Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-10-15 00:00:00

THE DAY'S NEWS.

The determination which the Dictator of Parma
has shown to bring to justice the murderer of
Count Anviti, has excited a strong feeling of ge-
neral approval among the Italians. Even the
National Guard, as well as the citizens generally,
of Parma, are signing, it seems, an address of
thanks to him for the measures he has taken.
It is now stated that the Lombard Debt has
been one of the principal difficulties in the Con-
ferences at Zurich, and that it is now, in fact, the
only question remaining to be settled. This,
however, does not tally exactly with what is
understood to have been the results of the French
Emperor's recent consultations witl the foreign
ministers at Biarritz. _ _

It is now confidently stated. that the Confer-
ences at Zurich being about to ease, the Congress
which is io give effect to their proceedings has
already been convened, and that it is to consist of
representatives of all the Great Powers, England
included.
The speech of Sir John Pakington, in Worces-
tershire, on China, which was briefly noticed in
our second edition of yesterday, appears to have
given general satisfaction ; insisting, as it did, on
the necessity of our policy with respect to that
country being no longer considered a matter of
party opinion, but of national interest.
The return of the Emperor and the Empress of
the French to their capital, appears to have dif-
fused great joy among the Parisians,—more par-
ticularly, of course, the tradesmen, whose inter-
ests so materially depend upon the presence of
the Court. It was somewhat ominous, that, al-
most simultaneously with the Imperial return,
there should have been issued an official warning
to one of the French press, showing that the old
restrictions on its liberty are, in the main, to be
maintained. The article which has provoked
this warning, accuses the French Government
"of abandoning the glory and the interests of
France in the affairs of Italy." This was, no
doubt, touching upon a sore point ; and it would
naturally be felt that, for the Emperor to return
among them, under such an imputation, might be
apt to deprive him of some of the expected eclat.
We have news from New York, it will be seen,
via Southampton, to the Ist instant, but it is of
no political moment whatever. In our next we
shall no doubt be able to give intelligence from
the United States to the sth instant, and which
may probably communicate something more im-
portant.
Among the local occurrencies of the day, the
coming Municipal Elections are beginning to
assume the importance they usually put on when
the middle of October has been reached. No
fewer than three ward meetings were held yes-
terday. One of these was held in the Common
Hall, Hackin's Hey, which was most numerously
attended by the leading men of all parties con-
nected with Castle-street Ward. The meeting
was enthusiastic in its declared opinion of the
desirableness which exists for obtaining a thor-
oughly efficient practical man of business to
represent the ward in the Town Council ; and
such a man they have found in Mr. Woodburn,
who, the meeting declared, fully deserves their
confidence.

caoe
WE spoke, yesterday, of the various Augean-
stables, scattered about our social and political
system, polluting the moral atmosphere. And we
adverted with some degree of hope to our Social
Science advocates, as humble pioneers in the
work of removing or cleansing them. But there
is one stable which, notwithstanding all our
disgust, and all our affected attempts at purifica-
tion, gives no sign of ever growing less loath-
powlteiee.lr m,
e r a
lilde
loath-
some and offensive. There is so much interested
m
e in
andkee respectable it at its dirty level, so many
spectabk interests are banded
,t,eh yec
dl ea ay n,
of u
smi no gre
eotoc
ror :nee: no
ttl
oiu , d thataotre d
electoraltah ne
dd i
mr tmbo
sys-
v
bome
together, to burke the innovating Hercules and
dam i
p

tem; or rather not to the electoral system, bur,
to the way in which unscrupulous -men pervert
and it.

