Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-03-21 00:00:00

THE NORTHERN TIMES MONDAN, MARCH 21, 1859

THE recent trial for conspiracy in Ireland only
affords another instance of how unfit the Irish still
are for that great institution of a free people, the
trial by jury. There are jurors empannelled in that
country, repeatedly,—that is, sworn to deliver ' a,
truth upon such evidence as shall be presented to
them touching the matter in question,—who have
evidently no sense whatever of the solemn oblig..
under which they are thereby placed to give a true
verdict, according to the evidence not in agreement
with their feelings, and in furtherance of their wishes.
And the consequence of course is, that, in cases of the
most serious character, justice is defeated. In the
case now referred to, it was one of the most glaring
violations of such an obligation that probably ever
occurred in a court of law. It was a prosecution
instituted under a very excellent Act of Parliament,
which was passed in revolutionary times, and the
third section of which made it a felony, punishable
with transportation or imprisonment, to compass or
design to depose the Queen from her Royal style and
dignity, or to stir any foreigner to invade the United
Kingdom. Before the passing of this merciful act,
such a design would have amounted to high treason,
and would have been punishable with death ; but it
was now rendered a felony punishable by a milder
sentence. The prisoner placed on his trial under
that municipal statute, had conspired with some
persons, some of whom the jury saw in the dock, to
subvert the constitution of the country and to estab7
lish within the kingdom of Ireland (to use his own
words) " a free democratic republic." The Crown
alleged that to effect this purpose he conspired with
his associates to raise an insurrectionary movement.
in Ireland to stir the people of America to invade
this country, to establish an unlawful association
bound by an illegal oath to remove their allegiance
to the Queen, to be ready at a moment's warning to
fighting against the soldiers of her Majesty, and to
THE DAY'S NEWS. obey implicitly the commands of their leaders. The
The Reform Bill to Le read a second time in the other overt acts by which the intent of the prisoner
House of Commons this evening is the absorbing was to be ascertained were, that he conspired with
topic of the day. The interest felt in London to
others to be trained and drilled to fight against the
hear the debate is very great. The Globe states,
that Monday last was the day when the book in Queen's soldiers and liege subjects, and to provide
which members insert the names of their friends for guns, pikes, and other weapons for that purpose. It
the Speaker's gallery was opened, and before a may appear incredible that any persons in their
quarter past eleven o'clock (the book was not opened ,
senses snould enter into so rash, so insane a course
until eleven) every place was bespoken ; and the
of lawless conduct as this, which, had it been per-
esse was the same with the ladies' gallery ; indeed,
the applications for admission to the latter were so sisted in, without detection, until some overt act of
numerous that the Sergeant-at-Arms was obliged to insurrection had exposed their guilt, must inevitably
have recourse to, the ballot. In the mean-
have brought every one of them to a violent and
'while the agitation in the country increases, and
additional meetings continue to take place : A ignominious death. But so it was: The case was
demonstration took place in Leeds on Friday night, clearly proved in evidence. There could be no doubt
at which it is said 6,000 persons were present ; Sir whatever of the offence having been fully committed.
Peter Fairbairn, mayor, presiding. A division And yet the Jury could not agree to a verdict. Two
amongst the Liberal party was healed at the last
of them stood out; and these two, whose violation of
moment, and all united in opposins. Mr. Disraeli's
till as a measure utterly unsuited' to the require- the oath they had taken to make a true deliverance,
meats of the country. Mr. Edward Baines moved, according to the evidence, rendered them worthless
and Elijah Rawlinson, a working man, seconded, the and vile in such a proceeding, have succeeded in pro-
principal resolution. A petition to parliament,
embodying it, having been adopted, the proceedings, dating
g a denial of justice.
which occupied two hours, closed with cheers for The animus of such a course of perversion was
John Bright. On the same evening a meeting was shewn during the trial, not in the Jury, but the
held at Walsall, which was crowded beyond antici- Witness box. Two of the witnesses peremptorily
ration, at which a resolution condemning the govern-
refused to give evidence, and, all threats failing to
meat bill as a retrograde measure was unanimously
adopted. C. Forster, Esq.,M.P.,addressed the meeting induce them to change their resolution, they were
and in the course of his speech said, " That when he ultimately committed for contempt. Their mother
looked on the phalanx of reformers, Lord John upon being informed of this, it is stated, at first
exhibited
Russell, Lord Pahnerston, John Bright, and so on some natural, emotion, but immediately,
downwards, it was plain that government would not
only sustain a defeat, but that the defeat would be recovering went down upon her knees in the presence
overwhelming." In reply to a call from the body of of several persons, and thanked God and the Virgin
