Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-10-03 00:00:00

OCTOBER 3, 1859.

through the damaged reputation of a rival, dictate

to the unconscientious two very different courses
of conduct. It is pleasant to be in a position
neither to court the praise, nor fear the malignity,
of the political adventurer.
But to turn to those domestic concerns which

are to provide the great contest of next session
if Lord JOHN " talks MalmesburS

jest of our foreign policy, he isquite as ready
to talk Conservatism on the subject of Reform.
The Times may be right in asserting, that besides
the Brightean sect, there is- only one party and

'one policy in the State. But if so, or if it appear.
80, it is because Whigs avow the principles of
their Constitutional opponents. The policy of
'Conservatism is transparent and notorious.
It may be found in the great example of
WILLIAM PITT, and has not wanted in the present
Youthful parliament its explicit, acute, and high-
spirited exponents. Nay, it is an hereditary
'tradition of the Constitution, and a fundamental

Part of our political and social system. A great
foreigner, M. GUIZOT; gives it as his well-weighed
conclusion, after a learned examination into the
latent facts and principles of our domestic policy,
that, since anything like an English Constitution
was established, since the great fusion of races in

'ear island Was consolidated and completed, the
great rule of internal government has been, that
every
one, capable of exercising it, should have
voice in the representation. To this ancient
ina'llln,Lord DERBY'S eloquent Colonial Secretary
gave an elaborate expression in the debate on the
last measure of Reform. Wherever a class exists

capable of exercising the privilege of a vote, and
willing to recognise the due balance of power be-
tween all sections of the Commonwealth, to that
class let the franchise be extended. And now,

lo! another instance of beautiful accord in this
voice from the far North ! What a difference
there is between the factious leader of a Parlia-
mentary Opposition, and the Aberdeen Citizen
Who can afford to be Constitutional! " The true
Principle," says our travelled and transformed
Whig-Radical, " which should guide us in an

" amendment of the law of the representation
4' of the people, should be the choosing of
"the fittest individuals in the community
" for the suffrage—that this principle should be
" applied without endangering the stability of our
" time-honoured institutions." Could anything be
more Conservative, or more Constitutional ? If
this be a sound and comprehensive policy, who
can say that Conservatism has none ? The true
secret of such a charge, we fear, can be nothing
else than this ; namely, that such a policy is too
tame, too moderate, too unsuggestive of exciting
and revolutionary revulsions ; that it is too con-
siderate of ancient tradition and precedent,
assumes the past and present order of things as
containing the normal type of our national life,
and the unvarying rule of our political progress ;
that, in a word, it is not democratic, but still

assumes the reality and importance of that which
Mr. BRIGHT, in his radical spectacles, professed
himself unable to discern as a tangible object—
the English Constitution. What newspapers
mean in those affected sneers about the ethereal

nature of Conservatism,—which are really expres-

'lions of uneasiness and apprehension at the posi-
tion of
a great and compact party, is simply what
was the foolish subject of Mr. BRIGHT'S ravings
at,.. the early part of the year, namely, that the
"nstitution, not merely Conservatism, is an
4` element."

But are there no apprehensions as to the safety
of the Constitution, from Whig recklessness,
because, forsooth, Lord JOHN RUSSELL thus con-
stitutionalises in the country ? Not one whit less
than when the present Cabinet opened its portals
to Mr. MILNER GIBSON, than when Lord PAL-
MERsToN went on his knees to beseech the con-
descension of Mr. COBDEN and the honour of his
right hand. Alas ! for the complacency of Liberal
intriguers, and the success of their fond deceits,
Conservatives are too old birds to be caught with
this transparent chaff. Some Churchmen, perhaps,
the veryS last session of parliament, avowed his
most determined and strenuo
recent us opposition to the
Chur fraudulent and
wicked attempt upon
ch property. They were Perhaps undeceived
when, without even any change in the position of
the contending parties, or in the temper of the
public mind, or in the average of public opinion ;
without even a decent interval for deliberation,
or the affecting of a gradual recession from pre-
vious views, the same caterer for party and
personal interests and convenience, unblushingly
gave his vote for the unconditional abolition of
Church-rates.

One consideration alone will suffice to decide
any such fancy as this. The question of
Parliamentary Reform. Lord JOHN RussELL has
Professedly made to turn on this point,—the
extension of the suffrage to those only who are
capable and deserving of the privilege. Now
what is the condition that Mr. Bum= and the
revolutionists attach to this extension of political
Power? The ballot. But, as we have often had
occasion to insist upon, the ballot is a device for
4ePriving the worthless of the
their vote. power of selling
The class, therefore, who need it are
by
this 'yell' proposal admitted to be unworthy
of the contemplated privilege. What then of
Lord Jo
itil RUSSELL ? This. That after his
long opposition to the ballot—whether sincere or
P:nt ten'lea—he has, no later than the last Parlia-
e, oPenly promised h 4 support to Mr. BER-
KELEY and Mr. BRIGHT, if they should still per-
severe in the struggle for their disreputable
He is convicted therefore of the inten-
tion " to choose" not " the fittest" but the unfittest
persons in the community, for the ge f
o
" the suffrage ;" and his Aber dvile
go
for or go for hypocrisyee prin
Professions
The conclusion is plain. The Policy Lord

measure

JOHN has been appropriating at Aberdeen is not
his own, but the policy of Conservatism ; and
that policy is still definite and real. It has to
save such dangerous meddlers as Lord JOHN
RUSSELL from 'Brightean coercion or blandish-
ments—it has to save the Constitution from
subversion, and the State of England froin
on the sub- democracy.

