Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-06-23 00:00:00

constituency in the country which would act
such a part, and be seduced from the path of
duty to support a course which procured a
triumph by means of anti-patriotism, and a.;ts of
flagrant immorality and downright illegality.
By means such as we have already described did
Sir ALEXANDER RAMSEY suceeed in usurping the
seat so worthily held by Mr. Mum, ; at least
the petition against his return alleges so ; and the
fact of sending important witnesses out of the way
who were to prove such averments, is indirect
evidence that there must have been disreputable
tricks of the kind in Rochdale in March last.
The borough of Rochdale has for many years
been noted for its liberal tendencies in political
matters, hence it was with surprise that, we
learned of Mr. INIIALL's defeat at the last
election, and of Sir ALEXANDER RAMSEY'S
return. But the developenient of elective
rascality which has been made is a perfect, a
full, and a satisfactory explanation, and speaks
trumpet-tongued not only for a law: inflicting
further pains and penalties against .all persons
who attempt to tamper with the purity of
election, and the effort to defeat its exposure
before the regular tribunals of the House of
Commons.

It is a further proof that the present
qualification for exercising the franchise is not
by any means the legitimate one ; and we must
trust that Lord PALIERSTON, who has promised
us a new Reform Bill next session, will not omit
to take this important point into his considera-
tion during the recess. Something must be done
to purge our representative system of being
influenced and swayed by bribery and intimida-
tion. The election petitions which are to be
considered will, no doubt, now show that these
disgraceful elements prevailed to a great extent
at the last elections, and that the time is come
for an effectual remedy for social evils so
injurious to the best interests of the body
politic.

THE recent discussion in the House of Com_
mons on the Jew Bill, and the movement of the
Roman Catholic party to procure an important
alteration in the oath taken by members of that
persuasion, has given rise to much comment,
seeing that the attempt is made to enable the
Church of Rome to make a more direct and
determined attack upon the established religion
of the country. Independent of the inopportune
time selected for the agitation of what they term
a grievance, we must not forget that when the
Emancipation Act was passed, they accepted
the form of oath now administered, with thank-
fullness, and for nearly thirty years they have
used it without any appearance of dissatisfaction.
Under these circumstances, it must be presumed
that the oaths which they take do not offend
the tenderest conscience among them ; and it
was, without doubt, somewhat ungracious, and
unreasonable, to make it an excuse for opposing
a proposed concession to another portion of her
Majesty's subjects.
As to the oath itself, of which Mr. DEASY
made such loud and bitter complaints, what is
its nature and objects It contains, inter alia,
a promise to maintain, support, and defend,
the Protestant succession to the Crown, and a
disclaimer as to any desire or intention to disturb
or weaken the present Church etsablishment,
the Protestant religion, or Protestadt government
of the United Kingdom. We are among those
who believe that there is not very much reliance
upon promissary oaths of any kind. Neverthe-
less, it is impossible not to think that the mani-
festation of an earnest desire to evade pledges in
opposition to a certain line of conduct, is rather
remarkable, particularly when it is an acknow-
ledged fact that the pledged party is induced to
pursue that line of conduct by sectarian preju-
dice, and, we might almost add, the dictates of