Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-08-06 00:00:00

all human arrangements, the best under the eireum-

stances

location

Lethc

The West India Mail arrived at Southampton yes-
terday. The reports of the weather from the
different islands are favourable to agricultural pur-
suits. Commercial affairs were steady: The brig
Eliza Bain, of Glasgow, has been de,troyed by fire in
Kingston harbour. The news from the South Pacific prejud
does not possess any material interest. The chances
of getting off the Paramatta had considerably im-
proved.

- The Ledbury trial has ended by y a verdict of. ac-
quittal in' fityJur of the accused. The 'judge, in the
course of the summing up, most impartially reviewed
the evidence, which was wholly eircumstancial, and
left the case in the hands of the jury, without any
expressed opinion as to his innocence or guilt. The
jury considered the evidence fir fully an hour, and
returned the verdict as above Stated. The scene in
the court at the reception of the do ~ision was a most
painful ohe'. The' prisoner wen t.',ilite) :f fit, and it
required the 'united efibit, of three ediccrs of. the
court to control him in hi,: --
The annual meeting of the
pany .wasi held yester;
share, and a bonus of .1
This is at the rate of 121
£3 shares of the compa]
•
Exchanp but £7 I
The mterincd ate
Yesterday,
before the
to the Grand .Jury, 611
what he emphatically ca

rance Corn-
of 3s:_per

The SPEAKER will. be grateful, and the

House of Commons contented in its wisdom

only lessons to be derived, then, from the fortnight's

reVelations, are—that it is inadvisable that members
whose seats are contested should be considered ineli-

gible for ministerial offices ; that if such a rule
obtained it might, and probably would be, used as a

power of obstruction by a factious Opposition or a

falling • Ministry; that it would then be open to a

political combination to prevent the formation of any

Ministry, and thus to. secure an illegitimate party

triumph ; that if a suspected member whose seat is

in jeopardy chooses to run the risk of another elec-
tion, and the constituency chooses to elect him, the
risk is their own, and whatever penalty the adverse
result of the pending enquiry may involve, must be
theirs also. These, and one or two other platitudes'
compose the well-weighed lesson which our great
political preceptor has prepared for our lasting
behoof. And truly a very pretty piece of a medio-
crity, not without its cunning, has been achieved
The Times has extracted the essence. Let England

be satisfied, and not pry any further into the chemical

ingredients of the combination. Having culled the

moral, let her settle into dignified unconsciousness,

and, with the Times, pooh-pooh the underlying fact
as already disposed of, and denuded of their brief

significance

Let her put the rest into her pipe, and
Smoke it off into the oblivion it is fitted for. In a
week the session will be closed, the judges have left
their-seats, the tribunals be broken up. Let England

carry with her into the country no skeleton frbm

the Committee-room ; no monitor crying out on the

moors and at watering-places, in the midst of. rural

seclusion and social reunions,
end

Remember the latter

)f last Parliament ! Remember Norwich and
its twice-elected Bury ! Remember Wakefield and
the tainted brother-in-law of the Virtuous Repub-
lican!" Remember Dartmouth and its gallant
Captain, with his Sebastopol courage, and his short
memory ; who drained the bank of money, and forgot
that he had drawn a farthing till the opposing
counsel reminded him ; poured his gold through

certain well-recognised sieves, but knew not where
the final deposit found its bottom, till the recorded

numbers of the notes revealed the place of their
Above all ; Remember, Oh never forget
Gloucester! with its agent from the head quarters
of Liberalism, who was obliged to drag the Reform
Club into his confession, and received his mission
from the central abode of purity
room of Lord JOHN RUSSELL !" Let us carry no such
bugbear as this to disturb the peace of the proroga-

the committee-

tion. Let us laugh it off, or cry it off at once, or

stamp it into oblivion, or shame it by our ridicule

and jeers, or frighten it by our affectation of insensi-

bility and don't

irishness

Llt all hazards, let the

Spectre be laid, and let us have a draught of Times'

Leaving the newspaper, which is very often a
useful public censor, when censure would not

peach his own credit; it is curious to turn to the

sensitive appreciations of Mr. BRIGHT, whose family

reputation has been touched by the recent disclo-

This gentleman, with all his ignorance of

constitutional, or any other, history, and all the

ices which

are the fruits of is

.norahce, aiTo.

