Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-09-09 00:00:00

find there that complete and

Of sustenance

and success, which the soil of a

country can always the best afford. As the poet
so glowingly, ''_so patriotically exclaims of Eng-

" Rich is thy soil, and merciful thy clime ;
Thy streams unfailing in the summer's drought;
Unmatched thy guardian-oaks ; thy valleys float
With golden waves; and on thy mountains, flocks
Bleat numberless ; while, roving roand their sides,
Bellow the blackening herds in lusty droies.
Beneath, thy meadows glow, and rise unquelled
Against the mower's scythe. On every hand
Thy villas shine. Thy country teams with wealth ;
And property assures it to the swain,
Pleased, and unwearied, in his guarded toil."
An Exhibition like that which has called

th these remarks, cannot but remind one of

such.. al panegyric as this on our country. But,
at the same- time, let us not forget, that while
such is our soil and our clime, and so varied and
valued are its, products, we -have yet our cities
full with the sons of art ; and in the busy streets,
of all of them the hum of trade and industry is,
heard ; and that we have others where commer-

vial enterprise is pursued in all its ramifications,
contributing to the animation and the prosperity
of all the rest ; and that, even as well as those,

we have also our crowded ports,—our own port
of Liverpool, one of the most crowded of them
all,—

" Where rising masts an endless prospect yield

All these interests, we say, are inseparable ; for
they are contributing as a whole to the greatness
of the country, and the happiness of the nation.
Such- were our thoughts as we traversed the
several departments of the Manchester and
Liverpool Agricultural Society's show-ground,
yesterday. And if these only be the thoughts of
those of such varied pursuits in life, and ;with
such diversified objects in view, as one may
include in the countless throng which have
already visited the Exhibition, and of those who
will visit it to-day, one cannot but hope, that
the effect must be, not to excite jealousy, but to
arouse a feeling 'of consciouness, that Agriculture

is, after all, one great main-stay of our country's
welfare, end deserves, therefore, at the hands of
all our other {spat national Interests, the utmost
respect, encouragement; and support.

~- .-#

RA701114E115 tin never content:yr-10161d °nuncio-

. . .
ting some fundamental change' in principles as
the object of reform... A. mere amelioration. of

details; a removal • of defects in -an established

system, is an object far too mean and common!
place to come up to the reach of their aspirations,
or to All lip the comprehensive grasp of their
genius. Yet even if, in intellectual reformations
this is : taking- too wide a sweep for the attain
went of metical. results, and turns 'men , into
visionaries or destructives ; much more in social
or political changes connected with the people's
material interests, nust-high-flown ideals go wide-
-Orthe useful, and lOse everything, by not stoop-

ing to partial and accumulating sxccesses

tentive observation of our own history, more
than all others, will reveal how very seldom. ts

greatest crises: have been marked by any change
in old principles, or other than an amelioration of
details, and a correction of defects. Not even was
Mania Chula based on the introduction of an
entirely new system. it was not the,abrogation

of worn-out or corrupt principles.in the Consti-
tution that animated- STEPHEN LANGTON' one of
that noble band of churchmen, who, in ages o
oppression, .have so often stood between! the
tyranny of kings and the weakness of the
people ; but the necessity that old. principles
should be more clearly ascertained and more
conveniently embodied, and, above all, that

additional security should be taken for their
permanent and faithful, observance. Which
branch oruThe-Roformation " has preserved th-E
most stable aspect, and alone exhibits' life and
progress at the present day, but that English
part_ of it, which restricted its teMpered hand to-
details, and left the old principles in all their
secret efficacy, though without some of the luxu-
riance they had contracted ? It is in this sense
that Conservatives. are still Ram:niers; and Mr.
BRIGHT, and his short-sighted
.followers;

constitutionalists and destructives, who aim at

the subversion of the present political system,
and the merging of all the different grades of the
Constitution into a dead level of democracy. •
The tribe, thew of out-and-out IReformers' still
lives . and distresses the State. They flourish,

and make a great noise, and swell themselves out
on a small stage as well as a large. They cannot
undertake to tinker at any corner of our political
system without announcing some principle which
is to throw a new character over the whole, and
elaborate an entirely fresh machine, all right and
tight, everything in its place, every proportion
observed, every condition' provided for, all in'
complete working order; like Minerva arnied,
when Vulcan struck her from the broW of Jupiter.
Amid this rage of reformation, 'Liverpool at least
shoUld not forget that she also can boast her
local Vulcans of this sort. On the subject of
_Finance of all others, the Jupiter is labouring
under the throes of a great principle. The
Minerva has come forth from the "FinanCial Re-
form Aqsociation," and is flooding England 'with
wisdom. Now—and to this we shall at present
mane ourselvesthe first thing that strikes us is,
here is a body of men, with the best intentions in
the world, with considerable practical ability;
amassing together a valuable amount of informa-
tiox, for the purpose of 'achieving visionary ob-
.
jects ; and injuring their claims to favourable

consideration, by the announcement of a wonder-
,
ful, theory which is to make everybody happy,

and every body rich.; enables people to pay more,
and yet ask from them less; relieve the poor of
taxation, and yet lighten its .burden upon the
rich ; which is, in short, to enable both rich and

poor in numberless ways to both eat their cake

and have it

—a metaphor which we shall hereafter

take the trouble to explain to our readers,

the preSent we shall disraiss the' details of their

magnificent scheme, with the warning derived
from that lesson of history which we commenced

by referring to.. Let not our Financial Reformers

go wide of the mark. When amelioration may
be effected, let them not spoil all by a Vain
'attempt at revolution. If they aim at too much,
the result will be either a coniolidation of pre-
vious defects,' or that loosening:of foundations
which must issue in universal confusion.

