The Shadow of Great Britain

698: Chapter 338 Jewish Dispute 698: Chapter 338 Jewish Dispute “British” editorial department, Arthur was in the midst of a heated discussion with Great Dumas and Tennyson about the distribution of illegal publications.

After a long debate, this group of haughty yet inept literary creators were nonetheless compelled to choose to reactivate the early underground distribution network of “British,” established by Mr.

Eld Carter, the person in charge of the “British” market sales department in faraway South America.

To be more precise, they needed to seek assistance from the old man who would show up punctually in a small alley on Christmas Road in the Greenwich District every Wednesday.

After all, when dealing with illegal publishing, it’s best to find an expert to resolve the problem.

As for how Arthur should explain matters to his superiors, that was also straightforward.

Scotland Yard had recently been busy clamping down on prostitutes…

Oh, no, nightingales.

And now, they were occupied with combating the raging cholera and implementing quarantine controls.

Therefore, during this particular period, it was essential to distinguish between primary and secondary issues and to prioritize tasks accordingly.

Our Greater London Police Department simply couldn’t tackle everything, nor could it handle everything adeptly.

However, there were exceptions; if the Treasury were willing to significantly increase Scotland Yard’s budget for the next fiscal year, and if Parliament were inclined to expand the police department’s powers, then the issue of vigorously pursuing illegal publications could be raised.

Of course, Arthur considered the idea of the Treasury approving funds as pure fantasy, and the notion of Parliament expanding police powers even more ludicrous.

After all, the MPs were daily championing the defense of the people’s freedoms.

Britain could not become a despotism like France or Prussia, let alone a police state.

And the primary principle of not becoming a police state was to avoid granting government departments excessive power through the law.

To state it more bluntly, Parliament wished that the Government should seek their approval for any actions to be taken, with the implementation only following a successful vote.

Nonetheless, since Parliament couldn’t possibly manage everything and because MPs couldn’t be expected to be on standby at Westminster Palace 24/7 throughout the year, they decided to delegate some of the more menial tasks to the discretion of government departments.

But to Arthur, if MPs were willing to make the effort to assume total control, that wouldn’t be entirely a bad thing.

After all, Britain did once have a Long Parliament that lasted for 3322 days from November 1640 to April 1653.

Furthermore, they did accomplish a great deal during that extended session, notably passing the “Grand Remonstrance” that listed the crimes of King Charles I, criticized reactionary religious policies, condemned the unlawful actions of high officials, demanded freedom for commercial activities, established a system for ministers to be responsible to Parliament, and restricted the powers of the Bishops.

Beyond this, MPs, in their spare time, undertook some side projects, such as executing the King’s favorites, Strafford and Archbishop Laud, and incidentally fought a civil war against the King’s forces.

Had it not been for a fellow named Cromwell forcibly dissolving the Long Parliament with military power, this thirteen-year session might have been considered near perfect.

The MPs’ reluctance to hold long sessions nowadays merely indicated they were not yet sufficiently concerned.

If they weren’t worried, then turning a blind eye to illegal publications for a while should also be no problem.

After all, as an inspector at Scotland Yard, Arthur wholeheartedly endorsed Parliament’s call to protect individual freedoms and to stamp out illegal publications that affected social morals.

Therefore, he decided to fully exert his initiative by organically combining these two initiatives.

Was there anything wrong with that?

Of course not.

Parliament’s intentions were all well-meaning; it was just that Scotland Yard’s previous enforcement was flawed, and now Arthur was simply correcting it.

And this was Arthur’s best way of reciprocating the honor that the noble gentlemen had bestowed upon him by allowing him to reclaim his life from Liverpool.

Arthur and Great Dumas and others quickly came to an agreement.

As they noticed the sun setting, they were preparing to pack up their things for a drink or two when suddenly a loud argument erupted outside the editorial office.

The proud tones and choice of words made it easy to discern which two Jews were quarreling.

It was none other than Mr.

Disraeli with his shrill voice, and Germany’s angry youth Heine.

“Mr.

Heine, please forgive me that I can no longer address you fondly by your name.

I must reiterate, I find your insult to the entire Jewish Nationality unjust.

You could no longer find a more ancient nationality throughout Europe than the Jews.

Noble blood flows through your veins, yet you verbally defile it.

You know the suffering your people endure, yet what have you done for your kinsmen apart from complain?”

Heine’s tone sounded calm, yet laced with a hint of mockery.

“So, Mr.

Disraeli, what have you done for them?

Let me think, have you not abandoned the Jewish faith to become a Protestant member of the Anglican Church?

Or perhaps, you refer to joining the Tory Party, which has always scorned the equal rights of Jews?

I have seen all of your good deeds in the Tory Party organ ‘Monthly Review,’ where the Tories are clapping their hands and cheering for you.

You’ve made history, set a new record; I suppose you’re probably the first Jewish MP to join the Tory Party, aren’t you?”