Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-04-04 00:00:00

THE DAY'S NEWS.

The ministerial crisis is the topic of the day, but
all information touching it is as yet mere rumour.
Nothing definite has yet tranpired regarding the
intention of the Cabinet. There was a report on
Saturday that Lord Derby had convened a .meet-
ing of his supporters for ;Saturday, but it
was not the fact. He had however, on that day,
interviews with the Chancellor of the Exchequer,
the Earl of Malmesbury, and other members of the
Cabinet, at his official residence. There has been no
Cabinet Council since Friday. The Prime Minister
has not had an audience of the Queen since that day.
Nothing is known of any movements amongst the
Opposition. The-Observer anticipates that, although
the resignation of the Ministers has not been imme-
diate, it will be announced to-night, when both
Houses assemble, that they only hold office
:until their successors are appointed. The Observer
alludes to a rumour that Lord Derby is endeavour-
ing to reconstruct his cabinet, and remarks on the
advantage of the crisis being terminated by ministers
consentng to proceed with the Reform Bill, as modi-
fied by the amendment carried on Friday.' The
Globe thinks it not improbable that Lord Derby
may overcome the difficulties of the situation by a
modification of his present cabinet, but this is
admitted to be purely a conjecture. All that can be
said is, that nothing is known of the intentions of
the prime minister.
The Continental news this morning is not of any
great importance, The Paris correspondence, dated
Saturday evening, states that six divisions of the army
are about to be placed on a war footing. The regiments
to be reviewed to-morrow will already have received
the four battalions which were to be added to them.
It is reported that a corps de observation is forming
in the department of the Ain, where there is a
juuction of the Sardinian and French railways.
In the Corps, last mentioned, the ,Native Tirailleurs,
and other regiments r ecentlyeagnowd L'oni

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will be incorporated. It is said here that the Grand
Duke of Tuscany intends to give a new constitution
to his subjects. The Paris correspondent of the
Tiros, writing on Friday, says that the defeat
of the English Ministry does not seem to have
produced any particular impression at Paris, as
the public there are convinced that the policy
of peace will find supporters in any new ministerial
combination, no matter from what party it be
taken. With reference to the forthcoming Con-
gress the Paris Pays says that the preliminary
negotiations have made a great step. It states
positively that the Powers " have come to
an agreement as to the basis of the diplomatic dis-
cussion." The Paris Correspondent of the Daily
News in noticing this fact, says :—" The Pays has
not often of late been chosen as the medium of
any semi-official communication of importance, and
I much doubt whether, in the present instanoe,
it has any warrant for its assertions
beyond a telegram from Dresden of yesterday's date,
asserting .that the powers were " pretty nearly
agreed" upon the preliminary programme of the
congress. According to the latest rumours in Paris,
both the time and place of meeting are still uncer-
tain. The Presse, although now a peace
journal, :expresses an opinion that the news
from Dresden has no charcter of authenticity."
The Paris correspondent of the Herald writes that
" Warlike reports continue to be circulated, and the
movements of troops which are taking place, though
their importance is generally exaggerated, can hardly
be viewed as a pacific symptom. I have already
informed you that orders had been given for the con-
veyance to France of the division of General Bour-
bald ; it comprises two regiments of the foreign
legion, and a battalion of native rifiemen---or Turkos
as they are nicknathed in the army. It is understood
that these troops are never removed from Africa
except in case of a war in Europe, and their presence
in France, under the present circumstances, is made
the most of by the alarmists. It is to be regretted
that the Government should take such measures when
a congress is about to assemble, as they justify
Austria in refusing to discontinue her preparations,
A military friend, on the staff of one of the regi-
ments of the garrison of Paris, informs me that the li
army of Lyons has received what is technically called
its entrée en cainpagne—that is to say, a sum of
money to procure their outfits previous to com-
mencing a campaign. Excellent as my authority
undoubtedly is, I cannot but think that there is some
mistake.. 'two or three regiments of the army of
Lyons are about to start for Africa, and must conse-
quently have received the usual sum allowed by
Government for their outfit. This may have misled
my informant. To pay the army of Lyons the sum
requisite for its outfit would require a large outlay ;
' it would, as yet, be very premature, and Government
is never in a hurry to pay away large sums."
The Vienna correspondent of the Times states
that the Austrian Government had become pacific
and conciliatory, and would probably disarm 'if
France and Sardinia would also do so.
The Correspondancia Autografa states that a
convention has been concluded between Spain and
Morocco, in virtue of which the Spanish colony of
Melilla resumes its former limits, and the Moorish
Government undertakes to restrain the inhabitants
of the Riff.