Northern Times. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-07-20 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE WEEKLY PRESS: The Saturday Review thinks there is no question That for the failure of the Jew Bill we are indebted in a great measure to the general impression that the present a dministratio will stand quiet under a ny rebuff. " Somehow or other, we cer tainly do not appear to be getting all the advantages we were promised from a strong government. Considering the slender provision of legislation with which the ministry met the parliament, the defeats and enforced compromises which it has had to undergo have been extraordinarily numerous ; and, indeed, on the whole, its success does not seem to have been greater than that of administrations which had to steer a difficult course amid the snags and sawyers of broken-up faction. In the present instance, the obligation of carrying through the Jew Bill weighs the more heavily on Lord Pal merston, because there is one part of his policy which has directly contributed to its rejection. The Cabinet ga ined the not very impressive adhe sion of Lord Sh a ftesbury, and it had, of course, the Whig vote of Lord Clarendon's episcopal brother, but the Bishop of Ripon, the premier's most significant appointment, divided against the bill. The theological partisanship of Lord Pal merston has, in fact, been a heavy blow and severe discouragement to the cause of religious liberty. It is impossible to promote with impunity the ex treme members of an extremely bigoted party. People have a difficulty in persuading themselves that the patron of Dr. Biekersteth is really siacere in his hostility to a grievance which would have been removed long ago but for the fierce opposition of Dr. Bickersteth's school ; and thus while Ministerialists feel themselves at liberty tohesi taid,v/itathwaturily did in the instances signifi- The exhibition of Sir James Graham, says the Press, at the meeting of the members of the House of Commons, in Palace-yard, on Thursday, was highly characteristic of the man. "It was a regular case of Ccelebs in search of a party.' He recited all his votes in favour of religious liberty,' but he .took no notice of his conservative votes from 1834 to 1845, of his bitter allusions to death's head and-cross-bone denunciationee and more flowers of rhetoric in the same vein. He disclaimelhav ing had ' communication with Lord J. Russell '— a point apparently uppermost in his heart — and he spoke of the very liberal opinions of Sir Robert Peel's later years.' Sir James Graham then, in a set style, talked of war ning the House of Lords, and assumed a menacing air. We must protest against any statesman taking such a tone to either branch of the Legislature. It was the tone used in the Sebastopol committee by Sir James Graham, but the House of Commons laughed at his threats, and in his imitation of Mr. Croker's celebrated passage in the Reform Bill debate about Cromwell and 'that bauble, the mace.' On that occasion Sir James Graham was told that he was a great proficient in the oratory of terror,' and it is a style of eloquence not calculated to sway Englishmen of any rank. A politician injareshis cause by employing it, as was found by some of the Anti-Corn-Law League Legislators, who ceased to use it as they acquired more experience. Sir James Graham has many talents, but to improve by age is not amongst his qualities. His displays have always something of that heedlessness which was a reproach to him in early days. For one who prepares his speeches, he is singularly incautious. We like to see a public man improve, and we call to mind what pleasure was felt, even by avowed adversaries, on seeing the late Sir W. Molesworth improve every year, up to the time of his early and regretted death. But Sir James Graham remains hard and harsh in his tone ; he does not mellow with time, and his ability is depreciated by his acrid air and minacioua manner. It is the peculiarity of this eminent person to damage any cause which he takes in hand. Nobody has so often contradicted himself; he is eternally fighting a hard struggle against the ghosts of his former acts and speeches. After his scenes' with so many members of the House of Commons, from the O'Gorman Mahon to Mr. Thomas Duncombe, it is possible that Sir J. Graham would wish to close his public career by getting up a 'scene' to his own glorification with the House of Lords. But we trust that he will be disappointed ; and we feel assured that, while the peers of England will always remain open to conviction from arguments of real ability, they will disregard such a peculiar tone as that employed with sinister effect by Sir James Graham in his ill-expressed speech at Palace-yard." The Economist says there is great danger of English opinion becoming unworthily suspicious as to official partiality and patronage. There is a very natural disgust at the administrative blun dering anti dull spirit of routine which has come to light in the public service during the last few years. But what is the true remedy ? " Certainly not the substitution of one sort of mechanism for another sort—the mechanism of cram-examinations for the mechanism of official patronage ; but the infusion of a higher spirit of responsibility into the management of public affairs. The excessive reliance on the competitive, as dis tinguished from the comparative principle, tends to lessen this sense of responsibility. It exempts our higher authorities from all influence in appoint ments, and so tends to diminish their answerability for the result. If a mere system, if the marks' given by examiners are to be the appointment, the system—the marks—will be alone responsible The end is likely to be as gross a failure as before while there will be less personal responsibility than before for that failure. Our administra tive system cannot be saved by any me chanism. There must be individual responsibility for the nomination of candidates as well as free competition amongst the nominees, or we shall lose half the checks on improper selec tions and half the sense of responsible authority in our ruling men. There is no better example of this than the army. It has been in a state of stagnation from the absence of all healthy emulation and competition. But no man in his senses would regard success in exam inations as the sole and sufficient reason for the promotion of an ordinary regimeetal offieer. Other qualifications far more than outbalance in his case the qualifications of knowledge and literary diligence. An officer who could prove the binomial theorem or find the horizontal range of a cannon ball in a resisting medium, would not, perhaps, be necessarily fit to command in the field. The absurdity is visible in this case, but as certainly exists, though in a less degree, in the civil service, and we believe it will be found that the principle of limited competition,' as it is called, involves a far less limited comparison of the real qualifications of the candidates than its more boastful