gates to be the exponent of republican virtue

we said, he is, even personally, concerned in what

has almost assumed the proportions of a conspiracy,
formed in the highest quarters, for the electoral -con-
quest of England by corruption. What a pang for
the sensitive virtue of a republican ! This foul stain
rests, as we before remarked, upon the democratic
element in the Constitution. How cutting to the
appreciations of the denfocrat ! What can he do to
remove the stain ? This. He can try to associate

the aristocratic element in• the partnership of evil.
He can spend his energies on , that lofty achieve-

ment of chemical logic which makes one white out

of two blacks. He can thrust the whole •Coustitu_

tion into one filthy category, and exclaim, to his
opponents, "We are all knaves together : let the
most cunning win !" It is a fact 'that the fellow-

feeling which has made Mr, BRIGHT sensitive f 421

ROEBUCK

the fate of his dismissed brother-in-law, has only
prompted him to oppose every effort to mark the
House's sense of the recent insults which Wake-
field and other places have showered upon
it. His argument is a useless and a gratuitous
to quoque

knew it."

" You are as bad as we are, if we only

He strives to ward off further inquiry,

or further punishment, by a foolish threat of moving

for a committee of investigation into the practices of

both sides at Wakefield. He has nothing to answer

to Mr. ROEBUCK'S just indignation, but a suspicion
that the whole political system of England is a con-
federacy of corruption. He has not an accent of
sorrow, not a word of confession, not an admission
of injustice, in the exclusive arrogation of political
virtue to himself and his party, and the imputation

of an exclusive patrimony of evil to his opponents.
Whether daily experience is secretly correcting his
views of democratic virtue, and dashing his glowing

picture with a black patch of history, whose lessons

are again renewed, we neither know nor care. What
we do know is, what we do care for is, that the

lesson is not lost upon England; that she will reject

the cup which the Times proffers her, and will not
drink the Lethean draught.

___.__,-

THE Bribery and Corruption, by means of which, 'at

the late General Election, it is now clearly proved

the majority which upset Lord DERBY'S Govern-

meat was obtained, may not unreasonably be con-
sidered one of the most important
,subjects of the
day. It is, at all times, of very great consequenct.
that the returns to the House of Commons, whether
by one party or the other, should not be effected by
any improper means, whether it be intimidation, or
bribery, or corruption, of any kind,—and we include
intimidation in our estimate of what is corrupt. It
is essential to the due and efficient working of our
representative system, that clandestine-devices should
not be allowed to succeed. The interests of the
people would never be safe if their representatives,
or those who gain admission into the House of Coin-,
mons as such, were enabled to gain such admission
in a corrupt and illegitimate way. Purity, in such a
case, is most indispensable. There are legitimate
influences which it is for the public good should have
their proper effect ; and it is because these influences,
so beneficial in the cause of truth and justice, would
be, apt to be subverted, that we object to so under-
hand an expedient as that of the Ballot. What we
want, in such proceedings as those of our elections, of
Members of Parliament is, that first, and above all
things, they shall be done in the
,light of day.
For, we may depend upon it, that in this,
as in everything else, the divinely enunciated
principle will apply, that " men love darkness rather
" than light, because their deeds are era." The
Ballot is a dark contrivance—it shuts out the light
—it is a stratagem of secresy, They who would .act
by means of it shun the light, that they may do
what they list—be it never so evil—without observa-
tion, and, as they hope, without detection.. It is'sa
with Bribery and Corruption. To succeed. at all, 'it,
too, must be done secretly, and in the dark. They
are all dark deeds together : they may differ in their
shades of darkness ; but they all belong, more 'or
less, to the dark—they will not bear the light. of
day.

