Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-03-10 00:00:00

the highest that could occupy the mind of man, whether
poet, priest, philosopher, or artist. At the reformation
many a noble type of ecclesiastical art were destroyed in the
desire to destroy everything popish. He did not consider
that the
Ciairch of England was more justified in
.having
reresenta,"ions
of scripture characters in stained glass, than
she would be
in having ,Igures of marble, although they
were seldom adm:.fted. The essayist handled his subject in
a very able manner, tZ7ld at the conclusion of the reading of
the paper, a vote of than c was passed to him, which ended
the business.
PROFESSOR ALLAN, AT Hopi! HALL—The first of the
course of lectures announced by Professor Allan, upon
" American Life and Literature, was delivered in
Hope Hall, on Tuesday night. Mr. J. It. Jeffery presided.
Professor Allan delivered a lecture which, for, its keen
observation, intelligence, variety, humour, and eloquence,
must have astonished some, at least, of the audience. A
powerful resonant voice, and an impressive and striking
manner of delivery, greatly helped to produce the favourable
effect which the character of the lecture would of itself
have deserved to create. .Professor Allan glanced at the
characteristics and contrasts of life in the northern
and the southern States of America, the genuine
New England Yankee, and the southern slave- '
owners; the literature and politics of America ; the
decline of greatness among American statesmen ;
the past and the present character of American oratory,
including a description of that class of eloquence which we
know as " stump " oratory ' - the position and the natural
attributes of the negro, and various other of the peculiari-
ties of American life and institutions. The picture which
Professor Allan drew of America was in some places sharp
enough in its outlines, and having little of flattering soft-
ness in it, but it evinced no ill humour whatever, and no
disposition to exaggerate. In the course of his discourse
the lecturer recited with admirable effect a hume-
rous poem from the famous Biglow papers of James
Lowell. Want of space prevent 113 from entering
into a more lengthened description of the lecture, which
was in every repect successful, produced a decided effect
upon the audience, and was greeted with trequent applause
The fact that Professor Allan was almost unknown in
Liverpool, made the audience less numerous than we
conld-have desired to see ; but we feel no doubt that his
second appearance (which will be to-morrow evening) will
attract a large assemblage together. It may be added,
that among Professor Allan's auditory last night; was Mr.
George Francis Train.
EXTRAORDINARY CASE OF SUSPECTED POISONING.—OR
Monday, an inquiry was resumed before the coroner for
West Kent, touching the death of. Nelly Howe, aged
eighteen months, who met her death as alleged from the
administration of poison. The particulars of the case
were surrounded with great suspicion. It appeared that
the mother of the deceased has been three times married;
first to Mr. Harvey, a draper, secondly to Mr. Crossley. a
chemist,
.and lastly to Mr. Howe, assistant to Mr.
Crossley. The latter, however, has been proved to be a
bigamist, he having a first wife living in Liverpool. Mrs.
Crossley has had eight children, six by the first
husband, and one by each of the latter. The two
last died somewhat suddenly, as did also Mr.
Crossley, under very suspicious circumstances. In the case
of the latter, death was attributed to delerium tremens, and
in that of one of the children to sudden cold on diabetes.
The third case was the subject of the present inquiry, upon
which Mr. Steel, of Beresford-street, Walworth, stated
that in consequence of some difficulties, owing to a Mr.
Miller, of the Gothic coffee-house, Deptford, having coerced
Mrs. Crossley in signing certain bills and documents, and
on proceedings having been entered against her by Miller
and his colleagues, he (Mr. Steel) visited her at her residence
on Blackheath-hill on Sunday the 12th ult., and in the
evening of that day the deceased was taken ill. On the fol-
lowing day a surgeon was called in, and he sent some medi-
cine, and a powder was mixed by Mr. Steel, who had again
visited, and it was given by the nurse to the child. About 20
minutes after, the child became sick, but nothing was pro-
duced, and a violent purging followed, death ensuing in the
evening. Miller supposing Mr. Steel to be a stumbling
block in his way, then made an allegation that the deceased
had been poisoned by Mr. Steel, in conjunction with the
surgeon. The present inquiry was then instituted, and a
post mortem examination made. The result being unsatis-
factory, an analysation of the contents of the stomach Nies
deemed necessary, the coroner remarking that it might
probably be requisite that an application should be made to
the Secretary of State for the exhumation of the body of
the deceased Mr. Crossley. Evidence was adduced, but
the jury found a verdict, " Death from natural causes."

LATEST TELEGRAMS.

FRANCE.

PARIS, Wednesday Night.
The Constitution nel publishes an article, signed
" Boniface," on the armaments of Austria in Italy.
The article states that the effective force of the
Austrian troops in Italy has been increased from
50,000 to 180,000 men.

The Austrian army, it appears, is put in readiness
for offensive movements in case they should be
wanted, They are speaking of it loudly in the