The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-01-02 00:00:00

= -I ,teraturr. POETRY. THE' FIREMAN'S SONG. (FROM BLACKWOOD'S MAGAZINE FOR JANUARY.) " 80, comrade, up! awake, arise! look forth into the night: Say, is yon gleam the morning -beam, yon broad and bloody light Say, does it tell —yon clanging bell—of mass or matin song? Yon drum-roll—calls it to parade the soldier's armed throng ? " No, brother, no ! no morning -beam is yonder crimson glare ! Yon deep bell tolls no marin- 7 'fis the tocsin's hurried blare! Yon sullen drum-roll mutters out no summons to parade ; To fight the flame it summons us—the valiant Fire-Brigade !" Then fast the Fireman rose, and waked his mate that lay beside;' And eacb man gripp'd his trusty axe, and donn'd bis coat of hide- There bounds beneath that leather coat a heart as strange to fear As ever swell'd beneath the steel of gilded cuirassier. And from beneath the leather casque that guards the Fireman's brow, A bolder, sterner glance shines out than plumy crest can show ; And oft shall ply the Fireman's axe, though rude and rough it be, Where sabre, lance, and bayonet, right soon would turn and flee ! `Off dash the thundering engines, like goblin Jager-chase -The sleeper shudders as they pass, and pallid grows his face :1 Away, away ! though close and bright yon ruddy glow appear, Tar, far we have to gallop yet, or e'er our work we near! A plain of upturn'd faces—pale brows and quivering lips, All flickering like the tropic sea in the green light of eclipse; And the multitude waves to and fro, as in the trooic sea, Aftera tempest, heaves and falls the ground-swell sleeplessly. Now, by my faith ! a goodly sight yon mansion fast asleep— Those winking lamps beside the gate a dull watch seem to keep— But a gay awaking waits them, when the crash of b'azing beam, And the Fireman's stern reveille, shall mingle with their dream! And sound as sleeps that mansion, ye may mark in every chink A gleam, as in the lava-cracks by the volcano's brink ; Throughley-bole and through window-slit, a white and sullen glow— And all above is rolling smoke, and all is dark below. Hark ! hear ye not that murmur, that hush and hollow roar, As when to the south-wester bow the pines upon the shore; And that low crackling intermix'd, like wither'd twig that breaks, When in midnight greenwood the startled squirrel wakes ! Lo, how the fire comes roaring on, like a host in war array ! Nor lacks it gallant music to cheer it on its way, Nor flap of flame-tongued banner, like the Oriflamme of old, Its vanward cohorts h era ldi ng, i n crimson, I,reen, and gold. The engines now are ranged a-row—hark, how they sob and pant ! How gallantly the water-jets curve soaringly aslant! Up spins the stream—it meets the flame—it bursts in fleecy rain, lake the last spout o f th e dyi n g whale, when the lance is in his brain. Ha, ha! from yon high window thrill'd the wild shriek of despair , And gibbering phantoms seem to dance within the ruddy glare ; And as a valiant captain leads his boarders to the fray, " Up, up, my sons!" our Foreman shouts—" up, firemen, and away!' ' Their arms are strong and sinewy—see how the splinters fly— Their axes they are sharp and good—" Back, comrades, or ye die— " Look to the walls !" —a rending crash—they topple—down they come — A cloud of sparks—a feeble cheer—again !—and all is dumb. A pause—as on that battle-day, 'twist France and England's might, When huge L' Orient blew up at once, in the hottest of the fight : There was not one, they say,but wi nk'd, and held his breath the while, Though brave were they that fought that day with Nelson at the Nile. And by to-morrow's sunrise, amid the steaming stones, A chain of gold half•melted and a few small white bones, And a few rags of roasted flesh, alone shall show where died— The noble and the beautiful, the baby and the bride: O fire, he is a noble thing —the sot's pipe gives him birth ; Or from the livid thunder-cloud he leaps alive on earth ; Or in the western wilderness devouring silently Or on the lava rocking in the womb of Stromaoli. Bight well in Hamburg revell'd he—though Elbe ran rolling by— He could have drain'd—so fierce his thirst—the mighty river dry ! With silk, and gold, and diamond, he cramm'd his hungry maw; And he tamedthe wild republicans, who knew nor lord nor law ! He feasted well in Moscow—in the city of the Tzar— When 'fore the northern streamers paled Napoleon's lurid star: Around tne hoary Kremlin, where Moscow once had stood, He pass'd, and left a heap behind, of ashes slaked with blood ! He feasted once in London—he feasted best of all— " When through the close-packed city, he swept from wall to wall Even as of old the wrath of God came down in fiery rain, On Sodom and Gomoriha, on the Cities of the Plain! CARDINAL DE RETZ, uL THE COURTIER'S PLOT. BY PETER POPJOY, Esq. (For the Liverpool Standard.) CHAPTER IX. The Courtier's Plot is herein unfolded—The reader is told how Fabien receives the instructions given him : in common parlance, " the horse kicks over the traces." Let us now return to Fabien de Croissi, who was left in the hostelrie of the "Three Pigeons," at the moment the Baron his step-brother was about to reveal to him the object of his visit to Paris, and why he was brought to the "Three Pigeons" with such circumspection and speed. The brothers were seated so near to one another, that their garments touched. The Baron, having assured himself that the walls and wainscots of the chamber were too thick to admit of eavesdroppers gathering any thing from their conversation, casting his eye upon Fa bien, said in a tone of kindness, " I think, my dear bro ther, that I have ever acted towards you as a good and kind relation, and that I have not belied the promise I made at the deathbed of our father, to watch over you as if you were my own child. Ido not now wish to reEal to your mind the proofs of confidence and affection that I have ever given you, as well as to Madame Rieul your mother ; but you know how I acted at the time of the death of M. le Baron de Croissi, when I was made the master of my patrimonial rights, and nothing was left but a convent for your mother, and the cowl of a monk or the livery of a page of some Normandy gentleman for your self. I abandoned to you the enjoyment of all my es tates, and hardly ever asked you to give me an account of your expenditure ; and if, up to this time, my dear Fabien, I have not placed you in a position independent of myself, it is because I have sought for an opportunity such as that which now presents itself, by which you can make a brilliant fortune. I hope, then, that the propo sition which I have now to present to you, you will at once accept, coming as it does from a brother to whom, as your elder and your benefactor, you owe re spect and gratitude." It has been already said that Fabien possessed a strong sense of rectitude and justice, which stood him in the place of experience. He at once perceived that these insinuating words, and this enumeration of benefits never conferred, were intended to lull his penetration to sleep on the subject of the important proposals which had to be made. Fabien, therefore, stood on his guard, and determined to dissimulate in his turn. Without indulg ing in recriminations, useless at any rate at the moment, in a tone somewhat bordering on reserve, he replied "that he had never been unmindful of the many kindnesses which his brother had conferred upon him, that he should all his life remember them, and he was ready and willing to prove his gratitude if the proofs sought for were such as his honour permitted him to bestow." The concluding portion of this reply did not appear entirely to suit the taste of the Baron, whose eyebrows lowered considerably. " Honour ! honour !" repeated be with no little impa tience ; " it would be well to know in what you believe it to consist. We sometimes attach most singular ideas to such words, when we are young both in life and worldly experience. But I. hope, Fabien, you will permit me to be a judge of what is fitting or not for you to do." . . _ Sir, said the youth, with a look of pride, " I never have allowed any one to judge for me but my conscience ; nevertheless," he added somewhat mildly, " there is no one whose advice I would so soon receive as that of my elder brother." " Come, that is well said," replied Albert, in a half satisfied tone. "We will in future avoid this delicate point, but now let us come to the true object of our con versation." The Baron paused awhile, as if to reflect how be could best commence the subject. " Fabien," said he at length, in that silky tone of voice he so well knew how tl assume, " you gave me yesterday much satisfaction in showing your repugnance to wear the yellow scarf, which I wished you to assume for your safety. Matters of state need now no longer be concealed from you. I followed in the train of the Prince, while I thought he was moderate and just; but I abandoned him when I saw the excesses his party committed. I now have attached myself hand and heart to the service of the Queen. and I advise you to enlist with me in her cause." Fabien was so much struck with this speech, that he did not wait for him to proceed. _ _ _ " Is it possible?" asked he, overwhelmed with asto nishment. " I frankly avow to you that your conduct since yesterday appeared to contradict your words on the subject of your breaking off with the party of the Conde. You refused to afford assistance to persons attached to the Queen, who were in great danger; while the Coadju tor and his party appeared to stand still worse in your opinion! 