Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-02-01 00:00:00

leading article, asserted that in the event
or a war France could only send a force o f
130,000 men to meet the Austrians in
Lombardy, the Constitutionnet quo
quotes figures
to show that France could easily bring into 'the
field an army of 500,000 men. An article
in the Journal du Chenzin de Fers, signed by M.
Solar, contains a report of a few words addressed
by the Emperor to an illustrious military personage
at the last ball at the Tuileries, which M. Solar
considers to be of a pacific tendency. The Em-
peror declared that he wished for peace, that
he knew peace was necessary to the prosperity
of France, and that if he succeeded in augment-
ing this prosperity, he should look upon it as
the most glorious achievement for a sovereign
of u people placed at the head of civilisation.
Among the members of the Legislative Corps who
have already.come up to Paris for the session, it
is said there is hardly one who does not declare
that the popular feeling in his department is
decidedly opposed to war : we allude particularly
to the rural population. And, as an indication
of what they themselves think of the matter,
some are proposing to exclude military men
from the Standing Committees of the Chamber.

The marriage of Prince Napoleon and Princess
Clotilda took place at Turin on Sunday morning ;
and when the ceremony was over, the married
couple departed for Genoa, and ie King and
Royal Family set out with them. This day the
young people embark for Marseilles. The marriage
has been accompanied at Turin with popular de-
monstrations, and addresses and presentations.
On Saturday night, the town was illuminated, and
there was a monster banquet. Count Cavour had
charge of the matrimonial contract.
Telegrams from Berlin continue to announce
that the Princess Frederick William and the baby
are doing well.
A significant fact is announced by the Turin
papers. The Austrians have established a garrison
at Faligno, three days' march from Rome.
The French garrison at Civita Vecchia are
engaged in throwing up fortifications.
A letter appears in Le Nord, from Naples,
.
evidently evincing a wish on the part of Russia to
protect King Bomba in the coming catastrophe.
This looks very much like the promise of protec-
tion from Polyphemus to the wily inmate of his
doomed cavern, " Ulysses shall be last to be
devoured."
Parliament, as we have already intimated, will
be'opened on Thursday ; by the 'Queen in person,
and on Wednesday, a Privy Council will be held
to settle the terms of the royal speech. On Satur-
day night, the Lord President of the Council
entertained the Cabinet Ministers and the officers
of the Queen's Household to dinner. Lord
Palmerston's dinner party to-morrow, will be
attended by some forty politicians, who comprise
the pick of his party, such as Mr. Lowe, Sir R.
Bethell, Mr. Vernon Smith. Sir W. G. layter,
Sir G. C. Lewis, Sir G. Grey, &c;

According to a London Evening contemporary,
symptoms of an attempted junction between Whigs
and Tories to defeat any popular measure of
Reform are not wanting. There is the new
number of the Quarterly Review, for example,
which predicts the aid of large and influ-
ential body of the old Whigs in securing the
triumph of Conservatism, and we observe
that some of the Tory papers gladly reprint a
few observations of the Manchester Guardian,
in which the editor appeals to •the Conservatives
to resist democratic change. But then Lord
Palmerston stands in the way of this united
effort against the progress of the people. So it
would appear. "We shall soon have an oppor-
tunity of seeing," says the Press, " whether he
prefers the public good to his own private ani-
mosities " The public good here referred to is
opposition to the Reform Bill of Mr. Bright. "If
not," continues the Press, "we can assure him
that not all his Civis Romanus humbug will
prevent his character from being odious in the
eyes of posterity."
Measures are being adopted in the West Riding
to bring out a candidate for the seat vacated by
the elevation of Lord Goderich to the peerage.
Sir John W. Ramsden, M.P„ a young man of
twenty-seven, and the owner of nearly the whole
of Huddersfield, is the person nominated by the
Leeds Registration Committee. There is a whisper
of a Conservative opposition.
Vice Chancellor Wood has decided the question
between the directors of the Great Northern
Railway and the B shareholders, which has been
long litigated, in favour of the latter. The A
shareholders are not in future to receive any
dividends until the B shareholders be paid six per
cent. per annum from Dec. 31, 1855.
The half-yearly meeting of the North Stafford-
shire Railway Company has been held to-day, at
which a favourable report was presented, show-
ing not only an increase of traffic, but a

termination of the dispute with the London
and North Western Company in respect to the
through traffic of both lines. The report further
stated that after setting aside 2,0001., and meeting
all the charges applicable to revenue, the directors
felt themselves justified in declaring a dividend of
21 per cent. per annum, after which there will
remain a balance of 2,1241. to be carried forward.
The report was adopted unanimously.
A very destructive fire broke out on Sunday
night in a confectioner's shop in Sheffield, whence
it extended to the premises of a furniture-dealer.
The new music hall had a narrow escape. Property
to the amount of ten thousand pounds has been lost
in this fire.

There is no local news of any importance. At
the Police Court yesterday, a shoemaker, named
McNamara, residing in Sun-street, was charged
with inducing the son of a leather dealer—only
fourteen years of age—to rob his father. The
scoundrel had prevailed upon the lad to steal some
£450 worth of that material, which he received.
He was sent for trial.

MARRIAGE AS A POLITICAL EXPEDIENT.
MARRIAGE is too often had recourse to, it is to
be feared, as a mere expedient—as that, we mean,
which helps forward, as a means to an end. And
these shifts and contrivances are of different com-
plexions. They are all bad in themselves, though
they differ in degree. One expedient may be of a

financial, another of a social, another of a family

character ; and they may all be more or less at

variance with the true principle of such an alli-

ante. But the worst expedient of all is the politi-
cal one—when political motives solely actuate, and
political objects are the chief ends in view. It is

not merely, in such a case, that it is a matter of
worldy calculation, instead of, as it ought to be, of

heartfelt affection ; but the aim of it is often one
that aggravates the sacrifice. An ambitious pro-
ject has to be worked out, and marriage is an
indispensable part of the process. Christianity

coils marriage a " holy estate ;" but politics make

it often one of the unholiest of cunning devices.
Well does SHAKSPEARE make SUFFOLK say to his
Royal master—touching -a contemplated Royal

allianee too—that

"Marriage is a matter of more worth.
Than to be dealt in by attorneyship

And whether it be • attorneyship as a vicarious
through
agency, or as the course which the bar-
gain
has to be made and carried out, it is a means
which cannot consist with the true character of
such an alliance,—because it proceeds upon, if not
the negation, yet the needlessness, of the vital
principle of marriage.
It is the remark of Dr. JOHNSON, that "marriage
is the strictest, tie of perpetual friendship, and
there can be no friendship without confidence, and
no confidence without integrity ; and he must
y,
expect to be wretched, who Pays to beaut riches,
or politeness, that regard which Only worth and