The Northern Daily Times. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-02-26 00:00:00

For partic CB' offic 321 A. & S. 8.. SLEIGH, Brokers t, at Twelve o' ITN Crude TIT ock, at the Tithebarn-street P'ENTINE, iv . landing ex Humber, from Charleston, i Apply to SILL & MEUG T O-M 0 It R 0 AV ria Dock S, Brok, On account of whom it may concern. TO-MORROW, the 27th instant, at Twelve o' clock, at the Cotton saleroom. Exchange-buildings, About 500 Bags RAPESEED all faults, just landed from the - Clangregor, stranded on Crosby beach, and now lying in the Wreck Shed, north end Prince's Dock For further particulars ann merchants, or to On ace TO-MORROW. S. 11. - RAYSER & CO., Brokers, tint of wi Brokers' off About 50 Ba] t may c 27th instant, at One o'clock, at t —For particulars apply DUCKWORTH 8c RATHBONE, Brokers 17, tachanee-buildings, Damaged TT COTTON, Upland ex Ocean Rover, from C TO-MORROW, the 27th instant, at One o'clock, at the Cotton saleroom, Exchange-buildings, 78 Bales COTTON, all faults, %hip damaged, ex Ocean Rover, from Charleston ; lying south-west side Kenworthy's Wharf.—Apply to WM. BRIGHT & SON, Brokers, 11, Covent-garden. THURSDAY On account o On TlitraBDAY next, whom it may o he 28th instant, at Twelve o'clock, at 19, North John-street 100 Tierces Carolina RICE, all ; in Stanley Dock warehouses.— AXTER & CO., Brokers. ea Sylvia, from Charles Apply to MARQUIS, 13 FRIDAY On acco On FRIDA.T nex unt of whom may concern at the Br, '-past One o'clock, rs' office. ex Milan particulars apply to i. HARNETT, Brokers , NEXT WI WEDNESDAY Postpon _ __ _ On WEDNESDAY, 27th instant, at Twelve o'clock, Apply to THIS Tra xs DAY, at kessri. Go Brunswick-street, About 437 Barrels Stained and Damaged FLOUR ex Columbia, from New Y, - ork.—For particulars apply to i. & M. HARNETT, Brokers. On account THIS Dal, t, at H '-past 0 at Messrs, G Brunswick-stre WHEAT culars apply_to Broker, Tins DAY, Half-past One o'clock, ,leroom, Corn Exchange, nst Nash s About 860 Sack ex Clangregor o from Calcu BERT CilitlBTll MIS DA at the Broke Apply to at the 13rokt,rs' O'clock 400 Sacks Engus 300 Do. WHEAT . WILLIAN PARKE, Broker , ,t Twelve o'clock 2230 Baes ars apply t from Wed day, sth Marc at the Public saleroom, Exchange-buildings, 200 Bales Bombay MADDER ROOTS. T. & H. LITTLEDALE & CO., Brokers TRH ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION TO TILE NORTHERI DAILY TIMES u 4 TWO GUINEAS PER ANNUM. EARLY DELIVERY OP THE " NORTHERN TIMES." subscriber within four miles of the Liverpool Exchange, or at Rock-ferry, Tranmere, Birkenhead, Woodside, Oxton, Claughton, Seacombe, Egremout, or New Brighton, who does not receive his copy of the "NOILTHERN TIMES," by Eight o'clock will oblige the publisher by addressing a note to him at the office notifying the fact, in order that the cause of complaint may be investigated and removed. As our messengers commence their delivery at five o'clock on each morning, it would greatly facilitate its completion if subscribers would have letter-boxes in thei r ..norq thrnnah —Any which the papers n some h buses is ver disappointrc EVENING EDITION gar An Evening Edition of the NORTHERN DAILY THaRS is now Published every Afternoon, at Three o'clock, containing the Markets, together with all the News of the Day, up to the hour of going to Press. Iproof. stallt;ri , g over the face gent of our productive a bour is cannot sel customer to sul lons, or withou e able to (1 ns, and the se functions i cabinet which the peopl have to ma distinguish between nec try taxation and the arbitrary confiscation of the ition's substance ? kre matters of such transcendant import to be t in the hands of irresponsible Bank Director ose stake in their issue is but as a drop in the an when compared with the value of the imovable property, the commercial stoc public securities id trading transactions as represented by bills of exchange dependent on prices for realisation ? They can know nothing of the country's actual financial condition, or of the wants, hopes, and prospects of the community they inderta to govern, when t 'lands of a few banking directors Men of the humblest capacity, however, can surely iistinguish between usury and fair commercial .ates of interest They can tell whether it is ople of England to reasonable or submit to the amount of money they are to have in circulation being limited by statute, while the just to ask the pc Legislature has not thought proper to place any limitation whatever on the rates of interest demanded for the use of that limited amount of usuall of I and being left free to choose, there can be no doubt parties would find out what was for mutual benefit; so far, we think, no speaker ventured to deny that this freedom of individual action was desirable. The only question really at issue seems to be whether the third party—the public creditor —could be sufficiently protected under such a Bill. Those in favour of it say that if provision were made, that the Lender should not rank as a creditor against the assets of the estate (in case of failure) until all others were paid, and that the lender's capital, if withdrawn within three or six months of failure, should likewise remain liable for all debts, such a rmissive measure would not only be a great boon, d bring unemployed capital and active industry n advantageous union, but would likewise be ich more secure for the public creditor than the instance that the capital mld thus remain attached to the concern, and that it could not be withdrawn suddenly—that the interest of the borrower would be the same as that of the public creditor, namely, to make the lenders money liable to the risks of the business—that, in fact, the borrower would be a kind of trustee for present system ; they them. Of course exceptional cases of attempts to defraud creditors by collusion between lender and borrower lire never impossible, and never by any legislature can