1 must, therefore, suppose that the faction whose colours you wear is that in which your friends are enrolled." The Baron smi'ed goodnaturedly, but with an sir of e mbarrassment. " Without doubt, without doubt," re plied he ; " but where have you discovered, Fabien, that to be of one party is to oblige a man to break with his friends, in an opposing faction, when both are dwelling in one city ? You see the reverse of it every tiny in parlia ment. The gentlemen of the Coadjutor's party are obliged to wrangle with the Prince's, but this does not hinder them from pledging together a social cup. This is the ludicrous side of these civil disorders. As for me. I have not broken faith or quarrelled with the Prince's party ; but all the world knows that I have a leaning towards the Court, and that I have now become almost what is termed ' a Mazarin.' You will see abundant and irre fragable proofs of my sincerity in my devotedness to the party I have adopted." Although these explanations would have appeared ra ther obscure to any one who had a perfect knowledge of affairs of the times, they appeared satisfactory and sincere to Fabien, and awoke in his breast a regret that he should have suspected the secret intentions of his brother. ' " Baron, said he, with a co r di a l a i r, " f org i ve m e the evil thoughts that I involuntarily conceived respecting your projects in my behalf. I confess, with sincerity, the party with who m I believed you engaged, notwith standing your negations, .made me f ear t h at you were about to address a proposition to me w hi ch my loyalty and my respect for the lawful authorities would prevent roe undertaking." The Baron could not resist an elevation of the shoul ders. " I have," said he with severity, " endeavoured to put you on your guard against entertaining any de pressing fancies which my conduct might suggest ; but I excuse your ingratitude, Fabien, because we do not know each other yet, although we are united by the ties of blood. I hope that soon I may not be the subject of such suspicions, and that you will not withhold from me the affection of a brother," Fabien made a sign of assent, and replied, in a tone which had no longer that coldness and reserve in it which it had at first, " Speak on, my dear Albert. lam im patient to know how I can serve the royal mistress of my beloved Elizabeth." " And, you may add, of Mlle. de Montglat hOrself," said the Baron impressively. " I have already told you, fabien, that you are destined to great things. I may add, that never had any one a chance —nay a certainty—of so great a recompense as you have now within your grasp, if you worthily do your duty. Thus must you act :—The friends of the Queen, amongst whose number I am, have conceived the idea of a great stroke of policy, which would put an end at once to our civil discords ; but to make it succeed, it must be done by a gentleman—young, strong, and bold, unknown in Paris—in fact, a perfect stranger to both factions, and who would not fear, in case of a want of success, to suffer imprisonment, torture, even death itself, without betraying or compromising any one —a man whose devotedness was such, as to be content to die in having endeavoured to obey his Sovereign and pre serve the safety of all." " And you have fixed upon me for this great enter prise?" " I thought at once of you," replied the Baron calmly. " I said to myself that you, Fabien, were obscure and poor in your country home, and that you would have to, feel that you were so should anything divert from you my interest. I reflected that you loved a noble lady, to whom you were for ever precluded being united by your humble position in life. It then came to my mind that you were the man of all others to undertake this task, and that you would not fail to endeavour to accompliih what I know to be the summit of your desires, and that y.>u would not object to risk your life to obtain what you so ardently covet. I avow to you that the undertaking is hazardous. I restrained my affection for you, and re frained from speaking of you to the noble personages who direct this affair, as a kinsman, but mentioned you as a person highly fitting to accomplish their designs. I did this in case they might suspect the deep interest I take in you. I spoke of you as I knew you ; and they accepted you as their champion —even the Queen and the Cardinal Mazarin." Fabien listened attentively to these words, while the Baron seemed to calculate upon their effect. Perceiving that he had stopped, the youth replied, warmly, " I am proud, Sir, that so many illustrious, persons should be willing to trust an affair, which appears to be so de ply interesting, in my hands, and I thank you sincerely for having offered the means of exchanging my present posi tion, for a high estate, at the risk of an honourable grave. But you have not yet told me what is expected at my hands." "I am about to do so," said the Baron. "You know well, Fable!), that there is a man in Paris whose disap- pearance the royal authority would purchase by the most magnificent gifts. This man places the state in peril every day —every hour of his life, and can cause at any moment a frightful revolution that would place France in the hands of the stranger." He offends the Queen by his insolencT ; he irritates her by his bold speeches, and by the libellous calumnies of his minions, in fact, my brother, things have come to this point, this man must cease to be dangerous or we must allow him a power equal to that of the Queen. " Well," interrupted Fabien impetuously, " has not the Queen faithful servants to execute her orders, prisons to shut up traitors and all those that are factious?" " Without doubt," replied the Baron, who grew cold as his brother became warm, " but we live in unhappy times, Fabien, and the legitimate authority has not that degree of force and solidity that it formerly had. There are factious persons who can struggle with advantage against all the troops of the regent, and he of whom we speak is amongst the number; he has himself a great many followers and friends, all ready to draw swords to defend him and their cause. To attack them openly would be to accelerate the catastrophe that we fear will ensue. It was determined in a secret council, held by the parti zans of the Queen, to put a project in execution which will be confided to you. Listen to me. By means which you shall presently know, we will place you in the way of this person, where you will be alone with him, and in a position that will enable you to deliver him into our hands." "But, Sir," said Fabien ingeniously, "such an arrest is the business of a captain of the guards." The Baron smiled in a significant manner. "You do not undereand," said he tranquilly," a civi- Tian, or a captain of the guards, or any one, might con trive that—that arrest, but it must not be by an official. Understand me well. This undertaking must not appear to be projected by the court against the person alluded to. It is necessary thaa he should disappear all at once from the political arena without the spectators knowing what has become of him. It was for this that we chose a plain country gentleman like yourself. If the blow fails you must disavow those who employed you, as I have told you before, and your humble position will not compromise any one. If it succeeds, a profound mystery will be thrown over the enterprise, and you will, in open day, receive under some Plausible pretext, a reward for a service done by you in the shade. You now see under what conditions you can accept the commission offered to you." Fabien evidently did not understand what was expected of him. " Excuse me, Baron," said he, " excuse my simplicity, but is there not in all Paris a person of strength of body, and resolute of disposition, who would execute this enter prize, without going so far into the country to seek a young countryman like myself, whose inexperience in such matters will only perhaps bring about a failure. ?" " It is necessary that the person we intrust with this grave and important work