The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-02-19 00:00:00

THE NORTHERN TIME S.--LIVEIttPOOL, TIT UnS DA V.

upon what he conceived to have been the intention
of the house on negativing the resolutions of the
-noble lord by so large a maj irity as voted against them, he
came to the conclusion that that decision &imputed to aft
expression of disapprobation on the part of the house nthe
plan of the noble lord considered as a whole. Looking at
it in that light, he thought it might be considered as an
expression of opinion that there should not be a plan of
education compulsory and general. He had, therefore,
thought it right to draw the bill, which he now wished
to lay upon the table of the house, so as not to disre-
gard that decision. This bill was, therefore, exactly the
reverse of the resolutioes of the noble lord, and he desired
to submit a Measure whieh should be permissive,
not Compulsory—local, and not genera]. (Beer, bear.)
Upon a measure of this great importance he begged
to say distinctly that he agreed with the noble lord
that a general compulsory scheme of education would
be far more satisfactory, far more beneficial than
a mere permissive Act; but, on the other hand,
be found that great doubts were entertained by
many parties on the subject as to the nature of the pro-
posals he was about to snake. When he found the sense
of the house so distinctly expressed, whether rightly vr
wrongly he would not say, against a s3stem of compulsory
education ; he thought he had taken a more cautious, awl
to the house, a more respectful pert, in suggesting that
the attempted legislation upon this subject should be
permissive rather than compulsory. This bill would leave
it to those places to be affected by it to try the
supposed experiment, so interesting to the country at
large. The right honourable gentlenian referred to
the precedents there were for such a doutsb as that he pro-
posed, adverting particuiarly to Mr. Ewart's Free Libraries
and Museums bill, and the Police bill passed 16 or 17 years
ago, He repeated that he was about to propose a looal
and not a general system, and to apply it only to cities
and corporate towns, because the , boundaries of those
jurisdictions were well defined, atid there would be no
occasion to call in any additional machinery to decide
whete the bill might apply and where not. He had
spoken to a large number of persons, who, although
they were somewhat alarmed .at the propositions he
was about to make,. were very anxious that the experi-
ment should be teied, and admitted that it might be most
beneficially "tried iu our corporate towns and cities, although
e.ll admitted that towns did not require such a measure more
than cities. The principles he desired to establish were
three-Ist. Religious feedom and toleration. 2. That there
shall be a local contribution to the support of an object
which is interesting to every home in England. 3. That
following out the principles of all our most important
institutions, there shall be local management and cen-
tre] of funds so raised for that purpose. These three
principles were raised by the bill whatever the extent
and operation of the bill might be. The right hon.
baronet then adverted to the religious part of the question,
and remarked that Mr. Gibson had last session said
that there were three groat parties, and until
two of those could agree, there would be no chance
for any general system of education. Those three
parties were—first, those who hold that religious
teaching should be combined with general instruction ;
second, the voluntary party • third, the secular
party. He was happy to be able to announce that an
understanding had been come to between the first and the
third of those parties—both to some extent giving way,
but neither with a sacrifice of any great principle. The
party favourable to religious teaching had consented that,
so far as they were concerned, the rate to he raised should
be extended for the benefit of secular schools ; and on the
other hand, the secular party had agreed that the rate
might be extended to all schools in which religion
was taught, in the event' of the schools requir-
ing and coming up to a certain standard. The
bill proposed that the rate to be levied should be a
rate in aid of the existing system, that the pence
hitherto drawn from the children's pockets should be still
contributed; that grants from the committee of Privy
Council. should not be interfered with; but that any
deficiencies from those grants should he made from the
rate in aid. At ono time he thought of introducing a
clause providing for a free system of education, but upon
consideration of that part of the bill he thought the coun-
try was not prepared for it, so that all he had provided
for was,. that in localities where there was a distinct proof
of poverty, free schools might be established, or that under
certain regulations might be introduced into the existing
schools. These were the principal objects of his bill, and
whether or not he carried it through Parliament the dis-
cussion of the subject could not fail to produce much good.
Mr. Cowper admitted that the bill was entitled to full
consideration, but expressed a doubt :whether the right
hon. baronet had sufficiently defined some of his proposi-
t ons, or properly estimated the opposition which his plan
was likely to meet with.
Mr. E. Ball assured the right hon. baronet that his
attempt to separate religion from education would meet
with the strongest opposition from the religious com-
munity.
Lord It. Cecil objected that the measure was too hasty,
since the system at present in existence had not had a
fair trial.
Mr. Cobden said the essential difference between this
and other bills was that no portion of the rates to be
raised was to be applied to doctrinal teaching, and he saw
no difficulty in carrying out such a system, if the house
only set earnestly about it. In fact, he believed that the
whole difficulty as to religious teaching would vanish as
soon as a rate was once levied for the purpose of educa-
tion.

