Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-08-28 00:00:00

guinary conflicts at Delhi, Lucknow, and the
North West Provinces. Day by day we are
proving more able to curb the frenzy of revolt,
and inflict vengeance signal and terrible for the
deeds of blood which has already deluged those
fair and fertile lands: We shall wait with con-
siderable anxiety for the letters and papers by
the Overland Mail for all the particulars up to
the latest dater,.

PARLIAMENT will be prorogued to-day. The
members of both Houses will be relieved from
further attendance at the Palace of Westminster,
—unless some unforeseen circumstances should
occur,—until the latter end of January, or the
beginning of February next. We have already
briefly glanced at the labours of the past session,
and showed that the measures of real Reform
which have become law are exceedingly scant.
Indeed, the only one of paramount importance,
and which concerns all classes of the community,
is the Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Bill.
Numerous efforts were made by the opponents of
the measure to burke it, but they failed ; and,
after this day, it is to be the law of the land.
And here we cannot help thinking that the last
move of the Lords, on this very question, is
somewhat strange. It will be recollected that
the House of Commons introduced a provision
into the !Bill, giving the wife a right of suing
for a divorce in case of " adultery committed (by
the husband) in the conjugal dwelling." Such
only was reasonable and just, particularly as
the husband has enjoyed the right for a length
of time past.
This amendment was struck out by the House
of Lords, thereby leaving the law in such a posi-
tion as will enable a man, should he be so
inclined, to debauch every domestic in his
family. Yea, he can even ensconce a mistress
under the same roof with his wife, and yet that
wife is denied the legal redress and remedy which
mere adultery on her part would enable him to
obtain against her. Truly, this act on the part
of the House of Lords says but little for the
moral rectitude of many of the Peers of England,
and strengthens the supposition that had the
clause been retained, several of our hereditary
legislators would, no doubt, have been placed in
a somewhat awkward position, as it is a well-
known fact that not a few of their Lordships
have been in the habit of indulging in certain
exceptional liberties, which this stringent
but salutary proviso would have marred and
interfered with.

The Bishop of OXFORD has promised to use
his prelatic authority to defeat one of the provi-
sions of the Bill--namely, the marrying of
persons whose former character has led to the
divorce of a former matrimonial vow. All we
can say, to such a threat is, that he had better
not try the game, as it would be attended with
pains and penalties he would not like to come
under. But enough as to past legislation. A
word as to the future. When the present Par-
liament was in course of election, the country
resounded with .the cry of Reform: An extension
of the suffrage, and vote by ballot, were among
the prominent principles connected with the
representation of the people. It was on the
faith of supporting these principles that the pre-
sent majority of the House of Commons was
returned. Nay, more, it was also on the faith of
a promise ►:rom Lord PALMERSTON that he would
produce a new Reform Bill next session, that he
has been permitted to retain his position of
Premier of England until the present date.
During the recess, no doubt, many of the
leading members of the ,House cf Commons
will, as usual, meet their constituents, and
give an account of their stewardship. Should
they hesitate to come forw•ard_spontaneously for
that purpose it will be the duty of the people to
take steps to procure their attendance, and have
a statement of their political v:ieses as' to the
past, and above,all, regarding the future. We
earnestly hope that the liberal' constituencies
will be particularly careful to dretw from their
respective representatives a renewed and empha-
tic declaration and pledge in favour of reform,
so that the Govern tnent may be made aware
of the wants and, wishes of the nation. They
who know the character of the noble Premier,
and take into account his votes and speeches on
the ballot question, are not over sanguine that
he is in earnest about reform. Indeed, they feel
as if the noble lord would be glad of an excuse
on the meeting of Parliament to relieve him of
his pledge. If the Liberals are true to them-
selves they can defeat such an intention, and
compel the Minister, be he who he may, to bring
forward a full, complete, and equitable law for
regulating the representation of the people. To
possess these features, the franchise must be
extended, and vote by ballot engrafted upon the
measure. Less will not satisfy the people.
But important though such a question is, there
are also others of equal interest and significance,
We allude to two topics, on which the country
should demand immediate legislation, namely,
Education, and Financial Reforms. Something
more is required for the proper education of the
people thin the mere granting of Parliamentary
aid. We want a Minister of Instruction, a
statesman who has made the question one of deep
and long continued study, and education itself
made a fourth leaned profession, the best ally
of the other three, thereby taking the control
and direction of the educational machinery of
the country out of the hands of empirical
amateurs, and placing it under the guidance and
management of those who are scholastic philo-
sophers—theoretical and practical. Every day
convinces us more and more of the necessity firt