The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-12-24 00:00:00

44 Livituncit, enalWragi,g salt the Charitable Society, entio r o ur townsmen to the claims of the Liverpool for visiting and relieving the sick at their ° l'm dwelli ngs , I t i s a very o ld i ns tit u ti on , uno btrusive in in its operation, but doing great good among the objects of i ts attenti on . Th e R ev . J. H. St e wart, the estimable mini tu"t"" St. Bride's, preaches a sermon on behalf of the insti b ' on Sunday n e xt ; from which, we hope, its funds will c C onsiderably increased. A UERICAN BEEF.—We have seen two qualities of Amer-- !'ll salt beef at the office of Messrs. Waddington, Holt, and C o , , Goree Piazzas, which is of much better quality than any * t sio havebefore examined from the United States. There are „ kinds_o mess beef," the best quality of the two, and as i lr ia , e," which is (in American parlance) secondary. Both Es e ss sweet, fat, and well preserved, and we doubt not will prove s ' yu and palateable when cooked, though not equal to our fwn home-fed article. We have procured a piece of the beef ss ur t rki, and shall " report progress" when we have had an Zportunity of s " tasting" it—which is, after all, the only sure 'tst of beef as well as of " pudding." ....., r JOHN' es S MARKET is sue prent season always brings pleasing reminiscences t ig associations, and not amongst the least imposing are s 2 s e f the ood old English fare, which has hitherto, by to consent and approval of high and low, in proportion 0 thei r means, characterised this celebrations of the great " s "val of brief •• - the ` 7 .sth of December. On the present occasion th e %les. of our principal markets has convinced us that st et is yet abundance in the land, and we are only left to s Tet that there are, unhappily, and from causes which we not now explain, many deserving persons, forming a Ne class of the community, who have not the " where withal', e to enjoy themselves, as we should wish, by becoming tL `eilsive purchasers ; though we feel an assurance that ano ther season will not pass over, now that we have a govern al. tit that really has the good of " the people" at heart, was_ ills out their being enabled to enjoy to their fullest wishes 1 ,4 good things of this life. Our visit to St. John's, our • tl eiPal market was brief, but most gratifying. It con tsinees us that i only iii the culture of vegetables, but in so ' Production of the finest amal food in the world, our 4 / 11 , 11 s trYour county—is still preeninent. In the lower part ss ‘se market the show of poultry was superb. The turkeys re most abundant and fine. At Mrs. Smith's (lower end I t tue market) we saw one, a tine young bird, weighing -2-11 lbs. ! Was fro m N or f o lk. At th e next standing, Mr. Wnikinson's, s ere two fat capons, the sight of which would have made an al e general mass of gazers, and were purchased by Mr. Phillips, 4 e. Waterloo Hotel. There was abundance of stripes. The game, with the exception of hares, was less plentiful, F i rticula r iy i n p ar t r id ges a nd pheasants. The g eese were Q e and numerous, and nmuch fun arose from the sale of those Oni " Paddy's Land," of which there were cart-loads. s ; .° ecedin g u p avenue Nb.remarked a fie ig, "fed by e Marquis of Waterford," one of the finest p carcasses we :ye ever seen in compactness and firmness of flesh. It inea jsresd a foot (in the half) across the shoulder, and nine v ea es across the loins ; weight 26 score. This was shown Mr. Crowley. Near the top of avenue No. I, was ano ther carcase of a pig not divided, fed by the Marquis of ko e stminster, at Eaton Hall, and weighing upwards of 23 i ss , t e• Another of different breed (the Shropshire) in the e avenue No. 2, weighed 24 score. The liner part of the Ibe was however, in beef. At Mr. James Clough's, near uPper end of avenue No. 1, we noticed three tine beasts, t°eeof the Shropshire, and the others of the Irish breed— s:ll prime, as u sual, with that respectable tradesman. He a, also, two fine Southdown sheep, weighing 321bs. a qr. ; 1 11 1 1 the finest lamb in the market, fed by Lor f the same d Mostyn, of "shire. Mr. Robert Dentith at the top o ave /Wie had some prime beef; also 'Mrs. Thomas, at the top of IS` tlu e 5 , including a tine Highland heifer, and some excel rsti't bullocks. There was, also, some excellent beef at seve ii; standings lower down in the same avenue. At Mr. ke,ton's, the beef of the Hereford breed was of the finest i s ",``,. , as well as the Southdown mutton—the former streaked t he flesh like marble. Mrs. Chaddock showed fine beef, did Mr. John Phillips, as well as prime mutton. The i se ding and meat of time latter was splendidly decorated in 1 4? rclance with the taste of the season. The fruits, vege 4i:es, and roots were, we think, more than usually abun t and excellent. I n the former we observed, in numer as"ls tramids, oranges, lemons, apples, foreign and home, of ls t . l uds, pine apples, grapes, and numerous varieties of standing in the middle of the market of y r . old friend Etty Taylor was resplendent, and she gallantly, is i 's hes wont showed her red and " true blue" conserve ue colou rs , 'At each end of her stand,- against the pillars, `tirprees reaching to the roof, of laurel and holly, thickly fr ss t led with apples, white and red roses, &c. he other sti ‘ stand s lower down, were also well plenished with fruits treens, and the whole of the avenue, as well as those i,ll2lediately contiguous resembled groves of evergreens, liateed by roses, red, white, and black, and various flowers, il l l n et liously carved out of turnips. There was also a large th e l T . 0 , f Christmas bushes, including the mystic and long ml"led " misletoe bough." The market was thronged to ss throughout the evening, and presented a most ani • tl itt e i and exhilirating scene, indicative, in the good humour las s ti Prevailed, of no lack of that generous and ,, kindly spirit is,' & characterizes mes the mass of our population n Christ ." i SEVEN-LEAGUE POWER &F LYING OF THE DISTRESS-MANUFACTURERS ttolre have all heard, in our childhood, of the " seven-league ih t tB " by the aid of which an illustrious individual, " Jack G iant -killer," could traverse sea and land with une -4.261 celerity. In modern days, however, and by " mo t;' - ' 1 liberal s ," f ea ts equally astounding are performed, with ltal ease and rapidity, by a n instrumentality which, by tklil usy, we m a y correctly designate a " s even-leagu e , i power , : 14 g•" By his tremendous boots , the renowned Jack, t habled to accomplish the overthrow of ogres, giants, ti a, ag ons and chimeras dire " ; and the seven - leag ue p ower l le t li ng enabled a free-trade Bolton quaker , within the last a to extinguish, in some half-dozen blows, 250 TAILORS, 0/ 4 :krtreNTeus, 104 ItILICKL AYERS, 10 COBBLERS, and kil w "artificers in wood and iron" out of count, who were k i ,,,t 1 1 and merry in 1836, and are now " vanished into thin and ho ver i ng lik e un h a ppy g hosts around their empty ;4410boards and benches, trowels and lapstones, or are gone 14 '44 tr alTIP " to ply their vocations in more happy and pros oua localities. ht e Purpose laying before our readers a few of the feats ke°rnsed at a recent meeting in Manchester by this tre litMclus Leaguer, whose collarless and buttonless " organi t4:°ll" is distinguished from that of other Bolton men by b hi r i , atne of HENRY ASHWORTH. The narrative itself from th t e . u , We must quote purports to be a statistical account of Ikt state of Bolton in 1841 " ; and we shall proceed to K: the rate at which the terrible engine of the quaker dis el of the supernumerary tailors, cobblers, and carpenters th at locality. First in order, as being the most ancient of "I let us record the fate of the manufacturers of gar- tits ,_ 1 I tith„ 2lai lors.—ln 1836 the number of tailors and slop-makers ttlt - town was 500, and these were fully employed ; at pre there are only 250, and these but partially employed ; 4 114 1 „ " t l!, 2 50 who are unemployed. Some have left the town, T R Luers are gone to America or Australia." TR hundred and fifty tailors lost to the town of Bolton! cli ) ° b h undred and fifty sleeve-boards, shears, bodkins, geese, 1 ' a ge, and all, extinguished " at one fell swoop" by the tt o n -league" weapon of Mr. Henry Ashworth ! Some 11 1 , 14 'nay doubt this fact. Incredulous people (of whom th, te are m an y in this wicked world) may doubt whether di to w as ever one-fourth of this number of tailors, inclu ht:ll°Pmakeri;in Bolton since the world began; and if it b e fact, of which we ourselves have considerable mis it:tB, we scarcely think, judging from the free and easy I t : i ll which the Boltoners wear their outer garments,—as Df t were thrown on with a stable-fork,—that the tailors Cat town, such as they were, will be greatly missed. It Cat expeditious manner, having got rid of these 250 tAtrnal parts of manhood, Mr. Ashworth proceeds to .: t nillate—on paper-125 members of another fraternity. t lea t Cva ''Penters.—ln 1836 flirt number employed was 150 ; at kitilt,Ut they are reduced to 49, leaving 101 who are perma tht, Unemployed ; and in addition, there are also 24 out of t " said to be employed who are disengaged at the present 0 1 making 125 out of the 150 who are thrown idle." 0,, 1 11 , 1 / 25 carpenters left in Bolton! Why, the number IV O 7 scarcely be sufficient to make coffins for the Union 4 t "house. But the bricklayers are more woefully reduced ' l ts ou r next quotation shows. 4t ,,cklayers —ln 1837 the number employed was 120 ; y 4 O d en they ;re reduced to 16, leaving 104 who are unern -1 4 4 - n "' In many cases they have left town on the tramp, o t h ; n le are gone tomerica." te t ;lY 16 bricklayers! —scarcely as many as are generally tta lm i , re d to doctor the ovens and setup grates in a town one -4.47! the size of Bolton. The worthy Leaguer has, we t 1 1 1 „) an te-dated this statement. We believe it is not at all 1k t1 441 for b r i c kl a y e rs to be out of work in frosty weather ; tt r 4 fortunately for the vrai-semblance of this portion of Itll, 4Bll worth's statistics, the frost had not set in last week 41 - t it Was given forth to the world. It has rained a little dopy e, it is t rue ; an d bricklayers, as well as carpenters, tli t :` generally enjoy very steady employment in rainy wea tick but rain, as well as frost, is left out of the contempla lititot4 this learned pundit. Only 16 bricklayers are left in bd , 11 " -- this bare fact is sufficient for the free-trade quaker— , the corn-law has done it all!" k oti ' eould go on to recount many more of these marvellous c° ' Which the gentlemen of the League School are ac- I ht fed to call " statistics, " and which were put forth in atlantities in Manchester. Perhaps, however, the sam -44 ( 4, s ic h we have given will be sufficient to satisfy the world L V i t t degree of credit to which they are entitled. `lt r , "ow not in what way it is customary for anti-corn 114(ti-tetors i n M anc hester to preface their diatribes ; but l 'i t t l uggest the language of a noble Roman,— 'tt h erds, countrymen, and lovers, lend me your ears !" k It :4ea appear to us that the auditory which could take ,74tt h iLe 'r rubbish to the above, for eight hours together, 0 ,7, 4v e ad ears quite long enough to reach the height of 'qihar h y platform. LONDON MONEY MARKET, &c tl i n \ tspior EVLNING.—The home stocks arc looking litij'ore firm to-dav, although without any improvement .t'iti b e ,„ Consols were 881 to 9, for the opening. Ex 10s to 12s premium. Bank Stock 165 1 to 6 4. tp, s ul /I,„ 4)r eign Market remained in a very quiescent state tw.7114', 41 Y the close of business, when, what is called a tr b, tle r , flare up " occurred in Spanish Bonds, which took a : r t , 4 rf lip of about I to 11 per cent. The cause was 14 0; 13 to Og, and such a one as is eagerly laid hold of in ilog."