the hail—" What about John Bright ? "—he said, Mary that her sons had acted so and had not brought
•4 You will find that John Bright and Lord J. disgrace upon their name. Such is the feeling in the
Russell will sail in the same boat on this question."
breasts of a certain class of malcontents, which is
Other meetings have been held in Hull, Burnley
Blackburn, Ramsbottom, Bury, and other towns'. only too prevalent on occasions of this kind ; and
At all places the same tone of feeling prevails. there is no doubt that it was a similar feelins. which
The West India mail steamer Magdalena arrived influenced the minds of the two perverted jurymen
at Southampton yesterday with the usual West
India mails. _ in the case alluded to.
In another column will be found nine days' later The result is, as respects the prosecutions, that the
news from Australia brought by the Sir William Assizes have been adjourned, for the purpose of
Eyre, which arrived at this port on Saturday. The making another attempt to bring them to a rightful
news, though not important, is interesting. The
issue. The Attorney-General, foreseeing what was
shipment in
improving. The political world gold continued to a full average extent,
going to happen, after the Jury had been locked up
and business was
was very quiet. all night, made a conditional application for an
The latest news from the Continent is very adjournment before they were discharged. " I ask
cheering. The Times Paris correspondent declares
your Lordship," he said to the presiding Judge,
positively that there will be no war at present, at
least so far as France is concerned. He says : "in the event of this, as we have just heard, slender
The French Emperor now knows all his Austrian minority of the Jury not agreeing with their
brother will concede, and is said to be satisfied. brethren, to adjourn the Assizes, and to fix a day
There are grounds for believing that the danger of
war has passed away. The correspondent
his belief that the peace of Europe convenient for the reassembling of the county to pro-
reiteratesceed with the trial of the prisoners. I feel it to be
will not be disturbed, for the present, by France. my duty in this case to the utmost of my power to
The Paris correspondent of the Daily News says : assert the law, and in that sense, if the prisoner is
The Presse—which for some six weeks after New entitled to an acquittal, to let him get it at the
Year's Day, took the lead as a war journal - now,
earliest possible opportunity. With that view, I
-under the new administration, comes out strong as
an advocate of
stated that the Government intends peace." The Herald's correspondent shall respectfully call upon your Lordship to fix the
'writes, "It is
30th of March, after the Cork Assizes, as the day on
issuing a manifesto to the nation and an address to
which the jury may be summoned to attend, and the
I am not inclined to place much reliance
trial of
. the prisoners proceeded with,"—a request
sl these reports, the time for such a step has not
yet arrived, the diplomaticphasis is not yet over, with which the Judge, as a matter of course, complied.
Lord Cowley has Only just returned
Just returned froreVienna, It is very doubtful, however, if the issue will then
anticoneilitttory meanosu'arrsee
not as yet wholly expended.
Speculators at the Bourse, be a different one. The fact is, a‘s we have already
ose confidence and dis-
trust are regulated by their
wishesto-aa for a raise or a said, that the class of the Irish people from whom
fall, even hint at a Congress
able to confirm this rumour, but y. I wish I were common juries are taken, is not fit ,to be entrusted
any reliable quarter. The Specti atonin, o (racetina
secondt o with the prerogatives of the Jury-box. Well has it
edition says :—‘, Russia has proposed a Congress of
other place been observed by an eminent writer on jur!spru-
the Five Powers, to be held at so deuce, that " the trial by jury is sometimes found
than Paris, and rance has
hiveagreed.iielirt remains to inadequate to the administration of justice. This
be seen whether Austria will
called out bPyarth,
Two thousand Sardinian subjects resicdoennstelint." imperfection takes place chiefly on trials in which
who form a part of the contingents c some popular passion or prejudice intervenes.
Minister of War in Piedmont, having applied,e These prejudices act most powerfully upon
the Sardinian Government, to the Lyons the; throughcommon people ; of which order juries are made
Railway Company, for a reduction of the fares
I
to I up. The force and danger of them are also increased
that usually charged for soldiers, have received from
the directors a formal refusal. i by the very circumstance of taking juries out of the
The St. Petersburg Gazette states the Cabinet of 1 country in which the subject arises." The case of
St. Petersburg
appears decided_ on energetically 1 this Irish trial affords a striking illustration of the
defending the conference on the double.oposes the election i truth of this remark. But the law must, if possible,
of Colonel Couza. That journal even pi
be carried into effect. The lower Irish are a people
admission at the conference of a representative of the
that especially require to be taught that the law is
united provinces.
Protection has suffered a signal defeat in tho their master, and must not be set at nought. Let us
Dutch Parliament. The latest account from the hope that the law officers of the Crown in Ireland

