The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-03-14 00:00:00

~.~~~• "~"'"'~ le-stan by • pew, at plea a of dust ap- - addry " objection• sets running r. —TIM WA* is company it, wa s held Alected that Ore the re" ess between and Ox• at Western , Dobie, tba • discussion. rn Company ,o the share eir calls, the ment of the to carry out to them re within one carried, and tent, at the ting, an ad a bill to en in by Mr. s carried, as be company :olmore and vas also ad !T. have report ied 'for I, is about 1 0 ; 7 chance 01 irmittee de , to be void, actor at the a's election ibery by his on,Tuesderr kiS tlectiou ..Abdy, the e committee fr..Attwood ; who would 'ad. They, passed for members of ,committee elected foe to the cow ,um of Xli land ; but it imitted with land. That r of treating influencinL n Thursdar 111 r. Hawes, Tinton. At is, assaulted was known orters were e door they ff. Imme gent of his stice of the and police: ;ain placed 'roops. The Le result we niblicanisro y in France on the rail ve been uo nent. Tbo idely vindi aternisatiow A—no pro e labourers This act y, consider ; principles justice the r regime to the Go- Vance, t 1 r to add tet Iriven out , the English.' ever y third ed with the must sol i ' ee trade.' e are most the disclo sult of the e were , N4 O closure je d hle-niinu e "" pt. the We w I rem rrted to hi what the)° Imission of It is clean t the " Li e of trying opponent s ; to " stick' iment were What ,cision otter ~ Bolling "" th e who bited an lings of 0' t week h 0 ing been a. It.. The ea' Y 'Produced, ovementq n netary difl innes und l r for irnme' confined 1, e giving 0 0 , 'kets one a' mce is a de wier the dir like a del ch are ve4 no dispaw it as Politi , - and trade a ago We l ! very collar,. tter than attisfactort! ry great a'", s inevital?'ll s better n for sever much 01 ;hbourbOoti on appear' ufacturer e lot to order either in O__ A . tamed, v"" ness on t e in limi t „ demand n band, t e ; 'feces sent revniv d appear_t u ady aSOn, been VP", • f e w by' to. ,guid std oarket 'tl3/ for the se's' ersej ect.ed 11Inland aP; long its re' , c the L ea h raided utitl eople ena, of the _, ntenance Truptiott thdras' the oPat;,, ch Bu 7. or as to in t!,,, 'here is 1 ; ‘ , Ithougl' hie ; bat sr goods! r e N arrant:.'. s still, e:„,, — / :lest), e l y'r iecause,,, home 11!.or;d a deintAti nt of g°''' same dflß~ ircelY 7;cl lution' pr put s e c; 0 1 Yet b do ~ [obtain .04 d salioto bO r wee 1 , 1 3.40-0014 0014 rket Aso nod ape or PrL c s bf i j B er ll lt 'We n its' r 0 o n ' e c r e l , resPe c o l4l- in gd° t r l ,eri an . Ar bon o re in ov i lie u s t r Z;,r tbi,s 70ve" lard 14, 1848. TO ADVERTISERS. We log respectfully to call the attention of Nets, Brokers, Auctioneers, and others, 't• Me important fact that the LIVERPOOL STANDARD IS NOW THE ONLY NEWSPAPER TIIBLISHED WEEKLY ON TUESDAY, g ig iCh Oft be read on that day by the thousands V Manufacturers and others attending TUESDAY'S MARKET IN MANCHESTER. STANDARD is taken at all the Newsrooms end respectable Inns in that town and the 61 gr'rminding manufacturing district. 4 SRCOND EDITION is published at Half-past T wo. in time for the North Mails, containing the MARKETS, and any news of importance that "I, arrive in the course of the morning. tbt tturpool attanbarb. TU ESDAY MORNING, MARCH 14, 1848. Wia did not hesitate, last week, to express our censure of the vote given -by one of our representa tives Mr. Cardwell, against Mr. Horsman's motion 1 , - ,.,;„ 6 1 11 ,,ch just modification of the Income Tax, as n i - ,;,.`" render that impost more tolerable and equal rrri - e 7„Press i , ure. As little do we object to the pro !ion an expression of the general sense of the bei n ts . -- "eney, with respect to the offence committed, 11 0 ,:n conveyed in a constitutional form to the t : c crable member himself. We cannot, howe v er, o "ltne nd the tone of the docu men t, t o w hi c h th e their signatures. Liverpool have since been ur ge d t o a ffi x signatures. it is unnecessarily dictatorial— almost, ind ee d, persona ly o ff ens i ve ; and we are sa iisfied that these violations of good taste, on the Part of those by whom it has been drawn up, will deter many from signing it, who would otherwise have done so most cordially, and will thus far ren der the document, when presented to Mr. Card well, a much less influential one than it might have been. It was perfectly competent for the majority of the electors to have conveyed to the honourable member a knowledge of the fact that, by pursuing a certain line of conduct, he had forfeited their confidence; and to have suggested to him that, under such circumstances, being no longer a repre sentative of their opinions, his resignation of the trust imposed upon him would be the fulfilment of a duty, not only to them but to his own reputation. Perhaps, however, strict justice would not have been outraged, whilst courtesy would have been Preserved, had Mr. Cardwell been invited to offer some explanation of his conduct, before sentence was summarily passed upon him. His vote was a silent one; and, as we stated last week, it was one w hich from a previous demonstration of his disin clination to decide upon it hastily, he may have ar rived at a conviction of the propriety of giving, Whichlvalthoukh w e mus t con f ess i t i s hidd en f rom . to him, we doubt not, appeared at the (I,,lme'„well grounded. Rejecting, therefore, as we affecting r that, with respect to questions matte nig the taxation of the people, or any other rg ' the representative is to be regarded or to regard,, himself as their mere delegate—bound irre trewvelY of all other considerations, to carry out "Pressed and exparte views of the public meet- Alga, or public bodies, professing, like the National Confederation , to speak "in behalf of the pe o pl e " -awe conceive that the honourable member m i g ht ve had accorded to him an opportunity of reply to hjs accusers. Th e secon d paragrap h o f t h e me °nal, however, seems to us, by its peremptoriness, ca,ieulated, if no t mean t , to put a ll c h ance of ex- P e eination ou t o f t h e question. The unatoneable all eter of the o ff ence i s assume d as esta bli shed ; a n la ud the sentence of expulsion is pronounced in n gliage such as th a t we wou ld a dd ress to a clerk, Zr a servant, whom we had proved guilty of dis mane t • 8 Y, after a fair hearing. Ad " 'We cannot consen t t o repose any f urt h er con ba_elice in you as our Representative; nor can we 'it the interests of the people of Liverpool ▪ tiger- to remain under your charge."—We must ,iviiatit that this is not precisely the language in' t o t ic h h a gentleman, who has been so recently elected p ) . # - ,: e high honour of representative of this im "(e3-"aat community in Parliament, ought to be ad-' sp sti ed:- and we repeat our conviction that it is e ; ° ,.! likely, not only to deter many influential j'ea from signing it, but materially to impair the ! °l ' o ,e which such a document would have carried uit, if expressed in more respectful and consti terms. To him, to whom it is addressed, 4 Calculated to convey a sense of personal insult rrather than of deference to those wh ose names are e Pen ded to it ; and, by the world at large it may th e -e wed, and probably will be viewed, rather as calm expression of party illwill than as the great t z t il matured expression of the feeling of a ,:, n king community. of the o v f ever, now turn to an examination u n n ig f ht, e the hon. gentleman on Friday xplanatory of what we cannot but term his made vote, and which appears to have been atie, by anticipation, as a reply to the charges of , th e Memorialists. Mr. Cardwell represents himself l i as having been influenced in giving that vote by two considerations—" first, by the duty which he owed to the great mercantile constituency whom he had the honour to represent, and, se- eondly, by those higher considerations which arose from a due regard to the general interests of twhich he country. He was very sensible of the pressure any income tax must bear upon the industry urea lthe coun t ry ; and he knew how much that pres was aggravated when an income tax, made atean estimate of former years of prosperity, t be coll ec t e d at a period of unparallelled t eitv l T, BB . But having these considerations bearing on his mind, y e t w h en h e l oo k e d at the what condition condition of the country, and considered That Pre the exigen c i es o f t h e exc h equer, and dep end " very possibility o f a rev i va l o f tra d e fou n d : e d upon the condition of the treasury, he th e It impossible to withh o ld hi s support from e Propositio n of her Majesty's Government." state ig, we must say, a s li g ht con f us i on in this are fully Pent of th e h on . mem b er ' s two considerations. agree with him both that the exigencies el t he exchequer, or of the nation, have a powerful ,„_ 4l ° l upon statesmen, and that their being fully t':°Yided for tends to the " revival of trade," and Zrestoration of confidence amongst a commer • i t community. But in order to produce such th,3 6lll ta some regard must be had to the nature of tie sources by which the exigencies of the ex t, -Niter are to he supplied. A "revival of trade," ata restoration of commercial confidence, can n nicely be effected by the levying upon the corn ynity of a t ax w h ose " pressure is aggravated, " .use being " ma d e upon an est i mate of former li on of prosperity,"—what a heavy condemna .4" ef such a t ax i s h ere conveyed ?