should be a gentleman, and that he can present excellent proofs of good faith. You must be aware, Fabien, that if we addressed an ambitious man, or one who was covetous, and in whom we could place no faith, we should perhaps be only selling the se cret for the benefit of the person against whom the enter prize is directed, who is wealthy enough to pay a great price for it. it is necessary to find a man both of firmness of disposition, and honesty of purpose, who will place im plicit faith in those who employ him, or who can give perfect sincerity for his discretion." "This may be very true, Baron de Croissi, but it is strange that there should he so great a danger to he encoun tered for one who has to execute a mandate, legally or dered by a superior authority." De Croissi looked steadfastly upon his brother without replying. " Perhaps," said he, at length, coldly, " this foe to the state may make some resistance; so to have done with him it will be desirable to give him a few cuts with a sharp sword, or a stab or two with a poignard." Fabien turned pale ; a cold sweat stood upon his fore head. " And do you believe," asked he, disguising, with difficulty, his agitation, " that this person will make any resistance ?" " He is sure to do so," replied the Baron; " he is not one of those who will tamely submit to a capture without a struggle. The person alluded to is tle PRINCE DE CONDE. (To be continued.) SELECTIONS. COOL COURAGE.—About this time, and while the Vic tory was in the thickest of the fight, the smoke not per mitting the commander-in-chief to see all the ships of his squadron as distinctly as he wished, he went to the poop to obtain a clearer sight of the battle. While he was there, coolly observing them, a marine close by him was struck by a cannon-shot, which smashed his head, and Earl St. Vincent was literally covered from hat. to knees by the man's brains and blood. Seeing him in that state, and fearing he was wounded, Captain Grey ran up, making the most earnest inquiries. "I am not at all hurt," re plied the Admiral, calmly, and at the same time wiping his mouth, into which a quantity of blood had flown ; " but do, George, try if you can get me an orange." A. youthful aid-de-camp soon brought one from the cockpit, and Sir John rinsed his mouth with the utmost compo sure.—Memoirs of Earl St. Vincent, just published. • ASSOCIATIONS OF SCENERY.—To the Christian the whole world is a great church, in which the worship of the Divine Creator is being perpetually celebrated. Con verse with nature is to him converse with God ; for nature is to him, in the expressive words of Archdeacon Hare, Another and a prior Bible, which, when man's secondary writing has been rubbed out, and when the original char acters have been brought forth, and rightly interpreted, as with the help of the other it may be, unites from all its regions and spheres in declaring the glory of God, and in shewing his handiwork. But the manuscript of nature can only be made legible by the illumination of Scripture. It is only when the Angel of Truth goes before us through the fields and valleys that the landscape shines out in its beauty and charms; it is only beneath the lustrous shadow cast by its expanded wings that the moral of the grass and the fluwer can be understood. In this spirit has nature been studied by Cowper and Wordsworth.—Fraser'g Magazine. THE CHANGE WROUGHT.—But he was early at the office next morning. Oh he was early there. If lie could only be there first, and catch Bob Cratchit coming late ! That was the thing lie had set his heart upon. And he did it ; yes, he did ! The clock struck nine. No Bob. A quarter past. No Bob. He was full eighteen minutes and a half behind his time. Scrooge sat with his door wide open, that he might see him come into tLe Tank. His hat was off, before he opened the door ; his comforter too. He was on his stool in a jiffy; driving away with his pen, as if he were trying to overtake nine o'clock. " Hallo ! " growled Scrooge, in his accustomed voice as near as he could feign it. " What do you mean by com ing here at this time of day ?" " I'm very sorry, sir," said Bob. "I am behind my time." " You are ?" re peated Scrooge. " Yes, I think you are. Step this way, if you please." "It 'a only once a year, sir," pleaded Bob, appearing from the Tank. " It shall not be repeated. I was making rather merry yesterday, sir." " Now, I'll tell you what, my friend," said Scrooge, " I am not going to stand this sort of thing any lo nge r. And there fore, he continued, leaping from his stool, and giving Bob such a dig in the waistcoat that he staggered back into the Tank again : " and therefore I am about to raise your salary ! " Bob trembled, and got a little nearer to the ruler. He had a momentary idea of knocking Scrooge down with it, holding him, and calling to the people in the court for help and a strait-waistcoat. " A merry Christmas, Bob!' said Scrooge, with an earnestness that could not be mistaken, as he clapped him on the back. " A merrier Christmas, Bob, my good fellow, than I have given you, for many a year! I 'II raise your salary, and endeavour to assist your struggling family ; and we will discuss your affairs this very afternoon, over a Christmas bowl of smoking bishop, Bob ! Make up the fires, and buy another coal-scuttle before you dot another i, Bob Cratchit ! "—Dickens's Christmas Carol. CURIOUS FACT.—If England paid her national debt, it would take £46 9s. 2d. from each person to pay it ; it would take £ll 9s. 2d. from each Frenchman to pay the debt of France; it would taka £55 Bs. 4d. from each Dutchman to pay the debt of Holland; and it would only take £4 13s. 9d. from each Pennsylvanian to pay the debt repudiated. THE LIVERPOOL STANDAith. LIVERPOOL WINTER ASSIZES. TUESDAY. John Roberts, 27. James Hunt, 25, Thomas Jacques, 25, Joseph Rimmer, 24, and Henry Fillingham, 27, were given in charge for the wilful murder of Richard Kenyon, at Knowsley, on the 10th of November last. Mr. BRANDT stated the case to the jury as it subse quently came out in evidence. He said it was a melan choly sight to see no less than five men at the bar charged with the wilful murder of one of their fellow-subjects; but it would appear that the fatal shot had been fired by the prisoner Roberts, and that the four other prisoners, together with others not in custody, were aiding and abet ting in the murder. He admitted that the principal wit ness would be Naaman Shaw, an approver, who would acquit his father, John Shaw, who had been originally taken up on the capital charge, and who would implicate the prisoners. James Tyrer, Thomas Mellish, Joseph Butter, who were watching the preserves of Lord Derby on the night in question, deposed to the manner in which the murder had been perpetrated. Their accounts differed little from that stated at the time of the coroner's inquest, and which must be fresh in the recollection of our readers. Naaman Shaw, the approver, was then examined. He • said—l was 19 years old last September, and am the son of John Shaw. In November last I lived with my father in Eldon-street, Liverpool. I remember the night of Thursday, the 9th of November. I saw all the prisoners that night. Seven of us went to Windle. There were John and William Webster, James Hunt, John Roberts, Thomas Titheroe, and Henry Robinson with me. We agreed together that Hunt and Robinson should go to Fillingham's, at Eccleston-lane end, to see whether be would go with us. I talked to James Hunt about it. Hunt and Robinson started between six and seven o'clock for Eccleston. John Webster and I started off in about ten minutes after. We left W. Webster, J. Roberts, and Titheroe behind, but they were to meet us in London road. John Webster and I went on to a public-house at the Cattle-market, while William Webster, Roberts, and Titheroe came up. We then went on. Between the Old Swan and Knotty Ash we met my father and George Sed don. That was at eight o'clock. My father had a black dog with him. I spoke to my father, who went on to wards Liverpool: My father told us that the keepers were at the Blue Bell, and that they had got their guns and big dogs with them, and t hat Hunt and Robinson were wait ing at the side of the smithy at Knotty Ash for us. I did not see my father again that night. We went on, and met Hunt and Robinson at the smithy. Hunt went on to Fil lingham's, and when we got to Eccleston lane end we met Hunt again. He said that Fillingham was out. We seven then went on to Windle. Hunt called at Jacques on the way, but soon after Hunt came up and said that Jacques and Fillingham were gone shooting to Windle-hall. John Webster and Roberts had guns, single-barrelled ones. We afterwards came back to Jacques's house, and found Jacques, Rimtner, and Fillingham there. It was then half-past two. We left in half an hour for