After some remarks from Mr. Henley in opposition to
the bill,

Lord John Russell expressed his satisfaction that the
subject of national education was again before the house ;
but he thought the prospect before the house, so far as it
had been developed by the right hon. baronet, was far
from encouraging.
Mr. Hadfield opposed the bill, and hoped it would share
the fate of its unlucky predecessors. (Laughter )
Mr. W. Ewart approved of the voluntary principle, and
thought a rate was the best means o carrying it out. .
Sir J. Pakington having offered some explanations, leave
was given to bring in the bill.
ENCUMBERED ESTATES COURT (IRELAND).
Mr. Whiteside moved for returns of any communications
addressed to the Commissioners for the sale of Incumbered
Estates in Ireland, or to any of them, relating to the
removal of Baron Richards from the office of Chief Com•
missioner, and of the dates of said communications, if
any. Of the order or communication addressed to Baron
Richards, containing his removal from the said Court, and
of the date of the same ; and, of any order or warrant for
the appointment of a third commissioner since the removal
of Baron Richards.

Horsman said that any returns that might be in
existence should be produced.

NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART.

Mr. Vernon movzd an address for copy of any cor-
respond :nee between her Majehtv's Government and Mr.
Sheepshanks, respecting the gift of his collect!on of pictures
to the nation.
The motion was agreed to.

FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE-

FitANCE.

PARIS, TUESDAY EVENING.
Not a word of comment accompanies the publi-
cation of the Emperor's speech at the opening of
the Chambers yesterday. We may be certain,
however, of the unqualified euloies of a certain
portion of the press, of the cola and unwilling
assent of others, and perhaps of disdainful silence
of the rest. The effect generally has, however,
been rather satisfactory. People who have been
afraid of a new loan have had their fears set at
rest for the present; but this pleasure is some•
what alloyed by the anticipation of an impost on
railroad-and other securities. The closing phrase,
which is a quotation from M. Thiers' history of the
Consulate, is understood as an indirect answer to
some parts of M. Guizot's late discourse on the
election of M. Blot to the Fran
Some critical persons find fault with the allu-
sion
,to the Revolution t•-•-.," The rivets of France,
like the revolution, retttrn to their bed that they
may never more issue from it." This is over
confident. The political inundations of France
have been too profitable to the Bonapartist dynaSty
for any member of it to speak of them in so
scornful a manner. Had the revolution always
remained "iu its bed," the first of the name
might have closed his life as an officer of artillery
and his nephew *mild not noes* be lodging
in the Thildies, or haranguing Senators and
beputies from an Imperial throne on the
immorality of revolutions. Revolutions are, no
doubt, very bad things; but it is ungrateful
in those who have reaped so rich a harvest
from them to treat them so cavalierly. The
Emperor may answer for his own power in keeping
revolution within its bed : but who will guarantee
that it. will not issue from it when his hand is no
longer felt. Of the many who haire prospered
under his protection, and who via with each other
in professions of enthusiastic attachment to his
person, I doubt whether there are more than a
dozen who, if a political inundation, or any other
casualty, swept him and his away to morrow,would
not turn to his successor with declarations equally
enthusiastic, equally servile, and equally false,
whether that successor was the Count of Chambord
or the Count of Paria.

The ratifications of the treaty signed between
Russia and Persia on the sth of January last were
exchanged at Teheran on the 18th of the same
month. This treaty cedes to Russia a tract of land
on the frontiers of .Turkey. This tract is situate
between Bayazid and Nakhshivan. This new
possession will give Russia a complete command
of the strategic road from Trebizond on the Black
Sea to the Persian frontier by Erzlroum. The
Russian Government has been endeavouring, since
the treaty signed with Persia on the 221 February;
1828, to obtain the advantage wl,ish Persia has
now granted.

It is asserted that orders were imniediately sent
from St. Petersburg to c miStruct a line of fortresses
on the territory lately ceded.

