Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-12-01 00:00:00

House, had been rejected In the Upper. Nothing
is said of the resignation of the Ministry in eon-
sequeloe. Trade was dull.

THE aspect of afl•'airs in Belgium, is at the
present moment of a most important and serious
character, and the period when the contest
between the Priesthood and the Liberal party
must be decided, is fast approaching. As an
evidence of the nature of the coming contest, we
have only to refer to the circular issued by the
head of the New Administration to the Governors
of the Provinces throughout the Belgian Kingdom.
This circular is •a reply to the Jesuitical saphis-
teries of the priesthood, whose conduct clearly
shows that they have studied morals in Sigouri,
and logic in Escobar. M. ROGIER, the Prime
Minister of Belgium, exhibits in the circular
alluded to, a calm and dignified tone, and the
principles and line of policy he earnestly and
eloquently propounds strictly constitutional.
He places before the public the real merits of
the controversy, and with force and reason ap-
peals to the electors to rescue the State from
embarassnients, which, if aggravated, must sooner
or later plunge it into all the horrors •f a civil
war. Menacing although the present position
of Belgium is, we have faith in the good sense
and wise discrimination of the King and his
Liberal Ministers, notwithstanding the fact that
the:main object of the Clerical faction is to sub-
vert the relations between the Church and the
Government.

We have, en previous occasions, alluded
to the causes which led to the dissolution
of the late Chamber, and showed that His
Majesty, King LEOPOLD, was compelled to adopt
that course in consequence of the attempts which
the Church was making to overrule the Lay
authorities of the country. And now fearing that
His Majesty's appeal to his people may result to
their disadvantage, they use all sorts of
schemes and false statements and public ridicule
to prop up their strength in the new chamber.
It is to meet these slanderous statements that M.
ROGIER has issued the circular, In it he desires
the local' authorities to place the policy of the
Government in a broad and intelligible light be-
fore the electors, and combats the several items
contained the impeachment preferred by the
more rancorous members of the opposition. In

little more than a week, the electors will be
called upon to record their votes, hence the
necessity of controverting and demolishing the
sophisteries put forth against the prerogative of
the Crown and the duties of the administration.

As a matter of course, the clergy are loud and
bitter in their complaints,—and from what we
know in this country of their partizans, they are
sure to find sympathisers in the United King-
dem,—that they have been made the object of
an aggressive mevement, and that Belgium has
been unnecessarily convulsed by the impolicy of
the administration. To this, the answer of M.
Rogier is more courteous and explicit than his
antagonists had any reason to anticipate or
expect. He shows that the defeat or retirement
01 Lae LiaLuonc mantstry, ieii nun and his
party in possession of place and office, but the
same time put them in the power of
,a hostile
and bitter opposition, sa that it was inconsistent
to expect that he could carry on the government
of the country, and guide the legislation of the
Senatorial Chamber, three-fifths of the members
of which were entirely antagonistic to his
authority. It is only by Ithe Church that Bel-
gium has been compromised in political dis-
cussions—the priesthood made obnoxious, dange-
rous disputes commenced, and the intelligent
classes of the people goaded on, until at last
their chief alternative lay only between violent
resistance on the one hand, or humiliating sub-
mission on the other. Looking at M. RoGIER's
circular, we observe that the principle of the new
Cabinet is that ,cf "order" and " progress, "
whilst that of the Opposition is merely to produce
a national torpor. As the most effectual and
powerful ally of spiritual tyranny, he has
undoubtedly scattered to the winds the unfounded
imputations cast upon him by his antagonists.
They have accused him of annexation tendencies
and revolutionary sympathies, and have gone so
far as to cast a doubt upon his sincerity as a
Christian.

Such, however, is but the language of
a Inere faction, for it is well known that the late
Ministry were political incendiaries, whose mis-
chievoug meddling forced the country back into
disreputable conflicts between the supporters and
the enemies of civil and religious liberty- It is
nothing new for the slaves of the Italian Propo-
ganda todopt such an unworthy mode of war-
fare for tie purpose of establishing aad perpe-
tuating ecclesiastical tyranny. The master
under whose banner they fight owes no allegi-
ance to the truth, in Any form,",and this policy
they pursue is without conscience. Neverthe-
less, we cannot close our eyes to the fact that they
possess both influence and power. To experi-
ence they combine the command of the pulpits,
which are notorious for Romish anathemas, whis-
pering treachery into the ear of the innocent but
ignorant peasant, and sedition into that of the
soldier; they crawl into families, and leave
their objectionable teachings in the minds
of women and children, and thus the
masses of the illiterate are led to believe
that the Throne itself is a conspiracy, and the
Government and Liberal party a rebellion against
the temporal and spiritual interests of the people.
M. ROGIER has ably refuted all these allegations
of the ex-ministers, and has shown the electors of
Belgium that the best interests of the country
Cart alone be attained by the principies• and I

