The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-03-12 00:00:00

TO CORRESPONDENTS Case or DISTRESS.—We have received 10s. from W. P. 8., arid ,el. from B. •• Several communications are unavoidably omitted notice. We shall however attend to them nest week. THre, APPROACHING FANCY BALL. GRATIS SUPPLEMENT ! In order to be enabled to present to their readers the fullest possible description of the splendid FANCY BALL, to be given at the Town-hall, on Monday, the 25th inst., the Proprietors of the LIVERPOOL STANDARD have arranged to give, with their publication of the 26th, a STAMPED SUPPLE MENT, which shall contain an Alphabetical List of the Characters, Costumes, arc., and a full de scription of the amusements up to the close. in order to aid in ensuring accuracy, it will greatly oblige if parties intending to be present will leave their names at the Office, on or before Monday, the 25th, with a description of the characters and the dresses in which they intend to appear. Ely Riberpool &tanbarb. TUESDAY MORMNG, MARCH 12, 1844. The debate, on the motion of Mr. Labouchere, for the equalisation of the sugar duties, has done little which is calculated to strengthen the Whig oppo sition and their ally, the Anti-Corn-law League, in the country; but it has effected, nevertheless, one or tw,) very important results. It has disclosed, in the first place, our real position, with respect to our commerce with Brazil, and the nature of the propo sitions made to us by that country in the recent nego tiations for a settlement of its tariff ; and, in the next place, it has aflorded an opportunity for the puritan portion of the free-trade party to throw boldly from them the mask of affected philanthropy, (from behind which they canted and gesticulated, from anti-slavery platforms, and rained down tears of compassion for the woes of the negro,) and to stand before the world the apologists of slavery, and the abettors of the slave trade. We are now plainly told that it is no part of the policy of Great Britain to attempt the amelioration of the condition of the slave in Brazil or elsewhere ; that the object of go vernment ought to be solely to procure cheap sugar, even at the risk of the total ruin of our own free colonies_ and the aggravation of the horrors of slavery and the slave trade throughout the world. Let us see then what is our position, and what the future prospects of our commerce with Brazil. We were threatened by that country, upon the expi ration of the existing treaty, with a restrictive tariff, by which the duties upon British manufactures were to be raised, from the present maximum rate of 15 per cent, to a minimum one of 60 per cent. Last year an attempt was made to negotiate upon the subject. Mr. Ellis was accredited on the part of this country to treat with the Brazilian government; and how was he met ? It was proposed by them that Great Britain should agree to receive the produce of Brazil at a differential duty of 10 per cent. upon that levied upon the produce of British colonies ; in other words, that, if the duty on British plantation sugar is 255. per cwt. the maximum duty on Brazilian su gar should be 275. 3d. And this, moreover, was to be irrespective altogether of the question of slavery or the slave trade, it being distinctly stipulated that sugar raised by slaves sent from Africa should be admitted into this almost equal competition with the produce of our own free-labour colonies. To such terms, of course, Mr. Ellis could not agree ; and from the absurdly ridiculous notions, which had been instilled into the Brazilian government by Whig- Radical speechifying, in Parliament and elsewhere, as to the vast importance to this country of the commerce of Brazil, he was led at once to the con clusion that to treat with it to any advantage was hopeless. The next attempt of the two countries to come to terms was the visit to England of Senhor de Ribeiro. By that gentleman the same demand of a differen tial duty of one-tenth was made, together with other important claims. And what was the magnificent offer of Brazil in return ? We were to throw open to her our markets, without restriction, and irre spective of any stipulations upon the subject of sla very ; and she would generously consent to impose no higher a duty upon our woollen goods than 30 per cent. ; and upon our cotton goods, which con. stitute three-fifths of our trade with her, she would impose on& 40 per cent. ! With respect to the du ties upon all other goods, she was to be under no restriction whatever, but to fix them as high as she might choose. We were thus, in fact, to give all, and receive nothing; and it is therefore no matter of wonder that the mission of Senhor de Ribeiro effected nothing. _ _ Yet, in the face of this abundant evidence of the indisposition of the Brazilian government to treat us in a fair and honest spirit, we are urged by the Whig-Radical party to give up even more than is demanded, and to stipulate for nothing in return ! We are to involve productive colonies in ruin. We are to consign large consumers of our manufactured goods to poverty. We are to permit some hundreds of thousands of emancipated labourers to fall back from the light of civilisation into barbarism. We are to give new activity to the slave trade, and added torture to the whip and the branding iron. And fot what object ? That the Brookses and Brights may receive their remittances in Brazilian sugar, and the consumers of England save possibly a far thing a pound in the commodity of sweets. Yes, for such a boon it is that England is to make sacri fices so fast; and, in addition, is to abandon that vantage ground which she now occupies, and which will ultimately, if preserved, enable her to dictate the terms upon which the curse of slavery shall be swept from the face of the earth. We are not blind to the value of our export trade to Brazil, although we cannot place that extreme va lue upon it at which it is estimated by the League millowners of Manchester, or the Anti-monopoly Association of our own town. It is a trade in arti cles upon which a minimum portion of labour has been bestowed. It is less valuable, in proportion to its extent, than the trade with our own East India or West India colonies. Suchjas it is, however, we would gladly make some sacrifices to retain it; but putting aside the claims of our own free labour co lonies, and their superior value to us as customers— leaving out of consideration altogether the question of slavery and the slave trade—supposing even that England was content (which she is not, despite the testimony