—it " has to k i r il ected at a period of unparallelled distress ;" vi e 4r. Cardwell might have added, from a peo eide`!' Ignant at its injustice. This plea of con izi ration for the interests of commerce by victim anilteg_c_?minunities, we think will he admitted as n ati "sole; and little less happy is that urged on °nal vviti l . grounds. History does not furnish us I,;!itietance of a nation being rendered power troin'a‘ne acquisition of a full exchequer wrung INA z grudging people. On the other hand our Opt Et ayL n als—not to go further—furnish us with $ 1 sq;,,tances of attempted aggression from with le " and driven from its object by the spec ci, a People willi ng t o b ear th e cos t o f t h e i r t n ee. And, we wou ld rem i n d M r. Card ale Of T at Such i s th e sp i r it' i n w hi c h the peo id o' i verpool wo u ld g l a dl y con t r ib u t e t h e i r W e o Zveroment in the present crisis. tali s erve that th e h onoura bl e gent l eman is zios ern "ed with th e mo difi cat i on proposed by Mr. Isi o an. Its details are alleged to be imperfect. ve . legi z " itt 4 ti ubt they may have b een so . B u t th ere i s col t M abilitons y enough i n th e B r iti s h H ouse of t r i eoeonzoi to rende r per f ect, or approaching perfee abilityl such m easure. We have no fear of the Parliament, if they would set themselves ht _ s y to the task, to get rid of the di ffi culties, s )r they are, of providing a fair and just tax 40'4! operty and income ; and it is not quite in rethzniinsabfri:errebwtehiinatht o b u . r . own views of the fairness of tolda day to be withheld. We can dt a oo s e t le a o t no e ko s m tup a pr n ess t c o rt iob w ea h u o ka m i tni dl M ho r ef . Ca''aaiii::;4lly,ite.huatngdaedrsoteteobodyr is legitimately called in. We set our face against the morality of thii doctrine; and would, along with the great majority of the public, be glad to know something of the probable treatment before w►e employ the doctor. There is just now a possi bility of the country requiring a new administra tion—one more fitted for the requirements of the present crisis; and unless Mr. Cardwell, by a can did reconsideration of this question—the weight attached to which by the electors of Liverpool, we believe, he comprehends very imperfectly—gives us an assurance of his regard for commercial interests, his constituents are not likely to avail themselves with any avidity of his talents and business know ledge. A HIBERNIAN PARIS CORRESPONDENT, The Dublin Nation of Saturday last apologizes for the non-arrival of the letter of its agent in Paris ; and adds— " From our next number his letters will appear without interruption, giving a graphic description of the republic from an Irish point of view." The italics are our con temporary's own. We are a little at a loss to know in what quarter of Paris " our agent " will find an " Irish point of view " to sketch from, or whether he has solved the difficulty by taking a shovel full of the Hill of Howth, or a chip off the blarney stone, in his carpet bag. A drop of Potteen might possibly enable him to see things from an Irish point of view ; but there is the risk to encounter of his seeing double, and it would be wrong besides to im peach even in thought "our agent's" teetotalism. The safest conclusion to draw is, that the graphic picture pro mised will be drawn from the soil of Ireland itself—pos sibly fromilthe back office of the Dublin Nation—from which Parisian sketches may be taken quite as like the original as they are required to be, and as genuine as those generally furnished now-a-days by the class of scribblers who gull the natives under the signatures of " our Paris," " our London." or " our own " correspondents. OUR EXCHANGE DEFENCES. The attention of several distinguished veterans of " the flags " has been directed, during the past week to the ne cessity of adopting some efficient plan of fortification by which they may be secured from annoyance similar to that which has been experienced from the recent invasions of the Irish porters and lumpers. Barricades have been pro posed to be thrown up in front of each entrance to the Exchange area, to be defended by the engines belonging to the Insurance Companies. A difficulty, however, pre sented itself with respect to those from Exchange-street East, the pavement of which has just been so firmly cemented together with asphaltum as to defy all attempts to take it up. Several substitutes for the Welsh sets have been proposed. It has been suggested, from the Stock Exchange, that barriers of a very repellant cha racter might be formed of the scrip of some of the railway lines most popular during the mania, which, it is thought, very few will like to have anything to do with at present, especially if a few provisional directorships are thrown in. The master of the News-room, however, is said to have settled the matter by the offer of a few of his files of the Mercury. It would be, he thinks, a most persevering mob which could get through half a dozen of these. The National Society for Promoting the Education of the Poor has made a grant of £BO for the erection of schools at Much Woolton. The building is to cost £9BO, and to accommodate 400 children. The Mayor has given a premium of .£6, to be competed for by the working classes, for the growth of vegetables, fruit, &c., at the horticultural exhibitions to be held at the Corn Exchange. We regret extremely to hear that Mr. H. S. Taylor, the indefatigable surgeon to the West Derby hospital, has fallen a victim to fever. At the meeting of Guardians on Wednesday an address of condolence to Mrs. Taylor was agreed to. A deputation from Liverpool on the Health of Towns Bill, accompanied by Mr. Cardwell, and consisting of the following gentlemen, viz., Mr. Lace, Mr. Tinne, Mr. Shuttleworth, and Mr. Newlands, had an interview with Viscount Morpeth on Wednesday. DEATH BY BURNING.—On Thursday night, the 24th ult., Sarah Thornton, 58 years old, living in Burlington street, was left up by herself, when the rest of the family went to bed. At one o'clock next morning a scream was heard, and deceased was seen soon after with her clothes on fire. The flames were extinguished and a surgeon was called, but she died from the injuries on Thursday. THE LATE ACCIDENT TO THE PILOTS.—It will be re membered that on the sth December last, a small boat, containing six pilots, was capsized near the Bell Buoy, when five of them were drowned. One of the crew was picked up alive, but died soon afterwards, as appeared at the inquest on the following day. On Friday forenoon, the body of another sufferer, David Davies, was fou n d floating, by a boatman, in Zebra Gut, near the Formby Light Ship. Dr. Duncan has reported to the Health Committee that the deaths registered during the past week are fewer than in any week since the spring quarter of 1846 ; that this might, in part, be attributable to the mildness of the wea ther, and, in part, to the decrease of deaths from fever, which are fewer than during any week in the previous 12 months ; that the decrease in fever might be ascribed, in part, to the clearing of unhealthy cellars, and to the less crowded state of inferior lodging-houses. This is very gratifying intelligence. The Ince Blundell ploughing match came off on Tues day, in a field belonging to Thomas Weld Blundell, Esq., farmed by Mr. Thomas Baines, and which has not been ploughed up for nearly a century. Twelve ploughtnen, a most orderly set of men, did their work in very excellent style. Messrs. James llaye, William Hamilton, and James Massam, acted as judges on the occasion, and they had some difficulty in deciding which of the competitors had done their work the best. The prizes were awarded to William Lovelady, Joseph Cave, Robert Lovelady, and Joseph Gilbertson. The unsuccessful competitors were awarded 2s. each. FATAL ACCIDENTS. — NearIy three weeks since Thomas Grace was assisting in unloading some ballast from a ship, when he fell head foremost into the hold. He injured his scalp and broke one of his arms with the fall. He was taken to the hospital immediately, but erysipelas super vening, he died on Thursday.