•,‘Exchange in dull times in default of better in the "oe of the jobbers entering the Douse late in the b,, t, sho ut apparently a seller of Spanish Bonds ; a r v !af " market ' being soon found out by the acute t o t e liii,"°of him, and that he was a buyer instead of a selleT, testi cl es were run up maliciously against him, and his s poiled. The Active Bonds with the Coupons left eke T e lf Ur t , 24k to 4. Portuguese Five per Cents 321 to iSe, tit :" Per Cents 194 to 20. Dutch Two-and-a-Half n „were 514 to 4, the Five per Cents 994 to 100. Its to 14. Brazilian 63 to 5. Mexican 23 to 4. t lan It e sal 24 to 4. of produce to-day were limited. tcitYloticer business was in East India articles. 822 hags k41 6 t 9 .] d a ,,.. r ea went generally at 655. Gd. to 61s. 6d., and 68s. t h. Ott re. '-'aged parcels lower, according to quality. Rough ki d 50 0 ti Per cent. ref rac ti on , realised 265. to 265. 6d. per - s ags Ben ga l Ri ce o b ta i ne d Il s . to lls. 6d. for goo d 4 47, 1 ,,,wais ing, about previous rates. Some East India r partl y m e _ r i e l l, bu t . all withdrawn. 36 0 bales Manilla uni at 426 to MS. We are happy to find that the imposing appearance which this edifice already presents is attracting the notice of our townsmen in no ordinary degree. Indeed, we may truly say, that all who have beheld it have been most agreeably sur prised, as well by its extent as by its faithful accordance in architectural detail with the most approved examples of the Tudor period. The directors of this institution well deserve the support of the community for such a display of spirit and taste, and it will he a disgrace to the town if the sum still required to carry their intentions into full effect be nut speedily provided, so as to permit the building to be opened tree of debt. As this institution will embrace all classes, it should re ceive the most extended aid. The wealthy cannot apply their money more advantageously than iu securing for their chil dren and townsmen a Christian education; and those pos . sessed of less extensive means may surely spare a smaller portion in aid of such philanthropic objects. Let no one think that the amount which he can afford will be of little avail— the number of Roman Catholic chapels built by the poor man's pence, the O'Connell rent, the postoftice receipts, and numerous other occurrences, teach us how much may be effected by the confluence even of pennies. For the gratification of our country subscribers we present above a view of the Collegiate Institution, and the following respecting it is copied from the British Almanac for isuing year, and will no doubt prove interesting to our . After describing the Assize Courts, a view of which ise given, the writer thus proceeds : " Altogether different in character from the preceding, al though by the same architect, is this other important struc ture, [The Liverpool Collegiate Instilution,] now in progress in Liverpool, for which M r . El m e s 's design obtained the first premium from those sent in by twenty-eight other com petitors, all of whom were restricted to the Tudor style. A piece of ground for the purpose bad been originally purchased in Soho-street, but it was afterwards determined to abandon that site for the present one in Shaw-street, on the south of Augustine's Church, from which the building will be sepa rated by a wide street on its north side, and will be similarly detached on its south, so that it has three distinct elevations, of which the west or principal one (represented above) faces Shaw-street. The first stone was laid October 22, 1810, by Lord Stanley, with an inscription upon it, purporting that the institution is for 'the education of the commercial, trading, and working classes, in accordance with the doctrines of the Church of England.' Although incapable of doing more, the above cut will serve to explain the general design of the facade towards Shaw-street, which is a uniform com position, 280 feet in extent, collegiate in its aspect, and con- ,---• ,, -- -- -,7 . 4 g-. I v t -Ir ..1,., . ...,..,,, ' - ''''. ''"'ir - 9:.'t •---• . -- . i.".. - -n; __ . l- -"T - . - - - - 1- - , IW- -- t i , _:,_,-i.-:' , - - - - , 4:- .' , ,;„24,.-...~?,, , ,..; , R ~pfr .. , _ .---) - --- -:. _: , ~, . .,1 ,.. - _ ,, _. , •:' , - , • ,. .v:•-1 .' ( . 4- 41 ' ~ . ..,' ,' 1 , ,i-q . , 11 . _, , ,V. '. , Ail ".''L - -' . 4'-;1't . "...t. --, ..-4 - 1., 1.ter. , .....f. , ''. - C . '''''• 1 11 : ill ',- '::,4i-,,, ' --- --7- 4w40 , t , 1' ~) ~,st., ,i'' , ii „„,, 4 .:,ik ~,_,, -.-,,,, , iiir.„ • i ii. .. 5 1, i g} 411." i, l : if 0 i,.. i l ii F ; •' j I i ml i 0.1!- .- .' 2:-.. : ' ;.: - % : ..„ 14;Y: 914;i- Vi‘ 3 4 l, -,) , I'. ...,i,.. 1 -v.*, ', , _:-.....-, ~=. ..:. .._-__ LI ' --. ---,....4.,, .7. 4 ' .I',_'t , -;::-„„•• ,ri,..1,11 • ~ ,;,.".,--; - 0 4-_ t _ .. i.- ....N. r1Z0,..; to '. .. ' ' ' ' ''7.- L '; ,,t i'Ct . ‘V•t i k '. P l ': .41 ' ,-. llrl/4 11 ''. ,' ' ,I I . '' ll ll' ',l E lONIC /, 1 - ` - ' =- E -- -: , ' '--:- ttt: ' i t _ . •-...• i , , '.'-'.. .`4.,,x . , `,.,..r, • - . '--- -....---- -- - - i'.; ' . ,-- ----- --- + -- 4 .' -4-ri1i,, , ,•1 , - ,, , -: '' a - '.-'' - ' •-•" ' • I M --- - ' f , ! 4 - ''. •'' • •' - •:'''•'.' '''' '''''' 1• : •' - ' ' • - •' ; '7: -'3V-:,-'s•r''--='—'-'•-•,,,_______,_ _=,,_..j____._ . _:.:.:.1.1 - 7_ - _ -- IL - - 7 - -, ...i.,-,.:-.. - - - .7..,... " - - Oti -- -_,....'a • . : r:1 • - • : -. _-':' . -- - .4,• -.' _ -- • .= ' i3. ' ' --.- ~ - -3::•--= ..-- -- ---•--'---- • ----r IE: ;-:;1:-'-' II: L57: - :-•‘ . .7.- - .... -.• --- . ----•--' . t -- --,--- -7. - - -t-- -,---- 7' , - •.:L --- -.- - - - ;' - ' ,- ' -- L • ELMS sA'": ---- ----'''''—'--- '------ .---',, 04T:T1OLLS:SC,LY • LIVERPOOL COLLEGIATE INSTITUTION. sistently decorated throughout. It is composed of three main divisions, viz., a centre and two slightly projecting wings; for, though advanced forward, the middle compart ment (containing the entrance, porch below, and an open arch above it forming a balcony) identities itself with the central portion, and hardly interrupts its continuity, it not being carded up like a tower rising above the rest. As little, too, do the wings or extreme compartments break the general mass, being distinguished in their outline merely by the slight gable form given to their parapet by the canopied niche and statue there introduced. In other respects, these portions of the design are agreeably varied from the body or principal division of the front, and the lofty oriel windows carried up through two stories acquire additional effect in consequence of there being no windows below them on the ground floor, a circumstance that gives solidity and repose to the angles of the structure. The ele vation contains three tiers of windows, three of the two upper floors being combined together with a general composition producing the effect of a single range of lofty windows. The apartments on the ground floor are 14 feet high and 25 feet wide, and placed on either side of a corridor running the entire length of the building. They consist of 11 school rooms (2 of 30 feet long, 1 of 43, 2 of 41, 2 of 34, 2 of 25, and 2 of 22), besides keeper's rooms, vestibules, 3 staircases, waiting-rooms, and others of a subordinate nature. On the first floor are,—the board-room, secretary's room, library, and 10 school-rooms (2 of 50 feet long, 2 of 41, 2 of 33, 2 of 25, and 2 of 22), all of 7 feet high, and of the same width as those of the preceding story, which, indeed, is uniform throughout. On the second are 13 school-rooms (2 of 50, 2 of 43, 2 of 41, 2 of 38, 2 of 25, 2 of 22, and 1 of 16), all 14 feet high. There is besides an attic or third floor, 16 feet high, with an arched ceiling, containing. the same-sized rooms as the story below, lighted from the roof, (intended to serve as a museum,) rooms for drawing, and a painting and sculpture gallery, which last covers 5 of the rooms beneath, being 218 feet in length. An octagonal building behind, upwards of 90 feet in diameter, and connected to the main building by corridors leading from each floor, contains a number of spacious dining-rooms, kitchen, &c., and above, a theatre, affording seats for upwards of 200 persons. Behind the latter is a spacious organ, or music-room, capable of being thrown open to, or shut off from, it at pleasure ; to the right and left of which are six angular apartments, intended for waiting and class-rooms. Immediately beneath the music -room, and communicating with the lecturer's platform, are a laboratory, apparatus-room, lecturer's retiring-room, &c. The material used for the building is sandstone, from the neighbourhood ; and the works are contracted for at £21,379." MEETING OF THE DOCK COMMITTEE The weekly meeting of the Dock Committee was held yesterday.' Mr. Horsfall, the deputy-chairman, presided, and the following other members were present :—Messrs. Bar clay, Holmes, Sandbach, Chilton, Shand, Bulley. Nicol, Moon, Martin, Evans, and Ripley. The Sub-committee of Works, in reference to some appli cations for land from several ship-builders, reported that the committee had none to spare for that purpose. . . . . The Sub-committee of Works recommended that the shed on the north-east quay of Clarence Basin be lengthened one deal, and that the shed at the north end be boarded up. — Agreed to. The same sub-committee further recommended, that gas and water pipes be laid in the houses of the dock masters, but they should he required to pay for the gas and water, arid to find their , own chandeliers ; and, further, that the houses he supplied with the necessary bells.—Confirmed. The CHAIRMAN said, that rather an unexpected document had been received from the Shipowners' Association. He must explain that two engineers, Mr. Walker and Mr. Cubitt, had been down from London to Liverpool to ex amine the various dock-plans upon the invitation of the Dock Committee. The Sub-committee of Works were re quested to receive those gentlemen, and to lay information before them necessary to enable them to make up their minds upon the respective plans. The plans were laid before those gentlemen, and every party whom the sub-committee con ceived might wish to be heard was invited—the several mercantile associations, the ship-carpenters, and others who might be capable of giving useful information. The engineers heard them all very patiently, and their evidence had been taken down ; they had returned to London in possession of the verbal and written evidence which they required, and. in due time their report might be expected. They had given a good deal of consideration to that evidence, and they would favour the committee with their report as soon as they could. They were two of the first engineers in the kingdom : one was president and the other vice-president of the British Association of Civil Engineers ; and he (the Chairman) did not know that the committee could have had two more com petent men. Their report would be ready as soon as possible, and then the committee would be enabled to proceed. In the meantime a memorial had been received from the Ship. owners' Association, which the secretary would now read. The SECRETARY then read the following resolutions of the Shipowners' Association : " At a meeting of the Shipowners' Association 22d Dec., 1841, convened to receive the report of the deputation to the Dock-office, on the subject of the rival plans for the con struction of docks.—Present, R. S. Henderson, Esq., chair man, &c., &c., &c.