rival." We read in the Weekly Despatch :—" The slight put by the House of Lords on the House of Com mons by the seventh rejection of the Parliamentary Oaths Bill, begins to do its work. The minority of Peers and majority of Commons are both very indignant. There is a very pretty quarrel as it stands' between Derby and Dizzy.' The former threw out a taunt about a Jewish Chancellor of the Exchequer, which the latter neither forgets nor forgives. Lord Granville takes very good care to work upon the raw' which that taunt has begun. Sir John Pakingtou begins to suspect that Derby is no statesman,' but only a leader of faction. Sir Fitzroy Kelly is of the same mind ; and Lord Stanley has been heard to declare that, for a man of genius, his father is the most ignorant man he ever knew.' Upwards of a hundred members of the House of Commons have gone to Lord Palmerst on and told him he must either give a pledge to make the seating of Baron Rothschild a govern ment question, or they must look to another minister; and Lord John Russell stands by, play ing the part of judicious bottle-holder.' Well may men exclaim,' Woe unto you, ye lawyers ; for ye will neither go in yourselves, nor let others enter,' There is a very large majority of the House .of Commons ready, even anxious, to seat the mem ber for London by a resolution. The government l aw y e rs, who really do not understand the case, and declare that in the face of the decision of the Court of Exchequer in Salomons' case, such a step would be illegal, have fairly estoppel the adminis - tration, and Lord Palmerston declares that the I thing can't be done.' Meanwhile Lord John Russell brings on a motion immediately, the pur port of which is to have it found and declared that either House of Parliament shall have power to seat its members on whatever oaths and terms it pleases, and the House seems inclined to say Pam,' give us this, or a resolution, or out you go. Others look to the new Reform Bill for a solution of the maim. We shall see." Office, decide, in ay., same way, that it sounds very like a crime. On the strength of that amusing chapter, entitled "The whole Art of Go vernment," they solemnly denounle the author as hostile to the institutions of the county, and as the great corrupter of youth within the realm. The only parallel we know to such a solemn farce is Lord Donoughmore t s motion in the peers to bring the publisher of the Examiner before their lordships' bar for breach of privilege. We don't know whether his lordship belongs to the staff of our cotemporary, but from the speech he delivered we strongly suspect he must. Surely none but a Saturday reviewer would hlve thought a pleasant ironical sketch on a living peer a fit subject for parliamentary interference.—Leader. and this again, furnishes anothe r p roof of the co nsiderably imprfeved during the present wee k : a dvantage wbfteh the public would derive from an earlier publication of the accounts. After the experience of last year, it would h owever . be• somewhat premature to conclude that the reduction which the present state of the mar ket appears to justify, wili be permanent. At the corresponding period in 1856 to that when we a re now writing, the bullion in the Bank was £12,331,000 and the reserve of notes £5,321,000, while the rate of dis count was 4 per cent. The continue d drain of silver to the East, and the consequent drain of gold from this country to the continent in ex change for silver throughout the autumn, led in the month of October to a reduction of the amount of bullion to £9,638,000, and to a rise in the rate of discount to 6 and 7 per cent. In the present year that drain has continued, and in a greatly ag gravated form ; and the most important question at this moment, is whether it will con tinue for the remainder of the year. It it does, there is no reason why a similar result should not happen as was experienced in 1850. The other great cause for increased demand for capital appear equally strong now as then. Speculation may be temporarily checked in France, but the trade of this country requiring a constantly increasing capital seems to be progressing as fast as it did a year ago. What, then, is the probable course of events mind IR and China which is likely to affect this question? In India the demand for British goods is said to have received a serious check iu consequence of the disturbances in Bengal and the demand for the moment is suspended. But the demand for the products of India, the stocks of which are very small, will continue as large as ever in this country, while the feeling of insecurity which pre- Kale,, .iaprasiLthe an xie ty2 f i the our exports to India are checked while onr im ports receive a new impulse, it is certain that the state of the exchanges must be still more adverse to England, and that larger shipments of silver will take place. Again, it may be necessary for the East India Company to send out remittances, or to suspend their drafts upon their Indian treasuries, which will be the same thing, in order to furnish ample means to conduct the extensive opera tions which have become necessary at the present crisis. In this way, threfore, the ship ment of silver will be further promoted. In China matters are in much the same condi tion. The unsettled state of our relations must tend to diminish the demand for our goods. But the high price of tea and silk, and the large sup plies coming down to some of the Chinese ports must tend to increase our imports, and to add to thequan tity of silver required to adjust the balance of trade. There does not, therefore, appear to be any ground for believing that the demand for silver for the East will be less in the autumn of 1837 than it was in the autumn of 1856. The main considerations which may tend to modify the position of the money market in the latter part of the present year, as compared with 1856, are, first, that we may fairly look for some influence from the returns for the ex tensive exports of last year, and next, and chiefly, the effects of a most promising harvest throughout Europe as well as in the United States. From all the accounts that reach us, we believe that a better prospect has not existed for many years, as far as this important element of general prosperity is concerned.