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LOL LOLOL LOLOL OL O

THE BIRTH OF THE YEAR.

BY FREDERICK TENNYSON.

Let us speak low, the Infant is asleep, Thé frosty hills grow sharp, the day is noar, And Phosper with his taper comes to peep Tato the cradle of the new born year; Hush! the infant is asleep; Monarch of the Day and Night, Whisper, yet it is not light, The isfant is asleep.

Those arms shall erush great eerpents ere to-morrow, His closed eyes shall wake tolsugh and weep;

His lips sha!) cur! with mirth and wreathe with sorrow, And charm up Truth and Beauty from the deep; Boftly, softiy, let ua keep

CHARLOT’

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\certain lines in the Dernier Chant du ;elvinage d’ Harold — one of Lamartine’s poems. The lines bitterly lamented the

~-idegeneracy of the Italians. The Colonel read the offensive | took ns notice of these awkward revelations.

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reTOWN, PRINCE EDWARD IS

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Cis ts trae Liberty, when Free-born len, having ty advise the Public, man speak free——eurPwes

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“papers were discovered letters from active partisans both in Ireland and Scotland; but the English government wisely

Hud they done

| passawe, vnd demanded the poet to effice them, or he wou!ld,so, maay men of high rank and great influence would have

| himse!f efface them with hissword. The author ealmly re-

isponded: “ [sometimes yield to a prayer, but never toa! They fought in the very garden of the Embassy, |

i threat.” and Lamartine received a wound so grave that he was for some weeks between Jife and death.

Lamartine is now over sixty yearsofage. He is tall, erect and thin; has large hands and feet; large hones, a large ! two-story head, an ample, noble forelead; looks somewhat gaunt and toilworn; there is in his face poetic sublimity rather than keen intelleetaality; speaks with a slightly plaintive, slightly hollow, deeply musical, sonorous voice ; smiles benignly, courteously, gravely, almost majestivally, upon his company; talks just as ke writes—eloquently, coptously, easi!y,—se'z nz pleasautly upon passing incidents, lis'ening rather graciously, and returning every man’s thought | to him better said; takes praise as a matter of course, and |

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- Our vigi's! visions cross bis rest, Prophetic pulses stir Lis breazt, Aithough he is asicep.

Nov Life and Death arm'd in his presence wait, Genii with lamps are standing at his door; . Ob, he shall sing sweet songs, he shall relate | Wonder, and glory, and hopes untold before, | Murmur memories that may creep Into his ears, of old sublime; Yet the youngest born of Tiuzo i Hear music in bis sleep. Quickly be shall awake, the Bast is bright, And the bet glow of the unrisen sun | Hath kissed his brow with promise of its light, His clieek is red with victory to be won. Quickly ehall oar King awake, Btrong as giants and arise; Sager than the old and wise The infant shal! awake.

His childhood shali be froward, wild and thwart; His gladness fitful and his anger blind; But tender spirits shal o’ertake his heart,

Sweet tears and golden moments, bland and kind. He shall give delight, and take, | Charm, enchant, dismay, and soothe; Raise the dead, aud touch with youth; . J } Uh, sing that he may wake! * . . . ** i Where is the sword to gird upea his thigh? Where is his armor and his laurel crown? Four he shall be a conquerer ere he die, Stir wie bi kinedoms wider than hie own, Like the earthquake be shail shake ! 5 Then build them stronger, piie them higher,

Cities duwn, and waste like Gre;

When be shall awake. }

} sed In the dark spheres of his unclosed eyes,

| polities,

open heart, and opea mouth, have blessed bungry multitudes,

returus it out of pure good humour. He is rather negligent |

ia his breeches pocket and hold up his right hand with the| was enexpectedly called upon to respond to a deputation of| Kreemasous. He spied on their flag ihe words Liberte, Eegalite, Fraternite, and, taking those as the key note, im- provised a pieee of music as ravishing as a hymn of Pergoiese. So at his own fire-side, a word will set him going. I was at his heuse one evening when a well known journalist entered. ‘There comes the news,” said Lamartine, and talked half an 1owr upon the present state of Murope, delighting everybody. The private life of Lamartine has been worthy of al! praise. If he has been vain enough among men, he has been humble befure God. He has been a spiritualist in literature as M. Cousin has been a spiritualist in philosophy. As we have seen, he has been generous even to prodigality, Like a true poet, he clothes everything with his imagination and fancy ; | hence he has been practical in nothing — least of all in Speaking from the heart'to the heart, he has been able to move men, but has not had the wisdom to devise plaus for their guidance in every day life. His open purse,

