Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-06-30 00:00:00

THE DAYS NEWS.

Of course, the War news is still the exciting topic
of general interest. To-day, we have a few further
particulars, which somewhat modify the glowing
accounts of the brilliant, and what was termed
unsurpassed, victory of Solferino. According to the
accounts received this morning, General Neil, with
35,000 men, with two divisions of cavalry, in all
about 50,000 men, was engaged from four in the
morning till four in the afternoon,when he succeeded
in forcing the Austrian centre. After twelve hours'
fighting, the Austrians had brought up their reserve
of 80,000 men, and,the allies theirs of 50,000. It was
-a most critical moment, three hours of general
fighting ending to the advantage of the allies. The
first Zouaves are said to have been much cut up, and
the first Chasseurs of Africa terribly mangled. Four
Generals in the French army were wounded. The
Piedmontese are said to have had three Generals
wounded and one killed. 14,000 beds have been
demanded at Milan, for the use of the Mounded. The
Piedmontese Gazette, of Tuesday, publishes official •
details of the battle, written the same evening.
According to positive information, 25,000 Sardinians
held their ground against 50,000 Austrians, who
occupied a formidable position, from which they were
dislodged by the Sardinians, under the orders of the
King, The loss of the Piedmontese is said to be about
1,000 killed and 1 000 wounded. The reason why the
Austrianisrtcrossed the Mimi° is attributed to a sug-
gestion of the Prince of Prussia, who saw that if
they gained the battle the intervention of Prussia
would not be needed, but if they were beaten, and
the allies followed the Austrians across, that would
alter, the question. •The French Government does
not appear alarmed at—the military movements in
Prussia. The garrisons on t'n., eastern frontiers have
not been reinforced.
Marshal Pelissier has made
arrangements with the railways to convey 30,000
troops from Paris to Strasbourg within twelve hours,
so that 100,000 men may be. assembledon the Rhine
within thirty-six hours. It is rather singular that
since the Solferino battle we have heard nk) menaces
from Berlin. Is it conceivable that Prussia,
imagining her rival crushed, should, after
rejoice in such a result; and still -keep her powers
of intervention in reserve? There as yet, no
evidence of such a policy. Prom all we learn, it
would seem the Frankfort .Diet • is > preparing,
gradually yet with resolution, for a conflict. It
waits, probably, for some further moves on the

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theatre of war. Austria, of course, cannot be said
to have sustained any annihilating shock, when,
before and after such a battle as that of Solferino,
her head-quarters have been immoveably fixed at
Villafranca ; of the twenty-five thousand men
defeated at Magenta, more than two-thirds, as we
, now ascertain, fought in the Chiesan Valley ; that
they were forced into a position so untenable and
perilous was owing to the obstinacy of Francis
Joseph, who, neglecting the advice of his ablest
Generals, - ventured on. a course of experimental
strategy, and is now compelled to place in the hands
of a subject that army which, scarcely ten days
since, he declared should follow.him victoriously until
the enemies of his empire had been totally. routed.
The Times Paris Correspondent reports that a
project is spoken of for mobilising 100-Battalions of
National Guards, or re-organising them for garrison
duty. An Aide-de-Camp of the. Emperor Alexander
of Russia has left St. Petersburgh for Italy, who is
said to be the bearer of an autograph letter from the
Czar to the Emperor Napoleon.
The Canadian mails arrived here yesterday, and li
the West India mails reached Southampton. We
have alio' received telegraphic advices of the arrival
of the Brazilian mail at Lisbon. By these arrivals
there is very little news of interest. In Canada,
politics were very dull; and the only thing to enliven
the citizens of Quebec, was the constant - occurrence
of disgraceful scenes in the City Council. The
particulars of two or three executions are given
in the Canadian papers. The crops were in
a most promising condition. From the States,
there is one item' of news of interest to
Educationalists. The New York Board of
Education, had passed by a vote 25 to 16, a resolu-
tion compelling the reading of the Bible in all public
schools. From South America we learn that 2,000
men had invaded the Ara Argentine Confederation.
Paraguay promised to assist General Urquiza with
four steam vessels. The Brazils remain neutral but 1
but they are increasing their naval force in La Plata.
With respect to Election matters, we may mention
that Mr. Sydney Herbert was returned for South
Wilts, yesterday, without. opposition. In his
address to the electors, the right hon. gentleman
said, he saw no grounds for our taking part in the
present war. The national defences, however, must
be attended to, or the Bovernment would be guilty
of dereliction of duty if it did -not press them for-
ward to the utmost. As to Reform, it must be
carried out in a manner which would not be forgetful
of the past, or reckless of the future. Mr. V hit-
bread,- the Ministerial candidate, has been returned
by a majority of from 60 to 70 votes. Lord Bury
was also returned for Norwich, by a substantial
majority. A Cabinet Council was held yesterday
afternoon.
The most important local event of yesterday was
the arrival of Mr. Cobden in Liverpool. Addresses
were presented to Mr. CObden, by Mr. Wm. Brown,
on behalf of a Liberal meeting held in the_Clarendon-
rooms ; by Mr. Robertson Gladstone, on behalf of
the Financial Reform Association; and by Mr. Isaac
Cooke, on behalf of the Liverpool Peace Society.
Mr. Cobden delivered a separate reply to each,
touching on the progress of free-trade principles
the European war, - in regard to 'which he declared
himself emphatically for neutrality.; and the question
of direct taxation, which, although impracticable at
present, he expressed a hope to see One day made a
subject of legislative consideration. He pleaded his
recent arrival, and want of acquaintance with the
present state of parties, as a sufficient reason for his
not venturing upon any expression as to the course
he should, upon consideration, find it fitting to
adopt regarding the official post tendered to him.
Mr. Cobden seems in good health. His reception
was most enthusiastic. .
....

