Martin Bon Louis Henri (February 20, 1810 - 1883), French historian, was born at Saint-Quentin (Aisne), where his father was a judge. Trained as a notary, he followed this profession for some time but having achieved success with an historical romance, Wolfthurm (1830), he applied himself to historical research. Becoming associated with Paul Lacroix (Le Bibliophile Jacob), he planned with him a history of France, to consist of excerpts from the chief chroniclers and historians, with original matter filling up gaps in the continuity. The first volume, which appeared in 1833, encouraged the author to make the work his own, and his Histoire de France, in fifteen volumes (1833-1836), was the result. This magnum opus, rewritten and further elaborated (4th ed., 16 vols. and index, 1861-1865) gained for the author in 1856 the first prize of the Academy, and in 1869 the grand biennial prize of 20,000 francs. A popular abridgment in seven volumes was published in 1867. This, together with the continuation, Histoire de France depuis (1789) jusqud nosjours (6 vols. 1878-1883), gives a complete history of France, and superseded Sismondi's Histoire des Français.
This work is in parts defective; Martin's descriptions of the Gauls are based rather on romance than on history, and in this respect he was too much under the influence of Jean Reynaud and his cosmogonic philosophy. However he gave a great impetus to Celtic and anthropological studies. His knowledge of the middle ages is inadequate, and his criticisms are not discriminating. As a free-thinking republican, his prejudices often biassed his judgment on the political and religious history of the ancient regime. The last six volumes, devoted to the 17th and 18th centuries, are superior to the earlier ones. Martin sat in the assemble nationale as deputy for Aisne in 1871, and was elected life senator in 1878, but he left no mark as a politician. He died in Paris on the 4th of December 1883.
Among his minor works may be mentioned: Dela France, de son genie et de ses destinies (1847); Daniel Manisf (1860), La Russie et l'Europe (1866); Etudes darchiologie celtique (1872); Les Napoleon el les fronties de la France (1874). See his biography by Gabriel Hanotaux, Henri Martin; save, ses wuvres, son temps (1885).
The Fathers 4 Justice House of Commons protest, also dubbed The Fun Powder Plot, is an incident that took place on May 19 2004. Two members of the fathers' rights pressure group Fathers 4 Justice, Guy Harrison and Ron Davis, threw two condoms filled with purple-dyed flour into the chamber of the House of Commons, one of which hit Prime Minister Tony Blair.
The incident took place at 12:18 during the weekly Prime Minister's Questions session and was shown live on television. Blair was surrounded by leading members of his Cabinet, including Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown and Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, both of whom were also showered with flour dust from the "bombs".
The last of the two or three bombs thrown hit Blair on the right shoulder blade, a remarkably accurate throw from 60 feet away. Whilst throwing the bombs (reported to be made from either self-raising or corn flour), one of the organisation members shouted, "Fathers for justice!" Fathers 4 Justice spokesman Matt O'Connor later explained the choice of colour, stating that "purple is the international colour of equality". In the initial aftermath of the incident Blair seemed unperturbed by the incident and looked prepared to continue with the session. Speaker Michael Martin, however, immediately suspended proceedings and the chamber was rapidly emptied, as fears of a chemical or biological attack mounted. Many commentators remarked that although the exodus was orderly and without panic, it was in fact the wrong thing to do. If the powder had been a biological or chemical agent, such as sarin or anthrax, then all potentially affected people should have been contained within the affected area in order to prevent any possible further spreading of the toxin.
The incident occurred as Blair was responding to aggressive questioning from Leader of the Opposition Michael Howard. It was reported that in the immediate aftermath of the incident Blair leant across to Howard and said, "I promise you Michael, I didn't organise that!" Howard was reported to respond, "And for once, I believe you!"
Although the incident turned out to be harmless, there were immediate calls for security in the House of Commons to be tightened. Home Secretary David Blunkett, speaking at a Police Federation conference in Brighton, said that such calls were likely to be heeded. Only the previous month a glass security screen had been installed so that members of the public in the Strangers' Gallery specifically could not throw anything into the chamber. The members of Fathers 4 Justice who perpetrated the incident were, however, vouched for by The Baroness Golding, a member of the House of Lords, which allowed them into an unscreened area. Lady Golding had offered the chance to witness the House's operations as a prize in a charity auction, which the group's two members had won.
Upon the resumption of the House at 13:30, the Speaker made a statement and immediately rescinded the right of House of Lords members to allow members of the public into the unscreened area. Golding later made a tearful apology in the House of Lords. The following week, all members of the public were banned from sitting in the unscreened area, even those with an invitation from an MP or peer. Security for the Palace of Westminster is run by the Domestic Committees, rather than the Home Office.
Guy Richard Harrison (48, from Worthing) and Patrick Ronald Davis (36) were arrested and subsequently charged with using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour. The relatively lenient charges, which attract a fine of up to £1000 but no prison sentence, led some in the press to speculate that the harsher charges were not pressed because they would have involved a show trial with Blair and other ministers forced to appear as witnesses, causing more publicity for the group that police are seeking to avoid.
__NOTOC__ This is a list of individuals who formerly played professional American football in the NFL, AFL, AAFC and other major leagues. See also one of the other lists of American football players for more names.
CFEG (Independent) |
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Abbotsford, British Columbia |
Channel 19 |
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CFEG is a low-power Christian television station broadcasting out of Abbotsford, British Columbia. The station is owned and operated by the Clearbrook Mennonite Brethren Church.
The station was created mainly because many senior citizens, who make up a large portion of the church's congregation, are unable to attend services in person, thus a broadcast television station would give them the opportunity to watch those services on television.
Clearbrook Mennonite Brethren Church was granted a license by the CRTC to operate a low-power ultra-high frequency television transmitter in the spring of 1999. After the station and its transmitter were set up and tested, CFEG went on the air for the first time in the July 2000. The station's antenna is mounted on the roof of the church.
CFEG's programming consists of the church's English and German Sunday morning and evening services as well as its Wednesday morning German Bible study. Other programs which keep with the church's mission may be added in the future, although they must be locally-produced, since the station is not allowed to air programs produced by other stations.
All of CFEG's operating costs are paid for by the church. As part of the conditions of its licence, the station is not permitted to air advertising.