a lesson in a more impressive tone and with a

sterner monition. for carrying out the Metropolitan Interment Act as a whole were pursued with activity : negotiations were instituted to buy up ex- MOVEMENT WITHOUT MOTIVE. isting cemeteries ; new sites were examined,—investigation favour- ing the Abbey Wood estate at Erith ; and the sanction of the Tree- sury was invited for the purchase of the Metropolitan cemeteries. At the beginning of the present year, however, all these activi- birth to some new " movement." This week we have Lord Shaftes- were dashed with cold water. On the 23d of January, a letter bury's new movement against the Maynooth grant; a sequel to the Anti-Papal-aggression movement. Having been for some years was received from the Treasury, calling in question the accuracy of the Board's estimates, and advising the Board to purchase, for ion. Next week the time, only one or two of the existing cemeteries.* From this time the Board. and the Treasury are seen in an antagonism, corn- we are to have the new Manchester Reform movement, in addition be mencing with the Treasury, and veiled at first, but growing more positive as time advances. The Board of Health proceeds with its ward, or not going at all, as the case may be. The uninitiated Preparations and arrangements, defending itself as it best can, might have thought that the process of moving might get on better wit areuments, with new devices, and with persevering efforts to if Manchester had lent its strength to some movement already in take advantage of every opening against the obstructiveness of the motion, or about to be in motion. But perhaps that was not the Treasury. The struggling Board presents a spectacle like that of object If it had been, Manchester might have had an extensive a brave ship in the Arctic regions, endeavouring to push forward choice out of all the Reform movements in existence or in eontem- amidst the ice that s closing around it,—the fitful, drifting, iinin- archetypal idea still grandly lurkino. in Lord John Russell's mind : telligent element, conquering at last by its frozen inertness. The Treasury changes its plan of obstructive attack. On the 22d of January, it advises the purchase of only two cemeteries; in Febru-

ward and uncertain stream. ary it sanctions negotiations for the purchase of all existing come- These might be enough of movements for one day ; but when

terms, at the option of the proprietors ; in March, it informs the you look forth into the outward world, the brain turns dizzy with Board, through Lord Ashley, that it will give at once a general the numberless little eddies that are stirring up the so-called stag- power to purchase the cemeteries under the Land Clauses Consoli- nant pool of politics, and not always with the most fragrant re- power Act ; a few days later, it sanctions the compulsory purchase sults. Can we forget the Freehold Land movement, which has the special advantage of Mr. Cobden's patronage ? Your political of all the cemeteries successively, according to a plan set forth by managers, like their theatrical brethren, much trust in stars ; and the Board of Health. Subsequently, questions arise respecting the means of purchase, and we see the Board, under the sanction of the the modest movement for buying up the freehold franchise, with Treasury, go begging to insurance companies, and to the Bank of all the modern improvements and facilities of commerce, has an undoubted advantage in being the one to which Mr. Cobden, after England, to obtain an advance. Objections to this course arise on his practical experiments, financial, Hungarian, Parliamentary, liamentary, the part of an insurance company, that the temporary tenure of the &c., finds his sagacity and prudence warranted in trusting him- Board itself offered no security that the lender would ultimately self. Then there is the Kossuth Fund movement, which, by the find its debtor in existence : boththe Company and the Board are help of new blood, and the emulative example of Birmingham, is struck with the fact that the public interment officers would be left beginning to move. without any assured income, while rival cemeteries are suffered to these movements—the Aborigines But we must not dwell all remain open, free to use the lower kinds of trading competition: and a still greater objection presses upon the Board, in the fact movement, the Socialist, Cooperative, Communist, or Associative that the money to be raised by loan would bear a higher interest

movement, the Agricultural Protection movement, the Catholic De- than it would if it were advanced by the Government itself on ce Ex-

chequer bills. But the Treasury is obdurately deaf to represent- Douglas Jerrold's Present-of-Shakspere-to-Xossuth movement, the ations of the kind. On the 18th of July, Mr. Cornewall Lewis expresses the feelings of the supreme department in this strain.

I am to acquaint you, that my Lords gave their sanction to entering into Anti-State-Church movement, the Sanitary Reform movement, the proceedings with a view to acquiring these cemeteries, in the full belief that Wesleyan Reform movement, the Church Union movement, the you would have no difficulty in obtaining the required sum for this purpose: Public Education movement, the Manchester Education move- a distinct assurance to that effect is given in your letters of the 28th April meat, the Street Orderly movement, the Extension of Municipalities and the 5th of May last. to all London movement, the Anti-Truck movement, the Emanci- " My Lords cannot but regret that any erroneous expectation should have existed on this matter, as the position in which you are now placed with re- spect of the Jews (City of London) movement, Emancipation spect to the parties with whom you have commenced negotiations for the of the Jews (J. Russell's) movement, the Street Shoe-black (C. acquisition of cemeteries, arises entirely from your having entered into Cochrane's) movement, the— communication with the parties for this purpose befoie you were well assured But we must abstain from attempting to compile a directory of of the certainty of obtaining the money. these national institutions. It is already evident that we have "My Lords are not prepared to apply to Parliament in order to authorize

an issue of Exchequer hills for this purpose.