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while no ove had cause to complain of his hatred. Sptritwelle beautics, the worthy descendants of those that once reigned in the Hotel de Rambouillet, have complained that he is a Plato who does not poople the Ropudltic. To's, as marters | gO, espesialiy at Paris, is no small praise. Taings look pro-| m'sing, and we hope the day bas already dawned when the priests of literature are to be also priests cf God, instead. of} priests of Satan; when the muses are to encourage souls | towards Heaven, instead of luring theartowards perdition. — |

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HENRY THE NINTH OF BNGLAND.

A eovvezpén lent writing about a king who coe3 not appear | in the bistory of Kaglaud, announces that he possesses a medal | beaitng the representation in bold relief ofa head, apparently | that of an ecclesiastic, the circumscription being—* HEN. IX. |

MAG. BRIT, FR. EY. MIB. REX. PED. DEF. CaKD.” Qn the re-!

is been brought to a severe aceount.—-Household Words.

nt a « Bint

FERDINAND AND ISABELLA.

The following spirited sketch of these Spanish sovereigns, whose reign has be-n immortalized by the genius of Prescott, we take from Lamartine’s “ Memoirs of Celebrated Charac- ters,” a work recently translated and published in this eountry : “ Nature seems to have endowed them with beauty, quality and excellencivs of mind aud body differeut, but nearly equal, as if one Was intended to supply what was waating in the other for the couquests, the civilization and prosperity which were iu store for them. Ferdinand, a ljitle older than Isabella, was a skilful warrior and a consummate politician. Befove the age when sad experience is teaching others to understand men, he could see through them. His only defect was a certain coldness aud suspicion, arising from mistrust, and

lin dress, loves to sit ina sloping posture, to put his left hand | closing the heart to enthusiasm and magaanimity. But these

two virtues, on which he was to some extent wanting, were

jthumb alone extended. One day at the Hotel de Viile he supplied to his councils by the tenderness and genius of the

full-hearied Isabella. Young, beautiful, admired of all, ade-red by him, well educated plous without superstition, eloquent, full of enthusiasm for great achievements, of adii- ration of great men, of faith in great ideas, she stamped on the mind and policy of Ferdinand the heroism which springs from the heart, and the live of the marvellous which. arises from the imagination. She inspired—he executed. The one found her reward in the fame of her husband; the other, his glory in the affection of his wife. This double reign, destined to become of almost fabulous import in the annals of Spain, only awaited, in order to immortalize itself among all reigns, the arrival of the destitute foreigner of Genoa, who came to beg admittance within the palace of Cordova, with the letter of a pour friarin hishand. * * * Ferdinand listened to Columbus with attention, Isabella with enthusiasm. vom his first look and his first tones, she felt for this mé&- senger of God an admiration amounting to fanaticism—an attraction which partook of affection. Natute had given to Columbus the personal recommendations which fascinate the eye, as well as the eloquence which persuades the mind. It might have been supposed that he was destined to have -for his first apostle a queen, and that the truth with which he was to enrich his age, was to be first reecived and fostered in the heart ofa woman. Isabella was that woman. Her con-

istancy in favor of Columbus never wavered before the in-

differeace of ber court, before his enemies, or his reverses. She betieved in him from the day she first saw himn—she was his pioselyte ou the throue, and his friend even to the grave.”

— «4 —pee » —

Erom the Montreal. Gazette. PROHIBITORY LIQUOR LAW.

