Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-01-26 00:00:00

LONDON MINING MARKET.-JAN. 25.

Business in the mining market this morning has been
less active than yesterday, yet a fair number o transac-
tions have taken place. Shares in Wheal Unity, Tol-
carne, Wheal Nelson, Wheal Clifford, Lewis, Kelly
Bray, Providence, and Rosewarne and Herland mines,
have met with chief attention. Prices generally are
steady. Few transactions have taken place in foreign
and colonial mining securities, and prices are.nominally

THE DAY'S NEWS.

• In the House of Commons yesterday, some
highly important matters were brought under
the notice of Parliament, in an incidental manner,
while the House was discussing the report on the
address in answer to the Speech from the throne.
Among these, it was intimated by the Chancellor

of the Exchequer that it is his intention to bring
.forward,, lit financial statement .on Monday, the
6th of February. In the course of the same

debate it was complained by Mr. Horsman, ,that
so many topics have been given precedence, in the
Ministerial programme, to the Reform Bill, that
that measure runs an imminent risk of being de-
feated by a change of Ministry on one or other of
the numerous disputed subjects which, ministers
propose to take before introdncing the reform
measure, which.they have made a stalking-horse
of during the recess. As might have been ex-
pected.the new CoMmercial Treaty with France
occupied a considerable amount of 'attention, but •
such was the cautious and marked 'reticence of
ministers on this .subject that nothing could be
drawn from any of them regarding its: principle
or details. Mr. J. C. Ewart made an attempt to
elicit, an, expression from ministers that, in the
event of hostilities arising, a. neutral flag should
cover neutral goods, but he was not mare sttegess-
.
ful in this than others had been with regaticl to
the French Treaty. The Bill, for the AJzolition of
Church-rates will be read ,a second' time on the
Bth 'of next month, the first reading having. taken
plaCe "yesterday afternoon. The bill, it was
stated, is precisely !the same as the one -which was
defeated last session. After a .protracted and
somewhat migcellaneous debate, in which many
members took part, the report was agreed to, and
the House adjourned at half-past three p.m.
The state of the French treasury is flourishing,
as appears from the annual financial report by
M. Mayne to the Emperor. Arrears are being
reduced, and the new ,budget contemplates a
surplus of three millions of francs. The suspen-
sion of the operation for reducing the national
debt, it is-expected, will be but temporary ; and
the amount of treasury bills in circulation is con-
sidered small. Bid perhaps the most gratifying
and extraordinary prod of our neighbour's com-
mercial properity, is the fact that their foreign
commerce has increased eighty per cent.,—and
this, under their present antiquated' systen of
protection.and prohibition! What may they not
expect under a free policy ?
,The treaty of.-commerce with. France has been
signed at Paris, but until :the measure has been
ratified in this country, it canna be said to have
been concluded and in the face of the adverse
opinions
.already given utterance to in Parliament,
it would be rash to say when it may be 'allowed
-to become law. It cannot be so without the con-
sent of Parliament.

To execute the vast agricultural, commercial,
and industrial project developed in- the Emperor's
letter, it is- proposed, in _accordance with a plan
said to have been suggested by Count de Persigny,.
to raise . a Jean. of a Milliard, . out of . which
Assistance may be-afforded to cultivators of. land,
and for, the execution of public works. The
important announcement has been made that a
direct telegraphic line is to be established between
Marseilles and ,Berdiansk, situated at about 120
• .
miles from Taganrog.
The-.place in the French Academy vacant by
the death of M. Alexis .de Tocqueville, is being
contested by the Dominican Father Lacordaire,
who is opposed by N. Camille Doucet, who is
regarded as the 'Government candidate. The
former is said to be supported' by.all the great
talent in the academy, and. therefore it is ex-
pected that lie will obtain a triumph over the
Government favourite. The result is looked for
with interest.

The first ,French gunboat for Chinalas.been
carried from the interior to the sea-port of Toulon
in fifteen separate pieces, where it was pat

togetherand launched. Steam transports are:to
carry :the gimboats to China, for _the purpose of
keeping up a regular service between that
county and Suez. The cued frigate Gloire is
about to be fitted out for sea on the war esta-
blishment, ,All paddle steam-frigates at
Toulon are laid up—with only two exceptions.
It:is reported that Admiral Protet will command
the fleet in China,, and Admiral Page will re-
main in Cochin-China.