THE PEERAGE AS A CONVENIENCE.:
THE Peerage did not use to be considered a mere,
political convenience. One was accustomed to think'
of it as something rather higher than that, at any
rate. 'lts merits used to be sung in sublimer strains:
than any which could possibly arise from its cha-
racter as an accommodation to a place-grasping.
strategist. It is a body which one has been wont to
hear spoken of as
"Brave Peers of England, pillars of the State." ,
To be raised to that body has hitherto been con-,
sidered the highest honour which a British subject
could have conferred upon him by his Sovereign
who is the fountain of honour. And such an eleva-
tion has, been the common reward of great public
service's, and esteemed one most fitting and most
worthy as an acknowledgment of, and in return for
such services. It is, indeed, one of the most proper
uses, and principal designs of this part of the Con-
stitution—that, we mean, of enabling the Sovereign,
by the right of bestowing the Peerage, to reward
the servants of the public in a manner most grateful
to them; and at a small expense to the nation.. But
Lord ZALMERSTON, it would seem, to suit. the
exigencies of his present position, has changed all
this. - In the words of an independent contemporary,
" that aristocratic assembly appears to be becotaing,
gradually an asylum for amiabie and decayed poli-
ticians. As soon as their presence in the Commons
is no longer desirable, and their places are needed
for better men, they are relegated to a sereneisphere
and a happier world. Gathered to sleep with the
grandfathers of the nation, they cease to hamper
their friends and encumber their patrons. When a
political hack is broken down, or has acquired a con-
founded trick of jibbing, or really looks so disrepu-
table that Premiers are' ashamed to run him in
harness with the rest, only one thing remains to be
done. He is turned out to • grass in the Upper
House, and enjoys from that moment the green
pasturages and still waters of a domain where exis-
tence is a long dead calm of fixed repose, -He likes
the change, and gives no more trouble to the team."
, .
Lord PAIMERSTON, • we say, has just given a re-
markable illustration of this, and, indeed, something
more. He has made use of the Royal prerogative;
not merely to make it turn that House into an
asylum, but, as it were, a place of distinction. He
has "put into it two political hacks," one of them, it
is true, because he had " broken down," but the
other mainly because, through his restiveness, he

was quite in the way: he obstructed the Premier-
elect in the formation of his Reform Cabinet, after
his own fashion.
We will take the last first. Sir BENJAMIN him-
self has thus related to his late constituents of
Marylebone the history of his removal from the
Lower to the Upper House : ---" During the progress
of the formation of the new Administration, Lord
PALMERSTON sent for me, and expressed his regret
that at the present time he could not offer me a seat
in the Cabinet, but that he would not give the office
of First Commissioner of Public Works to any other
person, without placing it at my disposal; and that,
if upon consideration, I should be of opinion that I
could not, as a member of the House of Commons,
again accept that appointment, unaccompanied by a
seat in the Cabinet, he considered that there should
be some public recognition of my services, and he
proposed to submit my name to the QUEEN for
elevation to the Peerage." This tells the whole tale.
It substantially verifies what, by way of introduction,
we have briefly described as the process of deteriora-
tion thus set in operation upon the second estate of
the reahn;
bhp *r, taking an in* dependeut view, Osl we do,

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