IF.SDAY next, the 23rd instant, at Twelve o'clock, at th
.er's Office, 3, Exchange-alley North, Chapel-street,
250 Bags New American Red CLOVERSEE
THOMAS SILLD. , Broker

the army

will not give way, but will exhaust every available-
means of having justice done before they consent
that such offenders shall escape with impunity.

acknowledgment for your, exertions on our behalf. The
you may, with the help of Providence, meet with success
in your new district, is the sincere and heartfelt wish of
your late staff." After a few remarks from Mr. Simpson,
Mr. M‘Grath, Mr. Roberts, and Mr. Jaffa, eitpreissive of
their high appreciation of his merits as a superintaient
and a gentleman, of their esteem and gratitude, their regret
at his departure, and their good wishes for his futu,re wel-
fare - Mr. Tansley, who seemed deeply moved, replied in a
telling speech. He thanked them warmly for their good
opinion, and also for their kind present, and concluded by
impressing on all present the importance of a close attention
to their several duties, and assuring them that such conduct
would ultimately meet its reward.

PROSTITUTION.
IT is to be hoped no one has imagined, for a
moment, from what was said in these columns, a day

or two since, in condemnation of certain apparently
irregular proceedings at law against a description of
" vicious practices " only too prevalent in this town,
that we are in anywise, or for any purpose whatever,
the apologists of such practices, or that we would
discourage any fair and prudent endeavour to check,
if not to put a stop to them altogether. The subject
has on more than one occasion, of late, been discussed
in this place, arid while carefully refraining from
committing ourselves unqualifiedly • to any of the
expedients that have been had recourse to, or have
been suggested, for arresting the growth of prostitu-
tion, in particular, among us, we have never allowed
ourselves to treat of it, as it were, " with bated
breath," but have spoken out plainly and strongly
against it, as what it really is—a curse to society,
and a disgrace to civilisation. We are not of those
who would gloss it over with so courtly a phrase,
even, as that of " the social evil." We regard it as
something infinitely worse than what is implied by
any such refined praseology as that,=-infinitely more
iniquitous, more enormous, and more odious. It is
worse than an evil : it is the most disgusting of
ignominies, and the vilest of all degradations, and
the most cursed and cursing of all satanic pollutions,
whether social or personal.

THE NEw Doerr. BILL.—It would be seen by our late
report of the proceedings on this bill befOre the committee
of the House of Commons, that, subject to a clause to be
introduced providing for the creation of a sinking-fund,
the intimation was given that the committee were prepared
to find the preamble of the bill proved. It is evident from
the statement of the financial condition of the Dock
Trust, which was given before the committee, that
such a provision is very reasonable and necessary. Its
debt is approaching towards the large sum of two
millions sterling, and which must be reduced, for'the good
of the port, since the interest of so large a sum will of
necessity increase the rate of dock charges, and thereby
prevent the carrying out of that economy which the altered
circumstances of our maritime commerce render so impera-
tive. As the chairman of the committee (Sir G. C. Lewis)
well remarked, " It must be borne in mind that the debt was
getting large, and that the interest on it was levied in taxes
on the trade of the port, and therefore the trade of the port
was interested in the reduction of the debt." It is upon this
ground that they have deemed it prudent to require such a
provision to be made in the bill. The chairman having
pointed out how desirable it was that, looking to the
financial state of the trust, shown by the balance-sheet
subMitted by the chairman of the board, and the large debt
as compared with the income, and looking also to the fact
that the chief part of the revenue arose from taxes levied on
the trade of the port, it would be desirable, after all the
charges arising from the interest on the present debt, and
all the charges necessary to maintain the docks now in
existence, or to be executed, should be fulfilled, there
should be imposed on the Board an obligation for the
reduction of a certain annual portion of the principal of
their debt, of which all the charges that he had named
should have the priority. To such a clause as this, we
believe, the Dock Board have no objection, provided certain
qualifications be made in it, for the protection of their
interests as a Trust. - It will not, however, remove the
objections of the opponents of the measure, who have
obtained an adjournment of the committee until Wednesday
to consider the case as it now stands.

