Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-02-02 00:00:00

nature, and thoughts of peace seem to be almost
abandoned by the leading politicians of Continental
Europe. The Paris correspondent of the Daily
News, writing on Monday evening, says that the
Emperor is preparing an immense surprise for the
World in his speech at the opening of the Cham-
bers on Monday next, and adds, that France is
certainly on the eve of war. This impression is
now more widely diffused in Paris than at any
period during the war excitement. The warlike
tone of the Hapsburg journals, shows that no
pacific solution is expected in any form of con-
cession from Vienna. The Russian Gazette of St.
Petersburg publishes a letter, the • appearance of
which in that journal is considered of certain
political importance. The writer remarks, that
when Austria sees no other guarantee for its
possesgions in Italy than treaties, it is clear that
she purely deceives herself. It is events, in fact,
which make and unmake treaties. Suppose that
the Italians, who took no part in the treaties on
which Austria relies, had been able in 1848 to
drive the Austrians from Lombardy, of what im-
portance would have been the treaties of 1815.
Beyond the pale of government, there are nations
and public opinion, with the forces and interests
of which the governments are obliged to take
account.

As a sort of corroboration th 4 war seems to be
almost certain, we hear of rumours that the English
Government are about to ask a loan of £10,000,000
for the purpose of increased armaments, chiefly
naval. Whether this loan be asked for or not, it
is certain that the increase in the navy estimates
this year will be considerable. It was believed
there would be no increase in the number of sea-
men voted for, but the Daily News has foundation
for stating that there will be an increase' of 3,000
men.

Some of the Continental papers profess to tell
us something more about the foreign policy of the
British Government than we have ourselves been
made acquainted with. They speak of the Queen's
speech being already written, and in a very pacific
sense, and they also tell us that Lord Malmesbury
is determined to promote peace in Europe if he can.
Le Nord publishes a telegram from Marseilles,
stating that the active division, commanded- by
General Renaud, has been recalled from Algeria,
and is to be added immediately to 'the army of
Lyons.

It is stated that a large increase of the Royal
Artillery serving in India will take place early in
the summer.

A telegram from Belgrade brings the intelligence
that the Servian Skuptschina has " dismissed not
merely the Ministry, but even the Senate." The
provisional Government, which was at first estab-
lished, havingi gone off in smoke, no caimacanic
having been instituted, and the Prince elect not
having yet arrived, it is not so very extraordinary
that the representative branch of the legis-
lature should again have assumed executive
powers ; but the use they have now made of
them must certainly appear strange in the eyes of
those accustomed to constitutional life in. the
West of Europe. The Senate, which the people,
through the Skuptschina, has now abolished,
was imposed upon it in 1838, by the Sultan, on
the application of the party which then, by a
coup de main, drove Milosch from power, and the
leaders of which party have ever since composed
that body. Milosch returning, their position
very naturally became untenable, and the Skupt-
schina seems simply to have done what Milosch
would have been obliged to do. What Turkey
will have to say to this extraordinary coup d'etat,
remains to be seen.

Major-General Sir Edward Lugard, K.C.8., has
been appointed secretary for military correspon-
dence at the War Office, in the room of Sir Henry
Storks, K.C.B.

Earl Granville, as leader of the Opposition in
the House of Lords, will give a parliamentary
dinner to a large circle of his political friends of
the Upper House, this (Wednesday) evening.
_

A letter from Berlin states That the
prince is most robust and well made.

infant

THE REFORMATORY SYSTEM IN
LIVERPOOL

TIIE report we gave yesterday of the meeting of
the Liverpool Reformatory Committee would
show what is being done here in that most
im-
portant practical department of public charity and
well-doing. It is not much, it must be confessed,
in such a town as this. But it is something ; and
it proves that there is the opportunity of doing a
great deal more, could popular sympathy and
concern be only led more generally in that direc-
tion. The best portion of the charitable work in
hand, is evidently that of the Akbar Reformatory
Ship, in the Mersey, which is just that kind of
Reformatory establishment which is adapted to
the numerous class of idle and dissolute boys to be
met with in a large sea-port. Shipowners have
much in their power, as respects the giving due
effect to such an effort as this ; and the Committee,
it would be seen, make an earnest appeal to that
body of our fellow-townsmen, to " aid them in this
the most important part of their work, not merely
in taking boys into their employment, but that
both shipowners and captains will exercise such a

careful supervision over these boys as will pre-
vent, thrmigh the revival of old associations, their
lapsing again into crime,"—being convinced, they
add, " that the further and more entirely both
boys and girls are removed from old haunts and
companions, the more likely is their reformation
to be permanent." The public generally have it
also in their power to aid most materially in pro-
moting the benevolent purpose of another part of
their work—that of the Girls' Reformatory,
which comprises an extensive wash-house and
laundry. The Committee, it would be observed,
stated in their Report, that as " the accommodation
and appliances in this department are now
complete, and amply sufficient to get through a
large amount of work, it is hoped that the receipts
from this source, as well as from the needlework

and dressmaking, may be, during the coming year,
very considerable,"—adding, that " the work has
been so well done as to give entire satisfaction ;
and, in the hope that it will continue to be
as efficiently performed, they venture to solicit a
larger amount of support from the public in this
department." Let us trust that neither of these
appeals will be disregarded.
With respect to the subject generally of these
Reformatories, there is undoubtedly a great deal
yet to be done ; and there very much needs some
more effectual means of bringing their operations
to bear upon those classes for which they are
designed. But as well as greater and more cordial
public support to such institutions, there must, we
humbly conceive, be some more decidedly aggres-
sive means adopted to draw the youthful prowlers
about our streets, at any rate, under their active
influence. Rector CAMPBELL remarked, it seems,
to the meeting on Monday, that " he could wish—
a vain wish, he feared—that it were possible, by
some legislative enactment, to compel those
juvenile vagabonds who infested their streets, and
who were brought up to the perpetration of crime,
to enter the Ragged School ;"—expressing, at the
same time, his apprehension, " that such a measure
would not be considered consistent with the liberty
of the subject in this free eQuar/ ;"—though it