—Economist, THE " SATURDAY REVIEW" AND MR CHARLES DICKENS. The Saturday Reviewers attack Mr. Dickens, not because he is a popular writer, but because, being so, he makes himself, as they say, a legisla tor " and philosopher," and thinks himself at liberty to speak on the most important subjects. This, they consider, " little less than a crime_" It may well be asked, Why ? Why is Mr. Dickens, or any other distinguished writer to be pro hibited from speaking seriously on the public questions of the day ? That because a man writes interesting books, he should forfeit the common rights of a citizen is a dogma of the Saturday Reviewers, which very aptly illustrates the way in which they strain at a gnat and swallow a camel. " We do not think," they say, in grave censure, on our having written a distinguished name without the usual prefix, " that a man forfeits the rights of society by writing books;" but it appears that he does forfeit the ordinary privileges of a citizen and a patriot, if he is unhappily guilty of writing interesting ones. But, in reality, the charge is altogether unfounded. Mr. Dickins has not come forward as a public man, or offered himself in the character of a legislator and political philosopher at all. With the exception of one or two speeches the last of which was delivere some years ago, he has taken n) active part in public affairs,and steadily declined repeated invitations to do so. Had he offered himself, like :Mr. Thackeray, as a candidate for a seat in Parliament, there would have been at least some colourable ground for the charge of the Satur day reviewers. We are far from saying that he is not at perfect liberty to do this without violating any law except the capricious one framed by the reviewers; but, as the case stands, their charge is utterly baseless. Mr. Dickens has strictly confined himself within the limits of his art, in pleasantly satirising some of the admitted shortcomings of government officials. The Satur day Reviewers, however, seeing much deeper into a millstone than their neighbours, discover crime and treason, a deep-laid conspiracy to undermine the constitution, and destroy the country, in these humourous sketches. They altogether deny the right of a popular author to touch upon such sub jects, which are, it would appear, sacred to Satur day Reviewers. This is another of the critical canons elaborated by the painful industry of our cotemporary. Fortunately, it is as novel as it is irrational and unjust. From the days of Aristophanes till now, the follies and vices of men in authority have been recognised as the legitimate objects of satire for the poet, wit, or humourist of the day. With us such sketches have been specially popular, and our literature contains an amusing gallery of official incapables, from Justice Shallow and honest Dog berry downwards. But our cotemporary decides that such sketches are no longer tolerable, and having laid down the law, proceeds to make an example of Mr. Dickens as a notorious offender. Notwithstanding, however, the hard words, the weak, prolix reasoning, and " damnable iteration," with which the new doctrine is enforced, we con tinue to believe that a humourist is at perfect liberty tq satirise, in a pleasant spirit, the weak points of existing institutions. He may do it well or ill, and that is a proper question for criticism ; but he is not to be condemned as a criminal for doing it at all. And our indignant cotemporary may rest assured that justice will be done by the critics and the public, without the assistance of the policeman, which it seems disposed to recommend. But the most amusing part of our cotemporary's assault on Mr. Dickens is the point at which it is chiefly made. His pleasant fiction of the Circum locution Office is, in the eyes of the Saturday Reviewers, the head and front of his offending. It is here that the true Dogberry spirit comes out—the amusing official gravity, the stolid official zeal, the utter inability to perceive a joke. They look upon the Circumlocution Office not only as a complete failure in point of art, but as a moral and political offence of the gravest magnitude. They smell treason in that " How not to do it," and think it flat perjury to call a prince's brother a barnacle. Can it be that they have a latent sympathy with honest Dogberry ? The evidence for such a supposition is purely internal; but the zeal with which they insist, by implication, that they are not only wise men, but " what is more, officers," who know the law, and wish to be correctly written down in the record, seems almost to justify such a surmise. Supposing this to be the case, it may, perhaps, explain the total absence of humour they evince. During the French Revolu tion the Girondists were accused of federalism, the signification of which the judges themselves did not well understand, and one of them, on being asked what it meant, replied, "He was no gram , marian, but it sounded like a very heinous crime." So the Saturday Reviewers being no humorist, and not exactly understanding the Circumlocution THE NORTHERN TIMES. LIVERPOOL, MOlci DAY, JULY 20, 1857 POLICE INTELLIGENCE.-SATURDAY. FURTHER MEASURES FOR INDIA. So far as one can trust the accounts of an alien race with whom our sympathies are almost as im perfect as our information has been. we are able to arrive at something like a proximate idea of the revolt in Bengal, both as to its character and extension. The more the movement has developed itself, the more it bears the aspect of being as it has been called, a " a great Brahmin conspiracy' of the Bengal army." It has probably not been without allies among the Alussulmans, from a sympathy with the Hindoo Natives against the proselytism of Christian officers ; but the more we see of the disaffected force, the larger ap• pears the proportion of the Brahminical element, and the more distinct the fact that the insurrection has taken effect only in the army. This is re markable since the rajahs and zemindars, especially in the outlying provinces, have not unfrequently shown a disposition to contumacy against British authority; and yet, with one or two exceptions that scarcely merit atten:ion, they have not taken this opportunity of throwing off their allegiance, but rather the reverse. Even now that the quondam conquerers appear as fugitives and out casts,rajahs and zemindars have acted as protectors as if their natural shrewdness enabled them to vie success of tue Brahminical rebellion: This negative evidence is almost more important than the positive evidence afforded by the address from the inhabitants of Calcutta, " breathing the utmost loyalty," and so forth. The insurrection, then, is confined to the Bengal Presidency, and within that presidency to the army; being insti gated principally by Brahminical ideas as hostile to Christianity and proselytism. It is not impos- sible that there may have been all kinds ot . in trigues among the disaffected ; but the incidents which preceded the outbreak, the conduct of those ringleaders who have been seized,and the behaviou of the soldiers, all indicate that the mutinous de- parture of the Brahmin soldiers from the British flag is a species of protest against interference with their religious usages; for if some have set out for Delhi, others seem simply to have departed, dis persed. Even in these brief accounts we see many confirmations of the belief which we have derived from Anglo-Indians, that the Hindoo is a tract able animal when he is managed with intelligence, intractable when his European managers are negligent or indiscreet. We are not now trusting to assurances—they are little worth. The last mail but two was preceded by assurances that the native regiments were loyal ; the last mail but one, by assurances that the mutiny would be