The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-03-16 00:00:00

offered the m;sion, but that he refused it
The state of affaits in China seem to be the
subject of most interest on the Continent as well
us in England. The Paris Pays says that a con-
vention has been spoken of as having been signed
by France and England, with the view of a co-
operation of the two Powers in the affair
of China ; it has been added that France has
undertaken to furnish au expeditionary force
of 20,000 men. It deems it necessary to
correct both statements. "No convention,
properly speaking, has been signed by the two
governments—there has only been an exchange of
notes, which will suffice. With respect to the very
exaggerated strength of the expedition, the French
government will confine itself to the despatch of
the vessels already placed under the command of
Rear Admiral Rigault de Genouilly."
The accounts from the frontier of China, pub-
lished by the Journal of the Academy, (St. Peters-
burg journal), state that Pekin is in a complete
state of dissolution. The government is without
money, and for want of silver and copper has
struck off iron money. Ail the capitalists have
abandoned the city. The Mantchoux and the
Chinese live in a complete state of hostility.
An announcement has made its appearance in
the New Prussian Gazette. that the King of Prussia
will not consent to renounce what he calls his
sovereign rights over Neufchatel, unless Switzer-
land first admits them. There the matter will
probably rest.

A telegraphic despatch from Trieste conveys
intelligence from Athens to the 7th, and announces
that Sir Thomas Wyse had been appointed presi-
dent of the Greek Financial Commission, and
Grelin, of the French Embassy, secretary to the
same.

The Spanish expedition against Mexico is to
be commanded by General Concha. Spain is at
this moment not merely engaged in a quarrel with
Mexico, but in another with the republic of St.
Domingo. The Spanish representative in the
Republic has been Obliged to withdraw.
The read,-,ii assigned is the opposition which he
in".r.ic to the project of president, Santana,
to cede the port of Santana to the United
States. In this opposition ha was at first perfectly
successful, having even overthrown the pro-
American ministry ; but the influence of the
Americans suddenly turned the tables against
him. so that he was even insulted in his hotel.

We have St. Petersburg letters to the 6th inst.
The papers of that city contradict the assertions
of some of the foreign press on the subject of the
movement of Russian troops beyond the frontiers
of Persia and of the cession of Persian territory to
Russia, declaring that not a word said about it is
true

The Journal de Constantinople of the 613. instant
hopes that the Shah of Persia will be able to ratify
the treaty of peace with England.
Despatches are said to have been received by
the French Foreig❑ Office, from Jassy, of course
from the French representative there, that there is
reason to believe Kaimakan Balsehe, of Moldavia.
did not die a natural death, but was poisoned.
The Equonoxial gales have been in full blast
since Thursday last, from the S.S.W. to the S.W ,
and we regret to say that several disasters at sea
are reported in consequence. The screw steamer
Circassian returned to Liverpool on Saturday,
after being out one week. She left this port for
Newfoundland on the 7th inst., and had reached
long 18, when, from the fury of the gale, she was
stripped of her sails, injured in her deck, bowsprit,
&c., and compelled to put back. It is expected that
she will be ready for sea on Tuesday evening. The
new ship Melbourne arrived in the Channel yes-
terday, from St. John, N. 8., and was taken in tow
of a tug boat, but her hawser broke, and she bore
away, and it was feared would become a total
wreck, as she had previously been dismasted.
None of the crew were taken off her. Several flats
and schooners are on shore down Channel; also,
the barque Pennington, from London, and the ship
Hero, from Charleston. The Twin Sisters, from
Bayonne, was abandoned close to Great Ormshead,
on Saturday, and a vessel, totally dismasted, with
signals of distress flying, yesterday morning, was
signalized near per chart No, 41. The Wm.
Owens, from Africa for this port, is on shore near
Fleetwood. A boy has been washed overboard. A
steamer has gone to her assistance. It is feared
many others have suffered severely, and that in a
day or two fearful records of the havoc of the gale
will be made known.

Up to the hour of going to press, the Cunard
steamer Asia, which would sail from New York on
the 4th inst., had not arrived. She in all
probability arrive here during the day.