We publish to-day a letter on the working of the Maine Law in Maine, from the special Correspondent of the Toronto

| ** Leader.” The facts stated we coumend to the consideration

of the advoeates of the Miine Law in this Provinee. We

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The sheeted iightnings lie, and clouded stars, That shall glance softly, a3 in summer skics,

Or stream o’er thirsty deserts, winged with wars;

Vor in the pause of dread hours

Me shall fling bis armor off,

verse is a large cross supported by the Virgin; a lion sorrow- | ‘fully erouches at her feet, with eyes directed as it seems to the crown of Britain, lying on the ground,, Behind to the right, isa bridge, backed by hills and Cathedial, probably | ssisfied of his impartiality. His statements are at least (Si. Peter's at Reme. On this side the inscription is, “ NON.| cueceptibleof easy refutation if untrue, and if the advocates | DESIDERIT. HOMINUM. SND. VOLVNTATE. DET. AN. MBCCLXXVIIT.” | o¢ the Maine Law are not prepared to accept the consequences

lare intimately acquainted with the writer, and believe bis statements may be relied on. We are aware that he weut specially to make inquires On the subject, and are perfectly

And like a reveller sing und laugh, And daace in ladies’ bowers.

Oft times in hie Midsummer he shal! turn "To look on the dead blooms with weeping cycs; O’er ashes of frail Beauty stand and mourn, And itiss the bier of stricken Hope with sighs. Of+ times like ight of onward seas, Ile shal! hail great days to come, Or hear the first dread note of doom, Like the torrent on the breeze.

Nis manhood shall be blissful aud sublime, With ctormy sorrows, and severest pleasures, And his crown’d age upon ihe top of Tine, Shall throne him great in glories rich in treasures. The sun is up, the day is breaking, bing ye sweetly—draw anear, ‘Immortal be the new born year, "And blessed be its waking.

a id a id >

LAMARTINE.

Lamartine js now dependent upon his pen for his daily ‘bread —and his daily. charity. He writes an incredible |

The wanner in which this medal came into the possession of au Englishuan was somewhat singular, At the time when | an English army was serving in the Calabrias, and assisting Ferdiuand the Fourth of Spain against Bonaparte, a British officer happened to get separated from bis regiment, and, while wandering near Canne in Basilicata, in dread of immediate capture (since he was in the rear of Masseva’s lines), he sought protection at a handsome villa by the roadside. He was hospitubly received by a venerable mau, who proved to bea Cardinal. Tue curiosity of the refugee being excited by the interest which the Lialiaa dignity appeared totake in the wellfare of the British, he ventured to demand whom he might have the pleasure of addressing ; the reply was simply « Your King!’ When the officer had recovered from his surprise, the Cardinal presente] him the medal; and from him it came to the writer. Lt was one of those struck upon the death of Prince Cuarles, to commemorate the imaginary gaccssion to the crown of Eagland of Henry Stuart, the Car- dinal Duke of York, in whom the direct line of the Stuart race terminated; and who uow sheltered the fugitive soldier. lt is well known that this prelate was, until the day of his death, the seeret idol of many in whon the last hopes for the restoration of the kingdow of Great Britain to the family of the Stuarts were centred. He was the second son of the Pretender, and was born at Rome on the 26th of March,

“quantity, and reeeives for his writings inered ble suns. He | 1725. When twenty years of age, in the much ce'edraied “writes, too, with ineredible swiftaess. The editor of a jour-|s forty-five,” he went to France for the parpose of heading ‘ ~ wr - ‘ ° * j e : a" : balan Set : > ‘nal went to him one day to obtain an extract from the Giron- | 15,000 Brench infautry, which assembied at Daukirk to invade

dins. Nothing was ready, and he wrote enough to make | ‘three columns, in a half hour, while talking with the editor. “He improves always, and his histories are chiefly valuable | for the music in them. In Raphael, Genevieve. Tousaint- Louverture, the Histoire de ta Restauration, the Constitu- | ents, in every thing, it is the voice of the poet that we love to hear. He ennobles us, and we love him so much that we

tngiand, and re-establish the Stuarts ow the throne. But, alter the battle of Culioden, the contemplated invasion of | Kogland was abandoned. Henry retraced his steps to Rome, |