—The chairman reported the proceedings of the deputations to the Dock Committee, upon the subject of the respective merits of the plans of Hartley and Mr. Gage, and the discussions thereon, in the presence of Mr. Cubitt and Mr. Walker, the civil engineers. " And it tvas resolved unanimously, that this association have heard with considerable surprise that the said engineers have terminated the inquiry referred to them, and have left town, and, therefore, are of opinion that time and attention have not been bestowed upon this inquiry in any degree pro portionate to the immense interests at stake, this association having supposed that one crowded meeting and desultory dis cussion only, and that at very short notice, would not have been considered adequate to the proper eliciting of facts and opinions upon a subject the most momentous, probably as respects the welfare of the port, that was ever agitated. " Resolved also, that this association take this opportu nity of recording their opinion, that, with every respect for the abilities and high standing of Mr. Walker, it would have been better that that gentlemen, being the usual consulting engineer of the Dock Trust, and as such having been em ployed to Pupport before parliament the very plans of Mr. Hartley, which are now impugned, should not have been se lected as one of the two individuals to act as arbitrators upon this occasions, and that a decision so constituted will, there fore, not be considered as the expression of that unbiassed and impartial opinion,' which the mercantile associations were unanimous in requesting. . . " Resolved also, that, under: the foregoing circumstances, it is, in the opinion of this association, most desirable that a third engineer, of equal eminence, to be named by the deputa tions from the mercantile bodies, should be associated with Mr. Cnbitt and Mr. Walker in this inquiry, and that a fur ther meeting be called of the deputations for Friday next, to consider of these several subjects, and the proceedings proper to be adopted thereon, and that, in the meantime, a copy of these resolutions be forwarded to the Dock Committee. Extracted from the proceedings, " JOHN NORTH, Secretary." Mr. EVAN s said be would move that the memorial lie upon the table. The CH AIRMAN said he would suggest that the Secretary be requested to acknowledge the receipt of the memorial, and to state that it had been read before the committee. The suggestion was adopted, and the subject dropped. Mr. Forshaw, of Dale-street, was appointed printer, and Messrs. Mawdesley and Co., stationers, to the committee for the next twelve months. The Committee then separated. THE NIGER EXPEDITION Mr. Macgregor Laird, who is intimately acquainted with the river Niger, having prominently shared in the mercantile expedition to explore it and open a trade with • the interior, has, in a letter dated on the 15th instant, and published in the Spectator of Saturday last, given his reasons for thinking, in spite of the painful intelligence recently received, that there is little, if any, occasion for despondency. as to the fate of the brave and enterprising men on board the Albert and the Wilberforce. We quote his reasons at length : " The Niger expedition entered the Nun branch of the river on the 12th August, with forty-three officers and one hundred and eleven men, exclusive of some gentlemen sent out by the Civilization Society. They passed through the swampy country in perfect health ; and on the 3d September, being then at Iddah, where the country is high, rocky, and pretty well cultivated, were struck by the fatal remittent fe;mr, twenty-two days after entering the river. Of the whole number, one-third were attacked : of these, two officers and twenty men, by the last accounts, had died in the river on the voyage to Ascension and in the hospital there; giving a ratio of nearly five per cent. on the officers and twenty per cent. on the men. , _ _ " This mortality is much less than any one could have reasonably expected, and far below that of any former expe dition into the interior ; but it seems to be looked upon merely as the precursor of more extended calamities. I think, on the contrary, that they have passed their most severe trial, and that the future risk to be apprehended is only that common to all tropical rivers. " My reason for being of this opinion is, the striking simi larity up to a certain point (the attack of fever) between this ascent of the Niger and that in which I bore a part, and the remarkable difference from that point. " I entered the river on the 19th October, 1822. On the llth November, twenty-three days afterwards, the vessel I commanded, being then clear of the swamps, was struck by fever ; and in forty-eight hours afterwards all the Europeans, twenty-three in number, were attacked. On the 24th, thir teen had died, and three more died on the 4th December, making sixteen out of the twenty-three. The only other fatal case in the river was one of dysentery, three months afterwards. _ " I think the fair and legitimate inference to be drawn from a comparison of these two cases is, that the seeds of the fever in both were imbibed in the swamps by all predis posed to take them ; that they remained dormant for a cer tain number of days, and then broke out simultaneously ; that, either owing to the season of the year being more fa vourable, to the precautions adopted, or to both, the num ber of men who were predisposed to the fever was much fewer in the one case than the other ; that the fever itself was much less malignant, as the ratio of mortality shows, and that those who escaped are not likely to be attacked without returning to the swampy country and being again exposed to the malaria, which, as they have passed through it once un scathed, there is the more hope they may do again. " Without, therefore, wishing to create the impression that the crews of the Albert and Wilberforce are perfectly safe, I think there exists less cause for alarm now than formerly. They have passed through their greatest danger with much less loss than any reasonable man anticipated : for it surely was never expected that they alone should be al lowed to pass untouched through that ordeal under which so many brave men had fallen. If it was so, I can only say the absurdity of such belief is only to be equalled by its impiety." A. VORACIOUS PIM—A singular instance of the voracity of the pike occurred on the subsiding of the flood from the footpath adjoining a Mr. Oldham's mill, a few days since. Some lads were engaged in play, and dabbling with their naked felt in the waters overflowing the banks of the Learn, when one of the juvenile party was seized by the foot by a pike of about four pounds weight ; and such was the te nacity with which this tyrant of the watery element kept its hold that it was with no little difficulty that the boy suc ceeded in shaking it off, which having at length accom plished, he carried it to the domicile of his parents, where it formed part of the family meal a few hours afterwards.-- Manchester paper. THE DEAF AND DUMB INSTITUTION We have frequently had occasion to bring this admirable Institution before the attention of our readers, and of all the valuable asylums for the wretched with which our town abounds, none has greater claims upon the sympathy and liberality of the public than the Institution for the Deaf and Dumb. Not only are the afflicted inmates of the establish ment clothed and fed, but they have the advantage of re ceiving a sound scriptural education, the results of which are of the most satisfactory kind. We sometime since gave se veral evidences of the high state of moral feeling, presented by several of the young persons in the institution; and we now subjoin another instance of the same kind in the shape of reflections, written by an intelligent youth of the name of Richard Williams, and penned, we may add, without the slightest dictation, or any previous suggestion. We are only able to give some extracts from the journal, but they will be sufficient to give a tolerable conception of the bearing of the whole. It is necessary to add that the remarks were occa sioned by a recent visit to the exhibition_of paintings : " When we were just entering by the door, we gazed at the paintings with admiration and inexpressible surprisation (surprise) at their beatitude (beauty). We looked at them with earnest joy, and delight, and interest. We saw the rooms full of beautiful various paintings and portraits ; I can mention some of them : A large elegant portrait of his Royal Highness Prince Albert, and another of James As pinall, Esq., a worthy gentleman of our committee. The Smuggler's Return. The Idler was a girl loitering lazily about, and losing her time; she seems that she knew not that her precious time was losing, which never returns, never any more. For time once past never returns. Catch time, for (lempusfiegil) time flies away swiftly. Let us not be doing the part of au idler, time should not be lost, for it is precious, and at length brings many to our grey hairs, and then carries us to the peaceful grave. Tempus in agrorum culla consuniere dulce—ldleness is the root of all evil, and a sinful waste of our time and talents. It seems an idler ge nerally becomes a vagabond, and clothed with (nice) ragged clothes. Satan always strives to empty the pockets of an idler who is in laziness of mind and body, and he is easily and weakly tempted, and sometimes becomes a notorious person, and then brought to the fatal gallows to be launched into eternity by an awful death, and to appear at the tremendous final tribunal. But as for the industrious, Satan will flee from thee, and cannot hurt thee ; be watchful even of him who is very cunning. Let no man deceive thee by any means, watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation. The spirit, indeed, is willing, but the flesh is weak, says the Bible. For Satan once got hold of Judas, who betrayed our blessed Lord. Satan prepares mischief for idlers. The Houseless Wanderer was a woman with a babe in her arms. What a pity it excites to look upon such a one wandering in the open air, receiving •the cold and rain all night, and obliged to sleep on the empty, stony, temporary bed, any where which welcomes her ! It lets the tear drop out of my eye, as sympathy. She seems like a poor lost wandering sheep, with her lamb in her bosom. The Jews are a wan dering people !—for they are found any where about the wide world. Perhaps they were happy when they all lived in unity with their brethren, in the land of their forefathers, which the Lord swear unto Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, before they were scattered abroad. But through their in gratitude to their Maker, and ever to-be-beloved and re jected King, they were given up to their enemies, who took many of them prisoners, and many were scattered on the face of the earth, like sheep now wandering from place to to place without a shepherd. A picture of a Girl at a Well. The picture represents a girl with a jug, at a well to get water to drink to quench her thirst, or to make into any drink able liquors. Perhaps it may make us who look at it, think of the woman of Samaria at Jacob's well, talking with our Saviour Jesus Christ. The few verses which I take pleasure in expressing here, are as follows :—When Jesus sat at the well, there came a woman of Samaria, to draw water out of the well, and when Jesus was thirsty, he wante d some water to quench his thirst, and said to the woman, Give me to drink, but the woman refused, and said to him, ' How is it, that thou being a Jew, asketh drink of me which am a woman of Samaria, for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans ?' and Jesus said to her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who is it that sayeth to thee, give me drink, Thou wouldst have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.' Then the woman said to him, sir, thou 'last nothing to draw it with, and the well is deep ; from whence then hast thou that living water And Jesus said, Whosoever drinketh of the water shall thirst again ; but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst ; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life;' and the woman said unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw' " The Letter.