confined to two regiments ; the last mail, by assurances that the rebellious city of Delhi would be captured. In confirmation it was I observed that the public securities in the Indian markets, and especially at Bombay, had not been affected by the intelligence from the North ; we now find something like a money market panic at Bombay. Nor do we reter only to those regiments which remain al, but we observe how much the conduct of the men takes its form and course from the conduct of their suoeriors. Sir Henry Lawrence seems effectually to have cut short the revolt in Lucknow by the vigour and decision of his conduct, as other officers have done in some other places. The distinction between the individual regiments at Bengal are confirmed by the still broader distinction between the army of that presidency and the armies of Madras and Bombay ; the men of the latter, espe cially, having at some points of contact resisted every te.nptation to mutiny or desert. Thus re viewed, we find the movement to be a revolt of semi-barbarian sectaries against European mis management. A correspondent expresses it capi tally by saying that the men, who are half children in understanding, are actuated by the same spirit that animates schoolboys in a " barring out." The more the character cf the outbreak is known, the more clearly we perceive the nature and probable extension of the measures, counteractive and pre ventive, for the future. The European forces have to be increased in number. At the same ' time, we are justified by the opinion of many Anglo-Indians, that a wasteful consumption of European soldiers is not necessary, if the Euro peans be properly distributed among the Natives, and if the natives be properly managed. The sending out of 25,000 soldiers will not exhaust the measures to be taken on this side. The rein forcement of the staff is equally necessary, and must be equally prompt : and we must include the civil as well as the military staff; for it is clear that a great number of active, able, and intelligent officials will be required to manage and protect European interests in the disturbed provinces.. In their working, however, all those measures threaten to be slower than the march of events has been hither. Even if Delhi be retaken, a considerable time will be required to cure or cut out the dis eased portion of the Bengal army. The most trying seasons of the year were coming on, and we have yet to ascertain how far other regi ments may not have waited for that oppor tunity. Meanwhile, we foresee that we shall be called upon to pay a heavy bill, although we have no enlightenment as to the practical mea sures taken, or contemplated, to prevent the incur ring of such bills for the future. We shall not learn much even about the next stage of action. Parlia ment will be dispersed for the recess. Our repre sentatives will leave Indian affairs at the mercy of the mutineers, the Indian seasons, the Indian system, and the executive in both countries, which has been so far surprised. We are but at the beeinning, of a course of expenditure which will probably proceed at an accelerating rate and on an enlarging scale. The truest economy would consist in laying out the public money effectually at the commencement. Some part of the causes which have led to the present state of affairs has been ascribed to the divided authority, and the consequent weakening of admi nistration. Allusions have been made to differences between the Governor-General and the late Corn mandelein-Chief, though we are assured by Ministers in Parliament that they had not differed more than gentlemen should. Whose counsel prevailed—that of the civil governor, or that of the military commander? What securities have been taken that there shall be no obstructing or enfeebling differences of counsel between the Governor-General and the new commander whom he has just appointed in Bengal ? What position does the East India Company occupy in these Councils ? How far will it retain a voice to assist or to forbid .? These are questions which concern the future as much as the present ; and in separat ing at so critical a period, Parliament might well expect to have a distinct explanation.—Spectator. REDUCTION IN THE BANK RATE OF DISCOUNT. There is nothing in the published state of the bank accounts, which would appear to justify the reduction which has been made by the bank in the rate of discount, and looking to the acknowledged nrudence and ability with which the affairs of the bank have been conducted for a long time past, it is fair to suppose that during the week the bullion has considerably increased, while the demand for accommodation has become less urgent. The accounts published this day made up to the eloEe of last week, as compared with those o f t h e prece di ng wee k, s h o w an increase of bulli on to the amount on l y o f 75,000/., while . the reserve o f no t es s h ows a d ecre ase of 421,560/. It is t rue t h at t h e amount a d vance d upon private securities shows a decrease in the wee k of no less than 2 ,860,0001., caused by the re payment of short loans made in anticipation of the payment of the dividends. It is, therefore, a fair inference that the condition of the bank was LIVERPOOL. BEFORE MR MANSFIELD. CARD SHARPERS.—John Jordan, William Campbell, Patrick Sheridan, and Edward Borroughs, " c trd and d ice sharpers," were harged with having swindled a person, named George Bream, a youth of eighteen, a native of Oxfordshire, and for attempting to:swindle John Rielly, of Kirkdale, a joiner. Mr. Block was for the prisoners. Inspector Wilson said he was called into a public house in Crosshall- street, where two of the prisoners were with the youth Bream, and under a seat, where they were sitting, he Lund some cards, (marked) and also a loaded pin (" a teetum tootum,") dice, and " Californian sovereigns." The prisoners had been " doing" the y Dung man out of half a sovereign. The youth, on cross-examination by, Mr, Bluck, said he never was from his mother's apron string ; he was on his way to America, and his passage had been paid. He only got a little money and what paid his fare to Liverpool. When he ventured his money. he knew he was liable to loose, but he expected to win. Rielly stated how one of the prisoners acccosted him is Whitechapel, and he was induced to g into a public house with him, where they were joined by the the others, and he then suspected what they. were, and in place of being bit, he succeeded in biting them, for he managed to have them arrested. Mr. Bluck cross-examined this witness at some length, and created considerable merriment, the wit ness admitting that he told the prisoners lies, in order to entrap them ; that there were several ways of choking a dog besides feeding him with plum pudding. He wound up by stating that it was for the benefit of public society that he had acted, as he had heard and read of such sharpers, and he resolved to trap them if he ever fall in with such fellows. Mr, Block :In order to accomplish your very praiseworthy object of benefitting the public, you told them a lie ? Yes. Mr. Block : Then you are a liar ? On that oerasion I was. Mr. Bluck : Then you are a contemptible fellow, for no matter what a man's motive may be, if he tells a lie to obtain it, he is a scoundrel. He then argued that there was no nee made to prove a conspiracy against the prisoners, and asked for a remand for that purpose. The prisoners were re manded for a week. UNLICENSED CARTS —James Hartman, the driver of a spring cart, was charged by George Barton, an excise officer, for not having a license for his spring cart whilst carrying passengers from the races. The prisoner was fined in a mitigated penalty of £2 10s. Tua SUSPEC TED AMERICAN MOBSMEN.