Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-01-11 00:00:00

The right hon. gentle-
" It seemed to

those whom it pervades
mati took much thii ,view` of it

him," he said, "-that there-,kere three classes of
poor, ohildren in. whose .education the: State might

safely and legitimately, and ought to interfere :
'firstly, the children of the industrious working

class ; secondly, pauper children, who are
,
11'60144 destitute, who are practiCally parentless
and cast upon the tutelage of others ; and thirdly,
the children of parents who could educate them.
but will not, and who were cast upon the world
to becOme criminals and utterly abandoned. To
the first fof these - classes the State stood in :a
paternal relation, and was bound, to help them.
The 'other classes it was most necessary and

essential the Statp should aid, because it must
support them as thieves unless it educated them
and made honest; industrious citizens of them, and

of use to the country. He thought there
could be no doubt on this point as a.
question of cheapnees and pOlicy." There
can be no doubt about it at all. We see the
case illustrated 'most forcibly in our paupers, our
vagrants, and our criminals. But then to give

such aid effectually, the State has a great deal yet

to do; as'it is in duty bound to
.do, towards !those
its ignorant and destitute subjects. And they are
the best friends of the people, we may depend upon
it—the trueSt patriots, as well as the most earnest

philanthropists—who do their utmost -to get the
State to discharge these its obligations most; care-
fully and completely. •

• TAE spirited manner in which Spain has
resented the declarations of President BUCHANAN,
respecting the eagerly sought annexation of. Cuba
to the United States, will rather take the Great
Republic by surprise, and make them feet at
Washington somewhat nonplussed on the subject.
A member of the Spanish Chamber of Deputies
asks the Government if it intends -to reply to the
paragraph of the President's Message, which con-
tains, he4said, "a new and really grave insult to
the Spanish nation :" and the Minister for Foreign
Affairs answers, the Government is determined
to demand due satisfaction for such an insult.
Ho*. this is to be done of course remains- to be

The positions taken up by the two Governments
appear to be of the most contradictory character.
President BUCHANAN'S declaration to Congress
was,—" Oar relations with the great empires of
France and Russia, as well as with all other
Governments on the Continent of Europe, except
that of Spain, continue to be of the most friendly
character." The only inference to be drawn from
this expression is, that the relations of the
United States Government with Spain are not
of the " most friendly character." The Spanish
Foreign Minister, on the other hand, declares to
:the Chamber of Deputies,—" I can assure the
Chamber that during the six months we have been
in office our relations with the Government of the
United States have not ceased to be marked with
the greatest cordiality. Accordingly, I was sur-
prised to read, in the Message of the President of
the United States, that thoie relations were in an
unsatisfactory state." Further than this, the
Spanish Minister states, " In the few conferences
I have had with the worthy representative in this
city of the Anglo-American Republic, such a
cordial spirit was manifested, that I felt convinced
the relations between the two Governments were
perfectly amicable, and that they could run no
risk of being troubled." Here, then, is either a
marvellous condition of blissful ignorance, or an
extraordinary instance of either dissimulation on
the one side, or delusion on the other. We are
inclined to suspect the former ; for the designs of
the American President upon Cuba, to say nothing
of his policy regarding Mexico, are certainly, not
at all consistent with amicable feelings on the part
of the United States towards Spain,—at the same
time that Spain, apparently, has had no reason to
suppose that there was any such hostile spirit
prevalent at Washington. And yet it is bufa
faint kind of prudence thus to dissemble ; and well
has it been observed, that " it is the weaker sort
of politicians that are the greatest dissemblers."

But with regard to 'President BUCHANAN'S
project of annexing Cuba: It is evident that the
Spanish Government and he are of very opposite
minds upon the subject. The President declares
that, " whilst the possession of the island would
be of vast importance to the United States, its
value to Spain is comparatively unimportant."
Yet Spain herself is of a very different opinion.
She not only sets a, value upon Cuba, as her colony,
but such a value as to make it worth while to
go to war, if need be, for its protection. "If the
power of Spain," said the Minister to the
Chamber, " be not great enough to menace, it is
strong enough to defend the integrity of the
territory of the monarchy, and to preserve the
dignity of the Spanish name without stain. In
whatever circumstances the Spanish nation may
find itself," he added, " it will in the future, as in
the past, never*be insensible to its honour, never
will it abandon the smallest portion of its territory
—and a. proposition haying ._that tendency will
always be considered by the Government as an
insult to the Spanish people." This, then, one
would think, must put an extinguisher on the
hopes, if it do not put a stop to the schemes, of
President BUCHANAN for the acquisition of Cuba.
By fair means, at least. Should he have recourse
to any other means, it is plain there must be a
fight for it. Then will come " the tug of war."
One would fain hope that England may be able to
keep out of it. - And yet it will be difficult, if not
impossible, to avoid being drawn into a conflict
which concerns so deeply the interests not only of
an old and friendly ally, but its own interests also,
in those her neighbouring Colonies of the
Caribbean sea. The Buchananite pretext, that
" Cuba, in its existing colonial condition, is a
constant source of injury and annoyance to the
American people,"—since " it is the only spot in
the civilised world where the African slave trade
is tolerated," will not excite any sympathy in this
country, simply because it is not, it cannot be