be completely prevented, but the question is, whether they would not be less likely to succeed than at present ? We know, that as the law now stands, the lender can charge any rate of interest he pleases ; that he can, and does take good care to secure himself by some kind of guarantee, either by getting a document, or assign ment of the securities and assets, or placing him self in some preferential position, as respects the general creditor ; that he is always the first to know the borrower's position and to secure him_ self; that the transaction is always of the most secret kind ; that an understanding generally exists between him and the borrower, or he is at his mercy; and the practical result, as we see in most cases of failure, is that the family creditor," as the lender is now termed, (in other words the pawnbroker,) not only takes the bulk of any assets, but should he not be covered, actually ranks besides as a creditor, although he may, by having received usurious interest for years, have taken all profits during the business. This being the actual state of things, we affirm that the creditor would gain a great advantage over the present system by that contemplated; at all events, we say, let the two systems be fairly placed in the reach of the public, and experience will soon show which is the most beneficial to all parties. We can, however, well understand the dislike and dismay with which the present class of lenders of money view this opening of the field to new capital; their system works admirably for them ; their machinery for securing themselves, is now perfect; they feel that they could no longer without risk, reap or secure large profits from the public—through any adven turer who could get a temporary credit on the strength of their secret loan—their opposition, "ore, is quite intelligible, but we think the ,y clear intellects of our commercial men have not yet fully appreciated the objects of the bill, and we cannot but regret, that the opponents of it in its present shape, should not have concurred with those of the meeting, who recommended that instead of a sweeping denunciation of the prin ciple of the bill, it should be sent to the council with instructions to have the provisions already alluded to, as necessary to make it perfect, added to it. The great principle of " limited liability" having been approved by the Legislature, our commercial men would do well to apply it in all ted the I cases where it can be made u applied in all other It is so commer experience )untries, should without hampering ourselves, unnecessarily, with restrictions such as many of them find too onerous, even though their legal system, bankruptcy laws, &c., are all framed to work in harmony, while ours are not. Nor can there be any doubt that in committee in parlia ment, the protection clauses alluded to will be introduced and adopted ; and we ask in such case will it not appear abs - .:rd, that instead of showing the legislature where the measure was defective, we here should have condemned a valuable principle ? We cannot but think that a calmer examination will bring many opponents to take a different view from that of Saturday. to avail of it Another cause for regret we think is that the opponents of the bill insisted on a resolution requiring the council of the chamber to carry out their views with the legislature, although, as they were warned, the council had not yet expressed any opinion, and very possibly, might, as in the case of last year, be themselves strong advocates of the principle involved in the bill. We do not wonder at some of the gentlemen present, members of the council,'remonstrating against such a dictation to the council, as subversive of the terms upon which a gentleman accepts such an office, and. irrecon cileable with all independence of action by the council, and entailing the risk of an unseemly collision between the council and a part of the constituency ; the obvious course open to the opponents of the bill was pointed out - to them, namely, to send up their own resolutions, but not to dictate to the council, wh o may, perhaps, be of quite a different opinion. W e can hardly imagine any acceptingused as o the m e di um for convey ffice, ho wever honor able,ing sentiments as his own whi c h he does not agree gentleman ifbeis w be in ! Nor is it quite clear (although the advocates of the amended bill did not take any exception to it,) whether a meeting such as that of Saturday, which it transpired had been circularorganised by the opponent s o f the bill, by a , sulnmoning the attendance of their adherents, is entitled to the weight which Would be attached to the uncanvassed sponta neous, voice of the chamber, after hearing what the bill really was. It was stated at the meeting that the London ",Law Amendment Society," after a full discussion of the bill, had some to the conclusion, that with the provisions, of a kind identi cal with those proposed, the bill was one that would be very beneficial. The opinion of such a body —to whom the country are indebted, as the originators of most of the late improvements in our la w _ should surely carry more weight than the mere exparte opinion of some local solicitor, which was gravely put forward at the meeting. NORTHERN TIMES.-LIVERPOOL, TURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1856. TO CORRESPONDENTS Wr. have received a communication from Dr. Bedforc Ph. D. , to which we must decline to gi ve i nser ti on. _ _ ,v - z have received a note from Mr. Lauren to the Ormskirk II that the advertisement for a Chaplain, which appeared in our impressions of Saturday and Monday, " was not only without the sanction, but contrary to the express resolu tion of the Board of Guardians." Wright, mon, in wh e requests us to stat, LIVERPOOL FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY AND MIISEIIIL—TO ARCHITECT S.