Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-09-23 00:00:00

thing

NOTES OF THE DAY.

The report that has been current in Paris, of the
Emperor having suggested that the second son of the
King of the Belgians' should have the crown of Tus-
cany, and the Archduke Maximilian be entrusted with
the sovereignty of the united provinces of Parma uhu
Modena, is now said to be nothing more than a French
canard,—or, as we less polished Englishmen would call it,
—a piece of humbug. It is quite passible, indeed more
than probable, that the mere fact of King Leopold
having been closeted with the Emperor Louis Napoleon
n: cn

Get of tho- difputei.ho
suggested it, and that there has been no other ground
for it whatever. Certainly, such an. arrangement would
be anything but carrying out the establishment of
" Italian independence," or " Italian nationality," or
any other explication of what the French Emperor 1135
been amusing the Italians by persuading them was the
darling object of his interference in their behalf. it
the same time, it is most desirable that the dispute
should be settled in some way or other as speedily 0.5
possible. The present state of things in Italy is a nlest
undesirable one ; and the sooner it is put an end ter
the better for Italy and for Europe at large.
- If not canards, like the report we have just remarked
upon, there is little doubt that many of the recent
speculations, as to the real intentions of the French
Emperor regarding Italy, have been very baseless--er'
q_any rate, very suppositious. Very likely hiS Wiest):
has had it all settled, in his own mind, long ago ; 133
he is not one of those who foreshows his plans, or wile
takes into his confidence even his own councillors,
moment before it is necessary to have their co-operation'
One of the recent reports connected with Italian 03°'
which has been generally believed, was that of an
approaching meeting between the Emperors 'of Franct
and Austria at the Castle of Arenenberg ; 1)1.14-
this, it now appears, was altogether a supposition, ,0
not a mere invention ; for the comptroller of
Castle denies that he has received any directions to
prepare it for such a visit ; and it is scarcely likely that
the two Imperial personages would meet there, witll°,lle.
the place being made ready for them. It is true t"),,
idea may have been entertained, but abandoned ; it 11/11,t
now have been rendered unnecessary by the receo..,
interviews of the Sardinian and French AmbassadePtf
at Berne, with the plenipotentiary from Austria,--ere,
tb
the still more important interview of the King Of
Belgians with the Emperor of the French. But, be tbi
as it may, it would now seem that Arenenberg Castle
not-at present to be honoured by an Imperial visit.
the
The confirmation of our worst conclusions as to
ers,
fate of Sir John Franklin and his fellow-exPlerar
which we Yesterday communicated in a portion otter
impression, and which we now give at grecer
length, however important it may be, as such ,og
roboration, will yet have very much the effect of open to
out afresh wounds which time was already beginnilitea
close; and, on this account, it is perhaps to be regrehed,
that any such intelligence should have been Publip3belf
There could be no reasonable doubt as to the welatlvfall
fate of those brave, but most unfortunate, voyagers.o.eue-
four years ago the American expdition that was se'erett
rously sent out in search of Franklin and his gallant .deat
obtained information from which it was quite es
°'
that they had all perished ; and this, it may be 01" hat
bered, was so completely confirmed by a diseeirs, ice
was afterwards made through the instrumental
it
of the Hudson's Bay Company, that there
,tany
not be remaining the slightest vestige of hope t
of them had escaped the rigours of the climate i% is, of
they found themselves destitute and powerless. ore,
course, satisfactory to have assurance made dolls an
as to the abandonment, for instance, of the Bre of the
as well as regarding the precise periodfactoryt
lamented death of Sir John Franklin,—otls it ex'
though in a very melancholy sense ; not because alter"'
tinguishes for ever all hope regarding that Arctic
erons
prise, but as setting at rest a point which some y_o. or--
might still be disposed to dispute, and also settlui
histai.TP
tain details concerning it which, as matters of hi be
if not of geography likewise, it were desirable shoo
dete7mined. extolling
Some of our contemporaries, we observe, ar
ciated us
anon the utilitarian views of the Premier, as en_
dahisy.raill:acyonsnpeecectihonatwAitnhdroavilevir,awyheinchterpwqri nzaeri°taitcilrbeitiFyst;
of necessity, be a great deal that is util" t
be abs°ltltell:
do not see how, on that account, it can