Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-07-29 00:00:00

GENERAL SIR CH4RLES NAPIER ON THE
BALLOT.

We cannot resist the pleasure of extracting a passage
in favour of the ballot—of which Sir Charles Napier was
a strenuous supporter—from his work on " The lonian
Islands " (pp. 358-9). The humility with which the
gallant soldier confesses his cowardice may be studied
with profit by those magnanimous civilians who, in the
enjoyment, of luxury and independence, preach heroism to
empty bellies, and spurn the baseness of those who would
seek protection in order to do their duty;—" It is really
amusing to hear men talk of its being un-English and
cowardly' to vote by ballot. Why do the members of the
United Service Club, and all other clubs, vote by ballot
if it is so vile ? Are our generals and our admirals so
'un-English?' Do they, the chivalry of England, and
history records none more brilliant, fear saving openly,
I vote against that gentleman's admission ?' Are they
to be so un-English, and to adopt the ballot as a protec-
tion from this slight inconvenience to politeness, while a
poor man, whose total ruin would attend the same speech
at the hustings, is to be called a coward if he shrink
from what would starve his children ? Formerly we were
told Of two evils choose the least.' Tho doctrine now is
altered. Of two evils choose the greatest.' Starve your
phildren rather than give your vote against your politics
Break the law of nature rather than disoblige a man of
adverse politics. Destroy your family immediately, for
fear the Habeas Corpus Act should be suspended a
hundred Years hence. This is being English'' in tilt.
opinion of those who brefikfast, dine, and sup plenteously:
Stoics in theory, and Sybarites in practice. When the
Duke of Wellington chased Massena from Portugal, I was
three days without food, the first day was anything but,
agreeable; the second convinced me of the close alliance
that there was between hosiour and an oven.; and on the
third day I would, for a biscuit. have voted for the Duke
of Newcastle himself! If any Tory can prove to me that
my not voting for him at the next election will be followed
by the untoward feeling I had in my stomach-in the Es
trella mountains, I will give him a plumper against the
best Reformer in England. Really one cannot reason
seriously on such a subject."

NOVEL USE OF ELECTRIC TELEGRAPREL—OLIT Gentili)
cotemporaries do not think that the use of telegraphs for
political purposes is their final destinition. As the laws of
storms have been now so thoroughly investigated, and the
rain-clouds travel very slowly, the collecting and publishing
of meteorological intelligence may become of great impor-
tance to the agriculturist ; and means have been taken in
Germany to effect that, object during the sowing and
harvest seasons.—The Builder.

COLONIAL Boole POSTAGE —Tt appears by a corres-
pondence that has recently taken place between the Post
Office and Sir Cusack Roney, relative to the transmission
of newspapers and other printed matter to the colonies,
that on and after the Ist October next, packages of printed
matter not exceeding four ounces in weight can be snit
free by a pre-payment of 3d. sterling each package. The
lowest charge at present by the Colonial Book-post is 61.
THE VULTURES.—TWO letters from an-eminent London
solicitor, which have appeared in our c damns (Lancet) on
two consecutive weeks, demand both the attention and
thanks of the profession. He has been professionally
engaged to resist an attempt at extortion. Mr. Bowen
May has, with laudable forethought, appealed to the
profession for information as to similar caves of imposture;
in order that the eyes of the public may be opened to the
extent and manner of the impositions daily practised Or
them by these sh;meless charlatans. Their mode of pro-
ceeding consists in attracting the attention of week and
foolieb- men by lying advertiserients, representing them-
selves as qualified and honest practitioners; by filthy
band-bills distributed ab sot the stree's, thrust into the
hands even of boys, or posted on public places where; they
who run may read ; by books of a disgusting character
professing to be scientific, a:id illustrated by bldeonfily
exaggerated engravings. Sometimes the bait is dits-
terentiv arranged. Exhibitions, lectures, or pseudee-
scientific demonstrations are employed as the e.eccres.
Thus the unsuspecting victim is entrapped. Sometime sit
is a young clergyman who, hypochondtical from ,over-
study, believes himself suffering from some disease of'which
he never presented a symptom. Sometimes it is a foolish,
shame-faced youth, who finds with horeoe that sin has b Tao
its fruit of sorrow and pain ; or a nervous countryman) to
wborn grey hairs have brought no wisclomeand age no (Ilse
cretion, trembling at the possible result of-hia follies whilst
is town "on urgent business." Whoever and. whatever
.the dupe or the disease, the course of procedure of the
quack is identically the same.. He does nos attempt to
cure the ailment or dissipate the unfounded fear. .He
presents to the alarmed patient every imaginable horror,
works him into a paroxysm of terror, and then extracts
from bins every farthing that can. be extorted. If the
goose he a very great goesee and. nart.leularly if be coo-
' fide to the charlatan his position in society, his place of
• ahcelo, or circuraseancee in life, he is the very, model.
victim that the foul habits of the impostor have been
arranged to entrap. He is threatened with exposure
to his family, with, the publication of bin disgrace,
with accusations, of the : most revolting knd, unless be
signs bills or gives. cheques for large amounts. And it is
on money thus (seeded, that the herd of quacks wie4b
noW infesta.our town thrives, keeping large establishMente
and expensive equipages, and living like Princes of
nem We need hardly
,say that the disease, it n
has been, i.e never properly cured, since these impeAsrs
are as ignorant as they are extortionate. We ter et that
our public journals should give insertion to Aide filthy
advertisements, wholly unfit as they are for [tile perasal of
oreUnae; newspaper readers. If every -.Neer:families would
warn the editor of his objection to such 'pernicious matter
being supplied for family reading, one source of evil would
be removed. Well would it be for the honour of our
periodical literature if the example of the leading journal
of the world were mole freqnently hawed, for the Times,
with fitting regard to the dignity of the press, has always
excluded these odious advertifOlVnts from its columns,—
Lancet.

A WIDOW'WIT a AN, IN fERESTING FAMILY
SUES FOR A BREACH OF PROMISE OF
MARRIAGE,

MARY ANN. MCDONALD, th GEORGE WALSR.-This

an action for• a breach of promise of marriage, and it is
now before the Court of Common Pleas, New York, on
an order to show cause why the defendant shsuld not be
d'scharged from arrest, v hereby he was held to . bail in
the sum of 5,000 dollars, to answer the charges of the
plaintiff.