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of the University of Cambridge during the late contest, and especially upon the ominous votes given in favour of the anti-reformers by a great majority of the clergy, points out the dangers which await the Church, should the Bishops in Parliament sanction and follow up the short-sighted policy of the subordinate members of the hierarchy. He next exposes, with peculiar astuteness and felicity, the subtle arts of opposition,' to which, he thinks, the factious nobles will have recourse, such as throwing out the Chancellor's law reforms, and all the minor measures brought forward by Government, in order, through such indirect and unworthy means, to undermine the progress of the Bill, before it reaches their House. He shews, in an unanswerable train of reasoning, that the Bill, instead of removing the land-marks of the constitution, as some of the enemy have contended, on the contrary, cleanses them from the rubbish which has too long encrusted them, and which has, for many years, kept out of sight the true and original boundaries. The author winds up his argument with a hint to the Lords, which, we trust, may not be lost upon them.

'Putting aside however, for the moment, the consideration of the consequences that may result from the successful opposition of the Lords to the Reform Bill, as regards the country, let us merely consider in what a position they would find themselves, with reference to the other House of Parliament, by pursuing such a line of conduct. It is now quite certain, that the House of Commons, which has just been chosen, is a reforming one in the most decided sense of that word. The members of it have been selected by the people, wherever the voice of that people has any weight in the Elections, for the sole purpose of supporting the Reform Bill. Their duty, therefore, to their constituents, is to use every means which may be legally within their power, to enable that Bill to pass into a law. Now, under these circumstances, if the Lords negative the Bill, it is quite obvious that the natural course which the Commons have to pursue, is to stop the public business, and refuse the supplies. Here, then, the Lords are at a dead lock-what are they to do? We will suppose, for argument's sake, that they succeed in turning out the present government or in disgusting them so, that they throw up their offices.-In come the feebles again-and if, under these perilous circumstances, the feebles dare to accept office, they have but one step to take, namely, to dissolve Parliament. We ask any calm and unprejudiced observer, what would be the result of such a proceeding? It is obvious it must be the returning of a House of Commons twice as reforming, and ten times as radical as the present. For if the country is, to a man, for Reform now, what will it be when irritated by further opposition-by the turning out of those ministers who had promised them the boon they so anxiously desire, and by the coming back of the rule of the feebles, which they so much abhor. Thus, then, the last state of the House of Lords would be worse than the first-they would find themselves equally without supplies, and without the means of carrying on the business of the country-and in a state of exasperated hostility with the people and their representatives.

"The present House of Commons is not likely to wish to injure, or trench upon, the privileges of the other House of Parliament; but this would VOL. II. (1831.) No. II.

X

probably not be the case with one summoned under the circumstances which we have imagined. In such a case, the war between the two Houses would be internecine; and if this were once commenced, it is not difficult to see which party would be victorious, especially where the one would be backed by the whole power of the people, and the other would have become suspected by it.

In the time of the civil war in England, we find it stated, that, in the year 1646,"The majorities of the House of Lords and Commons differed from each other upon almost every political topic; and it was only by the reluctant and ungracious yielding of the former, that public business was at all enabled to proceed."

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What was the consequence? We turn to another page of the same history, and we find, that, "On the 6th of February, 1649, it was voted, that the House of Peers in Parliament is useless, dangerous, and ought to be abolished.'"+ The misery and disturbances which followed these dissentions in the different branches of the Legislature are well known to all. Then came the iron rule of Cromwell-the merciless restoration— the tyranny and folly of the Stuart brothers-nor was England destined to enjoy tranquillity or happiness, till the period of the revolution at length gave her a constitution which had the support of the people as well as of the court.'-pp. 28-30.

At the same time that we cordially unite with the author of this clever brochure, in urging the Lords to consider well what they are about to do with respect to the Reform Bill, we must express our confident hope that they will act in the true spirit of Englishmen, and consult not their own individual interests on this occasion, but the interests of the country at large. We owe to the Barons of England, the Great Charter; we owe to them its preservation and observance during more than one stormy reign; we partly owe to one of their body, the rise of the House of Commons itself, and chiefly to them are we indebted for all the grand outlines of the revolution. The Peerage of England stands the first among the aristocracies of the world-at least it has hitherto occupied that position, from which it can only be cast down by its own folly, in resisting the spirit of the age, and the just wishes of the people.