The last accounts received, by the French Go-
vernment from Persia announce that Feztali
Khan, who commands the advanced guard of the
Persian army in Farsistan, had sent forward, on
the 25th of De.cernher, a strong reconnoitring
party of cavalry as far es 50 miles in advance of
Shiraz. This • demonstration, though so far from
the British camp, had given rise to a report of an
approaching attack on the English lines by the
entire Persian army, but this isimpossible, for the
Persians, who have been joined by the Turcomane,
have none but irregular cavalry in the province of
Fars, with which it would be impossible to make
an impression on the well fortified position of the
English army at Bushire.
A letter from Bushire, dated Dec. 28, published
in the Moniteur de l'Armee, gives some interesting
particulars relative to that town. The period of
the greatest splendour of BuSbire was during the
reign of Shah-Abbas the First, surnamed the
Great, and seventh prince of the dynasty of the
Sophis. He formed the interior port, constructed
the fortifications, established a dockyard, and col-
lected a fleet. At the celebrated battle of Ormuz,
which he fought in 1623, he commanded 75 ships
of all sizes. This battle made him master of the
island and of all the possessions of the Sultan
Hanniz, whose eyes he caused to be put out.
Shah-Abbas was one of the most remarkable men
of his time, but ho ruined his reputation by his
atrocious cruelties. He commenced his
,career
by dethroning his father, and putting his two
brothers to death... His custom was, whenever he
captured any distinguished person, to cause him
to be blinded, which he said was the most certain
mode of preventing him from commanding again.
This Prince, at the close of his career, formed an
alliance with the English Government, and granted
the British merchants trading in the Persian Gulf
important commercial advantages. King James I.
sent a brilliant embassy to Shah Abbas. The
splendour of Bushire continued until the close of
the reign of Nadir Shah. This great conqueror
increased his marine considerably. He opened
five ports in the Persian Gulf and collected a fleet
of 200 vessels of war. His flag was seen in the
Indian seas. and was respected equally with any
European flag. He wrote to the Great Mogul after
the capture of Delhi that he was as formidable by
sea as the other by land. Nadir Shah was assassi-
nate in 1747, and from that period Bushire declined.
The following despatch has been received':—
" MARSEILLES, FEB. 16.

" Intelligence from Constantinople comes down
to the °di The Commission for the delimitation
of Bessarabia expected to conclude their labours
by the end of February. An envoy from Schamyl
had arrived at Constantinople. Russian steamers
were landing troops on the coasts of Circassia.
Accounts had arrived from Teheran to the 7th of
January. Great enthusiasm prevailed, and num-
bers of young men were entering the army as
volunteers. The departure of Generals Ft'zlali
Khan and Mirza Mehemed Khan for Farsistan
had been the occasion of grand fetes."

AUSTRIA.

VIENNA, FEB. 15.

Although therfinishing touch has not yet been
put to the draft of the plan for the future govern-
ment of the Lombardo-Venetian kingdom, persons
who are generally well informed on such matters
relate that the Archduke Ferdinand Max is likely
to receive froth the Emperor, his brother, much
more extensive powers than were held by the
Archduke Reigniey, who was Viceroy up to the
year 1848. The following are said to be the
principal features of the proposed plan of adminis
tratiou His Imperial Highness, the Archduke
Ferdinand Max, to be the alter ego of his Majeg'y,
and as such to receive his instructions directly
from him. One of the Antic Councillors of the
Home Department, who is to have the manage-
ment of matters connected with the organisation
of the Lombardo-Venetian kingdom, to be attached
to the Governor General. Judicial matters to be
under the more immediate direction of the
Supreme Court of Justice for Lombardy and
Venice, which, as a mAtter of course, is respon-
sible to the Minister of Justice for its actions.
The Governor-General will have to do all in
his power to maintain the unity of the empire,
but he will be at liberty to take into consideration
any wishes of the people that are not antagonistic
to it. His Imperial Highness may, should he deem
it advisable, give employment to persons who,
though disloyal during the revolution, have since
behaved well. Count Thum is to be the Civil Adla
tus of the Governor General, butit is not yet known
whether Baron Hess, Count Gyulai, or General
Benedek will be his military adjunct. M. de Lack-
enbacher, the Aulic Councillor of the Home De-
psrtment, who has been at Milan during the last
three or four years, will probably be attached to
the Archduke, as he is an able employee and a man
of conciliatory manners. It is said that the Em-
peror, accompanied by the. Minister of Finance,
intends to go to Florence incognito, but people in
offic6 affirm that there is no truth in the report.
Some further details relative to what passed a
' few days since between the Archduke Albrecht and
the Hungarian Committee are now known. The

