Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-08-10 00:00:00

THE WEEKLY PRESS.

The visit to Osborne of his Imperial Majesty the
Emperor of the French is announced to be strictly
private, " but it is quite possible," observes the
Press," that'questions of grave importance will be
discussed at Osborne during the next few days.
Ministerial journals assure us that the French
alliance-is safe, and that, though the governments
of the two countries differ in opinion upon minor
matters, upon all great questions of foreign policy
their views are identical. The crisis at Constan-
tinople indicates, in the most unequivocal manner,
that, though the action of the governments may itf
general be harm:Miens, yet upon some essential
points, such as the Danubian Principalities, the
opinions of France and England are diametrically
opposed. The Anglo-French alliance may be in
no danger from this difference of opinion, but it
must be clear to any man of common understand-
ing that the restless enemies of that alliance must
derive considerable consolation and advantage
from the antagonism revealed in the steps recently
taken by M. de Thouvenel at Constantinople.
Lord Palmerston may rest assured that the people
of this country have adopted the principle of the
French alliance from deliberate conviction, not
from temporary distress, and they will not permit
the responsibilities of that alliance to be lightly
cast aside. One object of the present visit to this
country ,of the Emperor of the French may be to
place that alliance upon a closer and more solid
foundation than would appear at present to exist."
The Saturday Review thinks that "there is
nothing more remarkable, as we are at present.
informed, in the history of the Indian mutiny than
the utter absence of anthing like proof of the
intervention of any leading mind. No movement
of so formidable a character has ever made pro-
gr, ss so long and so successfully without evoking
the energies of some individual men, and raising
them abotre their fellows. The enterprise seems to
be wholly without headship, Brahminical or Mogul.
There is no symptom of organisation, We suspect
that a very large portion of the mthineers are not
only astonished at their own position, but mightily
alarmed e'en at the sound themselves have made.'
If the wires had been moved by an unseen hand,
it is by the hand of a remote agent. If the move-
ment be attributable to Mahomedan influence, so
much the better. The Mahomedans constitute but
a comparatively small portion of the population of
British India. It is not difficult to persuade the
Hindoos that the Mussulman master hi more into-
lerant than the Christian. We shall sooner re-
establish our ascendancy in this case than if the
Brahmins were at the root of the matter. We be-
lieve, indeed, that our old safeguard, the conflict of
faiths, the mutual mistrust of Hindoo and Mahe-
medan, will soon be again working mightily in our
favour. The seeds of internal dissolution will be
sown in the rebel cause, which will full in time as
much from the effects of its own inward weakness
as from our outward efforts to suppress it."
The Weekly Dispatch asks, " Are our Lambeth
friends satisfied with their exchange of Wilkinson
for Roupeli? Are they quite sure of their ground,
or of his principles? What were his pretensions
to the suffrages of one of the largest of the metro-
politan constituencies ? Were his antecedents so
superior to those of his predecessor ? Had he any
political life to appeal to ? Had he proved by his
abilities that he could do good suit and service ?
What ability has ho shown since ? What we want
to know is, what pretence had a lad fresh from
colleee to represent a great constituency, and what
reason can Lambeth render to the country for such
a choice ? It is this caprice, and this miserable
want of public principle that makes the metropo-
litan electors coatemptible in the eyes of men of
sense, and furnishes but too cogent an argument
to the enemies of democracy against the extension
of the franchise. The fact is, notwithstanding all
the gloss put upon it, the election was carried by sheer
dint of money, and, we add, that Mr. Roupell is
no more a Radical in principle and by sympathy
than Mr. Newdegate or Mr. Spooner. Look at his
vote on the Divorce Bill; that will show better
than general professions what the gentleman
really is—Mr. Roupell voted against the Divorce
Mo."

