The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-11-09 00:00:00

thinking men as he has been represented. What can be the reason of this omission ? How happens it that the press which sang so loudly the praises of a Currie, a Walinsley, a Rathbone, a Hornby, and one or two others, is struck so dumb when the exemplary conduct of a Bolton claims its gratitude ? We did hope that the solitary consolation of reading these accustomed offerings would have cheered the retirement from office of Mr. Bolton, but there seems a stinging conviction on the part of our Radical friends that the remarks in the council chamber, in reply to the vote of thanks, were not quite so groundless as they have vainly en deavoured to exhibit. We need not say one word to 84 , the justice and propriety of those remarks, for the silence of the friends of Mr. Bolton is sufficiently significant, and is pregnant with that sort of meaning Ivhich, we fear, will considerably enhance the chagrin and disappointment with which the chief magistrate will quit the civic chair. We may, however, refer to a letter from a correspondent in another column, ad ducing some further proofs of Mr. Bolton's impartiality beyond those which have already been made public. "Notwithstanding the efforts of most of our contem poraries to sow the seeds of dissension amongst the C onservatives on their attaining a majority in the council, we need scarcely say that their endeavours have proved abortive. They will meet to-day a Phalanx of united, determined, and honest men, and the first result of their deliberation will be, the ap pointment of John Shaw Leigh, .Esq. as Chief Ma- Ristrate of our loyal town for the ensuing year. We be lieve not the slightest hesitation has ever taken place ( in this subject, arid we expect Mr. Leigh will be con ducted to the chair without the slightest opposition, as the radicals must know it to be worse than useless. perhap s we cannot do better than refer here to a corn t nunication which appears elsewhere, signed Fidus Achates, and to which we allude more for the purpose 131 drawing attention to the promised remarks of our i ntelligent correspondent on the School question. We have reason to know from our acquaintance with him, th at anything proceeding from him is worthy the Lighest attention. This morning, immediately after the election of Chief Magistrate, the Council will proceed to the ap pointment of eight aldermen, in the place of those "hose six years tenure of office expires to-day. A list of gentlemen, whom it is said the Conservatives will submit to the approval of the Council, has been pub lished by several of our contemporaries; but we have the best authority for saying it is not to be relied upon. Thou g h we do not feel justified in making public the 'lame s of any gentlemen which have reached us, we r egret it the less, as, in the course of a few hours, all S peculation —and until then every statement is nothing e lse —will be set at rest. We are not prepared to say that the list, to which We have alluded, is incorrect in every instance; but it 6 sufficient to say that as to several names it is so. Reports were current yesterday that Mr. Alderman tvans had signified his intention to resign the honours w ith which, some six years ago, his co-liberals invested h nn. We have heard several .reasons assigned for this rather unexpected determination. One is, that seeing t he post of honour, which a little week ago seemed within his grasp, disappear and vanish from before his lo nging sight, he has not sufficient philosophy to sus tain pangs of disappointment. Another reason is, that 15 ristitutional irritability will not permit him to co °Perate with an adverse majority. No higher motives t han these are supposed to exist for the Alderman's n lagnanimous resolve. We do not undertake to vouch f °r the truth of the rumour; but if it be true, we can ° nly say that Mr. Evans, at mature age, is playing the Part of a spoiled child. LOCAL NEWS. Mr. Anderson, the Great Wizard of the North, has handed over to Messrs. Pim and Co., to be applied to the relief of ,the widows and orphans of the crew of the President , the handsome sum of £2B, being the produce of an evening's Performance set apart for that purpose. POSTOFFICE.—The new alterations just made by the Post- Office are as follow :—The packets from Liverpool for North America will be once only in the month, instead of t%% ice ; and, in future, two mails will be despatched in November . , and only one in March. The rates of postage to and from Panama, or any place on the western coast of South Ame rica, are reduced from 2s. 3d. to Is. 2d. when not exceeding half an ounce ; 23. 4d. when not exceeding an ounce, &c. FORGERY.-At the house of John Fenton, Esq., at Crim iu,le, near Heywood, on er Thursd a last, r. Jan ol- Inge, cotton manufactui , of He y ywood, M w as onath cha C rged with caving forged a bill of £250, upon a cotton broker at Liver pool, some time about ninth last. It appeared, that Col 'inge went to America in May last, and returned to Hey wood about ttn days ago. The charge of forgery was made out in evidence, and he was committed to Kirkdale for trial at the next assizes. WATERMEN'S CHURCH AT WESTON POINT.—We under- S tand that the Lord Bishop of the diocese intends to conse crate this interesting church on or about the 20th instant. t he watertnen of the Weaver Navigation, for whose special benefit this sacred edifice has been erected, have, we hear, "Tornenced a subscription among themselves for the pur rto of placing -a clock in the tower of their church, thus af rding a striking testimony of their gratitude for the pro .liBion making to supply their spiritual wants by the divine ordinances of the church of God. HEROIC ACT OF A SAILOR Boy.—On Monday last, as t he Brig Willi am Rathboue was hauling into the Queen's '" l ack, a boy named Huntington, when stepping from the vessel to the quay, slipped into the water. The poor lad ld r s ou inevitably have been drownd but for the courage of eter Teller, a boy, an apprentice on board the Colombia, 11 , 1 ,?w lying in the King's Dock. He immediately plunged into Vie water, and with great difficulty succeeded in swimming , 0 the assistance of the drowning youth, whose head he sup- Ported above water until a boat was taken to their aid. This Youth deserves the special notice of the Humane Society. THE TOWN COUNCIL.