The prevalence of such deeds of darkness at the
late Elections, which the inquiries before Committees
of the House of Commons continue to disclose, make
it more than ever important that our representative
system should not be exposed to those corrupt in-
fluences which can seldom be successfully exerted in
the light of . day. And it is a remarkable fact, in

connection with the dark deeds which are.,now in
course of detection, that in almost every instance
they who have done them were strenuous advocates
of the secret Ballot. Thus it is shown, that it is the
principle of secresy which they consider it necessary
to pursue in order. to gain their political ends ; and
there is no doubt, that under the secret operation
of the Ballot, they would be able to do in the dark
deeds which might vitiate and pervert our whole.
Constitutional system. Bribery, to escape detection,
must be a secret thing,—corruption, of every kind,
to avoid discovery, must be practised in secret ; and
the secret Ballot, it is evident, is near akin, in
principle, to all those corrupt methods to which the
Liberals have had such wholesale recourse, in order
to gain that temporary ascendancy which they have
got, in the present session, in the Commons House of
Parliament. So sensible have they now become, it
would seem, of the disgrace which has thus been
contracted, that they are beginning to try and
Avoid inquiry. The Bodmin Election ease is a
remarkable instance of this, as it was brought before
the House of Commons, on- Thursday night, by Mr.
"It had come to his, knowledge," he
declared, " that the :member for Bodmin (Dr.
" MicriELL), being charged with bribery and cor:

" ruptiou, had agreed to the following compromise :
" That he should, at the end of the session, retire
" from his seat in that House ; that lie should there-
upon apply for and receive the Chiltern Hundreds ;
" and that, in consideration of his so doing, the
"persons presenting the petition should withdraiw

" it." Well might Mr. ETORMICI avow, that if the
House bf Commons desire to govern the country,
they must vindicate their character, which, it could
,not be denied, had been sullied in no slight agree
of late, by the abominable scenes Which had, been
exposed in the Election, Committees. But if
honourable members are allowed to retire by such a
course as that of the acceptance of the Chiltern
Hundreds, as a comporaise, and, thereby, to cast a
veil over the misdeeds of wtiich, by that very
proceeding, there is, if not privies. fade evidence,
at least a strong suSpicion that they have
y
been guilty, the character.of the House of Commons
cannot possibl
via.Licated, but must suffer very
seriously in the est;.mation of the country. Mr.
ROEBUCK had, goo?, ground, therefore, for the motionwhich he subnii'
Aed to the House, namely :—" That,
"inthe *lli' on of " this House, any Minister Wcalld
" bP guilty of a breach of the privileges of this House
Wh° 613‘ Auld advise tho Crown to confpk., the stelytg4.

"ship of the Chiltern Hundreds upon any person
" charged with corrupt practices at an election, and.
"who, for the purpose of evading the jurisdiction of
" the Home, had entered into an agreement to vacate
"his seat on the presentation of a petition charging
" him with corrupt practices." No,—there must be
no such door of escape as this allowed to be opened
for members who may have been returned to Parlia-
ment by such discreditable practices as are now
being exposed, be they Liberals or Conservatives ;
and the country, we think, is indebted to the
honourable and learned member for Sheffield, for
having brought the subject thus prominently and
tangibly before Parliament.

Under the present circumstances of parties in Par-
liament, it is especially most essential to the sacred
cause of the Constitution, that the mischievous results
of those corrupt practices, at the hanis of the
Liberals, should, if possible, be defeated

There is

no doubt, as we have already shown, that, but for
such practices, the Constitutional feeling of the
country might have found an expression in the new
Parliament, which would have maintained in power
the Ministry that was proceeding to carry on the
work of Conservative progress with so much advan-
tage, because with so much safety, as well as effi-
ciency, to the great interests of the people. The
country, therefore, has sustained no slight injury in
this respect through the course that has been pur-
sued

That course resulted in the infliction of a
heavy blow and great discouragement upon those
Constitutional principles which were beginning to
gain so satisfactory an ascendancy. throughout the
kingdom, and the paramount influence of which,
we are thoroughly convinced, is indispensable to the
maintenance of that system of legislation and go-
vernment, under which England has become the
greatest country in the world.

NOTES OF' THE DAY,

Many of our readers, perhaps, do not know much about
the Endowed Schools Bill, which Mr. Dillwyn has been
attempting to push through' the Rouse of Commons. - Let
us inform them, then, that, in one word, it is a measure
which aims at putting aside the just and legitimate control
of the Church of England over those endowed schools
which were founded by Churchmen, wherever it cannot be
shown that it was not expressly ordered that the education
should be of a church character. The fact was.to be quite
ignored, that the founders were Churchmen, and that,
therefore, they took it for granted, 'since their endowments
were placed in the hands of Churchmen, that they would
continue to lie applied by thein.. The modus operandi to
be employed, to effect the object. in view, is to get Dissen-
ters
.made trustees, to the' eXciusion of Churchmen, who
have hitherto been considered the proper persons to carry
out the intentions of the founders, being themselves Church-
men. A select committee of the. hi:4w, however, have so
far interfered with Mr. Diliwyn's design by modifying his
bill, that the honourable member has withdrawn it, under a
strong protest against such interference.

