Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-02-02 00:00:00

a foreigner, was, found dead on Monday forenoon,
in the.yard referred to, his throat having been
mangled in such a manner as could not have been
effected if the case had been one of self-destruction„
The inquest, it:will be seen, was not completed.

At the meeting of the TownCOUncil yesterdaS'', _
matters of very considerable local importance were
brought under notice ; the first being' the rnoti4.
of Mr. Moe for a select committee to. consider
whether some means could not be adopted foe
saving the time of the Council, which was occupied
in reading the proceedings of the different corn-..-
mittees, at the general Council meeting. Th 4
matter was pressed to a division, and ultimately
carried by the casting vote of his Worship the
Mayor; Mr. Alderman Stewart, and Messrs.
Nickson, Aspinall, Avison,, and' I3elec were ap-
pointed members of the committee.. A discus-
sion 'arose, on the reading • of the proceed-
ings of the "Health Committee, as to the
possibility of bringing puddling furnaces under
the . operation of the . Smoke Prevention
and Nuisance Act.," The discussion ended
by its being explained that the furnaces in ques-
tion could not be brought under cognisance of
the " Smoke Prevention Act." The proceedingsof
the Water Cominittee assumed a degree of im-
portance not always attached to them, fromfike
circumstance that they included a recornmendaticif
to. apply- to,Parliament for leave-to construct an
"additional reservoir, on the • river Roddlesir-
worth, together with other works ,for othert
purposes." A protracted; debate ensued in`
which several members took: a decided part ; but•
ultimately the proceedings; as be seen from
Our ample report, were confirmed. The proceed-
ings of the Baths and Waih-liouse Committee
recommended that the old. reservoir_ in Evertors
Valley-should be converted into babas, at a cost
of £5,000. The matter ward eventually referred
to the- Finance Committee, and' after sitting :Of
nearly six hours' duration the. Council broke up,
haVing: finished all the businesa- to. be brought
before them. :1
In another part of to-day's. impression will he
found as report of the proceedings adopted
SOuth Lancashire for end.eavouring to obtain an
increased: number of Parliamentary represents-
- tives for-Lancashire, in the event of a Reform
Bill being: carried.

THE Times. evidently dislikes the inquiry that is•
about to be'made by a select committee of the,
House of, Commons into the operation of the
burdens and restrictions affecting Merchant
Shipping;--calling it " one of those inquiries in
which some impossible pursuit leads.the mind to,
useful information, and perhaps, chance discover-
ies." At. the same time, our contemporary is`
constrained to admit, that "at this. moment the.
Shipping trade is depressed, and. a little inquiry,
may bring, to light a number of burdens and
restrictions which are not to be lightly spoken
of." Here, then, is something like a concession
of the whole- case which we, these colurato)
have so frequently supported—the ease, namely,
of the British. Shipping Interest,' as one labouring
under 'nest serious depression, owing to that very:
number - of• burdens and restrictions " which it
is here confessed are " not to be lightly spoken
of." The inconsistency of the filimes, therefore,
is marvellous. The piece of plausibility by which
it is attempted to excuse it, is the suggestion of
doubt, "-whether the Shipping trade is more hardly
used than other trades, and whether the removal
of any or all of those burdens would mend mat-
ters." A;ny trade, it is pretended, may Soon run
up its list of grievances. And the British farmer
is iiistanced as one having " his-pocket list, which
he will bring ont the first rainy day,"—" only,'"
naively adds our contemporary, "it so happeng;'
that he is making money and; holds his tongue."
But then it is this that makes all the difference.
between the two—that is between the farmer-
; and. the shipowner. The farmer can afford "t°
hold his tongue," just because he is making
money. The shipowner, on the other hand, j
because he is not making money, cannot "hold
his tongue,"—that is to say,. he must give expres-
sion to those grievances, which are so rub:lca/4Y
affecting the great interest to which he belongs,
and placing him individually in so precarious a
position. This point, however, is just that upon
which the leading journal is most sceptical'
" Grant," it observes, "all that Mr. LINI,SAY says
about Shipping, grant that it is the very scaPe-
goat of British finance, it remains to be proved
that its burdens are killing it, and that the
real seat of the disease is not very much
deeper." Of course it remains to b eprred before
this Committee of Parliament ; but there will be
no great difficulty, we opine, in thsat. The ship-
owners have suffered too much of late to be un,-
' able to hew that those burdens which oppress
them are doing mortal injury; and even- the
gainsaying Times is forced to acknowledge, that
" no one can resist the demand for inquiry,' and
even to confess, that " since it may teach 1r.% some'
thing more than most of us know," Parliament
may be able to afford the Shipping Interest
some infinitesimal relief." The degree of relief
necessary, of course, remains to be ascertained;
but we are persuaded that it will be fbu.nd sortie'
thing very different from " infinitesimal."

WE confess it is difficult to sympathise with the
probable motives of any act of Louts NAPOLEON'S
which seems to have a direct bearing upon reli-
gion or the Church. We are not of those who
would ridicule as superfluous the observance of
considerable reserve in imputing religious indiffe'
rentism to one even so far removed above the
influence of private comments, as a great aoci
powerful potentate. Yet we cannot disguise from
ourselves that much of Louts NAPOLEON'S past
life, and many of his earlier opinions, will have to
be re-read before the world can give him creo