Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-08-12 00:00:00

The builders' strike is coming to an end without a cam-

and it is, perhaps, as well, if not a great deal
it it should. The firm whence the strike origi-

tod have already obtained, we understand, a ,sufficient

asiness, and many other departments have also agreed to

work according to the terms of their employers,

to sign a declaration against such combinaiions, and to

work ten ho'

The association of masters in the metro-

seems, had offers from the country, which it
is-expected will, in a few days, enable many of the firms to
get to work through the assistance rendered. It is still to
be hoped that a perfect reeondiliati6n; may be effected
between masters and men ; and as there is now, apparently,
a disposition on either side to yield something, one may,
not unreasonably, hope this will soon be the case. .
One of the most hopeful signs of a better state of things
in France that we have obServed' 'for some tithe, is to be
found in the abandonment, within the last few days, of the
custom that has hitherto prevailed under the Napoleonic
regime, of seizing the English papers en masse, as they came
to the Post-office. " None of the weekly papers that carne
on SundaY," says a letter from Paris, " have been confis,
Gated, and for the first time for many months Englishmen
have been rejoiced by the sight of that brilliant and pungent
periodical, the Saturday Review." Let us hope that this
decision of the Emperor will continue' to lie observed. At
the same time, it, would be utterly in vain to expect' that

have, it

His Majesty can go on.outraging public. opinion, with im-
punity, if the strictures-of a Free Press, such as that ,of
England is, are allowed to be circulated, and to produce
their obvious impressions among no inconsiderable portibn
of his subjects. _ _ _

It is every day,being made more evident, that murder is
becoming a. sort of mania in this country. Murders, for
some time past, have been of almost daily occurence, in ons
part of the country or another ; and to the long, list which
the last few weeks had furnished, We haie to add one of a
peculiarly horrible type, committed at Durslcy, in Gloucester-
shire, where a woman, haying been vexed by her husband,
went to him when he was in bed, and deliberately cut his

throat from ear to ear. Such dreadful occurrences certainly
show a very 'demoralized state of society ; and one, the
cause of which cannot be too carefully,investigated by the
magistracy of the 'country. country.. Parliamentary Reform is, no
doubt, a very important thing.; but it must, undoubtedly,
be more important to effect such a social reform as will
prevent those murderous outrages with which the country
is now being horrified, as well as being disgraced.

THE THREATENED CONGRESS

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN DAILY TIMES

SIR,—If there ever were a time which called for
the watchful political eye to look round with suspi-
cion and apprehension it is the present, .when the
supervising eye of Parliament is about to bd.closcd
in the sleep of prorogation. A more eventfnl period
never dawned upon us. With so unscrupulous, so
wily, so grasping, and astute a politician es the
Emperor of the French, we have no one to compete
worthy of the task; and a second edition of, but in-
volving higher imperial interests than, the humiliating.
failure of Vienna will be perpetrated, if the news-
paper press do not supply the place of Parliament,
and keep the country in a safe state of ' information
ql,-" 1 C

_nit we shall De hooked into a ,ongress the recent
protests of sundry members in the House of Com-
mons to the contrary, notwithstanding) in which we
ought to take no part,—that we shall be overmatched
in cliplomacy,—that we shall. be 'made tools of, and
the mere instrument to give currency to, and the
impress of English acquiescence in, French arrange-
ments for French aggrandisement and purposes, will
be proved in the next Parliamentary Session,:—such
is my firm conviction. _ _ _

That Napoleon purposes appropriating Italy for a
Napoleonic dynasty, I' have not the shadow of a
doubt. That his' plang are laid, and deeply laid, for
that purpose, and 'that he will 'work through any
sinuosities to accomplish it, will certainly be seen ;
although ,not perhaps on the instant,, for he has
sagacity, prudence, and patience enough to bide his
time; and that our present ministers am no match
for his astuteness, all must feel persuaded. -
As for disarmament, in the true and practical
meaning of the term, any one who believes in it
must be' ridiculously incredulous ' for it is a rotten
fallacy and deception, intended to deceive us into the
abandonment of 'our improvement of the defenceS of
the country ; a child might see through it ; and Yet
our " motley administration " will be taken in by it,
so accurately does he measure the calibre of mind in
that administration. Much as we may deplore the
loss of the Derby, Ministry at this crisis, we may vet
hate and execrate the, vile, treacherous "Liberal"
bribery which accomplished it, more ; for had that
ministry survived the factious assault made upon it,
it would have eschewed all participation in the•
solemn farce about to be perpetrated in the name of
a Congress •, or, were participation inevitable, the
very antipodes of a Russell would be our diplomat in'
the grave affair, —a man, perhaps the only one,
capable of measuring and foiling political duplicity
with Louis himself—Lord Stratford de Redcliffe.
A catastrophe is before us—a blunder is in the
foreground—perilous imperial consequences in the
rear; and to the press must we look for, such coun-
teraction as the best information of its foreign cor-
respondents can realise,. to put us on our guard
during the Parliamentary interregnum. That is no
disarmament which can keep up 400,000 troops in.
posse, and 200,000 more in esse; that can be, placed
on the battle-field in a fortnight, and a fleet all .but
equal to our own, and that can be manned in eight
and forty hours ready to start with the cry evax.
Long communications do not suit •a
diurnal sci
well
occupied as yours ; but permit me to congratulate our
Fool). old town, once the most loyal of the loyal, on
its acquisition of that which it has • long needed--a
local. Tines, already diSPlaying rare talent ' in' its
leading articles, as well .as being well collated and
admirably: conducted • the appreciation of whiCh
may be. justly inferred from the influx might
almost add superflux) of Advertisements crowded into
its coluinns by the advertising public.
August' 10, 1859,

BBOOKVALP