The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-01-01 00:00:00

soldiers in the fierce and deadly struggle on the
heights of Alma, at Inkermann, at Balaclava, or
the trenches before Sebastopol, she was there in
spirit, felt for and cominisserated with the wants,
the privations, and the sufferings of her heroic and
noble army. The return of the troops from the
Crimea enabled the citizens of London, Edin-
burgh, Portsmouth, Dublin, and other places, to
testify, by grand banquey to the Crimean heroes,
their ardent appreciatiori of their indomtiable
courage and unparallelled heroism. Although
peace was proclaimed with Russia, there
have been occasional periods of anxiety, since
the evacuation of the Crimea, lest she should
betray her professions, and once more menace
the " sick man's " territory. We close the year
with tidings that our fleet has been called upon
to take revenge upon the Chinese at Canton,
and. that there is every prospect that Prussia and
Switzerland will be. " bound over to keep the
peace."
The Parliamentary Session of 1856 was not
fruitful in the perfecting of any very important
legislative enactment. The do-nothing policy
of Lord PALMERSTON was a common bye-word
in political circles, and had it not been for that
diplomatic fencing for which he is so celebrated,
the House of Commons would have sent him
from the Treasury Benches as Prime Minister of
England. In the course of the session a
determined attempt was made to deprive Liver-
pool of her Town Dues, and Mr. LOWE, who had
concocted a scheme of spoliation, was defeated
in his object, and obliged to accept a " Select
Committee" of enquiry. The question of the
Sound Dues'' also engaged the attention of
another committee of the House. Both, after
examining a large number of witnesses, merely
reported' the evidence. No doubt, measures on
both these subjects will be brought fjrward in
the ensuing Session, and it behoves the people
of Liverpool to look well after the Town Dues;
for it is probable that every effort will be made
to wrest them from the Corporation.
The state of our foreign relations do not call
for much notice. Our diplomatic intercourse
with the United States, which was suspended
in consequence of a misunderstanding respecting
Central America, and the Foreign Enlistment
Act, is about to be resumed, and the fear of a
rupture with Brother Jonathan completely
ignored. The coronation of the Czar of Russia
is an event worthy of notice. Both England and
France—his former foes—sent special Ambas-
sadors to the fete. Each vied with the other in
their gorgeous displays ; but the long purse of
John Bull, in the person of Lord Granville,
carried off the palm. Spain has been troubled
with internal strife. Queen Isabella has
had a narrow escape ; and at one time, it was
said, threatened to abdicate. Our colonial
possessions have been advancing in prosperity
during the year. Australia continues to send us
large quantities of the precious metals, new dig-
gings are being discovered in all quarters, said
the field for emigration becomes more and nPore
interesting and important every day.
To notice all the domestic or local events of
the year would be a somewhat lengthy task.
Suffice it to say that the spread of crime is one
of the most unpleasant circumstances of
the last twelve months. Murders of an
unheard-of character, frauds of the most
gigantic description, and robberies, daring and
and unusual have been the occurrence of
almost every day. The PALMER tragedies, and
the DOVE poisoning case, together with the vast
number of murders of another character, have
given to the hangman a busy and profitable year.
In almost every county of England—in Ireland
and Scotland, too, JACK KETCH has gone forth,
and present appearances indicate that 1857 will
be as profitable in his line as was the departed
year. Death has made havoc in the ranks of the
Great, Statesmen, Lawyers, and Divines, of
note have yielded up their breath, and gone to
their last account. Such are some of the inci-
dents of 1856. Our prospects for the future are
far more encouraging than on the Ist day of
January last. May they continue, and may
every thing that tends to promote the blessings
of peace and the advancement of civilisation, be
cherished throughout the land. With these
remarks we conclude, and again wish to all our
readers a