‘and took orders, and seemed to have Jaid aside all worldly |

vews. His advancement in the Church was rapid, for, in 1747, he was made cardinul by Pope Bevedict thy Four. | teeut. He lived in. tranquility at Rome for neavly fifty

only laugh at the critics when they demonstrate to us the | years; but in 1798, when French bayonets drove Pope Pius

worthlessness of his history. A poet has just as much right to choose the Ottoman Empire as a flower-bed for his theme, provided in treating it he reveals to us something of the true, the beautiful, and the good. ’ The vanity of M. de Lamartine is as sublime as his nature! Tis vanity, like his nature again, is kindly. If he loves to reccive extravagant praise, he also takes picasure in bestow- ing it. A young lady suid to him one evening during the reign of democracy, “ You are xbout to be mude President of the Rupublic.” «* No,” he responded, that belongs to Victor Hugo, I shall be President of the Universa! Republic.” The large-headed egotist saw, in his splendid dream, all Europe united in one Republic, avd himself beaignly guiding its destiny. Would that the ambitious never dreamed worse dreams! “ His vanity, too, has been kindled with tue most extravagant praise. One of the most beautiful women of Paris cried out, kizsitig bis hand ?—*“ Franklin said te Vol- tuire, God and Liberty; [ say God and Lamartine.” Let no man declare that his head is not to be turned, until be hus frequented the salois of ihe Faubourg St. Germain. Barve, too, is Lamartine, as well as genexots, laborious, and vain. Real courade alone enabled him to face the en-

: ee at the Hotel de es eat was Charge 2’,

at Florence, an Italian Colonel abrabtly entered his

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now days of want; bis only means of subsistence being the produce of a few articles of silyer plate which he had snatched from the ruin of his property. Infirm in heal:h, a houseless, almost penniless waiderer (Napoledi having’ robbed ‘him of

seek refuge in forgotten obscurity. George, the Third was informed. of the Cardinal Duke's poverty and pitiable situation by the kindly interference of Sir John Cox Hippesley. It is said that the king was much ‘moved by the distressing recital ; and in 1800 Lord Minto was ordered to makea remittance of two thousard pounds, with an, intimation that the Cardi-

lof them, we trust that in the place of frothy and worthless

declumation, they will shew us in a legitimate manner wherein the error consists. We are opposed to the principle of the Maine Law, but we are ready to give all due consideration to any facts that may be. urged in its favor.

Assuming the statements of the Correspondent of the Leader to be true, which we shall do until they are con- troverted, we would put this question to the advocates of prohibitory liquor laws: Whether it is worth while to make levislative enactments that will be cerjain to fail of their ourpose, and not only that, but encourage systemat'zed wreaking of the law as well as perjury? We hold it to be an unsound principle of iegislation to evact Jaws that will not command couinon respect. Wilfully to break laws is a crime and a sin in morals, and the state by the making of bad laws should not hold out temptation for the commission of cither; or it woald create worse evils than those sought to be removed,

THE “MAINE LAW” IN MAINE. From the Special Correspondent of the Leader at Portland. Porrtanp, Marve, December, 1854.

The State of Maine, and especially the city of Portland, are on al occasions quoted as examples of the successful working of a law designed to put an end to the manutacture, sile, and use of’ spirits, Wines, porter, beer, and whatever else, used as a beverage in other places, is capable of pro- ducing intoxication. Whenever, beyond the limits of this State, a doubt is expressed about the efficacy of such a law, a large class of persons deem it a sufficieut reply to refer to the State of Maine, as an example. regarded as, presenting the most triumphant example of the working of what is called the principle of prohibition, so Portiaud is usually! looked upon as the city of all others,

the Sixth from the po itifical chair, Heury Stuart fled from/ where the greatest degree of success has been obtained. his splendid residence at Rome and Frascati. Hisdays were Thero are those who claim for Portland the honour of in-

venting a legal restraint, amounting to prohibition, upon the use of beverages which, used in excess, contain the power of producing intoxication. Such a claim argues a remarkable unacquaintance with notorious facts, ‘The eolony of Georgia

his estates), Jac cidea¥eured, at the age of seventy-three, to | prohibited the introduction of spirits; and the law remained