Knowsley school cover. There was ten of us together then. We went over the park wall, and went through several little covers in the park, and shot there. We got to the school cover at last, where we shot three pheasants. The game keepers rushed on us over the rails into the cover. Kenyon led them forward. He had a gun. The keepers cried out, " Now Kenyon, now Kenyon." Our party cried out, "Bring them guns up." Fillingham had Web ster's gun, Roberts had a gun, and Jacques also had a gun at this time. Roberts was standing at my right hand side, close by. I saw him fire his gun direct for Kenyon. Kenyon was standing in front of the muzzle, about four or five yards off. Kenyon fired either one or two barrels in return. The keepers were then rushing out of the cover towards the coach road, from which they came. Fillingham fired after them. Their hacks were turned at the time. When first they came up they cried out, "Jack Shaw, Jack Shaw, is that thee?" One of the party re plied, "NI give you Jack Shaw." Instantly after that Roberts fired. We had a black dog with us. It belonged to the Websters'. Wh en th e kepers ran our party shouted " hurrah," two or three times. After that we went through the gates into the highway, and made in the direction of the tiazles. Some of our party said that one of us had been shot. We then counted and found eight. The two others had run in another direction. We met two women on the road, coming from the Hazles. They asked us not to harm them. We met a man before we got to the Hazles. One of us bid him "good morning." William Webster said he thought Kenyon was killed, and I said that couldn't be, or else be would not have been able to run so fast. None of our party complained of being shot or hurt. Fillingliam and Rimmer left us at the lane end to go home. Tlremaining six of us passed through the Hazles-park and the village of Huyton. We met a man in a cart at Huy ton. At Pilch-lane I asked a man what time it was, and he said six. We then went on to Liverpool, where we met a policeman. We left our game at Williams's. A number of witnesses were then examined to corrobo rate the testimony of th • approver, after which the case for the prosecution closed. Mr. JAMES addressed the jury in an able speech on be half of the prisoners, and called two witnesses to prove an alibi for Rirnmer. His LORDSHIP then charged the jury, who retired, and after an absence of three-quarters of an hour, returned a verdict of guilty against all the prisoners, strongly recom mending them to mercy. Silence having been then called for, his Lordship put on the black cap, amid loud cries of " Mercy, mercy, my lord," from the prisoners, and piercing shrieks from their female relations in court. The females had to be removed before any thing like silence could be obtained. His LORDSHIP then passed sentence of death upon the prisoners in solemn and affecting terms. He said he bad neither power nor authority to hold out any hopes of mercy to them ; and he earnestly recommended them, by earnest prayer and sincere repentance, to prepare for their approaching end. The prisoners received the sentence with indifference, and were immediately led away by the keepers. WEDNESDAY. MALICIOUSLY WOUNDING. William Walan, 28, (could neither read nor write,) was charged with maliciously wounding Jonathan Har rison, at Ashton-under-Lyne, with intent to do him some grievous bodily berm. Mr. HuuroN conducted the crt.e for the prosecution. It appeared, that on Sunday, the 17th of September, about eight o'clock in the evening, as Harrison, along with a person named James Platt, was walking up Citron-street, Ashton, the prisoner, who was a stranger to him, came up and knocked him down by a blow on the head with a heavy poker. The prisoner after wards assaulted Platt, by striking him on the jaw with the poker. The blow was so severe that the jaw was broken in two places. The prisoner was in company with two other men similarly armed, and, on being taken into cus tody, the only remark he made was, that he never saw the poker before. The surgeon found a contused wound ott the left side of Harrison's head. It was a quat ter to half an inch long, completely dividing the integuments nearly down to the 'oorie. The prisoner was found guilty of a common assault. Evidence was then given on a second indictment against the prisoner, on the charge of wound ing Platt. He was on the second indictment found guilty of a common assault. For the assault on Platt he was sentenced to six months' imprisonment ; and for the as sault on Harrison to four months' imprisonment. BURGLARY. Henry Howarth was charged with burglary in the house of Thomas Howarth. his cousin, at Tottington Lower-End. Mr. CROSS conducted the case. It op. peared that the premises of Mr. Howarth were broken into on the night of the 31st October, and a tea-kettle, a pair of clogs, and a pair of stockings stolen therefrom. The burglary was not discovered till the morning, but during the day the prisoner was found dealing with the tea-kettle and the pair of stockings which had been stolen, and on being taken into custody he said, " I am guilty ; I would sooner have seven years than not, for I have been sleeping in a barn for three weeks, and I am tired of it." The prisoner was found guilty of the bur glary, and it was also proved that he had before been con victed of felony. His Lordship, in passing sentence, said the offence, which was of a serious nature in itself, was greatly aggravated in consequence of the previous con viction. It was quite clear in his case that the experiment of further imprisonment would be useless, arid from other circumstances in the case it would seem to be the interest of the community, and, he would say to his own interest, that he should be removed from this country. The sen tence of the court was, that he should be transported for ten years. Andrew Brown, 23, (could read and write imperfectly,) was charged with a burglary i❑ the house of Mr. Thomas Irlatn, at Bootle. Mr. I-1 ULTON conducted the case for the prosecution. Mr. JANI Es defended the prisoner. On the night of the 3d October, the premises of Mr. Irlam were entered through the cellar window, and a quantity of articles stolen therefrom. In the morning, foot-marks were traced from the house of Mr. Irlam to the shore, where the sand had been disturbed, and two bottles of ale were found. Following the foot-marks further into a field at some little distance, articles of plate, which had been stolen from the house of Mr. Irlam were found con cealed under the sand, and near the sea-wall a silver lid was found. In the evening, a watch having been kept, the prisoner, with two others, were found in the field, searching at the spot where the articles had been secreted, and after a struggle he was apprehended ; the others escaped. The evidence as to the burglary failed, and the jury found the prisioner not guilty of the larceny. Peter Dootson, John Hunt, and Thomas Knowles, were indicted for a burglary in the house of Samuel Haslam. Mr. Cross was for the prosecution, Mr. James for the defence. It appeared from the statement of the prosecutor, that he, with his sister, a servant girl, and three young lads, inhabited a lone farm-house in the neighbourhood o Bol ton. On the night of the 31st October they retired to rest about the usual hour. In the course of the morning Haslam was alarmed by a noise in the house, and getting up, went to his bedroom door, whence he saw a number of men with their faces blackened and armed with pistols coming up stairs. They demanded his money. He said they should have it, if they would spare his life. He went into the room in which his sister slept, and brought out a small square box, with some gold and silver in it. As he was handing it over, some of the money fell. The robbers gathered it up, and then drew him and the three lads that slept in the room with him into his sister's room. They demanded more money from her, and pre sented a pistol at her head. She shrieked very much, and they finally went down stairs, leaving them shut up in the room, and threatening to shoot them if they at tempted to escape. Haslam attempted to get through the window, but some one below, outside, threatened to shoot him, and he desisted. . In a short time the robbers left the house, and, on going down stairs, Haslam found they had wrenched the front of the dresser in the kitchen and taken away some halfpence and some bread and cheese. Some ale also had been drawn. The chief witness against the prisoners was William Knowles ' an approver, who gave his ev id en ce in the broadest Lancashire dialect, and with a remarkable dis play of easy coarse nonchalance. He detailed the cir cumstances under which the robbery was planned the night before. He said it was proposed to him by Doot son ; that he on that evening accompanied