--~-

NOTES OF THE DAY.

If the rumours respecting Prince Richard Metternich's

visit to the French Emperor are to be relied upon, the
propositions he was instructed to make on the part of
his Imperial master were but preliminary to the inter-
view whietche was to endeavour to arrange-between the
two Emperori. This, it is understood, he succeeded in
accomplishing ; and it is now stated, that the inter-
view will take place at Arenenberg, the 'old 'abode
of Louis Napoleon in Switzerland. Such, at least,
is said to be the case. The interview,' however,
is not likely to take 'place immediately, since the Rini
of the Belgians has first to have an interview with the
'French Emperor at Biarritz," with the object of en-
deavouring to remove any remaining' obstacles there,
may be to the final settlement of a definitive peace,
and an adjustment of the Italian difficulties, Let us
still hope that these objects may be at once effected.
The papal interests at Romagna get worse and worse
—for the particular advantage of the papal system, we
mean, not for that of the people themselves. The
unanimous declaration of the 'National Assembly there,
that " the people will no longer submit to the temporal
" Government of the Pope," is one that must bring the
matter to a crisis pretty speedily now, and thereby test
the sincerity of France and Sardinia, as to the practical
question, which is involved therein, of Italian In-
dependencies. The hesitation of the Pope to direct his
troops to advance upon Romagna, after having been
thus set at defiance, would seem to indicate that he has
at least his misgivings as to the support of either
France or Austria.
The presumed success of the Great Eastern experi-
ment,—presumed, from the facility and safety with
which the gigantic ship was conducted through the
intricate windings of the Thames, and got out to sea,
will' mark anew epoch in the annals of our mercantile
marine. It 'is an experiment on a scale of "magnitude
in navigation which has not only never been attempted

before, but probably not even dreamed of, as within the
range of possibility. Its furthei development, there-
fore, cannot bitte_watcherl with anxiety by syr,Ski.ltA4
pkig and Coliimet:kat there_be_a
difficulty experienced iii•getting her round to Holyhead;•
it may fairly be taken for molted that she will cross
the_Ailantic successfully, and thereby establish a raealls-
ef communication with the-other side which, w,ketlicr.
for its extent or its facilities, will probably afford advan-.
to both continents of which we have hithertohaci-
no idea.,

,
...Now that the public interest, as to the effect of the
Capital convict Smethurst,: has, in eon-legpence. of his
reprieve, very naturally abated, he'is-becothing again a
subject :of interesttrand curiosity, if riot -of
with regard to his nitiniate idisiosal.: Many persons 'are
of opinion, that as the respite was decided upon under
the conviction that-he was not. guilty -of the capita
crime of murderl by poison, it Must be followed by a
free pardon ; while, on the other band, it is argued,
that as it was more because his guilt was a matter of
doubt, than`his innocence 'a-certainty, that the sentence
will therefore be commuted to penal Servitude for life.
The fact, however, of 'the two principal medical wit-
nesses, Drs. -Julius and Bird, -having, since the -respite'
took place, reiterated, through -the columns of the lead-
ing journal,;that: their :Opinion as to the cause of hie
yietim's,death "has not been in the least degree shaken,"
will, no doubt, have its influence with the. Some
Secretary ; and if it has, a commutation, rather than
pardon, would seem to be the probable issue of t4is e 7",
traordinary.casc._ .

The London Builders' Strike appears more and more
likely to work itself .ont; in the way we have alreadl
suggested in these columns. The unemployed are not
Only idle, and therefore weary of doing nothing, but
they must be 'insufficiently fed, both they and their
families.; and as the master builders have .resolved that
all the yards shall be thrown open on Monday next,
are quite prepared to find that a 'considerable number of
the turn-outs will be glad to,.resume their occupations.
One fact stated is very significant. A large majority of
the men are quite willing to return to work--irrespective`
of the obnoxious declaraion- of the Masters---but are
afraid to do so,_lest the remaining malcentents should"

taste revenge upon them. In such a case as thi

is another " Society' efidently wanting-an "6per4'
,tives' Protection Society",-,Ao prOtcet them from the
gicialion and. oppression of those of their own 1)4:49
who are :not- content with doing a wrong thing the
selves, but arc tyrannical enough to coerce others to d°
likewise.