believed to be real. It may be pretended that the

African slave trade is -not " tolerated " in thif
United States ; but 'they contain more -than one
" spot in the civilised world" where it is carried
on—" tolerated" or not. Among our recent
advices from America were accounts of the
iniquitous trade being prosecuted in Georgia, if not
also in South Carolina.

The Spanish feeling regarding Cuba is represen-
ted as not.merely a ministerial, but a national one.
And no sooner had Marshal O'DONNELL, the

Minister for Foreign:Affairs, made the declaration
to the Chamber that we- have alluded to, than a
resolution was, proposed, and unanimously adopted,
to the. effect that the • Congress had received the
same with satisfaction, and would give to the

Government its constant: support, in. order to

maintain the integrity -of the Spanish dominions.
The States therefore may go on. coveting Cuba,
and even scheming for its acquisition. But Spain,
with such a national determination as that, will
not easily be overcome, even if left 'to fight for
it single-handed.

MR. THOMAS MASON JONES'S ORATION AT

HOPE HALL

Last night, Mr. T. Mason Jones; a young Irish orator
of very high prcrinise,.delivered the first of a course of
three lectures in the Hope Hall. There was a very
crowded audience, the hall for the most part being densely
filled. The chair was taken by the Rev. Hugh Stowell
Brown, and among the gentlemen on the platform were—

Mr. J..R. Jeffery.-Mr. C. 11.11ali; and7sLkeral other well
kiibtivd residents of LiNerp9ol, 3.1:r: Tones, having been

_
introduced in a few 'Words by the Chairman, was re-
ceived with a loud burst of applause, and'proceeded
to deliver his lecture, the • subject of which was "The
character and genius of Jonathan SWift." Although
Mr. Jones has adapted the phrase "oration" as -descrip-
tive of his lectures, the addresses which he delivers are
by no moans of the merely rhetorical character which.
inspires English audiences with something nearly akin to
alarm. Weave not heard for many. years, in Lii:erpool,
a speaker more eminently and peculiarly fitted to be a
popular_ lecturer of the higher 'order than Mr. Jeines.•- No
man makes his audience go along with him more
thoroughly. He is with them in every sentence. He
converses with them, laughs with them, excites. them,

keeps them in ' breathless. interest, arouses their pity,
their auger, or their mirth in turns. He neither shoots
his discourse over, their heads, as the dreary, pompous
lecturers of some years back were wont to do, nor down
under their feet as is 'the more recent fashion of
every platform 7 Paillasse," whose only ingenuity con-
sists in the devising -of new tricks to make his
hearers laugh or start. Mr. Jones has a clear
and powerful voice, action natural, full of energy
sometimes dramatic, but never theatric, an amazing com-
mand of eloquent and vigorous language, and lar
sources of culture and acquirement. lie does

not reac

his address, but speaks to his; hearers His lecture on
Swift occupied nearly two hours in delivery—the leading
points of that life's history could have been new
to no listener -- and yet, during the whole

time, not one of the audience, we feel satisfied, could for
a moment withdraw his attention from the speaker. We
do not need to enter into any analysis of the passages
which described the life of Swift, from his college days
through his Moor Park servitude, his career in London,
his ieturn to Ireland, and.his appearance on the political
boards in the character of an Irish patriot, on to the time
when, in Scott's fine phrase —" the stage darkened
ere the curtain fell," and madness and death at
last closes in upon him. Mr. Jones is an enthusiastic
admirer of Swift, a. genuine hero-worshipper. His
championship was chivalrous and brilliant, and no hearer
. .