—Th e Connell of the Boron b of Liverpool are about to E RECT a BUILD ING for the purposes of the Free Public Library and the Derby Museum, and OFFER a PREMIUM of 150 Li , UINEAS for the best DESIGN, and 100 GUINEAS for the second. The Designs are to be sent in on or before Saturday, May 31. Copies of the printed conditions and inatiuctionsto architec a com peting, and lithographed plans and sections of the site, may be had on application to Mr. J. Stuart Dalton, librarian, k ree Public Library, Duke-street, Liverpool. IUIRST EXHIBITION of the FRENCH SCHOOL of the FINE ARTS i n Li verpool, including MAD'LLE ROSA BONHETTR'S GREAT PICTURE OF "THE HORSE FAIR" , a NOW OPEN at the Liverpool Academy Rooms. Old Poet -office. place, Church-street. Admission is. Catalogues. 6d. Gentle men's Season Tickets, ss. _Ladles' Ditto, 3s 6d.—Open from Ten 11Five o'clock. B. FRODSHAM, Secretary, lqortiitrn fiutto TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1856 Tiz PALMERSTON Cabinet have decided on renew ng the Bank Charter Act of 1844, provided the of England do not object ! ectors of the hank Such was the language employed by the C aANCEL- Loa of the EXCHEQUER in the House of Commons, last week, in answer to Mr. H. BAILLIE, who was anxious to know whether, if the act were renewed, the Government propose to make pro vision for the continuance of the payment of one Per cent. per annum, now made to those private banks who have discontinued issuing their notes in fivoitv of the Bank of England, as those of Llierpool have done. The honourable member put his question. with all the dryness and tact of an official of. long experience, and never was there a query of greater magni tude' put to any nation to be answered by its rulers. It is one which affects the well being of e very individual in the com mun i ty ; and when a measure which has added the greatest intensity of panic to the gigantic and oppressive expenditure of war is mobted, a Minister of the Crown is found tamely abandoning principle, surrendering the judgment and foresight of himself and his colleagues, and leaving the matter to be decided by the Board of Directors f a Joint Stock company t deeply interested, both who are the parties mos, - - individually and collectively, in continuing a system which the Government do not know whether to applaud or condemn! Ministers will renew the Bank Charter Act if theßank of England Directors wish it, or they will leave it alone if they object! What sort of an administration is this ? What confidence can the mercantile, trading, and indus * - ial classes have in any cabinet whohave no views of their own on a question which a ff ects the daily bread of the whole community? We have frequently said, that a few wiseacres in Thread asedle,street, govern England; and here is our at Q.alrs, )AY THE COURT The Queen honoured the Adelphi Theatre with her presence on Saturday afternoon, when a special perfor mance took place, by her Majesty's command. The i Queen was a ccompan i e d by th e P r i nce of Wales, Prince Alfred, the P r i ncesses H e l ena an d Louisa,andPirn visited s Arthur. Seve ra l j uven il e mem b ers o f th e nobility had the honour of being i nv it e d t o w it ness th e performance. Prince Albert ro d e on h orse b ac k on Saturday, and v the Crystal Palace, at Sydenham. The Royal dinner party on Saturday included the Princess Royal, the Sar dinian Minister (the Marquis d'Azeglio), the Danish Minister and Madame d'Oxholme, the Earl and Countess of Derby, the Earl and Countess of St. Germans, Lord Napier, the right hon. M. T. Baines, General Sir James Simpson, Major-General Sir Frederic Smith, and Major. General Wylde. On Sunday, the Queen and Prince Albert, with the Princ e of Wales. the Princess Royal, Prince Alfred, and the Princess Alice, the ladies and gentlemen of the court, ? e d ry t h re e y d . o t m he es to ti ean cho o u f ivsehionldad,oar, officiated service in the Private chapel of Buckingham Palace. The hon. and wishing; merchants dare not buy and is straining it s eves in vain after s, and where taxation will stop, even for the next fiscal year, the Chancellor of the Excheque tell us until th voted, unt ) Europe, lid the excite a when NN I have a govern money, Let that principle be applied to corn or cotton, Let Parliament prohibit the importation of either , se commodities b a fixed low standard price, or any other means, and then: leave the )ountry to pay anything that importers might hink proper to demand for breadstuff's, yarns, and skirtings, and what would the people say bounds would be set to the national indignation ? What snd where is a S , Tinister who would venture to eave such a pestion in the hands of cotton nerchants and corn factors ? Would not such an act ruin three-fourths of the merchants of Liverpool, and manufacturers of Man chester ? Would it snot leave the working millions starving and half naked ? And what is money but corn and cotton, combined vith every other description of food, covering, iecessary, and comfort of life ? Restrict its supply, Mow its price or value to be raised without res- train t must ruin three-fourths nit manufacturers, and reduce the realm to hunger DU cannot do with money, what b. corn and cotton. You may account for, results, as ss may d sate; but you cannot disguise from the public that exorbitant usury is the sole end attained by the existing money laws, which, when added to taxation must, if persisted in, beggar every class of society, except its few authors who can boast of having netted their 7,000,0001. by their operation. The Bank of England's not having soli Government to re is a pos ticabilitv pediency of their further The Bank Directors must feel that they cannot meet the wants of the public, and consequently new banks are springing up in the metropolis on every side - continuance .uie increase of these Joint Stock institutions cannot be attributed to nything but a want of sufficient commercial