—On Saturday week a work man, named Peter Canton, whilst intoxicated, seated himself on a plank which rested on the top of two boilers, about eight feet from the ground, at M`Fies' sugar work house, Bachelor-street. From this eminence the unfor tunate man fell, probably having over balanced himself in ccnsequence of being drunk. He was found lying on his face on the pavement there was a bruise on his head. As soon as possible assistance was procured, and he was taken to the Northern Hospital. He expired on Tuesday. FATAL STREET ACCIDENT.-9n Saturday, an inquest was held before Mr. Curry, on view of the body of Isa bella Rutledge, aged 50 years. who lived at Rock Ferry. On Friday afternoon deceased was crossing the bottom of Chapel-street, when she was knocked down by a horse in a spring cart, and one of the wheels of the vehicle passed over her chest. She was taken to the Northern Hospital. The driver of the cart, George Polson, was taken into cus tody. One of the witnesses considered that the priso ner was heedless ; but another said that but for the accident he should not have remarked the rate of driving as im proper. Mr. William Farrar, merchant, in whose employ the prisoner had formerly been, gave him an excellent character, spreading over twenty years, and finding that the friends of the deceased were very poor, in consequence of the husband being long out of work, he generonsly gave deceased's daughter, who was present, a sovereign towards defraying the funeral expenses. Verdict, accidental death. THE ALLEGED WILL FORGERY.—Mr. Henry San derson, of Hope-street, St. Jude's, in this town, writing to the editor of the Sun on behalf of the friends and rela tives of Lieutenant Bowen, R.N., says ;—" I deny most positively and in tote the statement, that `the forgery of the second will was substantiated,' on these grounds, viz., that there is not a particle of evidence to prove it being a forgery, and that the evidence of several persons, including that of the testator's legal adviser, which affirms the hand writing of the second and l a st will to be that of the tes tator; also the evidence of the witnesses who saw the testator execute the said last will on the 15th March, 1846, in China, together with the fact of the said will being received six months afterwards by the present tenant of Pope-hill, near Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire. These I look upon as most convincing and-undeniable .proofs of the genuine nature of the last will, and also of the inno cence of the late Lieut. P. Bowen of the charge which has been so unjustly and cruelly preferred against him, thereby causing his ruin, and bringing affliction and misery upon his unfortunate and bereaved family." ASSEMBLAGE ON 'CHANGE. —During several days last week the number of unemployed porters, labourers, &c. who usually congregate in the vicinity of the Exchange about one o'clock, considerably increased ; and on Wed nesday about 1000 of them assembled upon the flags, and it was evident, from their excited manner and appearance that they were intent upon effecting some particular object ; what that was no person could exactly divine. One of the mob mounted the balustrades which surround Nelson's column and commenced an harangue, in which certain not very complimentary observations were made relative to the master porters, and the injustice which was done through them to the porters generally. Mr. Dowling, head constable, approached the speaker. and, with com mendable taste and judgment, said, that if the parties felt themselves aggrieved, and wanted any redress, they had better address the proper authorities, who would, he was sure, receive a deputation from them-respectfully, and he promised to use his exertions to have their complaints speedily redressed. The speaker respectfully thanked Mr. Dowling for his kindness and sympathy ; the crowd also seemed thankful for Mr. Dowling's well-timed interference and shortly after the flags were cleared. DARING AND EXTENSIVE ROBBERY.—On Saturday night, about half-past nine o'clock, a tall young man, about 26 years of age, entered the Rotunda Tavern, oppo site the Waterloo Dock, Waterloo-road, and called for a glass of gin. The son of Mrs. Skane, the lady who occu pies the house, a youth about 16 years of age, was at the time serving in the bar. The stranger pitched down a sovereign to pay for the drink which he had ordered ; when the young man took out the cash-box (containing upwards of £200,) and laid it upon the counter, with the view of counting him out his change. No sooner had he done so, than the stranger seized the box, placed it under his arm, and made off up Formby-street into Great Howard-street. Master Skane was for some time para lyzed ; he cried " Murder !" and not " Stop thief !" and the consequence was, we regret to say, that the robber. with his booty, escaped ; nor has he yet been traced. About £6OO of the stolen property consists of notes, chiefly Bank of England, and amongst the other money is a considerable number of eagles, half-eagles, and other American coin. The thief, in his haste to escape, left his hat behind him upon the counter. He is described as tall, with an " imperial," but no whiskere. TIE LIVERPOOL, &rANDARIP. POSITION OF THE MINISTRY.-LORD JOHN RUSSELL'S ILLNESS. On Friday night, Lord John Russell appeared in his place in the House of Commons, and took some part in the proceedings, but we have strong grounds for believing that his recent sojourn at the seaside has not been pro ductive of the benefit which was anticipated from it, and that his health is still in a very unsatisfactory—not to say precarious —state. The Herald states that the cares and anxieties of office are too much for the noble lords strength, and that a perseverance in the discharge of pub lic duties so onerous may even be attended with danger to his lordship's life. The Dublin papers state, as their news from London, that it is everywhere stated that the Premier has deter mined on immediate retirement. Meanwhile, the Times, which has been long known for a quick discernment of the motions of the wind, writes, on Friday, thus:— " A government less vigorous, less collected, less forward than the people, is ox the eve of rejection. The living expels the dead. " The people ask not revolution in the common sense, but some decided progress ; and if it cannot get that progress from one minister, it will require him to abdicate, and g'.ve place to another." No one can doubt the drift of these remarks. The ministry is falling to pieces. We have not desired it, or helped forward such a consummation. But if, as is truly remarked, the present ministry is incompetent to the work of the moment, we know not what remedy can be found, save their surrender of their offices to some more competent persons. THE LIVERPOOL PHCENIX LOAN COMPANY. The annual meeting of the shareholders of this Com pany was held on Saturday, at the Clarendon-rooms. The secretary having, a few months ago, gone oft with a large portion of the funds, gave more than usual interest to the proceedings, and about 30 shareholders were pre sent.—Mr. WILLIAM COUPE being called to the chair said the directors had a short report to submit, and not a very satisfactory one, but he trusted they would bear with it as well as they could. In addition to receiving the report, three directors and two auditors would have to be elected, Mr. HODGSON, the new secretary, read the report. It stated that during the last six months the directors had met with heavy misfortunes. The late secretary had ab sconded in December, and his defalcation (now ascer tained) was considerable, but they had a guarantee for £lOOO of it. The Company had also suffered by the de pression of trade, and the suspension of the Liverpool Banking Company. £3OOO was the Company's liabilities to its bankers at the time, and as this had to be met, the directors had to suspend their loans. The amount of loans made was only £1365, and under the circumstances stated, the Company had realized sufficient to cover ex penses. The accounts of the late secretary had been checked by the auditors, and the shareholder s a t th e i r last meeting had testified their confidence in him, and the directors could only regret that it had been misplaced. At the same time several of the frauds were so ingenious as to defy detection at the time. The balance -sheet then submitted, showed the defalcations of T. Baskerville, the late secretary, were £2533 Bs. 4d. which, with the other expenses added, made a total of £9280. On the other side the amounts received or to be received, made a t o t a l of £9137 14s. 11d. giving a balance on the wrong s id e of the ledger of £l4l 19s. sd. Mr. EVANS (governor of the Workhouse) complai ne d of the shareholders not being furnished with the ac _ counts some days before the meeting, so that they might be tested and examined before the meeting had taken place. He moved therefore that the consideration of the accounts should be deferred till a subsequent part of the meeting. This was seconded by Mr. Horsfall. Mr. JOHN JONES, solicitor, said the society, if we ll managed, might have become a monetary institution use ful to tradesmen, but now it was sinking into contempt and insignificance. He pointed out some gross irregu larities in the management, some of which he said were illegal. He was not satisfied with the accounts this d a y submitted. He wished to see an account of the available assets of the company. One third of the capital had been lost by the acts of one man, and no doubt £lOOO more in bad debts. It was, moreover, not certain, after the irre gularities committed, that the £lOOO guarantee would be paid without involving them in a lawsuit. Some of the directors themselves had not paid up their calls. The ac counts of the secretary should have been balanced monthly ; and they could not have been well balanced or the defalcation would have been found out before. He brought some other charges against the directors. Mr. GODFREY LEVI said the company had, at previous meetings, passed the accounts without knowing their con tents, which was an error. He moved that two auditors, not at all connected with the directory, should be ap pointed to inspect the accounts, and report to an adjourned meeting. Mr. PVANS seconded the motion. After Mr. Brot herton had replied to Mr. Jones in behalf of the directors, Mr. EvANs again complained of the secret proceedings of the directors, and moved that Messrs. Jones, Gibb, and Kelly should be appointed directors for the ensuing year in the place of the three gentlemen retiring by rotation. The motion was seconded, put, and unanimously carried. In reply to a question from Mr. Evans, the Chairman said the books were not in the room. Mr. Evans further elicited, that on one occasion, at least, a director had taken away with him a sum of money, £l3, one evening paid in, and the other directors were obliged to be impe rative in their domande before be •would bring it back_ He urged other charges against the directors, stating that he feared they had been ill-treated by others as well as the late secretary. He proposed that henceforth it shall be competent for five or more shareholders, holding in the aggregate fifty shares, to inspect all books and papers be longing to the company, either by themselves or deputies. He accused one of the directors of having become a surety, and said the directors had to seize his property to realise the amount. CORRESPONDENCE. THE CHURCH-PARTY SPIRIT. TO THE EDITOR OF TIIE LIVERPOOL STANDARD. the controversies that have distracted the Church for some years past, and which now seem hushed into a temporary lull, those who have taken the most prominent parts, and have rushed, as it were, into the front of the battle, are men holding extreme opinions, and wearing the badges of extreme parties. This indeed accords with the strictest principles of nature, and corro borates the commonest maxim of philosophy ; for a man's advocacy in some sort takes its complexion from the cause which he advocates, and if his aim be to establish or to vindicate a novel . theory, the very opposition which he expects to meet with from the world tends to make him zealous without knowledge and heroic without discrimi nation. A man, too,, entrusted with such an advocacy as this, is rarely endowed with that spirit which is calculated to throw fresh light upon the subject in dispute, and to yield the way for the full glory of simple truth. Rather than an impartial investigator and a sincere truth-seeker, he appears in the character of a passionate defender of a favourite theory against all attacks, whether of reason or of prejudice; without busying himself to inquire into the truth or justice of his cause, he rushes into the field like a hero who fights because it is for his party or his comrade, and resolves to slay and conquer by any means, because they are his reputed enemies whom he attacks. When once, indeed, this dangerous spirit is imbibed, who shall prescribe its influence ?—who limit its effects ? Actuated by it, men are carried to- such extremes, when they have advanced a little upon their course, as they themselves, on setting out, never wished nor never thought to reach ; both antagonistic parties, contending for arbitrary and personal opinions, lose sight of that which can alone jus tify controversy, make enthusiasm laudable, and give honour to victory ; the " pearl of great price," for the purchase or possession of which the good man gives up " house and lands," fame and fortune. is mutually tram pled under foot, and the fatuous combatants may be al most literally said to fight upon the corpse of truth, till it remains for subsequent times, when men's passions are cooled down and their selfish ferocity appeased, to rescue its mangled remains and resuscitate them into life, to seek out the gem from amongst the rubbish heaped upon it, and to regenerate what was once perfect and unalloyed. We see this exemplified in every age, and, on a smaller scale, every moment of our lives. We see men com mencing with a dim, or perhaps a bright, perception of an object of controversy ; presently the sparks of per sonal animosity kindle, or the note of factious and per. sonal opposition is sounded, till finally they forget the original cause of their disagreement, and the contest be comes not so much between opinions as between men— not between truth and falsehood, but between white and black ; all distinctions of doctrines or fundamentals va nish, and men are at last known not so much by their real sentiments or professions, as by a colour or a motto. Each partisan looks upon an adversary's opinions and arguments, not on their intrinsic merits, but simply as the opinion or arguments of an adversary ; and as the beholder through a painted telescope sees everything that falls upon his vision of the same colour as his glass, so it is with him who looks at the actions of another through the perverted and perverting medium of party. In fine, love is said to be blind, but party is blinder; for the par tisan esteems not only his friends infallible and their sentiments perfection, but looks on all others as worth less and wicked, and does both without moderation and without inquiry. It is the raging of this spirit within the breasts of men that has been in every age the fruitful spring of must of the schisms and heresies which have distracted the Church, and the factions by which states have been torn and di vided. For whilst this spirit is the most antagonistic to truth, it is the best and most effectual support of all vain theory and theoretical speculation. After a man has constructed such a theory, it is this spirit which drives him to that sacred fountain whence the waters of truth flow in limpid purity, to extract a cordial for his vain and puffed-up imagination, and sends him to the word of the living God, not that by it he may model his practice and his belief, but that he may, by twisting texts and per verting what seem to be partially-declared truths, drag it forth as a champion of that which he has already formed, going to it not that he may become " wise unto salva tion," and " thoroughly furnished unto all good works," but predisposed to his own created system, and fully determined to cull from it favour and corroboration. The evidence of that which is too clear to be easily dis guised he invalidates by incorrect analogy, and baseless imputations of figurativeness or the like; that which to many appears doubtful he at once claims as his own, and though at first ne might have wandered in a little uncer tainty, at last his feelings impel him to absolute convic tion ; and thus all heretics take their religious systems from the Bible, and thus the madness of the original Mystic and the delusion of the modern Quaker, the vanity and disorder of the Puritan and the deceitful vaga ries of the Tractarian, the rationalism of Socinus and the metaphysical subtilties of Swedenborg, profess to be from thence derived. What, indeed, can we expect when a man has built to himself a costly theory, the precious offspring of his own brain, the result of much labour though of vain imagination, but that he should entertain for it the feelings of a parent? When the costly edifice has grown beautiful to the eye and flattering to the self esteem of the fabricator, what, I say, can we expect to see but that which is invariably the case—that the be sotted author is ready to raise heaven and earth in its defence; that no considerations of justice or propriety, no demands of truth, nay, not even the condemnation of a world, can induce him to