"Under these circumstances, my Lords desire that no further notices may stagnation. be given to any other cemeteries, or any further proceedings taken by which [By the by, we had forgotten the Peace movement ; which must the liability of your Board may be increased, without the previond sanction not be omitted. There was once, too, a Complete Suffrage move- of this Board." meat : can anybody tell what has become of that ? Is it dead, From this point, it may be said, the Treasury shows an undis-

merged, transmuted, going on, or what ?] guised satisfaction at the difficulties of the Board of Health. In

Wood Estate." Printed pursuant to an order of 'the House of Lords, dated 4th August 1831..-

the Government in many of its proceedings to an offence known among lawyers before the bar existed in its present form ; it was called " pra3varication," and consisted in adopting the advocacy of a cause in order to defeat it. Amongst us, at the present day, the offence is known only on the turf and in official circles ; but on the turf, a trainer or a jockey cannot withstand the disgrace if he be detected. The proceedings that we have been narrating are a capital sample of the manoeuvre as it is practised among official gentry. Some time ago there existed a body called the Sanitary Association, which urged upon the Government, with much public concurrence, various measures for the improvement of the general health. As this body proceeded, it grew too strong for official re- sistance ; but the Government then resorted to its last cruel resource—it adopted the Sanitary Association. Like the heroes of old, the leading members of the Sanitary Association were trans- lated to the official heaven, were formed into the constellation called " the General Board of Health," and have ever since been imprisoned in the splendid galaxy of fixed stars. As the body was treated, so have the measures been ; and by the plan of adoption, an indefinite time has been gained for the reluctant officials; so that even yet they are not threatened with final execution in the matter of drainage, or of water-supply, or of extramural interments. The cause has beengained to the adversary by prievarication ; the horse entrain- ing has fallen lame; the race has not been to the strongest steed ; the extramural interment scheme has been buried in the Metropolitan Interments Act. The adopted _child was treated like a changeling —the Board of Health is the Cinderella among the Government progeny of " Boards." Its diligence is rewarded by an unbroken series of thwarting and disparagement. The spirit in which it is regarded by officials of a more orthodox inactivity is exhibited in two characteristic traits. In February last, Lord Seymour, who had been set by the Government to preside over the Board, writes thus, in angry mood, from the disturbed quietude of the Woods and Forests : he had previously endeavoured to arrest proceedings at the Board, but could not even find a seconder.

" Office of Woods, &c. Monday, 17th February 1851. "Sir—Having read the letter of the Treasury dated the 13th of February, respecting the purchase of the cemeteries, and seen a copy of the answer pro- posed to be sent by the Board of Health, I wish to record my disapproval of that answer.

aWithout again referring to the reasons on which tho opinion of the Board of Health was founded, I would suggest that after having already stated their views at some length in two letters to the Treasury, another repetition of their views is unnecessary.

" The Treasury have refused to sanction the scheme proposed by the Board of Health ; and since upon this point authority is given to the Treasury by act of Parliament, it appears to me that the Board of Health, after having fully stated their opinion, should submit to the decision of the Treasury. " The course now proposed to be adopted by the Board of Health, in again arguing with the Treasury, instead of acting as they are required, would, if it were copied by other departments which are similarly subordinate to the Treasury, obviously render all the machinery of the Executive Govern- ment inoperative. "I am desirous that whenever the letter of which I have seen a copy shall be sent to the Treasury, a copy of this letter, or some other distinct expression of my dissent, should accompany it.

"(Signed) I am, &e. SEYMOUR."

The Genius of the Woods and Forests cries out against the dis- turbers of its quietude.

"The moping owl does to the moon complain

Of such as, wandering near her secret bower, Molest her ancient solitary reign."

The second trait of official superciliousness was exhibited when a deputation from the Sanitary Reformers went up to the Trea- sury, this week ; the report forming a kind of supplement to the blue book. When Mr. Walsh, a member of the deputation, ob- jected that " there was a difficulty in borrowing, for want of permanence in the Board of Health," the Chancellor of the Ex- chequer observed, that " that might be cured" : if so, why was it not cured a year ago ? It is evident that Ministers are sys- tematically trifling with the whole subject; which is now, as Lord John says, deferred to the modern Greek kalends —" next session." It is evident that the Government is opposed to the Board of Health and its plans generally. Ministers should have maintained their resistance to the Sanitary Association and the institution of the Board : too pusillanimous for such a course, they have used their best endeavours to defeat the sanitary scheme by converting it into an organized wrangle, a hope deferred, a humbug.