunday, 11 Oct.
On 29 Sep. the gigantic equestrian statue of the Duke of Wellington,
which used to crown the arch opposite Apsley House, and which was taken
down 24 Jan., 1883, and then set up at Aldershot, was moved from the
artist's (Wyatt) studio, in Harrow Road, to Hyde Park. It was 27 feet
high, and weighed about 40 tons, being made of brass guns taken by the
Duke in various victories. Being of so great a weight, the appliances to
remove it were on an equally massive scale, the carriage and framework in
which it was placed weighing about 20 tons. It took 100 soldiers to haul
the statue out of the studio; and, when mounted on its carriage, it took
29 huge dray horses, lent by Mr. Goding, of the Lion Brewery, Waterloo,
to drag it to its destination. It was escorted by soldiers and military
bands, and did the distance in about an hour a half. The next day was
spent in preparing to hoist it; the day after, it was lifted some 50
feet, and there remained all night--and the next day was safely landed
and put in position. From that time, until it was taken down, it was the
butt of scoffs and jeers, and no one regretted its departure.
Gun cotton was brought into public notice by some experiments by its
inventor, Professor Schonbein, of Basel, before the chairman of the East
India Company, and a number of scientists. Professor Brande had
previously lectured upon it, at the Royal Institution, on 15 Jan., when
he stated that, about fifteen years before, Braconnot had ascertained
that sawdust, wood shavings, starch, linen and cotton fabrics, when
treated with concentrated nitric acid, produced a gelatinous substance,
which coagulated into a white mass, on the addition of water; this
substance, which he called "xyloidine," was highly inflammable.
Schonbein, however, made his explosive from purified cotton, steeped in a
mixture of equal parts of nitric and sulphuric acids, which when
carefully washed, and dried, kept its appearance of cotton wool. In the
_Times_ of 4 Nov., is a notice of Gun sawdust (a powder now much used),
made by Mr. George Turner of Leeds.
Whilst on the subject of Chemicals, I may as well mention, what was much
talked of at the time--the discovery of sulphuric ether, when inhaled,
being an anaesthetic. Previous to this, Nitrous Oxide, or, as it was
called, "Laughing Gas," somewhat inadequately performed the same
function. This latter was discovered by Dr. Priestley, in 1776, and its
use, as an anaesthetic, recommended by Sir H. Davey in 1880, was put into
practice by Mr. Wells, in America, to lessen the pain in extracting teeth
in 1844.
The first notice of the inhalation of sulphuric ether that I know of, is
in No. XLV. of the _British and Foreign Medical Review_, which says:
"Just as our last proof was passing through our hands, we received from
our medical friends in Boston, the account of a matter so interesting to
surgeons, and, indeed to everyone, that we take the opportunity of
introducing it here. We know nothing more of this new method of
eschewing pain than what is contained in the following extracts from two
private letters, kindly written to us by our excellent friends Dr. Ware
and Dr. Warren, of Boston--both men of the highest eminence in their
profession in America--and, we may truly say, in Europe also. It is
impossible, however, not to regard the discovery as one of the very
highest importance, not in the practice of operative surgery only, but,
also, as Dr. Ware suggests, in practical medicine. We trust our friends
will forgive us for putting into print their private communications. The
importance of the subject, and the necessity of authenticating the
statements, are our excuses. The authors of the discovery are Dr. C. T.
Jackson and Dr. Morton.
Dr. Warren writes, under date of 24 Nov., that "In six cases, I have had
it applied with satisfactory success, and no unpleasant sequel." And Dr.
Ware (29 Nov.) says: "It was brought into use by a dentist, and is, now,
chiefly employed by that class of practitioners. He has taken out a
patent for the discovery, and has despatched persons to Europe to secure
one there also; so you will soon hear of it, and, probably, have an
opportunity of witnessing its effects."
Then follows a long list of operations performed in America--wound up
with this postscript: "Dec. 22. Yesterday, we had, ourselves, this new
mode of cheating pain put in practice by a master of chirurgery, on our
own side of the Atlantic. In the theatre of University College Hospital,
Mr. Liston amputated the thigh of a man, previously narcotized by the
inhalation of ether vapour. Shortly after being placed on the operating
table, the patient began to inhale, and became apparently insensible in
the course of two or three minutes. The operation was then commenced,
and the limb was removed in, what seemed to us, a marvellously short
time--certainly less than a minute; the patient remaining during the
incisions and the tying of the arteries, perfectly still and motionless.