Committee charged to make the necessary prepara-
tions for the reception of their Majesties is composed
of Prince Paul Esterhazy, Counts Bela Wenkheim,
Emanuel Andrassy, John Cziraky, Felix Zichy, and
of stiverat other nobles; whose names sound well in
Hungarian cars. It was the Wish of the Imperial
Government that the Emperor and Empress should
be received on the frontiers by a Landed Banderium
or deputation of the whole of the Hungarian nobility
but the Committee called its attention to the fact
that the country was divided into five districts,
which were entirely independent of each other. On
the Bth, the committee waited on the Archduke and
informed him that the nobles would do all in their
power to render the sojourn of their Majesties in
Hungary agreeable, but that they could riot answer
for any enthusiasm on the part of the nation.
Cohnt Winkheim is said to have obserred that the
Hungarians still deplored the loss of the Constitu-
tion which they and their forefathers had possessed
during 800 yeas, and Count John Cziraky com-
roained that the German language had taken thf.4
place of the Hungarian in the administration and
in the public schools Another member of the
committee remarked t hat the country was inundated
with foreign employd3, who knew as little of the
real state of the country as they did of the language
of its inhabitants.

After reading the fOregoing, you will naturally
come to the conclusion thlt their Majesties are
likely to meet With a remarkably cool reception in
Hungary, but persons who know the national
bharacter are Of opinion that the concessions which
Government is willing to make to the Magyars will
put them into a much better humour.than that in
-which they have been for the last-few years. There
are certain things which the Imperial Government
cannot and will not grant, but it is a patent fact
that it intends to be less particular about trifles
than it has hitherto been.

Foreign affairs, finances, and everything con-
nected with the army are, and always will be
tabooed" for the provincial parliaments (?), but
the central government is not likely to turn a deaf
ear to their representations on any other subject.
The principal topic of conversation still is the
Moniteur article on the Danubian Principalities, but
it is not necessary to communicate to you the lucu-
hrations of the politicianaof this city, as Austria is
resolved to do all in her power to prevent the union
of the Danubian Principalities, which would be al-
most as pernicious to her as it would be-to Turkey.
The Russians now say that the union of the two
Principalities is a matter of indifference to them,
but it is well known to me that they used very
different language a few months since. The article
of the Moniteur, which has given extreme Eatis•
fiction in Sardinia, induces the Correlpondanee
Italienne to make the following remark :—" The
declaration of the French official organ' is not
of importance to the Rottman provincss alone.
It equally interests all those countiies, which
long for national independence, as it is evident
that the triumph of a principle on the banks of
the Danube and the Pruth cannot be Without
c:nsequences."
We learn that the Emp2ror Alexander will avoid
passing through Vienna on his way to Nice. His
,Ma,i,esty will go by Berlin, Dresden, Munich, and
Stuttgard, the capitals of States in which the influ-
ence of Russia is now grater than ever.
A person who witnessed t he demonstration made
by the people against the Cardinal Archbishop of
Bologna gives the following account of what took,
place :---Directly.- after his arrival at Bologna,
His Eminence began to attempt to introduce
a stricter church discipline. He prohibited all
kinds of amusements on Fridays, and insisted
ou the fast days being properly observed. The
Jesuits, who, fur nearly Lei a century, had
been kept at a distance by his predecessor, the
Cardinal Opizzoni, were speedily introduced. About
a fortnight ago one of . the first nobles of Bologna
'had private theatricals in his palace on a Friday,
and the Archbishop, enraged that his orders were
set at naught, sent the " carabinieri" to clear the
house. The mandate was obeyed, but the lower
classes of Bologna were so indignant at what had
occurred, that they, on the following day, pelted
the Archbishop's carriage with snow bails and
mud. On the second day the windows of his
palace were broken by the populaCe, and many
persons were arrested by the Papal troops.
There is just now a deadly feud here between
the Lord Chamberlain, as Director of the Court
theatres on the one side, and the dansenses of the
opera and the public on the other. An order has
been issued by Count Lanschorouski, the func-
tionary in question, that the ladies in question
shall in future wear " inexpressibles," and they
protest that they cannot dance in such " nasty
things."

PRUSSIA.

