loan which Russia attempted to raise, with to have peculiar notions as to the power to peculiarly attractive terms, had been done at be obtained by the association of capital. 82, if portions were not covertly taken much The society has a capital of £2,400,000: · lower, to say nothing of the commission for but it can receive property to ten times that Messrs. Stieglitz. The facts, then, can only amount, and on the strength of its deposits be accounted for on the supposition that the can incur debts to an equivalent amount; sale of stock in London was but nominal: it thus commanding moveable capital to the was in fact a little drama performed for the extent of £50,000,000. There are several benefit of Russian credit in Holland, and a other societies in Paris on a similar pattern; statement to that effect was publicly made at and among the "administrators" of those the time. More recently, we saw the fulfil- societies are many eminent men. We do not ment of the Emperor Alexander's project to find exactly the same persons in each office, introduce commercial railways into Russia. but we do find that some individuals of one The nobles were delighted; the mercantile directory are in another directory or in sevcommunity of Europe applauded. In order eral, and this kind of personal link extends to encourage investment, the contract was very widely-perhaps comprises the whole offered in the market by the Russian Govern- dramatis personæ of joint-stock adventure in ment with a guaranteed dividend of four per Paris. At the head of the chief society is M. cent, at a price which made it equivalent to Isaac Pereire; and among its administrators five per cent; but afterwards the Government are M. Benoist Fould and the Count de Morny. departed from the understanding, and claimed It would be difficult to estimate the amount a price which reduced the interest, and left of capital which this distributed dramatis the directors in a false position, the jest, or personæ can command. the suspicion, of their constituents. Some said that the Emperor did not really care about the commercial railway, and the conduct of his Government certainly sanctioned that suspicion. As we have already said, if the lines now proposed are intended for military purposes, they cannot possibly "pay," and from the description it is not likely that they can be intended for commercial purposes. On the whole, there is an aspect of indirectness in the proposal which will be more fatal to its estimation than the obviously disadvantageous terms.

But

If we were to sum up the whole of the professed undertakings of all the companies, we should grossly exaggerate the mass of money which it can dispose of; but in one way or another it can, no doubt, "raise the wind" to an immense amount; and it can shift its capital from one part of the commercial world to another, with a facility almost unknown to commerce, certainly unknown to London even by favor of the machinery of a house like Overend, Gurney, and Co. the rôle of the Paris dramatis persone is connected with other countries; for instance, English capital, and we believe Dutch with the Great Northern Railway of France, capital, will be refused for any such scheme amongst whose administrators is Emile Pereire, as that which is before us; but both perhaps also as another director of the Crédit Mobilier, might be obtained by that which is known the Duke de Galliera, with James de Rothsin commerce as "the triangular system; child, Nathaniel Rothschild, Anthony de and the reason why we say that the scheme Rothschild, and Thomas Baring. And we is formidable to the financial future of Europe find the same kind of interweaving between is, that there are no agents so well capable the directors of other credit societies with of managing that triangular trick as the other railway companies and of those railway French concessionaries, at the head of whom companies with London. The man, then, is M. Isaac Pereire. There is no machinery who is purchasing shares in a railway comin the world so well adapted to that purpose pany, may be transmitting his capital to an as the Société de Crédit Mobilier; and if agency in the closest connection with this the society is not ostensibly engaged in the socialism of capital, and filling up that reserbusiness, its founders are engaged, its con- voir from which the leaders of the Crédit nections are engaged, and all the resources Mobilier will derive the supplies for the Ruswhich it can command will be at the service sian railways. However commercial prudence of the actual concessionaries. N. Pereire, might dictate the refusal of investment in the father of the Crédit Mobilier, is reputed Russian lines-however national policy might

dictate to England the refusal of funds which their speculations.

