The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-12-04 00:00:00

I striking indications of the barometer, the storm must have raged over a very large portion of the northern hemisphere. We cannot conclude this passing notice without re ferring our readers to the affecting trait of canine sagacity mentioned by the Cork Constitution, and which was the means, under Providence, of saving the lives of no less than seventeen individuals ! INLAND BONDING.—Mr. Poulett Thomson is stated to have recently remarked, at a consultation with cer tak of his constituents, on the subject of obtaining tl privilege of bonding for . the town of Manchester, tltt " the Lords of the Treasury had the power, by 11,4 navigation laws, to grant any town the privilege the bonding system, that vessels of 70 tons could Ix) brought up to; and that it would be granted to Minchester, if this condition were satisfactorily proved." "Make," said the right hon. gentleman, "Manchester a port, and you have no occasion for a bill of any sort; but by my simple order, I can give You the privilege of bonding." We are not going to call in question the power of the Treasury Lords, but we should fill i p be informed by what means Manchester could be made a port, available for vessels of 70 tons burden, without sub merging a large portion of Liverpool, and inflicting irreparable injury upon this great outlet for the com tuerce of Manchester and the neighbouring manufac turing districts. A ship canal is quite out of the question. Vested interests interpose an insuperable objection to any such scheme. A continuous line of embankments along the Mersey might realise the object—but the consequence would be precisely what We have indicated. Mr. Thomson may, therefore, have well afforded to give such an impracticable piece of advice. He could not have better avoided " the obstacles that would be raised to the measure by.sea- Port towns." We know not whether we should most admire, his magnanimity or his prudence. CA uTioN.—We understand that several begging impostors, under the garb of sailors, are carrying about petitions, pur porting that they have been shipwrecked off the coast of Ire land, and producing certificates to the same effect. As seve ral ladies and gentlemen have been already imposed upon by these fellows, we are requested to state that no attention should be paid to any such petitions or certificates, unless countersigned by Mr. Cort, the secretary of the Underwriter? association. TH. CHARGE OF 11 APE.—We are given to understand that the Captain Fell, charged with the committal of this of fence, at the Police-office, on Thursday last, is not at pre sent engaged in the East India trade. We understand that the magistrates, after a long consultation, determined that no rape had been committed, and thetefore acquitted the Prisoner. RAPID CONVERSION.--111 the columns of the Albion yes terday we remarked a paragraph, headed " The Small Tene ment Act," copied from the Standard of Friday last, with out any acknowledgment The Editor has therefore adopted it as his own ; and as expressing his own sentiments. In the body of the paragraph the following sentence occurs, relating to the Small Tenement Act :—" It is characterizd by the usual blundering which marks almost every act of the present Minis try, and, as near as may be, defeats its own object.." Here's a conversion ! Here's a pretty announcement for the Albion to make! We, however, forgive the plagiarism, in our satis faction at perceiving that our contemporary is opening his eyes to look about him, and is beginning to arrive at just conclusions. THa CHASE.—The Cheshire Hounds will meet this day, the 4th, at Norton Priory; Thursday, the 6th, at Black llog, on the Barnhill Road; Friday, the 7th, at lluddon Heath, at half-past ten o'clock.—Mr. Leech's Fox Hounds will meet this day, the 4th, at Worthenbury ; Thursday, the Gtb, at Pen y lan; Saturday, the Bth, at Hampton Heath, at half- Past ten o'clock.—The North Shropshire Hounds will meet this day, the 4th, at Child's Excall, at a quarter before eleven o'clock.—Sir Thomas Stanley's Hounds will meet this day, the 4th, at Badger's Rake Gate, at half-past ten o'clock. FASHIONABLE ARRIVALS AT THE GRAND JUNCTION HOTEL.—Capt. Maughan, the Governor of South Australia, Capt. M‘Clintrell, John Moore, Esq. and family, C. H. Ven torn, Esq., Capt. Berkeley Caicon, J. H. Mulderny, Esq., W. Hill, Esq., Mr. and - Mrs. Hughes and family, Major Dalrymple, W. Gordon, Esq., C. Armstrong, Esq , J. Scott, Rsq., Miss Millar, R. Reinkin, Esq., W. H. Parnell, Esq., Hon. Col. Dillon, C. H. Duffin, Esq., M. J. Staunton, Esq., H. Davis, Esq., Capt. Amherst, Rev. E. Hallard, Mr. and Mrs. O'Grady and family, C. H. Williams, Esq., 'l'. Mellor Es q ., W. Urquhart, Esq., Capt. Williams, C. H. Gaseoigne Esq , Capt. Bathurst, Rev. H. Croft. THE LIVERPOOL, STEAM -SHIP.—The New York papers reoeived yesterday:by the St. Andrew, which sailed 'on the 16th ult., in noticing the arrival of the Great Western, steam ship, on the 15th, in 181 days from Bristol, describe the very natural fears inspired by the non-arrival of the Liverpool,'at Ne w York. The citizens knew that she had sailed hence on the 20th of October, seven days before the Great Western, and they naturally expected that she would have reached them four or five days before her competitor. The Journal (f Commerce, of the 16th, contains the following very sensible Paragraph respecting the non arrival of the Liverpool:— " The steam-packet Liverpool sailed from Liverpool, for this Port, on the 20th Oct., agreeably to announcement. Her non -arrival, of course, creates some uneasiness here, but the Presumption is, that her supply of coal proved deficient, and that, finding this to be the case, she either steered for some nearer port, or is making the best of her way to New York pith no other propelling power than her sails. A scientific friend, who is perfectly acquainted with steam-boats, remarked to us a week ago, that, if the account given in the Liverpool Papers of the dimensions of the ship, the space allotted for freight, &c. wascorrect, it was impossible that her fuel should hold out till she reached New York." As the Liverpool sailed from Cork on the 6th of November, and the Great Western was to sail on her return to Bristol on the 22d of that month, we may expect to hear of her having arrived at New York before that vessel's departure.—Albion. LECTURES ON THE LAWS OF HEALTH.—The subject of Dr. Thorburn's third lecture, on Friday evening, was the Physi ology of Digestion. We have seldom seen the theatre of tbe Medical Institution more crowded; upwards of three hundred ladies and gentlemeri were present. The lecturer confined himself to the digestion of solids in that important and inter esting organ, the stomach. The laws of its healthy action Were lucidly explained, and as usual, the illustrations of the Principles touched upon were varied, and rendered amusing as well as instructive by the introduction of anecdotes in con nexion with many curious details. The lecture occupied an hour and half in the delivery. The extensive viaduct across tly river Mersey and Valley at Stockport has been contracterfor by Mr. Tomkinson and Messrs. Holme, of Liverpool, at a little below £70,000. This tnagnificent erection will form a portion of the Manchester and Birmingham Railway, and will have twenty-twd arches of between sixty and seventy feet span, the centre arch cros sing the river at a height of 100 feet. The lowest estimate Was 62,000. One tender exceeded £lOO,OOO. LANCASHIRE MILITIA.—The following commissions have been signed by the Lord Lieutenant of the county palatine of Lancaster:-2d regiment of the Duke of Lancaster's own nilitia, Henry Fletcher Rigge, Esq., to be captain, vice freeman deceased; John Weld, gent., to be lieutenant, vice Mercer, deceased; Robert Augustus Aspivall to be ensign, vice Barton, deceased. ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.—On Saturday morning, at an early hour, a man upwards of seventy years old, who resides in a Court leading from Christian-street, attempted to put an end to his existence by taking laudanum. It appears he went to th e shop of a druggist in the vicinity, and purchased an ounce of the above-mentioned tincture. He wished the druggist to refrain from putting a label on the phial, but with his request to this effect the former refused compliance. He went home, and swallowed the wheie of the liquid. Soon after his daughter found the empty phial on a table. When she saw the label, she suspected that something was wrong, and immediately ran to the druggist, who iuforined her what quantity of laudanum her father had purchased. On her return the opiate had began to take effect. She immediately Called in Mr. Wilson and Mr. Bulled, surgeons, who found the old man in a dangerous state. The applied the stomath 'Pump, and used other active remedies whereby the dan- Rerous symptoms were in time removed, and the man is now Pretty well recovered from the effects of the dose. It is worthy of remark, that the firmness of the 'druggist, in ad hering to what should ever be a stringent rule of the profes sion, probably caused the old man's life to be saved. A COACH RUNNING WITHOUT A' DRIVRII.—On Thursday evening, about six o'clock, a police constable saw a coach end horses running in Abercrombie-square, without a driver. He stopped it, and found within Dr. Banning, who enquired, "what was to do?" being unconscious of any defalcation. The coach was taken to Mr. Gardner, to whom it belonged. The driver, it afterwards appeared, was picked up in Myrtle. street, somewhat injured. He had fallen off accidentally, at he was sober at the time. DEATH FROM APOPLEXY.—On Friday, an inquest was Weld on the body of Jane Parry, who kept a lodging-house In Drinkwater's Gardens. She was represented by the wit ;apses as a sober, respectable woman, and a widow. On I hursdav morning, a person who lodged in the house left the deceased alone in her customary state of health, and on re turning again, at twelve o'clock, found her dead. Medical assistance was procured, but without effect. Mr. Piling, surgeon, made a post mortem examination, and gave it as his opinion that the deceased had died from apoplexy, produced by natural causes. WATERLOO COURSING MEETING OVER ALTCA R.—The r!ntries for the important stakes to be contested at this meet ing are now complete, and comprise the names of a number of the most influential noblemen and gentlemen celebrated for the quality of their studs of greyhounds; amongst whom are to be found the Earl of Stradbmoke, the Marquis of bouglas, Lord Talbot, Sir H. H. Campbell, Mr. Hugh liornhy , Mr. Kin g , Mr. A. Graham, Mr. I'. ltedish, Mr. P. Boughton, and ahost of others equally worthy of enumera tion. From the unprecedentedly large amount to he awarded to the owners of the successful dogs and the high character of the animals expected to run, there can be no doubt of this being one of the most successful courses ever run over Altcar . On Wednesday last, as a man in the employ of the Bolton ltailway Company was attempting to cross the road when a train was close at hand, he was thrown down and one of his thighs was severed from his body, close to the hip. Ile soon' xPired.—Another man was killed on the same railway on Wednesday evening, in consequence of having been thrown Out of an empty waggon, which, by some means or other not yet ascertained, was upset. The man was thrown upon the rails, and most of the waggons passing over him, was killed on the spot. POST-OFFICR SAGACITY.--The charge for conveying a 'lngle letter from Liverpool to Manchester is 7d. if a letter !tumid contain a couple of bills it will be charged is 9d, though Its weight is no more than a quarter of an ounce. This is the f ariii, though hundreds of people are performing the journey "ickward and forward at all times of the day, and the time Lkcupied in going from p one lace t the other occupies onl minutes. Can an o y one be surprised that the revenue of t he Post- o ffice stands still, notwithstanding the enormous Increase of business in the country, when no notice is taken "f circumstances by the Post-office? Can any one believe l hat th e Li verpoo l p e op l e w ill no t t a k e a d van t age o f th e traffic t he carriage their town and Manchester to avoid paying is 9d for carriage of a quarter of an ounce? It is downright 'lnpidity to charge more than 2d.