While the vessels were being secured, on being spoken to, he roused up
partially (still showing no signs of pain), and answered questions put to
him, in a slow, drowsy manner. He declared to us that at no part of the
operation had he felt pain, though he seemed to be partially conscious;
he had heard some words, and felt that something was being done to his
limb. He was not aware, till told, that the limb was off; and, when he
knew it, expressed great gratification at having been saved from pain.
The man seemed quite awake when removed from the operating room, and
continued so. Everything has since proceeded as usual, and very
favourably.
"Mr. Liston afterwards performed one of the minor--but most painful
operations of surgery--the partial removal of the nail, in _onychia_, on
a man similarly narcotised, and with precisely the same result. The
patient seemed to feel no pain; and, upon rousing up, after the
operation, declared that he had felt none."
_Punch_ found another and more domestic use for this anaesthetic.
Patient: "This is really most delightful--a most beautiful dream."
[Picture: Wonderful effects of Ether in a case of a scolding wife]
Not only was there advance in medicine, but, also, in social
science--people began to think that the condition of the working classes
might be ameliorated by giving them better dwellings. As yet, little or
nothing had been done, in this way, in London, but a grand opportunity
occurred at Liverpool, in the building of Birkenhead, and an extensive
range of model dwellings were erected, four-storied, with ornate
exterior, the rents varying from 3s. to 5s. per set of rooms, according
to position; but this included a constant supply of water, and the use of
one gas burner in each set of rooms, and all rates and taxes; with,
moreover, two iron bedsteads, a grate with an oven, and convenient
fixtures; and they were found to answer financially.
The Queen's consent was given on 26 Aug. to an "Act to Encourage the
Establishment of Public Baths and Wash-houses" (9-10 Vic., c. 74). How
it was appreciated by the animals called "Vestrymen" may be seen by the
fact that at a Vestry meeting of the inhabitants of St. Leonard's,
Shoreditch, held 26 Oct., the subject was brought forward, when an
amendment was moved "that it be taken into consideration that day six
months." For the amendment, 28; against 20!
The dangers of Smithfield Market were becoming too apparent, as we see by
a letter in the _Times_ of 26 Nov.:
[Picture: The Bull Fight of Smithfield]
"Sir,--Your paper of this morning again gives an account of more
accidents arising in consequence of cattle being driven along our
crowded streets, and we may expect to hear of numerous, probably some
fatal, injuries being sustained during the short, and, often, very
dark days, which are common for some months in the winter. Everyone,
whose avocations call him into the city, has to complain of the delay
arising from the over-crowded state of the leading thoroughfares;
and, on Smithfield Market days, the obstruction is greatly increased
by the droves of cattle and sheep which, in a bewildered, and
frequently infuriated state, are being forced by crowds of men, boys,
and dogs, along the streets, to the great annoyance, and, often,
danger, of the passengers. I do not here dwell on the revolting
scenes of cruelty to the animals, which everyone has to witness and
deplore; but, on the ground of danger to human life, and, also,
because of the seriously increased obstruction to the general
traffic, which is caused by having the cattle market in the heart of
the metropolis, I would urge the removal of Smithfield Market to some
more appropriate place. When this has been effected--when
_abattoirs_ have been constructed, where, alone, all the larger
animals are permitted to be slaughtered, and when cattle are allowed
to be driven through the streets only at hours before the business of
the day has commenced--then, and not before, will London be, in
reference to its cattle market and slaughter houses, what is required
in the middle of the nineteenth century."
_Punch_ gives us the following lyric on the subject:
THE BULL FIGHT OF SMITHFIELD.
There's trampling feet in Goswell Street, there's row on Holborn
Hill,
There's crush and crowd, and swearing loud, from bass to treble
shrill;
From grazier cad, and drover lad, and butcher shining greasy,
And slaughter men, and knacker's men, and policemen free and easy.
'Tis Monday morn, and onward borne to Smithfield's mart repair
The pigs and sheep, and, lowing deep, the oxen fine and fair;
They're trooping on from Islington, and down Whitechapel road,
To wild halloo of a shouting crew, and yelp, and bite, and goad.