This interpretation we

Russia might use again in war, as she used did not believe it was inconsistent alike the Moscow and Petersburg capital to pay with the most sagacious policy for Napoleon for her Hungarian soldiering-the two con- himself, and with the common belief which cessionaries to whom the contract is said to is gradually extending in France, that he is have been specially granted can defeat our making no secret purse against the future, precautions to such an extent, that the only but is entirely identifying his future with that mode of withholding capital from Russia would of France. Another conjectural explanation be to withhold it from every project connected is, that, without yielding his more far-sighted by this organization with the socialism of policy, the Emperor is allowing his Ministers capitals in France. a given time to make their fortunes, and that One man in France must perfectly under- he will then interpose. This would be quite stand the bearing of these facts; and he is consistent with his usual consideration for said to have set himself against the attempt those who have served him, and with his of the Crédit Mobilier to embark in the Rus- habit of letting others have their way for a sian speculation; we see with what success. time. But there is a contingency which The position of his Ministers is a topic of would account for Napoleon's even risking a general comment and inquiry; so much so more complete frustration of his own convicthat it has been thought necessary in Paris tion and will, and giving up his mistrust of to put forth an explanation of Count de extended "crédit mobilier " schemes, even, Morny's position and protracted residence in if it must be so, to the detriment of the Russia. It is said that he is negotiating a English alliance. He has not yet obtained a treaty of commerce between France and Rus- firm and ascertained hold of the French peosia. Very likely. But such an explanation ple; he has not yet proved that he can do will as little silence the inquirers, or silence without those who have assisted him to attain, very different explanations, as the absurd and to maintain, his lofty position; and he warning in the Moniteur would silence the English comments on Count Walewski's AntiEnglish and Anti-Napoleonic policy. The public facts are stronger than the explanations. By the light of those facts we can see through what would otherwise be inexplicable the systematic attempt in Paris to alienate France from the English alliance, and to plunge her more deeply into that joint-stock alliance with Russia which is so hazardous, and indeed is so counter to the known opinion of the Emperor. Why then has he not prevented it? Some have affirmed that he did not really differ from his Ministers, but was sharing at once their policy and

may not yet feel that he is powerful enough to resist the mania for a joint-stock alliance with Russia. He must refuse his approval of schemes so inconsistent alike with his own policy, with the safety of France, and, therefore, of the French Emperor; he must burn to reduce to reason the Walewskis and De Mornys who are prostituting his empire to their stockjobbing alliances: the protest in the Moniteur shows that he will repel overt attacks on his political course; but the events show that the schemers are too strong for him at present. Powerful as he may be, firm, and bold, he may well hesitate before braving a revolt of the Prætorian Guard.

PAPER FROM HOP STALKS.-The use of the hop plant in the manufacture of paper is now proposed. Immediately after being cut, the stalk or vine is to be tied up in bundles, if possible the whole length of the plant, and these bundles are immersed in water pits, similar to those employed in operating on flax and hemp, or in a running stream, and are kept there until a slight fermentation ensues, sufficient to partially detach the fibre from the pithy and woody portions of the stalk. The separation may be

effected by hand, or by passing the stalk between rollers with or without teeth, the woody or pithy matter being picked out or washed out afterward. After separation, the fibre may be again steamed, and rolled, if required to be very fine, but care is necessary to keep the fibre wet until it is cleaned from gummy and resinous matters, by repeated steaming and washing, The fibre will now be in the condition of half stuff, and fit, after further bleaching, for the manufacture of paper, pasteboard, &o.

From The Spectator, 8 Nov. DEER-STALKING AND ANTI-DEER

STALKING.

Of course the landlord does hold his property "subject to the moral obligation that it shall not be applied to purposes which are THE annual invasion of Scotland has been positively injurious to the general community.' again attempted this year, with the annual The obligation is enforced by the fact, that defence of that unconquered kingdom. We if the use of the property turns out to be do not mean the invasion by the Saxon with positively injurious to the general community, gun in hand after bird or deer, but the inva- the general community steps in, by its legission of the Press, with its attacks upon the lature or government, and compels the landrights of landlords, its protest against deer-lord to act differently. But we have yet to stalking, and against the conversion of large learn that the extensions of deer-stalking parts of Scotland into deer-stalking tracts. tracts or sheep-farms are "injurious to the One temperate journal denounces the artificial general community." At present the general construction of woods and wilds as "cruel community is redistributing itself, and is coninjustice." ""Moderation and temperance' centrating its numbers in great towns. The is the maxim in deer-stalking as well as in natural correlative of that concentration is other recreations." "The Highland cottier," the formaiton of a freer country at the outsays the same writer, who displays some skirts; and it is the dwellers in the great technical knowledge of the subject, "cannot towns, possessing the means of locomotion, with justice be considered as tenants at will, who give rise to the demand for cleared or tenants under a lease;" they are the rep-lands. resentatives of those warlike retainers whom Highland chiefs multiplied on their lands, the humble fuedal tenants of ruder days. This is true in a purely scientific point of view, but it is a fiction in the present day. If the Highlanders are military tenants, where is their military service? They would laugh at the idea of summoning them by ban, and would unqestionably expect the ordinary soldier's pay if they were led off to the wars. Highland retainers have not scrupled to emigrate when their own interests have carried them away. Even if there is some sentiment in the matter, it is impossible to enforce a sentiment; and, as our contemporary admits, The " depopulation" cry is a the legal decisions of a century have com- cant, or a mistake: the Scotsman, as we repletely overruled the theoretical notion of a member, showed by elaborate tables of figures feudal tenantry with a right in the soil. In that the complaint is untrue; but, undoubtfact, the tenure in Scotland is as completely edly, many families, who barely subsisted in altered as the tenure in England. The the sterile lands of the North, have settled landlords have acquired a quasi-allodial title themselves down at a distance in greatly inin the soil; gradually disusing their military creased comfort. If farm laborers are wanted, service to the Sovereign, but retaining all the it is not in the wilds of Scotland. If a man command over the land the title of which is in search of land for farming, he does not theoretically vests in the Sovereign. Now it go to the hills of Perthshire, but to the Carse is a bad position to rest any popular claim of Stirling. There is no complaint that the upon anything but a recognized law, or a landlords are depopulating the red lands of usage which is the inchoate form of law. If Stirling; but what prevents them? It is, the usage has departed, no popular claim can that better rents are obtained for corn-culture be rested upon it; if a law is established, it on the broad expanse viewed from the Castlecan only be upset by the force of a new hill than could be obtained by attempting to usage. Simple sentiment is the weakest of convert the spot into a deer-stalking tract. all claims, especially when it is an antiqua-Such a waste of property in that place would rian sentiment. be as mad as it would be to plough Ben

