The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-10-26 00:00:00

TO CORRESPONDENTS,

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All communications,
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warded to the Editor must be addressed to the Publisher,
CHARLES WILLMER, and those from London may be sent
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3fllittljtrit (d'Artts.

WEDNESDAY,' OCTOBER 26, 1853.

As nothing which, either directly or indirectly,
effects the public welfare is uninteresting to us, as
journalists, we proceed to offer a few remarks upon
the forthcoming Municipal Election. We hope
they will not be considered inopportune or unne-
cessary, •and that their tendency will be to arouse
the public mind from its lethargic condition, and
serve to " point a moral" if they do not " adorn a
tale."

In referring to corporate bodies the first thought
that suggests itself is " turtle." For the life of us,
we cannot disjoin the ideas which tlae.words " cor-
porate" and. " corpulent" give rise to in our minds.
They are, as it were, integral parts of a great whole,
and do not admit of an abstracted individuity.
In like manner do the terms " municipal" and
" munificent" harmonize, like the diapason in
music, so that there is no distinguishing the one
from the other. And, indeed, what higher ideal
can be entertained of a civic functionary or town-
councillor, than that which includes " sumptuous
living" and a princely disposal of the public money.
We know with -what avidity men seek places of
public trust—what extravagant protestations they
make of their great regard for the " general inte-
rests"—what a display of long and self-denying
labours are trumpeted forth into the voters' ears—
how eloquently and slily they become eulogized
into posts of honour—when their labours too often
cease for the public, and they begin forthem-
selves !

The " loaves and fishes,". in other words, the
emoluments and perquisites of office, act as power-
ful magnets ; and we must admit that it requires
no ordinary amount of virtue to withstand their
baneful influences. The history of corporate and
similar guilds, furnishes us with the sad facts, that
public duty has been too 'often sacrificed at the
shrine of base_ cupidity; and that neither the
highest position nor the most sacred calling, have
been entirely exempt. It is well betimes to philo-
sophise and reason on those matters, in order that
we may derive therefrom practical wisdom and
keen foresight. " _&,:perientia docet" is an old
proverb, the truth of which, every day of our life,
we are confirming; and all the intelligence we may
by this means obtain is worse than useless, if it
does not lead to some
.beneficial and practical
result.

Men owe duties to their country as well
as to their families. The one is quite as obligatory
and indispensible as the other. Yet how often
does it occur, that whilst they scrupulously
and assiduously discharge the former, they either
think not at all, or if they do, most
slovenly perform the latter. By way of ex-
ample just let us tuke the case of Municipal
Elections. The burgesses of Liverpool are called
upon annually to elect a certain number of " fit