accom- nodation, and ti they follow the Banks advantage of their advances discount, they. at the same time, require to keep a large amount of bullion in reserve in their tills, and thus, while they derive inordinate dividends from the public, they prevent that accumulation of gold in the Bank of England's vaults which alone can render the existence of the present system toler- The Bank of England cannot hold gold in sufficient quantity to preserve the convertibility of the amount of notes required in circulation, except when the other banks which do not issue, and the merchants and employers of labour, do not want it We are now, as a matter of course, confining our observations to the condition of the Bank, as shown in its ordinary weekly returns, and these certainly cannot incline any sane man to place reliance on either the expediency, or the practicability, of main taining the Bank Charter Act. And we conclude with these very intelligible propositions—if gold is to continue th e commodity which is to regulate the amount of money we are to have for all pur poses, no law should be suffered to interfere with its price, so as to prevent the country obtaining a sufficient quantity to meet all its wants. Give us Free Trade in bullion—leave its price to find its natural level all over the world —and we shall hav e money like bread, which is almost fabulously cheap considering that we:are engaged in the second year of one of the greatest wars on record. W yesterday published a lengthened report of the proceedings at the Chamber of Com merce special meeting on Saturday last, to con sider the " Partnership Amendment Bill," now before the Legislature. The object of this bill is to apply the principle of Limited Liability in res pect to the lending of money, by enabling one party to lend money to another not only for a fixed rate of interest as he now does, but for a rate varying according to the profit and loss of the business, the lender in both cases only to risk the sum he has agreed to advance; the law at present does not allow the latter form of loan without the lender risking his whole fortune if the borrower becomes bankrupt. Our own opinion is, that the effect of this permission would be to bring capital into connection with with commercial und er t a ki ngs, great advantage to all parties, and that to a commercial community it would be a great boon. It liber ates capital, an d ena bl es t h e owners ffords of it to employ it a s th ey may choose, and it a scone for parties in active business to obtain capital not onl lenders, y from the present class of periods, V and wh g o e , n i e f r a t l h l y e y w t i lalklendit moderateonlyfor rate o orrasortf interest, demand to be secured from having th e assets of the rislc by t e , s ol borrow in their hands, in the shape of assignnPl but also from taking the chance capitalists, wh o would prefer of a varying rate of interest allowing their money to remain in the concern for a longer stipulated term. Some capitalists and some borrowers would prefer one form, some an other—but all that would be matter of agreement, the productive industry nd nakedness lare not do N I VstifY, dist, interest or blindn stifiable privileges ) the capri )f Parlia MONETARY AND COATMERCIAL. LIVERPOOL, MONDAY EVENING. The Liverpool Cotton Market has been slightly more active to-day, and prices haVe been a s h a d e firmer. The total business done amounts to 10,000 bales, of which 4,000 have been taken for specula tion and export. The advance in Consols has had the effect of giving firmness to the Liverpool Share Market, without, however, bringing in orders from the public; the business has been entirely of a speculative character, principally the Bears. Closing prices are steady at the close : Aberdeen, 12i 12-1-. Chester and Birkenhead, 13/ 14; Caledonian, 284 281. Chester and Holyhead, 121 13. Eastern Counties, 9y Of-. East Lanca shire, 18 18/. Great Northern, 231 241 Ditto A Shares, 10 101 Great Western. 59 594. Lancashire and Yorkshire Stock, 823 824. Liverpool, Crosby, and Southport, 15 15/. London and North Western Stock, 101;5 1014. Manchester, Sheffield and Lincoln, 24i 2ri. Ditto Preference, 11 114. Ditto New 6 per cent. Pref., -a_ Hp. Midland Stock, 702- 707,. North British, 75-16 7 7-16. North Staffordshire, 7 61 d. South Eastern and Dover, 19 11-16 191. York, Newcastle, and Berwick, 194 19/. York and North Midland, 261 262. Leeds Capital Stock, 15 151. Dutch Rhenish, 11-16 1 p Ditto New Shares, 2 3-16 2 5-16 p. Great Western of Canada, 26 268. Ditto New Shares, 34 3d p. Great Luxembourg, 94 9 d. • Accounts from Berlin state that the ordonnance of the 26th November, 1.835, which abolished the premium on the export of spirits from Prussia, in consequence of the dearness of provisions requiring all the grain for home consumption, has been discussed in the Chamber of Lords with a view to its repeal. It app lys that this ordonnance has given great satisfaction to the people, excepting some wealthy distillers, whose imme diate interests are concerned, and who have considerable influence with the nobility. Without re-establishing the old law, the Chamber has taken a middle course, on the motion of Baron de Gaffroy, which suspends the law merely, and allows of its restoration when it is considered by the Senate that provisions have returned to their former prices. _ _ The new Spanish Minister of Finance has signed the contracts entered into by his predecessor Senor Bruil, and published in the Madrid Gazette a list of the vouchers of the Three per Cent. Consols given as guarantees to different capitalists for money borrowed by the State. These vouchers represent a nominal value of 375,000,000 reals, about 3,500,0001. In doing so, Senor Santa Cruz has given a great blow to the speculatJrs on the Bourse. Accounts from Copenhagen, by way of Berlin, state that the conferences on the Sound Dues are not likely to be