From combs of distant Devonshire, from sunny Sussex wold,
From where their Durham pastures the stately short-horns hold;
From Herefordshire marches, from fenny Cambridge flat,
For London's maw they gather--those oxen fair and fat.
The stunted stocks of Cambria's rocks uneasily are lowing,
With redder blaze of wild amaze their eyes around them throwing;
And the unkempt stot of Galloway, and the Kyloe of the Mearns,
Whose hoof, that crush'd the heather tuft, the mild MACADAM spurns.
They may talk of _plaza mayors_, of _torero's_ nimble feat,
Of MONTEZ, the famed _matador_ of _picadors_ so fleet;
But what is Spanish Bull fight to deeds which we can show,
When through the street, at all they meet, the Smithfield oxen go?
See there, see there, where, high in air, the nurse and nurseling
fly!
Into a first-floor window, see, where that old gent, they shy!
Now they're bolting into parlours, now they're tumbling into cellars,
To the great disgust and terror of the peaceable indwellers.
Who rides so neat down Chiswell Street? A City Knight, I ween;
By girth and span an alderman, nor less by port and mien.
Look out, look out! that sudden shout! the Smithfield herd is nigh!
Now turn, Sir Knight, and boldly fight, or, more discreetly, fly.
He hath eased round on his saddle, all fidgetty and fast;
There's another herd behind him, and the time for flight is past.
Full in his front glares a rabid runt, thro' tears of pain that blind
him,
For the drover's almost twisted off the tail that hangs behind him.
All lightly armed for such a shock was stout SIR CALIPEE,
But he couched his new umbrella, and "Police" aloud cried he!
Crash--smash--slap-dash! The whalebone snaps, the saddle seat is
bare,
And the Knight, in mazy circles, is flying thro' the air!
The runt tears on, the rout is gone, the street is calm once more,
And to Bartlemy's they bear him, extended on a door;
Now, gramercy, good SIR CALIPEE, to the turtle and the haunch,
That padded out thy civic ribs, and lined thy stately paunch.
No ribs are broke, but a shattering stroke thy system has sustain'd;
Any other than an alderman had certainly been brained.
And, soon as he had breath to swear, the Knight right roundly swore
That, straight, he'd put down Smithfield, and set up an _abattoir_.
In this year there were sold at Smithfield 226,132 beasts, 1,593,270
sheep and lambs, 26,356 calves, and 33,531 pigs--to deal with which there
were about 160 salesmen. Things went on very much in the same style as
described in _Punch_ until 1851, when the contracted space of the market,
the slaughtering places adjoining, and many other nuisances, gave grounds
for general dissatisfaction, and after an investigation, an Act (14-15
Vic., c. 61) was passed on 1 Aug. "For providing a Metropolitan Market,
and conveniences therewith, in lieu of the Cattle Market at Smithfield."
A suitable site was found in Copenhagen Fields, Islington; the last
market at Smithfield was held on 11 June, and the first at the new one on
13 June, 1855.
The _Hampshire Guardian_, copied into the _Times_ of 12 Dec., gives us
the story of the first submarine Telegraph: "We are enabled to supply the
following additional particulars respecting the submarine Telegraph laid
down across our harbour. It is now about three years since the telegraph
from the Nine Elms terminus to the terminus at Gosport was first
established. Subsequently, from the inconvenience experienced at the
Admiralty Office here, because of the distance to the telegraph station,
the wires were continued from that place to the Royal Clarence Yard.
With this addition, although the inconvenience was lessened, it was far
from being removed, the harbour intervening, leaving a distance of
upwards of a mile, to the Admiral's house, unconnected; and,
notwithstanding the wish of the authorities, both here and in London,
that the telegraph should be carried to the Dockyard, no attempt has,
hitherto, been made to do so, because it has been considered almost
impossible to convey it under water. An offer, indeed, was made to the
Admiralty, to lay down a telegraph enclosed in metallic pipes, which were
to be fixed under the water by the aid of diving bells. This scheme,
having been found to be impracticable, has been very prudently abandoned.
