The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-02-28 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

BLACKWOOD'S MAGAZINE for March.

The new Number of Blackwood has a political
interest which, at the present moment, must make
it eagerly sought after. It contains, most oppor-
tunely, two very able articles on the great
political questions . of the day—the Treaty of
Commerce with France, and the Chancellor of
the Exchequer's Budget. The first is entitled
The Foreign Connection of the House of Bull—
the second, The Anylo-Gallican Budget. The
whole subject is, in these two papers, very filly
and forcibly discussed. We are inclined to think
that they throw' more light upon it than did any,
or all, the speeches, in the late debate in the
House of Commons. It is most important, tht r -
fore, that they should be extensively read ; and
it is on this account that we hasten to point
them out, and commend them to general and
careful perusal and study. It is impossible to, rise
from reading them without being very consider-
ably enlightened upon the principles and the
measures to which they refer, both in a political
and financial point of view. There are two other
articles in this Number that are also of great
public interest—one on Lord Elgin's Mission to
China and Japan; the other on our Volunteer
Cavalry 'Movements. These, like the others, are
seasonable subjects ; and they are most ably
treated. The literary variety of the Number Is
also most attractive. There is a " Part Third" of
" St. Stephen's," acid the same of "Norman
Sinclair,"---".The Luck of Ladysinede " is brought
to a close,—there is a " True Story," in verse,
called " Betsy Brown,"—there is an entertaining
article entitled " A Word about Tom Jones,"—in
another, " Nelson and Caracciolo," our great naval
hero is vindicated against some most unjust
imputations, and, to keep up the variety,
there is a new translation of the "Dies In c."
Altogether, therefore, it is a number of exlraot-
dinary interest.

The annual meeting of the Society for Promoting the'
Repeal of Taxes on Knowledge was held last week. The
proposal by Government to repeal the paper duty ren-
dered the proceedings of more than usual interest. Mr.
Charles Knight spoke on the prospect, of the press being
about to be exempted from all taxation. A vote oiT
thanks was passed to Mr. Milner Gibson and the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer, for their services in bringing
about such a state of things.
PUBLIC PETITIONS.--There are at the present time
before the Houses of Parliament 16 petitions for reform,.
with 5,312 signatures; 6 petitions against opening the:
British Museum on Sundays, having 482 signatures; is
petitions against the revision of the Liturgy of the
Church of England, with 864 signatures; 36 petitions
against the abolition of church-rates, with 884 signa-
tures; 2,091 petitions, and 73,421 signature*, against,
the abolition of church-rates without provision of an
equivalent ; while against the Church-rates Abolition
Bill there are 1,096 petitions with 34,861 signatures
and only 13 petitions, and 408, signatures in favour of
the bill. There are 38 petitions, with 2,511 signatures,
against legalising marriage with a deceased wife's sister.,
and 62 petitions, and 3,445 signatures, in favour of such
legalisation. 76 petitions, with 1,886 signatures, pray
for the repeal of the paper duty ; 26 petitions, and 7,141
signatures, to restrict Sunday trading ; 34 petitions, and
13,251 signatures, for removal of religious grievances
affecting Roman Catholics in the army and navy ;. 30
petitions for separating Roman Catholic and Protestant,
education, signed by 18,389 persons. Against the
Endowed School Bill there are 29 petitions, with 1,041'.
signatures ; 16 against the. Highways Bill, with 1,529'
names ; and 34 for the alteration of the law of Ike
landlord and tenant in Ireland, with 13,870 signature:
WOMAN AND LOOKING GLASSES.—WeII, to my minff,.
looking glasses are the greatest enemies ladies have;
they ought to be broken to everlastin' smash. It isn't
that they are false, for they ain't; they will reflect the
truth if they are allowed. But, unfortunately, truth
never looks into them. When a woman consult., liar
glass, she wishes to be pleased, she wants to be flattered,
and to be put on good terms with herself, so she treats
it as she would her lover ; she goes up to it all smiles,,
looking as amiable and as beautiful as she can. She'
assumes the most winning air ; she gazes at the image:
with all the affection she can call up ; her eyes beam:
with intelligence and with love, and her lips appear all:
a woman could wish, or a man covet. Well, is course:
the mirror gives back that false face to its owner; as it,
receives it ; it ain't fair, therefore, to blame it for tenlg.,
unfaithful; but as ladies can't use it without decaisin
of themselves, why, total abstinence from it would
better. Now, people may deceive themselves if the,'
have a mind to but they can't go on for ever. Time
will tell tales. Whatever year a gal is born in, she Of
contemporaries ; when she looks at them and sees that
they are ageing-, or the worse for wear, she tries to 00"
the days of her youth, and finds that they are lost in
the distance, and when she sees her school-fellows anki
playmates married and parents themselves, all the
glasses in the world fail at last to make her believe she
is still young.—Judge Ifaliburton's Season Ticket.

- - - -
THE CHINA. 11' An.--Sir De Lacy Evans has given!.
notice of his intention, on an early day, to move the;
following resolution :—" That in the opinion of this.
House no sufficient proof has been adduced of the late'
attack of the Peiho forts ha-ring been authorised by the'
original instruction of her Majesty's Government. That-
the recourse to force of arms, in order to use a particu-
lar route by plenipotentiaries proceeding to exchange'
ratifications of peace, was unprecedented and inconsistent.
with the object of a professed amicable mission. That,
although under the untoward consequence of this ill-.
advised hostile measure some strong military demonstra-
tion on the part of the allies may unfortunately be neces-
sary, in order to restore our relations with the Chinese:
government to a more satisfactory footing;_ yet were the
failure of an unauthorised collision made protest for'
operations of an extreme hostility, involving for instance,
an attack on the city of Pekin, or a conquest of territory
by either of the allied powers, such a proceeding would
be contrary to every principle of international law, nor.
would it be less impolitic, as being more likely to inter-
rupt than promote the extension of commerce and:.
diffusion of civilisation amongst the population of that.
country. That this House humbly participates in the•
wish expressed by her Majesty in her most gracious.
speech on the opening of this session of Parliament,.
namely, It will be gratifying to me if the prompt ac-
quiescence of the Emperor of China in the moderate
demands which will be made by the plenipotentiaries,.
shall obviate the necessity for the employment of force.'
That conciliatory expressions are also stated, through
various credible sources, to have been made by the
Emperor of China in relation to the conflict at the
entrance of the Peiho, which almost permit of the anti-
cipation expressed by Lord John Russell, that peaceful
relations with the Chinese government ' may be placed
upon a permanent footing without further effusion of
blood.' , That, in the opinion of this House, nothing
could more contribute to this most desirable result than
duct of this important negotiation, and for directing or
counelling the disposition of her Majesty's military and
naval forces destined for this service."