The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-04-09 00:00:00

THE NORTHER tilirES.-LIVERPOOL, . THUISDAY.

opened yesterday, but no case of general interest
was disposed of.
The convention signed by the English and French
authorities respecting Western Afriea, an abstract
of which we publish to day, seems to be much
more satisfactory than that of the Newfoundland
Fisheries.
At the annual general sessions held at Preston
yesterday, the want of space in the County Lunatic
Asylum was brought under the notice of the
magistrates, but as no motion had been made on
the subject nothing was done in the matter. One
or two pensions were granted to retiring police
officers, and the routine business having been dis-
posed of, the meeting adjourned
The fare veil address of Mr. John Bright to the
electors of Manchester has just.been issued. It is
dated " Florence, 31st of March." He states that
the result of the Manchester election has not
greatly surprised him, and he cannot seriously
regret it on personal, but must lament it on public,
grounds, es it tabs the world that many
of the electors have abandoned the opinions which
they held in 1817 and in 1832. He does not regret
his course on the Russian war. On the contrary,
on a calm review of all the circumstances of the
case, he would not unsay or retract any one of his
speeches, or erase any one of his votes if he could
thereby reverse the decision which the electors of
Manchester came to on the 28th of March
The provincial organ of the Peace party
is of opinion that after all Mr. Bright''s
proper place is in the House of Com-
mons. "This is not merely the opinion of his
political adherents ; it is the unanimous verdict of
his most embittered opponents. None will
grudge him whatever intervals of cessation
from public duties may be required for the
complete re-?stablishment of his health; but
beyond this limit he cannot he permitted to hold
back. Some of his friends at a distance have
hailed his rejection at Manchester as the signal of
a new agitation. They speak exultingly of a
parliament out of doors, comprising such men as
Cobden, Gibson, Fox, Miall, Layard, &ea. Au out
of door parliament there will be, unless the parlia.
meat in doors is speedily made sufficiently
comprehensive to include both ; but neither Mr.
Cobden nor Mr. Bright, nor any of their colleagues
in the enjoyment of public gratitude, can be asked
to take their seats in that outside assembly. They
have been sent into exile; it is for the people to
call them back. If they are not wanted, they have
no wish to thrust themselves into political
prominence.
Some of the London papers, the immaculate
Times included, have been browbeating Lord
Palmerston for his unsuitable selection of a new
bishop of Norwich, alleging that Mr. Pelham has
been appointed. Now the fact is that the Queen
has at present no power to accept the resignation
of the Bishop of Norwich, and that in ordinary
course some two or three months must elapse
before an act of Parliament can bo passed making
it lawful for her Majesty to do sl. It is unneces-
sary for us to say that no step has yet been taken for
filling up a vacancy which is only prospective, and
that consequently any arguments founded upon
the statement regarding Mr. Pelham's designation
to the see of Norwich must depend upon a hypo-
thesis, the fulfilment of which is not at all events a
matter of immediate probability.
Some discussion is at present going on as to
what Baron Rothschild will do when the New
Parliament meets. Is he prepared to press his
claim ? Will he present himself to take the oaths ?
Will he venture to take any part in the election of
a Speaker? These are problems which greatly
depend for solution upon the promises that may
be made to Mr. Rothschild by the First Minister,
and the First Minister must be dependent upon
the will of the Cabinet Council.
From a parliamentary paper just issued, we
learn that the amount expended for the relief of
paupers in 624 Unions during the half year ending
Michaelmas last was £1,96L027; during the same
period the year before it was £1,981,806. But
between 400 and 500 parishes are not included in
this return, and we may, therefore, assume that cur
English paupers cost the country a yearly charge
of more than four millions sterling, and that is,
we need scarcely say a condition of things the new
Parliament should try to remedy.-
It is denied that the Emperor of the French has
urged upon the British Government the expediency
of expelling some of the more obnoxious refugees.
We find it stated in. the Irish papers. that the
fund for the family of the late unfortunate Mr.
Little amounts to nearly £1,400. Mr John Ennis,
M.P., has been re-elected Governor of the Bank of
Ireland. The Judges have decided, by a large
majority, that a title granted by the Commissioners
of the Encumbered Estates Court is indefeasible.
A. meeting to consider the working and effects
of the Mercantile Marine Act of 1854, by investing
powers of an arbitrary character in the Board of
Trade, has been held in Glasgow. Capt. Kellock
appeared on behalf' of the parent association at
Southampton, and addressed the meeting at great
length on what he termed the iniquities of the act
in question. William Ewing, Esq., defended the
Board of Trade. He believed that the master
complained, not of any actual grievance which he
sustained, but of a possible grievance, arising from
the supposed incompetence of the Justices of the
Peace for the situation in which they were called
to act as a' tribunal appointed by the Board of
Trade. Although it was very true that Justices
of the Peace were not generally acquainted with
nautical matters, still they were capable of judging
of matters of fact and common sense, and with
reference to the nautical part, the Board of Trade
provided an assessor, who was to judge of the
nautical parts of the case. The Justices of the
Peace heard the evidence, and if a point of
difficulty came up they could refer that to the
nautical man who sat along with them. Besides all
this, there was not only the hearing of the case
before the Justices, but there was the supervision
of the Board of Trade, situated in London, before
whom the whole case went ere the final decision
was given. The meeting seemed to acquiesce in ,
the opinions expressed by Mr. Ewing, and it
separated without coming to any resolution.
Te Continental news is devoid of interest or
importance. The decision of the Council of State,
in the matter of the Bishop of Moulins, is published
in the Paris papers. It comprises, at the same
time, a rebuke administered to that arbitrary
prelate, a repeal of the measures adopted by him
to the prejudice of his under clergy, and a vindi.
cation of the liberties and rights of the Gallican
Church. This decision of the Council of State.
which is the severest lesson received by the Ultra.
montane party for many years past, will cause
as much gratification to the nation at large as
vexation to the intolerant members of the above
party.
Accounts from Berne of the sth announce the
arrival there of M. Piager, one of the two Neuf-
chatel delegates who have followed the proceedings
of the Conference in Paris. M. Piager arrived on
the morning of the. 4th; he had an immediate
interview with M. Fornerod. President of the
Confederation. An extraordinary sitting of the
Federal government followed this interview.
The most serious matter on the Continent is the
Austre-Sardinian rupture. Sardinia is concen-
trating troops at Alexandria, which may be
regarded at Vienna as a menace. The Sardinian
ambassador, Cantono, has not yet left Vienna, nor
is he likely to do so.
The Neufchatel dispute is progressing to •a
satisfactory conclusion.
The Porte has been requested by the European
Commissioners to withdraw the Turkish troops
from Wallachia during the elections.
The arrival of the Grand Duke Constantine of
Russia at Toulon has been officially fixed for the
22nd instant. The greatest activity is displayed in
the port and arsenal in terminating the necessary
preparations for the reception of the Prince, which
promises to be very brilliant and animated. A
steam Rotilla will meet the Russian squadron at
sea, and will accompany it to Toulon.

THERE is nothing which gives us a better in-
sight into the history of human nature, and of
the every-day occurrences of life, than the pro-
ceedings of our law courts. On Tuesday, we