of self-constituted provincial cliques, calling themselves branches of the Anti-Slavery Society) to stultify herself—to abase herself in the eyes of the world—by invigorating and perpetuating that horrible trade in human flesh, which she has made such vast efforts and such unparallelled sacri fices to put down, the mind of the Brazili an peop l e and the temper of the Brazilian government are not prepared at the present moment, and may not be prepared for years to come, to meet our advances for a fair and equal commercial intercourse. Expe rience of past negociations, as we have already shewn, has demonstrated this to be the fact; and what, we ask—and we put it earnestly to our fellow townsmen who are just now being wrought upon by lying statements and worse arguments to sign peti tions for the equalization of the sugar duties— what must inevitably be the result of continued agi tation and continued hampering of the government upon this question? Why, obviously to impede any just and beneficial settlemant of our relations with Brazil, and to drive that country into the adop tion of the hostile commercial policy which is dreaded. The Government of Brazil have imbibed the no tion that we cannot do without their markets, and moreover that we must have their cheap sugar. In this absurdly exaggerated view of their ability to coerce us into concessions, without anything in re turn, the outer), of free-traders, in parliament and throughout the country, is strengthening them, whilst it is tying up the hands of British negocia tors. Brazil stubbo-nly tells us that she demands everything at our hands, and will give nothing in return; and British merchants and British legisla tors—patriotic men !—reply to them, " Persevere in your stubbornness; insist upon your full demands; and you must succeed" ! Surely such policy is the reverse of wise; and the Government of Brazil will find, perhaps too late, that they are trusting a chi mera which will delude them. Brazil cannot dis pense with the cheap cottons and woollens of Great Britain. In taxing them more heavily, they are only taxing their own products, which are bartered for them. They are only adding to the cost of their sugar, coffee, and cotton cultivation, and increasing the burthens of the Brazilian people. And in the meantime, what is the position o Great Britain to sustain the continued exclusion of Brazilian products ? Last year the consumption of sugar in Great Britain was greater than it has been in any former year, viz., 4,065,724 cwt. ; and yet the average price, 345. id. per cwt., was greatly less than it has been for many years past. The supply has increased—the consumption has in creased—the price has diminished ! These are cer tainly not indications of our inability to wait for a cheap article until the Brazilian Government chooses to be a little more reasonable in its demands. We deprecate, therefore, the attempts now making —factiously we think—to embarrass the Govern ment with respect to this question. Those attempts are only retarding the consummation which their authors profess to seek, and to seek only,—viz., the supply of cheaper sugar for the British consumer. The gentlemen who conduct the League press are a superlatively wise generation. They know positively everything. They can instruct the legis lature how to legislate, the landowner how to let his land, the farmer how to cultivate it, merchants and brokers how to conduct their business, and we dare say, if needful, could descend to teach the mi nutiae of cookery, and the routine of the kitchen and the scullery. Amongst this class, the Man chester Guardian is pre-eminently wise ; and has recently taken under his fostering tuition the mis guided agriculturists of Great Britain, who for cen turies, it would seem, have been labouring under a total ignorance of their own trade, and have been committing the folly of attempting to get a little knowledge by experience, when an overwhelming quantity might be had from the same source applied to by our contemporary—viz., the pages of the Penny Magazine. We will endeavour here, for the benefit of our country readers, to convey to them a few of the Guardian's latest discoveries. A correspondent, it seems, (who, by the bye, dates from Liverpool,) has been reminding our Sir Oracle that more than one year's rent has to be paid to get a crop of wheat, and that, even taking this into account, the reduction of price, which would have to be submitted to under the operation of a free trade in corn, would sweep away the whole amount payable to the landowner. To this the Guardian replies, ex cathedra : `• The point relied upon by our correspondent consti tutes one of the stock-fallacies by which the advocates of the corn-law either delude themselves, or seek to mislead others; and, although we have answered it many times already, we feel obliged to our correspondent for again bringing it under our notice ; believing that nothing but a reiteration of correct views and sound principles (.') can effectually remove the deep-seated prejudices on the sub ject of protection, which a long course of vicious legisla tion has created in the public mind." We make a bow, of course, and listen to the phi losopher's demolition of the stock fallacy in ques tion. Here it is : " Our correspondent, in estimating the number of years' rent really payable on a crop of wheat, has forgotten that a large portion of every farm, on which what is grown, must be appropriated every year to the raising of grass, hay, and corn, for the horses employed upon it, and to a variety of other purposes productive of little or nothing that can he carried to market; and we believe the general calculation is, that, on an arable farm, cultivated under the best system of husbandry, and where the wheat crop is mainly relied upon for the payment of rent, rather less than one acre in four is cropped with wheat in one year. Tim each acre of wheat would have to pay the rent of four acres, instead of two." We apprehend our contemporary is a little wide of the mark here. The object is, of course,—a League object,—to spew that upon a wheat farm there is above four years' rent for free trade to cut and carve at, before touching the profits of the farmer. One-fourth only of such a farm is in wheat every year; and the remainder only " raising grass, hay, and corn, for the horses employed upon it."