Whatever difficulties may have hitherto interfered to prevent the
establishment of submarine telegraphs, appear, now, to have been entirely
overcome, for the time occupied from the commencement of carrying the
telegraph from shore to shore, and transmitting signals, did not occupy a
quarter of an hour. The telegraph, which has the appearance of an
ordinary rope, was coiled into one of the dockyard boats, one end of it
being made fast on shore, and, as the boat was pulled across, the
telegraphic rope was gradually paid out over the stern, its superior
gravity causing it to sink to the bottom immediately. . . . Independently
of the simplicity of this submarine telegraph, it has an advantage which
even the telegraphs on land do not possess--in the event of an accident,
it can be replaced in ten minutes. The success of the trial here has, we
understand, determined the inventors to lay down their contemplated line
across the Channel, from England to France, under the sanction of the
respective Governments."
Such was the germ of the multitudinous cables which now span every ocean.
CHAPTER XXIX.
Medals for Army and Navy--Grenville library--Day of fasting--"Binding of
Satan"--Suspension of transportation--New House of Lords--Jenny
Lind--_Bunn v. Lind_--"Jenny Linden"--Death of O'Connell--Story of the
Duke of Buccleugh--Abolition of Eton "Montem."
At this time, at all events, we did not plaster our soldiers with medals
for every trifling deed of duty, and it was not until January of this
year, that a Commission was appointed to decide upon the medals which
were to be presented to the officers and men who served in the Peninsula,
under Wellington and other commanders. And it was not till the 1st of
June, that an Order was issued from the Horse Guards, that claims might
be sent in by those who were present in battles from 1793 to 1814--or,
rather, the list began with Maida, 1806, and ended with Toulouse, 1814.
The medals for naval service began with the "Glorious First of June,"
1794, and ended with the fight between the Endymion and President on 25
Jan., 1815. The Medal for Waterloo was granted some long time
afterwards.
In January, the British Museum received the splendid bequest of the
Library of Thomas Grenville, Esqre., who died 17 Dec., 1846. This
magnificent library of over 20,000 volumes, valued at the very low
estimate of 50,000 pounds, contains two copies of the Mazarin bible, one
on vellum, a first folio of Shakespere, Caxton's "Reynard the Fox," and
countless other literary treasures and rarities. He had intended to
leave this library to the Duke of Buckingham--but, reflecting that as
most of the books had been paid for with the proceeds of a sinecure
office (Chief Justice in eyre, south of the Trent) of 2,000 pounds a
year, which he had held from 1800 to 1817, when it was abolished, he felt
it only just that they should be given to the nation, who had virtually
paid for them. With them came, as curator, his valet, Mr. Holden, who
remained with his master's beloved books until three or four years since.
On 9 March a Royal Proclamation was issued for a day of Fasting and
humiliation on account of the famine and distress in Ireland, and it was
duly kept on the day set apart for it, 24 March.
There is a curious paragraph in the _Times_ of 23 March: "BINDING OF
SATAN.--During the past two or three weeks, a number of persons have been
going round the streets, on the Surrey side of the water, wearing belts,
like those worn by the fire brigade, on which passages from the
Scriptures are painted, carrying with them an inkhorn and long sheets of
paper, soliciting signatures to what they pretend to be a petition to
Heaven, for the binding of Satan, the Prince of darkness. So eager are
those persons to get the paper signed, that men, women, and children are
stopped indiscriminately, and requested to sign. Those who are too young
to sign, or unable to write their names, have the same done for them by
the men, who do not attempt to disguise the fact of belonging to the
followers of Joanna Southcote. Upon several occasions, a great deal of
confusion has been created by the parties, for they generally manage to
go about with knots of forty or fifty persons; and, occasionally,
discussions ensue, which are calculated to bring the Scriptures into
perfect ridicule. One person, more intelligent than the persons who are
hawking the petitions about, inquired who it is that will present the
petition? when the man replied, with the greatest coolness, that as soon
as a sufficient number of names are attached to the petition, it will be
presented to the Throne of Mercy by Joanna Southcote herself. Surely it
is high time that such exhibitions were put down by the police."
Early in April a circular from the Home Secretary was forwarded to the
magistrates at the various gaols, telling them that, in consequence of
the suspension of transportation of male convicts to Van Diemen's Land,
it would be requisite for them to make immediate provision for the
confinement and employment, in this country, of a great number of such
offenders.
On the 14th of April the Queen paid a visit of inspection to the New
House of Lords, and, on the next day, the Peers took possession of it,
and transacted business there for the first time.