—A letter safely arrived to a person, and joyfully received to whom it is directed—perhaps there is some bad or joy news in it. A letter is a writing or talk ing messenger, used in correspondence. The Widow—This picture looks like a doleful and sympathising scene. The widow was sitting on the deceased husband's tomb-stone ; I think her husband was much endeared and affectionate to her when alive upon earth—and what is now the widow's hope ? Perhaps the widow's hope is of a full, desirous, and happy expectation to meet him again above, of which, per haps, every pious earthly-created of mankind have a desire when all their labour is done, to go to the land of promise beyond the skies on high, to the Canaan of eternal sweet rest, to dwell to all eternity with God, Jesus Christ, and the Heavenly Host. Nobody can deliver our mortal bodies from going down to the grave, only our Maker who created us, and breathed the breath of life into us. As we are his property, and He our Father, but death is the worst thing that dreads ' many, and separates every one from all the affectionate ties. Yea, death is sweet, and life is better to the pious and re signing who have faith in their God : for precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. There are se veral verses in the Bible about widows, that God is a judge of widows in his holy habitation, and that God said, " Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them alive, and let thy widows trust in me," &c. FUND FOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF LIVING ARTISTS. On Tuesday the appropriation of the above fund, accord ing to the usual plan, took place at the Exhibition-rooms; when the under-mentioned persons obtained a right to the values set opposite to their names, giving them the choice of pictures of corresponding prices, or others of higher prices, by paying the difference : X s. d. 40 0 0 MEMIERISM.-CAPTAIN BROWN'S LECTURE ON THE DISCOVERIES OF MR. BRAID, OF MANCHESTER. On Tuesday evening Captain Thomas Brown. M.W.S., late president of the Royal Physical Society, delivered a lec ture on the subject of mesmerism, at the Portico, Newing ton, before a highly respectable audience, amounting to be tween 130 and 150 individuals, including several ladies and medical gentlemen of the town and neighbourhood. The discoveries were not those of Captain Brown, but of Mr. Braid, a surgeon, of Manchester. who, it was stated, had ex hibited the influence:l,f mesmerism on almost every indi vidual at first trial, including somnolency, insensibility to pain, the cataleptiform state, somnambulism, sleep-talking, dancing, and various evolutions as desired. Mr. Braid's liyering lectures in the varions towns, t VICwS IT tv of his d Lions and extracts from his lectures as were sufficient to ena ble Captain Brown to supply his place successfully, and to illustrate all the effects on subjects previously tested, as well as on others who might present themselves from.the audience. Shortly before the commencement of the lecture Captain Brown requested of any medical gentleman present to retire to an anti-room, where-six of Mr. Braid's patients were in readiness to submit to:t'he various operations, in order that they might feel their pulses. Two medical g entlemen, Drs. M'Culloch and Carson, accordingly retired for the purpose, and after being absent for some minutes, the six patients, all females, came upon the stage and took their seats. Four of them were young women, ranging between 20 and 25 years of age ; the fifth appeared to be a bout 32 or 35, and the sixth was a grown-up kirl of about 14 or 15. The captain, in the introductory part of his lecture, gave an account of the mode in which Mr. Braid's attention bad been directed to the subject from attending the lectures of M. Lafontaine, in Manchester. Having gone through this, he explained Mr. Braid's theory thus : He considers that, by an individual keeping up a steady gaze or fixed stare at an object placed in such a position as to put the greatest number of muscles connected with that organ and appendages into action, and which of course, requires an abstraction of mind from other objects to enable the individual to maintain this fixed stare without winking or moving the eyeballs, congestion takes place in the eye, and a rapid ex haustion of the natural sensibility of the retina and morter nerves of the eye and eyelids. This is reflected on the brain, and from that to the heart and lungs, producing enervation and consequent sinking in the force and frequency of the heart's action. The enervation of the brain is still farther increased by the enfeebled action of the 4teafit, and from the same cause the blood is sent to the extremities in diminished quantity, and is, therefore, accumulated in the large blood vessels in the region of the heart. The heart is now stimulated to greater efforts, and, in order to overcome its increased labour. is com pelled to quicken its velocity to compensate for its lessened power. The pulse now rises, and is followed by determina tion of blood to the brain, as evinced by the flushing of the face, &c., and now succeed all the phenomena of mesmerism, arising from congestion and irregular circulation through that important organ the brain, and its appendage the spinal cord. The effects may be induced by a steady fixed stare, kept up in any direction, together with that quiet of body and ab straction of mind from all other objects necessary to enable the patient to maintain the eye and eyelids in a state of ab solute rest. The patient may look straightforward, upward or downwards, to the right or to the left, or any intermediate angle. The greater the strain on the eye, the more rapid is the effect, and, therefore, upward and downward, so as to in duce an internal and upward squint, is decidedly the one to be preferred. Looking with both eyes, so as to make and maintain the greatest possible internal squint, is the. next most rapid in its effects. It has not hitherto been observed that by these two positions the pupil of the eye is powerfully contracted, whereas, by directing the eye straight upward, downward, to the right or to the left, it dilates irrespectively of the intensity of the rays of light passing to the retina, so that in one sense the iris may be called a voluntary muscle, as it can be thus contracted or dilated at will. Nor should the fact be overlooked of the remarkable effect produced in the respirations by keeping up a fixed gaze, with the mind directed to the subject in the manner referred to. There is an instinctive tendency during such experiments to breathe softly, or hold in the breath, which, no doubt bas considera ble influence in affecting the disarrangement of the circulation in the brain, and depressing its energy by the imperfect arte rialisation of the blood, which takes place in consequence of the suppressed respiration. ' The closing of the eyelids, and the inability to open them afterwards, may be accounted for in part on the principle of temporary paralysis of the tevator palpebrse and occipito frontalis arising from exhaustion by long-continued exertion in keeping the eyelids open, and on the increased energy given to the orbicularis palpebrarum during its repose. This muscle is possessed of the double attribute of a volun tary and involuntary motion; and the accumulation of tears under the upper eyelid, and the arid state of the conjuncteval membrane in consequence of its exposure to the air, without being lubricated by the tears, and, as usually happens during netation (or winking) of the eyelids, produce at length so much irritation as to excite spasmodic action of the orbicu laris, and, consequently, spasmodic closure of the eyelids. and this, by reflection, is transferred to the other muscles. Mr. Braid considers his mode of dissipating the mesmeric spell quite as remarkable as its production, and says, and proves it may be accomplished, almost instantaneously (if taken in proper time,) by any abrupt or instantaneous shock. Thus the whole limbs may be cataleptiform, resisting the greatest force to displace them, and yet a single abrupt puff fro?n the lips or a pair of bellows on the eyes, into the ears or nostrils, will instantly rouse the patient, and the rigid limbs will become as rapidly perfectly limber. If itis wished to demesmerise a particular part only, manipulation or fan ning must be directed to that particular part only, and the patient roused gradually : but if roused abruptly, the whole will become flaccid at once. Mr. Braid does not deny that certain manipulations may heighten certain effects, but he most unequivocally denies that the will of the operator, or any emanation from his body, produces the effects. In short, that gesture and mani pulations by an automaton would just have the same in fluence, provided the patient considered it a living being. Having finished the lecture which was listened to with marked attention, one of the young women was brought for ward to the front of the stage, and fixed her eyes steadily on an object in the room. Capt. Brown told ber to lift her arms. She did so. He next t o ld her to fsAlPiv him round the stage,and shelmmedtately obeyed the command. She was next told to kneel down, and she knelt down accordingly. She was then told to stand up again, and apeedily she was upon her legs. All this time her arms were extended,and herbodyappeared as perfectly stiff and unwieldy as though animation were altogether sus pended. Capt. B. remarked that it was somewhat of a remark able fact, that while the patients were in this particular state they never lost their equilibrium. Dr. M'Culloch felt the eyelids, and found that fast closed. A chair was then brought, and she was placed 'in a sitting posture, when Captain Brown raised both her legs, and extended them in a horizonal position from the body—a position in which she continued to keep them without any support. Dr. Carson felt her pulse while in this state, and announced that it had risen from 92 to 108. Three or four other medical gentlemen then ascended the stage and felt her hands. Captain Brown pricked her with a pin in the head and in the forehead, aad she appeared insensible to pain. A bottle of ammonia was. applied by the medical gentlemen to her nose, and it seemed not to produce the slightest effect. After having been in the same state for six minutes altogether, Captain Brown blew upon her eyes and face with a small bellows, and instantly her arms and legs fell down, he eyes opened, and after ap pearing at first perfectly unconscious of what had been pas sing, and weakened by the effect, she walked across the stage to the chair upon which she had been sitting before the experiment commenced. The same patient was then placed on a chair—opposite her sat the captain on another chair. He then held her hands in his, while both continued for two or three minutes to look staringly in each other's faces, during which be continued to move his thumbs and to press them upon her fingers. Suddenly she closed her eyes ; and immediately he released her from his grasp and proceeded to pass his hands, in La fontaine's peculiar style, over her face and body. He then went behind her, lifted her up, and placed her, in a standing position, upon the stage. He then told her to come to him, and she immediately followed him, at a slow and hesitating pace, round the stage. She next knelt down and got up again, as before, at his bidding; after which she was placed in a chair and her legs extended. Her pulse was felt at this period and announced to be 114. Her head then fell back wards, she groaned audibly, and animation