—James James, and Thomas Lee, who were remanded on suspicion of being American mobsmen, were brought up by Inspector Murphy for final examination. Mr. Snowball was for Lee. The details of this case appeared in Tuesday's paper, and there not being any additional evidence they were disct arged. HOUSES OF ILL-FAME.—lnspector Grace brought up a tall " clashing" looking female, dressed in the first style, whose name was given as Mary Lawson, on a charge of keeping a house of ill-fame at 28, Belgrave-street, Erskine street. Some police-officers were examined and proved the case, and a Mr. Smith, who keeps a beer house in the street, and another inhabitant of the street also gave evidence, and the prisoner was sent for trial. Adelaide Eccles, a female not more than twenty, ele gantly dressed, was charged by the same officers with keeping a similar house at No. 36, in the same street, and the case being proved, she was also committed for trial. CHARGE OF EMBEZZLEMENT —William Pettrell, who was remanded on a charge of embezzlement of £1 4s , belong ing to Miss Inch, music-seller, South Castle-street, was brought up. A report of this case appeared in our paper two or three days ago. Mr. Goodere appeared for the prisoner, and contended that there was a doubt in the case, and the prisoner should get the benefit of it. The prisoner was discharged. ROBBERY OF COTTON.—Thomas Palmer, who had been in the employment of Mr. Joiwon, of Oldhall-street, was charged with having stolen three bales of cotton, the pro perty of his employer. The prisoner was in custody of Detective-officer Eaton, who said when he arrested him that he did steal the cotton, and sold it to a man named M'Cabe, at one of the arches of the railway, at Athol street, but had only received £1 or 303 for it. It appeared that the prisoner was " telling" off a cargo of cotton, and in the course of his work he passed out the three bates that were carried to Mr. M'Cabe's. The latter sold the cotton to Terrance M'Gee for £39 4s, and M.Gee sold it to a person named Holt, at Radcliffe-bridge, for £46 12s. The prisoner was sent for trial THE LARGE DRAPERY ROBBERY.—SamueI Freeman, late in the employment of Mr. Bagot, Ranalagh-street, was brought up on remand, charged with having stolen about £-100 worth of drapery goods, the property of his employer. The full details of this extraordinary and mysterious affair appeared, two or three day's ago, in our paper. The evidence being perfected the prisoner was fully committed. FRIGHTFUL ATTEMPT AT MURDER.—A Frenchman, named John Frishman, was charged with having attempted to murder a sailor named John Rowan, who belongs to the ship Beaming. The c3mplainant was passing along Frederick-street, the previous night, when the prisoner, whom he had not seen before, and to whom he had given no provocation, rushed at and stabbed him in several places, but particularly just under the shoulder blade. Surgeon Pope, of the Southern Hospital, said it was the worst case of the sort he had seen; it was a perfect miracle that he had escaped with his life. The breadth of a hair more and the man would have inevitably been killed on the spot. The knife went in at the back, and came out right through the front of his chest. The prisoner was reman ied to this day, in order to prodace a witness who saw the murderous attack. ROBBERY OF HAMS. —Clement Wrightson, William Crowley, and William Smith, were chargad with having stolen 16 hams, value £lO, or thereabout. Detective Sullivan traced the matter, and found that on the mrning of the robbery the prisoners hired a cart and took a sack full of hams from an entry adjoining the stores, to the house of a sister of one of the prisoners, in New-grove Park Some of the hams were recovered. The prisoners were sent for trial. BEFORE MESSRS. LAWRENCE AND R. SHEIL. INTERESTING TO TRADES EN —Joseph Gillderbanks, a foreman anchor maker, in the employment of Messrs. H. Wood and Co., was summoned under the Act of Parlia ment for leaving his employment contrary to agreement Mr. Almond was for the complainants and Mr. Blair for' the defendant. The facts were simply these :—ln 1854 the defendant entered into a contract with Messrs. Wood, the stipulation being that two months' notice was to be given on either side. On the 13th June the defendant gave fourteen days notice, and went into the employ of Messrs. Hengley. After a goof deal of discussion the magistrates said that the defendant should return to his work, which he preferred to imprisonment. BIRKENHEAD. BEFORE It. BRYANS, ESQ. ROBBERY AT THE CATHOLIC CHSPEL.—Tohn De Suesse, a coloured man, was brought up on a charge of having broken open the charity-box, and a box in cne of the private pews in the chapel. It appeared from the state ment of the Rev. J. Rogerson, that between 10 and eleven on Friday morning he happened to enter the chapel of the private entrance, and no sooner had he done so than he discovered that the charity-box had been broken open. At the same time he saw the prisoner, and called to him to stop, instead of which ho ran out of the chapel. He however, followed him, and when in Grange-lane he called police. At this moment the gardener employed by the trustees of the chapel came up, and the Rev. gentleman having told him of the robbery he (the gardener) gave chase. Sive the prisoner turn down Hampton-street into Oliver-street and then up a court there. Being then joined by the A police officer, they went up the court but could see nothing of the prisoner. Having, however, inquired of a woman standing by if she had seen a man that way, she replied that she had, and that he bad gone into a house close by, whither the constable and gardener went, and upcn looking into the lobby, there sat the prisoner as if he was one of the inmates. Being taken into custody, i zd. was found in one of his hands, and upon the officer feeling his pockets and saying there was more money there that he had stolen from the chapel, he (the prisoner) said "that dii not belong to the chapel, only what he had in his hand," He was then taken to the police offi^e, and upon being searched there, four shillings and a penny was found upon him, and two prayer books, the latter from one of the pews, and a large nail about six inches long. The nail correspon led with the marks on the boxes. The prisoner, in answer to the charge, said that he was steward of Vie ship Samuel Williams, which he left about a month and a half ago, and that it had gone away with all his clothes on board, since which time he had no one to give him anything besides what he got by begging ; that he went into the chapel, being a catholic, and from being Tory hungry he broke open the box and took the money and what the witnesses had said was quite true. Committed for trial. DESERVEDLY PUNISHEI).