coma tau to auimre its courage anti its talents, even
where he thought its object least deserving of such
cordial and generous eulogy. Mr. Jones ran a gallant
tilt 'at Swift's censors, especially Mr. Thackeray, although
we cannot help thinking that our great living satirist
brought out some of the best qualities of Swift's
nature into brighter relief than almost any other of his
critics. Far less severe he certainly has been than Lord
Macaulay (whose determined Whig creed would,
in Mr. Jones's eyes, not unreasonably discredit some
portion of his opinions on this point), who sums up
Swift's character as that of "an apostate politician,
a ribald priest, a perjured lover—a heart burning
with hatred against the whole human race, a mind
stored to the full with images gathered from the
lazar-house and the dunghill." .Not concurring to
the full in this ferocious judgment, we certainly could
not but disagree sometimes with Mr. Jones's eloquent,
and evidently genuine adulation of his hero. That love
is indeed blind to the faults of its idol, which declares
that Swift wrote no line which could call up a blush to
the cheek of modesty. We cannot be brought to believe
that the character of the man who penned more obscenity
than any other in the literature of modern Europe, (except
perhaps one who died in France eighteen months ago),
can be likened for its purity and austerity to a Grecian
Statue. ' But while it would be doing wrong to - our
critical post not to record a dissett from such uncondi-
tional admiration, we are glad to admit that Mr. Jones
mado out a triumphant vindication for his illustrious'
countryman, from • some of the charges which mere
ignorance, and prejudices the most vulgar and unthink-
ing; sometimes delight to heap upon him. Of the
famous Stella and Vanessa passages in the life of Swift,
Mr. Jones takes a view which possibly does but justice to
the memory of a man whom, in this regard; nearly' all
commentators have joined in condemning. Mr. Jones,
however, unlike almost every one else, gives his sympa-
thies especially to Vanessa, whom he believes to have
been the loved one all throughout. This was a pecu-
liarly interestincr ingenious, and novel portion of the
lecture, and was listened too with the deepest attention.
We cannot; at this hour, attempt anything like an
outline, even of the, most striking passages of the
lecture, which concluded with a summing up of the
moral of the whole, full of the most eloquent language,
and the most truthful thought. The enthusiastic applause
of the audience at' the close was only cqualled by their
keen enjoyment of some of the passages in. which Mr.
Jones delivered, with the happiest humour, some ,of
Swift's witty and sarcastic sayings. On the whole, we
have never seen a lecturer upon his first appearance win
a more decisive and triumphant success. Mr. Jones is
sure of. a crowded room. when he lectures on Curian
to-morrow night.

SHOCKING ACCIDENT ON GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY.
—Oa Saturday morning, a dreadful and 'fiaal accident
occurred upon the Great Northern Railway, at the
Rossington station, about five miles from Doncaster., It
appears that a plate layer was repairing the line in the
vicinity of Rossington station, and seeing au up train
approaching, he stepped upon one side to allow of its
passing. From some cause or other, watching the car-
riages pass, he did not see the approach of a down train,
and consequently made no effort to get out of its way.
The engine driver saw the man between the metals, and
put the whistle on, but without avail; and although he
made all possible exertion to pull up, he could not do so,
and. the poor fellow was run over and literally cut to
pieces. Some portions of the body were found attached
to the engine when it reached Doncaster.

POISONING OF THREE CHILDREN.-A case of poison-
ing occurred at Sheffield, on Saturday evening, by which a
girl of seven years of age lost her life, and the lives of two
younger children were placed in jeopardy. Mr. Thos.
Brammer, powder-flask maker, Hanover-street, having
three children suffering from severe colds, his wife, on
Saturday, obtained of Mr. Hill, druggist, one pennyworth
each of opium, Spanish juice, and juniper berries. Having
made a decoction of the juniper berries, and dissolved
the Spanish juice, she mixed them up with the opium
and half a pound of treacle. At seven o'clock in the
evening, she gave the eldest child, Mary, two tablespoon-
fuls of the mixture, and the two younger children smaller
quantities. About ten o'clock, all three children were
taken alarmingly ill, and the father, on learning what
had been administered to them, ran for Mr. Nicholson,
surgeon. The surgeon found the children in a dangerous
state from the effects of the opium, and applied the usual
remedies. They were unsuccessful as regards the eldest
child, which died at three o'clock next morning. The
two younger children were alive on Sunday evening, and
were so much better that sanguine hopes were entertained
of their ultimate recovery.
THE TIMES AND iTS DISCOVERIES.-It has been noticed
by cunning observers of times and seasons that about this
period of the year the Times, suffering under a dearth of
topics,: it is wont to startle its readers with marvellous
discoveries, relating to matters with which everyone was
perfectly well acquainted before, but which every reader of
the Times forthwith consents to regard as a new and ori-
ginal discovery, involving a valuable addition to the stock of
human knowledge. One year, the sage in Printing House-
square awakes to the marvellous fact that gas companies
and organ grinders are nuisances, and must forthwith be
swept away ; another year the world is startled by the
announcement that nursemaids pay too much attention to
the soldiers of the household troops, to the detriment of
the household pets entrusted to their charge ; on another