Dootson to purchase a pistol and a flint, and that he afterwards met the party at an old foundery, called Bests, in the neigh bourhood of Bolton. It consisted of himself, the pri soners, and two men whom he did not know ; one of them, a little swarthy man,•and another, whom they had fetched from the shop of a person of the name of Gullen, where he had been getting his shoes repaired. They went over the field to the place where the robbery was to be committed. The rest of the party knew the way: They said they had been there before. "We stopped," he said, " about 100 yards off it, because they said it was too moonlight. The moon was very bright. When we stopped, I drew my stockings over my trousers while t'others was turning their coats. Dootson didn't need turn his'n, for he bad a slop that Hunt carried for him. We then went round that farmyard. An' they asked me ta look round ta best way to get in. I did so. When I came back they had all their faces black. The little swarthy chap had blacked 'em. He said to me, • Thou mun ha' thy face blacked too ;' and I said Well,' and he blacked it. I said they could get in best by one of the back windows, and we went round to it, and I opened it with a knife I borrowed from Dootson. Hunt struck a light and lit a candle, and gave it to the swarthy little chap, who got in first, and the man as had his shoes mend d got in second, and I got in third. They made for the front door, and let in Hunt and Dootson. Knowles said he daren't go in. for they'd know him, for he'd wrought there afore. He kept watch outside. We went up stairs. The swarthy chap went first with a candle in one hand and a pistol in t'other. The man as had his shoes mended went next with a pistol, and I was third. I had a knife with a long blade, about 16 inches long, I had got from Hunt. It had two or three rivets in the blade. There war a bed close tut head of the stairs, and a man lying in it. He war all of a tremble this fellow, and he made some cry out, I could not tell what, but I heard him ask us to spare his life. They said they didn't want his life, they wanted his money. He said they should have it an they would spare his life. He went into t'other room, and brought out a little box wi' some money. While he wur giving it, some fella but t'other chaps soon picked it up. We then put this fellow and three lads as were int' room into t'other room to keep 'em from going down stairs. There was a middle aged woman in that room, and a wench int' bed. The woman set up a dismal shrike, and said the money weer what they had to pay their rent with, and begged them not to take it all, hut there was none gave back as I saw. We then had a look through the house, and gave it a bit of a turn over. We told them not to move from the room for their lives. They made no answer but siking and sobbing. Down stairs we got some bread and cheese, and all had some as had a mind. There was a chest of drawers int' kitchen we couldn't get open, and Dootson wrenched it open. I said to him, ' Dootson, don't break nowt.' So, when there were nothing valu able, we ca ee out and locked up the door. The Chap as locked the door skinned the key a one side, and I think it ud leet int' garden. When we'd got away a good way, about a mile, we agreed to wash our faces, and we had some bread and cheese. Hunt took the horse pistol, for Dootson said he couldn't rightly take care of 'em both. They went all one way, and I went my way home. Before we parted we agreed to divide the money. Hunt divided the gold, and the swarthy fellow divided the silver. I got £2, one in gold and one in silver. There were 2s. over. Hunt said they could divide that another time among themselves, and he said he had 4d. in copper, and lie gave it to me, to pay me off like." The witness was cross-examined, but nothing very material was elicited to shake his testimony. Evidence was given corroborating in many minute points the testimony of the approver. The prisoners were all found guilty, and sentenced to be transported for 15 years. ThU RSDAY. His Lordship took his seat on the bench at nine o'clock. James Morrison stood charged with stabbing Thomas Christopher, at Liverpool, on the 9th of October last. The prisoner was acquitted on the ground of insanity. Henry Holland was charged with assaulting George Buchanan, and robbing him of .f 2 10s, at Upholland, on the 30th October last. The prisoner was acquitted. John Thomases, aged 23, and Joseph Shorlier, 22, were chargea with assaulting William Martland, and robbing him of his watch, on the 27th November last, at Orms kirk. They were both found guilty, but in consideration of it being their first offence, were only sentenced to six months' imprisonment. James Fotshaw, alias James Caunce, alias James Wil liamson, was charged with feloniously assaulting Ellen Berry, on the 17th July last, at Rufford. Mr. Monk conducted the prosecution, and th prisoner was defended by Mr. Jones, who called witnesses, with the view of shoving that no assault had been committed, but that the prosecut rix was a consenting party to the transaction. • Mr. Monk replied at some length, after which his Lordship went over the evidence, very carefuNy explaining the law as it affected the case of the prisoner, and the bearing of the various facts brought forward, both an the part of the prosecution and the defence. The jury, without hesitation, acquitted the prisoner. The case oc cupied nearly the whole of the afternoon. Mary Ann Darcy, 26, was indicted for uttering a forged money order for £2. 15s, with intent to defraud Richard Williams, f Liverpool. The transaction occurred on the 24th of dctober last. The jury acquitted the prisoner. The court rose at a quarter to seven. FRI DAY. His Lordship,on taking his seat, passed sentence on the following :—Roger norroeks, James Howarth, and Mary Ann Hulse, for burglary, to be transported for ten years. Charles Booth, Charles Jones, Thomas Hale, James Bailey, and Henry Mann, who had all pleaded guilty to a charge of burglary, were sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment and hard labour. John Walker, for highway robbery, to he imprisoned and kept to hard labour for twelve calendar months. William Slack, for burglary, to twelve months' im prisonment. _ _ James Francis Bentley and George Allanson, for for gery, to which they had pleaded guilty, to ten years trans portation. James Moss Smith, for embezzlement and obtaining money under false pretences, to thirteen months' im prisonment. James Newbold, for stealing to the value of £lO, from the dwelling-house of Blundell, of Crosby-hall, was sentenced to be imprisoned and kept to hard labour for eight calendar months.. Owen Rooney, for cutting and stabbing George Sey mour with intent to do him some bodily harm, to be transported for fifteen years. John Sullivan, for inviting and procuring another person to commit the crime of forgery, to two years' hard labour. CIIAILGE OF MUItIIER. Nicholas Clarke was charged with the wilful murder of Catharine Rippendale, at Manchester, by kicking and heating her, and also by throwing her against the stairs. In other counts of the indictment, the name of the de ceased was laid as Catharine Clarke. . . Mr. Pollock appeared for the prosecution, and, at the request of his Lo r d s hip, Mr. James defended the pri soner. Mary Ann Colville, living with her father at No. 2,. Clegg's-court, Spinal-street, Manchester, stated that the prisoner and deceased, who passed as his wife, came to. her father's house. It appeared that he beat her in a jealous drunken fit of quarrelling, and that she died of the effect. of the treatment. _ _ The jury found the prisoner guilty of manslaughter, and the prisoner was sentenced to transportation for lire. LEAVING A SAILOR ON SHORE IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY. John Ca!row, captain of the ship Mediterranean, sur rendered in discharge of bail, to answer an indictment charging him with having forced or left on shore John Hill, one of his crew, whilst at sea, and before the completion of his voyage. _ _ Messrs. Brandt and Whigharo appeared for the prosecu tion, and Messrs. James and Drinkwater for the defend ant. Mr. BP.ANDT stated the case to the jury ; but as the circumstances must be fresh in the recollection of our readers, full evidence having been given before Mr. Rush ton, it is unnecessary to repeat them here. Verdict—Guilty. HOUSE ROBBERY AT LIVERPOOL. Henry Todd was indicted for having robbed Mr. Mil ton, sheriff's-officer, of his pocket chronometer, of the value of £2O. Mr. Mansfield appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. James for the prisoner.—The case not being made out to the satisfaction of the jury, the prisoner was. discharged. STEALING A LETTER. George 31` Cane, a boy in the employment of Messrs. Stockdale and Son, soap-boilers, of Liverpool, was in dicted for stealing a letter, the property of his employers, containing a £2O Bank of England note.