Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-04-18 00:00:00

011 i
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members, Messrs. Ewart and. Horstall, will be
returned without opposition.
The latest accounts from London state that, such
is the character of the news from abroad, that it is
probable the Ministerial statement on foreign affai▪
rs
will be made to-night, in both Houses of Parliament.
In the meantime, the latest telegrams from the
Continent inspire hopes of a peaceful termination
of the pending difficulties, whilst, at the same
time, they show the very critical positi▪
on
of the peace of Europe. The Dresden Journal of
Saturday states that, the latest proposals of Austria
far general disarmament is supported by Prussia
and England in such a manner as to render its
acceptance probable. The great powers it is said,
are agreed, but Sardinia continues. to persist in
raising difficulties. The Paris correspondent of
the Times, writing on Friday night, shows
how near the peace of Europe was to destruction.
He says :—" We were yesterday, it was believed,
within a few hours of a declaration of war
by Austria, owing to the prevarication of the Im-
perial Government
of France on the question of a
general disarmament, its only object being to gain
time. Englancl asked for an immediate answer on
this point, and France pleaded that it could not exer-
cise its influence with Sardinia to enforce compliance.
Austria then declared that if an answer were not got
in a given time, she would consider it equivalent
to a declaration, would act instantly, and would pro-
bably be at Turin in ten days. The French Govern-
ment saw that the terrible responsibility of a general
war would fall upon them alone. It was felt Russia
could not be relied on, and that -France would not
have the -sympathy of any government except Pied-
mont. The French Government is now supposed to
have given way, and agreed to disarmament pre-
vious to the Congress, the meeting of which the
.31oiziteur is expected to announce in a few days.

The Vienna correspondent of the Times states that
the Austrian Government will be satisfied if the

ress will be to make arrangements

for placing the armies of Sardinia, and Aust-ria, and
France, on the usual peace footing. Austria wishes
merely to give the mediating powers another proof
of her moderation and. wish to avoid war.

A special • correspondent at Paris, of the Daily
News, says the result of the second meeting of the
Paris Conference is, that five powers—England,
France, Russia, Prussia, and Sardinia, recognise the
double election of Prince Couza. Austria and Tur-
key hold aloof. It is thought that, at the recommen-
dation of England and the other powers, Turkey will
in the end recognise the Prince ; so also will Austria
in case there is no war, but Austria will make use of
this recognition as a concession in the general con-

gress.
The Paris correspondent of the Herald points out
how consistent the conduct of the Emperor Napoleon
has been—he means to see this question settled in
his own way ; unless Austria concedes this the war
cannot be avoided, whether the Congress meets or
not.

411. .-------

CORPORATION SCHOOLS

IN the discussion on this subject at the meeting of
our Town Council, a few days since, some remarks
were made, some exceptions taken, which to the
thoughtful mind must have read a very important
lesson. The Council has its " Corporation Schools :"

and we have no doubt that, in many respects, they
are, in their way, very creditably conducted. But
then they are manifestly out of character, it seems,
—as such schools almost of necessity must be,—with
the principleS of our Municipal Corporations, as they
are now constituted. As Mr. ROBERTSON GLADSTONE
truly said, 4 'the object and the intention of the
Municipal Reform Act were, that all classes of
society should have an equal interest, and derive an
equal advantage from the expenditure of the public
money." But Corporation Schools cannot practi-
cally embrace,—or, at any rate, they do not embrace
—that object and intention. For as the same hon.
Councillor further remarked, " if (in the schools) we
are rearing one portion of the community only,
while we are expending funds which belong alike to
all, it does appear to me to be dealing in mere
plausibilities, if not in something worse, to inform

the"C

uncil that its fund

s are expended in reference

to the schools in the same spirit, in a similar manner,
and for similar purposes, as our funds are -laid out in

reference to every other matter connected with the

Corporation." He alluded more particularly, as he
proceeded to explain, to the Roman Catholics, who
now form, it seems, at least a fourth of the whole
population of the town, and who cannot send their
children to these schools, because they are, as a
worthy Alderman described them, Protestant
Schools

" They were established," he maintained,
" upon the same principle as the constitution of the

countr

The constitution of the country was Pro-

testant ; and it was not a case in whic
Catholics could be

h the Roman
placed upon the same footing as
Protestants." And this very argument of the
upholders of these schools affords, of itself, one of the
strongest reasons for their being regarded as inex-
pedient, in the hands, and at the expense, of such a
body as a Town Council, which represents indis-
criminately both Roman Catholics and Protestants.
The popular, or, at least, the worldly view of

education, generally involves so mistaken. a notion,'
and so erroneous a principle, that its real nature and
design are lost sight of. To teach reading, and
writing, and accounts—with other branches of
common secular instruction—this, they think, is
education. They never take into account the
the disciplining of the

indispen