attended with any practical result for the present. At the last meeting it was pro posed, and formally agreed to, that the meetings should be postponed sine die. It would appear from this that the more important conferences now being held at Paris, have influenced the postponement of this minor question to a future period, when it is probable that the whole of the commercial treaties between the Baltic States and the great European Powers will undergo revision. Already it is reported that, in the event of peace being satisfac torily concluded, the Russian government will devote their first leisure time to the regulation of the tariff and other commercial matters upon a liberal scale to increase their commerce with foreign countries. The English Funds continue to rise. A fresh advance of I per cent. was established to day, and fully maintained to the close, the final quotations being 91i. The hope of a speedy peace con tinues to induce numerous investments on the part of the public. In the Stock Exchange to-day, money did not command more than five to six per cent. upon Government Securities, owing to the release of the surplus • deposits upon the new loan. In Lombard•street,Phowever, the demand for money was extremely active, and considerable pressure was experienced. At Paris to-day the French funds closed 1 to a per cent. higher than on Saturday. The Consol scrip of the new loan advanced this afternoon 11 to la premium ; in the funding scrip the closing quotation were to lf, premium Railway Share Market continue generally good, the following being the closing quotations Caledonian, 57 . 571. Eastern Counties, 9a 9 1 East Lancashire, 72 73. Great Northern, 951 961. Ditto A., 81 82. Great Western, 594 591. Lancashire and Yorkshire, 821 821. London and North Western, 1011 102. Manchester Shef field, and Lincolnshire, 241 25}.. Midland Stock, 701 71. North British, 201 30. South Eastern and Dover, 651 651. York, Newcastle, and Ber wick, 77 78. York and North Midland, 521 53. PICKING POCKETS IN THE BIRKENHEAD MARKET.—On Saturday evening, while Mrs. Elm ibeth Wynn was in a shop in the market, she had her pocket picked of two half crowns. Suspicion fell upon an old woman named Mary Tiernie. who was consequently apprehended. Yesterday she was taken before Mr. Bryan, and was remanded for further examination. MILITIA APPOINTMENTS.—The Gazette of Friday last contains the following announcements :-2nd Regiment of the Duke of Lancaster's Own Militia.—Lieut. M. Forde to be captain, vice Peel,. resigned ; E. B. C umm i ng, gent., to be ensign ;G. N. ham, gent., to b e ens i gn. 4th, or Duke of Lancaster' W s Own (Light Infantry) Royal Lancashire Militia ; F. S. Fitzpatrick, gent., to be ensign. LivintrooL ROYAL INFIRMARY. -- Week ending 23d February, 1856.—Admitted : In-patients, 35 ; out-patients: 9; casuals during the week, 10. Discharged. In-patients, cured, 16; relieved, and at own request, 5; made out patients, 9; irregular, .1 ; dead, 2. Remain in the house, 172. House visitors: Rev. J. Stewart, A.M., and Wm; Carson, Fsq., Physician and surgeon for the ensuing week : Dr. Turnbnll and Mr. Lone. House surgeon : Mr. G. B. Hal ford. Junior house surgeon : Mr. Cecil Webster. Chaplain : Rev. H. I. Garrod, B.A. Robert Hutchison treasurer. CORONER'S INQUESTS. —On Saturday the coroner held the following inquests:--On the body of William Williams, aged 64. On Tuesday last the deceased, while tipsy, fell from the steps of a home in Redcross-street, and struck his head against the cellar steps, and was much injured. He was conveyed to the Northern Hospital, where he died on Friday evening. The jury found a verdict of accidental death.—On the body of William Kirby, aged 41, a painter, whe resided in a court off Fontenoy-street. Od Friday afternoon he was engaged on the roof of a house in Leeds street, and it appeared he fell from a ladder, and received such injuries that he died in the Northern Hospital soon after. Verdict, accidental death.—On the body of Duncan Cameron, late a fireman on board a steamer. The deceased lodged at No. 38, Barmouth-street. He had been tipsy almost without intermission for the last nine or ten days. On Thursday he died whilst in a state of intoxication. Every attention possible was paid to the deceased, but without avail. The jury retnrned as their verdict, " death from excessive drinking." —On the body of William Taylor, aged 34 a shipkeeper, who was on board the ship Ellen Bates, in the Stanley dock. On Friday night the deceased, by accident, fell overboard from the vessel, and although he was taken up very soon, life was extinct. Verdict, accidental death. LAW INTELLIGENCE.—MATHER V. FRAZER.—This cause came before Vice-Chancellor Sir William Page Wood, on Friday. The plaintiff was a mortgagee, and the defendant one of the assignees in bankruptcy, of Messrs. John and William Barton, of Liverpool. The bill prayed for a fore closure, and the question was what passed under the mortgagee deed. By that deed, which recited that the Bartons had lately affixed to the plots of land, mills or factories at which they were carrying on the business of copper roller manufacturers, a steam engine and boiler and a large quantity of mill gear and millwright work, they (the Bartons), in consideration of £7OOO, conveyed to the plaintiffs, their heirs and assigns, by way of mortgage, the said plots of land, mills or factories, dwelling houses and hereditaments, in the occupation of the mortgagors ; and also all and singular the steam engine, steam boi!ers, mill. gear, millwright work and machinery, then or thereafter to be fixed to the said lands, hereditaments, and premises, together w ith a l l houses, fi xtures , r i g h ts , mem b ers and appurtenances to the said plots of land, mills or factories, belonging or appertaining, subject to a proviso for registra tion. When the Bartons became bankrupt, the assignees took possession, and advertised