—lt appeared a remittance was made by Messrs. Row and Beale, of Man chester, to the prosecutors, on the sth of October, of £2O, which never came to hand. The note in question was ex changed by the prisoner a few days afterwards.—He was found guilty, and sentenced to seven years' transportation. POACHING. The last case for trial was a charge against a person named James Gornerp, for poaching at Latham in Octo ber, 18-12 ; but the case not being made out, the defendant was acquitted. CAPTAIN CALROW'S CASE. In this case, Mr. JAMES called Mr. Francis Wilson, surgeon, who stated that Captain Calrow was labouring under a disease of the liver, which imprisonment would aggravate. His Lortnsntr, however, after a rather lengthy address, sentenced the defendant to six months' imprisonment in Lancaster Castle. This concluded the business of the special commission, and the court adjourned at half-past seven o'clock. CAPTAIN SCOTT'S CASE.—On Friday, this case (the adjournment of which was mentioned in our last) was again investigated at some length. The captain produced the mate and an elderly sailor, for the purpose of showing the disorderly and mutinous conduct of which Johnson and his fellows had been guilty. It appeared from their s th ai e lo v r e s ss in el ir a o n n d s, th i n a t o i r t d evidence that there were fifty tons of gunpowder on board from drinkin g the Rushton ordered the forecastle in the night time. Mr. Rushton for w er as to ab p so re l v u e te e l t y t n h e e c m essary to put t h e part of the ship's cargo of rum, and hav v i u n t g ti l n i captain to pay a penalty of £5 , n under the cir cumstances, irons, for that he considere d n ecessary, • g g h J ts ohon for having pu days in such a climate and such a sea. The fine was iaa, cumstances, ra edia t el y paid, t with him a intovie w theto t h h e e e safety t, e ed of keptth the T im e s s for el, two THE NEW INSOLVENT ACT. A singular advantage has recently been taken of the protection which this act affords, in the Liverpool Court of Bankruptcy. The features of the case, from their sin gularity, are not exclusively confined to the commercial public, but must arrest attention in the Legislature. An insolvent by his attorney came before the Court to file his petition, in order to gain the interim order for protection. A day was appointed for a bearing (which by the act is necessary to be three clear days before the meeting), when notice was given to the messenger, whose duty it was to advertise, that the prosecution of the petition would be abandoned. This unusual circumstance being represented to the learned Commissioner, a day was appointed for the surrender of the insolvent, and to hear, by himself or his attorney, the reasons for not prosecuting the petition already filed, a month having elapsed between the filing and the hearing. On Saturday a most respectable solicitor in Liverpool, appeared for a creditor, appealed to the commissioner whether in the case of an insolvent presenting a petition to the Court, by a withdrawal of it, without tangible rea son, the act might not be construed into a contempt of Court. They had got the admission of an attorney that three several executions were in process against the insol vent; and in apprehension of these he had filed his peti tion in this Court, and obtained his interim order for pro tection. If a license of this kind were sanctioned by law, a petition entirely false might be presented, because the action being preliminary, it was not necessary for the in solvent to swear to the truth of it. The interim protec tion sanctioned by the present law was one that would present to the fraudulent the most unlimited means of making away with their property : in fact, protecting the insolvent from any let or hindrance except by the issue of a judge's order; the evidence in the support of its neces sity it was very difficult to obtain. He further observed that the section of the act recited was, "until the ap pearance, and not before the date of the appearance," in confirmation of this opinion as to the necessity of the in solvent at some time surrendering to his petition. By the 6th section, also, the attorney could be summoned to answer any misrepresentation. Hia,l 7 lowoun, after remarking upon the. singularity of the case, said that lie had no jurisdiction. The rules and orders require that all advertisements should be gazetted, and the insolvent was not judicially before him. The act certainly never contemplated an evasion of that kind, but as it was a matter of which he could have no cognizance, he bad no alternative but to dismiss the petition. The difficulty which had arisen was as regarded the costs, in which, again, he had no jurisdiction. His power only ex tended to the final order, after whiuli it was in his discre tion to allot the costs to any party he should think fit. He (the Commissioner), however, could not but express his displeasure, as the process of the court had been most improperly interfered with. The summary of the objection to this part of the act may be contained in a few words. A plotting insolvent may file a petition in the court without a single correct item in his balance-sheet, or the smallest particle of fi delity in his returns, get the Court's protection for a month antecedent to his hearing, and may then give no tice by his attorney of his alleged inability to prosecute the tenor of his petition, the whole of the interim being allowed to him fraudulently to dispose of his effects or to abscond from his creditors, as in this very case it was stated by the attorney that under the protection of the Court he had been collecting his accounts for his own purposes,. How does this stand when the act clearly states that upon filing the petition the estate of the insolvent is vested in the official assignee? DEATH BY DROWNING.—On Saturday, an inquest was held before the borough coroner, to inquire into the circumstances touching the death of a boy, eight years of age, named Thomas Martindale, who was found drowned in the graving docks at the potteries. It appeared that he left his father's house, in Wellington-road, in the Park, about half-past eleven o'clock on Friday morning, and that nothing more was heard of him until his body was found, in about seven feet of water, in the dock. A verdict of " Found drowned" was returned. At the Police-court, on Friday, Captain Chadley, of the Hairbell, was summoned by several of his crew, for wages to the full extent of the voyage, the lowest claim being £l4 7s. A mutinous spirit, of a very aggravated charac ter, was provedagainst the claimants ; but as fares Cubbin's case went, who had shipped as second mate, and was found to be incompetent a day or two after sailing, Mr. Rushton said he would not give him a single farthing, Lis conduct being most disgraceful. Three other cases, hin ging on the same matter, were adjourned. MERSEY AND IRWELL NAVIGATION.—We noticed in our last the purchase by Lord Francis Egerton of the whole of the shares of this navigation. It is reported that his lordship contemplates a further expenditure of X 300,000 in deepening and improving the river, so as to render it navigable for vessels of considerable burthen, in anti cipation of the time when Manchester will become a bonding port.. In other respects, the business of the Old Quay Company, it is expected, will be conducted precisely as it has hitherto been, and on the same pre mises, which are of course included in the purchase. From yesterday (Monday), the river, as well as the canal navigation, between Liverpool and Manchester, will be under the control, and in fact the property, of his lordship. THE BRIDGEW&TERCLERHS:—On the 15th instant, all thew_ eats and clerks-engaged in the Bridgewater Trust, were conveyed to Worsley in barges prepared for the oc 'asion, whither they were invited by Lord Francis Eger ton, to have a day's coursing upon the beautiful estate attached to the princely mansion which his lordship has lately erected there. At eleven , o'clock the party assem bled to the number of seventy, and proceeded to the sport at once. A fine body of dogs were provided, and the rul. Wing was splendid, so much so that by three o'clock twenty-two hares were killed. At four o'clock they sat down to a most sumptuous dinner, at the Grapes Inn. F. Smith, Esq., was called to the chair. The chairman proposed, after the usual loyal toasts," Lord Francis Eger ton and his lady," "James Loch, Esq.," and others. The company separated soon after ten. THE IRISH SOCIETY.