Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-03-09 00:00:00

" Eternal spirit of the chainless mind !"

THE REFORM MEETING.—The Reform Meeting which
was advertised to be held on Friday, has been postponed to
this day week, as the Committee have thought that a better
day, and will enable them to have all their arrangements
perfect by that time.

We have reason to believe that the statement which
appeared in one of our contemporaries yesterday, to the
effect that a meeting of the Old Whig party was held
.on
Satnrday in reference to the course to be taken with regard
to the Reform Bill, is without foundation, no such meeting
having been held.—Globe. •

THE GALWAY PACKET STATION.—The Belfast News
Letter states that great satisfaction has been expressed at the
result of the application to Government for a subsidy to the
Royal Mail Steam Navigation Company. It adds that the
amount granted is just the sum asked for, namely, THREE
THOUSAND POUNDS a voyage out and home. This sum is in
addition to five hundred pounds a fortnight granted by the
Legislature of Newfoundland, thus making the total subsidy
£3,500 per voyage. Our Irish contemporary then proceeds,
" The Cunard contract is £3,320 a voyage, so that the con-
tract by the Galway Company is better by £lBO in money,
while the distance to be run is less by 360 miles. Even
viewed simply in the light of a commercial speculation, the
success of this great undertaking is now looked upon as
certain, and since the announcement of the Government
grant, the applications through:Mr. Edward Fox, broker to
the company in Dublin, are understood to be extremely
numerous. It is said that the subscription list will close in
the course of the present week." We have heard that the
grant has not yet been made, and we would even hope that
it never will be. What advantage the public are to gain
from such an act of wasteful extravagance we are at a loss to
conceive. It may be the desire of a weak Government to
secure the support of Irish Members, by the perpetration of
a gross job ; but after Lord Derby's declaration to Father
Daly, we can scarcely believe that anything so monstrous
will be attempted. We shall see.

THE NEAPOLITAN REFUGEES AT QUEENSTOWN.—In OUT
impression of yesterday we announced that the Neapolitan
Refugees, recently despatched from Naples, had been landed
at Queenstown. Since then we have received the Cork
Reporter, which says :—" About seven o'clock yesterday
(Sunday) morning a vessel under the American flag dropped
into Queenstown, and very soon b.'came an object of much
curiosity and interest, when it was discovered that she had
on board the Neapolitan patriot, Count, or Colonel, Poerio,
with his companions, sixty-nine in number, including one
bishop and seven priests. Their presence amongst us is
thus explained :—They were permitted to transport them-
selves to New York, the Neapolitan Government stipulating
to give each of them, on arrival at New York, the sum of
130 dollars to begin life' with anew in America. On the
arrival of the vessel at Cadiz, outside the straits of Gibral-
tar, the refugees, who greatly outnumbered the crew, the
latter being only seventeen in number, rose in 'mutiny,' and
insisted that the captain should steer direct for Cork har-
bour. To this request the captain of course gave a flat
refusal; but he was forcibly deprived of the command of
the vessel for the time being, and his second mate appointed
in his place pro tem. The latter owes this distinction and
temporary promotion to the uniform of the Galway or Lever
line, which he wore, and which gave the refugees assurance
that he had sufficient experience as a mariner to be entrusted
with the chief conduct of the vessel. Some of the refugees
I are, we understand, noblemen of birth, and all, both