—Morning Post. r 'We understand that the Superb, which arrived here on rlday last, from Sydney, brought several men who had 'en transported from this country, and besides having ,"rved the time for which they were banished, have realised 4,indsoine fortunes in the colony. liC AT BEBBINGTos.—On Tuesday night last, a fire of ._ 4 !ilrniing nature broke out at Bebbington, on the farm Clldings belonging to Mr. 'Thomas 1 eardsley, which were :tally d estroye d . W e are sorry to hear that his stock of attle and horses, with the corn, &c. on the premises, fell a L' r ” to the devouring element : and to add to the sad cala- Mr. Yea.rdsley - , we understand, was not insured. CORRESPONDENCE. CHARGE OF RAPE. TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STrINDARD. SIR,—My attention was on Saturday directed to a pars vile!) inserted in the Mail of that day, with the Editor's initials at the bottom, which 1 here transcribe. "CHARGE OF RAPE.—On Thursday, there was an exami nation in the magistrate's private room, at the Police-office, respecting a charge of rape, said to have been committed upon a girl about sixteen years of age, by the captain of a vessel residing in the house in which the girl was a servant. The examination, after having lasted for some time, was postponed until yesterday, when further evidence was heard, at the con clusion of which the magistrates consulted together, and at last intimated that they would give their decision this morning. Although the particulars of the case are in our possession, we think it unjust to the parties to publish them at this stage of the proceedings, nor should we now have adverted to the case, had there not apperred in yesterday's Standard a report of the affair, not only incorrect and partial, but implicating an innocent individual. In that paper the person charged is said to be a Captain Fell, engaged in the East India trade, whereas the fact is, that the Captain Fell engaged in that trade has nothing at all to do with the matter, and the indi vidual charged is not and never was engaged in that trade. We may also remark that Mr. Hall intimated to the reporter of the Standard, previous to the commencement of the exami nation on Thursday, that whenever he heard a charge in his private room, he did so for the express purpose of keeping the details of, perhaps, a delicate case from the public in their im mature state, and if from the public, of course from the press also. If the gentleman, he said,•chose to step into the room after what he had stated, he was at libeity to do so, but it must be upon the understanding that no publicity was given to the matter. A report, as we have stated, nevertheless appeared in the Standard, and we are informed that Mr. Hall yester day, in his private room, commented severely upon that fact, and stated that he must now make it an invariable rule that no reporter shall be admitted to the magistrate's pt ivate room when cases are being heard there. The practice heretofore has always been, we believe, to admit any reporter who chose to present himself, and for all notice of the affair to be sup pressed unless commitment fook place.--[We think that Mr. Hall has no right whatever to protnulge, or attempt to carry into effect, any such determination. Police stipendiaries are, however, oftentimes despotic in act as well as in thought, and it is possible that he may do what he threatens. We beg to say that in such a case he will be guilty of an act of gross in justice. Why should ho visit the offence of an individual upon all reporters? We do not pretend to attempt to palli ate the conduct of the erring party; but we must state a fact, of which Mr. Hall seems to be ignorant, that there is a gen tlemanly feeling extant even amongst reporters, and that du ring tba. whole of his future experience he may never witness a sitnilar breach of conventional rule.]—ED. L. M." It is no unusual occurrence that there should be misstate ments, partial statements, and impertinences in the Mail. The above paragraph, though of no great length, abounds in all these three qualities, as I shall soon prove. First, then, "the particulars of the case," excepting from an ex parte statement, are not in the possession of the editor of the Mail, for he had no reporter present when "the particulars of the case" were stated. Secondly, there appeared in Friday's Standard no "report of the affair," but merely a paragraph stating a fact. Thirdly, that paragraph was neither " incor rect" nor " partial," but the reverse of both. Fourthly, it did not implicate "an innocent individual." Fifthly, the individual charged is a captain in the East India trade, if his own attorney is to be believed. Sixthly, I had no under standing whatever with Mr. Hall that publicity was not to be given to the matter, but distinctly the reverse. And, seventhly, I believe Mr. Hall knows the duties and powers of his station better than to state that "no reporter shall in future be admitted to the magistrates' private room when cases are being beard there," nor do I believe he ever said any such thing. It is only a part of the Mail's impartial statement. A tolerably few "misstatements" in a small space. And now fur the simple facts. I was informed by Mr. Yates, the prisoner's attorney, that the prisoner's name was Fell; that he was a captain in the merchant service, of respectable con nections; and that an East India ship was now building for him. I therefore styled him as Captain Fell,. in the East India trade. He further said that this charge would very probably ruin him, and wished me not to publish the case; and I told him I would not do so, if it was not likely to go to trial, and come before the country again. It was, as I thought, likely to come before the country again, and therefore I published it. If there be two Captain Fells in the East India trade, and the statement has done injury to the innocent one, I am sorry fur it ; but it is an injury which can only be of very brief duration, and it is an injury to which every man is l►able, as every man may be of the same name as a dis reputable character. Am I therefore to be blamed because of this coincidence in name and profession? On taking my seat in the magistrates' room, and preparing to take notes, Mr. Hall said he could not allow reporters to take notes of the case, his object in hearing it in a private room being that the hearing should not be made public, as there might be a good deal of indelicacy in it; but that if I chose to stay, he had no objections to my doing so. I bowed to this deci sion of the magistrate, but with the instant determination to publicly question, in the proper place, his right to prevent my taking notes in that room. The judges of the land, in the superior courts, order the courts to be cleared of women and children when such cases are tried, that they may not be corrupted thereby.; but I never heard of reporters being prevented taking notes of such cases, lest the public should be corrupted thereby; their common sense of decency, and the credit of the journal with which they may be connected, guiding them as to bow much of it they shall publish. Mr. Hall, however, afterwards spoke to me, telling me his reason for objecting to my taking notes was for the sake of the pub lic, as many indelicate details might be disclosed. I told him, that of course, for the sake of the journal with which I was connected, I should certainly publish no indelicate de tails ; what I wanted to ascertain was merely the fact of the offence, and the committal or acquittal of the map. Mr. Hall made no objection to this; and told me distinctly that unless the prisoner's evidence greatly contradicted what had been stated against him, he should most certainly commit him to take his trial. I heard that evidence ; it did not appear to me to contradict the evidence for the complainant, but left a doubt whether there was consent on her part: and other evi dence was brought out which made the prisoner's identity still stronger. I therefore, in publishing what I did, " implicated no innocent individual." Mr. Hall was anxious to hear what another lodger would say. who was in no way implicated in the charge, to ascertain, !suppose, whether he could corrobo- , rate or contradict any of the evidence which had been brought forward, and it not being possible to find Win in town, Lite case wa's adjourned. I afterwards had communication with Mr. Dowling, who gave his opinion that there was not the slightest doubt but the man would be committed, and politely promised to send me a note stating the fact, if the evidence of the other lodger could be got that night. So that there never was the least concealment or doubt, but that I should mblish the fact, which I (lid ; I told Mr. Hall 1 should pub. , lisp the fact, hut. of course not the details: I told • Mr. Dowling so; and even if I had not, could Mr. Hall suppose sat in'his firivate room two hours to listen to the filtliy . de• tails of the case, for my own special amusement. So ninth for my "partiality and incorrectness;" and so much for my breach of any understood gentlemanly feeling. One word on the latter point. The Editor of the Mail charges me by insinuation with a breach of the conventional rules of gentlemanly feeling which generally exist "even" amongst reporters; of that fact also, I leave the public to judge. I have been connected with the press of Liverpool before the Mail was commenced; and amongst all my ac quaintance with men connected with the press of the whole country, I never met with so many men who never had, and could not understand what gentlemanly feeling was, as 1 have seen connected with that paper. Nor in my whole reading of the rest of the newspaper press have I ever seen so many imperflnencies against the respectable members of the local press—(to say nothing of the rest of the publie)—imper tinences which have been generally treated as they deserved, with silent contempt—as have appeared in the columns of that journal. Such impertinent personal attacks, however, carry their own refutation : the public rightly appreciate the source whence they spring ; and that appreciation takes away their sting. Sir, as this attack has been made a personal matter, I trust for your indulgence ; if it had not, I assure you I should not have noticed it. _ I am, sir, yours respectfully, THOS. CAMPBELL FOSTEIt. DOCK MONOPOLY. TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE. GcNTLFolliN,—As the Common Council has referred to you, for consideration and report, the application of the Dock Committee to be allowed to apply to parliament for Permission to build warehouses on the dock quays, and also requested your report on the subject generally, 1 take the liberty of calling your attention to the effects of the dock monopoly in Liverpool, as compared with the effects of a free competition of docks in London, and which 1 humbly suggest affords an unanswerable argument as to the impolicy of permitting a warehouse monopoly to be established in Liverpool. The annals of our town record with laudable pride that the first wet clock in the British empire was constructed in Li verpool, about the year 1708. The country is indebted for this great improvement to the old corporation of Liverpool, but that enterprising body had also the foresight and true liberality to create the docks a distinct estate, wholly sepa rated from their landed estate; It appears to me that the reputation of that wise and successful enterprise has given rise to an imaginary notion that the Liverpool docks are in all respects superior to all other docks, and it