The state of public feeling in Austria, we are
assured, is such as to render the almost immediate
occurrence of great events, fraught with imminent
peril to the House of Hapsburg, more than pro-
bable. The whole empire is in danger of falling
to pieces, from the obstinacy cr blindness of the
present Government to the absolute necessity of
adopting a constitutional form of government and
granting the long-promised reforms. The im-
prisonment and prosecution of the Protestants is
felt to be a great injustice. The Protestants of
Lower Austria, however, still believe that the
Government will behave liberally to them, _and
the Upper Austrian Protestants are exerting
themselves to obtain their wishes. The regula-
tions affecting the education of the offspring of
mixed marriages, and of parents who have
seceded from the Roman Church, are especially
grievous and unjust—they must, as the law pre-
sently stands, be brought up-in the Romish faith.
A conflict between, the PrcteStants of Hungary
and the troops, it is believed, was unavoidable but
for the manifest determination of the Government
to avert it. The demonstrations against the Aus-
trians in the principal towns of Venetia continue
to be of the most decidedly hostile charecter. The
inhabitants of Baden and the people -of Nassau
are increasingly active in their opposition to the
Concordat. Altogether, the state of affairs in
Austria is so bad and hopeless that the abdication
of Francis Joseph is talked of as the only ap-
parent solution of the difficulty.
The formation of a new Sardinian Ministry has
proved not so easy as it was hoped to be. But
after all it is not surprising when we consider
the extraordinary and exceptional circumstances
under which Count Cavour has been called on to
perform this task. The difficulties of the situa-
tion are by no means trifling ; and under a
constitution which politically is so youthful,
the solution is—the situation is—embar-
rassing. The injudicious conduct of the
late ministry towards Lombardy, has produced
such a revulsion of feeling in that province, that
it will take some time before a proper tone can
be restored. The desired for political Union of
Lombardy and Piedmont has been lost sight of,
and. rendered only more tedious of accomplish-
ment by an unwise attempt at mere administrative
centralisation. - The' steps now being taken by
Count Cavour show, however, that he fully un-
Aerstands the error committed ; but then again
his action is,impedecl by the still unsettled political
condition of Central Italy. Is there to be an-
nexation, or a new and independent central king-
dom ? Until that question is definitely answered,
any ministry.. he may form, can only be looked
upon as an interregnum. His aim is to form
a truly national Italian Ministry, to effect
which two at least out .ef the seven
offices of state ought, in fairness to be
in the hands of the Lombards, two in the occupa-
tion of Central Italians, and the remaining three
in that of Piedmontese. In the meantime, how-
ever, the appointment of only one Lombard is
insisted upon, and the Ministry of the Interior is
kept vacant,-it is presumed, for some man of note
from Central Italy, until the time shall come for
some more decisive step in determining the poli-
tical status of that important territory. The
Ministerial list, as last adjusted, has so far given
satisfaction.

. All Europe must have felt interested in the
recently announced fact that by the simple act of
firing a salute England had de facto acknow-
ledged. the new. Government of Tuscany as un
fait accompli ; but that interest is, if anything,
heightened by the auspicious circumstance, we
now learn, that it was her Majesty's ship Eury-
alus, with Prince Alfred on board, which returned
1-that.national salute on- entering the harbour-of
Leghorn. That her Majesty's second: son .shauld
personally have been even an indirect partici-
pator in this act is not without significance, and
it is, we trust, no less ominous .of good for all
concerned.

As the day of reckoning, approaches, we are
inclined to conjecture that no one can so much
dread to give in his account, as Lord'JoTlN Rus-
SEI.I. After the promised measure of the 20th
February, shall have gone through its vicissitudes,
its criticisms, its hair-breadth scapes,—possibly its
"clippings and modifications and changes; a great
and convenient fund will be closed up which has
been most constantly and advantageously drawn
upon, any time these twenty years, for the service
of party ambition 'and party selfishness. Timid
admirers of the Constitution may dread the 20th,
and exaggerate the consequences to be appre-
hended from reckless and intemperate measures ;
but the man who is to reform the Constitution
most looks forward to the day which is to inau-
gurate his proud undertaking as the commence-
ment of a long era of probable inaction, inglori-
onsness, and official oblivion.

How should Lord JOHN RUSSSLL keep himself
before the public when the Reform question is
lost out of his wallet ? To what use will he
put his fiddle, when this, its single string, is
broken or removed ? There will even be no more
opportunity for Constitutional platitudes on hust-
ings, and at complimentary dinners. If the
people of England are satisfied about anything
it is about the nature of the Government under
which they live, and the balance of power which
keeps .it together. That Lord JOHN RUSSELL.