THE quarrel with China has not lost any of its
interest. Although both Houses of Parliament
have discussed the subject in all its bearings, and
recorded their opinions thereon, it is now the
grand topic of debate in every constituency.
Lord PALMERSTON is about to send the Commons
to the country, so that it may, in its choice of a
New Parliament, pronounce its verdict of appro-
val or condemnation of the policy of Sir JOHN
BOWRING and Mr. Consul PARKES. Ministers
having adopted the responsibility of their officials
in Chins, are, therefore, on their trial before the
country for what has taken place at Canton,
While we deprecate the matter being made the
"Election cry," it will not be out of place to
glance at the subject as it now stands, and
demonstrate on which side the cause of political
honesty, truth, and justice lies.

In the debate in Parliament, Lord CLARENDON
and Lord PALMERSTON argued that the conduct
of YEn, the Governor of Canton, had been out-
rageous towards the British flag, and that Sir
JOHN BOWRJNG could not adopt any other course
than the one he has had recourse to, namely,
the bombardment of that defenceless city. In
both Houses, lawyers of eminence argued the
legality of the Arrow to fly the British flag, and
on this point alone the pretensions of Ministers
were completely demolished. Lord ST. LEON-
ARDS, considered the greatest constitutional
lawyer of the a'..;e, and Lord LYNDHURST, another
acute and deeply read jurist, have declared that
the Arrow was not a British vessel, and had
therefore no right to fly the British fig. In the
House of Commons, Sir JAMES GRAHAM and
Mr. W. E. GLADSTONE tore to atoms the flimsy
pretext which Government and its supporters
put forth. This a majority of the House of
Commons felt, and therefore voted for a resolu-
tion, which Ministers interpreted as a " want of
" confidence." Instead, however, of resigning the
seals of office, they have recourse to a dissolu-
tion. Hence the proposed appeal to. the
people.

Prior to this act, Lord PALMERSTON, profiting
by the debate on Mr. COBDEN'S motion has evi-
dently reconsidered the matter, the result of
which is that he is compelled to denude Sir
JOHN BowaING of the high authority which he
assumed towards the Canton authorities, and has
determined to send out an Ambassador Extraor-
dinary, to settle the dispute between the two
countries. This must be regarded as a direct
admission, on the part of Lord PALMERSTON,
that Sir JOHN BowRINO is incompetent to adjust
the differences, and allay the storm that he has
provoked. We will not stop to glance at the
consistency of such conduct; upon that point

our readers can, and will, judge themselves.
But if this step—appointing a special Envoy
to China—has been rendered necessary, why
was it not taken sooner. Lord JOHN RUSSELL,
in his address to the electors of London, puts
this position forward in a very telling manner.
He bays, " One is at a loss to perceive why a
" course advisable on the 10th of March should
" not have been taken on the 10th January. Or
" if Sir JOHN BOWRING was worthy of entire ap.
" praval in January, why lie should be virtually
" superseded now, when his policy and his
" conduct remain the same." Had the Govern-
ment, on first hearing of the rupture in the
Canton waters, at once despatched an Envoy
Extraordinary, the matter would probably by this
tinie have been in a fair way of settlement,
and the necessity for Mr. COBDEN'S motion
entirely would not have existed. Lord ELGIN
has been selected for the important and respon-
sible office of negociator between this country
and China. The appointment proves one of two
things—either that Sir JOHN Bowitixo is unfit
to be our resident Commissioner at Hong Kong,
or that a new policy must be adopted and carried
out. The admission, if one or other, confirms
the expediency and propriety of Mr. CoßnEN's
motion: Everything which has occurred
since the defeat of the Ministry proves that
obstinacy alone compelled them to resist the
motion carried on Tuesday se'nnight. There is
no doubt but they felt that they were arguing in
support of a had cause, and that Sir JOHN
BOWRING was indefensible ; but once having
taken up his cause, they clung to it with unpar-
donable pertinacity, and were devoid of the
manliness to admit their error, and give sufficient
guarantees that conduct such as formed the
subject of the debate would not be attempted for
the future. •

