The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-05-04 00:00:00

POLITICAL GOSSIP.

A supplemental list of the recipients of the
Victoria Cross will shortly be issued but will be
limited, says the United Service Magazine, to four
officers, selected from an immense number of
aspirants ; his Royal Highness the Commander-
in-Chief being determined to adhere to the 'eau
of the warrant, and only award the cross for a dis-
tinct act of valour.

The United Service Magazine states that Colonel
Prosser retires immediately from Sandhurst. It
is reported that his successor as Lieutenant-
Governor will be Colonel Rochfort Scott, now
Assistant Quartermaster. General at Manchester.

We (United Serviee Gazette) understand that the
probable successor to Vice-Admiral the Hon. W.
Gordon, Commander-in•-Chief at the Nore, is Vice-
Admiral Sir George R. Sartorius, whose brief and
unprofitable command at Queenstown gives him a
strong' claim to favourable consideration.

The Gazette of last night publishes the names of
the officers and men in the British navy and army
who have received the decoration of the Legion of
Honour from his Imperial Majesty the Emperor of
the French ; but, as the same list has appeared in
the public journals, it is not necessary to repeat it
here. The Gazette, however, announces her Ma-
jesty's royal. license and permission that those
nominated may accept and wear the insignia of the
several classes of the Imperial order to which they
are appointed.

The Record learns that Dr. Bickersteth's absence
from the House of Lords on Thursday arose, from
the Lord Chancellor having at the last moment
" attended to a crotchet which had been before
considered and dismissed with reference to the
resignation of Bishop Hinds. The result was
that he doubted whether the ex-bishop's resigns.
tion was sufficient to avoid his temporalities, and
consequently paused in signing the writ of sum-
mona.to tho Bishop of llipott."._.

" There is-one-matter (says file Spectator) upon
which public opinion appears. to have made its
conclusion—that is, while a large part of the public:,
positively incline to the ballot, the opponents are
growing feebler in their denial. It is said that
there is a definite number of members pledged to
the 'measure; now, are they sincere? If they
honestly mean to carry out their pledges, they will
of course act together in asserting and enforcing
their denand; and if they are sincere they can
succeed. Besides those who are distinctly pie aged,
several other members in the House of Commons
are wavering, and are prepared either to relinquish
their opposition or to transfer their votes. The
first point to be ascertained is, how far those new
members honestly intend to carryout their pledges;
and we do not know any man who could better
muster them for that purpose than Mr. Berkeley.
If he find them loyal and firm in their purpose,
most unquestionably they can dictate the Ballot
to the present government and the present parlia-
ment."

The John Bull protests against the policy which
the Conservative party, as a party, and more espe-
cially its ostensible leaders, have pursued towards
the public press. " Not only are the conservative
party rchargeable with having neglected to take
measures for insuring the services of intellect and
talent for the advocacy of conservative principles
on a'scale and in a manner commensurate with the
attacks constantly made upon them by a host of
singularly able, though often equally unscru-
pulous writers ; they have done all that in them
lay to discourage the advocacy of their
principles by those who might be led to devote
themselves to it from conviction, and in the interest
of the common cause. The centrast between the
treatment which literature—periodical and politi-
cal literature more especially--has received at,..
the hands of the Conservatives, aad at the hands
of the Liberals is alone sufficient to account for.
the loss of power, as well as of Public estimation
which it cannot, we fear, be denied that the Con-
servative party has sustained."

The Saturday Review thinks the croaking of th
Quarterly Review aki to , the composition of
the new parliament, unmanly, unpatriotic,
and unstatesmanlike. Solon understood. 'the
• • •
theory of constitutional government . better
than the Quarterly reviewer, when he said,
have given the Athenians. not the best
laws which can be, but the best which they can
bear;' and a popular election accomplishes its true
purpose when it gives us, not perhaps the best
Possible parliament, but the best which public
opinion at the time will bear What we want ih
the House of Commons is, not a sympiesometer
which fluctuates with every passing cloud, but a
barometer which shall indicate the real variations
of the political atmosphere, To demand that the
instrument should stand at set fair' when it is
pouring out of doors, is about as wise as was the
conduct of the gentleman who, in his horror of east
winds, always tied his weathercock to 'point west
Suring the months of. March and April."

Mr. Berkerson, for many years the inspector of police
attending the House of Commons, has been nromoted for
his efficient services to be superintendent of the Ddivision,
and Inspeclor Bray, of the A division, is appointed in his
place.
The new Speaker has ?appointed the Hon. George
Waldegrave as his secretary, the Rev. Thomas Gamier as
his chaplain, Mr.,4 G. K. Rickards as his counsel and
examiner of election recognisances, and Mr. Robert Baily
as his trainbearer.

His Excellency the. Minister of the Interior has just
ordered the suppression of the visa of passports for all
travellers without exception, coming from England, through
the port of Calais, having for destination either Paris or
Belgium and Germany.
w_LuND HILL COLLIERY.—Up to Friday, twenty-one bodies
liaillspen recovered, and, with two exceptions, they were in
such ag-state as to allow of identification. Three weeks will
elapsebefore the pit will be in a state as to admit of its
being thoroughly explored.
Mr. and Mrs. Keeley, and Mr. and Mrs. Charles Dillon,
appear in conjunction at Sadler's Wells Theatre,
to-night. In the advertisement, Mr. Dillon, whose
possession of histrionic talent is not disputed, is foolishly
described as " the acknowledged best actor of the day,"