The EconoiaLt, commenting upon the state of
;he money market in France and England, remarks
that white in England there has not for some years
been a time when speculative enterprises pressed
less upon the trading means of the country, such
is our intimate corm_ ction now with France, and
especially in monetary transactions, that the causes
which produce pressure in the former, necessarily
extend to the latter. Again, the enormous increase
of our legitimate trade in this country, wholly
apart from speculative undertakings, has led to a
great absorption of capital. This increase of trade
is telling in two distinct ways. "In the first place,
the capital required by the home producer is much
larger than usual, for not only is his trade in
quantity much larger, but the money value of every-
thing ho buys is much higher, and thus a much
greater value in the whole is locked WO during the
pry cuss of manufineure, ,nd, again in the lengthened
credits which in many cases ho gives. and especially
in the foreign trade. 2. The larger quantities and
increased price of our imports, which must be
provided a long time in anticipation of the exports
which proceed from them, increase enormously
our foreign payments in advance. No doubt,
finally, the exports must balance the imports. But
as in our case the latter precede in general the
former, a large capital is always embarked in the
intermediate period. It is in this latter way that
our imports from India and China have reJently
led to such extensive shipments of silver in order
to liquidate not only the direct claims upon this
country on the part of India, but also the indirect
claims which India and China have upon us in
respect to credits established in London by Aus-
tralia and the United States for imports from
India and China, and created by their exports to
England. The continued small stock of almost
all the chief articles of foreign produce, and the
consequent high prices, induce to the fair assump-
tion that these causes of scarcity of capital and
its high value will continue "
Austria, England, and Turkey are opposed to
the political union of the Principalities under one
government; France, Russia, Prussia, and Sardinia
are in favour of it. The three Powers object that
the union would be injurious to the Ottoman
empire; the four Powers deny this. "But of what
value," says the Leader, " is the Austrian objec-
tion ? Has not Austria, under the signature of
the Treaty of Paris, secretly proposed to Russia
a joint occupation of Moldavia and Wallachia, a
challenge in the face of all Europe, a rupture of the
Paris Convention? And did not Russia betray this
proposal to the participating Cabinets. We may sus-
pect the policy of Russia, but it does not foll2w that
we should confide in Austrian in,egrity. We believe
that the union of the provinces is &sired by the
inhabitants themselves, chiefly upon the ground
that it would erect them into a free and indepen-
dent state, with a capacity for self defence, but
connecting itself with the public law of Europe,
by acknowledging the modified sovereignty of the
Porte. No doubt the assemblies elected last month
are hostile to this project ; but they are the mere
mouthpieces of Prince Vogorides, an agent of the
Porte, who is known to have expressed his con-
tempt for popular suffrages, and to have said that
as the Emperor of the French nominated his can-
didates to seats in the Assembly, and manipulated
the elections, he, as Cairtmican, was justified by
precedent and by example. Public opinion, in
truth, has not been allowed to act, and the returns
took place amid the protests of the majority."
" In one point, we must own," says the John Bull,
" that the declaration of the 9,000 clergymen
against the Divorce Bill is laid open to the sneers
which have been so plentifully levelled at it by the
ministerial journals. It abstains, and to all
appearance advisedly, from boldly avowing
the doctrine on which alone the remonstrants
can rely, namely, that of the absolute indissolubility
of merrier. Uulcss marriage be indissoluble
they can have no pretence for saying that the new
bill imposes any hardship on their consciences.
Of all the absurdities which have been uttered
on this unhappy subject, the most monstrous is in
the mouth of those who, granting that the marriage
tie may be dissolved, consenting that it shall be
dissolved on the grounds specified by the bill,
nevertheless wish to forbid the re-marriage of one

or both of these parties to an annulled contra°. t
to restrain a person thus rendered single from nle,
entering into matrimony. We cannot help till°k d
ing that had it not been for the uncertain sou!,
thus given by the clergy on so important a point II
a point, too, on which the formularies of the char°
appear to be so unequivocal in their expressi°ll,.
much of the mischief of this obnoxious measure
might have been cleared away from it."

THE LUCEIY OF LANCASTER.

