Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-08-14 00:00:00

be done than sending out troops. Commanding
officers in India must not be allowed to go a
boar-hunting while their soldiers are engaged
subduing and cutting off the mutinous sepoys.
Such things are said to have taken place. If so,
shame upon the authorities that have permitted
them. We must defer further remarks upon the
matter until we receive full details of the news
from India.

WHAT they are doing or undoing at Constan-
tinople is perhaps not of first-rate importance to
us in England ; and yet the country for which
we lately engaged in a European war, that cost
us much blood and treasure, may deserve a
word of notice at this period of its political.
history. Most of our readers will remember,
that at the Congress of Paris it was arranged
that the inhabitants of the Principalities of
Wallachia and Moldavia, in free electoral assem-
blies convoked, should determine their own form
of government, subject to the sovereignty of the
Sultan. The Allied Powers professed their
intention to respect the honest opinion of the
people of the Principalities, and to guarantee
the fulfilment of the popular desire. The elec-
tions under the authority of the Sultan were to
be free, and it was wished to ascertain what was
the real feeling of the population of those two
countries. Russia, Prussia, Austria, Sardinia,
Turkey, France, and England, all professed their
.readiness to agree to this, and all appeared ready
to give force to the popular will. A question
soon arose which divided the Allies. Were the
Principalities to continue separate as before, and
be governed by a Prime Commissioner nominated
at Constantinople, or would it not be better to
unite them under one head, of course always
acknowledging the supremacy of' the Sultan of
Turkey ? Austria, Turkey, and England favoured
the arrangement of maintaining the Principalities
separate—France, Russia, Prussia, and Sardinia
preferred the plan of uniting them; but all were
ready to defer to the honestly-expressed desire
of the people themselves. There was to be no
force put upon the wishes of the people—no
propagandism to spread the ideas of France or
of England.
The Elections have lately taken place on the
banks of the Danube, and, it is alleged, under
circumstances of violence, exclusion, and cor-
ruption. In fact, the Danubian Elections have
too much resembled our own corrupt elections in
the worst days of the boroughmongers, when
bribery and intimidation were in their high and
palmy state. The consequence is, that the new
members elected under the vicious system are in
favour of the separation of the Principalities.
This happens to be in agreement with the opinion
of England; but upon this the French ambassa-
dor, M. DE THOUVENEL, protests, and threatens
to suspend diplomatic intercourse with Turkey
unless the elections are annulled and new assem-
blies convoked, to ascertain the real, une0n-
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of Russia, Prussia, and Sardinia agree with
France ; they all forward written protests, and
threaten to withhold intercourse ; and here the
matter rests at this moment. The new-born
zeal of France in favour of the popular will is, of
course, highly commendable ; only we wish it
were manifested nearer home, and showed itself
with the same purity and fervour on the banks
of the Seine as on the banks of the Danube.
Still, we are glad to learn that France should
really respect national opinion, and it would
humble us if, in this respect, England should
contrast unfavourably with France.

We heard it announced, some time ao, that
Lord CLIRENDON had devised a plan that would
conciliate all parties, and unite all advantages.
The conciliation, it would appear, is still to come.
Also, it has oozed out that, since the solemn
signature of the treaty of Paris between the high
contracting parties, Austria has secretly pro-
posed to Russia a joint occupation of the
principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia. No
language could be strong enough to brand such
a perfidious and insolent proposal ; and no
reliance should be placed on the most solemn
asseverations of so treacherous an ally. It is a
challenge to all Europe, and an insidious attempt
to annul by clandestine treaty and treachery the
results of the late Russo-Turkish war. Yet this
attempt to stab us under the fifth rib is mad.:
by our loving ally, Austria, for whom England
has sacrificed so much in the late war, and
made so many concessions. Oat upon such
alliances, we say !—and if Austria has really
done or proposed to do this wicked, treacherous,
and unprincipled thing, she ought to b: pilloried
in the face of all Europe, and excluded from all
liCtioura.ble stipulations and treaties among the
nations. How could we ever trust a power that
had endeavoured to over-reach us in a manner
so base and cowardly ? But so it is usually.
The bully is also the coward ; and Austria, that
can bully in Italy, can only cringe, and plot, and
betray in Turkey. It rouses our indignation to
think that all the French and English blood and
treasure lavished during the late war should be
made a present and an offering to these craven
and bloody Austrians. It is at this moment,
and during the hitch at Constantinople, that the
Royalty of England welcomes the Imperialty of
France in a private visit at Osborne. Not being
clairvoyants, we are unable to hear and report
the confidential conversations that may pass
between :Ministers, Queens, and Emperors ; but,
for the sake of public principle more than for
their own numerical importance, we trust that
the promises made to the inhabitants of the
Principalities will be kept—that especially the