The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-05-08 00:00:00

THE DAY'S NEWS.

Parliament was actually opened yesterday, on
which occasion the Queen's speech was delivered
by proxy. The document is very meagre indeed.
Reformers will be sadly disappointed. There is
nothing about vote by ballot, extension of the
suffrage, and other kindred matters. Her Majesty's
advisers hope that Parliament will take into con-
sideration various topics connected with ecclesias-
tical matters, and hints that a bill will be brought
into the House on cases of Breaches of Trust.
With respect to foreign affairs it says that
the Treats of Paris has been virtually carried into
effect, that the Treaty with Persia will be laid
before the House, that the Danish Sound Dues
question has been satisfactorily adjusted, but that
the dispute with the United States regarding the
Central American question is not yet settled
Such are the main features of one of the
most non-committal speeches which it has ever
been the lot of any Ministry to lay before the
first session of any Parliament since the beginning
of the present century. It will disappoint the
friends as well as the foes of the present premier,
Lord Palmerston. We had expected, from many
statements that have of late been put forth,
that an amendment to the address to the
throne would have been moved, but we are disap-
pointed; a sort of quasi-promise having been made
by the ministry that a certain description of a
reform bill will be introduced next session of par-
liament, has for the nonce silenced that veteran
Reformer—he is known as such—Mr. Roebuck, of
Sheffield, and the address was moved, seconded.
and passed with the usual decorum. We refer our
readers to another column for the particulars.
--The home news te- lay is uninteresting. We see
that Mr. Frederick Peel has been pitched into the
Privy Council—a rather questionable proceeding.
He has never shown a great deal of talent, he is a
red•tapist, and was thrown out of Bury—a town
that we should think was almost sacred to the
name of Peel. Then why should he be elevated to the
dignity of a Privy Councillor. At the time the
Commons of England were troubling themselves
with the concerns of the nation, her Majesty the
Queen was turning her back upon the metropolis,
for yesterday, at noon, she started for her marine
residence, Osborne, Isle of Wight.

The inquest on the bodies of the men who lost
their lives by the explosion of a locomotive boiler
at the Eige-hill station on Monday last, was
opened yesterday, and was ultimately adjourned
until to-morrow (Saturday.) A variety of evidence
bearing upon the case, was taken by the coroner.
In the Court of Queen's Bench, yesterday, two
cases of alleged libel were brought before the
sitting ljudges. One was the else of Alderman
Sydney, against a printer named Allgood, of Wor•
tester, who, it was alleged had printed a placard
which was derogatory to the character of Mr.
Sydney, that gentleman, at the time,being a candi-
date for the representation of Worcaster. A Rile
Nisi was grante i The other case was that of the
Queen v James Irving Scott. The latter had pub-
lished in his paper, The Day, or London Evening
News, a paragraph which a compositor, named

!rr

Droken, considered a libel against his character, and
ho had proceeded against Scott in the Queen's
Bench. The defendAnt.alleged that the affair was
of a " silly character,",and was desirous that the
libel should be tried before a special jury, which
was ultimately agreed to by the presiding judge,
Lord Campbell.
The news from the Continent is not of much
importance this morning. The French mails have
not arrived, and the intelligence from that quarter
of the globz is rather meagre.
Le Nord of Wednesday puts forth a statement
that the Shah of Persia bas refused to ratify the
treaty negociated by Feruk Khan. The Journal
des Debars declares it impossible that the result
could be known at the present date, even if it had
occurred.

It is stated at Berlin that the Prince Napoleon
will pay a visit to the Emperor of Russia during
the summon Some late despatches regarding the
capture of Mahormtnorah will be found elsewhere.

The visit of Prince Napoleon to AI Anchester
will probably be mAde incognito. The grand
review at Paris on Wednesday passed off with the.
greatest brilliancy. The entire force under arms
was 50.000 men.

The Bund of Berne publishes the text of the
first instructions given to Dr. Kern. They simply
show that they have since been morlifiat by the
acceptance of the draught of the treaty drawn up
by the representatives of the Powers at the Paris
Conference. The instructions are dated the 21st
of January last.

The Belgian Royal Mail Steamer Constitution
arrived at Southampton, yesterday, from New
York, but her dates were anticipated.