‘in force two years, when, being found totally inefficient, it was repealed. But not only does Muine claim the honor of this invention ; there lives in Portland a gentleman, named Neal Dow, who claims the scheme for prohibiting the sale of liquors, wines, porter, and ale, as an invention of his own. He claims to have set on foot the trovement that resu'ted in

inal might draw for two thousand pounds more in the follow- ing July. It was also ma Jar annuity of £400 was at his service, so long as his eiréumstances required it, ’ He was spared seven yours to enjoy thts maai- ficent pension, and died at Rome in LSv7, in the £3d year of his age. He. wag buried betwen his fether and brother at Frascati. ~ His tomb, sculptured by Ganova, bears as inscrip- tion the name of Héary the Ninth. The Cardinal Dake, down to the very day of his death, although in the receipt of

with several noblemen, who sti

room one morning, and Jewanded whether he Lad written | him upon the throne of Great Britain, "Among th

indulged the hope of plicing the Cardinal

a ificout pension from: Haglan. was in communication;

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the enactment of the Maine anti-liquor law aad its subsequent

tude known to the Carditial that an4adoption, with some modifications, in Massachusetts, Vermont,

oo tieat, and Miebigan. This claim. has never been ‘nouly. d-apated ; but T understand that a lawyer, who now -yesidés in Cincinatti, does contest it and contends that it is ‘his thunder which is so boastfully used by Mr. Dow. Be ‘this as it may, no one doubts that in Portland, above ail ees places, the greatest exertion bas been used to carry

As Maine is generally

out the law ia that stringent and restrictive spirit ia which | of li uor showed, the worst results; about inety persons or it }was enactéd. No one cobtends that better examples of its | nearly an average of three @ day he isan charged

working can be found than in the city of Portland. Iu fact, | thatoiience. It isa i wueuever an ezample of the success of the law ig attempted | porsons take greater care:

A WEEKLY JOURNAL OF POLITICS, LITERATURE AND NEWS,

SES

' [EDITOR anv PUBLISHER

Here the modern system of prohibiting the sale of ex- hilarating beverages claims to have been invented. Here it was born, cradled and nurtured under the anxious, watehful eye of the far-famed Neal Dow. Here the parent still lives to watch over the progress of his offspring. Here, whe the “Maine Law” is the dividing line between political parties ; where mayors are elected or rejected in reference to the opinions they hold on this subject ; here of all the places in the world do prohibitionjsts look fur facts to establish the practicability of their theory. The prohibitionist literature of the United States and Canada inculcates the idea that there, if no where else, the success of tie law is beyond a doubt. Mr. Dow has himself visited your city to assure you of the success of the scheme of prohibition in Maine; of its superabundant success in Portland. Who that heard him in St. Lawrence Hall does not remember the tone of confident enthusiasm in which be announced the success of prohibition in Portland. It is equally true that these confident state- ments have not been allowed to pass without question.

In this state of the coutreverss, nothing but an appeal to . undeniable facts will or ought to have wcight with the public. The prohibitionist leagues have confined thei literary efforts to the production of self-laudatory rhetorie and abstract arguments. They have either eschewed or misrepreseated the actual working of the law. Tie Canadian Legislature has affirmed the principle of prohibition, without enquiry into the success of the examples they are copying; aud although a Committee of Temperance was appointed, it was not in- structed to enquire into the working of the law in these States, and especially in the State of Maine. In this state of the case wheu the Legislature is groping i:s way in tbe dark, the public has no source of information on which it can rely, but an impartial press that will collect and represent the facts in their true light, without the bias of prejudice one way or the other.