The one paramount law at present on this matter is the law of supply and demand. If the landlords find that they can obtain better rents by the use of their land as forests or sheep-walks, it is evident that that use of the land is most in conformity with the wants of the general community. If the land were wanted for corn purposes, a better rent would be obtained. If the cottiers really wanted it for farming purposes, the rent to them would be higher. The fact is, that the Highlanders are not wanted in those parts; and they have by this time discovered that there is a better market for their hands in the towns, or in Canada.

Lomond. The interests of the general retrieving the wilds around Balmoral or the community' apply their irresistible law, sheep-walks of Sutherland? No, they leave through the interest of the individual, com- those tracts to the purposes for which they pelling the population to redistribute itself at are best suited, and first try their bold hands the dictate of commerce. Our towns are too at redeeming the Essex fens or the Bedford densely peopled; it is desirable to relieve level. Indeed, agriculture, like commerce them by returning the people upon the land; and manufactures, must concentrate before it and we believe that this will be done but expands; and it will be no injury to "the how? It will be by that improvement in general community" if the field-manufacture agriculture, as a business, which is raising it should leave some broader tracts of free land to the level of a manufacture. But would for the healthful sports of all classes. Mr. Mechi or the Duke of Bedford think of

We have not seen a little book entitled Autumn Leaves, by J. C. Prince, but we have seen in the columns of a contemporary a few verses quoted from it, with this statement, which forms its preface:

CAMELS FOR THE UNITED STATES.-A letter from Constantinople to the Journal of Commerce of October 7th says:

"The storeship Supply has again come out in the Mediterranean for a cargo of camels, and "The author of the following miscellaneous is now engaged selecting the best kind for transis daily expected at Smyrna, where Mr. Heap poems has nothing to say in their favor. They portation to Texas. The Ottoman Government have been published in the hope that they may has sent an order to the Governor-General of afford him some means of gaining a humble livelihood. His own trade, that of reed-mak- Smyrna to see that every assistance be given to ing, always uncertain and fluctuating, has lat- Government, and I hear that he will probably Mr. Heap in carrying out the project of his terly been much depressed, and is not at all to make a visit into the interior of Asia Minor, in be depended on. These are his chief motives for publication. The author hopes that the pursuance of his instructions. The Sultan has critics will, in consideration of these circum-ordered the Governor-General of Smyrna to give stances, be indulgent to his very imperfect effu- for his Government, in the view of evincing the Mr. Heap six of the finest camels of the country

sions."

The stanzas we have seen are good enough to make us wish that the poor reed-maker may with his own "pastoral reed" win of the world more than he can earn by his mere work-a-day manner of dealing with the grass that has so long been sacred to the muses. One of the

stanzas runs as follows:

"How beautiful is nature, and how kind

In every season, every mood and dress, To him who woos her with an earnest mind, Quick to perceive and love her loveliness. With what a delicate, yet mighty stress, She stills the stormy passions of the soul, Subdues their tossings with a sweet control,

Till each spent wave grows gradually less, And settles into calm! The worldling may Disdain her, but to me, whate'er the grief, Whate'er the anger, lingering in my breast,

Or pain of baffled hope, she brings relief;
Scares the wild harpy-brood of cares away,
And to my troubled heart serenely whispers
'Rest.'

