Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-05-31 00:00:00

THE NORTHERN TIMES, TUESDAY, MAY 31 185 9

their opponents to give the tone to public opinion,
and enable the slave-trader to meet a jury
which does not simply disagree but unani-
mously acquits him. Their- conduct is thus
apologised for, by an anti-slavery journal,—" Afore
than once the sounder portion of the Southern
people, environed by difficulties which we understand
and acknowledge, have suffered, their more noisy
opponents to carry out measures, in opposition to
their better judgment and sound sense, but yet with
their acquiescence. It is for this, portion of that
people now to say, whether they will again be over-
ruled and forced to consent to the breach of laws
which they approve, the humane purpose of which
they admit. The inhabitants of other parts of the
Union may deplore, for the sake of humanity, that
such offences are suffered to escape justice ; may be
indignant that the law of the general Government
is openly defied ; but it is with shame as well as
indignation, that the Southern people should see' the
unpunished revival of this iniquity." It is evident,
however, that there is no such " shame and indigna-
tion " manifest in the South, in any section of the
community. The fact is, that under the system of
slavery, the slave-trade cannot very well be entirely
dispensed with.
Apropos of this question of the slave-trade, I may
adduce the recently recorded opinion of one of the
leading organs of the slaveholders, and most zealous
advocates of their system (the Charleston Mercury)
which said,—" We have opposed the hypocrisy of
buying Cuba at the present time as impracticable
nonsense and humbuggery. The South needs Cuba,
and ought to have her, but never can have her
a slave State in this Union." The present Southern

agitation of the slave-trade is not only impracticable,
but mischievous nonsense, because uselessly dividing
and distracting the counsels of the South. It may
be highly expedient that the South should have the
African slave-trade re-opened, but it never can be
legally done in this Union." This is the Southern
feeling. They are sick of contesting the question
with the Northern Boston States. They will in the
meantime defeat the law which they cannot annul.
But they evidently contemplate a time when " this
Union" will be dissolved ; and then, but not till
then, it " can be legally done."
The rage for public Drinking Fountains has
extended to the United States. Some of the cities
already had such a provision, though to no great
extent. But, as respects New York, it is with only
too much truth observed, that although it "is the
best watered city in the world, where the weather
is generally dry, the heat often oppressive, and the
dust always choking, there is not a public drinking
fountain supplied with a cup, where the stranger
may clear his throat and slake his thirst, from the
High Bridge to the Battery. There are a few
ornamental fountains, but they are carefully railed
round, so that they cannot be approached, and the
jet throws up its sparkling column of liquid brilliants
in the centre of a stone basin, to which access is

denied by the public authorities." It is now, however,
about to be freed from this reproach. The
tion oto the city have already taken up the matte/
It is urged by the Press, that " there should be at
least a thousand drinking fountains scattered over
the city, supplied with cups for the use of the way-
faring public • and these fountains," it is added,
" which should be mostly mural and small, might
be rendered at a very trifling expense highly orna-
mental, and in the highest degree beneficial."
Whether or not they will be provided to that
extent remains to be seen. I should think, myself,
that half the number might more than suffice.

corpora-

There is another great desideratum discovered in
New York, at the same time. " The absence of
Public Drinking Fountains in our streets," it is
observed, " is as strange an anomaly as the lack of
bathing places on the river-fronts of the City. With
the salt water flowing all around us, and fresh water
running through all our streets, there is not a place
where one of our dirty, thirsty and wearied citizens
can either bathe his person or quench his thirst free
of charge." This matter is also being argued with
great earnestness upon the City Fathers

New York is assuming a degree of magnitude and
importance as a City, which makes it more and more
expedient to carry out such improvements ; and the
means of doing so are, of course, increasing in
proportion to its progress. The population of the
City (independently of the populous suburbs on both
sides of it, over the river) has in fifty years increased
more than tenfold, and in the last ten years nearly
doubled. The total value of real and personal estate
in this city in 1832 was $144,902,328 ; in 1857 it was
$521,175,252 ; so that in a period of twenty-fivo
years it has nearly quadrupled in value, while in a
period of thirty years the increase in tonnage to
this port was nearly tenfold (in 1821 171,963, and in
1851 1,624,052), the increase in the American
tonnage being more than sevenfold, and the increase
in foreign tonnage being nearly thirtyfold. This is
certainly far beyond any thing that even London
can boast of, as to progress. The population of
New York, with its suburbs of Brooklyn, Williams-
burgh, Jersey City, and Hoboken--which are all
closely connected -is computed to be now about a
million and a-half.

THE COURT.

The Prince Consort rode on horseback on Saturday,
attended by Lieutenant-Colonel Ponsonby.

Her Royal Highness the Princess Frederick William,
Wended by Count and Countess Perioncher, went to the

Exhibition of Painters in Water Colours, in Pall Mall East,
and also inspected the Gallery of the New Society of Painters

in Water C

flours, in Pall Mall

Frederic

Beaufort, the