The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-03-18 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN TIMES

Sir,—The old adage that " One fool makes many," is
strikingly. illustrated in the long list of suicides with
which the newspapers are now teeming. It is a fact, of
which all observing persons must be cognizant, that when--
ever any person of note or position dpstroys himself the
example is Speedily:followed by a host of snobs, who fancy
they become heroes in performing the,like' grand exploit.
But for the giiarding of human life against foul play, one
'could, in most of these cases, wish that publicity were
not given to so many of these atrocious acts. There is,
in many of the reports of such • cases, too much Of a
maudlin tenderness towards the memory of the actors in
these scenes of self-slaughter. It were well that the
tone of the press should be changed in this regard—
that the crime of suicide should be held up to the scorn
and execration it deserves, instead of being tenderly
pitied as a misfortune ! The soldier who deserts his post
is branded as a coward—the citizen who skulks out of
existence, is a deserter from his post of duty to society.—
What tenderness is due to the memory of man, who,
rather than confront some temporary ill that flesh is heir
to, leaves wife, children, sisters, brothers, to grieve and
starve, wanting the aid and support it was his duty to
afford them, so long as it pleased God to give him suffer-
isnon this fair globe? The act perpetrated, no remedy
left against the offender, but let us try to show others
who may contemplate the like villainy, that they leave
only the stain:of infancy upon their names, and disgust of
their atrocities.
The coward sneaks to death,
The brave live on."
—I am, Yours, &c , F.

THE, ROYAL Soctrry.--There are forty candidates fu`
election into the Royal Society this year. This number
exceeds that of any preceding year since 1847. The day
of election is fixed this year for the sth of June, when
-fifteen candidates will be submitted by the council to the
society for election.
Tug LATE DUKE Or NONFOLX.—By the demise of his
grace the Duke of Norfolk, his second san, Lord Edward
Howard, becomes possessed of the Glossop estate, *with
a splendid mansion, which was rebuilt few years ago.
We believe that very rarely indeed has so rich a
property been inherited by the second son of a nobleman.
We understand that Lord Edward has appointed M. J.
Ellison, Esq., his agent for his Derbyshire estates.—. Derby
Reporter.
THE EMBEZZLEMENT AT THE LICHFIELD BANK.—William
Lawton, who for forty years was- clerk at Messrs. Palmer
and Greene's bank, Lichfield, was charged at the Qnarter
Sessions, on the 12th instant, with feloniously stealing
£7,350, belonging to his employer, Mr. Richard Greene,
the bankrupt. The trial occupied about four hours, the
facts being those already published ; and the jury, after
being absent a few minutes, returned. with a verdict
of guilty.—The defendant, who is 73 years of age, was
sentenced to four years' penal servitude.—Stafrdshire
Advertiser.

WOODS, FORESTS, AND LAND REVENUES.—The general
abstract of the accounts of the Commissioners of Woods,
Forests, and Land Revenues for the year ended the 31st
March, 1855, shows that the receipts (in cash) amounted
to £701,9.15, and the payments to £614,133, the balance of
cash being £68,658. The amount of stock bought and sold
was 4141,001. The expenditure for "land revenue" was
.£68,186 ; , for Windsor Forest and Parks, Z 19,706 (in-
cluding the Royal Stand and kennel at Ascot); and for the
royal forests and wood lands, £40,239.
NATIONAL STATE PArputs.—Government has at length
'doiie something definite with regard to our State papers.
Three exeellkent antiquaries have been 'set at work upon
them—to assort, arrange, and calendar their contents.
Mr. Lemon, keeper of the State papers, takes the reign of
Edward the Sixth, (already advanced some stages,) and
the next three reigns. Mrs. Everett Green—author of
"Lives of the Princesses of England''—is labouring at the
times of James the First. Mr. John Bruce has under-
taken the reign of Charles the First, and the period of the
Commonwealth. In a few years we may hope to see
these papers as available to historical students, as are the
Manuscripts in the British Museum.
SIR BENJAMIN HALL AND, THE SUNDAY QUESTION.-011
Thursday a deputation from the West London Sunday-
Rest Association, had an interview with Sir B. Hall. Mr.
Haldane explained that the 'object which the association
had in view, was to prevent the desecration of the Sab-
bath, by the opening of the British Museum, the National
Gallery, and the Crystal Palace on that day, and also to
abolish the practice of the band playing in Kensington
Gardens on Sunday evenings. gir B. Hall said, he did not
see how the Sabbath was desecrated by the band playing.
For more than 100 years bands played on Sundays in
every town where a regiment was quartered. No ease
had been made out for discontinuing the practice. As
Kew Gardens bad been referred to, he would say that he
could not recommend their' being closed on Sundays, nor
Hampton Court either, nor could he give any assurance
that the band would be prevented from playing in Ken-
sington Gardens.