is my object to endeavour to prove to you that this is a mere delusion— that the Liverpool docks and quays are insufficient—are in ferior in almost every kind of accommodation and facility— the expense greater, and the management offensively oppres sive and bad,—by presenting a slight sketch of the systems as practically in operation in London and Liverpool. It is well known to most ship-owners in the country, that on intelligence arriving that a ship has commenced loading in any foreign port for London, the secretaries of the various dock companies in London immediately address courteous applications to the owners that the vessel may be directed to go to their docks, and intimating that a steamer will await the ship's arrival at Gravesend, and tow her up to the dock (upwards of 20 miles), at the dock's expense. Accordingly she is towed up to the dock; on her arrival there, boatmen, hawsers, a capstan, and every requisite assistance, are in stantly applied to get the ship into dock; she is put into a quay berth to discharge or load the moment the owner wishes; excellent cranes abound round the docks, both for discharging the ships and for loading off heavy goods—(the dock parties do all the work of landing cargoes and weighing them, at forced rates); ships are moved in the docks entirely at the dock expense ; no shipkeeper is required ; the docks are surrounded with excellent sheds for landing and weigh ing inward cargoes, and there - ate secure depots for the tem porary reception of export goods, the sheds and depots for the most part flagged and provided with tranlroads and trucks, for the more convenient receiving of cases and fine or heavy goods. In going out, every requisite assistance at the gates, and a steamer to tow the ship four or five miles down the river, are provided by the dock company. The only charge for ockage, towing the ship up and clown, boatage, use of warps, assisting into dock, berthing and moving in the dock, ez.c., is the regular rate of dockage, which, if the ship is only a short time in dock, is less than the charge for dockage alone in Liverpool. I am willing that this account be consi dered as an assertion of the practice at the St. Katharine's Docks, the most modern and most convenient, if not the most improved, in London. Contrast the above with the actual system in Liverpool at this moment, under the management of our theoretic Dock Committee. No courtly letter from the secretary invites an owner to allow his ship to come into the Liverpool docks; no steamer awaits (at dock expense) to tow her from the Light-ship; no boat (at dock expense) attends to warp her in ; on the pierhead no capstan is manned, nor hawsers pro vided, at dock expense; and not improbably the first saluta tion that greets the astonished captain is conveyed through a trumpet, insolently ordering him to take his ship into. the river again,—some favoured ship, or litter, outward bound, having been allowed ,to remain so long in the gateway, that it is too late for the inward ship, often deeply laden, to dock. In this manner, from want of adequate assistance and proper management, many valuable ships have grounded in the dock basin, to the great loss of the owners and underwriters. The docks are generally insufficient for the shipping : pro bably half the ships resorting to Liverpool are obliged, from want of quay room, to discharge at stage berths at additional expense of porterage to the owners) ; yet the Dock Com mittee provide no stages (the hire, cartage, loading, fixing, and returning of which cost each vessel about 5 per cent. on the amount of her dockage). The sheds are very rude con trivances, and only partial : there are no depots for the tem porary reception of manufactured goods awaiting the vessel by which they are to be exported, for want of which the _shippers of such goods are compelled to be at the expense of warehousing them, though only for a few days; the dock quay room being so notoriously deficient for the purposes of trade already, that there is a clause, I believe, in the Dock Act, authorising the monstrous rent of ss. per hour as a penalty on any goods remaining above two days on the open quay, which clause is rigorously adhered to. The.-e are few cranes, and no tramroads, trucks, &c. Every ship must have a shipkeeper. There are only one dockmaster and two or • three gatemen to each dock, but they are armed with despotic power to order, and can put riggers on board to move any vessel at the expense of the owner, though it may be for the convenience of other vessels. The dock dues now are heavy, with penalties for the slightest infraction of any of the numerous and oppressive regulations. The fines on ship-Owners and merchants, in all the array and expense of legal form, are vexatious enough ; but perhaps the most disgusting is the system of espionage to detect those old weather-beaten sailors (the shipkeepers) when guilty of napping at night. The police-courts have often rung with the deep and indignant curses of those poor Thus I have endeavoured to prove that the docks, quays, Sze., provided by the dock monopoly of - Liverpool, are inade quate to the trade, and very inferior to the docks, quays, &c., which a competition of docks in London has caused the various dock companies there to provide. In conclusion, 1 feel assured that investigation and reflection will convince you, that the whole of the space that has been or can be procured adjacent to the river, is absolutely and exclusively necessary for providing ample docks and quays, and fur nishing them with the modern conveniences and facilities, even for the present trade of Liverpool; and that docks and quays are the genuine and best purposes to which such space can be appropriated.-1 remain, Gentlemen, A DISFRANCHISED FREEMAN. EASTERN COUNTIES RAILWAY. 7'O THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD. Sin,—l enclose you a copy of the Railway Times; and, as you are no doubt aware that a large proportion of shares in the Eastern Counties Railway are held by our townsmen, you will be doing an act of justice to the shareholders; by transcribing the mistatement cit the Railway Magazine, and the answer of " Veritas." It will he in the recollection of your reader., that an action was brought, and a verdict obtained, against the Editor of the Railway Magazine, for a libel on some parties connected with the Eastern Counties Railway, which will at once ac count for the dishonesty of his general statements regarding this line.—Yours, &c. Liverpool, Dec. 3,1838. A SHAREHOLDER THE EASTERN COUNTIES' RAILWAY. Extracts from the Railway Mayazine for December, with . Notes by Yeritas. THE MAGAZINE. VEILITAS. . ".There is about 11 mile at There is not a single rood this end, which is to be a via- of the 11 mile at this end un duct, totally untouched." touched; the whole has been fenced in and contracted for, and much of it already ex ecuted. " The permanent rails are The permanent rails are only laid in small. patches of laid to the extent, in one part, half to three quarters of a of about two miles, and in mile in length, in all Ishould two other parts of a m►le think about two miles." each, and the extent in all is upwards of four miles.ll " Some of the permanent Finer rails are nowhere to rails appear to be in pretty be seen; nor is there a single good order, but others are bad one amongst them. It n►►serablY bad." may be enough to state that they are from the forges of Messrs. Guest and Co., and Messrs. Bailey and Co., weigh 75lbs. to the yard, and are every one carefully ex amined before delivery. " Over the Stratford Mar- —7 l'le - invention" sties is 'an embankment. to is an embanking appara * • * It was with tus of great ingenuity, by some difficulty I could under- which more than twice the stand why a most expensive quantity of work can be ac frame-work, and piling into complished in a given time the solid ground, are carry- than by the old or any other ing on here. But it seems to plan yet hnown. The "frame be an invention to discharge work and piling" spoken of the earth-waggons, the merits is simply a temporary stage of which, however, like those erected to facilitate the pro of the discoveries of Gulliver's gress of the work. The quan academy, have not yet be- tity of soil discharged by come visible to vulgar eyes, means of this apparatus, in unless it be to add to the ex- one day, is upwards of 2,000 peuse and retard the work. tons, which is nearly three For it appears that not unfre- times more than was .ever quently only 30 or 40 wag- , done by the old plan upon Bons are discharged instead of oneembankment. between 400 and 5(0, which might be emptied on the old plan. It is altogether. in my • mind, a very useless and ex pensive whim"' "As to the time of finish- It is well known, that owing ing, 1 should think it very to the• state of the money unlikely the line to Ilford market, hardly any thing was could be opened under twelve done in the execution of this months. The works are cer-. railway for the first year after tail - fly much more backward the Act of Parliament was than'l expected to find them. obtained (July, 1836) ; hut Indeed, 1 had no conception since then, such has been the that so little was done." progress made, that there is now nearly a certainty of the line being opened—not to Il ford merely (7 miles), but to Romford (12 miles),—in the course of the ensuing spring. 1 refer for an enumeration of the works executed, and re maining to be executed,* to the list which I subjoin. I firmly believe that on no other railway has so muth work been done in so short a space; I will venture to add, too—nor done so well. "The total cost of the first The total cost of the 11 twelve miles will be £960,000 miles (from the temporary or £1,000,000." terminus, in Cambridge-road, to Rumford) including a great deal of house property —will not exceed £450,000; and of the extuurion :front Cambridge-road to the per ) manent terminus in Shore ditch (all house property) will be under £300,000. _ . . " Leaving only £600,000 of Leaving inure than double the capital to finish 114 miles £600,000; for the capital au of railway. So much for the thorised to be raised for the dependence to be placed on execution of this railway -is the assertions of the engineer, not 1,600,000/. but2,loo,oM/.; who lately maintained that be and it was for this tatter sum would complete the line fur the engineer estimated the the original estimate." railway could be executed. "It is somewhat extraor- if Very extraordinary indeed, dinary that the engineer of true, but as usual, there is the Eastern Counties, should not a shadow of truth in the follow in his pilings the plans assertion. and principles of Mr.Brunel." "The broker [the writer is The Broker did not obtain is here speaking of certain the shares in the usual way, shares, 80 in number, stolen from a servant of the Com from the office of this Com- party, for the Company has pany, and sold by means of a never, since its incorporation, forged transfer to a broker] been - known to sell shares, obtained the shares to all ap- either by its servants, or pearance in the usual way, through any one else, and it from a servant of the Corn- forms no part of the " usual" pany." duties of a transfer clerk in a railway office to sell or traffic in shares. The way in which the broker obtained them, had, on the contrary, so little that is "usual" in it, that it commenced in theft, and ended in forgery and swind ling (1 mean on the part of those by whom he was gulled and cheated). Neither was the broker, as I have heard, wholly free from blame on the occasion, having neglected to make any reference to the alleged principal, though he was said to be "in the office, waiting," and paid the sum of which he was defrauded in a cheque, not crossed to any bankers, but, payable to . the bearer. "The documents were de- The Company had nothing posited in the possession of to do with the possession of the Company." the documents—and what if they had ? In what particu lar can stolen certificates of registry differ from any other stolen property?. Can theft give any one a legal right? "The Company are bound No more bound than any to make good the loss." other party who is robbed is bound to compensate an in nocent buyer for any loss he may sustain through the pur chase of the stolen goods. "If it he better, that due No care or vigilance, on the care or vigilance would have part of the Secretary, could prevented the forgeries, the have prevented the forgery; committal of them is a proof but what the Secretary could it was wanting." do, he did—he detected the forgers , when presented to him. 