—Thomas Thompson, a stuedy looking fellow, who said he was a labourer, was brought up by Mr. M'Nerney, the relieving-officer, charged with deserting his two children, who had become chargeable to Birkenhead. It appeared, from Mr. M`Narneys statement, that the prisoner had taken up with a married woman, and had sold off all his thing s to g o away with her, leaving his poor children to do the beat they could for themselves, and they had become chargeable. A young child of the prisoner's corroborated his statement, and, during the inquiry, another d au g h t er, who is in service, came into court, and, with tears in . her eyes, confirm e d her younger sister's evidence. Committed for one month with hard labour. CORONER'S COURT. On Saturday the Coroner, Mr. Curry, held inquests on the bodies of the following parties : Oa the body of a child, still-born. The evidence in this case went to show that a female, named Turner, was taken in the pains of labour in a brothel in St. Vincent-street. She was delivered in the car as she was being conveyed to the Workhouse. Dr. Kemp, upon making a post mortem examination, declared that the child was still-born, and a verdict was returned accordingly. Also on the body of a man, name unknown, who was found in the river on the previous day. A verdict of " Found drowned" was returned. DESPATCH OF A NAVAL FORCE TO INDIA. — OPERATIONS IN CHINA..—The activity of the Government in providing for affairs in the East will be found fully to sustain the public expectations. In addition to the large reinforce fn e h a e o li f ne a Artillerydy a o n r d d etrwe two A ..,;11arw be immediatelyott t o e t s t in a n h t e e n al a d a e p d. e t o h r a t r In c:Tai t s p o u without delay ; and to provide for this, an Order in Council will, with the concurrence of the Legis lature, increase the member of seamen by 2,000. It is at the same time intended that the nec?ssary operations in China shall not be delayed in consequence of the change of destination of the four infantry regiments some time since embarked for Hong Kong. We have already in the Chinese waters, besides some 6,000 or 7,000 sailors. the sth and 59th Regiments of the Line, amounting to about 1,500 men, and the same number of marines. As loon as possible a battalion of Marines, 1,000 strong, will be added to this force, which will then:we are inclined to think, be amply sufficient, not only for purposes of attack, but for retaining possession of any points which it may be neces sary to occupy in carrying out the objects of the expedi tion.— Globe. RELIGIOUS DISPUTES AT DAMASCUS.—The United Catholics of Alexandria and Damascus are quarrelling amongst themselves. The Patriarch, to please the Pope, advises them to adopt the Gregorian calendar, but the majority clung to the Oriental calendar. The Patriarch has therefore denounced his disobedient flock, and at the intercession of the French Consul procured an order from the Pasha to shut up a new church purchased for their own use by the dissentients. " The indignation of the people was great on learning these facts. They demanded, and they still demand, by what right the French Consul, the representative of a great nation where religious tolerance is professed and practised in its NI ex'ent, should debar them from the exercise of their worship and thence of their church. A hundred and twenty-one of the principal fami lies of Alexandria instantly went to the Palace of the Russian Greek Patriarch, and then and there embraced the schismatic faith. The Russian, who had been previ ously informed of all these facts, issued forth in pr.:cession to meet them. He embraced them affectionately, spoke to them as penitents, and in the effthion of his heart cried, This is indeed a great day for my religion—it is truly the fete of God !' The bishops of the dioceses and their people have prepared a petition to the French Government, praying that instructions shall be sent to their Consuls in these countries net to give themselves any further trouble about the changes in the Gregorian calendar; and to the Consul at Alexandria in particular, to permit the church to be re-opened, to restore the banished priests to liberty, and take again under his protection the unfortunate people from whom be has withdrawn it." CURIOUS CASE OF FALSE IMP RISONMENT. —TUCK ER V GOLDSRED —This was a writ of inquiry held at the Lon don Sheriff's Court on Thursday, to assess damages, in an action brought in one of the superior courts, for false imprisonment. The prosecutor stated that he lived at No. 4, Duke street, Westminster, was twenty-two years of age, and of no business or profession. His christian names were Stephen Isaacson. On the 16th of March last he saw the defendant, a gentleman living in Half-moon-street, and at his request he instituted some inquiries in a matter of pedigree concerning a Mr. Newman. He was a Fellow of the Society of Antiquarians. Those inquiries were satis factory, except that he had received no remuneration for making them. On the 11th of April he saw the defendant again, and spoke about his remuneration. Goldshed said that was all right, and he had got another job for him. A gentleman had a considerable reversionary interest in some property in Scotland, amounting to something like £16,000 a year, and he wanted him to examine copies of deeds to ascertain the legality of the title. He said it would be as good its £lOO to him. He found Mr. —'s title good. under certain contingencies, and the defendant then asked him if he could raise £3,000 on a bond, given upon the reversionary interest. He answered that he could not himself, but he would submit the paper to his own solicitor, and take his opinion. He did se, and infor med the defendant. His solicitor was Mr. Smith, of Lincoln's-inn-fields. Subsequently some letters passed between them. On the 3rd of May he went to the Queen's Bench Prison to see a clergyman named Hounsfield who was there. While there he saw the defendant on the landing. He was there to see a person named Gibson. The defendant demanded the return of the papers, but he could not of course give them up. He had only received them back from his solicitor on the previous Thursday. He gave his address at his father's, Ledbury-terrace, Bayswater. The defendant said he had given a false address, He hal been to Duke-street, St. James's, and he did not live there. Plaintiff said it was Duke street, Westminster. At last he said he had been troubled enough about it, whereupon the defendant hallooed out, so that a number of persons about could hear, that he would have his