NOTICES.

ART. XII.-Substance of several
courses of Lectures on Music,
read in the University of Oxford,
and in the Metropolis. By William
Crotch, Mus. Dr. &c., 8vo. pp.
175. London: 1831.
It seems a paradox, and yet it is
perfectly true to assert, that although

the taste for music is at present more generally spread, and infinitely more refined, in this country, than it had been at any former period, yet the art itself has been constantly on the decline. The witty earnestness with which Addison assailed the Italian opera, upon its introduction

* Hist. of the Commonwealth.

+ Ibid.

amongst us, is a decided proof of the very limited progress which the public taste for music had made in his day. So late even as the latter quarter of the eighteenth century, when the harpsichord and piano began to form requisites in good education, the most fashionable, indeed we might say, the only composers for those instruments, were persons whose works and names have already fallen into complete oblivion.-Who now, for instance, hears of the madrigals, and rondos, and sonatas of Eichner, Sterkel or Nicolai ? Boccherini, Haydn, Clementi, Han-, del, and finally, Beethoven and Mozart, gave a new impulse to music, and revived much of its ancient grandeur. Rossini has established a school of his own, which has for some time been rivalling that of Germany; between both, the public taste has continued to improve. Both are mingled at the Philharmonic concerts; the style peculiar to each, is taught at the Royal Academy; but from neither do we derive any additions to our church music, which is in a most deplorable condition.

It is in this department that we may most clearly perceive the decline, which has taken place in the science of sweet sound. 'As long,' says Dr. Crotch, as the pure sublime style, the style peculiarly suited to the church service, was chaunted, which was only to about the middle of the seventeenth century, we consider the ecclesiastical style to be in a state worthy of study and imitation,-in a state of perfection. But it has been gradually, though not imperceptibly, losing its character of sublimity ever since. Improvements have indeed been made in the contexture of the score, in the flow of melody, in the accentuation and expression of the words, in the

beauty of the solo, and the delicacy of the accompaniment. But these are not indications of the sublime. Church music is therefore on the decline. Sublimity is the highest walk of our art, as of every other. Our art is, therefore, on the decline! We regret to be obliged to add, that Dr. Crotch's lectures' are not likely to reform and exalt it. They are not at all popular in their character. They are calculated merely for the connoisseur or the professor, as they abound in details, which cannot be understood, or at least not relished, by any person who has not been initiated in the technical difficulties of the science.

ART. XIII.—A Descriptive and Historical Account of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. -By Joseph Kirwan, Civil Engineer. 8vo. pp. 32. London : Simpkin and Marshall. Glasgow: M Phun. 1831.

WE should by all means advise the traveller, who thinks of taking a trip on this celebrated railway, already admitted to be the wonder and greatest ornament of our country, to purchase Mr. Kirwan's pamphlet, before he gets into his seat. He will not have time, indeed, to read it all on the way, although it numbers only thirty-two pages, but he will derive much satisfaction from the accurate account which it contains of the construction of the road, the country on its borders, the engines, and other matters, upon which his curiosity will be, at the moment, strongly excited. From the most recent intelligence connected with this magnificent enterprise, it appears that it is going on most prosperously, and with the same astonishing success as at first;

that the locomotive engines continue to ply with unabated vigour and effect; that they make now, in all, four or five journeys, if not more, every day, from Liverpool to Manchester, and back again: that the journey is in general performed in two hours, and frequently less : and that even the mail itself is now conveyed on the railway, the guard merely taking his station with the bags, in the train of one of the engines, and thus, from three to four hours may be saved in the time of writing and receiving an answer between the two towns. Great quantities of cotton, cotton goods, coals, &c., are now conveyed in either direction, along the railway, and additional engines are only wanting to carry on a trade of ten times the extent.

ART. XIV.-The Laws relating to Benefit Societies and Saving Banks. 12mo. pp. 98. London : Washbourne. 1831.

