The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-02-11 00:00:00

will suddenly grow enamoured of their old flame, and find
it much improved by its continental trip.

REPORTS OF THE INSPECroRs OF FACTORIES.—The reports
of the Factory Inspectors for the half year ended the 31st
Oat. last has been published. From their conjoint reports
it appears that the inspectors have applied themselves to
the consideration of the duties under the act of last session
in regard to the fencing of mill gearing and machinery.
They find the provisions of the " arbitration" clause
wholly inadequate to afford that amount of protection to
the operatives which they conceive must have been con-
templated by the Legislature in passing the act of 1856,
and they have therefore not taken any proceedings under
that act. They do not object to the principle of arbi•
tration, but to the class from which the arbitrators are
required to be chosen, because that class is not qualified to
act in such a capacity. The number of factories from
which schedules were received in 1856 amounted to 5,117
against 4,600 in 1850, and 4,217 in 1838. Of these 2,210
were cotton factories, 1,505 woollen, 325 worsted, 417 flax,
and 460 silk. The cotton factories have increased 14.2
per cent, and the silk, 66 per cent. The woollen trade is
becoming concentrated in Yorkshire, and the worsted
manufacture is almost exclusively confined to the same
county. The flax trade is most vigorous in Ireland. The
number of spindles and looms in 1856 was respectively
33,503,580 of the former, and 369,205 of the latter, and the
actual horse-power given in the returns is 161,435. Power
looms have increased from 115.801 (in 1836) to the
number already indicated, viz., 369,255. The average
value of the cotton goody and yarns exported in the
three years 1853, 1854, and 1833 wm, in round num-
bers, £31,000,000; of woollen and worsted goods
and yarn, the average exports for three years amounted
to £10,000,000. The number of children employed
has decreased considerably in filx and woollen factories,
while it has increased in worsted. The total number of
children under 13 years of ago employed in all kinds of
factories last year amounted to 46,071 ; the number of
males between 13 and 18 to 72,220; the number of
females above 13 to 387,826 ; and the number of males
above 18 years to 176,400—making a grand aggregate
array, so to speak, of 682,497. There were during the
half year 1,919 accidents from machinery, and 53 not due
to machinery. The number of informations was 380, and
the nnmber of convictions 245. The return of accidents
abounds in the same horrible details as.usual.

The Times reports that, while the cost of the navy last
year was £16,000,000, the estimates for the forthcoming
financial year are, it is reported, to be cut down to
£8,000,000.
The Times expresses a hope that, on Friday, the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer will be able to tell us something
satisfactory on this subject. The writer adds, should we
be told that matters are in training for a settlement, we
shall hear of the abandonment of the ninepence additional
income-tax, with additional pleasure, and with no mis-
giving, that it will ever be missed.
LEGAL CRIIELTY.—A child of nine years' old has been
committed to the county gaol for ten days for throwing
stones in the town of Torquay. The child is well behaved
and an object of sympathy with those who had charge of
him; he is infantine in appearance, wi,ll habits befitting
his age, and nothing like a criminal or ill behaved child.
He was fined is. 61. and 6d. costs, and the father
stating that he had no goods on which the funds might
be levied, the bench committed the child for ten day's
imprisonment in the county gaol. This is a horridly absurd
sentence on the face of it.—Western Times.

