Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-03-22 00:00:00

THE DAY'S NEWS

In the House of Commorks last night, on the
motion for the second reading of the Government
rs-eiorm 13111, mora JOIIII itussen movea an amend-
ment to the effect " That the House is of opinion that
it is neither just nor politic to interfere, in the
manner proposed in this bill, with the 'freehold
franchise -as hitherto exercised in the counties in
England and Wales; and that no re- adjustment of
;the franchise will satisfy this House or the country
which does not provide for a greater extension of
the suffrage in cities and boroughs than is contem
plated in the present measure." The noble lord at
great length argued against the present reform bill,
showing its deficiencies, and pointing out the
remedies. Lord Stanley followed. He defended
the ,Government, and went to show that the present
administration was the only one since 1832 that had
the courage to undertake the concoction of a reform
bill. Several other members of the House spoke,
and ultimately, on the motion of Mr. Wilson, the
debate was adjourned. The County Prisons (Ireland)
Bill was committed pro forma. The Savings Bank
(Ireland) Bill was read a second time. The Attorney-
General obtained leave to bring in a bill to regulate
patent in inventions of war ; and the House adjourned
at 12 35. The 'limes maintains that the adoption of
Lord John Russell's resolution need not interfere with
the second reading of the Goxermnent Bill. On the
cecond reading of the bill Government challenges
the opinion of the house on the aggregate of the
principles it contains. The house, if the resolution
be carried, will have pronounced an opinion unfa-
vourable to two of those principles, and kept silence
as to the rest. Surely it cannot be intended to ask
the House of Commons to reassert in general what
it has already asserted in particular, and by calling
upon it to negative the second reading to render
the debate on the resolution absolutely superfluous
x,ncl nugatory. The more reasonable and consistent
course seems to be that the House of Commons
having given its opinion on certain portions of the
bill, will consider its vote on the second reading as
qualified and saved from the imputation of incon-
sistency by that opinion, and will already have gone
too far into the merits of the question, to render it
advisable to thrbw the bill out altogether. It is

therefore not only quite possible, but exceedingly
probable, that unless Government determine to stand
or fall by the remnant of the principle, the greater
part of which they have already given up, their bill
may be read a second time and passed through com-
mittee."

There is but little of interest from the Continent.
The review of the Imperial troops at Paris has
-zoncluded, and Paris correspondents are not able to
Fay whether any political manifestation of importance
1. As far as they can learn, the expected
try of Tin

occurred

1' Italie was not uttered •, and, indeed,
---.,
considering the present " pacific phase " of the
question, A is not likely that orders should have
been given for any manifestation of the kind. The
absence of any important feature of the review in
the
hower,
accounts given by the evening papers cannot,
be relied upon as conclusive, because the
did Emperor notto
leave the ground till five o'clock,
ind they Nve,A combine explosion
before that hour.
n of the troops in Parma,
kiodena, and combined
useabut was to have come off at the
,!lose of March Count Cavour has prevented
been it ; numbers have seized, nevertheless, by
Austrian agency, and sent off to I,aybach and the
?risons of Tyrol.

Eight hundred French soldiers are at work on
.he Toulon and Marseilles strategetie line of
failway.

In our town edition
the
yesterday:, we published
13
the
,
1 full summary of the news from\ America-
received,
Zanada. According to the advises
Postmaster-General at Washington is d
Senate had ratified treaties with the "Nlaasclh.;ngTt°ll
The
Ind Oregon Indians, also the Cas Herram treaty by
t large majority. From Paraguay we have news
that Lopez was making active preparations for thew
defence of the territory. The California mails
arrived at New Orleans on the Bth. The minirp,
accounts were favourable, and trade prospects good.
Miramon was still preparing to march on %era Cruz,
at which place Juarez was preparing for resistance.
Later accounts by telegraph, via Halifax, state that
t portion of Miramon's troops had been repulsed in
An attack on Jalape.
We report elsewhere the proceed

:nabs. of a soma
e

meeting of the markets' committee, held yesterday,
the business being to take into consideration several
resolutions having reference to the 'management of
the various markets. The resolutions were six in
number, and were all prepared and proposed by Mr.
Gladstone. The resolutions were all adopted, but
not without considerable discussion, in which Mr.
Gladstone and Mr. Woodruff took the prominent
part.
The Assizes opened yesterday before Mr. Justice
Willes, and Mr. Justice Byles. In his opening
charge Mr. Justice Willes commented at considerable
length upon the recent case in connection with the
chief Engineer and second engineer of the Bogota.
The cases in both courts were unimportant.