If there is one fact which is more than <li othors uni- versally admitted, it is the great evil arising from exsess ia the use of intoxicating beverages. To that abuse we owe the greater portion of the crimes that afflict socicty and dis- grace and degrade individuals; and every one admits that if this cause could be removed the resulting crimes would cease.

When I have heard the success of prohibition in Maino, and especially in its chief city of Portland, affirmed, I have always felt a strong desire to sce the assertion corroborated by a corresponding condition of crimina] statistics. If the prokibitory law really secured the object of its enactment— the suppression of the manufacture, sale and use of spirits, wiites, porter and ale, the criminal statisties ought to exhibit a resulting decline. If they do, the best possible evidence of the practical success of the law would be given. If they du not, then all the rhetoric in the world will not suffice to dis- guise the failure of prohibition, ‘To this infallible test, then, i resolved to appeal ; and the result is of the most astounding character. That there might be no possible room to cavil about the accuracy of the statistics, I resolyed to search the records of the courts in order, to note the fluctuations of crime since the celebrated “« Maine Law” weut inio operation, in July, 1851, For judicial purposes, the city of Portland is united with the county of Cumberland: one municipal court serves the joint purposesof both. From the ofiieial records of that court I obtained the following statistics; showing the number of persons annually charged with crimes and offences from the year previous to the enactment of the “ Maine Law” to the 2ist of this month, the day on which I examined the judicial records :

No. of persons charged with Years, crimes and offences, 1850 (the year before the law passed) - 495 1851 (Law in force from July) - - 523 1852 - * dtr - - 642 1893 : - - - *olui° G27 1854 (to Dec. 21) 45 . + - - - 734 Thus, then, the number of persons charged with crimes and offeuces, in the city of Portland and the county of Cuimber- land is situated, rose from 495, in 1850, the year before tha law went into operation, to 734, on the 21st December, 1854, when the year had temgays torran, The law pro- hibiting the manufacture aad sale of intoxicating liquors haa been three and a-balf years in operation; and the progress of crime so far from being arrested has gone. on increasing ina geometrical ratio, having far outstripped that of the population. In 1850, Portland contained 20,000 inhabitants ; in 1854 it has 25,000; showing an increase ef tweuty-five per centin four years. The increase of crime, in the samo period, has been nearly fifty per cent. But it may be said, there may be some other explanation of these astounding figures: that these ciimes do not necessarily argue the ex- istence of drunkenness ; but that they may have occurred in spite of the forced bat exemplary sobriety of the people. This theory, however, does not rest upon facts. The judicial records show that somehow men do dvink to excess {in thy model city of forced abstemiousness ; that in the police office charges of drunkenness are daily preferred ; and what is more extraordinary still that the number of persons charged with this offence in 1854 %s greater than it was the year before the prohibitory lar was enacted. On this point also 1 examined the judicial records before quoted; with the ‘following result. In 1850, the year before the « Maine Law” was enacted, two-hundred and six persons were charged with drunkenness, or with being coinmon drunkards ; while two bundred and sixty-eight had been charged with the same offence to the 21st December ia the present year! But the actual increase of drunkards in the city of Portland and county of Cumberland is greater than éver these figures in- dicate. The actual number of persops accused of dranken- ness, in 1850, the year before the « Maine Law” went into operation, is exaggerated in the records of the courts; owing to the practice which then existed of classifying as ‘ common drunkards” vagrants sent before the court on workhouse warrants ; a practice which bas since fallem into disuse. Nor do these figures show the whvie number of drunkards ar- rested during the present year; for many who are taken to the marshul’s office during the night are released in the morning. We have thus-official evidenee of the astounding 'fuct that the number of public druukards in this city aud the county of Cumberland in whieh it is situated, is considerably neuter after three and a-balf years operation of the “ Maine

w” than it was belore the law was enacted, A iB, }» In some months of the preseet year, the amamber of public drunkards arrested bas been much greater than in ochers. The month of July was the ove in which excess.ia the use

to. be adduced, Portland is always the place pointed ‘to. °

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