! A profitable kind of cultivation this would be ! A farmer, after the Guardian's model, of course grows no turnips, no clover, no potatoes, no peas, beans, vetches, and only as many oats as his horses consume ! He has no young stock to feed, no sheep, no nothing. We should like amazingly to see the internal arrangements of such a farm. But, to quote our contemporary again,— " This is not all. It is clear that the rent must . , be paid not by all the wheat produced, but by that portion only which is sent to market. That which is eaten by the farmer, his family and labourers, pays no rent; neither does that which is retained for seed ; and we imagine it will be found, that only about one-half of the wheat pro duced is sent to market, or contributes in any manner to the payment of rent. If this view is correct, it will he found that the produce of each acre of wheat sold is charged with the rent of some seven or eight acres of land under cultivation; and, consequently, the rent constitutes a much more important part of the market-price than the writer of the preceding letter, and many other persons with him, are disposed to believe." What gormandizers must a farmer, his family, and his two or three labourers, be, who consume half the wheat produce of a wheat farm, say of a hundred acres, besides the turnips, potatoes, and other crops ! Let us measure their appetites. On a farm of 100 acres, taking the Guardian's calcula tion, 25 will be in wheat. Take the produce at 50 bushels per acre, and the total produce is 1250 bushels, of which these gourmands eat 625, less the amount required for seed, or, on a fair calcula tion, about 70 quarters per annum, or ten bushels a week ! What horrible appetites ! But go on : "This would probably be considered a pretty complete answer to the question of our correspondent ; but we must go a little further, with a view of pointing out another fal lacy which lurks in the letter, and which vitiates many ar guments and calculations upon this subject. Our corre spondent assumes, that, under a free trade in, and a di minished price of, corn, the expenses of cultivation would remain the same. This is altogether a mistake. The cost of cultivation (that is the money-cost, to which our correspondent manifestly alludes) varies in an almost exact ratio with the price of food; and, if the selling price of wheat should be greatly reduced by free" trade, the expenses of cultivation would decline with it. Why, just above we are told that the quantity of wheat used by the farmer pays no rent at all ! never goes to market, and of course has no money price! Verily, this is a shifty kind of reasoner ! But go on again ; and mark, ye farm-labourers and labourers of every description, to whom the League THE LIVERPOOL STANDAiIii. promise such blessings and such abundance to arise from free trade and cheap bread,—mark the follow ing consolatory conclusion ! "In the present state of the agricultural districts, it would be found, that, whatever might be the average prices of produce, the labourers would receire about the same proportion of that produce as at present, leaving the pro portion to be divided between the farmer and the land owner unchanged in quantity, though diminished in money-value." NOT A LOAF MORE BREAD FOR YOU THAN YOU HAVE AT PRESENT ! Think of that and judge what free trade will do for you ! We have been amused—we should have said amazed, if anything emanating from so thorough paced a renegade as Mr. Milner Gibson could have Amazed us—at the sneers which he thought it be coming in him on Thursday night to level against the noble lord, the member for Liverpool, during the debate on the sugar question. Mr. Milner Gibson asserts, that the merchants of Liverpool have forgotten all their past professions of philanthropy. Lord Sandon, upon the question of slavery, " has not at this moment any support from the people of Liverpool." ! We beg the honourable renegade's pardon ;heis in error. He doesn't know the people of Liverpool. That people have never prayed for more than justice to the West Indian in terest, and wish for no more now. They despise, moreover, such charlatans as Mr. Milner Gibson ; and if that gentleman will offer himself as an oppo nent of Lord Sandon at any future election, they will give him a lively proof of their opinions. The renegade in question had the assurance to say—as if the world had forgotten how he was foisted upon the electors of Manchester—that " the noble lord, the member for Liverpool, did not repre sent the merchants, the tradesmen, and the shop keepers of the borough for which he was returned;" and he went on to libel the constituency of that town by declaring, that "if the poll book of Liver pool were analised, it would be found that the noble lord and his colleague only represented those who paid the best." Now, we take the liberty to tell this miserable driveller that Lord Sandon represents better men than himself—purer minded men—and is not the slave of a Whig-radical coterie, or any other coterie—is not the nominee of a joint stock bank directory, or of a band of conspirators under the name of an Anti-corn-law] League or any other league. Lord Sandon is the representative OF LIVERPOOL, and not the representative of the jen nies, and mules, and steam-looms, or of men with as little intellect as these senseless machines, of the sensible town of Manchester. Lord Sandon has, moreover, a political reputation to rely upon ; Mr. Milner Gibson has only a political reputation such as any honourable or sensible man would be glad to get rid of for half-a-crown, and its purchaser find no advantageous bargain. When the Whig-Radicals of Liverpool first mooted the question of the disputed seat for South Toxteth Ward, and intimated so boastingly that they had the opinion of the Attorney-General in favour of the claim of the defeated candidate, Mr. Platt, we expressed a doubt that the case laid before that eminent lawyer had been fairly stated—that the really important points had been candidly and truly placed before him : and the case itself, as laid before the late Council meeting, proves that we were not in error. That " case," we say boldly, is not the case decided by Mr. Alderman Evans, under" the legal advice of the Town-Clerk. It does not shew correctly—it misrepresents, in fact—the grounds of the decision and of the opinion of the Town-Clerk as well, with respect to the legality of the course taken. It is a jesuitical shuffling with the question, as indeed is sufficiently shewn by the fact, that the Town-Clerk himself is quite ready to acknowledge the law as laid down by Sir Frederick Pollock upon the case submitted to him, and yet maintains the perfect correctness of his own law upon the facts, as tendered to and accepted by the Alderman. We, shall endeavour briefly to place the facts of the case submitted, and the groundwork of the two appa rently conflicting opinions, before our readers. And first, as to the facts, we shall give them as stated in the case drawn up by the Reform party : `' At the Municipal Election, held on the Ist of Novem ber last, at the borough of Liverpool, which is divided into wards, the three following names appeared on the burgess-roll for the South Toxteth Ward, and their quali fications were stated in it thus : Street, lane, or other Christian name and No. surname of each per son at full itngth. 