—The first quarterly meeting of the new Council will be held to-day, at twelve o'clock. The first business will be the election of, Mayor. The Council will then proceed to the election of eight aldermen to supply Ile places of Messrs. Joseph Hornbv, Robert Roikell, Thomas Blackburne, Thomas Booth, 1, i,thard Shiel, Robert l imn, George Holt, and C. H. Jones, who go out of office Under the Municipal Act. The Council will then proceed to fix the Mayor's allowance, appoint the three ensuing quar terly meetings and the annual officers, pass -tie standing Orders, appoint committees, &c. A. CHILD DROWNED IN A BUCKET : CAUTION TO P ARENTS. —On Saturday last an inquest was held before t he B orou gh Coroner, to inquire into the death of Ellen noberts, aged eighteen months. Mrs. Grace Roberts, mother °f the deceased, deposed. that, on. Friday last, she left the deceased alone in ,her house and went out to hang some clothes. Having finished her occupation she returned, when she found the child with its head down and its feet up in a bucket, which contained about two quarts of suds. She took It up and sent for a surgeon. The child was quite dead, having been drowned in the suds. Every endeavour was made to. restore animation, but without effect. Verdict— Accidental death. • THE MERCURY AND THE ELECTIONS. -- The wonderful tiddler of Friday; in expressing his astonishment at the re sults of the recent municipal elections, declares that the choice which the electors have made, " infers so absolute a forgetfulness of the past—so utter a recklessness of the future—(is). so gross an act of suicidal folly—that it seems almost incredible, and would have been impossible had the electors been left free to exercise their nominal privilege, exemption from intimidation on the one hand, and corrup tion on the other." With all due deference, however, to so eminent an authority, we are ready to maintain that the choice made by the electors "infers" no such thing, but pre cisely the contrary ; and that there is nothing at all incredible about it. The electors have repudiated the claims of a set of rank impostors—thorough quacks—stale, threadbare and im pudent pretenders. There is no forgetfulness of the past in 'his, we think, although there may be some little forgetful atess of our good Mercury's often repeated diatribes. What is there in the past to endear one individual of the thirteen Cejected ones to the electors of Liverpool? Why nothing, good Mercury We remember well the acts of these men aud their professions. We have looked them through and through ; and we like them not. Nor is there anything that we can see of " recklessness of the future ;" on the con trary the electors of Liverpool have shown a pretty manifest determination, that the future shall not resemble the past ; and taken the precise means required to carry into effect that determination. That our contemporary should be wrathful, under all the circumstances of this shocking disaster to his party, is little surprising; but we are, we must confess, a little amazed at the bitterness with which he falls foul upon the defaulteri of his own party. Has so old a stager as the Mercury been all this time " coining his wit for drachmas" ik this good town of Liverpool—mixed up in every dirty *big intrigue, cognisant of every hollow and fraudulent de vice with which their grand imposture, " Liberalism," seeks to palm itself upon the credulity of mankind ; and can he still have remained ignorant bow " shabby" and pitiful— now " Sneaking" and " cowardly" were many of the party With which he worked ? We cannot believe it. The suppo sition is too preposterous to be entertained for a moment. It is a fact, which all the world—with the exception perhaps of the Mercury—has been aware of for half a century, that Your professing reformers—your consummate purists—your eminent philosophers are not themselves more inconceivably hollow and shallow than a vast majority of the herd who fol '°w them are interested, mean, shabby, and tergiversating. We have known this long ago i • and were quite prepared to / see shoals of them deserting their former leaders, and fol -I°whig in the wake of conservatism, whenever that cause be anie strong enough to stand by itself. Our contemp orar y , ' h owever, like all new converts, is a little too indiscr imi-• " i tiug in the fulminations which he deals out. There are 11141, Y " honest and honourable" men of the whig party, who 011 Monday last declined to vote for the chosen candidates of the radical party ; but it is going a little too far to say that tll °Be men are no longer to be accounted " honest and : lo nourable." or that;they are " pitiful sneaking beings" who dare no t sa y their souls are their own at an election. Ile real fact we take it to be is, that the reformers, or nominal reformers," who have hung back in the struggle, were not quite so proud of the fellowship into which whig gery has fallen, and would fain drag them at its heels, as the sage Mercury himself. Men with clean coats, and no itching skin be neat h t h em, are n o t an xious to rub a ga i ns t every post they meet ' • and, although we had rather have seen many of them evince their disgust at whig uncleanness, by the more manly course of voting for conservative candidates, yet we cannot discover any strong ground upon which to complain, or at all to impeach the motives of their neutrality. "'When You couipiehend a thief let him steal out of your company"— I S a maxi m . which miny prudent m en besides Dogberry have counselled. SIGNOR SZCZEPANOWSKI'S CONCERT.--This accomplished guitarist gave a concert in the Portico Room, last evening. The company, though not numerous, was very select and fashionable. The performances went off with great spirit. THEATRE ROYAL.—Miss Ellen Tree and Charles Kean commenced a short engagement last evening at this theatre. The " Lady of Lyons" was played in a manner that delighted all who witnessed it. To-night " Romeo and Juliet" will be acted. Ellen Tree's Juliet is the most finished, chaste, and beautiful impersonation of the present day. IRON STEAM-VESSELS FOR THE CHINESE EXPEDITION. —The following is an extract of a letter from Bombay, dated Sept. 30th, 1841 :—" The Adriana and Medusa started yes terday for China. They went off the harbour beautifully. Sir Gordon Brenner, late commander in China, went on board of them, and expressed himself much gratified with them, declaring they were the very thing wanted in China. With 90 tons of coal, 6 months stores and provisions ammu nition, &c., they drew four feet 4 inches in water." IRON STEAM-VESSELS.