Considering, then, what has taken place in
China, and the steps which Lord PALMERSTON
has been compelled to adopt—the appointment
of Lord ELGIN as British Plenipotentiary to that
country—that not only then has there been a very
questionable resort to arms on the part of the
British authorities at Canton, but also that force
had been used in order to compel the Chinese
Government to submit to what they consider a
grievance and an injustice. The quarrel owes its
origin to the fact of our officials in China
granting to Chinese subjects papers under the
cover of which the bearers continued to defraud
the Chinese revenue by paying lower rates than
were due, and by smuggling.
The only authority which the British officials
had for granting these lorcha licenses was a
peculiar and a disputed construction of the
supplementary treaty. The Chinese refusing
to coincide in that construction and inter-
pretation, have had to endure the bloody
result of a naval bombardment at Canton,
Our first introduction into China was an
act of aggression, and it would seem as
if we purposed continuing that policy
until at last, flushed with the success of past
efforts, we shall make an attempt to subjugate
the whole of the Celestial Empire. Any one
who gives an attentive perusal to the Chinese
Blue Books, and calmly and without prejudice
considers the whole of the correspondence and
documents contained therein, must come to the
conclusion—admitting that the Chinese were
insulting and overbearing in their intercourse
with the British, and that they studiously disre-
garded existing treaties —that Sir .To N Be WRING
was rash and precipitate in the extreme, that the
occasion and the cause of quarrel selected were
totally unworthy of such a sacrifice of life and
destruction of property, and that on no account
should he have exercised without due and
deliberate authority the Royal Prerogative
that of declaring war against a recognised ally.

The supporters of Lord PALMERSTON, although
deploring the bloodshed which has already taken
place, argue that we cannot now retrace our steps.
This is a flimsy and fallacious pretext for the
perpetration of wrong. As an apology, it is
worse than the barefaced violence of those who
vindicate the justice of the bombardment. It is
the plea of MACBETH when he says that since he
waded so far in blood, " return would be as
tedious as go on.' It is the plea of the DE kisTS
the PAULS, and the REDPATHS, who, having
committed one fraud, persuade themselves to
commit a series of others to conceal it, There
is another class of Lord PALMERSTJN'S apologists
who contend that force and violence is the only
way to deal with the Chinese. But this is a
fallacy which the whole history of our intercourse
with that singular people clearly demonstrates.
They keep us at arm's distance, it is true. This
may be teasing and trying upon the temper of
our ambitious diplomatist at Hong Kong,
but everything shows that their reluctance to
admit us to a more free and unrestrained com-
munication has its origin in fear. We know that
before the war, in 1841, the reckless conduct and
debauchery of our seamen terrified them, and the
subsequent acts of our fleet and army have added
to their terror. Mere physical force over a half
civilised people never begets respect ; on the
contrary, a conquered country cherishes towards
its victors' feelings of distrust, hatred, and revenge.
For these masons we may rest assured that
victories obtained over the Chinese in a cause
that is questionable as to its humanity and
justice, may for a time answer its purpose, but
eventually their alienation and vengeance will
again instigate them to crimes mare cruel
and destructive than any which have preceded
them.

Whilst, then, disapproving of the late Canton
massacres, on the grounds of humanity and
justice, we also oppose them in consequence of
the great risk to which they expose commercial
relations in the Celestial Empire. We are as
desirous as any one for the protection of the
lives and properties of British subjects, and
hence we are glad to find that Lord ELGIN has
been selected to proceed to settle the dispute in
question. But while giving the ministry credit

for their desire now to avert the shedding of
blood, we cannot refrain from condemning the
policy which they at first sanctioned—a policy
that has sacrificed the innocent, encouraged the
restless ambition of our Chinese officials, trampled
upon one of the prerogatives of the Crown, and,
without cause, compelled a defenceless people to
grant privileges and favours which they had no
right to give.