'place, in the extra Nature of Pro. parochialplace,where perty rated.: the property is situate for which he is now rated. I 8616 Alderson Thomas 8942 Thom., Isaac Glenny 8762 Farnworth, Thomas House. 22, Upper Hill-street.. House. Wesley•street. Counting.hous Sefton street. The first of the three, namely, Thomas Alderson, tendered his vote, for the Reform party, to the alderman and assessors at the polling-booth, and thereupon it was immediately objected to by the Conservative party, on the ground (as the fact was) that his qualification, House, 22, Upper Hill-street,' was situate, not in the South Tox teth, but in the North Toxteth Ward. " The second of the three, namely, Isaac Glenny Thom, in like manner tendered his vote for the Reform party, and thereupon it also was immediately objected to by the Conservative party, on the ground (as the fact was) that his qualification, House, Wesley-street,' was situate, not in South Toxteth, but in the North Toxteth Ward. "The third, namely, Ellis Farnworth, in like manner tendered his vote for the conservative party, but his vote was not at the time objected to, though the fact was that the qualification, Counting-house, Sefton-street,' was like the others situate not in South Toxteth but in the North Toxteth Ward. " The alderman and assessors received all the three votes at the poll, but afterwards, on examining the voting papers, as directed by s. 35 of the act, they entered into a scrutiny, and, assisted by the Town-clerk, heard the arguments of the different candidates on both sides, and admitted evidence to show, that the several qualifications before-mentioned were not situate to the South Toxteth Ward, and that the votes of Alderson and Thom for the reformers were objected to at the polling-booth, and that the vote of Farnworth was not so objected to. The alder man and assessors, upon these facts, decided, under the direction of the Town-clerk, that the votes of Alderson and Thom, whose qualifications were in the North Tox teth Ward, should not be allowed, and that the vote of Ellis Farnworth, who voted under similar.circumstances, should be allowed, on the ground, that ifwas not pro tested against at the time of voting, as was done in the other eases. The result was, that the conservative candi date was declared elected by a majority of one ; whereas, had all the three votes been allowed, or all-the three votes disallowed, the reform candidate would have had the majority." Upon the facts as thus stated, the opinion of the Attorney-General was requested with respect to the following points : " Ist. Had the alderman and assessors any right, under the Municipal Act, to enter into any inquiry as to the locality of the qualifications, or to attempt to ascertain such locality by evidence ? or, was not their power con fined simply to the examination of the voting-papers? v as to this query section 35. " 2d. Has the Town-clerk, or have the aldermen and burgesses any right, at, or before, or subsequent to, any election, to vary or alter the division into wards, should errors be discovered to exist in such division? or is such division conclusive? _ - " 3d. Had Thomas Alderson and Isaac Glenny Thom a right to vote in South Toxteth Ward, their qualifica. tions appearing on the burgess-roll to be situate in that ward, notwithstanding that such were, in reality, not situate in that ward ? or were their votes, after having been objected to at the polling-booth, rightfully dis allowed on the scrutiny ? "4th. Had Ellis Farnworth a right to vote in the South Toxteth Ward, his qualification appearing, on the burgess-roll, to be situate in that ward, notwithstanding that it was in reality situated not in that ward ; and was his vote rightly allowed on the scrutiny, the objection to it not having been taken at the polling-booth, but having been taken only at th e ti me o f t h e scru tiny ?" To these queries the answer of the Attorney-Ge neral is as follows : "1. I am of opinion that the alderman and assessors had no right, under the Municipal Regulation Act, to enter into any inquiry on that occasion (namely, when examining the voting papers) as to the locality of the qualifications, or to attempt to ascertain such locality by evidence. Their power was confined simply to the examination of the voting papers and to declaring the result of such examina tion. On a different occasion (namely, on the holding of the court of revision,) it was their duty, if properly called upon and notice of objection being given, to enter upon such inquiry. But the revised list is conclusive evidence of the right to vote, and in what ward. 2. " I think the list, as revised, i;;;Clusive, and no error not objected to before the Court of Revision can after wards he corrected. "3. I am of opinion that Thomas Alderson and Isaac Glenny Thom had a right to vote in South Toxteth Ward, where the property appeared to be situated, and that their votes were not rightfully disallowed on the examination of the papers. Had the inquiry been a scrutiny, in the usual election sense of that term, it might have been otherwise ; but it ought not to have been a scrutiny. "4. I am of the same opinion as to Ellis Farnworth. The making or not making an objection at the polling booth is a matter of perfect indifference. The lists are prepared and revised to prevent such objections : the questions set out in the act may be asked, but NO OTHERS, neither of the voter nor of any one else. The great ob ject of having a revised list would be defeated if objections could be made either at the polling-booth or at the ex amination of polling-papers.