_ -
uttleolrproi‘lncial any one, for instance, undertake for
competent reward, and without being ' pressed
unduly as to time, :to cleanse the Leatham.
stable ? The light is being turned in, upon it
with such a breadth of glare, that every nook
and corner and cranny of filth and nastiness, is
thrust forward upon the canvass with Pre
Raphaelite intensity. The whole machinery of
corruption is turned inside out, and every little-
spring, every minute contrivance, every wheel
and stop cock and safety valve, reveals every
particular office it performs, and the means
of its performance. Dreadful, indeed, to-
turn the bull's eye of the Executive 111"11-
Gloucester and Wakefield! Could not the noble,
art which election agents live to foster and pass'
on to hopeful students, be left flourishing in its.
-chosen home? If this back-ground machinery of-
^ elections were destroyed, would not science re--
ceive a blow, and the skill and tact of the practi-
cal mind lose one fertile branch of occupation and
development ? It may be a question whether the
electioneering art be not a. serviceable safety"
valve for society ; whether those who are ilh°
paid for doing their dirty work at distant periods,
and in
,the meanwhile for keeping up the hill-
chinery, and therefore kept in some sort 01
official regulation, would not be found, in other
Ittwh eiticircumstances,rthheoifure without the
nefariousltpohrweesy chancei
wngithNvocivaotlthfl i
ever
ivogenc.'ret nreoclalev;
earning
ennirgtdehid:a
without"
daring
liocgi:
incredityourem
be
el
reo cfot
oft
knowing
snno
ocawi agent; is,wa i ott
hhn i
the
hi:.
ee
01
,w,
rahgotull
eve , 0
and
n ied-
holdingsp ect a l3e
imposingo
his hands the influence of a constituency ; and
moreover with an indisputable claim uP3II,
the attachment and the respect of a political
party. He therefore " consults the propriety
of a questionable occupation, and conducts i
according to line and rule, and recognised Is'
Doubt not, too, he has conscientious
scruples of his own, which rigidly insist upon
an amount of respect and deference. The 18.31
his little scruples are managed, is simply by reci‘
procating a certain transfer of conscience between
himself and the candidate, or himself and the
committee. The casuistry of an election, ill its
unknown and more delicate aspects, consistieg
in the negotiation among its officials of all merle"
tart' transactions by means of a tacit understaod‘
ing ; an appearance being all the while kept 311
to each other, that the one suspects no dis-
honourable intention in the liberality which hi°
furnished him with money, and that the other as
little suspects a dishonourable intention in the
way it is to be appropriated. The unconfessed 03
hidden purpose, each borrows the other's coin
science to bear; and in this way tries or pretend'.
to shuffle off his responsibility. The 4, coo'
science" of an election agent is, we would hace
our readers know, a curious subject of study, aid
no mean problem in psychological science.
But the practical question is, can We, the r;
deckc``
pie of England, who as a body have 0,
repugnance to dark and crooked arts, aPPIY auil,
e
'
remedy to an evil which conducts itself in su:
it IS
security and method? The Times tells 115, A
foolish to expect from us so much perversitY
led
caprice, inasmuch as we are now fully res°lwiii
on such alterations in our political system as, 0 it
fix the evil more firmly than ever, and 001"teic,
utterly irremediable. Thus there are, fort oci,
two parties to consider; and we are very 111,00
mistaken if the history of next parliament cl
f the
not tell a different tale from the prophecy e t
tils
present moment. Mr. COBDEN tells iii, of
parliament is not sincere in its professiello,
anxiety to put bribery and corruption a° teii.
And we partly believe him. But shall oco,
him why ? Because there are too nicuill is of
thanzs in the Legislature. We are certaio`.jer,
opinion that much might be done by ao 111100,
stood combination among candidates, to disc
table
tenance and refuse to pay for the disrePll hief
outlays of corruption. And one of the cof
services done by the present Commissi°bilit!
Inquiry, is to manifest this beyond all possleia
of question. What hope is there of discou 7e as
so leut'sog
the bad arts of election chicanery,
society carries its LEATHAMS on its surface'
re ot
oaa
second all its intrigues, support its Oar" tbeif
affectation, and, like Sir W. HAYTER, " hay
others
suspicions," but only thank Heaven that tsra
are doing the dirty work, and that it 0131aireet
out to their own benefit, without their eg
6ta
implication ? If these men, who. claim a f t,136
, pillesta°,oo,l
to represent the virtue and princ.i
legislature, are willing to see corruptio
Siso
bweafro,reanthaetior
beyeessi,letnotprwohviedne itthewyitahrethteoialli.eteoesff;
no questions; if such as Mr. LEA is
31 Doi
leech cry of " give, give, give," which be
• laNc's t lit' enough to respond, day after day, to thia,tooso 03';',
law of finality, like his brother-in- , „ li
eo '' Of
ened Reform Bill, and which encounter Ace
word 0- 07
rality as unwearied as itself ; if a other,
draw forth his thousands, one after the 04.,,i0
igt
hwisargranreatttdiso
hmisawy,obnutt,suosfpiccoiuronsse6)__wiwtll:;:i:etocar;
not expect the race of underling bribers peg' 0
out, or that the " good cause" will evere If,
the venal interest and the power of ill°ll j 0 Of
forthwith O $'
think the Commission should sit forth
obi
e
~ his osq 01
LEATIIAM; and that in the face m ...do
to character should not be allowed anY trea
the eft
IGHT tO ~
the inquiry. Send Mr. WAINWR 1 eh
Mr• LEATIV''
torted confessions, even Mr. BRIGHT'S 7:.1;110;
mill if you will, but let •
.sitcol°
his captivity,
on
remsect shiverior, teal
spectacle than this
bation and eel/
" breeze" of popular pro
Did ever mortal eye fasten a more rill- ti,e,