policy which his able circular puts forward, and
as such it is calculated to do much good before
the day of voting, December 10, arrives. It
will show to the various constituencies through-
out the Kingdom of Belgium that their duty is
to repel the pretensions of a class of politicians,
who, when prescribing a scheme of Charity and
Education, were known to have a concordat
in their pocket. We have made these remarks
from the fact that, although many may deem
the matter of minor importance to this country,
it is one that interests England in no small
degree ; for nothing should be deemed insignifi-
cant to England that relates to the vicissitudes
and the prospects of religious freedom on the
Continent. We take an interest in Belgium
because her King is nearly related to our own
good Queen, and is the chosen Sovereign of the
people over whom he has presided with ability
and much discrimination. The clergy have
factiously opposed his designs. He has appealed
to the nation, and we hope that the general
response will be to strengthen the hands of his
present advisors, and rescue the Government of
the country from a faction whose bigotry is only
equalled by their ecclesiastical tyranny, and
opposition to civil and religious iberty.

THE KING OF DELRI—Just added to Allsop's Royal
Wax Work Exhibition, Lime-street, Liverpool, modelled
from a sketch taken in the City of Delhi.
LEWIS AND COMTANY'S NEW ESTABLISHMENT FOR BOY S'
CLOTHING.—Number of boys clothed for the week ending
Saturday, November 28th, 694; corresponding week last
year, 410 ; increase, 284.
BENEVOLENCIL—Yesterday, Mr. Mansfield received £l5
from Mr. Healing, a retired merchant, as an instalment
for the opening of a soup kitchen for the relief of thepoor
who are in distress. This most excellent example, no
doubt, will be followed by other benevolent persons.
CAUTION.—One of the presiding magistrates at the police
court yesterday, in the case of some dock informations,
intimated his intention of inflicting large fines on persons
who neglect to remove their goods from the dock quays—
fines heavier than the cost of removal—there is no lack of
men now, and this notice should be a warning to the
parties concerned.
MIDDDE-CLASS UNIVERSITY EXAMINATIONS.—We under-
stand that our energetic townsman,Mr. Alderman Holme,
has consented to take the chair at the meeting to be held
on Thursday evening, at the Collegiate Institution, in
reference to this subject. Those who remember his
admirable speech at the laying of the foundation stone of
the Free Public Library, will regard his assistance in the
proposed movement as a subject of congratulation.
TRIAL TRIP OF Tun ADRIATIC. —The New York Post of
the 16th November, says :—" The Adriatic returned from
her trial trip about half past nine o'clock this morning. She
went out to sea on Friday and Saturday, some fifty miles,
up Long Island coast ; on Sunday she rounded Block
Island, and returned to Sandy Hook, and cruised about
until morning. She ran up to sixteen miles an hour against
head wind. Her greatest speed was made from a measured
point at Sandy Hook to a measured point off Governor's
Island—just eighteen nautical, or twenty one statute miles.
She ran this in one hour and four minutes, starting against
tide. She had on at this moment about two-thirds of her
available steam, and was about half laden. This speed is
equal to the highest attained by the Albany steamers
Oregon and Vanderbilt, upon their great trial trips two
years ago. This speed would take her to Albany in seven
hours. Thera was no perceptible jar in the machinery,
every part of which seemed to work in perfect unity. The
trip was pronounced in the highest degree gratifying by
all the guests on board, among whom were Messrs. Allen,
Collins, Captain Cavendy, of the Washington, Lieutdhant
Belaveneta, of the Russian corvette, Lieutenants Taylor
and Temple, of the United States service, Professor Grant
and others. She sails for Europe on Saturday. Captain
Cavendy's Tripod for taking the latitude, and Professor
Grant's Calciure light, both new inventions, ware pro-
nounced satisfactory, and adoated.