abate one jot of his preten sion., 4,, la - nook down 011 e of Icvt. ta fabric ; and when men have arrived at this desperate and dangerous pitch, it is almost hopeless to look for or to wait for any recantation on their part—it is vain to attempt to induce them to yield for the entrance of truth. But the time will come when the force of opinion, matured by experience, shall wither the frail and empty system ; when no coun tenance, however imposing —no influence, however potent —no efforts, however vigorous —shall be able to preserve or defend it. Then, what was begot by presumption, nursed in darkness, and fostered by ignorance, shall be scorched up in the beams of meridian day ; the blast of truth shall at least sweep over it like a hurricane, and, perishing like the " baseless fabric of a vision," its re mains shall exist as a warning to future ages, like the crumbling remnants of some destroyed fortress, raised by treason to facilitate rebellion, and as a monument of what error did and truth overthrew. That this spirit, sir, should be almost as common as it is dangerous, and should rule more or less in the breast of every man, is owing to the extreme subtilty with which it enters and affects the human heart. The prosecution of a cause in a party spirit, and the furious denunciations of others in the same spirit, falls in with and gratifies the feelings of resentment, which the contemplation of oppos ing actions and sentiments engenders in the mind ; and as whatever Jails in with the feelings is always esteemed by a man infallibly correct, thus it is that men are so ac cessible to its approaches, and so enslaved when under its influence. It leads them to substitute persopal feelings, which possibly have been led only into a certain course by education and custom, for those sacred motives of duty and those lofty sentiments of right and wrong, which having God directly for their author have the welfare of His religion wholly for their end, which burn as brightly and as fervently whatever may be the particular character of outward opposition, and which receive their continual aliment not from the virulence of personal feeling, but from the Source of all wisdom and all zeal ; whose life giving animation has spurred the mightiest warriors of the truth to their transcendant triumphs, which led our glo rious reformers from victory to victory over idolatry and superstition, and to the noblest achievements in the cause of God's religion, and by which those who have been placed in the hottest contentions, and harassed by the most fiery opposition, have not only nobly shone as lights of the everlasting Truth, but have stood forth as evidences of the divine and gracious influence of their religion, who are held up to a world's admiration not only as th e zealous defenders of the faith and as mighty warriors in the Church, but as living examples of the holiness and purity of their doctrine, and mirrors through which to behold the gracious aspect of that peace " which paz,z,eth know ledge." geeing that this is so, that this spirit not only is in the highest degree dangerous and destructive, but also by reason of its subtilty holds a large dominion over the hearts of men, and that too as much in the political as in the religious world, I will not for a moment think that this subject or these remarks can be considered as too di dactic for the character of a newspaper. When we con -.template the nature of the warfare now waged by all sects and parties in the Church and in the State, religiously and politically, the magnitude and complication of the inte rests involVed, and the still more terrible warfare which this perhaps only incipient contest may portend and su perinduce ' • and also when we reflect upon th e l esson which the histories of England and of Europe, and which the present state of many countries teach, viz. that our civil and our political liberties, our national welfare and ,happiness, are all contained and involved in our religious, our Protestant, and our ecclesiastical existence ; any sub ject which may bear upon this important contest, and re late to. these mighty interests, may well claim a place for consideration on the platform where the struggle is prin cipally carried on. To see heresy stalking through our revered Church like a lion seeking whom it may devour, and ever and anon fastening its malignant fan g s up on those whom we were accustomed to look upon as elevated lights of the Truth and polished corners of the temple—to see its progress unchecked, and its ravages practically unheeded—is well calculated to make sluggishness and despair take posses sion of the most vigorous and sanguine. But it is impos sible to conceive a position, however discouraging and gloomy, in whichtheredoes not exist for the breast of man a noble incentive to duty. Nay, seeing that without doubt there is above a Providence to guide rand a Power to pro tect, not only may we say that despair 'is sinful, but that excess of lamentation itself is unauthorised and impro per. When, like the prophet of old, we may be tempted to hang down our hands in helplessness, and to bury our courage and resolution in hopeless grief, let us reflect that Heaven itself is at our side, and that the still, small voice is near to whisper encouragement and hope, if we are but willing to open our ears to its animating tones. * * [The conclusion of this letter, which is signed " Nigel," will be given next week.] SALARIES OF POST-OFFICE CLERKS TO TDB EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD, You have my most cordial thanks for your able advocacy of the rights of the poor ill-requited Post-office Clerk. It is high time the truth became universally known, and I trust that your remarks will prove effica cious, and rouse the public to demand a fair remunera. tion for their services a faithful discharge of which interests every individual. Their hours are longer-- their duties more monotonous—than any other class of persons. They are deprived of all Sabbath privileges, minded from Institutions, and the geuiel influence, of lectures, and still their salaries are smaller. Respecta bility must be supported, decent habiliments are expected —and above all honesty is required. Now is it not in. human to give the first impetus to theft, and then severely punish you for the act ? Perhaps it was to save a family from starvation, or to protect you, from the authorities or free you from expulsion. Their re!ponsibilities being so great—their duties of such, vital importance—the least digression may entail misery to a whole community. It is highly essential that the public voice should b e h eard in this matter, and their true condition be represented in our Senate. You will highly oblige me by accepting these few re marks, as they are the true sentiments of one of the unfortunate class. I average lA. hours per day—Sunday included— and I only receive, the paltry pittance of £6O per annum. You will pardon all errors, for I have not opportunities to improve, in order to rectify them. INDEX. [The above letter we received by post, and is dated from a manufacturing town in this county.] THE CHOLERA TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD SlR,—Should it please God to realise the gloomy ex pectations of those who predict an incursion of cholera, would it not be prudent for the authorities of the town to be prepared with a digest of plans to be brought into ac tion without confusion ? I am not aware how far the authorities may be influ enced by the system recommended by Dr. Hawthorne ; but as that system contains highly objectionable plans, perhaps the authorities may consider it useful to convene a meeting of the medical gentlemen of Liverpool, to de liberate seriously on the most efficient, humane, and economic mode of accommodation for the poor at so afflicting a period. It has been long a well-established fact. that cholera is a curable disease if promptly attended to, provided the con stitution of the patient be not previously exhausted by age, by disease, or intemperance; and it is almost equally certain that cholera is not contagious. The pathology and treatment of cholera, or any other disease, are indelicate subjects for the colamns of a public journal. The profession should discuss them at their meetings, and through the medium of the medical peri odicals. Yours, respectfully, March 10, 1848. MEDICUS. TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD. SlR,—Having seen in your paper a few weeks since an article descriptive of a new machine for cleansing chimneys, I was induced to give it a trial in my kitchen flues, which are most difficult of access, acutely angular, and circui tous, the result was such as gave me every satisfaction. In the men attendant, there was all the precision and order, necessary to be observed in premises where valuable property is laying about, and each being numbered gives a security highly desirable. There was from the several flues a much greater quantity of soot than was ever pre ♦iously abstracted. I personally think it the duty of all housekeepers to encourage this invention, which promises to obviate what the law has been futile in achieving—a total abolition of climbing boys.