MR. BERTOLACCPS CASE.
tpublishtee
appointed i
rlpuliarcee intothe
therep ofort
petitionthper
eSs
cent?:
bCyoWmMiner. Bertolacci to the House of Commons, as auditor
the accounts of the Duchy of Lancaster. By that reP,llB
it would appear that Mr. Bertolacci had been under bi,t
influence of some mental obscurity in his charges, brollgui
against several of the superior officers of the Duchy; end
his evidence has been smothered over with a degree 0
tenderness, showing that the committee do not wisllt6
in-pate to this gentleman any improper motives ill `.•
charges he has brought forward. The committee
il,
composed of five members, namely, Mr. Bramston, ft:
Coningham, Mr. Sotheron Esecourt, Viscount Godellei:
Mr. J. Hans Hamilton, and Lord Harry Vane. The so.
dance of the committee ex ends over a considerable space;
but we fled not the slightest reference to the facts eeio
tamed in it in the report of the committee ; and it is t 0
this respect that the subject is one which concerns the
public ; for it is only by a knowledge of these facts the, 0
correct idea can be formed of the management of the Creicao
property, and it is here that Mr. Bertolacci becoraesde,
instrument in developing the truth. It signifies bat litf;
therefore, whether the committee have adjudged bit 11,
mistaken or a misguided servant of the Crown. l be)
however, desirable to examine how far Mr. Bartels,"
deserves the op;niens formed of him by the committee. 0
From the evidence, which has been printed, it apPaa
that Mr. Bertolacci bad been engaged in the public serlic,
twenty-one years ; and being a shrewd man at figures, ."1
was installei into the Duchy as auditor, in consequence of
his efficient services connected with the investigation
the public accounts, by Lord Belper, who was then Chano
cellar of the Duchy. Previous to his appointment•l,,'„
office of auditor had been a sinecure; the last office if
which we think a man should be thrown upon the she °
until called upon to receive his stipend. Such, however,
was the case until Mr. Bertolacci was called to the oifiee'
when he was informed by the then Chancellor, that it a',
,70
to be " a working office," with a special charge that be
was to " look into the accounts with reference to arrears %
rent due to the Sovereign, and that he should endeavour
remodel the system of the Duchy accounts generally, so as Jo
present them to Parliament in a more intelligible form Oaf a
heretofore." It seems that Lord Belper also instrtlol
him to see " wile' her the large amount of rent then 10
arrear, and yearly brought forward in the Receiver`
General's account, was irrecoverable."
Now all this appears perfectly legitimate on the par. 0
Lard Belper in appointing the new auditor • but it vilif
certainly highly desirable to know whether the arrears ~(70
rent due, and carried forward from year to year, should:o
written off as a bid debt or not ; and also to show f:
the defaulters were. We do not know of any other des'cription of tenants that would b 3 allowed to occupy estate"
from year to year without the payment of rent ; yet '"„-
appears to have been the case with the favoured tenants.;
the Duchy of Lancaster, up to the Vale of Mr. Bertolsaels,
appointment : there was therefore clearly an obvious dll
to perform : the "sinecure" auditorship was to cease, 11,
,Za
,70
" a working office" was to succeed. Common sense e;
easly decide the difference between the two. Mr. Bert
'h";
lacci's first attack appears to have been made upll
accounts of his somnolent predecessors, and by this mead,
he aroused the ire of the Clerk of the Council, by denla„111
ing the vouchers for certain expen !hire, and the warren,
for such expenses, as well as the perus d of the minute
book, without which his office would be a nullity. It .4,
at this time that his patron, Lord Belper, in June, I°4
resigned the Chancellorship, and was succeeded by rt
Granville, who, it appears was a tenant under the Delc'efe
The information necessary to a complete audit of t'..11
accounts was positively refused by the Clerk of the Coullel#
as well as the minute-book of the Council.* This coll!,1";
tutee the principal charge against Mr. Bertolacci, lchlcd
gradually ripened until it led to his discharge from 1(0
office by an order from the Earl of Harrowby, who Wci
appointed Chancellor of the Daelly, in March, 1855, any
who, in May of the same year, wrote to inform Mr. Beoe,ei
lacci that he had decided upon appointing an auditor tor"'
his place.
In examining the evidence, which, as we have statede
before, contains the substance of what concerns the publi°9
independently of Mr. Bartolacci as auditor, we find att
exhibition of the private working of parliamentary influence:
It appears from this, that while Earl Grenville wog
appointed to the Chancellorship of the Duchy, he was con'
siderably in arrears for rent, which may partly account for;
the opposition made to Mr. Bertolacci's rigid system
inquiry. Lest this should be thought an incorrect state'
ment, we give the langurge of the evidence.
Q. 135. "On the 21st of June, 1854, was Earl Grall'
villa debtor to the Duchy for a large sum on acconnt of.arrear
of rent?

