Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-12-26 00:00:00

grace to the long cherished policy of centralisa-
tion. The state of political parties in this coun-
try could not possibly be less favourable for such
an addition to the power of our rulers. Place and
emolument have long since ceased to be na-
tional rewards for political ability and purity.

Half a dozen families monopolise all the emo.

uments of State service, and where such a system

prevails it is often impossible to reconcile the
aggrandisement of the Crown, and the political
advancement of the Empire, with the material wel-
fare, civil progress, and religous freedom of the
people. In this instance the mis-government of
India has produced the usual amount of public
debt, and a large deficiency in the annual budget.
The mutiny of the entire army, will compel us,
notwithstanding all that may be said to the
contrary, to supply its place by Euopean forces.
We must not return to torture for revenue, nor
rely, a second time, on turbulent savages and
cut-throat natives, for the maintainance of law
and order in our distant possessions. Supplying

the vacuum which the proposed change must
necessarily leave to be filled up, will consequently
give the PALMERSTON and Family Compact par-
ties, 26,000,0001, in addition to their present
excessively large amount of patronage. Are the
Parliamentary, Financial, and Currency Refor-
mers prepared for this ? Do the Free Traders,
see no cause for uneasiness in such an acquisition
of strength on the part of those who give but a
conditional assent, at best, to the dogmas of
Free Trade ? The question, however, is one of
universal importance, and we would ask the
PEOPLE, with all their varieties of religious, politi-
cal and social interests, as they now stand in the
balance of power, if they are ready to give an
unqualified assent to one of the greatest political
changes, which has taken place in favour of pro-
fessional placemen, within the memory of man ?

IN the long Message of the President of the
United States, which we laid before our readers
on Monday, it will have been observed that
there is not any other topic so minutely dilated
upon as that relating to the actual position of
affairs in Kansas. From what the President
says, respecting this destracted territory, it is
evident that he and his supporters regard the
situation of Kansas as anything but agreeable.
As we remarked on Monday, Mr. BUCHA.NAN'S
sentiments, respecting Kansas', is very likely to
be unpopular with the people of the United
States ; inasmuch as the BUCHANAN party have
lost the object for which they put in jeopardythe lives of their fellow-citizens, and the
prosperity and safety of an extensive province.
The President advocates the acts of the Lecomp-
ton Convention, but seems to forget that the
hosts of questionable characters from Missouri,
who achieved the temporory triumph of the
Slave-holding interests, have taken their
departure from the scene, and now the people of
Kansas are sufficiently strong to assert their own
rights, and competent to pronounce an opinion
as to the nature and objects of the laws by
which they shall be governed hereafter.
Governor WALKER has insisted upon this right,
but for doing so, he has incurred the displeasure
of President BUCHANAN, and has been summarily
dismissed. Thus, the Chief Magistrate of the
American Union has thrown clown the gauntlet
of defiance, and challenges a trial of strength
with his Cabinet upon the exciting topic of the
Kansas Nabraska Act. Such a course is nothing
less than telling the people of the Federal
Government, that Governer WALKER has clearly
infringed the law of nations, and is a public
nuisance, if not a convicted pirate. Indeed,
there cannot be a question as to Mr. BUCHANAN'S
intentions. Ile has allied himself with the
"Bogus " Legislature, planned, proclaimed
and established by the adventurers from Missour

on the faith that his approval of such legislature
would command for him, in Congress, support
from the South and from the Southern party
in the Northern States. This becomes,
unquestionably, clear, if we scan over the
doctrines which he enunciated, in regard to the
Kansas Territory. He declares the legislature—
elected by men, very few of whom had any legal
right to vote—the " lawful government" of the
territory, and stigmatises those who call in
question its usurpation, the "revolutionary
party," although their obedience to the laws was
even more docile and free from disaffection than

he vassals of the Emperor of Austria, or that

spiritual and temporal potentate the Pope o

Rome. Again, Mr. BUCHANAN asserts that the
law by which the Convention was to be elected

was, everything considered, fair, just and

honourable, although it is well known that from
the tactics of the Pro-Sla►ery party, all who held

political principles of an opposite character were

prevented from taking any active part in the
Kansas elections. This part of Mr. BUCHANAN'S
message cannot be regarded with favour by the

opponents of slavery, not only in this country,
but throughout all parts of the globe where
slavery is condemned. The President evidently
takes part with the Missouri borderers, and cares

purged of their former impurities. In commen-
cing the work of Indian Reform, we have .to
encounter the worst of all political evils. The
abolition of the East Indian Company, will place
in the hands of the government, an amount of
patronage never before enjoyed by the rulers
of any Constitutional State. The power of the
Placeman will be augmented to the extent of
26,000,0001 annually. This amount of Indian re-
venue, will henceforth be disbursed, for the
greatest part, among the military and civil ser-
vants of the Crown ; and will be the coup de