—The iron steamers are of more use than any other ; they draw so little water, and consume such a small quantity of coal, that their services are incalcu lable. The Queen is a fine vessel, but having Hall's con densers, she is often out of repair. I wish you could only whisper to your big wigs to send the iron steamers you have in Bombay—at least I have read of such things.—Canton Paper, August. Cabin passengers by the packet-ship England, Captain Waite, iu nineteen days from New York :—His Excellency Baron de Marechal, Austrian minister, and servant ; L. Massi, Esq., Consul-General of Sardinia; Mr. Hore, lady, and family, of England ; Madame Calabre, of Paris ; Miss Green, of New York ; Mr. Kirwan, lady, and daughter of Dublin ; Dr. Van Zandt, of Missouri, United States ; Count Kruggler, of Switzerland ; J. Whitehead, Esq., and E. Gar denillas, of Valparaiso; Edward Marshall, Esq., Sheffield ; J. Howortb, Esq., of London ; E. Hales, Esq., of Montreal, Upper Canada ; F. Delmage, Hamilton, Upper Canada. LECTURES ON THE DRAMA.—Sheridan Knowles gave his fourth lecture on the drama on Saturday last. The poet de lighted the audience by his clever readings of various au thors, and his explanations of portions of different well_known dramas. He cut up the critics of the present day with an unsparing hand. His recitation of " Wolfe's Monody on the death of Sir John Moore" was exquisite, and drew forth loud applause. The fifth lecture takes place to-morrow evening. FINE ARTS.—We are glad to learn that Anderson's ex hibition of statuary is beginning to attract public attention. We were sure they would do so as soon it was generally known. Every one that has seen the figures is highly astonished. They have been visited by some of the first ar 'ists in Liverpool, and one and all declare they never saw so ~.uch animation in stone. The figures are as large as life, and as natural as life. The face being an index to the mind, the artist has brought all his powers to bear upon it with astonishing effect in all the figures. SATURDAY EVENING CONCERTS AT THE NORTHERN MECHANICS' INSTITUTION.—These concerts are conducted in a manner at once to please the fancy and elevate the taste, and, much to the credit of the committee, they have been " established with the sole object of affording working men an opportunity of spending their Saturday evenings in a sober and a rational manner." As these concerts, therefore, have been commenced with this laudable object, we strongly recommend the working classes to embrace the opportunity here held of profitably spending an hour or two on the Saturday evening, for if they do not, they may rely upon it that the middle ranks of society will not be so remiss.—Cor respondent. FATAL ACCIDENT ON BOARD THE STEAM-SHIP FORTH. —On Thursday last, immediately after the return into the Coburg Dock of the West India mail steam-ship Forth, Captain Fayrer, from a short trial trip in the river, a seaman on board, named Daniel M`Millan, was told by one of the officers to get a warp on shore, for the purpose of securing the vessel to the quay. In performing this duty he accidentlly fell from the top of the paddle-house to the spurred platform below. Captain Fayrer and others immediately went up to him, but when raised, it was found that his neck was dislo cated. Mr. Cameron, surgeon, was sent for, but he ex pired almost immediately. SURVEY OP TILE UNITED KINGDOM, &C.—At the Kirk dale Sessions, on Thursday, Captain Tucker, of the Ord nance, stated, that an accurate survey of England, Ireland, and Scotland was at present being made, under a late act of parliament, and, with the exception of our six northern coun ties, was nearly completed. He applied to the bench for the appointment of one or more persons, in each township of the Hundred of West Derby, to accompany him in his sur vey, precisely to indicate the boundaries of each, and thus to facilitate the accurate accomplishment of his labours. The government, and not the county, pays all expenses. — A petition, signed by Lord Skelmersdale, Rev. J. T. Horton, and some other magistrates, was presented to the court, recommending, that the townships of Formby and Simmons wood should be transferred from the division of Kirkdale to Ormskirk ; and the townships of Childwall, Allerton, Gar ston, and Wavertree should be transferred from the division of Prescot to that of Kirkdale. Ordered, that the consider ation of this petition be postponed, and that the Clerk of the Peace, in the meantime, should communicate its contents to the magistrates in petty sessions in each division, and that they be requested to ascertain from the various townships, through the officers thereof, how far such change would con duce to their convenience. DEATH BY BURNING,—An inquisition was taken, on Sa turday last, before P. F. Curry, Esq., for the purpose of investigating the circumstances which led to the death of Mary Davies, aged IS years. The deceased, it appears, was housemaid in the service of Mr. Robert Healey, accountant. On Thursday week she was warned by the cook that she was sitting too near the fire in the kitchen. Presently afterwards she uttered a loud scream. The cook looked round and saw her in flames. The cook endeavoured, by rolling her on the floor to extinguish the fire, but could not succeed. The cries alarmed Mr. Healey, who ran down to the kitchen, and, by wrapping a hearth rug round the poor girl, contrived to put out the fire. A surgeon was immediately sent for, and every attention paid to her. She was subsequently removed to the Infirmary. She lingered on until Wednesday last when she died. She attributed the accident to a spark or a cinder having alighted on her dress. Verdict, Accidental death. GALVANIC PLANT PROTECTOR.