" At the time his Lordship became Chancellor, he was ir!,
aunt a considerable sum, which I can prove on the face of is
booke,"

Q. 137. " When did you first ascertain that Earl Granvilltr
was in arrear of rent to the Duchy ?"
"I was first made acquainted with that fact when I wag
examining the Recciyer-Generai's account, in Sep! ember, 1854. •
Q. 138. " Who made you acquainted with it ?"
" Alr. Gooch, a clerk in the Duchy office, who receiveg
and pays money, and makes out the account of the Receiver`:
General."

Ai a point cf such importance requires to be fully 6004
we give ale following financial statement of Earl Granville
deficiencies : e. d.
A,reais from 1350
Rtntal, 1851

Total due Michaelmas, 1851 6.885 3 1
Received

4,665 6 11
Rental in 1852

Total due MicliaeltuaF, 1852 7,408 13 3
Received in 4 sums

3,408 13 3
Rental in 1853

Total due Michaelmas, 1853
Received

4,442 8 5
Rental i❑ 1851

Total duo Michaelmas, 1854 , 8 943 6 6
c3ived. 5,412 5 5

Arrears due. 3 5Ol 18 1
Those figures will b? ,found not strictly accurate, but we
have given thOm as they stand in the accounts.
As we have before observed, this is not so much a (neg..-
tion which concerns 4r. Bertolacci as the publie, though
justice should ha done to him ; for it is impossible to real
the evidence without a full conviction that the property of
the Duchy has been shamefully mismanaged, and that It
can only be rectified by pursuing that rigid course of
examination which he has had the courage to introduce.
There is, however, a singular incousistency in the report
which accuses Mr. Bartolacci of r. fusing to complete tha
audit, while it passes the highest compliments upon birci
for his integrity. We aie sorry to see that the report make°
nt oe
mr reference :being che
intooffice,
the gn,:
becausechargeswe think f
againstortheirs2v sakeseralgeni;
would have been more satisfactory to the public as well a 5
just to themselvcs.

* Mr. Bertolacci states in his petition, that the entries in the
Minute Book wore not made nt the Council, but were wade
afterwards by the Clerk of the Council.

THE DIFFICULTY IN TURKEY.

FURTHER RUPTURE of DIPLOM iTIC RELATIONS

On Saturday the Korning Pose published the followla
despatch :

ct CONSTANTIN,IPLE, August 6.—The Porte having re•
fused to annul the late tlections, the Ministers of Frances
Russia, Prussia, and Sardinia, have broken off their (14310'
matic relations with that power."
The same paper also published an artic'e on the present
state of affairs at Constantinople, arising out of the gees"
tion of the Danubian Principalities. The Porte wishe§
naturally to have two provinc,:s which she can controls
rather than a new state; of sufficient strength to be always
troublesome and danger•ilis,4and yet so weak as to be is
the predicament of constantly seeking aid from Russia.
Auatria regards sack a state as virtually a new annexioni
to the Russian empire. England spent £S),000,000 and 3,
100,000 lives in a war which b?gen with the rescue of
these very Danubian Priacipalitias from Russia. Russia'
advocates the union et all cost of the Principalities. pruso
sia who did not fight for Turkey, who is re7aote from: the
scene of interest, and who habitually makes Russian reasoo
Prussian reason, does so now. Sardinia p obably finds a
justification for the part she takes, in the fact that it ig
opposed to the policy of Austria. With regard to France,
M. Thouvenel may be acting in error, but he is acting 00
behalf of a government honest in its policy, and amenablO
to reason.

aim) 34reitmi (garbs.

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