Nature has done her part, but man also can do something towards bringing about the more perfect fulfilment of the last two lines in that tranquil strain of verse.-Examiner.

interest which he takes in the successful introduction of camels into the United States. "

GLASS JOURNAL BOXES.-The glass journalbox invented by Mr. Campbell, of Columbus, Ohio, is said to be so constructed as to obviate the objections which have hitherto existed against their use. The inventor, in manufacturing these boxes, first takes an ordinary iron journal-box, and heats it to a temperature indicated by a cherry redness, and then, while hot, brightens the concaved surface of the iron, in which molten glass is to be poured. After the iron part has thus been prepared, the molten glass is then poured into the concaved brightened surface, while the iron is at the above indication of temperature, when both cool, and unite in doing so. This is then placed in an oven, until thoroughly annealed, when it is removed, and the glass and iron are found to be so closely united that a heavy blow upon the glass will not produce a fracture, so perfect is the combination. The glass is then chipped and polished, when it is ready for use.

and unique style of sign painting, which is deA Philadelphia painter has introduced a new scribed as a valuable improvement upon that art. The lettering and figures are done with SOME people's religious opinion is only a pearl upon glass, and they are as richly ornastake driven in the ground; does not grow-mented as the fancy of the operator and the shoots out no green-remains just there, and combination of colors can make them. just so.-Foster.

LITTELL'S LIVING AGE.-No. 659.-10 JANUARY, 1857.

From The Quarterly Review.

mind. "Ce ne sont mes gestes que j'escris ; 1. La Vie Publique de Michel Montaigne. c'est moy, c'est mon essence." When Par Alphonse Grün. Paris, 1855. Henri III. told him that he "liked his 2. Nouveaux Documents Inedits ou peu con- book," then, replied Montaigne, "Your nus sur Montaigne. Reucueillis et pub-majesty must needs like me. My book is liés, par le Dr. J. F. Payen. Paris, myself." But it is the man-his habits and MONTAIGNE supplies the French with what there, not his history. The biographers, opinions, his tastes and likings, that we find Shakspeare does ourselves a perpetual therefore, have endeavored to discover else topic. The "Essais" have a breadth and where the body belonging to this soul. depth which criticism is not yet weary of They have ransacked libraries and archives measuring and re-measuring. And, not- to resuscitate something of a frame-work of withstanding all the excellent things that bone and muscle to all this sentiment. have been said on those unique effusions, They have had some success. Indeed, they doubtless there remains more still that can have had as much success as could be exbe said. There are some books which par-pected, considering that it was known betake of the inexhaustible multiformity of forehand that all that could possibly be disour moral nature, and the "Essais" is one of such books. "On y trouve tout ce qu'on a jamais pensé," as one of Montaigne's admirers says.

covered lay within fixed limits. They have ascertained dates, distinguished the members of his family, and altogether given a local coloring and verification of the course But besides the book of essays, the au- of his private life. They have not turned thor's life offers a fund for the regular in- the literary lounger into a careworn statesvestment of floating public curiosity. In man, or a fighting captain of the forces of this department the material for speculation the League. In this as in many other cases, is constantly on the increase. "Montaign- all the efforts of inquiry have but repeated ologie" is become a science by itself. the lineaments of the traditional and reDocumentary research has yielded the French ceived biography. Such labor, however, is antiquaries year by year a residuum of "new not thrown away. We are not to propose fact." Each small bit of ore passes in its a paradox, or a revolution in opinion, as turn through the smelting-pot of public dis- the only results worth arriving at. If we cussion, till the portion of precious metal can deepen the lines, or freshen the colors, it contains is extracted from it. When the cover a scar made by time, or remove a little grains have accumulated to a heap, comes a gathered dust, we do our part towards mainnew "étude," which digests and arranges taining the Gallery of Worthies. It is only all the facts new and old into a consistent when the original portrait is discovered not whole. One of these is now before us, and to have been a likeness, that we should. gives occasion to our present notice. We paint it over again. shall confine our remarks to Montaigne's life. We are not going to re-dissect the "Essais."

The great feature of Montaigne's life, as impressed on his " Essais," was, that it was a country life. Early in 1571, at the We have likened Montagnesque to Shaks- thirty-seven, he withdrew to his estates in age of perian criticism, as two perennial streams Perigord-" with full purpose, as much as supplied each by its glacier on the far off lay in me, not to trouble myself with any mountain-top. The writings of the two business, but to pass in repose so much of men stand in marked contrast as sources for life as remaineth to me their biography. From Shakspeare's plays is, he repeats in the Third Book, written (1.8). My design nothing can be gathered about Shakspeare. after 1580, "de passer doulcement, non The great charm of Montaigne's Essays is laborieusement, ce que me reste de vie" their egotism. They are a transcript of his (II. 9). It was solitude at first. He deDCLIX. LIVING AGE. VOL. XVI. 5