Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-12-01 00:00:00

20 _CORRESPONDENTS.

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4t #art4trn Umts

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1859,

THE DAY'S NEWS.

The official invitations to the several great
Powers, who are to attend th,, Congress that is
convened for the settlement of the Italian question,
have now been sent out ; and we suppose in a
few days it will be known whether all those
Powers have agreed to be present, and take part
in its deliberations. Each Power is th be re-
presented by two plenipotentiaries. The Congress
is expected" to assemble in the first week in
January, and it is expected to proceed to business
about the fifth of that month. _

One of the first signal effects of the treaties of
Zurich will be the immediate resumption of diplo-
matic relations between Austria and Piedmont.
These two Powers have had their relations inter-
rupted for now about three years. They are pre-
paring to exchange Minister-plenipotentiaries, in
order to re-establish that diplomatic intercourse
which is essential between Powers that are to be
on friendly terms with each other.
The war between Spain and Morocco has now

with the firtLiesi; weld in London, on
Tuesday. To7clay.we,return to:thqsubject, which
_ •

its importance fully justifies, for the
giving more explicitly the valuable obiservationS
which fell from several. of our fellowitownsmen.
The remarks lilac by those gentlemen cannot
fail to have much weight in the country, and firm
in this convi4lon, we beg to direct attention to
_them. In: particp:lar,_ the general observations of
Mr. J. Bramley-Moore, and the eminently prac-
tical. elucidation of some important portions of the
question by Mr. james Beazley, deserve, and will
no ddubt receive, partieular attention.
By the arrival of the Montreal Ocean Steam-
ship Company's steamer North AineTiaii;- we
have intelligence to-'the. 19th- ult., from}Quebec,
whence she sailed on that day. Generally,speak7
ing, the news is ,not very important. Among
the items with which' we are favoured, we learn
that the Victoria-bridge was expected to be ready.
for traffic before the closing of the navigation of
the St: Lawrence for the winter. From the
United States, we are informed that the San Juan
difficulty, cannot, in accordance with etiquette,
form a topic of the 'President's message; or for-
mally engage the' attention of Congress for some
time to come, as the matter in dispute is still
under consideration of the two governments, nei-
ther of which has given any definite deliverance
on the subject.

aurpose of

DIE happy family appears to be at last coming
to its trial. The implacable Reform question
which lets no ministry live in peace for six
months together, alrfady plants, with thqns the
pillows of Messrs. PALMERSTON, Russgu., and
Co., and the pleasant associates, who somewhat,
surreptitiously supplanted Lord DERBY and his
colleagues, and agreed to sink their private
IpTerences, are again-giving signs of tharrepel-.
lent power which so efficaciously dwells among
them.

We must at, All events say, the perioclipf their
repose has been short. After some monthi of

forced unanimity, courteous concession, and a
degree of outward decency, we can almost con-
ceive the agony with which these men have
approached the fatal, moment which was to strip
every heart of its disguise, and rudely break up
the dream of unity and peace. As the opinions
of each other, which they hitherto tacitly agreed
to leave unquestioned; come out into more definite
shape, and they learn once more how wide they
are, and have always been, apart, we can scarcely
help thinking' that an uncomfortable sense of
hypocrisy will trouble their recollections of their
past ministerial career. What skill it must have
taken to avoid unpleasant subjects, and what
exquisite forbearance in the treatment of a more
refractory and conscientious brother ! Up to the
inevitable point, this cabinet life has been one
Pecksniffian smile, with one general understand-
ing to banish the stern realities of the thing, and
enjoy for a brief space a sort of temporary
holiday. What has been the assumed character
under which they have all along traded for each
other's sympathy and respect, it is hard to say.
Though, very poSsibly, it has been no other than
that of an old-fashioned and very immoveable
Tory. But it costs us no effort to realise
the true and startling nature of a reaction which
precipitates them at once into the middle of a
question, the most illimitable in its points of dif-
ference and contention. it is possible that co

the mental reaction of our present yacillating

simply

sentiments at Aberdeen was

justified in tutr.

out Lord DERBY, and: whether he is preparg
offer the r`only justification in his power

eli_q?Qratirg

very decided and all but

•evolu-

there•: is jUS'

on of the present