Talk of Gossip, was there ever such food for it as the arrival of Jenny
Lind--it was a furore, a madness. She arrived in London late on the
afternoon of Ap. 17, and was present in the evening at the performance at
Her Majesty's Theatre. On May 4 she made her first appearance on the
Stage in England--in this Theatre--where she played in "Robert le
Diable," and, from that moment, until the end of the season, nothing else
was thought of--nothing else talked of--but Jenny Lind, and it was no
short-lived fit of enthusiasm, for she was _the_ favourite of the public
until her retirement; her beautiful voice and simplicity of manner
charming everyone, from Royalty downwards. Unfortunately her debut was
somewhat marred by a pecuniary squabble between her and Bunn, the
operatic poet, a rival _impresario_, Lumley, having secured her services.
Here is Punch's version of the squabble:
"JENNY-LINDEN.
A DREADFUL ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN THE SWEDISH NIGHTINGALE AND THE POET
BUNN.
On LIND, when Drury's sun was low,
And bootless was the wild-beast show,
The lessee counted for a flow
Of rhino to the treasury.
But JENNY LIND, whose waken'd sight
Saw Drury in a proper light,
Refused, for any sum per night,
To sing at the Menagerie.
With rage and ire in vain display'd,
Each super drew his wooden blade,
In fury half, and half afraid
For his prospective salary.
BUNN in a flaming frenzy flew,
And speedily the goose quill drew,
With which he was accustomed to
Pen such a deal of poetry.
He wrote the maiden to remind
Her of a compact she had signed,
To Drury Lane's condition blind,
And threatened law accordingly.
Fair as in face, in nature, she
Implored the man to set her free,
Assuring him that he should be
Remunerated handsomely.
Two thousand pounds she offered, so
That he would only let her go;
BUNN, who would have his bond, said NO!
With dogged pertinacity.
And, now, his action let him bring, {310}
And try how much the law will wring
From her to do the handsome thing,
Who had proposed so readily!
The Swedish Nightingale to cage,
He failed; she sought a fitting stage,
And left him to digest his rage,
And seek his legal remedy.
Then shook the House, with plaudits riven,
When JENNY'S opening note was given,
The sweetest songstress under heaven
Forth bursting into melody.
But fainter the applause shall grow,
At waning Drury's wild-beast show,
And feebler still shall be the flow
Of rhino to the treasury.
The Opera triumphs! LUMLEY brave,
Thy bacon thou shalt more than save;
Wave, London, all thy 'kerchiefs wave,
And cheer with all thy chivalry.
'Tis night; and still yon star doth run;
But all in vain for treasurer DUNN,
And Mr. HUGHES, and poet BUNN,
And quadrupeds, and company.
For Sweden's Nightingale so sweet,
Their fellowship had been unmeet,
The sawdust underneath whose feet
Hath been the Drama's sepulchre."
Died on 15th May, at Genoa, on his route to Rome, aged 72, Daniel
O'Connell, the erst "uncrowned King of Ireland," who, during his
lifetime, had been a thorn (and a very troublesome one) in the side of
every English government. His heart was forwarded to Rome, but his body
was embalmed, and, in due time, was sent to Ireland for interment.