—WC saw, yesterday, at Mr. Cuthbert's, Clayton-square, a curious invention, in which the galvanic principle is applied to the purpose of preserving plants from the attacks of worms, slugs, &c. This ingenious invention, which perfectly secures dahlias and other delicate plants from the attacks of those voracious pests of the flower garden—the molluscs, must be highly ac ceptable to all engaged in their culture. After a trial of 12 months by the original inventor, not a plant was injured that had the protection of these galvanic circles, although during the same period, plants on all sides suffered severely that were not so protected. The protector consists of a conical ring of zinc about four inches in height, the top end flanked off about a quarter of an inch, and cut into numerous van dyked points; immediately under is a ring of copper neatly fitted. It is thus used :—tha bottom of the zinc ring is pressed into the soil until the lower edge of the copper ring is about one inch and a half above the surface, care being taken to inclose within the ring the rods of such plants as may require them, otherwise the mollusca find a road to the plant by the rods. The mollusca may crawl up the zinc with impunity, but on coming in contact with the copper will receive a galvanic shock, and immediately turn away, or fall to the ground. If the larger of this tribe attempt to stretch across and above the copper belt, avoiding contact, they would be incapable of holding by the points. The protector acts in wet or dry weather, and is always in action. Its appear ance in use is like a flower pot, and its cheapness, utility, and durability must insure its general adoption. For the protection of fruit trees, the same principle is applicable. Strips of zinc and copper are prepared, which being judiciously placed along the wall, and round the stems of each tree, effectually preserve them. THE IRON STEAMER NEMESIS.—This vessel, which was constructed by Mr. Juhn Laird, of Birkenhead, seems to have been, according to the last advices from China, par ticularly efficient. We find her and her gallant commander, Captain Hall, busy on all occasions. The following extracts from the Bombay Times will show how she behaved during the typhoons, and how well she was employed subsequently : "The Nemesis, owing to the precautions of Captain Hall, rode out the typhoon on Thursday in Hongkong Bay in per fect safety ; and the second typhoon on Monday iu the Typa. The left on Tuesday to tow the Sulphur off shore. After the first typhoon the Nemesis was actively employed. On Thurs day she towed the schooner Starling, Lieutenant Kellett, in from Tongkoo Bay, every thing standing. On the same day, Captain Hall found, on Kowchow Island, Captain Prichard and ten seamen, who had saved themselves from the wreck of the James Laing. Mrs. Pritchard, the captain's wife, and nine seamen were drowned. He took on board the Nemesis five of the James Laing's crew, also Mr. Jones, conductor of ordnance, and nine Siaphis, who had escaped to the shore from the wreck of one of the prize Chinese war junks. Captain Pritchard remained on shore with five of his men, in the hope of finding his wife's body. They were all afterwards taken on board the Atalanta. The James Laing and the transport Prince Ge orge w ent all to pieces. The Prince George 'a crew were taken on board the Queen. The schooner Black Joke was also wrecked. Captain Hall took her crew out of a Chinese boat. GEORGE CONDY, Esq.—Died, on the 4th instant, aged 54 years, George Condy, Esq., barrister-at-law, and a com missioner of bankrupts in Manchester. Mr. Condy was also one of the proprietors of the Manchester and Sal ford Advertiser, which he conducted with consummate ability for a considerable number of years. His literary attainments were at once extensive and profound ; he had also a thorough practical knowledge of music, and was no mean linguist. The vigour of his pen will long be remembered in Manchester. The Manchester Courier thus notices his death :—" As honest a heart as ever beat—as brilliant a genius as ever shed lustre on the dull and dreary atmosphere of the community in which we live—is stilled for ever. We never wrote with less affectation—seldom with a heavier heart, than we do at this moment in attempting to pay a hur ried and passing tribute to the memory of poor Coudy. Though rival journalists, and opposed to his political creed, we were united to him by a sincere friendship in the ordi• nary relations of social life ; and we refer to that part of our present number in which his death is recorded with that sorrow which deceased worth can alone excite. Whether regard be had to his lofty talents, or to his social virtues, we can say, with perfect truth, we could have better spared a better man.' EXTENSIVE FIRE AT MANCIIESTER.—On Saturday even ing, about seven o'clock, a fire was observed in a cotton-mill in Jersey-street, Ancoats, Manchester, occupied by Messrs. Copley, Barrow, and Co., and Messrs. Williams, Pooley, and Co. The fire raged with the greatest violence for an hour and a half, at the expiration of which the whole build ing, machinery, and stock, were totally destroyed. The premises are valued at £20,000, and we understand are in sured for the full amount. The mill was closed at half after four on Saturday afternoon, when all was left in order, and the first appearance of any fire was observed in the third story at seven, when the fire police were immediately sum moned, but, notwithstanding their exertions, there is nothing now to be seen but a heap of ruins. We are sorry to hear that 250 workmen will be thrown out of employment by this calamity. The night was extremely calm, or had there been the slightest breeze, the destruction of property in the neigh bourhood must have been immense.. Up to yesterday af ternoon the origin of the calamity was involved in mystery. It is rather a singular circumstance that the fire which oc curred to-night took place within a few yards of the manu factory at which eight workmen lost their lives by the explo sion of a steam boiler. LECTURES ON THE ANCIENT MINSTRELSY AND NA TIONAL M SIC of ENGLAND. — Mr. Thomas Venables will commence a course of lectures on this highly interesting subject, at the Literary and Scientific Institution, St. Anne : street, on Friday evening next, the 12th instant. Mr. V. ' s object is the patriotic one of proving that the people of this country have a distinct style of their own in music, of a date as early as that of the national music of other countries. In proof of this, he brings forward specimens of well-authen ticated English airs, contrasts them by the performance of Welsh, Irish, Scotch, Italian, &c. national music, and di lates on their distinguishing features. Many of the speci mens are of great rarity and beauty, and will doubtless be exceedingly well sung by Miss S. Venables, his talented daughter ; others are arranged as duets, trios, &c., and will be sung by gentlemen amateurs. Amongst the ancient airs most admired in Mr. Venables' lectures, we may notice " Chevy Chace," and " Shall I go walk," from the virginal book of Queen Elizabeth, both of which will be sung by Miss S. Venables ; as also her Italian polacca, " Son Ver gin," from I Puritani, introduced as a specithen of the mo dern school. Mr. Venables has delivered his lectures with great success to many public institutions, and under the im mediate patronage of several of the clergy. The members and visitors to the institution may anticipate a highly enter taining and intellectual treat. ANCIENT ORDER OF FORESTERS. The officers and brethren of the Lord Wortley Lodge, No. 725, of the Ancient Order of Foresters, met on Wednesday last, at the house of host Belshaw, Greyhound Inn, Great George-place, when they presented to brother George Corlett, P. C. R., a silver medal, as a testimonial of the esteem in which his set vices are held by the order. CAUTION TO HOUSEKEEPERS.