If it were intended, by the publication of this little work, forming the fourth number of the " Familiar Law Adviser," to make every man his own Lawyer, we should look upon it as a very mischievous production. We are confident that no greater injury could be inflicted upon a tradesman, be he engaged in limited or extensive business, than to place abstracts of statutes, or commentaries upon them, in his hands, at the same time recommending him to confide in his own judgment for the correctness of his interpretation of the Law. Such a course as this would, in all probability, lead him into perpetual and expensive litigation, and would teach him, perhaps too late, that besides the statutes, there is what is commonly

called a judge-made law in this country, to be found in decided cases, which cases generally govern the Courts of Law and Equity, in the construction of acts of the Legislature. But if the number before us, together with those that have preceded and are to follow it, be intended to instil into the minds of the tradesman and the mechanic, the great practical principles of prudence and caution in his dealings, and in the management of his property, which we believe to be the real object of this "Familiar Adviser," then we must award it our continued praise. When When a plain man reads here, for instance, the Abstract of the 10th of George IV., being an Act to consolidate and amend the Laws relating to Friendly Societies, he may not possibly understand all its provisions. But he will learn that some regulations are to be observed, in order to entitle any society of that kind of which he chooses to become a member, to the protection of the law, and he will not endanger his money unless he be satisfied, upon enquiry, that the proper steps have been taken for that purpose. The Abstract of the Law of Savings Banks, which is presented to him in this work, will also set him about asking proper and necessary questions of the officers of those institutions, before he deposits his cash in their keeping. In this point of view, as a friendly monitor, not as a final director, we have no hesitation in sanctioning this work by our approval. An ample table of contents precedes a clear and concise Abstract of each Statute, and schedules are given at the end, containing such forms for orders, declarations, bonds, awards, and any other matters of that description, which the law may prescribe.

ART. XV.-Five Years of Youth; or, Sense and Sentiment.-By Harriet Martineau. 12mo, pp. 264. London: Harvey and Darton. 1831.

THOUGH Somewhat evangelical, and rather too exclusive in her religious notions, Miss Martineau has displayed in this production considerable knowledge of the world. It is a tale of two sisters, one of whom is governed in all her actions by the suggestions of good sense, while the other yields as often to the temptations of sentiment and ambition, hoping to become the most brilliant of her sex. They are led by the author through a variety of incidents, well calculated to engage the attention of youthful minds, and to exhibit the effect, so far as happiness is concerned, of the two guiding qualities which are thus placed in contrast. Other instructors have confined their lessons to delineations of character, formed by ordinary influences; Miss Martineau has developed the virtues of every-day use, by means of circumstances out of the ordinary, though not beyond the probable, course of things, under the impression that the young mind should be prepared, as far as possible, for the latter class of occurrences in life, as well as for the former. In this design she has, in our opinion, suceeeded. Her story is charmingly written; full of practical wisdom, and sound morality.

ART. XVI.-The Herschelian Companion to the Telescope. Part 1. Orionis and Leporis. Folio. London: Longman and Co

1830.

THIS publication is described in a prodigiously crowded title-page, as intended to consist of a series of

separate projections of small zones in the heavens, containing the whole of the 848 double and other compound stars, and 2,500 Nebulæ, and clusters of stars, from the ca

talogue of Sir W. Herschell; toge

with 103 Nebula from the observations of Messier, and the remainder of the stars to the 8th magnitude (inclusive) visible in the latitude of London, as laid down in Bode's Atlas, Berlin, 1801. The maps are to be accompanied by a set of tables for each projection, containing Sir W. Herschell's descriptive particulars and general observations upon the above celestial phenomena, and by extracts from his various communications to the Royal Society, relative to Astronomy in general, and especially to the Telescope. Looking to the contents of this first part, in which a map is given of the stars in Orion, and the Hare, with explanations which render it intelligible to the meanest capacity, we must say that the public is deeply indebted to Sir W. Herschell, and to his assistant, Mr. Holland, for the plan and the excution of a work of so much utility. We have never seen any scheme for rendering the astronomical student conversant with the positions of the stars, which deserves to be compared with this, for simplicity, accuracy, and clearness. If the science has never been popular in this or any other country, we must attribute the fact to the numerous difficulties that have hitherto beset the different systems upon which it has been taught-difficulties chiefly arising out of the countless numbers of the stars, and the want of good maps by which their locality might be at once ascertained. With a tolerable telescope in our hand, and this Herschelian companion by our side, we may henceforth acquaint ourselves with

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