The _Liverpool Albion_, quoted in the _Times_ of 14 May, is responsible
for the following story: "Some time ago, the Duke of Buccleugh, in one of
his walks, purchased a cow from a person in the neighbourhood of
Dalkeith, and left orders to send it to his palace on the following
morning. According to agreement, the cow was sent, and the Duke, who
happened to be _en deshabille_, and walking in the avenue, espied a
little fellow ineffectually attempting to drive the animal to its
destination. The boy, not knowing the Duke, bawled out to him: 'Hi! mun,
come here an' gi'us a han' wi' this beast.' The Duke saw the mistake,
and determined to have a joke with the little fellow. Pretending,
therefore, not to understand him, the Duke walked on slowly, the boy
still craving his assistance. At last, he cried in a tone of apparent
distress: 'Come here, mun, an' help us, an' as sure as onything, I'll
give ye half I get.' This last solicitation had the desired effect. The
Duke went and lent a helping hand. 'And now,' said the Duke, as they
trudged along, 'how much do you think you will get for this job?' 'Oh,
dinna ken,' said the boy, 'but I am sure o' something, for the folk up at
the house are good to a' bodies.' As they approached the house, the Duke
darted from the boy, and entered by a different way. He called a
servant, and put a sovereign into his hand, saying, 'Give that to the boy
that has brought the cow.' The Duke returned to the avenue, and was soon
rejoined by the boy. 'Well, how much did you get?' said the Duke. 'A
shilling,' said the boy, 'an' there's the half o't to ye.' 'But, surely,
you got more than a shilling,' said the Duke. 'No,' said the boy, with
the utmost earnestness, 'as sure's death, that's a' I got--an' d'ye not
think it's a plenty?' 'I do not,' said the Duke; 'there must be some
mistake; and, as I am acquainted with the Duke, if you return, I think
I'll get you more.' The boy consented; back they went. The Duke rang
the bell, and ordered all the servants to be assembled. 'Now,' said the
Duke to the boy, 'point out the person who gave you the shilling.' 'It
was that chap, there, with the apron,' pointing to the butler. The
delinquent confessed, fell on his knees, and attempted an apology; but
the Duke interrupted him, indignantly ordered him to give the boy the
sovereign, and quit his service instantly. 'You have lost,' said the
Duke, 'your money, your situation, and your character, by your
covetousness; learn, henceforth, that honesty is the best policy.' The
boy, by this time, recognised his assistant, in the person of the Duke,
and the Duke was so delighted with the sterling worth and honesty of the
boy, that he ordered him to be sent to school, kept there, and provided
for at his own expense."
Eton "Montem" was abolished this year. It was a triennial custom, and
had for its purpose the presentation of a sum of money to the Captain of
the school on his departure to the University. Every third year, on
Whitsun Tuesday, some of the Eton boys, clad in fancy costume (as is here
given from the Montem of 1844), went to Salt Hill, and the neighbourhood
generally, and levied contributions, or "Salt," from all passers-by. The
custom led to grave abuses, and the Provost and Head Master determined
that it should end, but, that the boy who benefited by it should not be a
loser, the latter, Dr. Hawtrey, gave him 200 pounds out of his own
pocket. The following is an account of the death and burial of Eton
"Montem":
"Tuesday, 25 May.--This being the day on which the triennial festival
of 'Montem' would have been celebrated at Eton and Salt Hill, had it
not been abolished by the Provost and the authorities of Eton,
considerable excitement prevailed in the vicinity of the College from
an early hour this morning, in consequence (from rumours which had
been in circulation for some time past) of its being apprehended that
some 'demonstration' would be made by the boys, assisted by several
old Etonians from Oxford and Cambridge (who are strongly opposed to
the abolition of the ceremony), which might lead to a breach of the
peace. With the exception of about a thousand small squares of glass
being demolished in the vicinity of the lower school, and similar
breakages, but to a much smaller extent, at the houses of parties who
were supposed to be in favour of the determination which had been
come to by the Provost, we have heard of no demonstration of a
riotous character on the part of the boys. This being a 'whole
holiday,' several of the head boys had permission to proceed in
boats, up the Thames, for the day, as far as Cliefden. Between 100
and 200 have, also, left for the Whitsun holidays; thus thinning the
number remaining at College to a considerable extent.
[Picture: Dresses, Eton "Montem." 1844]
"As soon as 'absence' had been called by the head master, the Rev.
Dr. Hawtrey, shortly after 12 o'clock, the boys, numbering between
200 and 300, formed in procession in the playing fields, and marched
across the fields, preceded by a black flag, to the celebrated mount
at Salt Hill. They were joined by a great many of the old Etonians
from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, who arrived at Eton
this morning. Each wore, on his left arm, a band and rosette of
black crape, and many had white hatbands and scarves. As they were
seen wending their way towards Salt Hill, they had all the appearance
of mourners (merry though they might be) in a funeral procession.
Upon their arrival at the Mount, the black flag was waved in solemn
silence, and, afterwards, placed on the summit, drooping on the
ground, typical of the lost glories of Montem. The large party then
proceeded to Botham's, at the Windmill Hotel, whence, after partaking
of a luncheon, they again returned to the Mount, and, with the flag,
retraced their steps back to College.
