The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-04-05 00:00:00

be defended, it seems, on the ground of their being
piratical—a preteWiWhieh can scarcely be main-
tained, and whO,' if it could, 'must involve the
capital punishniiiiit of some two hundred Persons.
..z
Yet unless it catirbe so Made out, the officers of
the United States squadron •concerned in it hiwe
been guilty: of al wanton outrage,—not an act of
war,: since there was no war going on between
the two countries. The _circumstances attending

it are all unfavourable to the character of such
an assault. It remains to be seen what Mexico
will make of it.

It has become further obvious, from the inci-
dental discuSsion in the House of Commons on
Tuesday night, that the data on which the calcula-
tions respecting the extension of the franchise in
the Ministerial Reform Bill are professed to have
been made, must be very defective, and, there-
fore, very deceptive also. Sir G. 'Grey and Sir
G. Lewis said 'theirs was the first attempt to
obtain accurate returns in this matter, and it had
been made with the greatest care and the most
perfect sincerity. But this statement was flatly
contradicted by one that Mr. Edwin James
made,—namely, that if the return was narrowly
looked at, there would be an increment of the
franchise to the extent of between 200,000 and
300,000 voters, in addition to the 217,000 estimated
by Lord John Russell. Such is the flood of demo-
cracy which the lowered franchise will pour in
upon the constituencies of the kingdom. Another
hon. member (Mr. Bentinok) said that the ques-
tion was raised whether the £6 rental franchise
would not give the right of voting to a large
number who were not rated at £6, and perhaps
not at £5 ; so that it would be desirable to know
how many were rated between £4 and £6, and
how many who inhabited tenements of £6 rental
were entitled to vote under the new Reform
Bill,—of all 'which Parliament at present is
evidently very imperfectly informed. The opinion
at 'present prevails, that Lord John Russell is
wrong in his calculation at least 100 per cent.
It is' certainly, under these circumstances, most
imiortant that, before coming to a decision on
the Reform Bill, Parliament should have in its
possession ample and reliable information, so that
it may know. what it is doing, and not legislate
in the dark.• •

Now that Parliament has adjourned for the
Easter recess, the opportunity is afforded for
taking a calm review of the labours so far, and
of the character also, of the session. It must be
admitted that Ministers had their work, such as it
was, well laid out, and that, every thing consi-
dered, tolerable progress has been made. As
respects the Chancellor of the Exchequer's depart-
ment, especially, there has been great diligence,
and considerable management. As yet, his are
decidedly the most important matters disposed of,
and involve the most serious consequences. The
Budget was mainly based on the French Treaty ;
and as respects the latter, it cannot be denied
that, as the Morning Herald shows, " ever since
its ratification we have been floundering deeper
and deeper in the mire of foreign embroilments.
One piece of trickery has followed on another
nearly with each successive sun. French dupli-
city has woven its most intricate meshes to
entangle and yet beguile England." So that as
to how we are situated, through the policy of
Ministers as thus developed in the Parliamentary
Session, as far as it has gone, with respect to
foreign affairs, it is._ not unreasonably asked,—
" Baffled, and thwarted, and overreached by
France, how do we stand with other Continental
powers? Are we in a position to act in harmony
with any single one ? Does Russia, or Austria,
or Prussia even, feel any sympathy with Eng-
land? What sort of figure do we present in
connection with Switzerland ? Is there any man
acquainted with contemporaneous events who
does not feel a presentimeht that day by day we
are driving nearer and nearer to a state of
estrangement and isolation from all our ancient
nrul +l-'.+. fbica is in Accordance with the
policy of Napoleon 9" To which questions, it is
to be feared, no answers can be given that are
either satisfactory for the present, or hopeful for
the future. Nor is there anything that is much

more encouraging as regards domestic questions.
" The only act that has been consummated beyond

all cavil and dispute seems to be this, that the
Income-tax is to be a permanent and perpetual
impost." Our Conservative contemporary thinks
there is another matter tolerably certain, namely,
that direct will soon supersede indirect taxation

if Mr. .Gladstone and John Bright continue in
power,—for the hon. member for Birmingham
is virtually in power, though_ he is not in
office. So that the conclusion is not a very
unreasonable one, that, on the whole, we appear
to be in an infinitely less satisfactory condi-
tion at the end of this partial session than
we were at its commeneement. And this
doubtless comes of Parliament being under the
direction of a Cabinet whose necessities are the

" If men

only motives and guides of its policy.
coalesce without any natural bonds of unanimity
on the principle of take and give concessions
contrary to convictions, how is it possible to

secure a patriotic policy either at home or
abroad?" So that "we are agaidlearning the
oft-taught lesson that Coalitions are -dangerous,
and if the present one be not soon arrested in its
ambiguous and truckling course, we shall soon
also learn what is the cost of another war." Such
are the natural, the inevitable apprehensions
which the session has already created ; and
certainly they are such as ought not to be treated
lightly at a conjuncture like the present.
The news that the flag of Don Carlos is again
flying on Spanish soil, and that an army of 3,000
rebels is already concentrated in the neighbour-
hood of Valencia under the command of General
Ortega, appears to be credited in the metropolis.
And the opinion, we see, is expressed that the
insurrectionary movement was not unexpected
by the Spanish Government;. and that the sud-
den change of policy which has resulted in the
treaty of peace with Morocco was induced by
their .rrrchcri.aa,,its or It. The Moorish war
would seem • to have created considerable popular
discontent in Spain ; though it is scarcely credi-
ble that it prevails to any such extent as to jus-
tify the Carlists in their present outbreak.
We have news from India, it will be seen, to
about the middle of last month; but it is not of
much public importance. The new paper cur-
rency was all arranged, and there was every
appearance of its being a successful financial

movement.
The Australian mail has brought intelligence
from Sydney to the 7th, and Ale'bourne to the
17th of February. It is not, however, in either
case, of more than ordinary interest. Parliament
was in session in each of the Colonies. In South
Australia the gold receipts had considerably
decreased.

AND why should not even the working classes of
this country have wine placed within their reach,
if by any proper fiscal arrangements such an
advantage can be secured to them ? We say
such an advantage ; for surely it must be a great
advantage to those, as to all classes of the people,
to have access to a beverage so wholesome, and
altogether so beneficial as the wines of France
and Germany undoubtedly are; rather than be
condemned to the baneful use of ardent spirits,
whether in their festive hours, or for the ordi-
nary purposes 'of refreshment or exhilaration.
There is no liquor in familiar use among mankind
so eminently calculated as wine to recruit them
in their physical energies, or soothe and support
them in their mental cares. The exhausted frame
and the harassed mind may alike be benefited by
its balms. Yes—as lAGo' says, " wine is indeed a
good familiar creature, if it be well used." Every-
thing, of course, depends upon that. And the