Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-12-14 00:00:00

tentious schemes of national representation. 11,
him throw his scheme into working order, 39
let him proceed to work it ; let him show a cc 6
scientious anxiety to provide for every conditio:'
and meet all natural and unavoidable obstaciell
and he Will have established some claim t°/11
heard. Meantime all is dark, ill-defined,
almost impossible to be argued or defended, a"
less we turn to grapple with those first princiP*
of political science which have practically Pf.
loped themselves under the shadow of the 111.
Constitution.

That the Government of this country 511
be in the hands .of the general average c-
population, and ruled by the general average
its best ascertained public opinion, is,
apprehend, a form of doctrine popular enonglo:
suit a pretty extreme specimen of the Li/01:.;
mind. That the Government shall be
not by numbers, but by classes ; not by the col`:,
and most •violent public opinion, but by
_itl;.
steadiest, and most substantial, and best digest
is certainly a recognised principle, or else a:1
conscious rule, which has grown up with
political system. Any scheme of suffrage
goes far to controvert these principles, and'
swamp the expression of an average pith,l
opinion, by investing with undue importance
prejudices and antipathies of .a class, bears 117
it its own condemnation, and admits of no argi'
ment on details. Viewing it in this, light,
is nothing more amazing than the aspect
tender regard or ill-disguised fear, that the Liber';
party has assumed with relation to the prey
e'
extreme section that gives up its brains into t"
keeping of Mr. BRIGHT. For a moment's refiecti°:
will convince us how incongruous is the conjuncti°,l
betiveen those who profess allegiance to 0
present Constitutional principles, and those .1;;
natural children whose schemes avowedly colOe
the anticipation of the violent derangement 'I
have noted. Men could scarcely believe 65t
even in our day, we have been so near. to
reversal of political and social morality 5
security,d symbolised by the government
number and the simple preponderance of
force.

We cannot be selfish enough to con,gratill'lte
ourselves upon the fact, that Opportunity 11:
been found elsewhere for making trial of the`
novel schemes in government. But we are o'o
than justified in looking to these examples
they occur, either for warning or for encourag;
ment. It would puzzle the most sanguine '
the most candid, to draw the latter DI
the most recent instances of the numaic'
theory at work either in America or in Allston°.
The latter, as our own latest offspring, may surcl
be allowed to warn us that the Anglo-SaXon'l*
has no charter of wisdom, or moderation, or s'ir,
'cAs
tue so inalienable as that its merely numerl e
expression is a safe rule of government. At
recent elections in Australia we find the opir.'
of the rno,,t numerous oxprosGed most unmistal'e;
ably; but, in form, only as the opinion of t
strongest. They prove by example, what '0
anticipate philosophically; that public opiiii,r°
expressed .by the numerical rule is the sr4Z:
macy of mob law and of might over right.
reflecting and honest mind could expect 0t1)%
wise. ror the only safe rule of governoell3,
consists in the system of balances and conemise. As Government recedes from this, it;
less perfect, and tends towards oppressiorl,o
corruption. But when a preponderating weit't
is given to the opinions of the majority as 51vi;
the balance is lost, and the despotism of a 111°11
found to differ only in form from that of
monarch.

THE LATEST NEW

A 1,114
LEY BRITISH AND IRISH MAGNETIC TELEG.,--...."

FRANCE.

PARIS, Dec. 13;0
The Fiance Ceittrale, published at Bl°is'
received a second warning, for having p 1
iites
against the first one
Madame Lemoine. has lodged an appeal beP'
the Conrt.of Cessation against her sentence-
tic
'ln the absence of Political news, nearly all ri
Paris journals of yesterday appear without tilj
leading article. There is a lull in Continen
affairs generally.

THE FRENCH FUNDS.
• PARrs, Dec. 13:013,
12 13 p.m.—Rentes opened without alteratire,
at 70 65.. It is expected that the Bank 41
duce its rate of discount on Thursday next.
3 ?3 p.m.—Business continues active,m or
prices are less firm. Rentes close at 70 ")'
about the same as yesterday.

AUSTRIA.
RESUMPTION OF SILVER PAY3IBI''
l
The Imperial Law Ga:etteo-ft:d4 paycerc;a?
N IF ;
contains a decree ordering the payment 0'
ea it,
.
interest on the National Loan to' be com
1/Ito
silver as formerly. The decree to conic
operation January Ist.
PIEDMONT AND AUSTI°.
pee'
I.l'
TURIN, me
,The _Chevalier de Jocteau hasing of Sarbeen aPP°;n
ia
minister plenipotentiary of the K
td the Court .of Timm.

lIOLSTEI.i the
pa
Prince Christian, of Denmark, has refus
4, Or
Governorship 'of iioltein, and the Danis'''. et.
vernment has consequently given up the re