—NS the winter season ap proaches, housekeepers cannot be too cautious in attending to the fastening of their doors and windows, as the light fingered and footed gentry have commenced their avocations for the season. On Saturday night some adroit thief con trived to secrete himself in a house in Islington, through the negligence of the servant in not closing the door whilst she was out for a few seconds upon an errand. He remained in the house till the family had retired, and then he commenced preparing to carry off whatever struck his fancy ; but lie was obliged to decamp rather hastily by the back door, being alarmed by a party unexpectedly going down stairs. Similar cases have occurred in different parts of the town. PRESERVED MEATS.—In another column we insert Mr. Gamble's advertisement offering his preserved meats to pub lic notice. Mr. Gamble's mode of preserving, whilst differ ing materially from all of those hitherto known, is superior to them in manner in which the natural flavour of the article is retained, and in the comparatively inex pensive ease of the process. We understand that he is enabled to make packa ges of preserved meats varying from one pound to five hun dred ; and that he is at this moment engaged upon a govern ment order for a considerable number of packages of the largest class. Several of the leading steam packet compa nies, we understand, are about contracting with him to sup ply their vessels. IMPUDENT OBBERY.—Yesterday, an old acquaintance of the police, named John Howell, was examined before Mr. Maxwell, on a charge of having stolen a parcel containing 14 lbs. of coffee, and 2 lbs. of tea, under the following cir cumstances. On Saturday, Mr. Bentham, of Tythebarn street, delivered the parcel in question to James Wilson, a carrier between Liverpool and Onnskirk, to be conveyed to Mr. James Campbell, grocer, in Ormskirk. Wilson pro ceeded afterwards into Ranelagh-street, where he stopped and put the parcel upon the ground for the purpose of re placing the packages in the cart. The prisoner coming up, took the liberty of appropriating it to himself, but being ob served by Mrs. Williams, who gave an alarm, he was fol lowed by Wilson, who apprehended him with the property in his hands. The defence of the prisoner was, that a man whom he did not know bad given him the parcel to carry. He was committed for trial at the next sessions. WOODSIDE FERRY. A parliamentary committee has been formed by the Birkenhead Police Commissioners, for the purpose of framing a bill and making applica tion to parliament for power to enable the inhabitants of Birkenhead to purchase the Woodside Ferry from the Chester and Birkenhead Railway Company. Joseph Mal laby, Esq., the commissioners' law clerk, is instructed to draw up the bill, and the following gentlemen are appointed the committee to consider the clauses :—J. D. Case, Esq., Mr. Wm. Cole, Mr. Laird, Mr. D. Appleton, Mr. Stans field, Mr. J. S. Jackson, Mr. Laycock, Mr. Pim, and Mr. J. H. Greene. At a meeting of the Birkenhead oommis sioners on Tuesday, the following resolution was adopted : " That the law clerk take such proceedings as he thinks ne cessary for the purpose of bringing to a conclusion the contract of Mr. F. R. Price (lord of the manor) and the railway company, and that he employ such assistance as may forward the object ;—that a committee be appointed to con sider for what objects application should be made to parlia ment in the ensuing session, and to report thereon, with such notices to be prepared by the law clerk as may be necessary to forward all the purposes for which such application should be made." LICENSING SESSIONS.—The magistrates for the borough held a special sessions at eleven o'clock on Friday, for the purpose of granting and transferring publicans' licenses. There were present Mr. John Holmes, Mr. Booth, Mr. Houghton, Mr. Earle, and Mr. Rathbone. Only one case of interest occurred. It was one in which Mr. Martin Bromley applied to have a license transferred from Mr. Moore. The premises arc situated in Suffolk-street. The application was opposed by Mr. William Percival, on his own and on the part of a great number of the owners and occu piers of property in Duke-street. Several grounds of objec tion were urged, the principal of which was, that the door of the place opened into Duke-street, and that a nuisance would consequently be created there. A very long discussion took place, which ended in Mr. Bromley undertaking to remove the door from Duke-street into Suffolk-street before Decem ber, and the transfer to be kept in the hands of the magis trates' clerk till that condition be fulfilled. THE WOODSIHE FERRY CASE : WALKER V. JACKSON. --On Thursday, in the Court of Common Pleas, Mr. Knowles moved for a new trial in this case, on the ground of misdirection, or for leave to enter a nonsuit. The action was brought against the defendants as owners of the ferry from Woodside to Liverpool, across the Mersey, and the declaration alleged, that a phaeton, containing watches and jewellery - , had been delivered to the defendants to carry and land safely, for hire and reward, and that the defendants had failed to discharge their duty, by which reason the, watches had been partially injured. After de tailing the circumstances of the case, which were pub lished in our paper immediately after the trial, Mr. Knowles contended, that the plaintiff had secretly put on board the ferry-boat a quantity of valuable