"A match at cricket was played during the day, between the Oxonians
and the present Etonians, in the shooting fields attached to the
College. A splendid cold collation was provided, in the evening, for
the players, by Mr. Clarke, of the Christopher Inn. The waiters who
attended upon the guests were compelled to wear black crape around
their arms, 'in keeping,' as it was observed, 'with the solemnity of
the occasion.' Such were the fears entertained by some of the
College authorities that a disturbance might take place in the course
of the day, that a strong body of the Metropolitan A division of
police was stationed at Slough, in plain clothes (as we are
informed), to be in readiness to assist the local authorities, in the
event of their services being required, it being expected that a mob,
composed of the idle and lazy of the two towns, might, in the course
of the evening, show some disposition to create a disturbance. The
abolition of Montem is not only considered to be a most unpopular
proceeding on the part of the old and present Etonians; but, also, by
the tradesmen of Eton and Windsor, amongst the former of whom a large
sum of money was triennially circulated, both before and during the
festival."
_Punch_ has a lament on it, of which I reproduce three verses:
"Say, Hill of Salt, for thou hast seen
Full many a noble race
Do what might be considered mean
In any other case--
With cap in hand, and courtly leg,
Waylay the traveller, and beg;
Say, was it not a pleasing sight
Those young Etonians to behold,
For eleemosynary gold,
Arrest the passing wight.
Whilst some, of more excursive bent,
Their vagrant arts to ply,
To all the various places went,
That in the neighbourhood lie;
To Datchet, Slough, or Horton they,
Or e'en to Colnbrook, took their way,
Or ancient Windsor's regal town;
Stopp'd every body they could meet,
Knocked at each house, in every street,
In hopes of half a crown.
Gay clothes were theirs, by fancy made;
Some were as Romans drest,
Some in the Grecian garb array'd,
Some bore the knightly crest;
Theirs was attire of every hue,
Of every fashion, old, or new,
Various as Nathan's ample store.
Angelic beings! Ladies! say
Will ye let these things pass away?
Must Montem be no more?"
From this, to the Accession of the Queen, there is no more Gossip to
chronicle.
[Picture: Decorative picture of person with crown]
Footnotes:
{10} Then a very active M.P.; afterwards Judge in the Admiralty and
Probate Courts, Dean of Arches, &c.
{23} It is said that this was the last chime rung.
{27} Still in use on the Royal Exchange.
{81a} It is needless to say that the Queen's Speech to Parliament on 5th
Feb. was absolutely silent on the matter; indeed, the Queen did not
inform her Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne, of her choice until October of
this year.
{81b} Poems by the Lady Flora Hastings, edited by her sister.
Edinburgh, 1841, 8vo.
{84} The Queen's most intimate companion from her childhood.
{119a} This was preliminary, and was entitled "An Act for Exhibiting a
Bill in this present Parliament for naturalising His Serene Highness
Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha."
{119b} That of intermarriage with Protestants only.
{128} A private box, on the level of the stage, with which it
communicated.
{132} Three Chartist leaders, who were condemned to death on 16 Jan.,
1840, but were never executed, and subsequently pardoned.
{151} Handcuffs.
{156} The nautical way of writing "Oh, come to me."
_Printer's Devil_.
{159} He put up for election at the Senior United Service Club, was
balloted for on 6 June, 1840, when out of 194 balls, 166 were black.
{163} An action was brought against them at Reading, and on 24 Feb.,
1843, the jury found for the plaintiff against all the defendants, and
gave 1_s._ damages for the assault, and 55 pounds for the injury done to
the house and furniture.
{169a} It was held copyhold of the Queen, as Lord of the Manor.
{169b} Mr. Simpson had been a famous Master of the Ceremonies.
{170a} Ring Master at Astley's.
{170b} George Robins, a famous auctioneer.
{171} A famous Rope dancer.
{194} A well known nick-name for Lord Palmerston.
{279} From Moorgate Street 83 prospectuses, demanding 90,175,000 pounds,
were sent out. Gresham Street issued 20, requiring 17,580,000 pounds.
{310} The case of _Bunn v. Lind_ came on, in the Court of Queen's Bench,
on 22 Feb., 1848. Damages laid at 10,000 pounds. The jury found a
verdict for the plaintiff, and the case was ultimately settled by a
payment of 2,000 pounds.