—l am, sir, yours, &c. Brunswick Hotel. W. E. WHITEMAN ntstrirt REPRESENTATION OF MANCHESTER.—An attempt is being made to get up a numerously-signed requisition to Mr. Gibson, calling upon him to resign his seat. The Morning Chronicle states that if the effort should be successful, it is in contemplation to request Mr. J. A. Roebuck, the late member for Bath, to come forward. PAWNING WITH A VENGEANCE. — During the past week, a person brought to a certain pawnbroker's shop in this town a wheelbarrow! to he pawned, upon which he only wanted a trifling sum, but it was refused. Only last week, another person offered a great hand.truck, but it was also refused.—Preston Pilot. SUICIDE OF A SHAREBROKER.—Mr. John Townley, of Manchester, sharebroker, committed suicide, on Friday. His friends had observed a considerable degree of excite ment in his manner for the last few days, which was be lieved to have been caused by the recent stirring events in France, and by the disturbances in Glasgow, Edinburgh, London, and Manchester, apprehensions regarding which seemed to have greatly agitated him. We understand that this melancholy event cannot be traced to any anxiety about his own affairs, which were in a perfectly satisfactory condition. EMPLOYMENT IN MANCHESTER.—The returns of last week state that there are five fewer mills working full time with a full complement of hands, two of which are at present working full time with a portion only of the hands ; two are working short time ; and one is stopped altogether. There are 1,615 fewer operatives employed full time in the cotton mills, 989 of whom have gone on short time, and 928 are thrown out of employment altogether. Of the total works included in the table, there are nine fewer working full time, of which eight have gone on short time, and one is stopped altogether. There are 3,789 operatives fewer working full time, of whom 2,818 have gone on short time, and 971 have been thrown wholly out of employment. The return is, there fore, of a very unfavourable character. THE BOILER EXPLOSION NEAR ROCHDALE.—An ad journed inquest was held on Friday, respecting the deaths of the four young men who were killed by the explosion of the steam-boiler at Blue Pitts. Mr. Nasmyth, of Patricroft, gave it as his opinion that the boiler had bad too much pressure. It appeared by other evidence that when the explosion took place, the guagc was at 14Ineho,, it had usually been worked at 18 inches' pressure. Mr. Robert Wilkinson, engineer, at the Lowmoor Company, near Bradford, where the engine was made, said that the engine, when made, was not intended to work at more than six inches' pressure. In 1843, the boiler was re paired, sod two stays put in it, and of late it had been worked at 18 inches' pressure ; and previous to the stays being placed in it, it had been worked at 12 inches' pres sure. There was no evidence to show that Mr. Walker, or the manager at the mill, were at all implicated, but that the management of the engine had been left to the engineer, who was one of the f our men kill e d ; h e h a d been engineer about six months, at 14s. per week wages ; he had been fireman twelve months previous to that. The fireman had had his situation only three weeks, at 10s. per week wages. The jury returned the following verdict : " That William Wild and the others came to their deaths by the bursting of a steam-boiler, the stays of which were insecure ; and it i s th e op i n i on o f the jur y that two of the cotters were out 'at the time of the explosion. The jury are also of opinion that the boiler was never intended to sustain the pressure to which it has been subjected for some time back." ATTEMPTED MURDER.—On Saturday, as Mr. Howard, one of the clerks at the Preston railway station was re turning to the station from his tea, a powerful man pushed against him, and immediately Mr. Howard was struck to the ground, from a violent blow from a bludgeon or life preserver, upon the back part of the head. Mr. Howard called for assistance, shouting " Murder," as loud as he could, and then the murderer either struck or kicked him while upon the ground, over the eye, inflicting a deep gash. The ruffian again struck his victim upon his fore head, and then attempted to tear open Mr. Howard's great coat. Mr. Howard had that day received his month's salary from the railway company, amounting to £6, and had, at the time the murderous attempt was madelupon his life, £5 and some odd shillings in his possession. The assas sin must in all probability have been aware of the circum stance, and his object had evidently been to murder him, in order to obtain possession of the sum of money which he had at the time upon his person. Providentially, however, both his murderous and felonious designs were frustrated ; for, soon after Mr. Howard had been knocked down in the brutal manner we have described, footsteps were heard approaching, and frightened the ruffian away before he could accomplish his purpose of robbing his victim. Assistance was promptly obtained to remove the unfortunate gentleman, and, as the best place, he was conveyed to the railway station ; but, by the time he arrived there, he was in a most deplorable condition, his clothes and face being covered with blood, and himself being quite exhausted. He presented a most frightful object to look upon, the murderous ruffian who attacked him having, by the first blow, fractured the higher portion of the back of his skull, the bone being driven into the head. There was, also, two long deep gashes across Mr. Howard's forehead and eyes, the latter being completely swollen up, and his face being greatly disfigured all over. DISTURBANCES IN MANCIIESTER.—SOBIe disturbances occurred in Manchester on Wednesday last, which would seem to have some connexion with a revival of the anti poor-law agitation. On the evening of Wednesday, a mob of several hundred men and women assembled in front of the workhouse in Tib-street, and after much yelling, demanded that all the inmates should be dis charged ; or, as they termed it, liberated. Of course, the demand was not complied with ; and a strong body of police being immediately on the spot, persuasive means were resorted to, for the removal of the crowds, and even tually, by physical demonstration the rioters were com pelled to retire and disperse. Meanwhile the mayor and magistrates assembled at the Town-hall, where, at 10 p.m., they were deliberating on the best means for pre venting or repelling further outrage. On Thursday morn ing, at ten o'clock, a disorderly meeting took place at the New Cross, when about 1,000 persons assembled. They were addressed by a young Irishman, who proposed that they should march in procession to a piece of waste ground outside the town, where their tyrant masters could not interfere. They formed, and marched down Oldham road, and arrived at the spot indicated, breaking windows as they went, and their numbers increasing considerably. They were addressed by the same young man, who attri buted all the evils that the working people laboured under to the aristocracy, and exhorted his hearers to imitate the Scottish patriots, who had so nobly vindicated their title to the name of freemen. He proposed that they should march to the various mills and workshops, and obtain sympathy from the people; and he exhorted them, fur ther, not to destroy any property, the destruction of which would be of no service to them. The mob formed again, giving three cheers for the young French republic, and proceeded up Bradford road to Kelly's mill, where they invited the hands to join them ; and, after some time, the engines were stopped, and the hands came out. The owners of the mill were taken by surprise, as no prepara tions were made to receive the mob. At Messrs. Birley's mill, the mob met with a resolute opposition, both from the police and workpeople, and were compelled to retire. A short skirmish took place about four o'clock, in Black friars -street, near the Exchange, between the mob and the police, beaded by Captain Willis, in which he did not exhibit much moderation. The rioters were speedily routed. The shops in the neighbourhood were tempo. rarity closed. A disturbance commenced in front of the Tib-street workhouse at three o'clock on Wednesday afternoon,. and it was not until after seven o'clock that the people were driven from the neighbourhood. The rioters on Wednesday evening attacked the police-station in Oldham-road, and put out the lamps in that densely po pulated district. Having broken up the etas iii snaitk. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. PREVALENCE OF DI STRESS. — Numbers of cases are still brought before the magistrates, in which the offen ders have been impelled by hunger to break the law. On Thursday morning a child, who gave his name Charles Cochrane, was charged by a person named Tilston, with having stolen a loaf from a baker's shop. Mr. Rushton directed the proper officer to conduct the boy to the overseer. THE EFFECTS OF INTOXICATION.—A man named Wm. Pooley, was placed at the bar of the Police -court on Thursday. A police-officer stated that the prisoner had, while under the influence of drink, attempted to hang himself, but failing in that he made a second e ff ort to strangle himself with one of his braces. He was taken into custody for safety. The prisoner admitted th a t h e was drunk at the time, and did not know what he was doing. The magistrates ordered his discharge. CONSEQUENCES OF USING THREATS.—On Friday, a blackguard-looking fellow was brought up at the Police court, before Mr. Rushton, upon the charge of being drunk and disorderly on the previous night. Th e case having been clearly proved, the prisoner was ord ere d to pay a penalty of five shillings. The prisoner, upon hear ing this, turned to the police-officer and told him that he would thrash him next time he saw him. Mr. Rushton ordered the prisoner to be again placed at the bar, and told him that in consequence of his threats, he should bind him over to keep the peace for three months, and in default of finding sureties, he must go to gaol. Prisoner. —That's all you can do. Mr. Ru s ht on .—l t w i ll be quite enough for your feelings. The prisoner was then removed. MATERNAL DEPRAVITY,---Margaret Clarke, and Frank and James Clarke, her sons, were charged before Mr. Rushton on Wednesday, by police officer Marks, with having attempted to pick the pockets of several ladies in Church-street and Bold-street, on Tuesday. He at times observed the mother attOmpting to pick pockets while screened by her sons, and then one or the other of the latter, while screened by the mother. He knew the pri soner, Frank Clarke, to be an old juvenile offender, and he took them all into custody. Mr. Parkinson said that the mother was lately tried at the sessions, and sentenced to eight months imprisonment, and that she had been three times committed and twice discharged. Frank Clarke, the eldest of the two sons, had also been three times committed and twice discharged. The youngest (apparently about nine years of age), was not known. Air. Rushton said nothing could be more deplorable then to see a mother actually-training her children in the paths of crime. He ordered her to be committed for 'four months, the eldest son for one month, and the youngest to be given to the care of 'the overseers, in order that, if possible, he might he preserved from destruction by being sent to school. INFORMATIONS UNDER THE LOCAL ACT.—On Friday, a green grocer, living in the neighbourhood of Vauxhall road, appeared before Mr. Rushton, charged with having obstructed the foot-path with some hampers of potatoes. The defendant was accompanied by his wife, who had talk enough to serve half a dozen neople, and they admitted the truth of the charge,' but they tried to impress upon the mind of the magistrate the fact that they had done no harm. They were ordered to pay a penalty of five shil lings and costs. Defendant.- 7 1 wont pay a farthi ng . M r. Rushton.—Oh ! yes, you Will. Wife.—He shan't pay. Defendant.—l have done it every day for the last fourteen years. Mr. linshton.— i Then you ought to have been fined every day in the last fourteen years. Defendant.— Well, I shan't pay. Wife.— No he shan't. Why did they not tell us before ? Mr. Rushton.—But I'll make you pay very soon, and if foil don't go out of court and take your noisy wile with you I will order you to b e t a k en into custody. The defendant and his wite grumbled , but left the court. Mr, Gerard Donking, of Dale-street, was also summoned for having caused an obstruction of some sort, and he likewise was fined five shillings and costs. The defendant said that .he had not had Justice done to him. Mr. Rushton.--If you make any such observations here, sir, I shall take you into custody. NN hat am 1 to do with poor people who are fined for offences of this s or t, and lose nearly all their substance, whilst a rich shop keeper like you break the law, and when you are fined say you won't pay ? You'll pay the fine, sir ; leave the court, and don't let me hear any more of your imperti nence here, or I'll send you to gaol. I would much sooner send you than these poor people. The defendant paid the flue and retired. RIDGWAY AND . UNION COURSING MEIS:IING.—This meeting took place at Lytham, on Thursday and Friday. The Clifton Cup was divided by Mr. Hampson's Diligence and his Highflyer ; the Ridgway . Cup was ,won b y Mr. Graham's Dupe. Mr. Hampson's Horsa running se con d the Talbot Cup was taken by Mr. Graham's Dem agogue, Mr. Knowles' Kilruah running up. The second ties of the Union Stakes were won by Mr. Graham's Curry Powder, and Mr. Hampson's Opelia. The match between Mr. Ridgway's Old England, and Mr. Peacock's Prince, was t(111 by the former. field-market, they armed themselves with the fragments, and threatened further mischief. Many collisions took place between the police and the people. The military were under arms, and the mayor and magistrates hell constant sittings at the Town-hall, when a great number of the respectable inhabitants were sworn in as special constables. On Friday, sack of the rioters as had been captured were brought up at the Borough Court. The first were quite boys, who had been apprehended whilst assisting to break some windows and lamps, and they were remanded. Another batch consisted of seven lads, who were charged with rioting, they were committed to the assizes for trial. On Friday evening there was a slight renewal of disturbances in Ancoats, where a number of lads, in all probability young thieves, tried to create con fusion by breaking and extinguishing the street lamps. A party of police, however, were soon on their track • and after a l ong c h ase, succee d e d i n coming up with t hem,' and gave them some excellent reasons for remembering the mischief in which they had been engaged. A party of men, who attempted to rescue these young scamps from the chastisement which they had earned, were also soundly thrashed, and driven out of the streets, which have since been tolerably quiet. LANCASTER ELecTiow.--The nomination took place on Wednesday, at the Town .hall. Mr. Robert Baines Arm strong, Recorder of Manchester, a thorough Liberal and Freetrader, was proposed by Mr. John Gregg, and se conded by Mr. W. B. Bolden. Tne Hon. Edward Henry Stanley, eldest son of Lord Stanley, was proposed by Mr. Godson, M. P., and seconded by Mr. John Bond. Mr. Armstrong in his address to the electors, declared himself an enemy of the income tax, on account of its injustice, and a friend to education and sanatory reform. Mr. Stanley declared himself no advocate of the free-trade system, and quoted the late Mr. Huskisson in support of his notion that free trade will never do for a country sad dled with eight hundred millions of debt. He declared his fixed resolution to maintain Church and State in all its integrity, and also the constitution of his native land. The show of hands being three to one in favour of Mr. Armstrong, a poll was demanded on behalfof Mr. Stanley. The polling took place on Thursday, after which it was announced that Mr. Armstrong was returned by a ma. jority of sixteen, the numbers being, for Mr. Armstrong, 636; the Hon. E. H. Stanley, 620. The contest was close throughout the day, and the town was in a very ex cited state. Mr. Armstrong was formerly recorder of Leeds. The polling commenced with uncommon activity, and the happy result was that at nine o'clock, Mr. Stanley headed his radical opponent by 25, and at ten, by no fewer than 68. No one expe c t e d th a t thi s could be main tained, seeing that at the last contest the Rads won by a majority of upwards of a hundred. Accordingly, during the next hour, the country votes being pretty well polled out, the Radicals reduced our majority, and got a small advantage for themselves. At the conclusion of the next hour, Mr. Stanley got ahead, but at one o'clock he fell behind by four. As the constituency was pretty well ex hausted, the polling after this grew languid, votes dropping in one or two at a time, the two parties running each other neck and neck all the afternoon. A closer thing was never witnessed, and so close was it, that during the last hour, no mortal man could dare to say how the fight would end. The result was, that the party who last sum mer triumphed by a hundred and three, now declared themselves victorious by just sixteen votes. The triumph is, however, likely to be short one ; for the Lancaster Gazette, of Saturday, says,—" The poll-book has been examined, and the result is that Mr. Stanley has a clear majority of ten overhis opponent. The news has diffused much joy. The Radicals are looking exceedingly queer, whilst the smiling faces of the Conservatives testify to the pleasure they feel in the prospect of having their arduous services at last rewardea by victory." LOCAL MEETINGS, BIRKENHEAD COMMISSIONERS.