—On Sunday morning the annual sermon in aid of this society was preached at St. Jude's Church, by the Rev. Drummond Anderson, the newly appointed curate, a young divine of very considerable ability. It had been announced on the preceding Sunday that the sermon would be preached by the Rev. Hugh M'Neile ; but, in the course of the week, the latter gen tleman received a communication, announcing the alarm ing illness of Mrs. M'Neile's sister, and he was,.there fore, unexpectedly obliged to leave town for a few days, to attend the bedside of his afflicted r el a ti v e. Hi s pl ace sehe p v o iut ap madeoairupon nt eg h strong ctoe nn was well oftcaocvuso,putbiresdocfrbibtyhellellisbro.ecrDrummond, society, and for. t g n a i pr e ep n gea t atl o ioi f nn a country which had given them such a pastor as the Rev. Mr. 111'Neile, "whose praise was in all the Churches." The collection amounted to zesa 12s. 6d. MARKING AT , ID NUMBERING OIL OF VITRIOL.—On Wednesday last the superintendent of the Transit-sheds preferred a charge against Mr. James Muspratt, in con sequence of some casks of oil of vitriol belonging to that gentleman being on the Prince's Dock Quay without the proper mark. The contents were only discovered in con sequence of two of them having been broken by accident, and been found burning on the quay. Mr. Rushton said he was not sure that the mark V, which, it appeared, was on the casks in question, was not sufficient. The super intendent said, that the V did not denote the contents; the act of Parliament required that notice should be given to the superintendent of the docks, and that a distinct mark, denoting the nature of the goods, should be put on them, under a penalty of £2O. Mr. Rushton said the• terms of the act ought to be complied with, and notice had better be given to the parties to the effect, that the terms of the act must be complied with. lie would only inflict a nominal fine of 20s. and costs. Dim( ABERDAR.ON. — The Ca7arvan Herald gives the following particulars respecting this individual :—This ex traordinary linguist ended his earthly erratic career at St. Asaph, on Monday last, and was buried in the church yard of that city on Thursday, the clergy, with the prin cipal inhabitants, paying homage to his acquirements by forming a,funeral procession, to escort his body to its resting place ; and on which, we understand, a tablet is to be laid by his friends and patrons, to point out the spot where Dic y litimedd has been interred out of the reach of all tongues. We understand that a cast of the head and features of this singular individual has been taken by Air. Craft Roberts, surgeon,, of llolywell, a model of which will be a study to the curious in phrenoicgy and phisiognomy. It is rather a singular fact that Die's ex traordinary talents were ftrst noticed and fostered by the late Dr. Cleaver, while Bishop of Bangor. and that his last days should be comforted by his equally benevolent sou, the Rev. William Cleaver, of St. Asaph. Poor Dick. to whom these posthumous honours were paid, was well known in Livei pool. _ot ahnadt called. so m "e tin a e 8 EDMUND-STREET SUNDAY SCHOGL.—About fifty of the friends of this institution sat down to tea in the school-room, on Tuesday last, and were highly delighted with both the fare and arrangement. After the table had been duly honoured, Mr. Addison was called to the chair, and made an appropriate address. Mr. Bennett also ad dressed the meeting highly eulogising Mr. Lackhart, who had, by his indefatigable exertions, in the short space of five weeks, collected above one hundred children together in one of the darkest streets of the town, and put them under the influence of moral and religious instruction. lie concluded by stating that he had closely watched Mr. Lickhart the last three years, and his incessant visits to suffering humanity, in its most secluded retreats in ail quarters of the town, entitled him to the highest possible praise. The meeting separated highly gratified with the t one hundred and twenty children were evening's entertainment. On Wednesday regaled witli and buns, after which several of them recited som eo 'clock. inte resting pieces. The meeting broke up about e ig ht that WHAT Is IN A NAME ?—That is the questioned Juliet ; and Shakspeare puts in the mouth of the nat nature of her feelings there seems aevtnenoisntglaaubgotheua. those who can rightly appreciate the But it sometimes happens that t t .i ll e h n e r e n nr o e te isn Romeo description sou is e e been e h e e n r e f o h u a n v d e bee n guit y two of when she asked it, would he O re f ath James Innocent Romeo would . still be Romeo were really have drawn her conclu sivething in a name—comicality at least, if nothing e lse; answer • sistency and unfitness of the name to the cha able i ncon s i st ency uttering base coin ; n ac o t t e ic r e a a n t d t p h t i l e r r s e u c it e s nt of as th si e ze p s er in so t n hi b s ea t i e i w n n g , it w . instances brought to and on a former conviction being put in against him, it was made to appear that such conviction had been for a similar offence, along with a female accomplice of the name of Mary Guilty. Now whether these names be as sumed or genuine we know not, but there is no doubt that the offences alluded to have been committed by those who have borne them, and we think the bearers shculd admit that they have not been lucky ones. Jan. 2, 1814 THE LADIES' CHARITY BALL.—Upwards of ei g ht hundred and sixty ladies and gentlemen attended this in teresting fete on Thursday evening, in the splendid suite of rooms in the Town-hall, when a scene of the utmost magnificence and pure enjoyment was displayed. The visitors were received by the lady patroness, Mrs. Gibbs Bright, in the most fas c i na ti ng manner , and proceeding to the ball-room, participated alternately in the waltz, the quadrille, and the gallopade, which continued without intermission until after two o'clock. NEW STEAMER.—A large and powerful steamer, called the Dundalk, and intended to ply between Dundalk and Liverpool, was launched in the Clyde, a few days ago, from the yard of Mr. Robert Napier, at Govan. The vessel is a beautiful model, and admirably suited for the trade, being fitted up with spacious accommodation be• tween decks for the conveyance of cattle and live stock. Her extreme length is 175 feet, breadth 26 feet, and bur then 600 tons. Her commander, Captain Hutcheson, is an officer of considerable experience, and well qualified for his responsible and arduous duties. The engines, of 260 horse power, are nearly completed, and will be ready in a few weeks. ATTORNEYS AND HALF -CROWNS.—A somewhat curi• ous expose took place at the Police-court on Friday last, which certainly reflects anything but credit on some of the parties concerned. It appears from the revelations then made, that the bridewell-keepers have been in the habit for some time past of recommending the unfortu nate persons committed for felonies, drunkenness, as• saults, &c., to employ certain attorneys who frequent the court, and who gain a comfortable livelihood by their practice there, to defend them when brought up on their respective charges. But it further appears that the bride well-keepers did not perform this work, and thereby throw half-guinea fees into the pockets of the " profes sion," without receiving a quid pro quo. Their usual remuneration was a half-crown for every case they brought, and it was more than insinuated, that the attor ney who would sport the greatest number of half crowns early in the day, would stand the best chance of getting, no doubt to the annoyance of his professional brethren, the greatest number of cases. Mr. Rushton seemed per fectly astonished at hearing of these strange doings, and said that he should instantly dismiss any bridewell-keeper or police-officer, who had accepted or should accept mo ney for such a purpose. A SUPPOSED MONOMANIAC FROM THIS NEIGHBOUR. HOOD.—On Thursday last a young man delivered himself up at one of the London police-offices, saying be was labouring under a delusion, having a strong impulse to shoot the queen. He was examined before the magis trates and by several medical gentlemen, and was brought before Mr. Coombe at the Clerkenwell office on Friday. He said Isis name was Edward Armstrong, and he had worked as a gardener in the service of Mr. Wood, of Woolton-grove, near Liverpool. He left Mr. Wood's employment and had been in the service of two booksellers and a chemist in Liverpool, He then returned to Mr. Wood's service, but left him on Tuesday week, received £3. ss. as his wages, slept at Mr. Goldsmith's near Scot land road, in this town, and proceeded to London by railway. It appeared that he had been to Chichester, through mere delusion, as he said, relating to a lady, whose name it was not considered proper to mention. The prisoner frequently complained of his head, said he was destitute, and expressed a desire to go to America to his parents. He answered all questions unhesitatingly, but said his head grew worse and his chlasions were increasing. The medical men were of opinion that there were no grounds for suspecting insanity, as his replies were rational. Mr. Combe said he saw no reason:what ever to think the prisoner was a person of unsound mind. He thought his real object was to get to America, and that he had trumped up his story for that purpose. He would hold the prisoner to bail in two sureties of £2O. each for one month, and in default thereof, send him to the House of Correction. The requisite bail not being forthcoming, the prisoner, who evinced no symptoms of surprise at the result, was sent off to Coldbath-fields prison. THE CONDF.MNED CONVICTS.