The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-11-10 00:00:00

AUCTION.

This day, (Thursday,) the 10th instant, at one o'clock, in
the Commercial Sale-room, Temple-court,
380 Barrels Patras CURRANTS, 's2's,
Just landed ex "Astrologer" (s.s.) from Syra;
35 Barrels CURRANTS. 'sl's, cx • Louise Otto,"
5 Butts
15 Careteels CURRANTS, 'sl's ex " Snowdrop."
15 Barrels
7 Careteels CURRANTS, 'sl's ex " Albatross."
6 Careteels CURRANTS, 'sl's ex " Great Western,"
278 Barrels CURRANTS, 'sl's, ex " Ellen."
Apply to GEORGE BADENACH, Broker

Same time and place.
1100 Drums Eleme Turkey FIGS,
14 Cases containing Boxes Eleme Turkey FIGS,
500 Bags Turkey black RAISINS,
100 Barrels Turkey black RAISINS,
130 Boxes Turkey black RAISINS,
Landing ex " Teneriffe," (s.s.) from Smyrna.
Apply to GEORGE BADENACH, Broker.

THIS DAY, (Thursday,) at One o'clock, in the Com-
mercial Saleroom, Temple-court,
12,000 Half, Quarter, and One-Eighth Drums and Boxes
Eleme and Selected Turkey FIGS,
80 Skeleton Cases containing Cartoons and Boxes Eleme
Turkey FIGS,
700 Bags,
200 Barrels Turkey Black RAISINS,
170 Boxes
just landed ex sundry screw-steamers, from Smyrna.
830 Boxes
470 1-Boxes Bunch Muscatel RAISINS, in layers,
730 Quarter
80
150 Bo
1-Boxes xes
Bunch Muscatel RAISINS,
j
100 Barrels Malaga SULTANAS,
890 Frails Malaga FIGS,
landing ex Jane, from Malaga;
500 Boxes
160 1--Boxes Bunch Muscatel RAISINS, in layers,
100 —4-Boxes
100 Boxes Jordan ALMONDS,
just landed ex Ana Maria, from Malaga ;
220 Barrels ) New French PRUNES,
300 Cases
landing ex Ida, from Bordeaux ;
100 Barrels Egyptian DATES,
landing ex Astrologer, (s. s.) from Alexandria.
1,000 Tapnets
Lisbon FIGS,
2,400 -1-TapLnets

landing Pex elican, (s.s.) from Lisbon ;
just landed ex Astrologer, (s.s.) from Syra ;
1,200 Boxes
Old Valentia RAISINS.
300 4-Boxes
Apply to GEORGE BADENACH, Broker.

(SAME TIME -AND PLACE.)
3,000 Boxes } New Valentia RAISINS,
2,000 t-Boxes
landing ex Mignon, from Denia.
Apply to Messrs. Wood and Ritson, merchants ; or to
GEORGE BADENACH, Broker.

WE published yesterday, a letter from Sir GEORGE
STEPHEN, in reply to some observations which we
made in a leading article on the preceding day,
with reference to the anomalous manner in which
the law is administered at the Birkenhead Police
Court. In that letter the writer attempts to justify
the course adopted; and furnishes his reasons for
so doing. We shall examine, seriatim, those rea-
sons, and make such comments thereupon as may
seem. expedient.
In the first place, the writer endeavours to re-
move the onus from the shoulders of the magistrates,
and place all the responsibility on his own. He
observes : " It was in compliance with my solicita-
tion, as counsel for the prisoner, that, in this
instance, they departed from their usual course."
Sir GEORGE is by no means backward in making
the admission that, in the case to which particular
reference is made, there was a departure from
ordinary precedent. But can the writer have
forgotten that, but a few weeks before, a similar
policy had been pursued ?
The writer's second plea is more startling still;
and if we know anything respecting the practice of
the " bar," is out of the ordinary rule. He states,
" I requested them (the magistrates) to do so, be-
cause, from the nature of the case, I knew that I
must rely on the inconsistencies of the witnesses
for the prosecution." We are very willing to admit
the sagacity and penetration of our learned cor-
respondent, and should be far from conveying any
impression contrary to the conclusion arrived at
by the Bench in the case for which he was counsel;
but, at the same time, regarding the principle in-
volved, we think the precedent an exceedingly
dangerous one—than which, in our estimation,
nothing could be more calculated to defeat the
ends of justice, and make the law itself conducive
to lawlessness. If counsel can take the administra-
tion of the law into their own hands—pronounce
judgment as to "the nature of the case," upon ex
parte evidence, and that from the quarter to which
they are opposed—and " rely on the inconsisten-
cies of the witnesses" on the opposite side, without
having that evidence fairly produced in open court
—then, indeed, the sooner we have a radical reform
the better:

Our correspondent supports the private hearing
of the case on the following ground :—" Had the
examination been adjourned, as I expected it
would be, the publication of the evidence in the
interim might have enabled some of the witnesses
collusively to reconcile their statements." Now,
with all due deference to the writer, we regard his
argument as very untenable. We apprehend, that
if such a precedent can be legally established, it
might legally be adopted in every instance. If
such an objection can be received in one court and
in one case, we see no reason why the same should
not be received in all courts and in all cases.
Then, at the whim of any stripling of the bar, or
pettifogging attorney, the court might be ordered
to be cleared, and the reporters of the Press sent
about their business, to pocket the " summary pro-
cess" they had so unconstitutionally received ;
whilst the public might look in vain in the
columns of the morning papers for the " Police
Intelligence ; " and Mr. Justice SHALLOW might
deliver his grave decisions, and pronounce legal
judgment upon all cases within the range of
Cturry's " Collection of Statutes, "—none making
him afraid. No doubt this would be a " con-
summation devoutly to be wished" by numskulled
and bungling justiciaries, many of whom use
Coke only to burn it, and can no more judge of
Statute laws than they can of Statuary !
However, we are glad to find that Sir GEORGE
STEPHEN " entirely concurs " in the " general
principle" we laid down, although he does not
admit of its universal application. Of course, there
are exceptions to every rule; but it requires no
small vigilance to guard against the rule itself
becoming the exception.
We again assert that, admitting the propriety—
we wont say legality—of clearing the criminal
court on especial occasions, it was most unprece-
dented and unconstitutional to eject the recognised
representatives of the public Press. These parties
could not be influenced either one way or the
other ; and most assuredly, if they did not further
the ends of justice, would not do aught to
frustrate it. At a time when the letters of " SIGMA "
are appearing in the columns of the Morning
Chronicle, and the London press is exposing and
denouncing the conduct of our Northern magis
tracy, it is rather a curious coincidence that the
authorities at Birkenhead should have laid them-
selves open to censure. However, we trust that
our gentle reproof will be taken in the spirit in
which it is meant ; and that we will, in future, be
spared from performing so painful a duty, and one
which would not have been undertaken by us,..
were there not high trusts and important interests
at stake.

SECRET Diplomacy and Electric Telegraphs are
becoming the greatest mystifiers of political
movements. Wars are threatened—invasions take
place—battles are fought—blood is shed—England
loses millions—and yet secret diplomacy forbids
the publication of the remotest whisper of au-
thentic information, by which immediate losses
might be anticipated, and future danger averted.
Telegraphs are, in fact, our only diplomatic
oracles, and if we were to extol their veracity, it
would be to inflate falsehood with the air of truth.
The conflicting statements and false rumours
which have been published by telegraphs
since the commencement of the Russo-Turkish
war, are, in themselves, so dangerous to the best
interests of this country, that some means must
be promptly adopted to check the evils which are
sure to arise from the publication of fictitious dis-
!lispatches in the absence of authentic ministerial
intelligence.

As a proof of the systematic line of falsehoods
published by the continental telegraphs, we would
direct particular attention to the two conflicting
statements which appeared in the NORTHERN DAILY
TIMES, as well as in the London papers, of yesterday.
One or other of those two statements must be a posi-
tive falsehood. And it is a matter of no moment to
the public which of them is true or false, either
doing a certain amount of mischief in
would—bythi
this country—answer the purpose of a designing
foe, or a stock jobbing blackleg. Looking at this
growing and uncontrouled source of danger, we
do not hesitate to advocate at once a perfectly
open and undisguised diplomacy, which shall, in
a periodical bulletin, publish all such intelligence
as-- will enable the fundholdor, merchant, ship-
owner, and large produce-holders, to conduct their
business with the utmost degree of safety possible,
and, at the same time, defeat the nefarious