'lt was the broker alone who was deceived by it. "Is it true, as reported a- Not true; the pretended bout, that there is one certiti- rumour is a pure invention of cate, if not more, now out, the writer's own. bearing the official signature of the Secretary, and a tramp not to be found iu the Com pany's books ?" "Is it true, that it fell to Not true ; the forgery was Mr. Johnson (the accountant) first detected, and no sooner to detect the scandalous for- detected than made known, genies that have been corn- by the Secretary. milted ?" London, Dec. 1, 1838. VERITAS. * We have no room for the enumeration of the works executed.—E. L. S. SOUTH TOXTETH WARD. TO 7HE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDiIRD, Sin,—ln justice to the gentlemen who were present at the meeting of the conservative electors of South Toxteth Ward, on Tuesday, the 27th instant, and who are so impertinently and falsely accused "of behaving in a very unbecoming manner," by a person signing himself A Constant Reader, in a letter which appears in the Liverpool Standard of to-day, lam very reluctantly compelled to address you. The style of this letter at once points to the writer. So far from there being any objection to Mr. Cooper's appointment as chairman that evening, I was the first person to propose him, and he was unanimously chosen at once. A few facts will suffice to prove, that the majority of the persons resent were brought together, not for the purpose of furthering the conservative cause, ut of passing resolutions in support of Mr. T. M. Gladstone. Mr. Oxley, who is not an elects, though he mentioned that be should be one the ensuing "ear, proposed certain per sons as officers of the Association, whom he stated had been fixed upon at a meeting held at the Farmer's Arms on the previous Friday, which persons were pledged to support Mr. Gladstone at the next election.-' A resolution was passed electing my friend, Mr. Petrie, chairman, to whom, divested of the pledge, there could he no possible objection; but, coupled with that, my friends and I, deeming it so utterly at var►ance from the real object for which we were convened, left the room. _ _ _ The impartial measures to which A Co-estant Reader refers arc, I presmne, the proposal which was politely made to associate Mr. Sheppard and me with the persons named as a committee, of whom one was inhu Hennessy, a journeyman cabinet-maker, frequently employed by my family and my self, who is not an elector, nor has any prospect of becoming one. The other names 1 do not remember. Mention is made of an elector who left the room with my " small party," but afterwards returned, " and declared fir Mr. Petrie." This is very possible, as one person, who was present, em phatically declared, "he knew no more than a pig why he had been brought up into the room;" and another was at tempted to be held down by force when he was rising to vote. The former person had been drinking his ale quietly in the bar below, when he was summoned up stairs. Such was the meeting. I have only, in conclusion, to state, that I am not an elector of South Toxteth Ward, and, therefore, had no vote to tender to Mr. Cropper. I did inform this gentleman, that it was not my intention to oppose him at the last election, as Ld, in common with many of those who had supportedme on former occasions, a great respect for his privilie charac ter, and also for his independent conduct on various occa sions. I believe my -zeal in the Conservative cause is pretty well known both to my own and the opposite party; but I am determined that I will never suffer myself to be made the tool of a party, nor will I be restrained from the free exercise of my judgment, nor the perfect liberty of acting as I may consider most for the interest of my party and of society in general. How far the publication of the letter of A Constant Reader is likely to promote the cause which he professes to have so much at heart, I leave the public to judge. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, ALEX. SMITH, Jun. High Park-street, 30th Nor., 1838. THE ESTABLISHED CHURCH. TO THE EDITOR OP THE LIVERPOOL ST4ND.4RD. Si I:,—Permit a little space in your valuable columns with reference to certain negligence in in our noblest institution— the established church. In some of our churches in Liver pool, but more especially in the parish churches, where there is generally more accommodation than the rest, a stranger, or any person going there not renting a pew, is under the disadvantage of standing up, in many instances, till the ser vice is terminated, notwithstanding sometimes nearly half of the pews are empty or vacated, and which has caused great dissent from the establishment. Some of our parish churches have three sextons, and there is mote negligence exhibited there than in other large churches where there is only one. I am also aware there are many bumble Christians that, when they enter the church, do not want "upper rooms furnished," but would be contented with any seat, so that they hear with pleasure the engrafted Word which is able to save their souls. At a time when infidelity is laying its soul-devouring snares to catch the unwary—when we consider all Dissenters our enemies, (with the exception of the primitive followers of the revered and immortal Wesley,)when Popery is spreading its self-formed ungodly doctrines through our highly favoured land, it is the great duty then of the authorities of our church to banish all negligence from within its pale, and not only to be accommodating, but to seek diligently for the stray • sheep which are lost, or in danger of being lost, and also all the members of that same church, to the best of their ability, assisting them in the same. Trusting that this will be a suf ficient hint, I beg to remain, yours, &c., A CONSTANT READER. SOUTH TOXTETH WARD. TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL ST.4ND.4RD. Stu,—My attention has been drawn to the following para graph in your paper of Friday, Nov. 30th, signed "A Con stant Reader," animadverting upon what had been said at the conservative meeting which had been convened for the purpose of forming a separate association for South Toxteth ward.—" Mr. Sheppard said that he would go five hundred miles to support the cause, and this gentleman declined voting at ttie election ! This is not working: but boasting."—What I said was : —" If it lay in my power, I would sooner go five hundred miles to assist an humble individnal than 1 would go one hundred to assist a rich one."—Sir, at a time when pre judice is so violent, and clamour so loud, that the still small voice of truth can scarcely be heard, it is, sotne pleasure to observe that all are not borne away by the stream. There were some at the meeting in question who laboured, and I do sincerely hope, not unsuccessfully, to undeceive the bur gesses from the strong impressions ofartfu I misrepresentations, which were attempted to be practised upon them. Had "A Constant Reader" confined himself within proper bounds, and argued about nothing but what be knew. be would have won derfully abridged his own labours, and have imposed much less upon the patience and credulity of your readers. Allow me to state what I did tell the meeting upon the subject of my not voting main the occasion alluded to :—From January last up to October, 1 was most anxious that a conservative candidate should be named for South 'l'oxteth ward—l spoke to many persons on the subject—A few days prior to the 26th of October, I was told that a requisition was that evening to be sent to Mr. T. M. Gladstone, and asked to support him. 1 replied, "I know nothing of it"; and advised a general meeting of the burgesses of the Toxteth wards to he called, and that I would then give my opinion on the subject. On or about the 26th of October, 1 saw placarded on the walls, a placard to the following effect :—A meeting of the friends of Mr. I'. M. Gladstone will be held on such an evening, and at such it place.—This meeting I declined attending, because I thought the chairman of the North and South Toxteth wards (Mr. Alexander Smith) should have been previously informed of it, and that the wards generally ought to have been sum moned. I declined intermeddliug ' in any way in the election— because I conceived, that being upon the committee of South 'l'oxteth ward, and having always taken a very active part in the elections for those wards, and having voted for Mr. T. Murray Gladstone in the year 1836, that it would have been only candid towards me to have shewu me the requisition ere it had been presented. Having previously received great at tention from the North ward, being twice their candidate, I declined attending the meetings of South Toxteth ward, until both wards mutually agreed to dissolve; they having been joined, up to the period in question. Part of both wards did meet upon the night alluded to by "A Constant Reader;" I, of course, then attended: but left the place, owing to the scene I there witnessed. In conclusion, 1 hope to be forgiven if I give one hint to "A Constant Reader" and theiToxteth Park wards. Let him, and others, attend at the proper period next year, and get themselves placed upon the highways' committee, the local committee, and woi k for the good of the township, as 1, and very many others have done, for some time past. If he follows this advice, he will deserve more credit from an impartial and discerning public, than he at present enjoys for his great talent of invention.—l have the honor to be, Sir, your obedient servant, JOHN SHEPPARD. Mill-street, Dec. lit, 1838. LIVERPOOL MECHANICS' INSTITUTION LECTURES ON PAINTING On WednesdaT;vini4, Mr. liaydon delivered the third .ecture of his interesting course; in which he described and illustrated the various muscles in the huma❑ face, as well as the principal ones in the human body. This lecture must have been partivularly useful to young artists; in as HILICh as the particular actions and tendencies of the various muscles being lucidly pointed out, the merest tyro in art must have been able to have discovered whether he had been previously delineating nature upon true principles. Being entirely of a practical kind we are unable to give any report, but the lec ture of Saturday evening was both practical and theoretical; and will prove useful to our readers. It shall appear in our next. LIVERPOOL TOWN MISSION. (From a Correspondent.) This important society had, for about eight years to strug gle w►th great and formidable difficulties, from the smallness of its funds, and other causes; but it is now beginning to excite the general attention of the Christian public, whose increased liuerality has enabled it, during the present year, considerably to extend its operations, and it is hoped that all such will be no longer indifferent to its claims. The agents of this society, sixteen in number, (which the committee are very anxious to increase to thirty) are daily employed in vi siting the abodes of ignorance, poverty, and distress, which exist in such awful numbers in the town, for the purpose of reading the Scriptures, distributing tracts, holding religious meetings, conversing and praying with the sick, and gene rally, of directing the attention of the inhabitants to the great salvation, the neglect of which is everlasting ruin. And the journals of these agents record, almost every week, cases of persons dying in the triumph of faith, whom they have been the honoured instruments of first directing their mien.