Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-09-10 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN TIMES.

Sir,—Your correspondent " Truth" only speaks
what his name imports, and I am sure the publi-
cans, aye, and even the, public of Liverpool, must
feel indebted to you for having exposed a system
disgraceful to the town, for I believe in no other
city or town in England are the police allowed to
act in the illegal manner adopted in Liverpool.
The object or the law of the police force is to
prevent crime, not create it. I can vouch for the •
following fact. A policeman, dressed as a "navvy,"'
entered a respectable hotel on a Sunday morning,
and asked for drink, stating that he was a traveller,
and had come by rail. He was refused—he begged
it might be given to hitn, but to no purpose, and
he was obliged to depart. The landlord suspecting
something, set a watch on his " customer," who,
on leaving the house, was joined by another
who was in waiting for him, and both persons
turned out to be disguised policemen. Had the
assumed traveller been served with drink, his
friend would have pounced in and made "a. case"
against the house. Is not this thoroughly dis-
graceful? But, sir, I assure you it is a very
common practice amongst the police. Is it
unknown to Major Greig? You have, sir, by
indomitable perseverance, smashed that giant job
of the Pike, and probably saved the lives of
thousands; and you will have accomplished the
reform of an evil—illegal, immoral, and unlawful--
by persevering against the spy system and navvy
clothes of the police, officer on Sunday mornings-
With permission to address you again on this,
subjeot, I am, sir, your obedient servant,
B;.h September, 1857. JUSTICE.

THE MURDER IN ALGERIA.

We have received the following correspondenoa
in reference to this matter from a gentleman, who',
vouches for its accuracy.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN TIMES.

Sir,—l sent the subjoined communication by
post on Saturday, but perceive it has not been
publishe,l. If you think with me that these facts,
ought to be made known in order to put people
upon their guard, you wiil probably find space for
tkem.—l am, Sir, yours respectfully,

ONE JJST ARRIVED►

TO - THE EDITOR OF THE " TIMES."
Sir,—ln your article on the extraordinary trial for
murder in Algeria, which appeared in your issue of the
4 h heart% you observe, "that summary executions
were spoken of as notorious traoeactioas, and in certain
districts of the colony the military administrators pro`
pounced their decrees, even is matters of life and death,
without eo much as the form of a trial." And you add,
"that we trust we may assume that in no British de'
pendency have the abases of colonial rule been carried to
snch a length."
rtf
To even greater lengths, however, have the abuse. -,
rule in tile colony of Victoria, Australia been carrieot;
where, at the present time, to the 'personal knowledge 01
the writer, cruelties of an abominable natere are systemati-
cally perpetrated. And it is not the doers alone of evil
that are submitted to the murderous attacks of parties in
authority, as disclosed by evidence betore the committees
of the people in Melbourne, and of the legislature there,
but the exposers of it; for as the entire machinery of
bath the law and the police is most theroughly corrupt,
there is mureh of bribery, perjiry, and murder to conceal,
that can only be effected by the destruction of those who
may happen to know, or to become acquainted with it.
In the towns of Melb ,urne and Geelong, life is nemparatively
safe, but at a distance from tho-e larger nucleus of
population, the officials carry on their impositions
and extortions with fearlessness, and destroy their
opponents with impunity; for, although there are
magistrates on the digging, and in the mining districts,
it is found that they are subordinate or subservient to the
gees d'arme, the Commissioners of Police ; and the
writer having come to know this fact did not hesitate to
inform his Acellency Sir Henry Barkly the Governor,
in the middle of February last, " that whom the police
chose they seized and slew without trial or accnsation.''
The fact is, that at some few miles distance from their
respective camps, the police chiefs arrange with innkeepers,
that the parties who shall be left in their charge from
time t time, shall be locked up in some fast room, until
it is decided whether instant death or prolonged torture
is to be the termination of their career; and at those inns
soma dozen of assassins arec )r s aptly at hand, who receive
so much for each victim. `Peen the officials order a man
to be apprehended whom they intend to destroy, the
word of command is, "take him away," "don't take him
here to-the camp."
Oa the occasion of a body of police being ordered on
the night, between the Ist an I 2nd of February last, in
the town of Sandhurst, Bendigo, to break open the doors
of a house in which a gentleman resided that had become ob-
noxious to certain officials by his writings, and particularly,
as it was publicly alleged to the Right Honourable
William Foster Stowell, the Attorney-General, (the same
now Chief Ju vice) and " take him away " they refused who
is to act, as they thought from his name that he was either
an Irishman or of Irish extraction, and in either case
would take no part in the illegal outrage. The great
noise which the officials of the camp made in striving to
induce their men to obey, aroused the pablic from their
slumbers, who, on learning the cause of the uproar,
resolved to protect the individual themselves for that
night, by watching outside his house. In this protective
'duty the men sent to capture the gentleman also joined,
and would not return to their quarters till daylight had
begun trolawn. Next day being Nestled by two assassins
that were engaged to destroy him, he went and claimed .
the protection of Dr. Hunt, a magistrate in Sandhurst,
who immediately sent for the Commissioner of the
District, to know what offence had been cenamitte I. When'
that despotic person came to the Doctor's shop, he had
the aueooity to sty that there was no char against the
gentleman, but that as he was a political writer he must
be put to death (ipsissima verba) he must be shot..
Upon this the D ctor persuaded the Commissioner
to go with him to the office of Mr: Emmett, another
magistrate in the immediate neighbourhood, with a view'
to get a modification, if possible, of this degree; but in
the interim, the intended v etim' having no confidence in
the magistrates' power fled, instantly disguising himself
ada.digger, and escaped a hot pursuit that was immediately
orderee and extended over a hundred miles, by men on
foot and on horseback, in gigs and in coaches for six days.
He frequently stw his pursuers from the dense bush in-
which he walke 1 by day and slept :at nigh', but ultimately
reached a place of safety. Fresh particulars will shortly
be pabliehed. N. 13 I enclose re y card.—l am, Sir,
ONE JUST ARRIVED.

BOROUGH OP GREENIVICH.—A portion of the politicians
of Woolwich have seen Mr. Townsend, and ascertained that
he has no wish to resign, and they have resolved to raiser
a subscription as a means of extricating their member from
his difficulties, and enabling him to remain at his post in
the House of Commons.
HOOP SKIM'S —The use of hoops in ex-iggerating the
circumference of ladies' petticoat,,, bas caused a great
increase in the price of whalebone—nearly double. The
expansion of female skirts has a'so expanded the price of,
other elastic materials. For instance, the preparation of
rattan for cane seats, used in chair making, leaves the cen-
tral portion of the rattan in a cylindrical form, and this
has been used as a substitute fur willow in covering demi-
johns, &o. The heart of the rattan is much more durable
and altogether saperior for this curpase to willow, and was
extensivey used; but the fashion of wearing hoops has
raised the price of the article from two cents to fourteen
cents per pound. The consequence is that rattan has been
transferred from the jugs to the women, and the demijohn
basket makers now hang their. harps upon
American paper.