papers that night. He promised them next morn ing, and, telling him he might be —, ran up-stairs, to the clergyman's room. The defendant said, Never mind, my boy —you shall repent this ; I'll nail you to night." About eight in the evening he left the prison with Mrs. Hounsfield and her two daughters. The defendant followed them, accompanied by a policeman and a cab. They walked along Blackman-street towards St. George's Church. He felt greatly annoyed, having three ladies with him, and being made an object of observation to passers by, and turned round and asked if he was following him, because if he was he would put a stop to his proceedings by giving him into custody. Defendant said that was his business, and he told the policeman to take him into custody for sterling his papers. He told him to do so at his peril. He persisted, and he was taken into custody from St. George's Church to the police-station in Vine -street, Piccadilly, where he charged him with felony. The ' inspector, after hearing the police-man, refused to take the charge, and the defendant withdrew it, upon a written guarantee that the papers should be returned next day. They were returned accordingly, and the writ in this action was served by the person who delivered them. In cross-examination, the plaintiff said he was a prisoner in the Qeeen's Bench two years and seven months, up to the 9th of March in this year. He was there, some of the time, at the suit of the defendant and George Carrew. He wrote to Mr. Goldshed, imploring him to withdraw his detainer, as he was wasting his energies and the best part of his life when he ought to be doing something to put himself in a position, and the defendant sent him his dis charge upon a warrant of attorney for the debt and costs, which the plaintiff subsequently got set aside on the ground that it was executed when he was under age. He was also detained on another suit after Goldshen's discharge. He promised Goldshed he would pay him, and Goldshed said he would trust to his honesty. He had not paid him. He was a member of St. James's-club, of the British Archaeological Society, and several Antiquarian Societies. He never represented that he was heir to a baronetcy. When he was arrested he did not owe £6O himself, but there were claim s to the amount of £5OO or £6OO for bills accepted by him for other people. He borrowed £2O of a Mr. Marsh, which he had never p rid. He gave a bill for £26 for it, which bill was discounted by Goldshed, and he was imprisoned on it, and upon another suit for bills for money lost at gambling. He had left off gambling now. His father had instituted proceedings against him in Chan cery. He had been receiving advances of money from his solicitors upon the security of reversionary property in Devonshire, and his fatter disputed his right. Other evidence having been given as to the arrest, and some correspondence having been put in, Mr. Medcalfe addressed the jury in mitigation. Mr. Burchell having summed up, the jury assessed the damages at £lOO. The writ was ordered to be detained until next term. cssar AND PEED BOXES.—The neat important thing to the posses sion of cash is, how (when you have got it) to keep it safely, either in the counting-house or at home. The same remarks apply to deeds and other valuable documents. We have seen a large and varied stock of both these desirable articles, manufactured expressly for Mr. E. T.' Hall, of South John-street, that challenge attention. These boxes are made on new and admired principles, and possess patent loots, which defy the ingenuity of any "pick-lock" in the world to open, except with the legitimate key. To merchants, solicitors, and others, these new safes, on a small scale, must prove valuable ndeed —Northern Daily 2111143,215 t May,1857. AFRICAN INIIIIIGRATION Adeputationof gentlemen waited upon Lord Pal merston onWednesday at Cambridge-house, for the purpose of presenting a memorial from the com mittee of the British and Foreign Anti• Slavery society on the subject of African immigration to the West Indies. The deputation consisted of the following persons :—J. I. Briscoe, Esq , M.P., the Rev. Dr. Carlile, and the Revs. H. Richards, W. Owen, and J. Phillipps ; Messrs. T. H Gladstone,. W. Ferguson, C. W. Gregory, L. A. Gregory, S. Bourne, W. Miles, S. Cooper. R. Forrester, S. Sturge, and L. A. Chamerovzow. 'His lordship received the deputation with his usual courtesy, and listened attentively to the memorial and to the statements made in sppport of it, after which he entered at some length upon the various points that had been touched upon, assuring the deputa tion that her Majesty's government was quite alive to the serious danger of an immigration from Africa degenerating into a new kind of slave trade,. and that no scheme would be sanctioned which. was likely to lead to such an evil. The following is the text of the memorial : TO THE RIGHT HON. LORD PALMERSTON. 27, New Broad-street, July 6. My Lord,—The committee of the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society have observed, with considerable anxiety and alarm, the movement set on foot for obtaining an unlimited supply of immigrant labour for the British West India colonies. The subject is one which has oc cupied their attention for many years , a nd the y , therefore, feel themselves imperatively called upon to offerand extended oy d o e u d r lordship a few remarks upon it , which a lon g experience suggests. In the first place, the committee object to the principle of importing foreign labour to supersede that of the creole, as being contrary to sound politic .1 economy. The natural equilibrium between demand and supply is thereby de stroyed, and a power of regulating and fixing the price of • te e — . mn;eek teeeeeletent with the free-labour system, and is, in fact, an element of slavery. In the second place, experience has proved that it is hopeless to expect to preserve any proportion between the sexes. The emigrations of Indian and Chinese women is contrary to the social usnages of their country, sooner than outrage which, and incur the consequences, they would indure any amount of suffering, and even death. On the other hand, an exclusively male immigration to the Colonies, which, under the circumstances the committee have adverted to, is the only kind that can take place, is calculated to inflict great injury on the community, whilst it directly tends to provoke to the commission of immo rality in its grossest and most hidepus form. The committee do not think it needful to do more than advert to the fearful mortality which has taken place under the present system of immigration, amounting, according to official returns, to 25 per cent. of the number of imigrants originally removed from their homes, but feel it incumbent upon them to dwell upon the fearful abuses incidental to the obtaining of Coolies, especially from China. They have the authority of Sir John Bowring, as published in his correspondence with her Majesty's government, for ascerting, that in its essential