NOTES OF THE DAY

Though we still have to depend very much upon
mere rumour for any intelligence respecting the nego-
tiations for the.. settlement .of the Italian difficulty, we
regret to observe that the grounds of hope for peace
become less and less stable. There is, no doubt, that
bad anything satisfactory been decided upon, we should,
ere this, have heard of it. The very fact of there still
being nothing to depend upon but rumour, is, to say the
least of it, very suspicious. One of the last reports
circulated in Paris, is that Naples, as well as Austria, is
likely to assist the Duke of Modena to attack the
Central Italian League; and if this should unhappily
turn out to be true, we do not see how a war, in which
both France and Austria must be driven to take part, can
well be avoided. ln the midst of all this, we further
learn that Lord John Russell's declaration at Aberdeen,
respecting the foreign policy of England, is having the
effect of discouraging both France and Austria, as to the
expediency of a European Congress.

The accounts we continue to receive of the activity with
which the French Government still continues to prosecute
the augmentation of its naval armaments, and the forti-
fications of its coasts, are as alarming as ever. In ad-
dition to other statements recently put forth, we have
one now to the effect that ten second-class ships of the
line are building, all of which are to be completed
within the year, and one of which was launched a few
days since. The despatch with which iron plated ships,
floating batteries, and gun-beats are building, and the
defensive works and batteries on the coast, are being
augmented and improved, is another circumstance which
cannot but render the whole case one very difficult to be
understood. We can only repeat the expression of our
earnest hope that, whatever may be the-real object of all
this preparation for apparent resistance to some suspected
foe or other—although England, we are quite sure, has
no intention of being such—our Government will yet
take care to be equally prepared for whatever may arise.
We have already had occasion to remark on the

satisfactory results of the quarter's revenue returns, the
principal details of which are now before our readers.
The decided increase under all the chief heads, with
the exception of property tax, which is easily accounted
for, is an undoubted indication of national prosperity.
Her Majesty's present ministers may indeed think
themselves fortunate in having returned to office under
so prosperous a state of the country. But let us not
forget to whose administration of public affairs it is
mainly due. Lord Derby's Ministry took office amid a

but, by their good
management, prosperity was restored ; and the country's
gratitude must not, therefore, be withheld from them,—

very different state of things

at the same time it ought to carry conviction, even
to Liberal minds, that a Conservative Government is,
after all, the best for the real interests of the nation,

The new phase into which the Builders' Strike has
now entered, is not one in which the employers of labour
in that comprehensive department of trade appear, by
aiy means, to advantage. Having refused to make any
concession whatever, that was worth the name, to their
workpeople,—having, in particular, declined to with:

draw the obnoxious " Declaration,"—all negotiation
with the men has been broken, and the strike has now
become a more hopeless affair than ever. We are far
from wishing to see any class of master-tradesmen sub-
jected to the arbitrary will of those in their employ ;
but, in this instance, we cannot but think that the
master-builders have not only thrown away a good
opportunity of returning to a better understanding with
their work people, but have come to a decision which
will make such a return at any future time all the more
difficult.

TIIE LATEST NEWS.

LORD J. • RUSSELL

AND-THE EMPEROR

OF FRANC'

Lord J. Russell's speech at Aberdeen gives
satisfaction to the Liberal party in France, who
believe there is an understanding between him

and the Emperor

FRANCE.

PARIS, Saturday Evening

The Patrie states that it is asserted the treaty

of peace will be signed at Zurich next week ; it
also states on good authority that the treaty

would be a fulfilment of the preliminaries at
Villafranca. Other questions arising out of the
settlement of the affairs of Italy would be referred
to a superior jurisdiction, by which it is evidently
meant that a Congress will be held.

PARIS, Oct. 1

The Imperial Court will quit Biarritz on the
10th instant, and leave Bayonne for Bordeaux
on the 11th. After a sojourn of forty-eight hours
in Bordeaux, they will leave for Paris, where
they are expected to arrive on the 14th.
The army of Italy will winter in the Peninsula.
General Ulloa and M. Montalli have arrived in
Paris from Florence.

THE FRENCH EXPEDITION TO CHINA.

In Paris it is said the Emperor will not return
till the 13th or 14th instant.

The Times' Paris Correspondent says :—" We
hear to-day here that the Anti-European move-
ment commenced in China, has extended itself to
Japan and Cochin China."
The Patrie contains the following semi-official
paragraph :—" Several journals give details on the
subject of the preparations being made in France
for an expedition to China, which we believe are at
least premature. Our informant permits us to
assert that there is nothing positively decided as
to the number of ships or troops which are to
compose the expedition ; and the public cannot
be too much on their guard against reports cur-
rent relative to the state of affairs in Cochin China ;
others say that the Emperor is incensed against
England. It is believed that Napoleon will make
another speech at Bordeaux.
The French expedition will, it is said, be under
the control of the Minister of War, from which
it is assumed that it will be more of a particularly
military character.
Mr. Disraeli has had an interview with his
Majesty.