THE QUEEN has spoken. The Royal Speech
has been delivered, and. Parliament has
proceeded to the despatch of business. Royal
orations are proverbial for saying little and
meaning less. That which was read by Royal
proxy, yesterday, is about the most insignificant
and common p!ace on record. With an unusual
secrecy, its contents were not allowed to leak out,
and contrary to what was anticipated, not one of
the London morning papers contained a line 'of
the usual anticipatory summary. Statesmen,
like sinners in general. " love darkness, and hate
the light, because their deeds are evil." Lord
PALMERSTON and his colleagues have verified the
Scriptural declaration, and by every possible
means concealed to the very last moment when
concealment was practicable, their full intention
of betraying the hopes and expectations of the
nation. He appealed to the country to say
whether or not he was the man to preside over
the affairs of the nation. In all quarters the
voice of the people was emphatic in the demand
for Reform. By their votes, and the returns
made therefrom, they declared in a manner which
could neither be gainsaid nor :denied, that be he
who he may that pretends to be Premier of
England, the motto of " Reform" must be con-
spicuous in all his public actions. The cry of
Chinese atrocities" was but a secondary one,
and had not the electors of the United Kingdom
been duped by the professions of the Government
and their supporters, who made pledges on the
hustings of a determination to press forward
Reform, not only in the representation of the
people, but Administrative Reform, Army
Refurm, and Ecclesiastical Reform, the final
result would have been different. How these
promises will be kept will be perceived by the
Royal Speech itself.

The Siipp.gh ernhraces. three diviis—our
foreign relations, the estimates, ands domestic
policy. In the first, there is nothing new,
with the exception of China, and even on that
point we are already fully informed that a Pleni-
potentiary had not only been appointed, but
actually set out on his way to the Celestial
Empire, and that Government had resolved to
despatch forthwith strong reinforcements—naval
and military. We knew all about the " Treaty
of Paris," the " Neufchatel affair," the ‘, redemp-
tion of the Sound Dues," and the " settlement
of the Persian dispute;" so that to occupy fully
three-fourths of the Speech with a recapitulation
of facts already known by the veriest tyro in
political affairs, is not only an insult to the
nation at large, but an evidence that the
Ministry have been sorely puzzled how they could
best meet the new Parliament without commiting
themselves to any definite course of conduct.
At the general election the admirers of
Lord Palmerston, dwelt with much stress upon
the ability displayed in the foreign policy of his
administration ; and, among other matters, it was
said, that he had brought to an amiacble termi-
nation our dispute with the United States,
respecting Central America. This is not so, for
her MAJESTY tells us that the negotiations
respecting the affair, " have not yet been
brought to a close." We are promised copies
of the treaty with Persia and Denmark. Until
they appear, further comment is unnecessary.
With regard to the estimates, we are told in
the usual style, that they have been prepared
with a ‘. careful attention to economy, and a due
regard to the efficiency of the public service." This
is what we have been told year after year, for the
last half century, but practical experience attests
that neither the one nor the other were realized.
The people find little or no reduction in taxation
and the inefficacy of the public service is the
subject of every-day comment and reprobation.
No better illustration of this inefficiency can be
adduced, than the slovenly manner in which the
Admiralty performs its duty, than the late
disasters which befel the steam transport,
" Transit."

All allusion to Financial Reform is carefully
avoided, and the " bill of fare " provided for the
new Parliament, is stunted in the extreme. Her
MAJESTY recommends three measures,—Law,
Reform, a regulation and reform of the Ecclesi-
astical Courts, and a measure for checking
fraudulent Breaches of Trust. Reformers, look
at this programme of ministerial intentions, and
say whether you have not been betrayed—and
that the Ministry has no intention to grant you
a comprehensive and well digested measure of
Parliamentary Reform. 'With a view to stave
off the evil day, and to plead a sort of apology
for the line of conduct which Government have
determined to adopt during the present session,
the leading journal talks of the shortness of the
session, and says—" woe to any new measure
proposed after the first of July." No matter how
the people may pant for the extension and
improvement of the laws, the grouse season