features this traffic of labour does not differ from the old African slave trade in its worst forms. It is notorious that kidnapping, fraud, and mis representation, are commonly prac ised to obtain Chinese immigrants, the majority of wham are ignorant of the nature of the contracts they are induced to sign, and often of the country to which they are abont to be conveyed. It is, however, chiefly to the proposed scheme of obtaining labourers from Africa that the committee desire to direct your lordship's serious attention. It is based upon the idea of voluntary contracts, which the committee venture to report will be found utterly impracticable. Domestic slavery is unhappily at present an essential feature of the social institutions of Africa. It may, as is asserted, exist in a comparatively mild form, being what is called patriarchal in its character. Neverthele4s, the persons who are thus circumstanced are entirely under the control of their masters, and therefore are not in a position to enter into arrangements for quitting their country. The extent to which this system of domestic slavery exists may be judged of by a refererce to the narratives and experience of African travellers and merchants, according to which it would appear to embrace so large a proportion of the labouring population that the number who are free to leave their country is comparatively inaigaificant, while very few even of that small number would consent to quit under any circumstances. The idea of immigration treaties with the native kings and chiefs is based upon the know-. ledge of the exisience of this peculiar s cial system, and of the power they possess of coercing and disposing nt , their people. Such treaties, therefore, cannot be entered into without violating the very principle upon which the plan of free contracts is advocated, and which, it is obvious, are uterly irreconcileable with the present state of native society in Africa. Another most serious objecticn to the scheme is, that by expatriating the native population, a fatal cheque will be given to the spirit of industry and enterprise, which, as was anticipated, has happily sprung up on the coast, and is rapidly diffusing itself, and which has operated so beneficially, that a legitimate commerce in palm-oil alone, to the extent of nearly two millions sterling, has super seded slave-trading in the very localities were it used to be prosecuted most vigorously. There is no reason why, in the course of time, the same labour and skill which are now applied to produce and manufacture palm-oil, should not be extended to the growth of sugar and cotton, for the cheaper production of which immigrant labour to the West Indies is sought to be obtained. The committee are of opinion that this would be by far the most legitimate, because the more natural mode of suppressing the slave trade, assuming always that her Majesty's government continues unsuccessful in its endeavours to induce Spain to fulfil the treaties with this country which she has entered into for that express purpose. When so many objections exist to the principle of the proposed plan, which it will be found indispensable to re move before it can be carried out, it is scarcely necessary to dwell upon secondary points. To the principle of free emigration the committee have never been opposed. It is the result of a natural law, the operation of which no legislation can stay, though it may the k it. Were the Africans in a position to emigrate, as the Chinese have done, to Californie, under regulations of their own, in vessels chartered by themselves, under leaders of their own selection, induced thereto by the prospect of greater advan tages in a foreign country than their own presents, the case would be wholly different. Under such circumstances they must incur the chances of the labour market, and be con tent to compete with the creole on his own ground. But to promote a scheme which, though advocated ostensibly for the interests of free labour, is directly subversive of its primary condition, would, it appears to the committee, be highly dangerous, and inevitably lead to the very gravest abuses. The committee feel that they should not he discharging their duty, did they not, in conclusion, take this oppor tunity of protesting aglinst the assumed necessity for immigrant labour to our West India colonies. It does not agree with the accounts they have only quite recently received from persons residentthere, whose long experience and means of obtaining information entitle their statements on this subject to implicit confidence. The population of our West India colonies has largely increased since eman cipation, and the testimony is unanimous that, when fair wages are given for a day's work, and those wages are punctually and honourably paid there is little difficulty in obtaining an abundance of labour. The committee rejoice to perceive that her Majesty's Government is alive to the danger of sanctioning the pro posed scheme, anti earnestly trust that your lordship will not only steadfastly resist any attempt to prosecute it, but will use your influence to discourage its promotion by foreign governments. Signed on behalf of the eommitte, G. W. ALEXANDER, Treasurer. Louts ALEXIS C lIAMEROVZOW, Secretary. THE Swiss GUIDES' OPINION OF Ercontsi!mENt.--4 have frequently observed that the best mountain-guides look with great suspicion upon everybody except the English and their own countrymen in a mountaineering point of view ; they distrust them from the beginning, and always seem maliciously glad when the grounds of their contempt are justified by the subsequent collapse of the luckless foreigner. They seldom race any trouble to cheer his fainting spirits or offer him any ass i s t ance ; an d t a k e delight in speaking of a difficult mountain as only good for Switzers and Englishmen. Possibly this way be partly " blarney," and possibly also because the English pay better than other pe ) pl e, A mer i cans excep t e d ; b u t cer tain it is, that of the swarms of French and Germans who frequent the main roa d s o f S w i tzer l an d, an d d aw dl e about in such places as I n t er l a k en , it i s ver y r are to fi n d one willing to undertake a difficult day's work, and still more uncommon to find one who succeeds in it. On the only three occasions when I have been joined by Germans or Frenchmen at their own request, and with all the pretension of being able to do anything and everything, they all gave in before the chief difficulties began. One of these was a gigantic Frenchman, whom I met at Zermatt 1834:in he bragged the whole evening about an ascent of the Wetterhorn, which I never heard of from any other quarter, and then volunteered to join us next day in an expedition to the Weiss Thor ; bat being frightened at the first symptoms of a morning mist, he implored us to return, and, finding us quite deaf to his remonstrances, withdrew himself and his guides, leaving us to finish a most pleasant and successful day by ourselves.—Hinchkrs &owner Months among the