It is the remark of Dr. PALEY, that "it is no
small quantity in the aggregate which, between
want, disease, and insult, is suffered by those
outcasts of human society, who infest our populous
cities ; the whole of which is a general consequence
of fornications, and to the increase and continuance
of which, every act and instance of fornication
contributes. " And this vice," he continues, " pro-
duces habits of ungovernable lewdness, which
introduces the more aggravated crimes of seduction,
adultery, violation, etc. Likewise, however it be
accounted for, the criminal commerce of the sexes
corrupts and depraves the mind and moral character,
more than any single species of vice whatsoever.
That ready perception of guilt, that prompt and
decisive resolution against it, which constitutes a
virtuous character, is seldom found in persons
addicted to these criminal indulgences. They pre-
pare an easy admission for every sin that seeks it;
are, in low life, usually the first stage in men's
progress to the most desperate villanies ; and, in high
life, to that lamented dissoluteness of principle,
which manifests itself in a profigacy of public
conduct, and a contempt of the obligations of religion
and, moral probity. Add to this, that habits of
libertinism incapacitate and indispose the mind of all
intellectual, moral, and religious pleasures ; which is
a great loss to any man's happiness." Now, this
were undoubtedly a painful catalogue of the moral
pestilences which prostitution engenders; and yet
does it fall far short f the whole course of the
iniquity,—the awful 'oc it makes with female
character; the inte wretchednesa and vileness
and depravity to which it brings its unhappy
victims of that sex ; the misery it occasions in their
families ; the ruin and death to which it so generally
hurries them.

HANDEL COMIIMIORATION FESTIVAL AT THE
CRYSTAL PALACE.—This magnificent musical festival,which
is fixed to take place in the Crystal Palace, Sydenham, in
June next, will be the grandest entertainment, or rather
series of entertainments, of the kind ever held in this
country. A brilliant success is confidently anticipated, from
the extent and efficiency of the preparations that are making
for it. The Orchestra of the Palace, it appears, is to be
enlarged to the full width of the Transept, viz., 216 feet,
with a central depth from front to back of about 100 feet.
Its extent will be more clearly appreciated when it is stated
that its width is exactly double the diameter of the dome of
St. Paul's Cathedral, or that it possesses a larger
area than the combined Orchestras of Westminster Abbey
(as arranged for the Commemoration of 1784) ; York
Minster (as at the Festival of 1832); the Birmingham
Town Hall; the Leeds Town Hall; St. George's Hall,
Bradford; the Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool; and several
other smaller Orchestras. It is not, however, we learn,
from the mere augmentation of extent that the most
favourable results are anticipated. The additions are
mainly based upon a recent alteration of the Orchestra at
Exeter Hall, which has been attended with the happiest
effect ; and every confidence is felt that these modifications

Vicious practices, then, which are fraught with
such .fearful consequences as these, are surely not
things that we are to be squeamish about Slip=
pressing ; and whoever makes merchandise of them,
whether diiectly or indirectly, can have no claim to
be treated with any degree of favour by our judica-
ture. Liverpool, it is but too notorious, as well as
London, stinks in the very nostrils of the nation
with this abominable vice of prostitution. " The
details which have been furnished," says our philan-
thropic townsman, Dr. HUME, in his valuable
pamphlet On the Condition of Liverpool, " give not
merely the streets, but also the houses for evil
purposes, and the number of their unfortunate'
inmates. Thus, in five streets of St. John's district,
there are one hundred such houses, and four hundred
abandoned femalei) independent of houses which are
understood to be receptacles for stolen goods, and of
pugilists and bullies, whose avocation it is to assist
in robberies. Again, in nine streets which lie within
St. Bartholomew's, St. Alban's, and All Souls' dis-
tricts, there are seventy-two such houses, and two
hundred and eighty abandoned females,"—thus
making the iniquity nearly three times as great in
its intensity at one place as at another ; yet showing,
from even this partial indicatton of its prevalence,
what a dreadful aggregate there must be, in this
town, of such vile and atrocious prostitution.
It were certainly most imperative, therefore, that
something should be done to grapple with such
atrocity as this ; and that, first and above all, per-
sons who are so profligate and shameless as to make
money out of it, whether through the medium of
drinking shops, dancing saloons, or coffee houses,
ought to be closely looked after. The regulation of
such receptacles for the giddy and the immoral
ought unquestionably to be a subject of magisterial
control. And if they are suspected to be so con-
ducted as to give encouragement to prostitution, the
magistrates, we are of opinion, would fail in their
duty, did they not at once interfere, for the purpose
of satisfying themselves as to the real character of

