Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-07-26 00:00:00

NOTES OF THE DAY,

We have much pleasure in reporting, elsewhere,' the pro=
ceedings of a very gratifying occasion, in connection with
the press, at Chester. Mr: Hickling, who has been the able
editor of the influential Conservative journal of that city
for many years past, was preSented by his fellow-citizens of
the Conservative party with a most honourable testimonial,
on account of his having just resigned the position he had
filled so long, and with so much success and general satis-
faction. The immediate cause of Mr. 'Hickling's retirement
from the press has been his acceptance-.of. the appointment
of distributor of stamps for the county of Derby, most con-
siderately given to him by the late Premier. It is one of

those incidents—only too few and far between----of a just
acknowledgment of public services on the part of the press,
which are so encouraging to those who conduct: that mighty
engine, and are so creditable to all concerned.' The press,
as a guide and exponent of public opinion, ought to be in
the hands of persons Who, from character
.as well *as ability,
,tntitled to public confidence and qnd the surest

way of sec

a capacity, is to show them that there is no want ofappre-
ciation of their efforts-to 'influence aright the public mind,
when such efforts are properly made, and direeted to
legitimate objects.. .Let us hope, therefore, th.a,i
ling's case will operate as a stimulus to others in connection
with the public press, and 'induce them to pursue their
career, as he has'done, not only for the interests of his party,
but for the good of his country ; so that they, too, when they
retire from their official positioni may carry with them the
gratitude and respect of 'their felloW-citizens.
We have copied an article in another part of this sheet,
from the Saturday .Veview, entitled E4).eriment in
Reform," which is well deserving of an attentive reading
by all who are interested-7-as who is not ?--Lin the questiOU
of Reform,-whether political or municipal. It is_on the lat-
ter that the article nicire particularly bears ; although the
principle involved concerns the question of ROorni gener-
ally, more or less--e Specially as regards the quality of the
constituencies whom' it is designed to create grid enlarge.
One thing appears certain—that the constituencies, whether'

municipal or political, will by ,no means _
proportion as they are enlarged ; ehlarged,t that is to sa)
by a descent inthe,scale-of society. It is shownli?w corn
pletely a rating franchise woulddextinguish the roue oI all
but the lowest .aiss ns, for example, it is shown, that in
pne ward of an important borough; where there are 214 rate-

e improvec

paying voters, besides 149 others who, having qualifications
elsewhere, cannot be depended upon, there are 3d who owe
their franchise to the small TeneMenti Act• of•ziBso ; and
that -the. one class pays upon an assessment ;of £15,000,
while the predominant party is rated only on £660 ; yet,,
even then, thus quota is paid by the laridlords—that, by

who represented no` property whatever

finance, swamp the best class of working meiir—a-s well as
the nthnr olocene n+ 1-11. n, en 01 a +lto iniiidirn

done is -character. The legioiiihits taught
ought to be carolally•learnt, at a time when reform is de=
sired to be carried still furtlier in the same direcan.

There has been a great deal'of Unreasonable clamour about
the, appointment of Justices, of the Peace by, theilate Minis-
_ _ _

- - .
try. We have now before us an official statement, by which
it appears that the entire nuMber of Justices appointed since
March last Jibs b&n One other return gives ft list of 33

caster since the 31st Deceinbei; 1858.

Nov, there wer

ments. For some time the Whigs had had such appoint-
ments exclusively in their own hands, and the consequence was,
that a great many persons proper
,to be on the commission of
the peace were set aside, because they did not happen to be of
the same poliiics as those of the Ministry of thek gay: In
this county, as we all know, this was most glaringly the case.
Under the Administration of. Lord Derby, this gross injus-
tice was, in a great measure, corrected, as it deserved to be ;

and this circumstance, we believe, will satisfactorily account
for the additions that haire been made to'the Justices of- the
Peac-e—throu-glfeut the country during the last- twelve

months,

the English jOttrnnh circulating in Paris—we believe, in
ally part of France ; and it is said that the English residents

in Paris are beginning to

confiscation of the papers addressed to them- from this
country. A letter from 'Paris, dated 'Friday eveiiiiig, says,
" To-day, again, none of the English papers have been allowed
to be delivered,. with the exception of those *lick are
favourable to the present order of things—the .111-6241ing Post
and the 4torning Chr'onicle." It ,is evident from this alarm
at free discussion, that Louis Napoleon feels undis,y in hie
present
circumstances. Ile is afraid of the truth; and we
all rememlier'the lines of the popular Scotch ballad, that