- " FRED. POLLOCK. " Temple, 11th January, 1844." Now, in the first place, let us see whether the facts of the case are correctly stated. With the first three paragraphs quoted, detailing the course taken at the polling-booth, we have no quarrel. The facts, we believe, are as stated. But with respect to the next, as to the scrutiny and the grounds of the decision, it is in almost every sentence erroneous. A scrutiny, in'the common acceptation of the term, there was none. The "arguments of the different candidates ou both sides " had nothing to do with the matter. No "evidence" was admitted on either side, although there was abundant tendering of evidence and plenty of talk. This was, in fact, all surplusage; it being distinctly explained by the Town-Clerk that the Alderman and Assessors had no power to receive evidence, and that they should decide quite irrespective of any such evidence. Fi nally, the vote of Ellis Farnworth was not allowed " on the ground that it was not protested against at the time of voting, as was done in the other cases," (the italics are not our own,) but on totally different grounds. So much, then, for the facts as stated in the case for the opinion of the Attorney-General; and now for the reconciling of the two opinions. With the Town-Clerk, we perfectly agree with the opinion of Sir Frederick Pollock upon the law, with the facts as stated to him. With respect to the first point, we admit that " the Alderman and Assessors had no right, under the Municipal Re-' gulation Act, to enter into any inquiry on that occasion (namely, when examining the voting paper) as to the locality of the qualifications, or to attempt to ascertain such locality by evidence"; and no such inquiry was ever entered into. It was never attempted to be disproved that the qualification of Thomas Alderson was in Upper Hill -street, that of Isaac Glenny Thom in Wesley-street, or Ellis Farn worth in Sefton-street, as declared in the revised burgess-list. What the Alderman and Assessors did, under the instructions of the Town-Clerk, was simply this, and perfectly in accordance with the Municipal Act. When their attention was called to the vote of Thomas Alderson, claiming for a house in Upper Hill-street, they referred to the map containing the division of the borough into wards by the Municipal Commissioners, and having found that Upper Hill-street was in the North ward, they rejected the vote, as they were bound to do. The same test decided the vote of Isaac Glenny Thom to be in the North ward ; and with respect to the vote of Ellis Farnworth, who occupied pre mises in both wards, but who was simply registered for Sefton-street, they declared it a good vote, be cause they found " Sefton-street" placed by the Commissioners in the South ward as well as in the North, a portion being in each, and they recog nised the law of the Attorney-General that they had no right to go beyond the evidence of the burgess list and the Commissioners' map. The point upon which the two opinions differ appears to be this. Sir Frederick Pollock,. looking only at the clauses brought under his notice and the distorted facts alleged in the case, regards as the register recognised under the Municipal Act a register divided into wards by the Mayor and the Revising Court. The Town-Clerk maintains that the only register is a list of the burgesses with their respective qualifications, and that the only authori tative guide, as to the wards in which those qualifi cations are situated, is the map as divided by the Commissioners. The law does not require that the burgess-roll should be divided into wards. Such division, as to the qualifications, has already been made by the Commissioners ; and by their autho rity alone the Alderman and Assessors in every booth must decide. They are, in fact, in the eye of the law, understood to have such map and a complete list before them in every booth, from which to decide all disputed votes. The second point decided by the Attorney-Gene ral, that " the list as revised is conclusive," we con cede, such list being what the law contemplates, a register of names and qualifications. So long as the parties retained these qualifications they could vote in respect of them, but only in such wards as the Commissioners had decided. The third point is one which must stand or fall with the two first; and the fourth has already been admitted. The vote of Ellis Farnworth was- not disallowed, because it was not objected to, but be cause Sefton-street was both in the north and south, part being in both, and the alderman and assessors could not enter into an inquiry as to what was the particular qualification, That the lists have been divided into wards by the Town-clerk, for the convenient taking of the votes, we are perfectly ready to admit. Nay, we even ad mit that in such divided state they may have been revised. But has it ever been deemed. within the power of the revising court to enter into the ques tion of such division, and to decide authoritively as. to the ward to which any particular vote belonged ? It has not. We believe it never was dreamt of. And be it remarked that the question, as to the power of the Town-clerk or the alderman and .as sessors to correct any errors in such division, al though referred to in the case, was never put to the Attorney-General, and it is not referred to by him. Had it been, we are confident that it would have led that able lawyer to a more accurate view of the whole question at issue, and a total reversal of his opinion upon the points put to him. Even as the matter stands at present, however, we are fully con vinced that Mr. Glazebrook is acting both legally and honourably in retaining his seat, notwithstand ing the disappointed ravings of his opponents, and the hostile opinion of the Attorney-General upon their misstated case. The financial measure announced by the Chan cellor of the Exchequer on Friday night must be one of proud contemplation by the Ministry of Sir Robert Peel. A reduction of taxation, by the remis sion of some duty upon imports, has ever been received with gratitude by the people of Great Britain, labouring as they do under a pressure greater than that sustained by any other nation. Such reductions, however, we have seen lead occa sionally, in times of depressed commerce and indus try, to serious embarrassments, and even to increased taxation imposed in some other shape. But the present plan proposes to effect a reduction of the permanent debt of the country—to diminish the necessity for taxation to the extent, immediately, of £625,000 per annum ; and, after the lapse of ten years, to the extent of £1,250,000 per annum : and from the manner in which the proposal has been r eceived, both in the House of Commons and by the capitalists of the nation, there is scarcely a doubt of its perfect and triumphant success. We have given elsewhere full details of the plan, and the opinions with respect to it of several of our con temporaries, of all shades of politics. To these we refer our