in the general plan, with the accoustic improvements
already adverted to, will result in greatly increased concen-
tration and unity of tone. And, as the general manager
of the Commemoration (Mr. R. K. Rowley) well observes,
in his programme of arrangements, " when it is bonze in
mind that the orchestras of some of the noblest music halls
of the country, owing to their confined space and incon-
venient arrangement, fail to produce those broad musical
effects so especially needed in the double choruses of Handel,
it will be apparent that an opportunity is offered at the
Crystal Palace for a musical display of the Most magnificent
description. As a mere arena for exhibiting a large number
of persons it will be without a rival; for, since the days of
the Coliseum at Rome, no such assemblage as that composing
the orchestra of the Handel commemoration Festival has
been seen displayed in similar symmetrical form."
Equal care has of course been taken to have such an
Orchestra as this filled with a band of executants, in every
department, vocal and instrumental, whose united effi-
ciency will be unquestionable, so as to give an execution of
the works of the great master in honour of whose memory
the performances are to take place, on the grandest scale,
and in the most perfect manner. The pieces to be per-
-61 formed are, the " Messiah," on Monday, June 20 ; the

" Dettingen Te Beam," selections from " Saul," " Samson,"
" Belshazzar," " Judas IVlaccabeus," and other works, on
Wednesday, June 22; and " Israel in Egypt," on Friday,
June 24. In addition to these unrivalled musical
attractions, it is announced that an object of much interest
to musicians and the general public, in connection with a

such establishments. Their proprietors are un-
doubtedly entitled to every justice and fair play;
and no one is to be treated as guilty until he is
proved to be so. But when there are good grounds
for suspicion, such proof must be forthcoming ; and
whotever inconvenience the parties suspected may
occasionaly be put to thereby, it is unavoidable, and
must be submitted to, for the public good.

commemoration of Handel, will be the collection of a
series of portraits, busts, autograph scores and letters,
and other memorials of the great composer, towards
the formation of which the company have already
received the most gratifying offers of assistance.
Altogether it will be such an occasion of honour to the
immortal composer, and of delight to his admirers, as the
world has certainly not yet witnessed.

PRESENTATION TO Mx. EDWARD TANSLEY.—On Satur-
day evening last, the employees of the British and Irish
Magnetic Telegraph Company assembled in the office of
that establishment, to present a testimonial to Mr. Edward
Tansley, the active and obliging superintendent of the
company, on the occasion of his departure from Liverpool
to assume the directorship of the district at Glasgow, a well-
merited appointment, which We cordially hail. The testi-
monial consisted of a very handsome despatch case, manu-
factured expressly for the purpose. The following address,
beautifully engrossed on a sheet of vellum, was read by
Mr. Geo. Simpson, who presided :—" To Edward Tansley,
Esq.—Dear sir,—We, the Liverpool Staff of the
British and Irish Magnetic Telegraph Company, hear
with unfeigned regret of your departure from amongst
us. At the same time we cannot but congratulate you that
the assiduity you have displayed here, has been recognised
by the Directors and the Secretary of the Company, in such
a manlier as to secure your promotion to 'a more important
position. For ourselves we can only say, that you have
during the three year, you have been amongst us, at all
times shown the utmost regard for our comfort and well-
being, and ever evinced a warm desire to protect and
advance our interests. We cannot allow you to leave with-
out some token of our esteem for you as a gentleman, and
respect for you as an officer. We therefore beg your accept-
ance of the accompanying despatch case, as an humble