The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-12-11 00:00:00

r of ills Majesty, .the Russian

extraordinary to
had the

sty the Em

lug to the

.eign Affai

vocation of

e of the repres

contracting Powers.. ..
1 "Agreeing to this- request, the Minister of Foreign
' Affairs, in. pm name of his Government, has incited the
other Cabinets to decide by common accord all the points
which have hitherto remained in suspense.
" So as to give to this diplomatic meetirg the character
and the merit of a final solution of all the questions in dis-
pute, Count Walewski asked Baron Brunow whether the
Court of Russia, participating in this deliberation, was de-
cided to abide by a majority of votes.
"To this question, transmitted,by telegraph to St.
Petersburg, the Imperial Cabinet 'sent back an immediate
reply in the affirmative."
The Memorandum concludes by expressing the
hope that these two points of minor importance of
detail will be satisfactorily settled

WEST COAST OF

AFRICA

The Gimbia has brought late dates from this coast, all
along which, disputes, chiefly between the natives, appear
to prevail. The British Consul visited the Cameroons in
the steamer Gambia, and held a palaver between the con-
tending tribes. The Gambia brought from Fernando Po
to Teneriffe several members of the Spanish missions, and
four coloured youths for training. Affairs at Lagos are
quiet, but an outbreak is hourly expected. Both here and
at Accra the conflict between the Ashantees and their
neighbours near Cape Coast , Castle is .not , yet at an
end. The ri*er trade at'Sierra Leofie continues unsettled,.
through internal disturbances. According to the African,
the Fellah town of Conscofi was attacked .on . the 3rd • of
Octabei by the Junmano, who killed 3,876 on the field,
and took 100 prisoners. Alpha Mahommedlimi has lost.
his life, with most of the chief- men of his party. - -A`
severe engagement. commenced on the 15th, and ended on
the 17th of October, at Massaiamee, between Barmoi and
Sultan. Lahai, whose forces were completely routed;
Many were killed and 50 taken prisoners. Preparations
for hostilities were making at Lokkoh, and there are
rumours of an expected disturbance at Barra, on the
Gambia, to the north of Bathurst. -

ESPOND ENT.)

Many of the colonists' of Sierra Leone are dissatisfied
with being ruled by 'a governor whO is responsible for his
measures to the home government only. Hence an agita.
tion for representative institution-8 is now going on in the
colony. ,The Reformers argue that the present system
confers too much power upon her Majesty's representa-
tives, and that those functionarios are virtually irrespon-
sible because they are only amenable to a government,
which, from its remoteness and other causes, is unable to
exercise a needful amount of watchfulness and supervision.
Moreover, as the information respecting the condition and
requirements of the colony, received by the Colonial
Office, is derived "almost exclusively from the Governor,
the colonists argue that he is almost certain to lobtain the
consent of the -homegovernment to ,his measures and to

---- . _
his -
poliey. The. Reform party, therefore plead for a
House of Assembly, and as one means of putting their case
before liParliam3nt and : the country talk of sending a
political agent to London.-- -
The New Era (the organ of the discontented colonists),
in its impression of Oct. 4, in making some comments on
an English pamphlet on the recent disturbances on the
West Coast of Africa, employs rather strong language
against the system of government maintained in Sierra
Leone. It speaks of " fearful proscription," " unblushing
nepotism," and " gross favouritism," and designates the
Colonial Office as " that more than nightmare upon those
colonies unblest of free institutions." _ _ .

The same paper then epitomises some of the grievances
of the; colony :--" Otir bill of grievanies has hitherto been

will her

ous laws, which have rendered us despised and distrusted,
and have excited the cupidity and revenge of the abori-
gines—many of our laws are inexcusably bad, botched,
clumsy, unworkable, and unconstitutional—many of our
people are taxed next to starvation ! for the support of
useless public offices. We are woefully short of public
conveniences—no sufficient and convenient water supply ;
we lose thousands for want of a grain market ; our necks
are imperilled at night from the disgracefully neglected
state of our streets and want of lights, and we could add
much more. We have had promises of remedy for many
of these; they are, however, like many other government
promises, made without the most remote intention of being
fulfilled." _ _

After thus describing some of the grievances of the
colony the Era proceeds as follows :—" The remedy is
within our reach. Let us by aid of the press and by
public discussion thoroughly enlighten public sentiment.
The next step will be to apcoint a political agent in Lon-
don as did the West India Colonies a body,' when they
first struggled for political freedom. The objects gained
for which these steps were taken. we should then petition
Her Majesty for a Representative Council. This secured,
then a House of Assembly!"