readers, in the confidence that nothing from us in corroboration of the views which they express is necessary to prove, that in the step taken the government has earned and will deserve the gra titude of the country. We had purposed entering to-day, fully, into the circumstances of the recent charges, brought by the medical board and the Governor of the Workhouse, against the house surgeon of that establishment, Mr. Nightingall. We thought it our duty to do Eo, and shall still do so, inasmuch as we cannot but see, in the course pursued, evidence of something, if not approaching to a conspiracy, at least tinctured with great unkindness towards a gentleman, whose long services to the parish, and whose character as a ta lented medical man, entitle him to a little more con sideration than that with which he has in this in stance been treated. Our space this day, however, will not permit of our doing either the subject of the inquiry, or ourselves justice ; and, we shall, therefore, reserve further comment until our next publication. One circumstance, however, we may announce to our readers. A reference to the report of the proceedings given in our columns, will show that a portion of the charge by the Governor was, that three children in the Low-hill Workhouse, whom he had taken upon himself, without consulting Mr. Nightingall, or any other medical authority, to pronounce afflicted with the itch, and to send down to the itch-ward at Brownlowe-hill, were sent back by Mr. Nightingall, who conceived that they had not such complaint. The opinions of Dr. Macrorie and Mr. Ratcliffe were to the contrary, both of them pronouncing the whole three to be bad cases. The result, however, proves Mr. Nightingall's opinion more to be relied upon than either those of the Governor or the two medical men consulted by him. The children in question were discharged from the itch-ward yesterday, never having been a f flicted with the itch ! With reference to the case of the boy Freeman, we subjoin a certificate from Mr. Gill, the surgeon, which has already been published : A boy was shown to me in the sick ward with two. or three aphthous sores on the inside of the lower lip. The tongue at the back part showed also some enlarged folli , - cules. He is of strumous habit. In private practice were such a case brought to me I should advise his being sent into the country; that his• diet should be plain and nutritious—that he should be well clothed—that the strictest personal cleanliness should be observed, and that he should be allowed to play in the open air from morn to night (weather permitting). In sending him out from the tainted air of a sick ward,. I apprehend Mr. Nightingall acted judiciously—adopted the means (under the• existing circumstances) best calcu lated for his recovery. WILLIAM GILL. PROTESTANT DERELICTION. The following article, from the Dublin Nation of Satur day, contains some stinging satire, which, we are sorry to say, has been but too well deserved : One topic more, and we are done with the debate. Pro testants of Ireland, will you listen to us? That topic has reference to you. We often entreated you, and you spurned our entreaty. Han you read these debates? - You refused to raise your country to happiness and yourselves to fame, for the sake of an ascendancy in religion that dishonors God, and brings shame, and rags, and ruin, to millions. Did you admit religion to your thoughts, or Gad to your hearts, you would trust to the truth of one and the guidance of the other among a free, educated, and happy people. But listen to us now, if not for the sake of religion, for the sake of the lucre it stimulates, and the wealth and power it commands. Have you not heard from all classes of reformers that your establishment is doomed ? The church must go. It has scarcely a defender. It assuredly has not an advocate. It is only in Ireland the cry for its destruction is not warmly taken up. Hearken, then, once more to our counsel. There is yet welcome, and a hope, and glory for you in the bosom of your country. Will you throw them away for what has not an hour of sure existence, for, mind,the establishment is Irish? Those who , speak for it, whachampion for it, who boast of it while it is a support, will betray when it becomes an incumbrance. You remember the Penal Laws—they lauded them and sold them for power; you remember the Corporation—they defied them, and yet they trafficked in them for the same power. Did you not say these were your religion?—and did they not repeat your folly, and gull you to your fancied doom ?—yet how far did they respect them when in the way of a sordid con venience ? We warn you in time, they will sell your establishment also. You will find it gone when you have eaten away in hate and madness your footing on your native land. Be wise—nay, be selfish—be taught by events, trust to your country, advance its interests, struggle for its glory, and share it. In its gratitude, arid liberty, and common hap piness, your religion will find security and abiding respect. On Friday, Sir Howard Douglas presented a petition to the House of Commons from the Mayor and Town Council of this town against the Birkenhead Improvement Bill. THE CouscrL.—There was not any business transact ed at the special meeting of the Council summoned for yesterday, in consequence of the prints of the Dock Bill, now before Parliament, not having aarived in sufficient time to enable the members to pursue the several clauses and to make themselves acquainted with the pr o b a bl e operation of the measure. Another special meeting will, however, be held to-day, for the purpose of considering the bill, and-determining on the reports and proceedings of the Finance Committee with reference to offers for leases, for seventy-five years, of land at or near Wallasey Pool. ST. MICHAEL'S CHURCH SCHOOL.