the sale of all the fixtures and engines, according to a catalogue, which comprised the usual implements necessary for carrying on the Bartons' business. Mr. Rolt and Mr. De Gex appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr. Daniel and Mr. Little for the defendant. The Vice-Chancellor said : All such articles must be held to have passed by the deed with the freehold as would have Passed to the heir, and not to the executor, in the case of death. That would include almost all the machinery claimed by the plaintiffs ; it would not include some few machines which could not be said to be attached to the freehold. The sheriff could not seize anything Whi c h wou ld go to the heir, and not to the execut or . T hat being the case, it became necessary to consider whether the deed should have been registered as a bill of sale. lie could see no reason for coming to any such conclusion, and, therefore. the decree must be for the plaintiff. FRANCE. (FROM OVR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) PARIS, SUNDAY EVENING The plenipotentiaries in the Conferences, or, as the Moxiiteur call them, Congress, which are to open to-morrow, intend it is said to enter into an engagement with each other to preserve the strictest secresy on all that may take place there, until a definitive result shall be arrived at. But it is probable that the public will soon learn whether it is to count on peace or war, as the question will be presented in such explicit terms to the Russians, that they will be obliged to reply to it by yes" or " no." The Turkish plenipotentiary, Aali Pacha, has been received to-day at the Tuileries by the Emperor in precisely the same ceremony as was displayed for the other plenipotentiaries. His Majesty welcomed the Grand Vizier with the kindness due to an ally. Mehemet Djimil Bev, the Turkish Anibassador, was present. When Baron Brunow first arrived here, he was very reserved_; but after, he saw from the Emperor's reception of Lord Clarendon, that it would not be so easy a matter as had been supposed, to separate England from France, he took great pains to convince everybodythat Russia was really desirous of peace, and would consent to almost any terms short of absolute dishonour to obtain it. Count Orloff made known, both at Berlin and Vienna, that his instructions were to make every possible concession to get peace—Russia feeiiiig herself completely beaten and exhausted. Here the Couflt is understood to have expressed similar sentiments. So, on the whole, the hopes of peace, which were almost dashed to the ground a few days ago, have revived a little. There still stand, however, so many obstacles in the way, that prudence forbids the display of too great confidence. It was to have been supposed that after the note in the Moniteur on Friday about the Sieele article, the matter would have been allowed to drop ; but the Constitutionnel had the impertinence not to repro- duce the Moniteur note in its number of yesterday though it was addressed specially to it. This has irritated the Government, and to day the Constitu tionnel has been made to print the note at the very top of its columns; moreover I am told one of its principal editors, M.' de Cebena, who wrote the contradiction to the Moniteur has been dismissed by order of the Government, with six months' salary as an indemnity. The whole affair is a disagreeable one for the Emperor and his Ministers, and the public is convinced that some Stock Exchange jobbing has had a good deal to do with it : but still the grave political fact remains that the French Government has endorsed the opinions of a journal to the effect that in order to obtain an honourable peace something must be done for the suffering nationalities. By the London Times, arrived to-day, I see that its Paris correspondent writing on Thursday gives details of Lord Clarendon's interview with the Emperor on the preceding Sunday. Now, in my letter to you of Monday, I gave an account of that interview which was substantially the same as that of your London cotemporary. But this is not the first time the NORTHERN TIMES has anticipated its London cotemporary in matters of importance, and probably it will not be the last. Since the first interview Lord, Clarendon has more than once seen his Majesty, and on each occasion as on the first the Emperor assured him that ha was firmly determined to stand by the English alliance. " The English alliance is my policy for life," he is stated to have said. The Emperor was at at the Opera Comique last night, to witness the first performance of a new opera, "Manor Lescant," by Auber. All the pleni potentiaries were also present, in compliance with his expresi invitation. The vessel, the Amista, which was captured some time ago by the French in the belief that she WAS a Russian, though carrying Tuscan colours, has been given up to the owners, she turning out to be a Sardinian. The prospect of peace has not yet produced the effect that might have been expected on the retail trade, but manufacturers aro counting on large orders both from the provinces and abroad, and even from Russia. In the expectation of extraor dinary commercial activity after the establi ' of peace, the Discount Bank prepares to increase its capital from 20,000,000 f to 40,000,000 f. In corn the fall has ceased. shment It is now said that the Pope after all will come to Paris to christen the baby, to whom the Empress is about to give birth—at least the Archbishop of Paris so announced yesterday, to an acquaintance of mine. According to a letter dated St. Petersburg, (but written in Paris), the 14th 'instant, in the Constitu tionnel, the instructions of the Czar to Count Orloff, were in that capital believed to be these :—" Cede on this occasion the inflexibility of the principles of a line of policy two centuries old, to the new circumstances and wants which now exist, and so long as guarantees