must be attended, and both peers and commoners
must repair to the " moors," and let the affairs
of the nation take their course, independent
and irrespective of the control of Parliament.
We protest against this practice. If the interests
of the country demand that wise and salutary
measures of reform are requisite, why should
Parliament not be kept together until such
measures are enacted, and have received the
Royal assent ? He who aspires to senatorial
honours is bound to devote all his time and
attention to the interests of the country in
general, and his constituents in particular.
Looking at the speech in the most favourable
point of view, we are compelled to declare that
Lord PALMERSTON has disappointed the hopes of
the nation, and that unless compelled by an
irresistible pressure from without, he will not be
found on their side. His silence on all those
measures of " progress" which have been repeat-
edly urged in these columns, is a confirmation
that he has not changed from the sentiments
which animated him when he spoke and voted
against Mr. LOCKE KING'S motion for an exten-
sion of the suffrage ; and his elevation of Mr.
FREDERIC PEEL to the office of a Privy Coun-
cillor tells us that the slight cast upon Sir
JOHN M'NEILL and Colonel TULLOCH has his
inward approval. It will be the duty of the
House of Commons to test the accuracy of these
views, by allowing no time to pass without
having from the Government a frank and
unreserved statement of their intentions, with
regard to the ballot, an extension of the suffrage,
and such other matters as the true reformer
alway sincludes in his political creed. No Ministry
can exist for any length of time if the Liberal
members are true to their cause, which does not
candidly and at once declare that it shall grant
to the people all the political rights and privileges
to which they are fully entitled.

" WHO will assist a poor Schoolmaster ?" was
the pathetic interrogatory which headed an
advertisement in Tuesday's Tines, and the
reason given for the enquiry is told in the
following words :—" One who has been
struggling for the last six years to raise a school,
and now having exhausted his means, is on the
point of losing his furniture, and with it his
school and all the fruits of his toil, for the want
or about £l5, to pay rent and taxes. He will
gladly repay any assistance he may receive by
giving private lessons in Latin, English, algebra,
arithmetic, or writing, in the evening." Three
days before the publication of the above painful
announcement, a deputation of the Metropolitan
Church of England Schoolmasters' Association
waited upon the Right Honourable NV. COWPER,
Vice-President of the Committee of Council on
Educa:ion, to urge upon that functionary the
expediency of a repeal of some of the grievances
to which the elementary teachers under Govern-
ment control and inspection are subjected.
These instances are sorrowful facts of the esti-
mation in which the educators of youth are hel d
by an unthinking and an undiscerning public.

GUIZOT, when in his capacity as Minister of
Public Instruction in France, he issued a circular

to the primary teachers of that country, telling
them that all the resources which power is
possessed of, are unable to render the profession
of a country teacher as attractive as it is useful.
" Society," he said, " can never repay him who
devotes himself ti it, all that it owes him. There

is no fortune to be made, no fame to be acquired
in the discharge of the difficult duties which lie
undertakes"; hence he is " to work for man, and

look to GOD only for his reward." The pizture
which M. GUIZOT drew as regards the pecuniary
reward and social position of a French elemen-
tary teacher in 1839 is true as to the educators
of Great Britain and Ireland in 1857 ; and the
case of the "Poor Schoolmaster," who advertises
in the Times, is but another of the many

instances which prose the accuracy of the fol-

lowing statement, which we extract from a
Parliamentary document. ‘` By many of them'
—teachers—" the situation of a private in the
police, or a door-keeper in any public office wouid
be regarded as a promotion." The late Rev. Dr.
CARLISLE, one of the original Commissioners of
National Education in Ireland, told a Select
Committee of the louse of Commons that
"Under the present system schoolmasters may
spend the flower and fruit of their lives—the
most ardent aspirations—the most earnest
exertions of their existence—isolated, unknown,
and unrecompensed."
We have, on more than one occasion, urged
in the columns of this paper, the absolute neces-
sity-and paramount importance of the promotion
and extension of a system of National EJuca-

tion. We are granting yearly sums for this
purpose, but the case of the "Poor Schoolmaster"
just cited, is a strong proJf, that much of the
national funds so voted, are misapplied. The
terms on which t )is annual parliamentary grant
is distributed, are so hampered and clogged
with certain requirements before there can be
any participation in it, that thousands of
really useful, and successful teachers are deprived
of any advantage which they confer. It is an
evil which should be remedied. The amount,
too, should be in proportion to the extent, import-
ance, and nature of the work performed. M.
GUIZOT, in the circular, already alluded to, says,
that the teachers " profession participates in the
importance and dignity or a great public duty."

If this be true, how can society tolerate the
existence of a system which pays my lord's
valet, or a squire's footman or butler a larger sum
for his services than is awarded to a labourer in the
realms of intellect and morals—one whose exer-

tions are used for the purpose of raising up a
race of healthy, intelligent, and virtuous fellow
beings. Should not England, with all her boast-
ings of civilization, and her liberality in sending
out missionaries to heathen lands, blush to think
that they who are her best benefactors—the
" foster gods of mankind," should be placed in
such a position in the social scale, as to render
the preceptor's chair, the last refuge of the unfor-