—TW O lectures on astronomy were delivered in the above school room, on the evenings of Thursday and Friday last, by Mr. William Fisher, Great George-street. These lectures were kindly undertaken by Mr. Fisher at the request of the minister and some members of St. Michael's congregation. Much was anticipated, both from Mr. Fisher's character and attainments, and also by the beautiful astronomical dia grams which he possesses. But though much was expected, the execution surpassed the expectations of all presen►. The solar system was fully and clearly described on the first evening. The magnitudes, distances, and motions of the planets, the moon and her phases, the annual and diurnal revolutions of the earth, with other phenomena, and the laws by which our system is regulated, these in teresting subjects were unfolded in a very attractive and popular manner. The second evening was set apart for considering the causes of the ebbing and flowing of the tides, refraction and its effects,, comets and their revolu tions, Halley's comet and its predicted return, and some of the principal constellations. In explaining these various. phenomena of the heavenly bodies, Mr. Fisher directed the minds of his auditors to the power and wisdom and goodness of the Great Architect, whose is " this univer sal frame," reminding them of Addison's beautiful lines, " The spacious firmament on high, With all the blue etherial sky, And spangled heavens, a shining frame, Their great original proclaim." The room was quite full on both occasions. A charge was made for admission, and the profits, which are nearly all the receipts, as Mr. Fisher kindly gave hls services gra tuitously, are to be applied to the purchase of a magic _ . lantern with slides, on which missionary subjects will be painted, with a view to interest young persons in the mis sionary cause. ---- - ASTRONOMICAL LECTURES AT THE LIVER THEATRE —We have great pleasure in announcing that our old and talented friend Mr. M. Holden, practical astronomer, purposes in a short time to deliver, at the Theatre in Ch u rch-street, a course of astronomical lectures, to be illustrated by a grand transparent orrery, (24 feet in dia meter,) with superb scenery,—the sun, moon, planets, and stars illumined and shining as they do in nature. To those who have before heard Mr. H. and witnessed the beauty of his practical illustrations and the accurate work ing of his ingenious machinery we need not address one on'ewqveieiriTrerwl9nicolgeticmmence on the 20th instant, and word of commendation : for they must • have appreciated his merits, and will doubtless revive their pleasing recol lections by a visit on this occasion. To . these we need but say, that he describes in a clear, familiar,. and agreeable manner, and then exhibits by a splendid piece of mechan ism, the grand movements of the heavenly bodies, with all the phenomena attending them, the study of which, of all others, may be pronounced to be sublime, and than which none is more calculated to expand and elevate the mind, ce im w b o u u in ld and to arouse high and ennobling aspirations. In this age of science it is almost a reproach for adults not to be some what conversant with the great causes . which regulate our nig h t s and days — our months — our fetp.o i 1 spirit rising tsthewewhGhierohea is generation,tt i Architectdt achieve h e s e and g tr them. t no our dot), . of the hi Tt seasons, ohe 1 pioneer eee Uni verse, rnr lec tures t of hp peculiar themselves tuelwimahrsoel attractionsh v a e s v e of n t e h g i l s e a c n t d e neglected opportunityt h avail oft redeem ing the time, without encountering the severities of pro danodwtehlol those of verse, (which the . lecturer . never fails to inculcate,) and all those honourabl , e attainments that at once confer adorn ttrmrho a eeu c nms t ti e n d pawgrni et s tdsih t 1 e u a,na, d t t be continued nightly. They will b e repeated during the two following weeks, course of lectures: advantages,eSci science March 12, 1844 REVIVAL OF COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY• For many weeks past we have had to congratulate our readers upon the symptoms, which are everywhere pre' senting themsel ves , o f th e return i ng pros perity of t he country; and this week we have the pleasure of A u ' nouncing a circurnstance:wkich goes far to prove thetrath of what we have previously stated. From the best au: thority, we learn that the revenue from the Customs alone, durine first two months of the present years In d exceeded thanf the corresponding period of last year, no less a sum than half a million sterling, one-fifth of which increase has been contributed by the port of Lilt' pool alone. That the commerce and the consuming powers of the country are on the increase is therefore clear; and it is gratifying to reflect that such WNW must be attended with increased comforts for the masses of the people. That a portion of this improvement may be considered as the effect of the natural recoil from the extreme ( I k e " pression, under whi c h we h ave b een struggl i ng for 0 6 last three years, is undoubtedly true. Much of it, nev er. theless, may be attributed to the revived confidence of the public in the elasticity of the natural resources, shovel. the substit u ti on o f a surp l us f or a defic i ent revenue. lul,l substitutio n an i ncome tax h as accomplished for us ; an it may be worth the while of those, who gru mble ove r the imposition of suc h a t ax , t o consider whether withoes it, in the emergency in which we were when it was Put °l3 ' we could have arrived so soon at the present satisfacte r f position of the nation's affairs. THE CHASE. The Cheshire Hounds will meet Wednesday, the 13th. at TarParl e / Thursday, the 14th, at Saturday, the 16th, at Bostock OW ° at half-past ten o'clock. Sir W. W. Wynn's Hounds will meet This day, the 12th instant, at DudlestO Thursday, the 14th, at Chute °l2 Saturday, the 16th, at Tuesday, the 19th, a t at half-past ten o' c l oc k. I sncsotrati DEATH OF SIR H. HALFORD, BART.—This eraj d nent physician died on Saturday, after a protracted ill ness in his seventy eighth year. The Rev. R. L. Townsbend, incumbent of St. Philips Church, in this town, has been appointed chaplain to J. Owen, Esq., sheriff of Montgomeryshire. The Lord Bishop of this diocese has given notice of his intention to hold a confirmation on the 3rd of June nests in St. Jude's Church, for the district of West Derby. It is stated that his Royal Highness Prince Albert is going, during the Easter recess, to make a short excur sion to the continent,. in order to visit his afflicted rela tions at Coburg. On Sunday last the sum of a& 15 , 3d. was collected hi Edge-hill Church, for the schools in connection with the church. The morning sermon was preached by the Ref- Mr. Clay, vicar of Stapenhill, Derbyshire, and that in the afternoon by the Rev. Hugh M'Neile. FRENCH FLOWERS.—We beg to direct the attention of our fair readers, particularly those who intend visiting the coming ball, to the advertisement of Mrs. Girvin in another page. The time spent in an inspection of her stock—which is of the first order—will not be lost. The close resemblance of many of these artificials to nature almost incredible. PHILHARMONIC CONCERT:—The next grandfull-dress concert of the Philharmonic Soc'ety takes place en Mon day evening next, the 18th instant, and promises , to be a rich treat to the mu s i ca l wor ld. Mi ss Rainforth, Miss Dolby, and Mr. Henry Phillips,. are engaged. Handel'S celebrated oratorio of " Judas Maccabeus" will' be per formed. The programme is worthy inspection. , --(See advertiaement.) THEATRE ROYAL.