A FLOURISHING BUSINESS.
Here is a bit of fine writing:—
"We have been led to imagine that the dark cloud which impended over commerce in the time of the Star Chamber, had been scattered by the onward progress of civil freedom—we have from early childhood been thankful that we were not born in the days when serfdom crippled the body and bigotry the mind of man, and we cannot think your Lordship will pledge the legislation of the 19th century to an enactment so offensive as this irresponsible police power is to"—
To whom? Well—taking "commerce" as a misprint for "conscience" one might imagine that the remonstrants were "
John Tuam," Daniel, or Dennis, or Dermot, or whatever-his-name-is Cahill, Frederick Lucas, and other such gentry—and clergy—denouncing a sanguinary, atrocious, diabolical, fiendish, &c. &c. proposition for the deliverance of nuns from false imprisonment. But no. The individuals to whom the "irresponsible police power" is "offensive," are simply
"One branch of English tradesmen."
That is to say, they are the Metropolitan Omnibus Proprietors, complaining by the pen of Mr. H. Gray, their Chairman, to Lord Aberdeen, against certain clauses of the Hackney Carriage Act. We dare say this "one branch of English tradesmen" will no more be rendered subject to an "irresponsible police power" than any other branch of the same tree; but if "like master like man" is a true proverb, the proprietors of omnibuses are gentlemen whom it is quite right the police should "look after," and, at least, have power to make them "move on." We are glad to see that they admire the onward progress of civil freedom, and hope they will contrive to make their drivers and conductors stick to that; for the liberty which those persons are in the habit of taking is too often destitute of civility.