was restored. The girl, about 14 or 15 years of age, was next introduced to the meeting. After looking intently at the ceiling for about two minutes, her eyes closed, and the captain, after extending both her arms, asked her several times to sing " the Troubadore." She refused. He then asked her to sing any song she liked ; but she still refused to comply. He then asked whether she could waltz, and she whispered in the affirmative. He then whistled an air, apologising for not having a musician present, and instantly she waltzed about the stage. He then blew upon her face with his breath, whereupon she opened her eyes and retired to her seat. The third patient introduced to the audience was the fe male which we have described as about 32 or 35 years of age. In less than a minute after she commenced to look at an ob ject her eyes closed. Two or three of the medical gentlemen then felt her bands and fingers, which had been previously extended. They were imperceptible to touch. The bottle of ammonia was appliad to her nasal organs without effect. Two chairs were then hung upon her left arm, and they ap peared not in the least to have disturbed her equilibrium. So unconscious did she seem to be of what was passing, that she had to be asked three or four times in a loud tone of voice before she complied with the request. Her pulse, which had been previously at 105, was now announced to be at 144. One of the medical gentlemen blew upon her face, and after several puffs she opened her eyes, and the process of detnesmerisation was said to have been completed. The three remaining patients were next introduced to the meeting. They all looked steadily towards the ceiling. Speedily one closed her eyes, and then the second followed her example. The third, however, kept her eyes open for a considerably longer period; but at last she too became mes merised. The latter was then told to shag, a song, when she attempted, in a very faint voice, tS sing the first verse of "Ye banks and braes." While she was in the act of singing it, a medical gentleman applied the ammonia to the nose of one of the other two, and it had an immediate effect. The patient waggled, made wry faces, opened her peepers, took her handkerchief deliberately from her pocket and wiped away the moisture which the ammonia had evidently brought to her eyes, then looked apparently unconscious for a moment and walked to where she had been previously sitting, amid a roar of laughter from the audience. The experiments having now been gone through upon all the patients, The Captain announced that he was ready to mesmerise any gentleman in company. Mr. GREEN accordingly leaped upon the stage, and sub- witted to the operation, ba it failed. Three gentlemen then submitted to the operation. We could only learn the names of two of them—Mr. Bromwell and Mr. George Thompson. They were put in sitting pos tures, with corks fastened to their foreheads. They were directed, as in Mr. Green's case, to keep their eyes intently fixed on the corks. They were further directed to keep their hands loosely by their sides, the captain observing that to keep the hands in such an attitude was a means whereby the effect would be soonest produced. . After the space of about four minutes, the head of one of them fell suddenly upon his breast, which seemed to rouse him a little, for he rubbed his eyes, raised the cork off his forehead, stuck both his hands into the pockets of a capacious white " down-the-road" in which he was habited, stretched out both his legs to their fullest dimensions, and appeared as much at home as if he were enjoying a comfortable after dinner nap in his arm-chair by the fireside. All eyes were directed towards him, and the audience laughed outright at the grotesqueness of his appearance, believing it to have been simulated. The two others were " wide awake" all the time, looking intently at the corks, but insensible as to any effect. The captain passed his wand several times over their eyes, but it was all to no purpose By this time the third gentleman had opened his eyes, and in reply to the inquiries of the audience, assured them that he had tried once or twice to get up from his seat while under the influence, but found himself unable so to do. He tried to hear what had been passing, but failed in this respect also. Dr. M'Cut.Locs said that the gentleman's pulse was going most furiously whilst he was in the state described. He (Dr. C.) thought the case was simulated, but the patient had declared, upon his honour as a gentleman, that the fact was otherwise. (Hear, hear.) In answer to further inquiries, The GENTLEMAN declared that he was between asleep and awake while under the influence, and that he could only bear the audience clapping. During this conversation the gentleman appeared awe- what stupid, and it wa could rise from his seat MC 'Uinta( Mr. ROBERTSON, of Ludlow, here presented himself at the front of the stage, and stated that, having on the prece ding Saturday read Mr. Braid's first lecture in Manchester, he fixed his eyes on an object and found that they speedily closed. He then sat at a table, on which he placed a decan ter, and on the top of it a cork, and in a few minutes his eyes again closed, and he was unable to open them. His assistant, however, whom he had in the room, and whom he requested to attend to him while be was making the 'experi ment, opened them for him. Mr. R. concluded by saying that he should be happy to submit to Captain Brown's expe riments, if that gentleman had no objection, as he had previ- ously been a disbeliever in the science - . He then submitted to the experiment; so also did another gentleman at the same time. They both sat upon chairs, with the corks fastened to their foreheads. In a short time Mr. Robertson's eyes closed, and his breast heaved intensely. The experiment was received with loud cheers. his eyes, and walked about the stage. Before the process commenced, his pulse was 120; at the close it was 150. The other gentleman who submitted to the experiment with Mr. Robertson declared, after sitting for some minutes, that he had not felt the slightest effect. Mr. ROBERTSON explained the manner in which he had felt during the process. In the first instance, he said, his eyes were directed towards the cork, which in a short time appeared to dance about. At last be felt some difficulty in keeping his eyes open ; neither, after shutting them, could he open them again. He had felt difficulty in respiration. He linew that several gentleman were about him. be also felt that his arm had been raised, but he did not feel any par ticular frigidity in it, except partially. Captain BROWN said that the hearing became exceedingly acute in most of the cases. Another GENTLEMAN inquired whether it was true, reported in a Manchester paper, that it was not necess the patients should keep their eyes in a particular positi in such a position _ Captain Baow Lafontaine's effects asked whether the inquirer alluded to The GENTLEMAN replied in the affirmative. Captain BROWN said, it had certainly occurred that per sons had been mesmerised while keeping their heads, and . The GENTLEMAN next asked what was the object of Lafontaine's passes of the baud over the patients, if, as was _ _ stated in the lecture, the effects were prodiiced by . the efforts of the brai Captain BROWN Mid, that Lafontaine's passes were a complete humbug. Ile had no hesitation in saying that they were a complete humbug, and he added, that Mr. Braid's system differed altogether from that of Lafontaine. Mr. GREEN * 1 that Capt , ' F --- -a had 'ted sag. .am Browt. . a _ the evening fairly. openly, and far differently from Mob. Lafontaine; for while the latter was quite reserved. tF former gave the fullest explanations in his power. (Hear, hear.) Under such circumstances, he thought Captain Brown ought to be given a fair hearing, whenever be made his appearance in Liverpool again. Captain BROWN then promised to repeat the lecture on some future occasion, of which due notice would be given, and said he would endeavour to bring Mr. Braid along with him at the same time, who was far better able to explain the subject than he could possibly pretend to be. The audience separated shortly before eleven o'clock. THE WEST INDIA MAIL STATION, We resume our remarks on the home station of the West India mails, considered principally as a nauticaul question. And, first, with regard to It appe A PORT OF CALL. from several parts of the evidence elicited b fore the parliamentary committee, that the government, from the first, contemplated a port of call, or second port, as far as possible to the west of the original port of departure, on the supposition that the latter were selected eastward of the coast of Cornwall. Whether Portsmouth or Southampton (newest to the metropolis) bad been selected as the termi nating home port, the only ports at all likely to the westward of either were Dartmouth, Plymouth, or Falmouth, to all of which strong objections were stated, and particularly to the two latter, from the difficulty, risk, or impossibility of access at certain times. Dartmouth was considered decidedly the best in point of safety and accommodation ; but it is the most easterly of the three, and therefore not nearly so suitable as Falmouth to secure the_grand desideratum (advocated by many of the witnesses) of having the mails carried as far as possible " on four wheels ;" and an opinion being expressed by several of the parties examined, that there would be con siderable uncertainty and delay in touching at any second port, the committee appear to have entirely abandoned the idea, at least in considering Southampton as the station. Captain Chappell, marine superintendent of the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company, expressed his disapproval of any port of call, as having hitherto been found to be impractica ble, and maintained his assumption (for some must call it) by a sort of side-wind slap at the port of Liierpool. He states that, fourteen years ago, the mail steam packets between this port and Dublin called at Holyhead in going and returning, and that this plan, after being persevered in at great risk and cost, and without any adequate advantage, for some years, was at length given up. But this illustration was most in applicable to the case in point. We readily admit that Ho lyhead is not a practicable port of call. It is, with northerly winds beset with a heavy sea, and the bay is withal so dan gerous, the access so difficult, and the accommodations, both natural and artificial, so inadequate (notwithstanding its new pier and other improvements) that it can scarcely be called even a port of refuge for small coasters, much less for vessels of large burthen. Its position is good, from its being on an apex or point of land, or rather rock, forming the extreme southern boundary of the channel into Liverpool ; and it has been nurtured principally as a telegraph station, and the nearest port of North Wales to Ireland, but will never be come a safe or extensive port. The inference to be de duced from his evidence regarding it is, however, to the uninitiated, that, because it is an unprofitable and unsafe port of call for the Liverpool and Dublin steam mail ships, were Liverpool selected as the station of the West India mail ships, we could find no available port of call any more than Southampton. But the voyage (properly a mere coast ing one) to Dublin has no reference to the voyage to the West Indies, and if he had cast his eye _upon the chart he would have found - TharifpOrt of call from Liverpool could have been found, much superior to Holyhead, for all the purposes of conveying passengers and correspondence to and from the West Indies. We allade to the south and the south west extremity of Ireland. Why did he overlook Cork ?