AUSTRIAN AMNESTIES.—The Emperor and Empress of
Austria, according to letters from Vienna, are expected at
Trieste on the 6th, and at Vienna on the 10th instant,
shortly thereafter to visit Pesth. No one in the Austrian
political circles doubts but that the Emperor will signalise
his presence in the capital of Hungary by a general
amnesty, similar to that which has been granted in the
Lombardo-Venetian kingdom. The King of Bavaria
arrived at Milan on the Ist. The day fixed for the pro-
mulgation of the Imperial decree re-organis ng the govern-
ment of the Lombardo-Venetian provinces is the 12th inst.
On that occasion an extensive distribution of, crosses and
other personal favours will be made among the inhabitants.
It is stated, among other things, that letters of nobility will
be granted to a certain number of the richest manufacturers
of Lombardy and Venetia.
PERAMBULATORS IN DUBLIN.—In the city of Dublin the
greatest consternation prevails among nursery maids and
anxious methers by reason of the promulgation of an order
of the Commissioners of Police, which is now most rigor-
ously carried out by their subordinates Perambulators are
doomed. That useful little receptacle of infant.ine helpless
ness is banished from our streets. The " exquisite" as
well as the " timid old lady" may now walk the flags in
comfort, without fear of being obliged to take refuge in the
gutter, or to cling in terror to the lamp posts. Apoplectic
babies must now be carried in the arms, or enjoy air and
exercise in the suburbs. Cabmen and car drivers alone are
happy at this summary proceeding, so well calculated to
uphold their vested rights. Ft is desirable that some such
order as the above be issued by the Liverpool police
authorities.]
WRECK OF THE SCREW STEAMER BAVENSBOURNE.—Late
on Monday afternoon a telegraphic m..ssage was posted
at Lloyd's, dated "Flushing, Monday morning." announc-
ing the wreck of the General Steam Navigation Com-
pany's favourite steamship Ravensbourne, Capt. R. Bacon,
whieb is reported to have taken place at that port on
Sunday evening. She was on her return trip from
Antwerp to London. ft is supposed that in coming out
of the harbour a heavy sea caught her bow and threw her
against the pier head, where she stove in-her bows and
sustained considerable damage. .Captain Bacon, finding
that the vessel was fast settling down, succeeded in land-
ing the passengers, but failed in his efforts to get the
unfortunate ship asho're before she went down. The
crew happily escaped in the boats. The Ravensbourne
was built for the company in 1851, and had been employed
on the London and Antwerp station for some time. She
was of iron construction, 690 tons, and 200 horse-power.
REDUCTIONS AT WO )I:WICH.--Reductions on an extensive
scale are ordered to be nut into execution in the government
department at Woolwich at the end of the present financial
year. In addition to the dismissal of the various clerks
engaged as extras during the late stress of work, the services
of the whole of the temporary clerks, a number of whom
have been always attached to the establishment, are ordered
to be dispensed with. With a desire of corresponding with
the rigid instructions of economy which have been issued,
about 2,000 artisans and labourers are likewise to be dis-
charged at the end of March—namely, 1,000 from the royal
laboratory, 500 from the carriage department, and about
500 from .the storekeeper's and gun factory departments.
Reports are current to the effect that the majority of the
artillery officers employed in superintending the depart-
ments of Woolwich Arsenal are to be superseded b i civilians
experienced in the duties of the departments, the services
of the military officers having bee❑ demanded by the com-
mander in chief, Other important changes are likewise to
be made in the store branch of the war department, which
will add greatly to the efficiency of the establishment. Many
of those who are advanced in life are to be allowed to retire
on the superannuation list.
THE PARIS POLICE LAWS.—A very good, though trifling,
change connected'with the police administration, is shortly
to take place. Hitherto, when people arrested by the police
have been conducted to the commissary for examination,
they have been led through the streets by four soldiers—
two in front, two behind, loaded muskets in their hands.
No old woman found guilty of over-tippling too much
petit bleu, no wretched hawker accused of some infraction
of police law, but was thus escorted through the streets.
The effect, to English eyes, was most ludicrous. We are
accustomed in England to see military employed only in
very serious or grave cases. To see them robbing policemen
of their most ignoble duties could not but cause a smile.
However, all this is to be changed. The authorities begin
to see that, when people are conducted with so mush
formality through the streets, it causes an unpleasant
effect upon the minds of the population. People generally
ask, when they see a person being led to justice in this
way, " Anything political ?" On this ground alone it
was worth while changing the system. Accordingly, on
and after the 15th of this month, persons accused of
offences against the law are to be conducted to judgment
in closed carriages. This is in imitation, doubtless, of our
own system•

_ .
THE ATTEMPT ON TIIFILIFE OF THE ARCHBISHOP OF
MATRRA.— Under date, Naples, February 3, the Gazette du
Midi, a Catholic paper published at Lyons, contains the
following letter :—" I promised to give you some details con-
concerning the priest who made the attempt on the life of the
Archbishop of Matera. The man is named S ilvatori Angona,
and is a lay-priest, residing at Matera, where he held a good
situation. It seems that the reading of certain Protestant
and rationalistic works had excited him, arid troubled his
mind about the presumed tyranny of the episcopacy, the
illegal power of the bishops, and the necessity of reforming
the Church. S) greatly had he become excited by these
ideas, that it had been thought nece.ssary, in order to cairn
his mind, to send him to the country. After returning. to
Matera, he lived there in tranquillity for a c-msiderable
time ; but when he heard of the murder of the Archbishop
of Paris, he suddenly took it into his head that he, too,
had a lesson to give to the episcopacy, by a crime. Ile is
now in the hands of justice. A great number of works,
attackinz the hierarchy of the Church, and even the dogmas
of Catholicism, were found at his house. These books,
and a Protestant version of the Bible, formed his regular
reading."