BERLIN, FEB. 15

The two Chambers here were a long time before
they got well to work this session, owing, in a
great measure, to the unsettled state of the Neu-
chatel affair, which compelled the Finance Minister
to keep back his budget. From the 29th of Novem
bet, the day the session opened, up to Christmas,
the Souse of 'Deputies had but six sittings,
while. the House of Notables took it still 'easier
These six sittings were taken up for the most part
with the necessary business of getting the
House into working order, with electing its officers,
Constituting • its committees or bureaux, investigat-
ing the validity of elections that have taken place
since last session, &o. The said six sittings offer
little that is remarkable, but one thing was worth
noting, viz., the`- result of the voting, which is
thus effected here—each member on his name
being called out by the clerk deposits a card in
the urn placed in front of the President, and in
full view of the whole house. It has, however,
alreaily happened frequently that more cards have
been inserted in the urn than there were members
present, an irregularity which, of course. leads to
much discussion to and fro, and consequent loss
of time. Of the cards thus thrown into the, urn
the member writes "aye," or " no," as may
be, or the name of the person he votes for;
and it, moreover, often happens that what is
written on the cards is illegible, and very .fre-
quently also that there is no writing at all on
them. The voting for the selection of members to
act as clerks at the table revealed a fact interest-
ing, perhaps, to those versed in natural history,
viz., that, in addition to a Taylor and a Pilgrim,
who were proposed for that office, there were also
nominated a Wolf, Goat, Steer, Cock, Fish, Ostrich,
. Herrings, and Crab, i.e., their names when trans-
lated would show this interesting menagerie as pro-
posed ,to ho engaged in quill driving for the house-
The si auding committees, or bureaux, are con-
siituted by' appointing to them men whose know-
ledge araexperience fit them for the consideration
of the special subject assigned to the committee,
such as financial, juridical,• commercial agrarian,
communal, educational matters, The committee
for petitions is similarly divided into a number of
sections, so that each petitions may come to be
examined by men who have some knowledge of
the subject to which the petition refers, and subse-
quently during the course of the session special
committees are appointed for the consideration of
any such subjects as do not fall strictly under
any of the above mentioned definitive categories, or
such as require peculiar expedition. The real busi-
ness of legislation is thus transacted in the com-
mittees, for it is very seldom that the house acts'in
opposition to the recommendation contained in the
report brought up on any motion by the committee
appointed to consider it. The great party struggle
next after the election of President is, there-
fore, the nomination of members to the
committees ; in all these latter, as well as with the
officers of the House, the Right or Tory side has
the decided majority and an overpowering influence
in the present House of Deputies. To obviate
this as far as lies in their power the Left or Liberal
side has formed dilettanti Committees of its own
for arranging among its constituent members the
-motions it shall make, the amendments it shall
bring in, and the general course of tactics it shall
_observe.

The enormous preponderance which the Tory
side of the house possesses seems to have given
rise in their breasts to the hope that it might be
possible to oust this, ministry, and procure it to
be replaced by one entirely made up of their own,

the Junker party. This hope has been flattered for
Sonde time past by the circumstance that ministers
are now obliged, after putting it off much longer
than they ought, to turn their attention to financial
matters, and to look out fdr additional sources of
revenue to meet the 'increasing Watiti of the state.
This appeal of the Ministry to the Reprecontatives
of the people for increased taxation, than which
nothing can be more monstrous to a Prussian mind,
enables the Tory opposition to hoist the popular
colours of economy, &c., while it strives to over-
throw the ministry, and at any rate to further its
own party views in the organisation of the State.
It resists the demands for more pecuniary means
(to enable the Government to pay its half-
starved servants better,) by showing that the
work ought to be done with much fewer hands,
who would thus be better paid at the same expense
to the •State, and that the expensive machinery
of a concentrated and centralized administration
might be rendered much less costly by decen-
tralization, and the employment .of local and
for the most part unpaid of ere. To strengthen
all them nropositions, plausible enongb as
they are of 'themselves, the example of England
is always put forward, with her justices of
the peace, her LordS-Lietitegatt, her special
constables, and everybody else that is public-
spirited enough to take gratuitous office for
the good of the public; but the real struggle
is not as it is here put -forward ; it is, in
a new form, the oil struggle between the two
great rival elements in the social edifice of
Prussia, between Junkerthum and Beamtenthum,
between the clod and red tape. When one hears a
Junker dilating on the charms of "self government"
one hears distinctly that he understands by this oft
quoted word that he him-self is to govern ; self
government means that the lord of the manor is
him-seff to govern his tenants as vassals ; he is to
exercise powers of police over them, including
judicial jurisdiction and the power of inflicting
punishments : he is to have it in his power to forbid
marriages or the removal of his glebce adscript from
his own estate to another, &e. These Junker have
already got so far as to give some grounds for reports
of changes being about to take place in the Min-
istry, of a dissolution of the Chamber of Deputies,
&c-, and various other catastrophes, but as yet it has
not gone any further than reports ; and of one
thing your readers may rest assured, that no hostile
majority of the popular branch of the legislature
hero will avail anything to bring about a change of
Ministry. One or more Ministers may chance to
get tired of their posts and retire, or they may
displease the King and be dismissed ; but they will
not of their Own accord go out on account of a
hostile majority,