—one of the finest ports in the kingdom, accessable in all weathers, capable of accommodating the whole squadron at a time, and which may be left in all weathers by such vessels, if we ex cept the rare contingency of a hurrican from the south, when they could not leave even Southampton. Cork is moreover in the direct course hence to the West Indies. There is, however, another port still more applicable, and not far distant from Cork, which he has also overlooked—namely, BCERFIAVEN. in Bantry Bay, situated at the south west ex tremity of Ireland, and in every respect suitable for the purpose, particularly when a railroad across the island is formed, of which there is every probability. It is, besides, in the direct course, and close to Cape Clear, the point of de parture of all vessels sailing from this port, or from the north of England, or Wales, (as far south as the Bristol Channel,) to the West India Islands. The committee were informed of this fact. Captain George Evans, R.N., said that he had been appointed to inspect the west coast of Ire land by the Post-office Enquiry Commission, and to point out the best port for the Anieriom and West India packets. He did so, and recommended Beerhaven, as in every respects suitable "for the landing and embarking of all the Irish and Scotch passengers and correspondence," as it was very little out of the way from Brean Down, (in the Bristol Channel.) We may add that it is not at all out of the way from Liver pool. Captain Evans also said that " Bantry Bay is an open place,—Beerhaven has two entrances, and there is no wind that a vessel would attempt to go to sea in, in which she could not go in and out of Beerhaven." He added that even in the night, vessels might go round Cape Clear into it, with safety, if there was a light fixed there, which there was not at present; and that there were two good channels, one the eastern and the other the western, which permitted in gress and egress in all weathers—even in strong southerly gales when vessels could not put out of Cork. Cape Clear, close by, was, moreover, not only the best point of departure for the West Indies, but the safest headland to make in com ing home. We need scarcely add that after making Cape Clear, the West India mails would, in running for Liverpool, be in the same safe position as coasters. The course up channel is direct and well-defined all the way by headlands and lighthouses. Beerhaven is a frequent port of refuge for our Liverpool vessels. The letters and passengers from all Scotland to the West Indies could, even now, (before a rail way is constructed,) be readily conveyed to it or to Cork, by the mails,—through Donoughadee or Belfast ; and those of Ireland, without a long journey from any point, and no part of the transit by water. It is in fact in the direct and nearest line from the north of England, from Scotland, and from Ireland, to the West India Islands. So much, therefore, of advantage for Liverpool over Southampton, as regards a port of call. George Armstrong Robert Scott A. Anderson Mrs. W. K. Couborough 25 0 0 H. Tweddle 20 0 0 Thomas Frost 2O 0 0 T. F. Marshall 2O 0 0 John Clow John Thompson Silvanus Fox William ?daddy W. B. Colton William Collingwood lO 0 0 Henry Forshaw Thomas Winstanley . 10 0 0 Thomas Jackson lO 0 0 J. H. Foulkes John Okell William Miller Peter Cato Miss Clegg W. J. Bishop, Ist blank lO 0 0 Richard C. Allan, 2d ditto Mrs. Wordsworth James Muir, Jun. B. Jackson Richard Allison Edward Griffin, Jun. 5 0 0 R. S. Henderson. 5 0 0 Daniel Clarke 5 0 0 Benjamin Hick, Jun Thomas Cook Stephen Baker 5 0 0 5 0 0 5 0 0 WALES.—By a letter from one of the largest iron masters in Wales, it would appear that they consider the worst period of depression past, and that from the orders on hand an im provement in the iron trade may be confidently anticipated. -• MADAME LAFFARGE.—A letter from Montpellier, of the 13th inst., in the Gazette des Tribunaux, states that Madame LafFarge continues to be so ill, that her stomach rejects nearly all kinds of food. When the gaol costume was presented to her for the purpose of her putting it on, she exclaimed, " Never will I wear this dress of infamy," and threw herself on her bed, which she has not quitted since. She is not per mitted to see any person from without, except some relations whom she has at Montpellier, fora few moments on Sunday, and some articles of furniture, which were brought to the gaol for her use, were sent back. The cell in which she is placed is the same as those of the other prisoners, and her illness alone prevents the enforcement in her case of the prison regulAnns as to labour. SUGGESTED PUBLIC MEETING Having now shown the superiority of Liverpool over Southampton as the home station of the West India mail fleet, not only as regards the transmission of correspondence, and the transit of passengers, to and from the populous ma nufacturing districts in the north of England, and in Scot land, as well as with Ireland, with which it is in daily and rapid communication, but as respects its capabilities and ac commodations on a large scale, for all the purposes of steam navigation, combined with the advantages (should that be required) of a suitable port of call,—having, we think, es tablished those points beyond dispute in the minds of all truly disinterested, commercial, and nautical men who have given their attentio►► to the subject, it only remains for us to throw out the suggestion promised at the close of our last remarks, with a view to induce the government to re-consider and amend the decision to which they have, we apprehend, pre maturely arrived, in selecting Southampton as the exclusive port :. . . . . What we propose is, that public meetings of the merchants, traders, and other inhabitants of the towns of Liverpool and Manchester, Hull, Leeds, Glasgow, Dublin, Cork, &c., should be held, respectively, or by deputation, at one or more of them, to consider and adopt the best means of placing the claims of Liverpool (to which the others arc decidedly favour able), before parliament, at an early period of the approaching session. Evidence of a much stronger nature than that ad duced before the committee might be brought forward at such meeting or meetings, which it would be scarcely possible— taking all the relative advantages of this port into account — for any government, looking to the general good and the effective and economical working of the mails, to resist. All we desire is a common measure of justice, and if, after a full, fair, and practical investigation of the question in all its bearings, we fail, conjointly, to make'out a case entitling us to a preference, we shall be contented to forego the point at issue, and leave, if for a national good, a comparatively small port to the enjoyment of all the advantages it may derive from its being the home station of these ships. We could furnish much additional " practical" evidence in behalf of Liverpool, but shall refrain from further discus sion of the subject until the question is again generally mooted, or brought before parliament. LITERARY NOTICE. The National Church of England : Ancient ; Apostolic The above is the title of a sermon preached by the Rev. Robert Eden, minister of St. Mary's Chapel, Lambeth, for the Winchester Diocesan Church Building Society, and we are happy to say that the discourse very ably maintains the thesis withont any admixture of those exclusive or bigotted theories which so strikingly characterise that school of churchmanship lately set up, or revived by the Rev. Doctor Pusey, and his associates. We have read the publication with much pleasure ; the views put forth are moderate, sen sible, seasonable, and judicious; and we hail all those who advocate them as the truest friends, not only to our most holy church, but to the church of England, as, perhaps, its very best expounder and teacher. We recommend this ser mon to those who would wash to examine our ecclesiastical constitution by the light of scripture, and to reconcile a de cided preference for its polity, with a tolerant and charitable consideration for other forms, and °that Christian communi ties, not of our kindred. 'E NCB THE CORN LAWS. TO Tli DITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD the corn-laws, .ich you have been good enough to deem worthy of a place in your columns, as well as an editorial commentary, I would first observe, before I enter upon the subject, that any plan on a question so complicated, and so beset with difficulties as the subject of the corn-laws, requires deep consideration More we can pronounce, definitely, tivot it. - vou is. knd all I a portion of the plan befOre yon in its hat von will calmly view each >us bearings ; and ihen, I feel assured, you will arriv I inevitably come WI an a protccti lusion Co which 'vatic price Qf to the English.6ricultu ales of carried out, in reference duties, are relative and arc not intended to convey any inference detrimental, or otherwise, to the agriculturist. Having given the facts, and carried out the calculations, I leave in a higher quarter the propr opting or rejecting them I put forward no opinion -1 propound no new principle. But, presuming on the double hypothesis, that the agricul turist requires protection and the government revenue, there seems nothing for it but a range of prices that affords the one, and a scale of duty that effects the other. But, to meet your remarks, suppose, for the sake of sim- he two lower scales of duty, as id the two lower suggested in the scales of prim ; as well as the calculations on them ; we have thus the nucleus prices (56s aid bare, namely of duties (Bs. Ist scale), giving an ple revenue, and a protection to the agriculturist of 47 per and an averag, too much, or not enough of protection ; nor yet, whether the above-named scales of prices and of duty be the best that can be selected; (this, as is mentioned in the ming left to others to determine,)—my object ply to show the working of the plan, for the dance, alike, of the agriculturist and ing certain scales of prices and duties, •• plan, being : information and ing out the c .eulations arising; out of them Neither do I believe tlat t system I am suggesting will, tnt from that of a fixed duty, )rotection, or the interests.of it regaids rive the manufacturer t.PFALLLNG OF A CHILD (Abridged from the Dublin Evening Mail cf_Wednesday.) Dr. M`Carthy, one of the county coroners, held an inquest yesterday, at Fleming's public-house, Upper Baggot-street, on view of the body of a fine boy, about ten years of ege, who was found brutally murdered on Monday evening in a stable-lane, at the rear of Pembroke-road. When it was known that the dreadful deed had been perpetrated, the greatest excitement and horror pervaded the neighbourhood The excitement continued yesterday during the inquest Great crowds visited the spot where the barbarous was committed, and r the house in which the inques the jury-room and about was held during the entire principal witness in rs of age, named John this boy was the chief The person who was deemed the the case was a lad of about twenty y Delahunt. It will be recollnted evidence brought forward by the crown Cccney :id his wife .ninico Garlibardo, the Italian gainst the Dme months since. ( for the than: ,yer, at caders ate mare of the 1.-'•unt contradictory and scandalous manner in which pc gave his evidence at that trial, which caused th( siding to tell Delahunt that he thought ht dock in place of on the table as a witness murdered child lay in the lane where the shock perpetrated. It presented a ghastly spectacle. 