—The five unhappy men now lying in Kirkdale under sentence of death, for having shot one of the Earl of Derby's gamekeepers, have mani fested since Saturday week a very becoming state of mind. They are all fully aware of their awful situation. All but Roberts deny all guilty knowledge of poor Kenyon's death; they did not, they say, contemplate so dreadful a result; and even Roberts intimates, we understand, that the fatal ,hat was fired under momentary excitement, and in appre hension that the keepers were about to fire on him. Roberts and Hunt were residents in Liverpool; the three others, Thomas Jaques, a carter, Joseph Rimmer, a la bourer, and Fillingham, a tailor, are natives of Prescot. The two Shaws reside in this town. Hunt lived in Sawney Pope-street, in a cellar, and lived altogether by poaching. Roberts resided in Limekiln-lane,.was a profound poacher, but was once or twice in prison for felony. He is an active young fellow, with of course an indifferent character, and is one of the best shots in England. Ile could kill more pheasants at night than any five poachers in Lancashire; and it was believed by his comrades that his aim was more sure in the dark than in daylight. He lived also by poach ing. Next to him ranked Fillingham, the tailor, who was also a good shot, and a desperate poacher. Slaw, the elder, was formerly a ' ownekeeper with th e E ar l o t D er b y , and subsequently with Mr. Bold Houghton. Latterly he has lived,.togetherwith his son, by poaching; and boasted, the other day, that he could, in spite of all gamekeepers. carry off thirty pheasants of a night. The system of poaching to which these miserable men have fallen vic tims, exists in the vicinity of Liverpool: to an extent of which the public have no conception. The observations ; of Mr. Justice Wightman, in sentencing the convict Ann M'Cormick, have led many to think that the extreme penalty of the law will not be enforced in her case, par ticularly as the jury recommended her to mercy. EXTIINSiVE ROBBERY OF SILKS.—On Tuesday John Shore and John Higham were brought before Mr. Rush ton, charged with having entered the premises of Messrs. Blackburn and Bell, tailors and hosiers, of Castle -street, and stolen sixty pieces of figured satin, 120 silk and satin handkerchiefs, seventy figured satin vests, and a great variety-of other silk and satin articles of the value of £lBO and upwards ; and Richard Graham, a very respectable draper, of Stockport, was brought up.at the same time on a charge of having purchased the same knowing them to have been stolen.-11 appeared from, the evidence of the book-keeper to Messrs.. Blackburn. and Bell, that he fastened up their premises on the night of the 25th of September, and that on corning to the shop next morn ing he- found the locks of the door broken off, and the ar ticles already mentioned missing from the drawers.-- William Bradbury, a silk-throwster, of Matiehester, provedthat he met Shore and another man, whom he was unable to identify as the prisoner Hignam, at Peter's Tavern,.in that town, about the time of the robbery. They had a parcel of silk goods with them, which they said they had purchased from a French cflitain,and which they want ed him to buy ; but he declined, and left their company. • They then went to Edward Redford, a linen-draper's as sistant, residing at No. 8, Cumberland-street, Manches• ter, who introduced them to the prisoner Graham as a person likely to purchase. Graham, who happened to be in Manchester at the time, went to Hulme, where the other prisoners lodged, and, after having inspected the goods-, offered 25.. 3d. a piece round for the entire lot. The bargain was not struck upon that occasion; and Gra ham left for Stockport. Upon the following daythe goods were packed in a box and carpet-bag, put into a gig and driven to Stockport, where another interview was had with Graham, and where the bargain was concluded with hint at the rate of 2s. 3d. a piece. —The landlord of the Boar's Had, in Stockport, identified the prisoner Higham as the party who arrived in the gig. —Mr. Hammond, the sergeant of the Stockport police, deposed that Graham, while in the lock-ups, admitted that he bed done a bad job in purchasing articles for 2s. 3d. a piece which were worth eight shillings upon an average.—Mr. Bell ' , roved that the waistcoat patterns were worth from Hs. to 15s. on on average, the handkerchiefs 3s. 6d. each, and the satin scarfs from 15s. to 211a.—There were 132 pieces dis covered at Graham's concealed up stairs in boxes, and it appeared that this lot had never been taken into his stock. The prisoners were remanded until Wednesday, when they were again brcught up, and after some further evidence being heard, were committed for trial. DOCK COMMITTEE.—The usual meeting of this bed,' was held on Thursday, the following members being pre sent .I..—Messrs. J. B. Moore (chairman), Barclay, Holt, Holmes, Trotman, Smith, Molyneux, Nicol, Bulleyr Evans, Royden, Tobin, Bold, Sandbach, Chilton, Ripley, Middleton, and Aikin.—Mr. Tobin wished to know whe ther, in the event of the committee determining to build docks at the north and south ends of the town, it would be any saving to go on with both at one tune 2- Mr. Hartley said, it wonld undoubtedly be an advantage. The Chairman said, it would be more in order to ask the sub committee.—ln the departments of Ma r i ne , W a rehouse Management, Work s , & c ., n o t hi ng t o repor t.—A l ette r was received from Si r J. H a ll, conveying the expression of his thanks for the very flittering manner in which the committee had been pleased to value the information he had given them, and that the gratification was increased by the fact of his suggestions having been male ava il a ble to the public service. The Chairman said, he had seen Sir J. Hall a few days ago, and he appeared much grati fied by the presentation of plate; he merely suggested slight alteration i n th e i ns cription, which was agreed to by the committee.—The Superintendent of the Transit Shede h ich penaltyhad b o e f e n 2os fined T r e w mit r ig o a f te ' 7l . reported that some packages, containing vitriol, had been sent to the sheds without being . marked, according to the properly r s l e y t forthmarked, that s parties to t h e natureought to of g t i h v e e ir no c t o i n ce , Secretary referred to the act of 4th Victoria, section 93, to the Superintendent of the Docks, and also have the actt e tents, under a penalty of £2O. The section of the act referred to was ordered to be placarded and headed " can' non, so that all parties might be aware of it.—The North of Harbour -master a p g a i r s l t i r a n u t i e e s n t in t the owner reported that a fire occurred an the 27th instant, in a vessel in the Waterloo Dock, but by timely assistance was soon extinguished without any material damage to the vessel; the cargo, however, was injured: p w a h c e k r a e g i wherein packages t p the fire was supposed to have originated from spontaneous combustion.---A letter was received from ?dr. Cherie Horsfall, tendering his resignation as a member of the Dock Trust, owing to ill health, and conveying his thanks to the committee for their uniform kindness to him during, a period of twenty years that he had b een a mem b er of their body. Mr. Shand, seconded by Mr. Evans, moved a resolution to the effect that the committee expressed their deep regret at the intimation which had been given of Mr. Horsfall's resignation, and the circumstances under which it originated ; and they also desired to convey tO him the high sense they entertain of the valuable services he has rendered during the long period of his being 5 member of the Dock Trust. The Chairman said, there would consequently be a vacancy, and the necessary steps must be taken to fill it up, which must be within seye° days. One or :wo other members expressed an opinion that the number of the general committee being incomi" plete, the business could not be proceeded with, and an adjournment therefore touk place. . keep: nor c cotta out kin( in a hay was stre scri the, wa pol tra abl a r C C New Patio Patic L; Reim Mad, lrreg Dead Accid Medi, tiPou Tota;