- Lion to the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world. N u t fewer than five or six such gratifying instances have occurred within the last month; and it is hoped that the repeated announcement of such facts, will induce more of the servants of Christ to fix their attention on this vast field of labour•, most strictly their own vineyard, and excite them work while it is called to-day. These laborious and useful men employ a portion of their time in obtaining such information respecting the moral and spiritual condition of the persons they visit, as may excite the attention, and increase the li berality of the religious public. With this view, during the last month, several entire streets have been visited, and it will afford a mournful satisfaction to lay the results in one or two instances before the reader. In two small streets, at the south end of the town, there are 91 families, including 367 individuals, of which 259 are adults, and 108 children—of the children there are only 48 that go to either a Sabbath or day school—of the adults, only 41 profess to be frequenters of the house of God, leaving 218 who either entirely, or for the most part, neglect public worship, In these two streets there are only 19 Bibles, leaving 72 families, out of 91, destitute of any portion of the sacred Scriptures. What a picture do these two streets (by no means the worst in Liverpool) ex hibit to the inhabitants of this professedly Christian country! There are hundreds of families now very anxious to become subscribers for Bibles, but alas! shall it continue to be told, that there are not in this large town, Christian females to be found, willing to devote one hour and-a-half in a week to meet this increasing anxious desire of the poor, to be pos sessed of the Word of Life, which is able to save their souls? The ladies will be received with pleasure in the streets where the agents of the Town Mission go. THE THEATRE ROYAL.—The benefits have now set in in good earnest; and those of the company who have played efficiently and well, and at the sone time unobtrusively, for a long season, now make their modest appeal to the public for support.—Last evening Baker drew au excellent house for his benefit, in which Mr. Hoskins and Miss Aldridge, the daughter of the talented leader of the orchestra, made their debut before the Liverpool public. This evening Mr. Parker, the attentive and polite buxkeeper, takes his benefit with the play of " Damon and Pythias," and "Tom Nod dy's Secret.—To-morrow evening Mr. Slaiter, the country man of the company, makes his appeal with the comedy of Speed the Plough," and the melo-drama of " Luke the Labourer." We remember seeing him play " Luke the Labourer," seven years ago, at the Leeds Theatre Royal, and well do we remember the pitch to which our feelings, unbluuted then by the rough tutorage of the world, were worked up by his pleasingly natural acting of the character. We wish him success. On Friday a most useful member of the corps, Mr. Chaplin, and that lively little actress Airs. 'Pellet, make their appeal, with the very popular comedy of "The Belle's Stratagem," and on Monday a most important section of the company takes its benefit, namely, all the tragedy it contains, in the person of Mr. Stuart, with the playof the " Lady of Lyons," and the drama of the " Mountaineers." We need not say one word in praise of Mr. Stuart; his high talents as a tragedian, are well known, and the play he has chosen is a very attractive one; there can, therefore, be no doubt but that his friends will muster strong, and that there will be a full house. This, in itself, is an attraction : but another attraction is announced in the appearance of Miss Stuart, his sister, a lady, we understand, of very considerable talents.—We wish each and all success, for we believe that each and all de serve it. The Queen has been pleased to present the Rev. John Cuningham to the Church and parish of Glendowan, in the presbytery of Auchterarder and county of Perth, vacant by the death of the Rev. John B rown. The Rev. R. W. Needham, of Plymouth, is appointed to the third Mastership of the Devenport Classical and Ma thematical School, vacant by the resignation of Dr. Beall. On the 21st ult., the Rev. Robert Roberts, 8.A., was ipsti toted on his own petition, ti the Rectory of Aldwinkle All Saints, in the county of Northampton and diocese of Peters borough, vacant by the death of Rev. Henry Rolls. THE DARLINGS.—The sum collected for this family and the Sunderland boatman, in Romburgh, Alnwick, Bedford, and neighbourhood, exceeds £3oo.—Gtasgow Courier. FAsutoN.--Avery important event occupies, at this moment, the fashionable world of Paris. The ladies are wearing hoop petticoats. The old fashions are become new again. These hoop petticoats are neither so large, nor so heavy, as those worn by our grandmothers; on the contrary, they are small and light, and give much elegance to the female shape. They use in making them Gros de Naples, or unbleached lawn, haptiste ecrue. Still we doubt whether this fashion, revived from the time of Louis X[V. will generally be fol lowed. FILIAL ACCOUNT OF ONE'S FATHER'S ATTRACTIONS, Though my father was neither young, being forty-two—nor handsome, having lost an eye—nor sober, for he spent all he could get in liquor—nor clean, fur his trade was oily—nor without shackles, for he had five children, yet women of various descriptions courted his smiles, and were much in clined to pull caps for him. —Hutton's Autobiography. LIME-STREET WARD DINNER.-A SCENE. On Tuesday evening last, the greasy radicals of Lime street Ward gave a public dinner to their recently elected councillor, Mr. Morecroft, to commemorate his return for the ward. The dinner, not inappropriately, was held in what may be termed the arena of the prize ring of Liverpool—the Queen's Theatre; and of course, as was but to be expected, there was a tolerable gathering of "the fancy" present.— Pour Morecroft, in whose honour the "set to" was got up, ranked however but as a "bottle holder" on the occasion The " champion" and "pet of the fancy" decidedly was Blackburn, the surgeon and accoucheur, who delivered him- self, as usual, of a tremendous quantity of worn-out " flim sies"; and (perhaps having administered to himself astrin gent" dose for the cholic) was eased of as much "vox pre terea nihil" as usual. He was decidedly in good wind and condition, as the event proved; the "ring" declaring that he " boxed the compass" of his oratory for full one hundred and twenty minutes, by one of Roskell's timepieces; "pitch ing it right and left" into the "tories, as they ought to be called," and repeating, to the great admiration of the "ring," his well-known and much-admired " right and left handed" hits about the corporation schools and the municipal bill; and "fibbing" beautifully with "enlightened and liberal dissenters," •' reform principles," "Congress of America," and "secret voting." Then there was fat Haigh, who acted as umpire, and Dr. Jeff-rum as his vice; Joshua Walmsley and a Mr. Higgins, or Stiggins, officiating as bottle holders. A Mister Roamer was made stake holder and check taker, but roamed off with " the ready," leaving poor Bickerstaffe to whistle for the payment of the "swipes," gin and water, and cold " praties," supplied to the fraternity. Of all unhappy members of society, there are none whom from our souls we pity more than our brethren of the liberal press, who, decent fellows in their way, are obliged to do the bidding of the greasy swabs who congregate at the Queen's Theatre and other - fitting places, to "spout" sedition, dis content, and absurdity; and to "tak' a note" of the inane verbiage—the tedious old songs—of Councillor Blackburn and others of that ilk. We have heard (for, thank heaven ! it was not our infliction to have to attend and witness it) of one of the richest scenes touching the speech of Councillor Blackburn, at the aforesaid dinner, which, " Like a wounded snake, dragged its slow length along," and one of our fraternity of the press. It was poor 'Ross of the Chronicle's ill luck (poor devil!) to have to go to this stew; a four-shilling ticket having been sent to him with "the committee's compliments," for the especial purpose of getting the proceedings "into print." Let our readers imagiße to themselves the picture of the interior of the "prize ring," alias the Queen's Theatre. In the gallery was placed a band of music, consisting of the usual number of out-door instruments which belong to a mu- sical band; amongst which a big drum was the most conspi cuous, and of which, in performance, a horribly played clarionet was the loudest and most tyupanum cracking. The pit being boarded over on a level with the stage, several rows of planks were raised on joiners' blocks or stools, which were designated with the names of tables, their roughness being hidden by long pieces of very much soiled threepence a yard calico, which had once been ambitious of looking white. A cross table united all these at one end, which was honoured with the title of "the chairman's table." On these were laid out a number of knives and forks and plates for the accom modation of the guests, the knives being of every variety of shape and size, with grooved bone handles' f the colour of dirty gamboge, and the crockery of every colour and pat tern. Spoons were very scarce, but such as there were, were of real pewter. We will suppose the guests all seated; the potatoes, which had been warm two hours before, all masti cated; thei mutton and the beef (most of which had been three times cooked before) all mangled; the bread (which the handling of sundry dirty waiters had turned from an ap proximation to white, to whity brown) in the process of di gestion; and the whole washed down with sundry quaffs of small beer, which was plentifully distributed. Let us then suppose the fragments clearing away; the waiters rubbing the greasy coats of the guests, with the still greasier edges of the dishes and plates with which they are tumbling out, po lishing off whole rows of backs in their progress; the big drum thumping, and the clarionet squealing. out awfully in the gallery, and by the vibration which their horrible din causes, shaking sundry dingy-looking flags loaded with dust, which are hung over the heads of the guests, suspended from cords stretching from side to side of the theatre, (like clothes hung upon a line in a by-alley,) and which are pow dering the heads and grim-looking faces of all underneath with dust, and rendering them still more worth) of the title of "the great unwashed:" let us suppose sundry brown jugs filled with foaming ale, being thumped down by the waiters on the deal board table, and a babel of sounds arising from waiters and guests; the former shouting in all parts of the theatre " gemmen will pay for what they call." "What did you say, sir ? Oh, two pennorth o' gin for you, and four pen north o' whiskey punch, with a slice of lemon, hot, for you ;" and here and there a burley fellow who has got twelve other adventurous individuals to join him in the unusually expen sive luxury, bawling out at the Op of his voice that all around may hear him, and, that perchance he may attract the atten tion of the guests at the " chairman's table," " waitaw, wa-atar, I say, bottle o' sherry " Let us suppose this scene, and poor Ross sitting in the midst of it, who is expected to laud it, as a "triumph of Reform principles," in his Chronicle of the following Saturday. On one side of him sits Mr. Snip, a journeyman tailor, (to whom the secretary has made a present of a ticket as an equivalent for sundry patching jobs done fur him,) who supposes they will have a full account of all the speeches in the Chronicle on Saturday, and suggests that " its an excellent dinner," in which he is perfectly sin cere, for it is long since he has had so good a one. On