goods, under the pretence of there being only a carriage, for which a small freight was demanded by the defendants. If, how ever, as there was no proof of any carrier's notice to the plaintiff, the court should think that the defendants were liable for whatever the contents of the phaeton might be, then it was submitted that they were not delivered to be carried and landed, but only carried across the ferry. The acts of landing and embarking were, by the practice of the defendants as ferry owners, in which capacity they were sued, discharged at the expense of the passengers, who generally employed the defendants' servants for that purpose, at their own costs and charges. That being so, the defendants could not he said to have undertaken to carry and land the phaeton and its contents, and were not, therefore, liable for any in jury sustained in the act of landing. They could not be held responsible for act of negligence or carelessness, moreover, if they were bound to land, inasmuch as the injury was caused by the concealment from them of the actual weight of the carriage by the plaintiff. So that, looking at the whole case, in no point of view could the verdict for the plaintiff be sus tained. Rule nisi granted. RUELTY OF A FATHER TO HIS CHlLDREN.—Yesterday, at the police-court, a miserable-looking elderly man, named Thomas Ball, was brought before Mr. Rushton, by warrant, at the instance of the overseers of the poor, to answer a charge of shameful neglect and maltreatment of his children. Mr. Evans, of the poor's office, stated that two children of the prisoner's, whom he had neglected and treated in a manner which would be detailed by Mr. Rowland, were now in the workhouse. Mr. Rowland, relieving officer, said that on Friday last, while he was in Chisenhale-street, his attention was called by the female witnesses present to the condition of the children alluded to. He found them in a cold damp cellar, in which there was a very small tire apparently but recently lighted. There was no furniture in the place,— the only articles being a cellar-lid, and a box in which a young child was lying. There was a small quantity of straw in a corner. The prisoner's wife had died a short time ago ; and he was now employed at his trade as a shoemaker, by a Mr. Jones, and earned considerable wages. The children were in a miserable state of filth and destitution. and he had them removed to the workhouse. The female witnesses, who were neighbours of the prisoner, said that his wife died in May last, and that lie then sold every thing he had fora trifling amount—including the little bedding of the poor children, and drank all the money. One of them said that she found the children huddled together• one cold and rainy night without food or fire. and only a few rags pinned round them. He never came home till eleven or twelve at night, leaving the children to go to sleep when they liked, and if they did not let him in the moment he knocked, he beat them without mercy. He had three children. One of them could earn her living. The other two who had been taken to the workhouse were of the respective ages of nine and five years. He was always drunk, and played cards at the public house. r. Rowland said the person for whom the prisoner worked was a shoemaker as well as publican, and was very shy of giving his evidence, owing. as he (Mr. R.) believed, to the fact, that the prisoner spent most of his earnings at his house, At the time the prisoner's wife died, he was receiving relief from the parish, and he believed he had be haved shamefully to the poor woman. The prisoner said he did not earn as much as was stated. Mr. Maxwell, the sitting magistrate of the day, said that the prisoner's conduct had been most disgraceful and inhuman, and ordered that he should be imprisoned for a month. We are informed that Mr. Rowland, the moment he saw the condition of the children, had them relieved with food and other necessaries, until they could be sent to the workhouse. A SAILOR'S Fusitun.r..—As recorded in another column, Daniel WMillan, a fine promising young man, aged 24, an able seaman of the West India mail steam-ship " Forth," Captain Fayrer, was accidentally killed on Wednesday, by falling from one of the paddle-boxes. The body of the de ceased, who died alu.ost instantly from injury of the vertmbrte, was taken on board the vessel, and there remained for the holding of the coroner's inquest on Saturday, it being determined by Captain Fayrer, as a mark of respect to the memory of the deceased, who was a favourite with all on board, that he should be buried from the ship, and followed to the grave by his shipmates. A neat coffin, with a plate on which his name, age, and day of his death were inscribed had been provided; and shortly after the coroner and jury had viewed the body, and the order for interment was given, the incoffining took place on the main deck, a temporary screen being made from the gaze of intruders by a large British ensign. This office of humanity done in a most feeling manner by a few of those to whom he was best known, the tars of the "Forth," and all the youths. were mustered in a line on the quarter deck by their officers. They were all in plain but handsome uniform ;—blue jackets and trousers, and, (in lieu of vests,) blue Gurnsey frocks, with the name " Forth " in white needle-work across the breast; and glazed hats with black silk bands, lettered also with the name of the ship in gilt. We do not remember to have seen a body of finer or hardier looking men, and the quarter-masters and youngsters, also in blue uniform, but without vests attracted equal attention. Captain Fayrer and his officers were dressed in blue naval suits, with gold lace at the cuffs. The body was deposited on tressels on the quay, and shortly afterwards was mounted on the shoulders of six of the tallest seamen—four others, who afterwards released them, acting as pall bearers. The remainder of the ship's crew followed two and two, inclu ding the boys, and behind them Captain Fayrer, and his officers, also two and two, and several gentlemen connected with the ship—in all, 33 or 34 in number. The place of in terment being at Stanhope-street chapel. the course was di rectly eastward from the ship, and past St. James's Church to the gate. The coffin was covered by a large British flag, and the procession moved onward at a slow and solemn pace. The spectacle being unusual, and the