Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-03-28 00:00:00

THE DAY'S NEWS

Under the head of latest telegrams will be found a
digest of Indian news, brought by the Calcutta mail
of the 22nd February. The news is satisfactory.
Throughout Oude tranquility continued to prevail,
and the disarming of the provinces continued to
progress with satisfaction. Up to the 12th ult., 378
cannons, and 975,000 stand of arms had been secured.
The rebels in Central India under Tantia Topee,
were reported to be making for Tortabjurah. On
the 17th of February they were at Antoolah, and
burnt Gassoonda on the 19th. A telegram from
Indore states that four generals and several officers,
and 600 men of the rebel force had given them-
selves up. _

Dates from Hong Kong to the 13th of February
and from Canton to the 11th, have also been received
It is stated that Admiral

Seymour

Lord
for the

to return to England on the
Elgin was preparing an expedition
exploration of the Perl River. At Hong Kong
the business going forward in manufactures had
somewhat improved, but the export market was
dull and freights not active. Exchange on London
was quoted at 4s 61d to 4s 7,1,d. At Shanghae the
prices of both teas and silks were advancing.
Freights to London for tea 30e., and silks 70s.
The Continenal news is almost wholly confined
to rumours respecting the approaching Congress.
The latest of these state that the place of meeting
7641 be Baden, and that the Plenipotentaries, it is
°elleved, will be Lord Malmesbury, Count Walewski,
Prince Gertschakoff, Count Buol. and for Prussia,
Baron Sehlei • •
natz The Italian States will be
indirectly represented. It is stated that the first
meeting will not take place until after the closing
of the Paris Conference on the Danubian
Principalities question, which be held
in the beginning of
The Paris telegram of
Saturdayensuing month,
states that Count Cavour had
a rivate interview
with the Emperor on that dayi and that the
visited Sardinian Premier afterwards d Prince and
Princess Napoleon and Count Walewski,
Paris Presse of Saturday says, confidently, that The
. it
was the mission of Lord Cowley
that made the Congress possible. The iik9na
Gteur
of Saturday declares that the publication in the
.Armonia of the 2nd inst. of a summary of a despatch
alleged to have emanated from the Duke de Gram-
mont is wholly false, and without any foundation,
whilst everybody here believes that peace will be
secured by the proposed congress. The Paris cor-
respondent of the Herald draws attention to the
fact that the French Government appears determined
to caution the public not to place too much reliance
on the success of the negotiations which are about to
commence. It is asserted that one of the divisions
of the army of Lyons has received orders to march
to the south. The Mediterranean squadron has
been ordered to take on board provisions for six
months; and another division bas been ordered home
froin Algiers, to swell the future army of the Alps.

night

He adds :—lt is even said that four frigates have
sailed from Toulon to embark the troops, and though.
I am unable to confirm this from my private informa-
tion, I have no doubt the statement is correct. These
preparations for war, carried on simultaneously with
the efforts of diplomacy to prevent the disturbance of
the peace of Europe, perplex and agitate the public
mind. The Government papers are instructed to say,
a great change has come over the spirit of the
country, and that the vaunts of the German papers
have roused the dormant military instincts of the
nation. In Paris you may rest assured nothing of
the kind has taken place, and I see no reason for
believing that the provinces do not in this respect
thoroughly agree with Paris. People are all the
more sensible of the blessings of peace for having
been in danger of losing it, and the expression
of public feeling has been so unmistakeable
that I cannot bring myself to believe, not-
withstanding the preparations and the blus-
tering tone of the semi-official papers, that there
is any serious intention on the part of the Govern-
ment of disappointing the hopes Ito which the -an-
nouncement of the Congress has given rise. The
public, however, as yet have not completely re-
covered from the panic of the last three months—
and the military movements which are daily taking
place considerably retard the complete restoration
of confidence. Between the war and peace rumours,
and the vacillations of the semi-official papers, the
public are yet uncertain as to whether

the issue Is

meant to bepeace or war.
The Times publishes letters from its correspon-
Vienna, and Turin.

dents at Pali

the semi-official journals seem for the
present quietly to drop the evacuation of Lombardy,
and to content themselves with the cessation of the
undue influence of Austria in Central Italy.
At Vienna, there is an ardent desire far peace, but
Austria will go to_war rather than cede any part of

At Paris

to Sardinia

At Turin the news of the projected Congress has

vous shock to the war party. Orders for
preparing certain large buildings for the reception
of troops have been countermanded.

been c

In Savoy an opposition candidate has beaten the
ministerialist by 350 votes to 130.