-4.--

POPULAR INSTRUCTION,

THERE is no means, assuredly, more effectual for
the purpose of popular instruction, than that of
explanatory lectures on subjects of general interest,
and of ordinary comprehension. Of course, when-
ever this can be directed to elucidate the works of
nations in any of their particular pursuits, so much
the better, because all the more practical will be the
results. And in this respect great good is now being
done at the Museum of Practical Geology in London,
by lectures to working men, more especially in con-
nection with the Governinent School of Mines that
has been established there, which is designed to
afford scientific instruction to those who are to make
mining, or metallurgy, the business of their lives
a course and kind of instruction of the first impor-
tance in a country producing annually a larger
amount of mineral wealth than the whole of Europe
besides. In this school are taught all those branches
of science which have a direct bearing upon mining,
or any of the metallurgic operations ; and, by means
of lectures, those to be engaged therein are taught
chemistry, physics, metallurgy, mechanics, geo-
logy, mineralogy, and natural history,—all sub-

jects which have more or less to do with their
daily avocations. It is a most popular practical
movement, as is proved by the fact, that on the
occasion of each course of lectures, applications have
been made by working men for tickets to three times
the number that the theatre where the lectures are
delivered is capable of accommodating. Every man
applying for a ticket is required to prove himself an
artizan. The course consists of six lectures, and for
the admission to each course the fee for the ticket is
sixpence. Each lecture is attended by a
crowded auditory, and one than which, we
believe, none more attentive could possibly be brought
together ; while that the object in view is really the
acquisition of knowledge, is evident from the habit
that prevails of most of the men taking copious notes
of the lectures, and many of them frequently corres-
ponding with the lecturer upon points on which they
derive further information or explanation.
We have been reminded of these interesting
circumstances by the discussion that took place
in the House of Commons, the other night, on
the subject of the British Museum, in which the
capabilities of that national institution tor the purpusu
of conveying instruction to the people were inci-
dentally, yet forcibly, remarked upon. The
immediate object in view was to obtain the
appointment of a Select Committee to inquire into
the accommodations now requisite for the various
collections in the Museum. But occasion was taken
to express regret, that these vast, interesting, and
instructive collections were not explained by lectures
to the middle classes and working classes, who were
as anxious to obtain information in natural history
as the upper classes who had the means of acquiring
such information in their power. And we have
no doubt whatever of this. It is impossible to con-
sider the thousands and tens of thousands of the humbler

classes that are constantly pressing to see these
collections, and not be satisfied of the interest they
take in them, and the subjects connected with them.
What one regrets is, that there aro not opportunities of
hearing them explained—and having them made
available to the practical instruction of the popular
mind.

Few of us, perhaps, in the provinces, have any
correct idea of the growing extent and importance
of the British Museum; and of the necessity that'
exists for its accommodation, far beyond the re-
sources at present available. For instance, there
is nothing like room for the archaeological collection
in the museum; while as to the natural history
department, the deficiency is still greater, and so
crowded are the stuffed animals, it is impossible
to distinguish them. Professor Owen states that
this collection would require twelve acres of space.
Then there is the library, which contains 600,000
volumes, and is so rapidly increasing that in a few
years it will be the best in Europe. There is space,
it appears, for forty years' additions to the library,
and the place allotted for study there is so conveni-
ent and ample, that no change will be required in
that department for probably many years to come.
What the movement in Parliament on the subject is
directed to, is the re-organisation of this immense
Museum, so as to make it more thoroughly available
for purposes of popular instruction. But this object
will never, we are persuaded, be fully carried out,
until lectures are established in connection with the
various collections, in order to explain them, and
make them the direct and palpable means of inform-
ing the mind on the subject of natural history or
familiar science to which they respectively relate.

Such institutions as the British Museum, and the
Museum of Practical Geology, must of necessity be

confined to the metropolis.

But with the facilities

for access thereto from all parts of the kingdom, they
are not on that account so restricted in their

advantages as may at first appear. At the same
time, there is no doubt that much might be done in
the country, by having lectures more frequently,
• " '

especially in our popular towns, on those
several subjects which such MuseumS so
familiarly illustrate,—lectures specially adapted
for the common people, to whom they would
convey most interesting and valuable instruction,
and thereby not only extend and correct their
knowledge of nature, its laws and its productions,
but enlarge and elevate their minds, and lift them
above the sensual and debasing objects and pursuits
to which too many of them, through besotted igno-
rance, are unhappily addicted. For assuredly it is
still, and ever will be, the case—
" Base-minded they that want intelligence."

-4---

rHE NEAPOLITAN EXILES,

—Yesterday, a aural:

the Neapolitan exiles arrived at the Paddington Station of
the Great Western Railway, from Bristol. The exiles ar-
rived by the quarter past eleven o'clock train, and were
received by several of the directors of the Great Western
Railway and a select company who had obtained admission
to the station, amongst whom were the Sardinian Am-
bassador and several ladies ; also several gentlemen of
local infliielleo

The names of the refugees were as follows :
—Vito Purcaro, aged 54, a lawyer ; Luigi Praino, 42,
lawyer ; Vicenzo Cuzzocrea, 32, doctor; Salvatore Francitano,
50 ; Achille Argentine), 42, gentleman ; Francesco Proven-
zano, 40, n•_ilit<ary ; Domenico Damis, 34, gentleman ; Ovidio
Serino, 43, bishop; Angelo Pelligrino, 63, lawyer; 1
32, gentleman ; G'uiseppe Pace,

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