occasion society is shocked out of all pprniety by the
problem as yet unsolied-='ereepTpi—rctically—can a mall
marry upon three hundred Min& a year ?
the husbands of England will "be astonished to heart
upon an authority .no less tremendous than the:Ziiaes, atilt
cookery is a part 'of educatiOn sadly neglected hate training
of English wives, and that -ho4ekeepirig is a. science little
understood among the Matrons of our land. After _clubs
have been invented these hundred-years, and chop-hotisce
have long invaded the domestic peace of families, we Se t°
be told, for the first time, that dining at home is not'
summum bonze; of earthly, bliss. Here is a discoverp
and forthwith the Times goes to work in its wholesale
•happyLgo4ucky style? abusuig everything and ever
body, and recommending the ladies 'of England tor
en masse and buy a certain booki!which displays (be it
said by the Way) the . grossest ignorance of the BOW,
and was probably written by_ some friend of the write
of the Times article.—Critic.

LUDICROUS MISPRINT—A meekly paper says a pror
sition. in the United States Senate was "Prettyrfreely
discussed, and was-finally adopted by a vote of 25 years
to 23 days." It is to be presumed it should have beell
"Yea, yea," and "Nay, nay." •

CENTRALIEATION OF THE PUBLIC OFFICES AT LEEDS,'"
The Whole of the Corporate offices were removed, ca,
Wednesday, from Park-row -to the Leeds Town-hat
The preparation of the new Police-office and BOrduP
Court is progressing rapidly, and it is, hoped that the
business of this department will shortly also be trans'
ferred to the hall.—Leeds Mercury.
THE WEST , STAVELEY- AM) SILKSTONE COLLIERIES.
The trustees, under an assignment made by Messrs. gar-
rison, Canter, and Musphamp; the late proprietors of the
collieries, have proposed a composition of is in the pound
to the creditors, provided that all agree .to. accept that
°yid sign a release. If not, the trustees report

that there will-be absolutely authini for

creditors:—

Sheffield Independent.
--MTBMIIIim:TOBACCO BY TOBACCO,—John Sfattnewmant
of Apsley, .Was charged before the Haddersield
trates, Thursday, with using a weight different to the
standard weight of the realm.--,—Mr.-Kaye, inspector of
weights and measures, said he entered 'the shop-of the
defendanten,pe 23rd ult. and. found defendant weighing'
tobacco by a certain ' Quantity' of tobacco in the -baler

scale. The tobaceo. represehted an ounce, ;but was
drachm and a half short. The Bench fined the defendaLt
10s. and costs.—Huddersfield Chrbhicle.' "'
ACCIDENT TO SLR E. LUGARD.— On Thursday last, Sir
Edward Lugard, accompanied by his lady and his sister,
Mrs. Robinson, of St. Mary's-lodge,- Reedvale, Teigry
mouth, with whom the gallant knight has been lately
residing, attended a dinner party at Dawlish, and oil
returning thence at 'about half-past-eleven iii the eveniat

in a hired carriage, the horse took fright, and set off at s
rapid pace clOwn the Dawhsh-road, at the bottom of
which e the carriage overturned;!'and itA. inmates- Were
thrown out. Sir Edward has Sustained a fracture of
three ribs, his lady has her. shoulder-bone broken. and

Mrs. Robinson. is severely injured," and we: hear iter life
- - - - -

is despaired of

EXECUTION OF WHITWORTH, FOR • THE' THROAPHIII
MURDER.—John Taylor Whitworth; who murdered hiS
sweetheart, Sally. Hare, near. 'Worksop,. on the Ist of
October last, confessed his guilt, and contradicted the
statement which he made before the magistrates. Ile
also added that Clark's reply was that a spoonful of the
wash would kill two persons. This e,,ntirrus the unfortu-
nate girl's evidence on her death bed. Up to th
when the body of Whitworth was claimed bv

irday noon,, his

Tie walked upon the saeaffol

mly, a

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