the other side of him sits Mr. Easy, a decent sort of shopkeeper, without much brains, who has attached himself to him as the most respectable-looking fellow in the company, and who offers to shake hands with him, (though Ross never saw him before,) is glad to see him there, and hopes they shall join at a bottle of sherry. Opposite to him sits Mr. Snob, a shoe maker, and a rabid revolutionist; a little below him is placed little Mr. Ellwand. the haberdasher, figged out into a most tremendous "swell," and jolly Mister Stickum, the butcher, with a glass of whiskey punch before him, Mr. Ellwand sip ping the "two pen'orth o' gin" aforesaid, which the waiter had just brought to him. The business of the evening proceeded; the usual routine toasts were proposed by the tat chairman, and vociferously cheered by the miscellaneous assemblage, who, as the gin, " cold without," and the whisky punch, " hot with," began to take effect, became outrageously democratic and liberal—of noise. The applause was just subsiding from shouting and stamp ing to a knocking of the deal board table, which made the glasses dance upon it, on Ormerod Heyworth, Esquire, ceasing from a lucid explanation of the evils which the people groaned under, and which the people did not know before, when Mr. Stickum observed, " that's yer soarts ; we mun hey that i't paper o' Saturday," glancing a look at friend Ross, who was taking a passing note. " Do von reely git every word down?" enquired Mr. Snip;" Well, I never! its wonderful." — "Beautiful!" vociferously ejaculated Mr. Snob the cobbler, and renewed the thumping of the deal board table with the bottom of his empty tumbler, to the great danger of its sound constitution. "A— excellent!" drawled out Mr. Ell wand, determined to attract attention, by thumping the table with a brass snuff box, still louder than Mr. Snob. Upon which all the rest of the guests at the table began thumping it till the glasses danced again, and the spoons jingled in them; and then, as if tired with sudden enthusiasm, the whole company "rose to a man," and gave three up roarious shouts; and the man at the big drum, not to be be hind hand, began thumping a tremendous rub-a-dub a•club, to increase the noise. The enthusiasm having suddenly evaporated, like the effervescence of a bottle of soda water, the big drum ceased, and the whole company sat down again very quietly. Mr. Snob, prom; of the distinction of having himself raised a cheer, again started on his legs, and waiving his hat, shouted in a voice of high expectation, " One cheer more!" The company, however, had had enough of cheer ing, and preferred remaining quiet, and he was assailed with cries of "sit down," and nut a few jeers at his futile at tempt. Mr. Snob accordingly sat down; and in order to cover his confusion, began talking very loudly to poor Ross across the table. " I hope you've got ivery word iv that; we must hev it all in the Chronicle. Beautiful!"— Here a sort of pause ensued; and the noise subsided into a general hum of voices, mingled with the clanking of tumblers and the hurried shuffling of waiters. When the Chairman rose to propose " Thomas Blackburn, Esq., and the Education Committee of the Council," with three times three. Never was there a greater uproar in bedlam than this toast was received with; and it was only surpassed by the astound ing noise with which " Mr. Blackburn on his legs" was greeted. A calm haviag at length succeeded this storm, the wordy Councillor began his oft repeated oration. Poor Ross, after the first half dozen sentences had been spoken, soon found the " stringent" Councillor was veering into his old tack, and beginning to deliver himself of the identical speech he has already spoken at least ten times in the council-room, and five times ten out of it, and therefore threw down his pencil. " Aint you a-going to take Mr. Blackburn's speech?" in• quired Snip in a querulous tone. No," said Ross; " I am not." Mr. Snip !coked aghast. " Shan't we have this in the Chronicle of Saturday ?" in. quired Mr. Easy, with a wondering look : " it's very impor tent." " It has been in the Chronicle a dozen times at least a ready," said the representative of the liberal press. Mr. Easy seemed dumbfoundered. " A-he-em," coughed Mr. Ellwand. " A-he-ein, a-he-em and then hit , the table a knock with the brass snuff-box, by which means he succeeded in attracting the unfortunate re porter's attention to sundry pantomimic gestures he was playing off. Imitating a scribbling motion with his hand, he frowned and nodded his head at poor Ross across the ta ble, and then glanced at the fragment of paper on which he had been taking notes, laid before him. Poor Ross answered this query by coolly pouring himself out a glass of sherry. " Well, reely," ejaculated Mr. Ellwand, and began whis pering energetically to Mr. Stickum, the butcher. " This is Mr. Blackburn," shouted Mr. Snob across the table, as if the reporter were not cognizant of the fact. " You must take down what be says" (with a peremptory and asto nished air). " You must take what he says :—we must have every word of this :—splendid speaker !" A dingy looking individual, in a coat which had once been black, here pulled poor Ross by the sleeve:—" Mr. Stickum ses as he'll buy a Chronicle on Saturday if it has all this speech in." " Tell Mr. Stickum to mind his whisky punch," said poor Ross, worried into impatience. " I'm astonished at you," ejaculated Mr. Ellwand. Mr. Snob looked furious at the thought of a waste of words being so wasted. " 1 am not an automaton," shouted Mr. Blackburn, rising into the heat of his argument, " to be dictated to by others. I am a free and independent representative of an enlightened community." (Tremendous c heering.) "Hear, hear, hurra," roared Mr. Snob, and turning round in a high state of excitement to Ross, said, " I'm a member of the committee, sir. Do you think we gev you a ticket for not hink ? What did we send yoti a ticket for but to re port the speeches at full. "Oh, if the price of the dinner is any object to you, there are four shillings for the ticket you sent me," said Ross, throwing the silver across the table to Mr. Snob. " I should have got a much better dinner at Jack's Coffee House for eighteen•pence; and you will also remember that I have paid for the wine for a reporter. I hope now not to be troubled again with your impertinence." Mr. Snob, as he gathered up the shillinirs, looked as if he were considering the difference between " freedom and inde pendence" of speech, and freedom and independence of ac tion. Mr. Blackburn by this time had got into the sore subject of secret votintr. "Secret voting," said he, "has nothing to do with political principle—it is a matter of expediency." (Great cheering.") " The star chamber" shouted out some unknown voice, which was followed by great uproar. Mr. Snob could no longer keep his seat, but bounced up to the chairman, and then down to the vice-chairman, and spoke to each in a state of great excitement. At length he returned again, and, as Mr. Blackburn concluded his speech with his oft-repeated tale about the corporation schools and the Irish system of education, seemed bursting with indig nation. The clepsydra will at length run out its last drop—the clock will at length run down and stop, till wound up again to strike the same hours: and so at length did Mr. Blackburn's speech run down and stop; and may it be long before he is again " wound up." He had no sooner sat down, than down came Mr. Neigh, and up came Dr. Jeff-ruin, to where poor Ross was sitting. " Mr. Snob tells me," said the chairman, " you are not going to report Mr. Blackburn's speech. You surely are?" "It would sell more pipers than any other article in the Chronicle" suggested Dr. Jeff-rum " I wish you would allow me to mind my own business," said Ross; "if I break my leg I will send to you for advice, Dr." _ _ "Abominable," burst out Mr. Snob. "I would have ra ther made any sacrifice—any sacrifice," (repeating the words emphatically,) "than that excellent speech should not have been reported. I would rather have given—five shillings out of my own pocket." This was spoken with an air as though giving five shillings were only the next remove from suffering martyrdom. " I would ha-a ve stood four pennorth of gin and water cold without, myself, for the gemman," (said Mr. Eliwand, knock ing his brass snuff-box on the table with an heroic air,) " if he would ha-ave reported it all at full." " I would not do it for five guineas," said Ross, reflecting on the length of the oration. " Five Guineas!" ejaculated Easy, almost jumping off his seat with astonishment; whilst each member of the little knot seemed struck dumb at the mention of such a sum. The chairman and vice finding their eloquence of little ef fect, here departed, grumbling that it was a great pity. Poor Ross hoped now for a little quiet, when his persecu tors were again aroused from their reverie by the well-known tones of Mr. Blackburn's voice, proposing "The health of the Chairman of the Reform Association, Joshua Walms ley, Esquire." This toast was received with such uprorious applause, that the banners again shook with the vibration, and scattered their dust over the company seated beneath. Mr. WA LMSLEY rose to return thanks, and when first his voice was distinguished from the noise, was heard to say— "ls reform a tory majority ? (loud roars of no.') Is freedom of election Lord Sandon ? (Tremendous shouts of "no.") No, gentlemen: (rising on his toes with almost magisterial dignity—and thumping the table with great vehemence) — Nor is corporation reform Mr. Martineau's cousin. (Hear, hear, shouted Mr. Knipe, front the bottom of the table, and thumping the boards with great vehemence. Few of the company seemed to understand the meaning of this, and some few looked mysterious.) Was the Municipal Reform Bill made for this, gentleman ? (Cries of no, no,"yes, Yes,' hear, bear,' hisses, and considerable confusion.) And the corn laws—are the corn laws, gentlemen, Murphy's Almanac? (Loud cheers, shouts of yes, yes,' and a thundering voice was heard to say say, no.') Poor Ross here gave up the hopeless task of making any thing like common sense out of the speech, and again threw down the pencil. "Shameful," shouted Mr. Snob indignantly observing him. _ . " Really I think,"—said Mr. Easy. Nobody would have given him credit for it if he had not said it. "Surely, you will—?" said Mr. Ellwand, enquiringly, leaving the sentence unfinished; at the same time assisting himself to a pinch of snuff out of his brass box. " With pleasure," said Ross, reaching his hand across the table for the box. "It's a greet shame you don't report this," said Mr. Snip who was patronized by Joshua. "Stop my peaper," roared out Mr. Stickum, in a perfect fume of indignation. Poor Ross could stand it no longer, and made his exit in disgust. RIOTS IN THE ISLE OF MAN TO PREVENT THE EXPORTATION OF POTATOES. On Tuesday a petition, containing between 800 and 900 signatures, was forwarded from this town to the Lieutenant- Governor, praying his excellency to prevent the further exportation of potatoes, an adequate quantity of which is so essential to the poor at all times, but especially when the price of bread-corn has risen so much above its usual rate in this island. O❑ receipt of this petition, his excellency the Governor immediately forwarded precepts to the coroners throughout the island, requiring them to summon juries, in the various parishes, in their she. dings, for the purpose of ascertaining the quantity of potatoes in the island. His ex cellency also ordered that a return be made to him on Satur day next, when a meeting of the Legislature will take place, for the purpose of deciding whether an embargo should be laid on or otherwise. Ott Friday night last a number of grown-up boys assembled in this town and proceeded to the residences of different individuals who were suspected of being concerned in the shipment of potatoes from this island. Several windows