—The deservedly favourite " Christ" mas Carol" bas again been the main attraction d'uriti4 the past week ; preceded latterly by several spirited'; amusing pieces, in each of which Mr. Collins ably sag' tained the principal part. This week Madame VestriS and Mr. Charles Mathews are the guiding stars. The house is well and fashionably attended, and the perfor• mances as well as the beautiful scenery entitle the manage' ment to every encouragement. THE APPROACHING FANCY BALL. seems to hale created , a more than ordinary stir, and jtrdging from the preparations that are being made, that it will be equal for if it does not surpass, anything that Liverpool has hereto fore produced. Amongst those who have arrived with fancy•dresses, we may name, Messrs. Nathan, whose eP tensive collection are now on view at Mr. Lacey's, Bold street ;- they comprise costumes of every nation, and are' manufactured of most rich and costly materials. FANCY DRESSES.—We were yesterday,gratified in nt: small degree by a sight of a number of fancy dresses, or almost every character, now on view at Mr. Rennie% il Lord-street, by our townsmen, M essrs . Adli ng t on and' Jones. To attempt to describe them within the ordinal limits of a paragraph would be almost impossible, so Ilan' and so varied is every costume. Those of our readers vrivo! intend to aid our numerous charities by their presence a' the ball would do well to visit this establishment. THE ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE.—Van Amburgh and biS . trained animals ; Mr. Sands with his American eqUeli trians ; and Mr. Sweeney the bangoist ; and the wonder ful performing elephant,—together with gymnastic PA; formances,—seeure this house numerous audiences. t h o av c e o , in h p or ai eze o r ct i h n e c g o r m os m s, o i n m w po it l h iti o c t , h a e n r d s i. w a h ise oh a a t v ta e c a k tt n epd o 27 . made by one of th e clowns in tine wins, on.ith. e oo r a ff c ti t ta e ,l r ean o nt f d, t p h we e rim S il t! o te t rt c oe h lc . oonn l gt f : nau t n h ed e , td in hees a ie n rr a by g oe e ad m sl yt e : n dh t a, a v, p lay tilt' empty benAes. r e ;o t rn o b i n4awttot MILNEa'S- FIRE-PROOF BOXES : IMPORTANT. — T he late disastrous fire in Manchester has led to inquiries re specting these valuable boxes, the result of which 11 115 been most satisfactory, although the editor of the Man" chester Guardian had for a moment fallen into a mistake , which has been promptly rectified and acknowledged ; and we doubt not that the increasing interest of the subject will be highly advantageous to the ingenious inventors► who are now overwhelmed with orders from all parts of the kingdom, Their advertisement to-day explains the . particulars to which we have alluded.--Second Editiog' of the Liverpool' Mercury. DISTRIBUTION OF THE FUND TO ARISE FROM TAE' PROCEEDS OF THE FANCY BALL.—From a statement' which has been shown us of the particular charities, Il l ' which it is understood to be the intention of the com mittee to distribute the funds expected to arise from the approaching Fancy Ball, we are sorry to observe that o . o' very deserving institution is, from some c ause qu ite ii' explicable to us, passed by. The institutions named are' the infirmary, the District Provident Society, the North' and South Dispensaries, and the Northern and Southern' Hospitals—institutions all most worthy certainly of such aid as will conduce to their increased usefulness. It dodo es' e seem to us, however, singular, an we may add unfair: although it is far from our wish to impute designea, wrong, that the Eastern Dispensary, a most valuable so° useful institution should be excluded from the favours of the committee and the public. This institution was openea only in 1839, and is therefore certainly a new one. afforded, however, during its first year, relief to 2,1 6 .- patients, of whom 464 were visited and relieved at the ! own homes. Last year it relieved no less than 5,864'1' 1 %. tients,.of whom 1,572 were visited and relieved at the' own homes; and such an institution, we respectfully sub: mit, heated in not the most vseali hy part of the t0wn,.1 5 worthy of the consideration of the committee. SALE OF GUANO.—Yesterday a sale of this extraordi nary.i manure took pl ce (the second by auction here, ao' imported by the second vessel bringing it here from Africa) at the office of Messrs. Roscoe, Arnold, acid Leete. It was the cargo of the barque Rivals,. from Angra Pequina, which brought 500 tons, which was. 01 " fared.xwBiclosed t ot owan T tn. e 6aTn n lh t d7 y e s ab. t b o i6do n dd. s . n w l gt 2e esalrvaei to ntosegor Aberdeen; er a t dro t dsn t esg l r e noa c ;nd o lu4y m aol m ul fyt unsold,. srf n eo e wl e l d commencement t was taken in at £7. Ab ou t 46 t ons was bought to go' and the remainder to parties i n th e town.. Two othe f guano ships have arrived from Africa, since the Rivals' one on Saturday, the other o n S un d ay — b oth fro g Jehiboe, (a new place for the ar ti c l e, ) 21 l eagues north c," Angra Peguna. The cargo of one of them, the Corr merce, was offered yesterday at Messrs. Roscoe and Co. Bi after the other sate, and w e are i n f orme d , was mt.. superb'. to that hitherto brought fr om th e l a tter Par l , approaching nearer in quality, if not equal to the Yer i u f vian. The parties present were, however, all previoassi supplied, and the whole was taken in at £B. We m o t add that we learn from good authority that the sto t be South American guano on hand is almost exhausted, ,0 last cargo being now working off, so that a new imP s '. will be given to the trade on the future numerously e s pected arrivals from Africa. LIVERPOOL HAY AND POTATOE MARKEI'L MARCH 11. 10a Potatoes, 19 , gAlb S. d. S. d. 'H ay, o ld 2(tb 0 7 ® 0 ,, Pink-eyes - 0 Cups 2 9 3 1 —..... 2 2 54 ' ,lt C ra lo w 7 h . e . a . t .. ( 0 ) a-L• cl O . 1 Short-tops Cattle Turnips, ap , ton .... 22 0 —24 6 Barley Carrots 3O 0 —33 0 Manglewurzle 0 0 LIVERPOOL: TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 1844 PRINTED AND PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY MoRNING' BY JOSHUA FLETCHER LACE, of 53, Grove-street, and LEONARD ADDISON, of 14, Great Orford-street, At N 0.4, ST. 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