1 of the unfortunate victim was cut from ear to ear ; there also a gash over the right eye, seemingly caused by angular instrument. A cap and a stone, besmeared with blood, were found at a short distance from the murdered ought t the body of the g deed was After some evidence had been received as to the finding of the body, Constable Barrett deposed as follows :—ls orderly to Colonel Browne, police commissioner, at the Lower Castle Yard ; John Delallunt called on me last evening with refer ence to a child that was murdered ; this was soon after seven o'clock ; he called to ine to apprise me of it ; he told me he saw a woman beating the child repeatedly in a stable lane. near Pembroke-road, and that he looked on for a consider able time until he supposed the child was dead ; he told me lie considered the child's throat was cut ; he said the woman had a knife in her hand; said he could identify the woman; I then vent with him to Lad-lane, and from that we went to ^ ,- )t convenient ;here the body This explanation will, I think, meet your first observa- The other lan which you deem a to re- mark is the mode of taki eying out its working details, which you consider clear in the plan, would be, as there stated, by " The mode of car- s not quite :it in the several towns and districts ; ad returns, weekly, of the market price, well as by factors or dealers, (if exact market price last paid,) le wheat (no other quality), " without rrierence to gleaning, to a board in London, " whose duty it would be to collate the returns, draw the obtained by prowers " none of the former, the❑ t " of good, sound, merchantab averages, to transmit it on a certain " day in each week to the - collector of the Customs, in ever " part of the united ki g out this arr•ar gement, there would be nothing In carry,, complicated, altlicult, or expew The same person (so as he v )n), who now returns, weekly, same b which sits now would be employed then, that their labour would be much sim would not have to do with the damaged or now forms part of the averages, nor to draw lilies as well as of prices. with this tliireren plitiecl soft w bf course the I .son to send up the returns must not be :LI, as is the case in many districts at entit el presen but a " competent!' person, who has sense enough to know "good, merchantable " wheat when he sees it, from damaged and soft, and honesty enough to return the market price of it. Ido not press, particularly, the period of a week over a fortnight for making the returns and thing the duty, though I certainly do give it the preference. But, however opinions may differ as to this comparatively minor point, all will, I think, admit that the mode here suggested of taking the averages,, combined with the limited range of prices and duties, must be a vast improvement on the present system, by its direct tendency to prevent fraud and a tampering with the averages ; and, by checking Speculation, to lessen, if not entirely to destroy, the influ ence exercised on the averages by the dealers and factors. In conclusion, allow me to express a hope that this be not regarded as a " party question," but, rather, one for ar rangement between two great Interests, which hold the des tinies of our country in their grasp, and in the united strength of which, in harmony and goodwill, has ever con sisted the prosperity and integrity of the empire. I am, sir, your most obedient servant, Liverpool, 22d December, 1841 E. W. JACKSON CHRIST CHURCH CHARITY TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD, Stu,—May I request that you will insert a few lines in your paper of Friday, in contradiction of a statement which appeared in the Gorier of Wednesday, from an anonymous correspondent. The statement is to the effect, that persons in Christ Church district, in this town, who have been in no need of relief, and who are undeserving characters, have been partakers of the charity which is now being distributed to the poor of the district. As the person who is responsible to the minister of the church for the right distribution of the charity, and through whom be principally discovers whether the persons receiving it are tit objects or not, I beg to give, through your paper, the earliest contradiction to this statement of this anonymous writer, and to declare that what he says regarding the distri bution of the charity in Christ Church district is altogether untrue—no such persons as those described by him having shared the charity, nor any persons but those on whom it was well bestowed, as being persons of moral character, who are in great distress. I hare -- been between four and five years living among the poor of this district, and know them well • I am, therefore, able to speak with confidence, and I do declare that a more unfounded calumny was never put fnrth ; I know the names and residences of every one who has got relief, and I defy any person to come forward and prove what this anonymous writer states : _ _ I would not notice this anonymous slander, were it not that some persons might be influenced by it, and withhold the relief which they are disposed to give, to the great injury of many deserving poor, who are suffering much, and likely to suffer more, from the inclemency of the season and the great difficulty of getting work at this time of the year. And I hope I may be allowed to add, how melancholy it is that such base calumnies should be circulated, and good prevented, by such wickedness as this anonymous writer is guilty of.—l am, sir, your very obedient servant, 'JAMES MARTINDALE, Clerk of Christ Church, Liverpool. Hunter-street, December 23d, 1811. THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND AND HER DOCTRINES. TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD May I solicit the medium of your estimable paper to ex press a f•ew reflections which may be of service to members of the Church of England at this trying juncture. I give them in all humility, having by them alone the well-being of the church and her people in view. After a long season of spiritual declension, it has pleased Almighty God to make the Church of England an instru ment of •disseminating more zealously His saving truths in the land ; and there has been a large increase in her members, who have also taken up the cause of scriptural truth with great ardour. The cry of the disaffected portion of oar countrymen against her form and constitution is becoming less and less heard among us, and when it is heard it comes to ears of those who are too well instructed to credit the worn out sophistries of some, and the gross inistatements of others of our opponents. But this change has not been anattended with evils. While a faithful portion of our clergy were, by their preaching and exemplary labours, gathering around the church many of her hitherto wandering sons, there have been and still are others who, having the same end i❑ view, that is, as concerns the visible unity of the church, have not held forth those distin guishing snd vital doctrines of the Bible which the church had commanded them to teach, and upon which alone she hopes jor the accomplishment of the great purposes of her Divine Head. These words may appear to some harsh and unfounded, but I am persuaded they are capable of proof, and it is the object of this letter to draw the particular attention of our working and deeply interested population to the evi dence by which they may not only . test this, but be the meuns, I hope, in bringing those who will study the subject into a closer attachment to the church, because—as they will find— she faithfully and unreservedly declares those things which concerns the soul's everlasting health. But Ido not antici pate, from observations that 1 have been able to make, there ought to be any great objection to this statement, when it is considered that teachers of the description alluded to are contending more for the observance of forms and ceremonies, and for church authority, and who moreover declare their opposition to the unreserved communication of religious truth. Besides, their preaching is directed more to the out ward performances of religion than the protection, under the divine aid, of that true and lively faith from which good works do necessarily proceed. 1 point more particularly to the Book of Homilies for this test. It appears to me that the free circulation of this book at the present time is extremely nesessary, when we witness men in high quarters tossed to and fro upon novelties in re ligion which yet are not novelties, and when we see also the dissent to these doctrines among the middle and lower classes, we cannot but look forward to severe trials and contests amongst us. What can be more calculated, humanely speak ing, to moderate the clash of contending parties than such a standard, coming to our hands fully authorised, of what the doctrines and mode of teaching the church really adopts and communicates? It will he found to ground its final appeal to Scripture alone, in full accordance with the Pith article, appealing to the Fathers only fur their testimony as to mat ters of fact and not for the foundation of any doctrine. This feature, ,‘ ith the simplicity of the language employed, recom mends these writings to our fullest confidence, and we cannot fail reverencing that church which provides for our wants— as creatures very far gone from original righteousness—in preaching the above merits of our Lord Jesus Christ, as our only ground of acceptance with God. _ . Let, then, the Homilies be circulated more freely than they have been hith?rto ; and let all those who would desire a guide, in these times of novelties, in the doctrines and practice of religion, furnish themselves with the book of homilies ; they will then be led to attend to those teachers who echo the voice of the IZ eformers ; and, as it is to be hoped, brought to admire and extend more and more the Scriptural Church of England.—l am, Sir, your most obedient Servant, Liverpool, 23d .Decernher, 1811 CHURCHMAN THE IRISUMAN'S CAT.—A short time ago a poor Irish man applied at the churchwardens' office of Manchester for relief ; and upon some doubt being expressed as to whether he was a proper object for parochial charity, he enforced his suit with much earnestness :—" Och, your honour," said he, " sure I'll be starved long since but for my cat." " But for what ?" asked his astonished interrogator. "My cat!" rejoined the Irishman. " Your cat! how so?" " Shure, your honour, I sould her eleven times for sixpence a time, and she was always at home before I'd get there myself." BRUTAL CONFLICT.—The Journal du Nievre gives the following account of a ferocious contest between two bro thers, forest-keepers, on the 2(1 instant, near Carvol l'Ar gueilleux, where they had been celebrating the feast of St. Eloi, at the house of a miller, who had given them too much liquor. Returning home they quarrelled, and, after fighting some time with their hands, fell together, and continued the struggle on the ground for three hours, when one became exhausted, and the other was probably unable to continue the fight; at the end of which, he who may be considered the conqueror, had had torn from him by the teeth of his brother the whole of his under lip, down to the point of th e chin, while the other lost half of one of ins ears in the same manner. They each had a gun, but neither thought of using it, and the stronger carried both away with him, arriving, at his home about midnight. flaring called up one of his neighbours, he sent him first for a surgeon to dress his own wounds, and then to go for the body of his brother, which would, he said, be found dead in the wood. He, however, was not dead, and both are recovering, thoagh frightfully mutilated for life. ARESPOND. the lane with Inspector Carmody; when we „ to it we found the child's cap near the place lay • the child was lying on its hack ; its throat was cut Delahunt told me he had a sore foot. John Delahunt, after being told by the coroner that sos pinion was attached to him, entered into a long statemen . . with a considerable degree of circumstantial detail, but which amounted to little more than an amplification of the tale given to the constable. After several witnesses had given evidence, tending to implicate Delahunt as the murderer of the child. Thomas Delahunt was exhamined.