The indisposition of the Earl of Scarborough (says the
Nottingham Journal), consequent upon an accidental fall
backwards in attempting to cross a ditch while out
shooting on the Longshaw Moors, in August last, has
created feelings of the deepest regret throughout the
y Au. %4.11J1.0 LILO
spine has we understand, been severely injured. The
advice of Dr. Ferguson and Dr. Bright, two eminent
metropolitan physicians, has been obtained. They have
recommended that the noble earl should refrain from the
least exertion.
HIGIDIORE v THE EARL AND COUNTESS OF HARRINGTON.
—ln the course of a correspondence between the Earl of
Harrington and the Rev. F. J. Jones, which we lately
published. in relation to this prosecution, Mr. Barron, of
Elvaston Castle, near Derby, was accused by that rev. gen-
tleman of '‘ much wilful misrepresentation, and something
worse." We are glad to see by the local papers that Mr.
Jones has thought it right to recal the imputation and
publicly acquit Mr. Barron of the charge.
CELT AND SAXON.—We have now in this city a fair
opportunity of testing the relative physical characteristics
of the Celts and Slxons. We have a Saxon regiment—the
Elthorne Militia—composed, in the bulk, e f men who are
not only under size, but literally dwarfish in personal
prop rtions. We will not compare them to our Celtic
Consc.abulary, who tower above them like giants; but,
c)ntrasting them wi h the Irishmen of the 59th, and oth-r
depots now in Cork—recruits who have joined even since
the reduction of the standard height for the army— they
will not stand comparison with the Irishmen, in height,
bulk or bearing.—Cork Report.
OLD Lars.—The comfortable inns of the country are
crumbling away before the system of railways and the
social changes in the habits of the people which they
introduce. Not long since the Old Black Boy, of Chelms-
ford, departed, leaving the site upon which he had so long
stood as a legacy for the improvement of the town, though
the provisions of his will have not yet been carried out;
and now the Lion and Lamb Inn, a cosy hostel, though it
cannot boast the same honours of antiquity, is about to
clo.e its doors, and bid the weary wayfarer pass on to seek
elsewhere the good fare and slippered ease it has been
accustomed to supply. The inn appeared to stand con-
venient for the traffic to and frqm the railway ; but having,
it appears, for some time ceased to be profitable, it will
be seen by an advertisement, the furniture is about to ba
brought to the hammer, and the house will be converted
into a private dwelling. Chelmsford Chronicle.
A. BOY FATALLY CRUSHED AT THE KERKSTALL FORGE,
NEAR LEEDS.—On Friday morning Mr. A. Horsfall,
deputy coroner for Leeds, held an inquest at the Sovereign
Kirketall, on view of the body of William Child, a
lad eleven years of age, and the son of Mrs. Child, widow
of Kirkstall. A little after six o'clock that morning, the
boiler makers in the forge were engaged in removing a
boiler, and Mr. Young, the foreman in the department,
placed the deceased at the point at which he was required
to work. Unfoieuriately for himself, deceased moved to
another point, and ao the boiler was being removed, it
gave way and crushed the lad between the dome and a
place in which certain rollers were working. Deceased
was almost immediately extricated, but he did not give
any signs of life, and expired without a groan in about
eight minutes. • His head and his chest were both
crushed.—The jury returned a verdict of " Accidental
death."

PROTESTANT INTOLERANCE AT ICZLSO.—We (Weekly
Register) have this week received particular accounts of a
transact on which illustrates the liberality of the sons of
John Knox. The Catholic Church at Kelso having, as
we all remember, been wrecked by a Protestant mob, an
alvertisement was published inviting contracts for rebuild-
ing it. The successful offer was that of Mr. Black, a resi-
dent in the town, and a Preabytertan communicant. As
he set to work jvith good heart, he received from the Rev.
Dr. Boner' his minister, a letter of remonstrance, to which
he replied that he was a sincere Protestant, and that, in
taking a contract to build a Catholic chapel, he no more
identified with its worship than a mercer who sold silks
which might be bought for vestments and altar hangings. ,
Next Sunday (we beg Dr. Boner's Pardon for not writing
Sabbath, but we have a weakness in favour of the English
language, and want our readers to understand us), Mr.
Black publicly presented himself to receive what in Scot-
land is called his "token,"—the ticket of admission to
the Presbyterian communion. It was refused in the face
of the whole congregation, and the cause of the refusal
publicly announced. Mr. Black, therefore, is now excom-
municated for working at the restoration of a Catholic
church. Who can doubt that Dr. Boner wants only the
will, not the power, to imitate the example of his brother
ministers in Norway, who a few weeks ago succeeded in
throwing out of the Norwegian Parliament the bill by
which it was proposed, in a slight degree, to 'mitigate the
existing persecution of Catholics. For our part, we say
ones more, thank Clod for the British constitution.