were broken and other damage done to the houses of Mr. N. Clague and Mr. James Radcliff, in Sand street; also to the houses of Mr. John Stephenson and Mr. J. Clague, of King-street. In consequence of the outrageous proceedings and violent breach of the peace which had taken place in the town on Friday evening, our High-bailiff caused a notice to be given, generally, on Saturday, that a meeting wouldthe held at the Court-house, at six o'clock in the even ing, of the principal inhabitants of the town. At the time appointed his worship entered the hall, and soon atter took the chair. He then recurred to the proceedings of the previous night, which he characterized as most scan dalous and disgraceful. A lawless mob sought to be law makers, and take all power into their own hands; but it should not be so. Some of the ringleaders of the mob were known, and warrants issued fur the apprehension of three of them: he had no doubt of their being speedily apprehended and brought to condign punishment. Certain of the in habitants had addressed a petition to the Governor, praying that a stop might be put to the exportation of potatoes. He (the High-bailiff) was present when the petition was re ceived; and a precept had been issued to the coroners to make a return of the quantity of potatoes now in their res pective sheadings. As for himself, from the best information he could obtain, he was satisfied that there was a super abundant supply on the island, and that no alarm of scarcity ought to be entertained. A groundless alarm existed in 1835-6. Some gentlemen of Douglas subscribed £250, and laid in a stock for the supply of the poor: but they were sold for half what they cost, the atihscribers thereby losing £125. He believed there was not in the Queen's dominions a town where the wants of the poor were more attended to. Witness the House of Industry, the newly-erected Almshouse, and the Ladies' Soup Dispensary. He knew two great land pro prietors who had each 1200 bolls of potatoes, and one who had 800 bolls; they bad told him they would not export any, but, if he required, would place them at his disposal for the benefit of the poor. He concluded by assuring all present, that he would use all means in his power to preserve the public peace. and bring offenders to justice. " Rather than suffer the Queen's peace to be broken," said his worship, "the rabble shall trample over my body, so help me, God !" A declaration was then drawn up and signed by many respecta ble inhabitants, whereby they enrolled themselves as special constables. Two of the police-officers and six of the consta bles were then selected to patrol the town till half-past nine o'clock. to be then relieved by two other constables. The rendezvous was Rppointed to be the New Market. On Sa turday night, about nine o'clock, after the meeting at the Court-house, several parties again assembled, and proceeded through the principal streets of the town ; in the course of which the mob committed various outrages by the breaking of windows, and otherwise damaging the premises of Mr. R. Key, North-quay; Mr. Foster, Bigwell•street; Mr. Bos cow, Church-street ; Mr. Clague, King-street; Mr. N. Clague and Mr. John Radcliff. In this neighbourhood the High bailiff, with the special and ordinary constables, endea voured to disperse the mob, but were repulsed by them, who seemed to have a plentiful supply of stones, which they plied with no ordinary dexterity. After the authorities had been repulsed, the mob was fired upon in Sand-street, when seve ral individuals, principally women, were wounded, and, we are sorry to say, in one or two instances, serious conse quences are apprehended. The High-bailiff, finding the town in so uproarious a state, immediately despatched a spe cial messenger to Castletown to inform the Lieut. Governor of the circumstance, who immediately adopted measures to prevent the recurrence of such outrages; and, on Sunday morning, about six o'clock, a detachment of soldiers, belong ing to the 98th Regiment, stationed at Castletown, arrived here, and remained under arms during Sunday and yes terday.—Motta's Herald, of Tuesday. GIPSIES.—An attempt is being made just now in Buchares to reclaim the gipsies of that country from their wandering habits of life, and for amalgamating. them with the native populations of the principality. They have been in great part brought to reside in villages, and to associate with the peasants; the rite of baptism has been introduced among them in order to tie them by religion to the inhabitants of the country—and as a last measure, it has been ordered by the Elospodar, that they are no longer to be considered in the light of serfs of the state, but are to have the rights of free men, and are to pay the same taxes to the state as the rest of the Wallachians. ANOTHER SUITOR FOE THE QUEEN—At St. George's Chapel, Windsor, on Sunday morning, a stranger of gentle manly appearance was shown to a sitting by one of the vergers, but shortly after the commencement of service was seen to cross the aisle to the reading desk, where be stood some mi nutes and conducted himself in a very singular manner, until a party were shown into the lower stalls, and into which he also removed. Upon taking his seat, which was nearly oppo site to the royal pew, he began paying his respects to the Queen by kissing his hand, and sundry other movements, which being observed, he was requested to leave, but re fusing he was removed by force, and on leaving the chapel, looked up to the Queen and exclaimed, "Your Majesty, you see I am arrested in the church, in the reign of Victolia." He was not detained, but upon being conducted into the town, and promising to leave immediately, he was set at liberty.—Reading paper. NINE " HAPPY PAIRS."—The inhabitants of Stepney were much amused by the proceedings of a wedding party, consisting chiefly of excavators, costermongers, and others, the ceremonies having been performed at the old church. As early as nine o'clock the church-yard surrounding the vene rable edifice of St. Dunstan was filled with persons of the class mentioned, and ten young girls, few of whom could boast either of beauty or neatness, were seen amongst the mob anxiously awaiting the coming of their future lords, who, however, could not be spared from their employ at the railroad till the last moment. About half-past eleven nine of those expected arrived en dishabille from their labour; the tenth was absent, and his lady-love left' the noisy throng, who were congratulating the other brides on their good for tunes in having good men and true, to wreak her vengeance on the (false-hearted man who had deceived her. The cere , rpony having been gone through, the bridegrooms left their brides at the church door in the care of their friends, and hastened back to their work. The brides and their friends, however, adjourned to a neighbouring public-house to con sole themselues in the absence of their spouses.—Standard. THE PACKET SHIP ROSCFUS.—It was with more than ordinary feelings of national pride that we yesterday went through and examined this superior specimen of American naval architecture. The Roscius was built by E. K. Collins, and is intended to be added to the Liverpool Dramatic Line, and is, as will be seen by the dimensions given below, by far the largest merchant vessel ever built in this country, or in deed any other, if we except the British East Indiamen of former years. She is built entirely of live oak and locust, and put together in a manner calculated to bid defiance to the elements, and outstrip in fleetness the fastest ship that navigates the ocean. Her model combines the principles of strength and beauty in a superlative degree, and her hull is moulded with such consummate skill in its proportions, as to give to the enormous mass of timber the symmetry and grace of a vessel of half her tonnage. The following are her di mensions :—Burthen, 11(X) tons; length of main deck, 170 feet; length of spar deck, 180 feet; breath of beam, 36 feet; depth of hold 22 feet; height of cabin 734 feet; height from keelson to the main truck, 187 feet; length of main yard 75 feet. The length of her keel is equal to that of the Con stitution frigate, and she is calulated to carry under her decks 3200 bales of cotton. Her cabins are situated upon the main deck, constructed with a regard to comfort and luxury in a most gorgeous style, infinitely superior to those of the Great Western, or indeed any other craft that ever floated. The main cabin is composed of a spacious saloon, extending from the mainmast to the stern, with a range of state rooms on each side, that may be thrown opened or enclosed at plea sure. Each state room is provided with two comfortable sleeping berths, being ventilated and lighted by a side win dow to each berth, that may be opened and closed at will, and also lighted from above by two deck lights placed over each state room. These rooms are also furnished with a com plete toilet, washstand, closets for clothing, &c. The ladies' saloon or cabin, with its ranges of state rooms, is situated amidships, and finished in a style of workmanship that may challenge the competition of the world. The state rooms throughout are ornamented as follows—Satin wood stiles and pannels—rose wood banding—zebra moulding—blinds to each state room of satin wood, with rose wood forming —imitation porcelain pilasters between the state rooms, su perbly gilded and polished to a surface like ivory—splendid imitations of inlaind ebony and gold; the whole interior pre senting a scene, even in its present unfinished state, of un paralled munifience. The furniture and fixtures of the cabins, it is said, will be of the most costly description, and will correspond with the beautiful vessel they are intended to adorn. The Roscius is to sail for Liverpool on the 25th November—a inemorrble day in the history of New York — and is calculated to accommodate forty passengers. Her officers and crew are to consist of Captain Collins and three mates, thirty seamen before the mast, nine stewards and cooks, and two boys—making, all told, 45 in number.—New York paper. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. CHARGE OF UNGENTLEMANLY CONDUCT REFUTED.-- On Friday, a young gentleman, named Lutwich, appeared at the Police-court, to answer a complaint of a car-driver, at whose instance he had been summoned. The driver stated, that, on Sunday night, the 4th ult., at about half-past eleven o'clock, the defendant entered his coach, and requested to be driven to the Waterloo Hotel, Crosby. It was a moonlight night, :ind he was sure that he was the man. When he (the coachman) gut to his destination, he found the door open, and no gentleman within. The fare was 7s. The defendant, said he was not in town that day or that night; that he re sided at Seaford], and would prove he was at home at half past ten on that night, and in bed by eleven. Mr. Lutwich, senior, (the father of the plaintiff,) said he lived near Sea forth church; that on the day in question his son was twice at church, and that he was at home, and afterwards in bed at the time stated. He remembered the evening by having met Mr. C. Birch at Seafortb. Edward Makin, a servant, said he saw the defendant at his father's house from about five o'clock to half-past ten. He (witness) was there by chance. Mr. Hall said the complainant was doubtless mistaken in the identity of the person who bad imposed upon him, and said to the defendant,—" You are acquitted, sir." COMMITMENT ON A CHARGE OF STEALING FROM THE PERSON.