incompatible with the honour of the Russian flag shall not be demanded from you, do not hesitate to subscribe to the sacrifices which are necessary. I approve of them in advance. I know besides, that I have confided the defence of the interests of the Empire, to one of its best warriors, and that it will be well defended. I know that you will not go farther than is right. My desire to pacify Europe is sincere, perfectly , sincere,'second it, for we are sowing for the future.' According to a Hamburg letter in the Independ ance of Brussels, the most active negotiations are being carried on between Sweden and England, for, it is supposed, a close alliance between the two against Russia. Accounts from Constantinople to the 14th say that the English army in the Crimea ardently desired the continuation of the war. The northern forts of Sebastopol continued to fire on the south side. There was a talk of the return of Marshal Pelissier to France. Omar Pacha had resigned, and Ismail Pacha had been chosen to succeed him. The Sultan was about to present diadems in bril lians to Queeq Victoria and the French Empress ; indeed it was said that Aali Pacha had brought them over. He was also to send a sword enriched with diamonds to the Emperor. A terrible com mercial crisis prevailed at Constantinople, owing to an enormous fall in all sorts of goods; Turkish money was sustaining a loss of from 15 to 20 per cent, and there was an epidemic amongst cattle. PARIS, SATURDAY EVENING The Moniteur announces, officially, to-day the opening of the Conferences on Mondayl In so doing it makes use, either by error or design, of the word " Congress," but the meeting which is to take place on Monday is not a Congress in the diplomatic meaning of the term. Count Orloff, the Russian plenipotentiary, has been presented to the Emperor, at the Tuileries to-day, in the same form as his colleague Baron Brunow. His Majesty received him courteously, but without anything like that hearty cordiality which, distinguished his reception of Lord Claren don. The Count is a tall vigorous man, and looks younger than he really is. A treaty of commerce and navigation between France and the Republic of Honduras, was signed yesterday at the Ministry of Foreign affairs. A very long Council of Ministers has been held to-day at the Tuileries under the presidency of the Emperor. The American residents in Paris gave, yester day, their annual subscription ball in honour of the birthday of Washington; it took place in the magnificent new Hotel du Louvre. It was attended by many personages of political distinction, and amongst them by Lord and Lady Clarendon, I,ord and Lady Cowley, Count de N. Morny, President of the Legislative Body, Mr. Mason, United States Minister in Paris, and Mrs. Mason, the Baron Brunow, the gentlemen of the American, Austrian, and Sardinian legations, etc. About a thousand persons were present, and amon g st them were American s , English, F renc h and Germans. The presence of Lord Clarendon seemed to afford considerable pleasure to the getters up of the ball and the Americans generally. The ladies were numerous and beautiful—indeed, seldom have so many pretty womef been seen collected, in Paris at least—and their toilettes were magnificent. The supper was excellent, and was served up in such a way that all persons present were able to partake of it, without any of that unseemly disorder which characterises most quasi-public balls, and indeed not a few in private life. The dancing which was very elegant .d.~-- was kept up with great s pi r it. T a k en a ltogether the fete was an admirable one, and passed off without the slightest contre-temps. Portraits of Washington, of the present President, and of the Emperor and Empress of the French, were ex hibited in'the salons. Amongst the gossip of the night was an on dit, t o th e e ff ect t h at a yountl American lady of great wealth will in all probability very shortly, soon be led to the altar by a French nobleman, who occupies a lofty political and per. sons! position, and who besides can boast-of sessing an illegitimat e re l at i ons hi p to the Emperor. The sales of cotton a t H avre f or t h e wee k en ding yesterday was 9,688 bal es , th e i mportat i ons only 1817. Prices remai ne d una l tere d . pOS' LATEST INTELLIGENCE- SIGNING AN ARMISTICE- PARIS, TUESDAY MORNISGr• We . can announce with certainty, that -at the sitting of the Congress held yesterday, a n Armistice was signed by the representatives of the powers. The Armistice is to be in force until the. 31st of March, and to apply only to the Jan a forces. • RUSSIA An Imperial ukase, just issued, permits the importation of salt by the Austrian-Moldavian, frontiers. and by Odessa, on payment of a duty 01 nineteen kopecks per pita. ____,,•„__,____ THE EAST. • The Thabor arrived on the 23rd at Marseilles, from Constantinople. Her dates are—from th e Crimea, the 12th ; Constantinople, the 14th inst. The Firman, conceding their rights to the Chris," tian subjects of the Po r t e , h as been sinned, will be speedily published. On the .11th of February. Fort Alexander (id Sebastopol) was blown up and entirely destroyed- In the Crimea the weather was mild, and the health of the troops excellent. TIIE PEACE CONFERENCES BY TELEGRAPH. PARIS, MONDAY EVENINO The members of the Peace Conferences met to day for the first time at half-past one o'clock, The Plenipotentiaries arrived at the place °fl meeting without any formality, and wore their ordinary costume. The Sardinian Envoy was the first s and tl' Russian Representatives were the last to arrive• Comparatively few persons were assembled td witness the entree of the respective diplomatists• The Conference broke up at half-past four o'clock. A despatch, dated Berlin the 25th instant, announces that a Cabinet Courier had arrived i 3 that City from St. Petersburg, with despatches for Count Orloff, the Russian Plenipotentiary, which