Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-05-24 00:00:00

for 29 years,

24 years of age.
Four days' later news from America is to hand, by
the arriva' of the Africa, yesterday afternoon, with
upwards of one million and a half dollars in specie.
There would appear to be hopes of a speedy settle-
ment of all difficulties between the United States
and Costa Rica. The government of Juarez, in
Mexico, was to be strengthened as much as possible,
by the sympathy of the United States ; and, from a
letter from Washington, we presume that the
British and American governments are unanimous
in their policy in dealing with Nicaravia. Four
steamers had arrived on the other side of the Atlantic
and on the announcement of such arrivals, the
utmost anxiety was manifested on the part of the
public to ascertain the character of the news. The
flying rumours previously current, that there had
been a great battle fought between the Austrians
and the Sardinians, helped to intensify the feeling ;
and when the despatches came along, they were read
with an avidity that was scarcely surpassed during
the most exciting episodes of the war in the Crimea,
when it was yet uncertain whether the Sebastopol
had fallen or not. The " news" was posted up in
many of the " lager bier" saloons, and in some
instances translated into German, French, and
Italian. The cellars of North William-street,
New York, where the Franco-Italian element
tams out strong, was in a condition of profound
effervescence, and a meeting of the Italian and other
refugees was to be held to discuss what course it best
becomes them to pursue in reference to the European
crisis. Some of them are in favour of forming a
company at once—under military drill—and tender-
ing their services to the King of Sardinia. There
are many intelligent Hungarians also who favour

the proposition, as affording an excellent opportunity
for doing good service against their old enemy,
Austria. allvicorci, tliccc -was some LAIR about, mating
a general public meeting, to give Americans, as well
as foreigners, an opportunity to sympathize,
—but whether anything but " talk" will come
of it, or not, remains to be seen. The
news from Europe respecting the war had
caused unusual interest in mercantile circles. The
Corn Exchange was highly excited, for the rise in
flour was from 15c. to 25c. higher on very large
sales ; wheat, 3c to sc. ; and Indian corn 2c. to 3e.
higher. The cotton market was depressed. Stock
exchange lower. The foreign exchanges were firm,
with a free export demand for gold ; while the
money market, notwithstanding the advice that the
Bank of England had raised the rate of interest to
3,1 per cent., continued steady.
A very enthusiastic and successful meeting was
held in the Birkenhead Town-hall last night, for the
formation of a Volunteer Rifle Corps. Mr. John
Laird presided; and the principal speakers were Mr.
Harold Littledale, Mr. Vincent King, Capt. Mends,
Mr.? Charles Holland, Mr. Percy M. Dove, Mr.
Ledward, &c., &c.

THE NEW PARLIAMENT

THE General Election is now completed.
know, therefore, what is, substantially, the composi-
tion of the New House of Commons. According to
the returns, there are 349 Liberals elected, and 305

Conservatives —leaving the Liberals still in a majority
of 44. But then the term Liberal is a very liberal
one : it is not only very bountiful, but it is somewhat
latitudinarian, and rather indefinite. Many a

Liberal is really a good Conservative ; and many a
Conservative is, or claims to be, a very fair Liberal.
As a test of general political principles, therefore, in
such an assembly as the House of Commons, it is one
that is not always to be relied upon. In making
the estimate, moreover, there are too many
assumptions of Liberalism. It is calculating too
loosely, for instance, to set clown such an hon.
member as Mr. SIDNEY HERBERT among the
Liberals—if those tire to be reckoned as Anti-
Conservatives. And so of some others who are taken
to be Liberals, but who are just as conservative, we
believe, as they are liberal, in their general politics.
It is not fair, either, to keep out of consideration the
fact that Ministers have actually a clear gain of
some 28 or 30 seats,—that is to say, the balance of
gains and losses is to that extent in their favour.
This will be equivalent to some 56 or 60 votes.
Now the majority against them in the division
which led to the Dissolution was 39 ; so that here,
upon such a question as that which was then
at issue, they would, instead of being in a minority
of 39, be in a majority of about a score; and could
they secure a proportionate preponderance in ordinary
divisions, they would have probably a good
working majority. Don't, then, let either one party
or the other shut its eyes to the real state of the
The Liberal party would make a great
mistake, if they over-rated their strength in the
New Parliament at such a crisis as the present.
There is nothing like keeping as near the actual
fact of such a matter as possible. where the numbers
are evidently getting nearer to an equality. Under
any circumstances—and in politics as in all else
besides--as the song says,