The Paris correspondent of the Times expresses
an opinion favourable to a pacific issue, if each of
the Powers enters the proposed Congress without
mental reservation, and if no fresh complications
occur in the meantime.

It is reported that the French government will
allow the Neapolitan exiles to pass through France to
Piedmont.
The debate on the Reform Bill has taken a course
that appears to have bewildered all parties. The
speech of Lord Palmerston on Friday night has
put all previous calculations out of view, and
none seem now to understand what course
the ministry can adopt. The Press of
Saturday tells the Government that their duty
to the country is clear, as was in the main correctly,
" though somewhat offensively," stated by Lord
Palmerston. " They, assuming goverment as a re-
cognised and acknowledged minority of the House
of Commons, undertook to bring in a reform bill."
It adds, " they have redeemed their pledge, and the
Home, in recognition of the fact, are willing, nay
desirous, of aiding them in carrying it. We say,
then, that the mere assent to the resolution proposed
by Lord John Ru.siell need, and ought not, to
involve the resignation of the Government, still less
the dissolution of Parliament." The Globe, after fully
reviewing the position of the question says :—" What
shall we do with it P" is indeed a Cabinet question.
The course recommended by Lord Palmerston is the
most simple if not the most pleasant solution. Next
to carrying the second reading, the best thing for
Ministers would be to take- the resolution with
thanks, and throw themselves upon the mercy of the
House. Is this what they will do with it ? The
will be resumed to-night, unless the Govern-
ment should adopt the course pointed out by the
Globe, which is not improbable.

debate

The steamer Jura arrived here yesterday, from
New York, with two days later news, and conveying
some important intelligence from Mexico. The par-
ticulars will be fouud elsewhere. As also will the
the details of the news received by the Australian
mails which arrived on Saturday.

THE LONG DEBATI

TEM debate on the

Government Refor

al Bill has

dragged its weary way through one entire week, and
will this evening enter into another. It is, in fact, a
debate, althqugh ostensibly upon the measure pro-
posed by Her Majesty's Ministers, yet one which is
virtually upon the whole question of Parliamentary
representation ; and a wider field for discussion could
not, perhaps, be found, in the whole range of politics.
Now, as respects those forensic displays, of which,
ever and anon, one House of Parliament or the other

is the arena, they are occasions, or ought to be, of
great value, as well as interest, to the nation, from
the opportunities which they afford of enlightening
mind upon the subjects under considera-
such as involve principles
of more or less importance to the common weal.

the pu

tion, which ar

generally

LOCKE, we think, it is that says of such an occasion,
that " it is a way that men ordinarily use, to induce
others to submietheir judgments, and receive their
opinions, by requiring them to admit what they
allege as a proof, or to assign a better." This, at any
rate, is the theory. Well would it be for us all, were
it invariably the practice also,—were it really, as it
should be, to diffuse a light over the understanding,
in our inquiries after truth, and not merely to fur-
nish the tongue with the means of disputation and
controversy. But then there are the passiots, the
prejudices, and the purposes of party to be encoun-
tered,—there is that to which too many are ever
ready to give up what was meant for mankind.
Still it is in debate that even political questions are
to be thoroughly. sifted. And although, during that
we now refer to, it has doubtless been found as diffi-
cult as ever to " convince a man against his will,"--

that is, against his party predilections, or his party

—yet there is as little doubt that not only
the merits and demerits of the Ministerial measure,
but the bearings of the whole question of Parliamen-
tary Reform, are better understood both by the
House and the country than was the case a week

interests

There is another most material consideration, in
reviewing such a debate as that which is now absorb-
ing the attention of the House of Commons. Are
they who engage in it all of one mind as to the end
to be attained ? Is it such a reform as shall really be
a change from worse to better in the system, in its
integrity, in which it is to be effected ; or, on the
other hand, is it to be but the means to an
end far beyond, and utterly regardless of, that
system altogether ? Is the object to preserve
the monarchical Constitution to which it apper-

tarns, or to change it for something more ,re-
publican ? Very forcibly do the remarks of an

eminent writer on Political Philosophy apply to our
as it is in this point of view presented to us,
when he says,—" Upon questions of Reform, the
habit of reflection to be encouraged, is a sober com-
parison of the Constitution under which we live—
not with models of speculative perfection, but with
the actual chance of obtaining a better. This
turn of thought will generate a political dis-
position, equally removed from that puerile ad-
miration of present establishments, which sees
no fault, and can endure no change ; and
that distempered sensibility which is alive only
to perceptions, of inconveniency, and is too impatient
to be relieved from the uneasiness which it feels, to
compute either the peril or the expense of the
remedy. For political innovations com mo, y pro-
duce many effects beside those tl• Are intended.

subject.