occasion one that called forth the deepest sympathy for the untimely fate of the de ceased, the street, though in a comparatively remote part of the town, was crowded from side to side by spectators, prin cipally females, most of whom had heard of the manner of the deceased's death, and gave vent to their feelings—asso ciated with all thier predilections for a sailor, by the frequent exclamation of " Poor fellow !" It was stated that the de ceased was to have been married on the following day, and a homely-clad young woman, in tears, and apparently deeply affileted, who, with some female companions, closely followed the procession, was pointed out as the object pf his affections. The body was carried into the chapel, in which a considerable number of persons besides those in the procession took their seats. The clergyman—owing, we presume, to some mistake—did not, however, arrive for a quarter of an hour or 2U minutes afterwards. The burial service being read, the body was carried into the adjoining cemetery, and, with the usual ce remony, deposited in the grave, which was closely surround ed by all who had formed the procession, and many others. The female before noticed and several of her friends wept bitterly as the earth was thrown on the coffin ; and the pro cession immediately rethrned to the ship, but in inverted order, Captain Fayrer and his officers taking the lead. The. funeral—strictly silent and unobtrusive — was marked by great solemnity and decorum, and appeared to convey to a no inconsiderable multitude a lesson of morality not soon be be forgotten. in the affectionate respect shewn by British seamen to the memory of a departed shipmate. The deceased w as, we learn, a remarkably good-iooking, active, and well disposed young man. He was a native of Glasgow ; has long been employed in the steamers between that port and this, and more recently in the line pf Halifax and Boston steam mail-ships. BLAKESLEY THE MURDERER.—On Tuesday last Sheriff Magney and the ordinary of Newgate communicated to Blakesley that his execution was fixed for Monday, the 15th instant. He received the communication as if he expected . it, and seemed no degree agitated. He has been in good health since trial, and has been constantly engaged in conversation with the ordinary. THE SCHOOL QUESTION We have been favoured with a written communication in which the author objects to the suggestion thrown out by us for the improvement of the Educational System of the Cor poration Schools, taken from the plan not long since adopted by the Presbyterians in Ireland, The writer declares that he would have scriptural education or none. " I ask nu man," he says, " to take my views of scripture; but I will sanction none hi excluding God's word from general study." The question arises on the latter clause of this sentence; what is the sanction which lie speaks of? A Roman Catholic parent comes to a school in which the Bible is taught, and says that if his child may have the benefit of the school without its scriptural instruction, he would be glad to avail himself of it, but that otherwise he could not do so. He is told that scriptural instruction will not be insisted upon in his particular, and the child is sent to the school; the writer referred to, calls this sanctioning the parent in withholding that which he has no right to withhold. We must say, that if this be so, it is a very remote sort of sanction, and that, in our mind, it is not a. culpable or sinful one. But what, if the terms required by the parent are not agreed to, and the child is consequently sent adrift without any education at all ; will not the representative of the school, in that case, be guilty of sanctioning the parent in denying to his child not only a plenary but a partial education ? Will he not be in some degree a party to the child's abandonment to the education of the streets—a sanctioner of his being brought up in total ignorance of all useful instruction? Our correspondent refers us to the injunctions of Scripture with regard to the publication of the divine commandments, and the teaching of the law by parents to their children. Very true ; but with the parents would rest the responsibility of neglecting or disobeying them. Surely, offering to parents the opportunity and facilities for fulfilling these commands would be increasing, rather than lessening, their responsi bilities, whilst affording them a free choice either to do or forbear at their own peril would be lending no excuse, or supplying any sanction to their error, if they took the way of it? We do not desire to enter upon a controversy on this point. We are quite aware that it has been already much discussed, and that there would be a reasonable apprehension of the discussion running out to an interminable length, were we once to embark in it ; but thus much we would throw out for the consideration of our correspondent and those who entertain like scruples. We would say, that the parent who denies to his child the benefit of a Scriptural education, is only tolerated, not sanctioned, in his fault when the choice is given him. Our correspondent's prin ciple would involve coercion in order to escape the guilt of what he conceives to be sanction ; but coercion is now out of the question ; it is not the order of the day, and we are glad of it. What we have suggested, then, is Scriptural education—Church of England education, with clerical superintendence—Church of England masters and mistresses, and none other ; but this, with toleration—with an allowance of that liberty to parents which the law allows in other respects with an exception granted to such parents as peremptorily demand it. In this we cannot perceive the smallest compromise nor guilty sanction of any sort. Our correspondent says, " I believe unsanctified know ledge to be as great a curse as total ignorance, and that we should he provoking the penalty of that curse if we became instrumental in admitting that any knowledge (?) could be desirable from which the word of God was excluded." This is a proposition which it would be needless to discuss at any length : it does not, in fact, immediately concern us, for we are contending, primarily, not for unsanctified, but for sanc tified knowledge. We would offer the latter, but cannot force men to receive it. If they will not have it, on their own heads be the sin ; it is no fault of ours. We would not refuse the former when the