The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-06-04 00:00:00

this back street .has recently been the Wale of
various dark rumours and alarming reporti. For
some hours, it was eagerly reported the other day,
as we had, then occasion to notice, that a certain
gloomy cellar in that locality was, in Some myste-
rious way, being made available under the veil of
twilight for the hurried stowage of fire-arms, the
_new-landed .. cargo of the "mysterious barque,"
which, as the telegraph from Cork informed us,
had suddenly set sail for Liverpool. On investi-
gation it proved but a ghost story, although there
was, as usual, some small particles of truth to
give it colouring,—for assuredly there was a
large collection of old Austrian muskets there
being deposited, and, for aught we know, there
they still remain. A " hole-and-corner" affair
has been reported as having since taken place in
the same street, which thus promises to obtain
some notoriety as the supposed refuge of political
conspirators. In connection with this second
affair, if there were no small-arms, there were
certainly some few " great guns" of the Radical
calibre. There met, we are told, certain well-known
" Rads", privately, to sound each other as to the
propriety of making a move in Liverpool in
answer to Mr. BRIGHT'S appeal, and with the view
of supporting him in his attempt to abolish the
House of Lords! It was a dull, but some say an
angry meeting, yet it was resolved that an
attempt should be made to form " a forlorn hope,"
which should endeavour to scale the walls of the
Constitution in aid of their great political leader.
This fearless band was to be designated by the
very anomalous title of the " Constitutional Com-
mittee." A pretended report of this meeting of
political conspirators was duly posted and trum-
peted, and private circulars were issued, calling
on forty of the stoutest men of the party to come
forth to the rescue, and assemble for organisation
in a private npartment, in the aforesaid back
street. The day and the hour came. This time
the cloak of secresy was to be boldly thrown
aside. The giants of Radicalism were to be
allowed openly to harangue each other—to rouse
their drooping spirits ; and " the fourth estate"
was frankly invited to attend, listen, and duly
record the names and words of "the forlorn hope,"
then and there to be chosen and constituted.
Alas ! alas! what are we to say or think of the
results The important hour arrived, but not the
men ? There were none found heroic enough to
seek " the bauble reputation " in this great,
though forlorn cause. The best part of an hour
elapsed, and still they came not. Seven verbatim
reporters sat impatiently mending their pencils
and adjusting their note-books for the onset of
talk. The amiable and kccommodating gentle-
man who lent the use of the apartment for the
gathering was kept in countenance by two con-
genial spirits; but three, even of their undoubted
metal, could scarcely have constituted a quorum.
No doubt even their stout hearts were dismayed.
It was of no use. It was positively ludicrous.
The very statistics of the meeting are amusing
without a word of comment. Just fancy seven
reporters in an assembly of only three gentlemen
in a private room in the little dark street! We know
that Radicals are generally very long-winded,
and decidedly prone to talk for the exercise of the
reporters, but still we maintain that seven to
three were long odds against them. Joking
apart, the failure seems almost incredible. The
circular calling the meeting, " very earnestly"
requested the attendance of " the forty"—an
ominous number,—and was signed by seven
leading Radicals. If there be a figurative use of
figures, we suppose seven should be symbolical of
perfection,—but that cannot be always true, for
even the " very earnest" seven came short of
their duty, and failed to prove their asserted
earnestness, by not attending at the rendezvous
themselves had appointed. 0 tempora, 0 mores !
We would not triumph, however, over the
downfallen, or upbraid our Radical fellow-
townsmen. We accept this latest manifestation
of the state of feeling among them as an indication
of at least a partial return to sound views. They
are disgusted with Mr. BRIGHT, and will no
longer own his mistaken policy. Let this be
plainly understood, and we are satisfied. The
truth is, Mr. BRIGHT has himself to thank
for the " interference" of the Lords, and the
rejection of the Paper Bill. The burly demagogue
is no longer endurable in the House of Commons.
He is the universal butt of sarcasm, and has been
pleasantly described as a sort of legislative Aunt
Sally, at whom every whipster delights in having
a shy. Lord PALMERSTON has applied to him the
ludicrous epithet of " the reverend gentleman."
Why should the Liverpool Radicals longer admire
him, or continue to follow him through the mire ?
The mighty man has fallen, Alas ! this oratorical
SAMSON has been shorn of his locks, and become
the sport of the Philistines—even of the Liver-
pool Financial Reform Association !