PRIZE TALES. The Editor's Table. A large number of MSS. have been sent in by competitors for the prizes offered in our earlier numbers for short tales illustrating THE VALUE OF TRUTHFULNESS. We fear it will be impossible to publish the names of successful competitors earlier than March or April; but if we can possibly arrive at a sufficiently early decision, they shall be given in our number for January next. ANOTHER COMPETITION. In our last number we announced a series of prizes offered by the Lord's Day Observunce Society for "excellency in the knowledge" of the value and history of the Lord's day, with the "teaching of the word of God concerning it;" and further announced our intention of offering a prize for an essay on the same subject. We shall announce in our January number several prizes for competitions in which our readers of all ages may become competitors. It is our intention to divide our competitions into three classes: 1st. For young persons of both sexes who are above the age of 18. 2nd. For such as are between 15 and 18 years of age. 3rd. For those under 16. CORRESPONDENCE. " is An Inquirer.-The "Marseillaise known as the "Hymn of the Republicans." It was the production of a French officer of Engineers, named Rouget de Lille. It was written and composed in Strasbourg, in the year 1791. Marshal Luckner was the general in command of the French army, whose head-quarters were at Strasbourg at that period. The general had in his army a large number of young conscripts, who, having just been violently dragged from their homes and families, were greatly dispirited and dejected in appearance. The general knew that his troops could be neither healthy nor useful while they were in this condition, and being a great believer in the inspiriting effect of new and lively music, inquired if there was any one who could compose a soul-inspiring song to animate his soldiers. So soon as he heard of his general's request, De Lille retired to his quarters, sat up the whole of the following night, and in the morning presented his now celebrated song. On the same day the army marched to its tune, and were so excited by its martial strains, that their opponents were unable to withstand their onset. The name the song and tune now bear was not given until many years afterwards. Young De Lille was quartered in Marseilles for several years, and the tune became an especial favourite with the garrison. At a critical period in French history the garrison of Marseilles marched into Paris playing the tune, and from that time it has been known as the "Marseillaise." Learner. The "Habeas Corpus Act" was passed in 1680. This Act renders it illegal to imprison any person without a public statement of the crime with which he is charged. It prevents any one from being detained in prison without a public trial. It also makes many other provisions too numerous to mention here, but all tending to the protection of the subject against arbitrary arrest and imprisonment. It was a common practice in former years for arbitrary sovereigns or persons in power to arrest people, and detain them in prison for years, without stating the reasons for the arrest or the crime imputed. In these circumstances the poor prisoner had no opportunity of proving his innocence, and men guiltless of crime were frequently kept in prison until they died, without any specific charge It is having been brought against them. only in seasons of very great danger, arising from rebellion or treason, that the Act of Habeas Corpus is suspended, and this can only be done by the joint action of both Houses of the Legislature. Declaring a city in a state of siege is even more terrible in its effects than the suspension of the "Habeas Corpus Act." When a city is declared in a state of siege it is placed under military rule. In such a city a man who has offended against the orders of the authorities may be arrested, tried by a court-martial, consisting of not less than three commissioned officers, and if found guilty may be taken out and shot without further trial. G. W.-The word "ublan," from the Polish "ulan," the bearer of a lance ("ula"), means simply a lancer. The hussar -coupled by Campbell with the whiskered Pandour," and emphatically styled "the fierce hussar"-was once no doubt as great an enigma as the "ubiquitous uhlan" of the recent French and German wars. A contributor to the National Zeitung, in some interesting "Travels in Hungary," gives us the derivation of the word, which, like the costume, is of course Hungarian. "Husz" in the Hungarian language signifies" twenty," ""ar" signifies "price;" and" huszar" (pronounced like the German" hussar") means "the representative of twenty men.' The word dates from the time of Matthias Corvinus, when,in nationa! Hungarian levies. every twenty men were obliged to contribute to the army one perfectly-equipped horseman, who, in accordance with facts, was styled “huszar." |