—On Friday, a young woman named Jane 11il`Car thy was placed before Mr. Hall, at the Police court, on a charge of stealing a considerable sum of money from the per son of Bryan M'Mahon, an elderly man, in rough habili ments. The complainant made a statement to the following effect :—He was a pig jobb% and resided in Jamaica-street. On the previous night (Thinsdav,) about seven o'clock, he left Isis place to go down to the Clarence Dock, to ascertain at what time the steamer Victoria would sail for Ireland. When he reached the dock, he got change of a five-pound note from a clerk in the service of the St. George's S. P. Company. He had then the sovereigns, and thirty shillings in silver, all of which he put, in a purse, into the inside breast pocket of his jacket. On his way home, and when be got to the church at the bottom of Chapel-street a woman came up and said to him, "Itis a lough night." He made some re mark on his trade, and his intention to go to Ireland; and she asked him to treat, which he refused. She then offered to treat him; but he declined to accept of anything. He walked up Chapel-street, and into Covent-garden: the woman was with him, and again offered to treat, which he again declined. The prisoner M'Carthv then came up; be had not seen her before. She put her hand over his right shoulder, and into his breast pocket; the other woman at the same time felt his jacket pockets behind. While he was thus held, he called " watch !' and " robbery !" The prisoner and the other woman ran away from him into Chapel-street. He ran after them, calling "stop thief!" and overtook the prisoner about ten yards from Covent-garden. The other woman escaped. Constable Parks came up, and took the prisoner into custody, complainant having informed him that he had been robbed. Before he (complainant) overtook her, he saw her stoop near to a cellar window in Chapel-street, of which he told the constable. The latter afterwards examined the window and the street, but no money was found.—The constable corroborated this evidence, and said that the pri soner on being asked who the other woman was, replied, "Fat Mary, and she lives in Ben Jonson-street." The pri soner, on being asked what she had to say, wept and said "she had not a half-penny of the man's money; that he was with another woman when she passad, and that he followed her (prisoner,) and took her." The prisoner was committed for trial at the sessions. PRETENDING TO BE DEAN AND DUMB.—On Friday a man named Patrick Noughton, was placed at the bar of the Police-court on a charge of exciting compassion and assist ance by pretending to be deaf and dumb. It appeared, how ever, that though a little deaf, he could speak distinctly. He said he came from the county of Galway eight years ago, and was ill, and in distress. It was stated by one of the po lice-officers that his breast was in a dreadful state, the effect of disease. Mr. Hall ordered him for a month to Kirkdale gaol, with orders that he should there be properly attended to. AN EccENTßic.—On Friday a little old woman, named Anne Hale, who had on the previous night gone to Bridewell somewhat inebriated, and was retained for safety, was placed at the bar of the Police-court, and discharged. On being told to go away, she exclaimed, " Indeed, I will not !" and resisted the officers, who had to put her out. " I'll not go !" she repeated, amidst some laughter—" I want to get into the Workhouse, and this is the only way I can get in. She was again pushed, and continued, " I'll not go! If I do, I'll be here again to-morrow !" (Great laughter.) The officers at length succeeded by force in denying her the gratification of remaining a prisoner. ATTEMPT TO STEAL.—On Friday, a young man, named John Thompson, was observed by Inspector Pool, to go from shop to shop in St. James's-street, in company with two otters, in a manner indicating no good purpose. The inspector watched their movements, and seeing them enter a shoe-shop, (No. 18, St. James's-street,) went up, and heard them price some shoes, and make some offer which was not accepted, being little more than half price, and then make some ex cuse that no other pair in the shop would suit. The prisoner, while the other two were at the counter, placed his back against the door, and busied himself in untwisting a pair of boots that were fastened to the latch, and had nearly suc ceeded in carrying them off when he was apprehended. The prisoner denied all attempt to take the boots, and requested that the shop-keeper might be brought up. Mr. Hall com plied, and that person was sent for; but only confirmed the testimony of the inspector. The prisoner was committed for three months to the Kirkdale House of Correction. POCK ET-P IClUNG.—Yesterday, at the Police-office, a well known thief, named Jeremiah Burns, was charged with hav ing picked the pocket of a respectable young man. The complainant stated, that on Saturday night he was walking down Oldball-street, with an umbrella over his head, as it was raining very hard. He felt a pull at his coat pocket, and turning round saw the prisoner handing his pocket hand kerchief to another. He dropped his umbrella, and seized hold of the prisoner, who immediately commenced kicking at his shins with great fury whilst his companion was run ning off with his umbrella. He held the prisoner long enough to identify him, and then ran after his umbrella. Meeting an officer he pointed the prisoner out to him, and he was taken into custody. He was certain as to his iden tity. The prisoner said he was working at a tallow chand ler's, and denied the charge. Mr. Hall.—How long is it since you have been in gaol? Prisoner.—Six months. Mr. lall.—Three months in Kirkdale. IiOBBE R Y.—Yesterday, at the Police-office, two children, named William and Mary Johnson, were charged with hav ing stolen a coat from an office. Mr. Eaton Hall, merchant, said, that on Wednesday afternoon last he went out of his office, in 4, Exchange-street West, leaving a brown cloth coat hanging up. He locked the door, but left the key in the lock. He returned in about half an hour, and found the door locked, as he had left it ; but the coat was gone from the office. He gave information to the police about it, and soon after Constable Barton told him it was pawned in Vaux hall•road, at Mr. Pye's, pawnbroker. The coat was worth £3 Thomas Robertson, apprentice to Mr. Pye, deposed, that at six o'clock on Wednesday night the prisoner, Mary Johnson, brought the coat, and offered to pledge it for 205., in the name of Mary Roberts. He lent her 17s. on the coat, and received information that it had been stolen about half an hour after. Mr. Hall had since seen the coat, and iden tified it. Constable Barton afterwards succeeded in taking the prisoners into custody. The female prisoner said she got it from her brother, and the lad that he got it from a gentle man at Prince's Dock, who sent him to pledge it, and was to give him a shilling for doing it. The prisoners were com mitted to take their trial. AN UMBRELLA PROPRIETOR.—Yesterday, at the Police office, an old sign-post of gin and debauchery, in the shape of a wretchedly depraved female, was brought before the ma gistrates, charged with being in possession of a handsome new silk umbrella. A police officer stated, that he saw the prisoner, with whom he was well acquainted as an old offen der, walking down the street with a pompous air, with a new silk umbrella in her hand. He thought it such en one as was not likely honestly to belong to her, and took her and her umbrella accordingly into custody. She said she bad it seven years. Mr. Hall.—" Well, where did you get this?" Prisoner.--" It is mine, sir; my umbrella. I have bad it a year." Mr. Hall.—" Oh, no : if it had been your's, it would have gone long ago in drink. You are well known here, you know." Prisoner.—" Well, it is mine, sir." " Where did you buy it?" " I bad it a gift." " Who by ?" " A gen tleman, sir." (A laugh.) " What gentleman?" "He came from Scotland." " Near Edinburgh ?" " No; from the town of Ayr, in Ayrshire." " Well, I suppose he wilt he calling on you shortly?" " I can't say for that, you know." " When he comes, send him to me: I have some thing to say to him. Meantime, I will take care of the um brella for you." The complainant was put out of custody, grumbling, " It's a queer thing people can't walk the streets with their own numbrells." SPORTING INTELLIGENCE MANCHESTER-FRIDAY EVENING. We have no improvement to notice in the Derby transac tions. To-day there has not been any thing either spoken about or accomplished. Last night, there was some disposi tion to lay against the leader, and 12 to 1 was offered. At the same tinge 5 to 4 to a largish stake might have been had between Erin-go-Bragh and Accelerator. It is more than probable, that, before we get far into the month upon which we are just entering, the Chester Trades Cup willbe brought out. 12 to lis at present the offer on the field. TATTERSALL'S—THuss DAY. THE DERBY.—The only change of consequence which resulted from the business transacted yesterday afternoon was in the north country horse Accelerator, whose party is daily increasing in number and confidence. One gentleman was fortunate enough to get on a rouleau at 25 to 10, five points more than was taken subsequently to £lOO. Ilderim, Erin-go-Bragh, Wapiti, and two or three outsiders, were backed outright; and some bets were made between horses, without leading to any alterations. The closing prices were as follow :- 7 to 2 against John Scott's lot. (take 4 to 1) 7 to 1 John Da.)'s lot. (t to £100) Il to 1 Lord Jersey's brother to Bay Middleton. (taken, and afterwares offered) 18 to 1 Duke of Rutland's Flambeau. (take 20) 20 to 1 Lord Jersey's Ilderim. (t) 20 to 1 Mr. Bowes' Accelerator. (t) 25 to l Col. Peel's Dey of Algiers. (take 28 to 1) 27 to 1 Mr. Bowes' Erin-go-Bragh. (t) _ 40 to 1 Mr. Bowes' Epidaurus. (off) 45 to 1 Mr. Wreford's Wapiti. (t) 2000 to 30 Mr. Mostyn's Hugh Lupus. (t) 1000 to 13 Mr. T. Walter's The Deputy. (t) 4000 to 25 Mr. Jackson's Wings. (t) 1500 to 50 against Tros and Fitz-Arabi) (t); 500 to 400 on Wapiti against Deception (t); 500 even between Epidaurus and Lord Jersey's Cain colt (t.) COURT OF REQUESTS PRACTICE IN NEW SOUTH WALES. —A respectable free emigrant had a tailor's bill presented to him for a suit of clothes, although he had never got clothes from the tailor. He received a summons for the bill to the Court of Requests; he represented the case to a colonial attorney and requested him to manage the matter for him, which the attorney said he would do. The gentleman who had been summoned, of course, did not give himself any fur ther concern about the matter, but appeared in court when the cause was called on. The tailor proved that he had fur nished the defendant with a suit of clothes, and of course that the debt was a just one ; but, to the utter astonishment of the defendant himself, the lawyer had got a witness to swear that he saw him pay the tailor the bill.—Rev. Mr. Lainy's Evidence to the Parliamentary Committee on Trans portation. WARNING TO FRAUDULENT BANKRUPTS.—In the courtof • Bankruptcy, on Friday, a bankrupt, named Thomas F. Mason, was examined, and Sir U. F. Williams, the commissioner, said lie thought the balance-sheet one that merited scrutiny to the furthest extent possible. When a man put down his debts at upwards of £l6OO, without a single farthing of ap parent property to meet them, it was monstrous; and it seemed to him (to use the words of the late Lord Eldon) to be " shewing much contempt to the Great Seal to be t party to the issuing of such a fiat," and he should, in such a case, where there appeared to be no assets, follow the dictum of the late learned Lord whom he had before quoted, which dictum had been recognized by the Court of Review, and put in practice on more occasions than one by the com missioners, that of adjourning the proceedings in the fiat "sine die." Such a balance-sheet as the one now before him ha never remembered to have seen, and a full enquiry into it should be instituted. This court should not be made " a place of whitewashing," on an insolvent debtor's court. He sat there for the purpose of distributing the assets of a bank rupt's estate among his bona fide creditors, and not to "white wash" :nen, who would then turn round upon their unfortu ❑ate creditors and laugh at them. A fiat might as well have been issued against Aldgate pump as the bankrupt before the court.