were received and forwarded by another Russia° Courier. In corroboration of our own Paris correspon l dent's information, we learn from another sourc e that every moral and material precaution will be taken to prevent what passes in the congress being; prematurely di sc l ose d t o the world... Doors an d windows are to be closed, people sent out of-earshot the very air itself, which might bear to the profane the slightest whisper of a secret, w ill b e almos t excluded, and thick blinds will shut out fro li that varied co nc l ave any chance sunbeam that would obtrude its light on their deliberations; During this anxious period the inventive powers ° f newstoongers will be taxed to the utmost, and it would not be difficult to indicate - even particular channel through which iinaginary d e ; bates will be given t o th e world. Of course sb. these will be received with caution, when it 15 known that the strongest obliggion has 1 ) 0 ° 3 imposed and accepted reciprocally to say nothin g which would be likely t o en d anger the tranqui„, course of the Conf erences , or to reveal before tile' proper time the result that may be arrived at. 6 The sitting of the first day will probably occupied for the greater part, if not entirely, wi t ' . the verification of the powers of the Plenipoteni tiaries ; aft er w hi c h , i t is said, that the President of the Con gress , t h at is, the French Minister " Foreign Affairs, will present a communicatio n in the name and on behalf of the Allies, con taining in pr ec i se . terms the conditions (1, which they will agree to make p eace IV t ; Russia. These conditions will be - discussed, o , l ` any objections off ere d t o t h em answered. In the communication thus pre sen t e d t h e stipulations the preliminary convention of peace will be * 5 " clearly put as to admit of no doubt' or of, no 1 33 'i apprehension as to th e d e fi n i t i ve conditions e „ peace. The Russian Plenipotentiaries will ho; to make their communications in writing. T il e process would perhaps be tedious in negotiation of a complicated character—no such character, 1 10°- ever, belongs to those under consideration ; nothing can be plainer th an w h a t we demand, and noth i n g ought to be plainer or more brief than the reP i li whether negative or affirmative. By thi s mode 0 _ acting the Plenip o t e nti ar i es of Russia, if it be tr ite that they hav e c ome f urn i s h ed with full powers i r e deliberate and d ec id e, w i ll not be under ti`ci necessity of having recourse to the hackneYe trick of diplomacy, th e re f err i ng home for furt he' , instructions. The sittings of the Congress will not take O le : consecutively day after day. In some few ease? I may be so, but such is not the present intention' The number of times in the week that the Pie nz s „r potentiaries will meet f or th e d espatch of business is not fixed; it m a y b e th ree or four times, ", oftener, and three days or more may elapse bed tween two sittings; but t hi s will depend a fl,°' deal on circumstances. LECTURE ON SYRIA. —Last evening Mr.,-7,- E. G. -- b elf n e• a native of Mount Z e h anon, delivered a lecture at the Dt4,4 hall, Hope-stre e t, on th e rel i gious condition, manners, to customs, of the inhabitants of Syria. The lecturer w ail dressed in his nativ e cos t ume. There was but a very sr° attendance. THE WEATHER, for the last two or three days, 0 1 been mild and bright, indeed wearing all the appearallee i ,b Spring. Ag r i cu lt ura l operations are progressing rapidity in our l oca li ty , as the weather is most f a voura eri for such operati ons . Sh ould this continue, there is el prospect of an early Spring and harvest. deg ° ExPLossoN Gns.—During Friday night, a chall e ld in one of the head offices of the Manchester and S he a — on Railway, at Manchester, fell from the ceiling, 3° ,fires Saturday morning, when the woman employed to light entered for that purpose, so much gas had escaped th a 0 01 immediate explosi on occurred. The woman was al,ors deal bur n t, several windows were blown out, and - 'we, detached from th e i r hi nges, some fittings also caught dilf but the port ers an d servants of the company being sPeei te rf in attendance, the flames were ext i nguished with be • slight damage being done. The loss will therefore inconsiderable. of THEATRE R OYAL .—Th e enactment of the trag,euove?l " Macbeth," with a ll th e agenc i es of scenery and - effects, has taken complete possession of the tovva l ; co e evidenced by the crowded aJdiences which fill the fra il every evening. Mr. Barry Sullivan h as cogo; "warmed" into the impettaolation of th e S co tti s h Tu tist ane io and the lovers of s t er li ng acting, seconded by the aro Of adjuncts brought to be ar in the realization of this ge is the witnessing a per`ormance, the tout ensem bl e of w st• cannot he s urpassed in any thea're in the _real' . ha s Copeland i s a practised caterer, and in this instance he surpassed himself. at A WARNING} h FROM THE A LTA R.--We are inrorm- t 3 O, at the morning mass of the Catholic Chapel in B irke : r eiag on Sunday last, the Rev. Canon Brown addressed a w et r ec t to some portion of his congregation to the tollowiag_th„iti, He said that he had understood upon undoubted ti u „ i b a l than an illegal society (something approaching 3 " ova Society) had been fjrmed at the house of a shoema k er ot ie. beerseller in that township, and that unless the Y nc i e tf so assembling together gave up the rules of that g L " t he)! by the following day, and ceased to meet, not one % b ola should ever again enter his place of worship, D m- 00 4 4 they, if sick, be attended by a priest, or be buried in a l e ing to the faith to which they belonged. ne _ e d 1 11° strongest terms denounced such societies, and expreab determination to have them broken up. th e . bei oi di ipt . ' an d 1 4, 011 Prolt Ir e " Mer e kr's Of ea Deice,