ONE of our old quaint Divines has said that
there is no passion of the human mind more apt
to turn sour than zeal ; and u e know, from a
high authority, that there is a " zeal which is not
" according to knowledge." There is an ultra-
Protestant party in this country, which has
never been scant of that kind of zeal which we
may call the sour, the bitter, the acrid. There
has been more than enough of acrimony against
those who on every theory are our fellow-Chris-
tians, even if erring, and who differ from us only
in the interpretation of Christianity. We do
not question the sincerity and go6d intention of
those who will soon be 'inveighing, with all the
fervour of passion, against the endowment of
Maynooth, and in the coming election struggle
will employ it as a battle-horse against the
Ministry. Conceding to them the best inten-
tions, we are prepared to contend that this is not
the way to attain their object, namely, the abate-
ment or overthrow of Romanism. If the errors
of Romanism are to be combated, and the people
of these kingdoms to be introduced into the
glorious light of a benevolent and holy Gospel,
this is to be done, we apprehend, by far other
means than furious tirades against the Man of
Sin on the hustings, and diminished rations at
Mayneoth. Those who call for the sudden sup-
presion of Maynooth forget the facts of the case,
in their zeal to wash Protestant hands from the
guilt of supporting Romish error. On the prin-
ciple that all endowments for religion should
cease, we can understand the argument of our
eager friends. They will please to recollect that
Protestant endowments must be as great an eye_
sore to conscientious Roman Catholics as May-
nooth is to Protestant zealots. When they call
upon the legislature to refrain from supporting
alleged theological error, they make Parliament
the judge of truth and error in theology.

To put the thing in the mildest light, would
it not be better that Parliament should restrict
itself to doing justice to all classes of citizens by
promoting equal laws, but sacredly ignoring
theoligical differences ? We call on Parliament
to discontinue the Maynooth grant on the ground
that all grants to a sect or to a theological
opinion are indefensible. This argument we can
understand, whether or not we accept it. It
presents a clear and intelligible principle. Religion
is regarded as a private concern between God and
the soul, and no human legislation should inter-
fere with it, No unholy hand should be thrust
out either to support the ark of the LORD or to
pull it down. Statesmen have nothing to do
with religion but to let it alone to the private
conscience of mankind. If they touch they mar.
Such is the argument of thoroughgoing Noncon-
formists.

But this is not the view taken by many
of the most vehement denouncers of May-
nooth. They call on the Legislature to refuse
the grant because Romanism is error—because
it is a pestilent superstition and soul-destroying
system of falsehood, Bat this is asking the
Legislature to become a judge in theological
matters—to be the umpire of truth and error in
religion, and the exterminator of heresy. The
legislature can rightfully listen to no such plea.
Its duty is to keep the peace between all the
sects, to pass laws, just and fair to all, without
regard to the opinions, theological or philosophical,
of the citizens. The very men who are most
strenuously calling for legislative interference
against Romanism would remonstrate against
a similar application to themselves. Sup-
posing Romanism to be in the ascendant,
and to pass a law subtracting Protestant
endowments, they would immediately perceive
the injustice, even though told that it went
against the conscience of a Roman Catholic to
permit any such institution to exist within the
British dominions. Now, we say, " 3.lntato
nomine de le fabula narratur." Do as you would
be done bv.

If Romanism is to be discouraged by
legislation, admit the justice of the same ap-
plication to Protestantism when occasion serves,
or altogether renounce the unholy method of
aiming to correct religious error by the pressure of
human laws. An erring conscience is not to be
set right after this fashion. There may be modes
of meeting the errors of Romanism, but this is
not a legitimate one. Roman Catholics view this
as a species of persecution, and we believe that
all violence applied to conscience ultimately
defeats itself. The blood of the martyrs was the
seed of the Church. The more you try by harsh
and compulsory methods to put down what you
call error, the more it will be hugged and de-
fended and cherished as a peculiar possession.
Leave error to the influence of free discussion
and education. What is true will live—what is
false will die. This we hold to bp the wiser, as
it is the humaner and more Christian method.
As there must be, for some time to come, Roman
Catholic priests, because more than one-half the
Christian world is professedly Roman Catholic,
surely it is better that these should be educated
men, rather than coarse, ignorant partisans, feel-
ing only hostility to England and hatred to Pro-
testantism. It is better surely that the Romish
priest should be an educated gentleman than a
fiery bigot. We will recur to the Maynooth
question again. Meantime, say as much as ever
you please of the enormity of supporting the
falsehood of Romanism, picture it in the boldest
colours of fancy, dip your pen in gall, feather it
with satire, and it will still remain true that
Romanism, with education is better and safer
than Romanism without. And if nothing more
could be urged, this would go far to vindicate