—He stated he was brother of John Delahunt; saw his brother John yesterday betwen seven and eight o'clock in the evening, in my own room in Britain-street ; he had a little boy with him ; it was a strange child, between nine and ten years of age ; saw his brother also at about half-past twelve o'clock yesterday ; he said he was going down to the Castle-yard to Major Browne; in the evening when he came in he said he had a little gentle man with him, and then called the little child into the room ; he said to the child " come in ;" when the child came in my wife a,ked him his name, and he said it was Tom Maguire ; she asked him where he lived, and he answered he did not know; the child was then brought over to me, and I saw he had a bib on; I cannot say what colour; lie had a little blue cap on ; he was in his bare feet; could not distinguish any other part of his dress; his (witness's) brother and the child did not remain more than about thirteen minutes ; this was between seven and eight, or between eight and nine, o'clock ; he then took the child with him to leave him (he said) in Buckingham-street; the child I have just seen lying dead in the stable lane, Pembroke-road, appears to me to be the same child that was with his (witness's) brother at his room last night ; he (witness) felt he could safely say it is the same child; his (witness's) brother John came back iu about twenty minutes after going out with the child, and said he had left it in Cumberland-street, and that the child said he knew his way home from that; he did not stop more than about twenty minutes after that. Margaret De!Aunt (wife of the last witness) was next called to be examined. She appeared to be deeply affected, and could not give her testimony for some time. It was the same as that of her husband. She fully identified the child she saw dead in the stable lane as the child she saw with John Delahunt on the evening previous in her husband's room. The witness fainted after giving her testimony, and remained insensible for a considerable time. Evidence was then adduced to prove the child to be the son of Thomas Maguire, a biscuit baker, and John Delahunt was brought into the room, and acquainted with the testimony' of the witnesses. He said, as soon as the law had gone through its force, he would be able to lay his band upon the murderers, though, in his statement before, he said he did not know the person whom he saw maltreating the child. The jury, after a little consideration, brought in a verdict of " wilful murder against John Delahunt," and the prisoner was committed to Kilmainham, to stand his trial. SCRIPTURAL EDUCATION But, in the enforcement of the Scripture itself as their plan of public instruction, government has no choice—it has no right, no authority whatever to render it. It is no matter of choice whether subjects or governors shall be responsible to God for obedience to his divine revelation ; where that reve lation is known—they must, they shall be responsible—" We must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ, to give an account of the deeds done in the body," and if one of these deeds be to take down His eternal word as the standard of a nation's instruction—if a government, to accommodate its policy to the crime of its subjects, choose to make itself a party—yea, to set up its authority by law against the author ity of God—we can only say that all sophistry by which it would vindicate itself, sinks into contempt before the honest faithful judgment even of the Christian man; and it were well for men who act on such principles, even if they could vindicate themselves before man, to consider how they shall stand with their criminal policy in their hand, to plead for compromising with the crimes of their fellow-men, the au thority of that God at whose tribunal they must themselves appear. Do not debate, then, my lord, what you are to do by balancing thequestion between Protestantism and Popery. Do not say in the cabinet what are we to do? If we main tain the board, we have the Protestant clergy against us : if we dissolve this board, and set up the Scriptures in the schools, we have the Popish priests against us ; and what are we to do? The Popish priests and the people are the majority, and we cannot go against them. Do not reason thus, my lord, in the cabinet. It may be confidently asserted before the cabinet, and before the nation, and before all the Papacy of Europe, that this is not the question for the cabinet to debate. Permit me, with all deference, to submit this questions to the British cabinet—is God to be shut out from these consul tations ?—are the statesmen who compose it to say that they have no responsibility to Him in the matter? Where the question concerns His Holy Word, and His authority over the people of this empire—not as to points, and doctrines, and opinions deducible from that word, but as to that word itself, in its own whole integrity and authority, whateverthat may be. Is Jehovah himself to have no share in determining this question ? Put God's authority into the scale, and where does the majority predominate then, my lord ? Let every member of the cabinet place his hand upon his heart and say —do I believe before God that he can sanction the suppression of His Holy Word in the national schools of Ireland' Let each do this, and answer in his Maker's sight; and where is the member of the cabinet—where is the man that calls him self a Christian who (pardon the word—l mean it not in dis respect to man, but in reverence to God) would dare to vote for the Irish Board of Education ? Weigh these principles. my lord, in the balances of the sanctuary—take them into your closet. and lay them out in the sight of God, and if you can lift up your eyes and heart to him, and call him to witness that you believe they are false, then go into the cabinet and House of Commons, and plead for the Irish Board of Educa tion. But if not, my lord—if you know and feel in your conscience they are true, then do justice to your conscience and to truth, my lord, and, with the manly courage of a Christian, admit that your principle has been wrong—and vote for the dissolution, or rather for the re-establishment on Christian principles, of that anti-Christian system.—M` Gee's Letter to Lord Stanley. GRAND TREAT FOR THE HOLIDAYS.—Parents and guar dians have an opportunity of treating children under their charge to see Anderson's celebrated group of statuary, con sisting of Tam &Shanter on his mare, crossing the Bridge of Doon, with the witch Cutty Sark, cut out of an immense block of stone, weighing at the first no less than 16 tons. The laughable group of the De'il runnin' awa' wi' the Ex ciseman; and the much admired group of Watty and Meg; or, the Henpecked Husband, large as life. We have re peatedly had occasion to notice these splendid efforts of genius, and do assure those who have not yet seen them, that a real treat awaits them at this season of the year when all is mirth and merriment. No one can form the least idea of the figures, and as everything is so minutely finished, and the admission money a mere trifle, we hope many will give a call as the exhibition will shortly close.—See ado. CHICHESTER OLD BANK.-011 Tuesday, the adjourned meeting of the creditors of this bank took place, when the debts proved were about £120,000. The failure has caused a complete stagnation to business in Chichester, and numer ous cases have occured where persons in comparative affluence are reduced to the most abject distress. Amongst them may be named two aged maiden ladies (sisters), named Elizabeth and Nanny Fowler, one of whom is a cripple. They proved for £1,969 Is. 4d. They are left without a shilling, have been compelled to apply to the parish for relief, and are now in the receipt of a miserable weekly pittance. Another case was a farmei with a large family named Smith : he had £295 16s. 6d. of his own money, and borrowed £l,OOO for the purpose of taking a larger farm, the whole of which he deposited in the bank for safety a few days before the stoppage. He has by the occurrence been rednced to beggary. The largest creditor was Mr. Kent, training-groom to the Duke of Richmond, who proved for £4,595 16s. 7d., the savings of many years' servitude, intended for a large family. Such was the confi dence placed in the bank, that numbers, particularly females, deposited every pound they possessed in the concern. STRANGE CIRCUMSTANCE.—During the severe storm of Monday night last, the inmates of a house in High•street. Ayr, were alarmed by a heavy substance falling down the kitchen flue, which, instead of lying stock still, proceeded to divest itself of the sable addition to its drapery, by. flying around the room, and kicking up such a dust as might be expected at a chimney sweep's wedding. nhen the con sternation had subsided which had been caused by the advent of the mysterious visitor—which was not until it had fairly tired itself out—a searcliiug enquiry was made by the inmates to find what description of intruder they had to deal with ; when it appeared, greatly to their surprise, that the unruly transgrecsor was neither more nor less than a cock pliecsant The 'poor bird had in all probability been scared from its perch, and had winged its way towards the town, whe re it had taken to roost on the top of the chimn ey , into which it had been blown by one of those sudden and violent gusts of wind that prevailed during . the night. Into the subsequent history of the " bonnie birdie, it becomes not those uncon nected with tai:-office to pry. It is but charitable to think he was allowed to wing his way home again ; but, judging from certain indications, he must have cast his feathers with fright before he flew.—Ayr Advertiser. CURIOUS CASE.—A few days ago, a corporal belonging to the corps of sappers and miners, and who had been employed in the trigonometrical survey in the north, and had managed to save somewhere about £36, came to Glas g ow, and took up his lodgings in the Gallowgate. Thinking h e would himself be the best banker, he resolved o n secur ing hie moneyin his body belt, so that It might be at all times under his control a nd keeping. With this view h e had a ten pound note, a five pound note, nineteen one pound notes, and two sovereigns, put into the hand s o f a young wom an in the lodging h ouse, to sew . into his belt ; b u t s he adopted a different mo d e of dispo n belt sigo and f i t t ly aliLion She e wa s, of course, searched a ft er, and, and carried it with h er f rom the house, was on Frid a y n i g ht se cured, with pearly one-h a lf o f t h e female,money curiousyolu'hnegasshe is, is a married woman, h av i ng f our part of the case is yet to b e t o ld . Th e i children, and her husband is residing in the country. P ass i ng herself off in town as a single woman, s h e h ad captivated the l a i t e t a e r r t t o h f e privatea usual o of the 10th foot, an d F r id ay n i ght was, proclamations, fixed for th e marr i age . She had spent about £l5 in clothe s f or t h e occas i on, an d was about to step into a noddy to drive off to a minister to tie the k no t, when a criminal officer stepped for war d an d prevented the con summation which she devoutly wished. Most of the property purchased by the stolen money has been recovered. Previous to the apprehension of the woman, the sapper and m iner who bad been ro bb e d o f hi s money, wen t out to kirk intilloch, where he understood, her husband worked as a sawyer. The sawyer, howeer, had no sooner sera the sol dier than be bolted, and it is now found that be is a Mertes' from the ram* corps.