--The usual monthly meeting was held on Tuesday. In consequence of a motion by Mr. Nicholls, referring back to the Markets Committee that portion of their proceedings which related to an alteration in the mode of lighting the market, Mr. Pike tendered his resignation as a member of the com mittee, as he considered such a motion was uncalled for. The minutes of the Finance Committee contained a re commendation to diminish the expenditure of working the ferry, and also the laying of a sewerage rate of 4d. in the pound. The proceedings also stated that the Park land scheme had been given up. Mr. Green objected to the sewerage rate, but the proceedings were confirmed. The proceedings of the Ferry Committee comprised a return of the monthly receipts, showing a failing off in February, 1848, as compared with February, 1847, of £132. The receipts of last month were, in round num. bers, £1212. The proceeding of the Incorporation Com mittee contained an instruction to the law-clerk and chairman to ascertain whether the bondholders would consent to a charter being granted to Birkenhead. WEST DERBY BOARD OF GURDIANS.—The usual weekly meeting was held on Wednesday ; Mr. J. Shep pard in the chair. From the report of the Fever Hospi tal, it appeared that at the time of the last report, them were 42 persons in the house ; admitted since, 18 ; dis charged cured, 2 ; died, 2 ; now remaining in the house, 56. The clerk of the board read a return of the calls, collected under the name of poor rate, and showing their appropriation, from all the townships in the union, ex cepting the townships forming part of the municipal borough for the year ending March; 1848. Some discus sion took place relative to the payment of parochial taxes by owners, when the houses were under a certain rent, and after various suggestions had been thrown out, it was ultimately agreed that a petition should be presented to Parliament, praying that all parochial rates be charged upon the landlords. In the course of the discussion it appeared that th, 1..-4 sear a poor rate of Is Rol in th. pound in Toxteth-park, ought to yield £17,000. Of this £BOOO had been collected, and £2OOO was supposed to be collectable. The consequence had been that Mr. Appleby and six co-overseers had been obliged to lay another rate of Is. 6d. LIVERPOOL BANKING COMPANY.—The annual meet ing was held on Tuesday, and Mr. George Ramsden was called to the chair. After a few introductory remarks from the chairman, he called upon the manager, Mr. W. Wilson, to read the report. It stated that since the last meeting, the directors had been engaged in realizing, to the utmost extent, the assets of the bank, and carrying out the arrangements which had been concluded for that purpose. The total assets, as made up to the 12th Feb. last, were stated to be £199,540115. Id. ; and the liabili ties £89,620 13s. Bd., leaving a surplus to the proprietors of £109,919 17s. sd. The chairman said the financial ac counts which had been presented were exceedingly favour able, as the liabilities had been reduced about £300.000 since the 10th of November last, making the actual debts now less than £100,005. After a short discussion, Messrs- Ward and Coward were unanimously appointed auditors to examine into the affairs of the bank, and the adoption of the report of the directors was postponed till the audi tors should bring before a meeting the result of such in quiry. Mr. Andrew Taylor, one of the retiring directors, was re-elected. In reply to a question, it was stated that the current expenses of the bank were formerly about £3,300 a-year, but they had been reduced to £2,500. The next meeting will be held in May. LIVERPOOL COMMERCIAL BANK.—The fifteenth an nual meeting of the shareholders was held on Saturday, at the Clarendon-rooms. Mr. J. C. Jack, chairman of the directors took the chair, and Mr. Robert Angus, the manager, read the report, which stated that " the profits of the business for the year, over and above all expenses, amounted to £43,122 Os. 2d., from which two half-yearly dividends of 5 per cent. each on the capital stock £338,600, were declared, and the balance, £9262 Os. 2d. had been carried to the reserved fund for losses. This fund was in credit £3765 16s. 9d., in consequence of reversions to that amount having been received from previous doubtful debts, beyond what was anticipated when those debts were written off. The combined sum, £13,027 16s. 11d., now stands to meet the contingencies of the past year, and will, the directors hope, be sufficient for the purpose. The valuation of the property in which the reserved surplus fund is invested, taken on the 31st Dec. last, according to the provisions of the deed of settlement, reduced the value of those investments by the sum of £50,282 11s. 6d., and the reserved surplus fund which, on the 31st Dec. 1846, was £200,721 135., at present amounts to £150,439 Is. 6d., certainly a large reduction in value; but as there is not any class of security in regard to which a similar result would not have happened, the directors, in stating the fact, have to express their regret at the peculiarity of the times, with this further observation, that, notwithstand ing the nominal depreciation in market value, the income derived from the property has increased." The chairman said, in answer to questions, that the sum of £93,000 of the bank's money was invested in railway securities, but that the bank held no foreign railway stock. Mr. Mac gregor made the gratifying announcement that, while the bank's liabilities were, in round numbers, only £226,000, its assets were as much as £736,000. He further an nounced, that, during the last year, a year of unexampled commercial etniaarrassment, the bank had discounted to an extent approaching £3,000,000, and yet had had great immunity from bad debts. The report was passed, and Mr. R. M'Andrew, Mr. John Hoyes, and Mr. John Twiname, the retiring directors were re-elected. MECHANICS' INSTITIITION.—The annual meeting of of the friends of this institution was held on Wednesday last. Mr. James Ryley was called to the chair. It ap peared from the report, which was read by. Mr. Hogg, the secretary, that the receipts during the year, exclusive of the girls' school, had been £5,200; the expenditure, £5,700. During the year £2OO had been paid towards the reduction of the mortgage on the building, and a balance of £lB still remained in the bank in favour of the institution. The present number of members is 2697, being 426 less than during the previous year ; the decrease consisting of 320 annual members, 88 ladies, 51 sons of members, and 7 sailors ; while the increase has consisted of 6 life members, 16 daughters, 25 apprentices, and one presentee of members. The number of annual members who ceased to pay their subscriptions during the past year was 753, and the number of new members who have joined 433. The report stated that the decrease has arisen in a great measure from causes affecting the general prosperity of this town and country, and pdrtly also from the increased facilities of obtaining instruction afforded by other institutions that have recently been established in Liverpool. The educational efficiency of the institu tion had not, however, been the least impaired. During the past year there had been a loss in the evening depart tment (which embraces the lectures, library, and evening classes) of £457 4s. 3d., the loss on the Lower School £lO5 19s. 6d., and in the High School £166 3s. Bd. It was anticipated that the increase in the fees of the Lower School would make it in future self-supporting, and, by an arrangement with the teachers in the. High School, no loss can in future result from that school. The report stated that the Girls' School was at present in a very efficient state. He urged additional support, and chal lenged comparison with any similar institution in the kingdom. Mr. William Rushton advocated a system of quarterly, instead of annual payments, so that the working classes might take advantage of the facilities which the institution afforded. This was agreed to. The meeting was addressed by Mr. J. R. Jeffery, Mr. Ches ney, Mr. R. W. Ronald, Hr. John Murphy, and oben.