the wisdom of Parliament in refusing to a narrow
fiery faction the disendowment of Maynooth.

THE NECROPOLIS.—The enquiry into the
management of this cemetery will be resumed
ou Wednesday, at half-past twelve o'clock, in
the Vice-Chancellor's Court, St. George's Hall.
It will be open to the public.

PRIORITY OF NEWS.—•The NORTHERN TIKES has estab
lished for itself a character of being in possession of all
late and interesting news, foreign and domestic, in many
instances in advance of any of its cotemporaries, daily or
weekly. During the last week two instances of this kind
occurred. On Friday morning, we published a full sum-
mary of all the intelligence brought by the screw steam-
ship Anglo_Saxon, which entered the river after three
o'clock that morning, in the whole of our impression of
that day. The Daily Post was obliged to make a late edition
of the news, and to take it from our columns. This they
did without acknowledgment. On the following morning,
Saturday, we laid before our readers nearly two columns
of interesting; Australian intelligence, brought by the
Wooloomooloo from Sydney. which arrived in the Downs
on Friday. This news we had exclusive. Not one of the
London morning papers of Saturday had a line of it except
a short paragraph in their City Article. In making these
remarks we do not thus obtrude ourselves upon the
reader's attention fot the purpose of boasting what we can
do. It is the duty of every one who undertakes the
conduct of a public journal, particularly a daily morning
paper, to use every exertion, so that it may justly
merit and be recognised as a newspaper—not a mere
advertising sheet, singularly destitute of a faithful record
of all the events of the day, and a full and copious
epitome of every leading item of foreign intelli-
gence. The two instances of the priority of news
are only a few of the many wherein we have anticipated
all our cotemporaries, local and metropolitan. En-
couraged by the support which we have already received'
it is our intention of using every exertion to render the
NORTHERN DAILY TIMES second to no other paper out of
the metropolis, and one which will still be celebrated for
the early, faithful, and copious character of its news.
We do not object to our cotemporaries using our infor-
mation after we have published it, but we cannot help
condemning a system which sanctions the adoption of our
entire summary of foreign news in a second edition,
without alteration, or the acknowledgment of the source
from whence it came.

THE AUSTRALIAN MAILs.—An Australian merchant, in
a letter to a cotemporary on Saturday morning, says :
" In the telegraphic summary of the intelligence by the
present Overland Mail, I regret to find there is no mention
made of the arrival at any of the eastern ports of the
Australian mails, which are due in London, via Marseilles,
on the 16th inst., under the new postal contract with the
European and Australian Royal Mail Company. As it is
scarcely possible they can now arrive within the contract
time and along with the Indian letters, I am desirous of
learning if this company have made such arrangements
that, on the arrival at Ceylon of the steamer from Aus.
tralia, her mails and passengers shall be at once forwarded
to their respective destinations ? In other words, are they
dependent or not on the steamers belonging to the Pen-
insular and Oriental Company which carry the usual
fortnigh•ly India mails between Ceylon and Suez ? If they
are, there is little doubt that It will be about the end of
the month before the Australian despatches come to
hand."

ALARMING ILLNESS OF THE SOLICITOR-GENERAL —lt
was stated on Saturday morning, upon good authority,
that Mr. Stuart Wortley, the Solicitor-General. was
suffering from a severe attack of brain fever. Sanguine
hopes, how,aver, were entertained by his medical atten-
dants that the disease would soon take a favourable turn.