Lord Palmerston's organ, the Horning Post, would deal
witli the Pope very tenderly, as -respects his temporal go-
vernment. "It will," says our contemporary, "be for the
enlightened powers of Europe to distinguish between the
spiritual and secular interests of the See, between the func-
tions which Roman Catholics believe to be inherent in the
Pope, and those which have• devolved upon him by accident,
or have been assumed by encroachment." Of course it will.
But then the Holy See know no such distinction between
spiritual and secular interests as are here referred to. Roman
Catholics are not permitted to have any opinion upon the
question of the Pope's functions. His Holiness is infallible.
His dictum is therefore indisputable. He is "Christ's Vicar
upon earth." And the. earth is his, as such, and all
that are thereon whom, he can draw within the scope of his
influence. Any attempt, therefore, to distinguish between.
the spiritual and secular, will receive no encouragement in
the. Vatican. The utmost that can be hoped for is, that a
virtue may be made of 'a necessity.

It is gratifying to find that a bill is likely to pass, this
session of Parliament, for improving the dwellings of the
labouring classes in Ireland. This is a subject which has
been too long neglected in that country. There is, pe.r-
haps, no civilised land where the dwellings of the labouring
poor are more wretched than are those of the Irish
peasantry; and of its demoralising effects there have been
but too many instances put on record, and there is still, we
believe, too much evidence in the state of Irish society to
allow of its being questioned for a moment. Let us hope,
then, that this will prove to be another important stepiin
the progress of improvement in Ireland.

The business of the session of Parliament, it seems, is
drawing rapidly tea close ; as it is high time that it did, The
summer will soon be over.; and noble peers, and honourable
commoners, have but little time left to enjoy its pleasures and.
recreations. Still, there-is much of very important interest
to the country that ought to be attended to, by right, before
Parliament is prorogued. But not only is there no chance
of this being done at present, but it would scarcely,lie reason—
able to expect it. So. much time has been wasted by those
faction fights, by which the present Ministers havesucceeded
in returning to office, that many pressing public matters
must be postponed until next s€ssion. The idea.of having
a session late, in the autumn has not lately been .alluded to ;
and we suppose that Ministers have no wish. to earry it into
effect.

The Matting Herald has very forcibly shown,.that it is
really and truly because the Honourable Member for.Taun-
ton (Mr. Labouchere) had generously waived his, claim to
a seat in. Lord.Panerston's motley; Cabinet; that he has re-
ceived a peerage. as a recompense. "*along Whigs," as
our able contemporary well observes, " are sure to, obtain
their. guerdon one way or another." If. aPrime.Minister
ennot take more than sixteen into the happy &roily, of
Which, his. Cabinet is composed, he haxsomethingin reserve
with. which to: appease the discontented; Upon. this princi-
ple Mr: Smith and Sir B. Hall achieved the great object of
their lives They were humble when. humility was valu-
able, so greatness was thrust upon them, Like Richard 111.,
they may; have coyly refused the• proffered honour, or at
least assumed a virtue if they hadi it not.. To their friends
in the charmed circle each of the. newly-cnno4led may, witk
hypo4citical smiles, have said .

" Cousin of Tiverton, and sage grave men,—
Since you will buckle fortune on uky back.
To bear her burden, whether I wilt or no,
I must have patience to,enduro the load :
But if black scandal or:, foul-faced. reproach
Attend the sequel es your imposition,
Your mere enforcement shall acquittance me
From all the impure blots and stains thereof ;
For Gad doth know., and you may partly see,
How far I am A•enn, the desire of this."

It is only a Whig-Radical Government that dare sport in
this way with constitutional privileges.. It is by pandering
to perverted popular passions that they are able to silence
angry assailants.: But there can be no doubt whatoirer that,
" were a Conskrvatiive Ministry to attempt anything- half so
attroeious, 'a shout of virtuous indignation would he at once
raised."