THE MISSION TO CIIINA —The acceptance of the difficult
post of Plenipotentiary to China, by Lord Elgin, is an
event which will be hailed with general satisfaction. Lord
Palmerston, it will be admitted on all hands, has selected
the man most competent to bring about an arrangement of
the Chinese dispute, so far as negotiation can effect it.
The Plenipotentiary goes to his great task with a prestige
derived from his brilliantly successful administration in
Canada, and though the sphere of his new duties is in
every respect the opposite to that where he acquired hi
well won fame, we doubt not he will display the same tact,
firmness, and skill, in dealing with the singular people
amongst whom he is sent. Lord Elgin, it is true, had th
advantage of being preceded in Canada by Lords Durham
Sydenham, and Metcalfe, whose labours constructed that
system of constitutional self-government which he brough t
into working order. Bat to him belongs the high credit of
having destroyed faction by reconciling all parties to the
form of Government which had been established. Lord
Elgin goes to his new mission with a full knowledge of the
views of the Cabinet, and backed by a powerful display of
the military force of England. His difficult object will be
not only to terminate the quarrel at Canton in a satis-
factory way, but to obtain from the Emperor, by direct
negotiation with the central Government, an acknowledg-
ment of the obligations entered into according to the former
treaties, and assurances for their future fulfilment. As a
member of the Conservative party, and as a statesman of
known moderation and proved ability of the highest order,
he will command the consideration of his political friends,
whilst he enjoys the full confidence of Z.he Government.
I❑ whatever course he may find it necessary to take, he
will not be harassed by the reflection that his conduct
will be estimated only according to the exigencies of party
warfare at home.— Observer.

THE BURIALS ACT.-DESECRATION OF THE DEAD.-

After the ten years' agitation throughout the entire
country to put an end to intramural burial, and the
struggle in Parliament to stop, by act of Parliament, the
repetition of the scenes which disgraced this country, and
which would not have been tolerated in any other country
in Europe, it was to have been hope! that the measures
which had been passed, after so much trouble and with
so much difficulty, would have been effective ; but such
unfortunately, has not been the case. The act has done
much, it is true; but it has also left much unaccomplished.
By the operation of the act, intramural interments have
almost been put a stop to. and in another year or two
tharelwill not be a graveyard used for the purposes of
interment within the precincts of a town. So far, so
good. But unfortunately this is almost all that it has
accomplished. The other provisions of tho act, with
reference to burying more than one body in a grave, and
to the formation of proper cemeteries, have been almost
entirely disregarded or evaded. The metropolitan ceme-
teries, previous to the passing of the Burial Act, with but
two exceptions, did not pay their expenses, as was proved
when the compulsory • purchase of Nunhead and the
Brompton Cemeteries were referred to arbitration. No
sooner, however, was the first Interment Act repealed,
and the present act passed, than the shares of all the
cemeteries rapidly rose in value. The majority of the
metropolitan parishes, having no cemeteries of their own,
were compelled to resort for the burial of their poor to
the cemeteries in question, at a contract price, and what
has been the result ? At first, because public attention
had been drawn to the previous malpractices with respect
to the burial of the dead, some little show of decency and
propriety was kept up ; but this was soon laid aside, as it
was found that the parochial authorities cared little on
the subject, and now, it is not; too much to say that some
of the cemeteries, or at least a portion of them, are in as
bad a condition as the old burial grounds. Those portions
of the cemeteries which more immediately meet the eye
are kept up well enough, and to a casual observer it might
seem that everything was going 'on properly ; but a little
nearer inspection at once indicates that both the spirit
and the letter of the act are grosslrvielated. In one of
the cemeteries in the east end of London, for more than
eighteen months the gravediggers have been constantly
at work on one spot, and there, day after day, are bodies
huddled into graves or a character quite at variance with
what the act was intended to authorise. This portion of
the ground continually presents the appearance as if large
excavations for building purposes were continually going
on, the graves not being properly filled in with a due
regard to decency or to the public health. Whole volumes