latter would not be accepted, be cause we do not agree with our correspondent that complete ignorance is better. We do not think that such secular instruction as would be attainable in scriptural schools, such as we speak of, would be hurtful, but the contrary. If a " little learning" be correct so far as it goes, we do not con ceive that it is at 'all a " dangerous thing." It will not go any way, indeed, to satisfy the demands of the divine law. nor is it to be regarded as a substitute for it ; but of its secu lar uses and importance, and, we may add, of its advantage to society generally, there cannot, we think, be a question, SERIOUS CHARGE OF ASSAULT WITH INTENT TO MURDER, AGAINST THE CAPTAIN OF THE " NUN" STEAM-BOAT BELONGING TO TILE WOODSIDE PERRY CO (From our Birkenhead Correspondent.) On Saturday last and, by adjournment, yesterday, at the Police-office, Birkenhead, W. Duff was charged, before Jno. Deane Case, Esq., with violently assaulting Thomas Shaw, one of the watchmen employed on the Woodside Ferry, with an intent to do him some bodily harm. The prisoner was defended by Mr. Wardle, solicitor, Liverpool.—For the pro secution, the following evidence was called : Robert Ellish, one of the night patrol, said that a little be fore five o'clock on Friday morning he was on duty near the Woodside Ferry, when he was attracted by very heavy groans proceeding from some person inside the ferry gate. He ran down stairs and called out " What's the matter ?" Shaw an swered, " Come down here fast; Wm. Duff has murdered me." He instantly ran round the corner to the place from which the voice seemed to come. When he got to Shaw he found him on his hands and knees, about three yards from the slip, on the north side of the Woodside Ferry, and about fourteen yards from the top of the slip. He assisted him to get up. He found his right side eovered with slutch and blood. His face was bloody and disfigured. He asked Shaw how he tumbled in. Shaw then detailed the facts, which are given below in his deposition. Boughey, constable of the night, said, about half-past five on Friday morning Elliot reported the case, and in conse quence of such information, I went to Woodside Ferry. Saw Shaw on the quay ; he was bleeding profusely from the mouth, and appeared to have several of his teeth knocked out ; he was covered with mud on the right side. In consequence of what Shaw stated, I waited until the packet he belongs to came from her moorings at six o'clock to take her passengers from Woodside Ferry. I went on board with Mr. Haselden, but did not find him there. I then, in company with Royd and Elliot, proceeded to the house of the prisoner, and I di rected Elliot to knock at the door, and say it was time to get up, as the packets would be leaving. His wife made answer. I waited three or four minutes, thinking he would get up ; as he did not come I knocked again very loud ; Duff came to the door in his shirt ; I told him I was going to take him into custody for having thrown Thomas Shaw over the slip, and nearly killed him. He (the prisoner) denied it, saying lie had been in bed since seven o'clock the night be fore. I took him into custody, and examined his shoes. Could form no opinion whether he had been out or not. Two other constables then stated the comparison which they had made between the shoes and the marks on the sand, but the latter were too nearly obliterated to lead to any iden- .fication. Thomas Shaw, who is very ill, and in such a state of health hat the magistrate and Mr. Mallaby had to attend at his house to take his statement, said—l am a watchman at the Woodside Ferry, in Birkenhead. Have been in that capacity for five years. The prisoner, William Duff, is a seaman be longing to one of the Woodside ferry boats, called the Nun. On Thursday evening, the 4th November last, about half past six o'clock, I went on duty. It is my duty to watch the ferry till the half-past seven o'clock boat comes from Li verpool in the morning. Between the hours of opening the ferry and closing it there is o other watchman but myself. On Friday morning, about a quarter-past four o'clock, I hailed the steamer Cleveland, and they answered me. I came up the slip and walked about, and looked at the clock. It was a fine moonlight morning. I walked about till it was time to hail the second boat. As I was going past the end of the wooden stage, from the coal yard, towards the bottom of the slip, a man came running down the stage out of the coal yard, and I said, " Halloa, William, is that you ? you're up soon this morning." He said nothing, but seized hold of me by the body and put his foot before me, and then threw me head foremost off the slip to the bank below. I considered it to be William Duff, the prisoner, but I would not like to swear it. There was the light from the clock lamp, which shone about the stage, but the moon was not very bright. The man came so quick down the slip that there is a possi bility of my being mistaken. I addressed the man as William because he had the size, dress, and appearance of the prisoner. At the time the man got hold of me I had no other reason to think but the man was Duff. Since the occurrence my mind has been very much troubled with dizziness, which makes me hesitate about swearing positively to him now. I cannot swear that it was the prisoner Duff, for fear I might be mistaken. I told Robert Elliott, another watchman belonging to the Birkenhead police, when he came to help me, that William Duff bad nearly murdered me, I have told Mr. Dent and Mr. Jackson that, to the best of my judgment, I considered it was William Duff. On Friday af ternoon I heard that William Duff was in custody, and since then I have told Dlr, Case, the magistrate, that I thought it was Duff. I cannot at the present time say it was Duff: I only consider it was him. On Thursday, the day previous to the accident, I had made complaints to Mr. Hasleden, the manager of the Woodside Ferry boats, about the lights not being clean on board the Nun and the other steamers. I had no quarrelling with the prisoner about it. The prisoner as saulted me about twelve months ago, but since then I have had no quarrelling with him. Mr. Wardle, the prisoner's solicitor, observed that it would be very material in the prisoner's favour if the con stable Royle was called, and state what the prisoner, Duff, said when Boughey asked him how long be had been at home, as he (Mr. Wardle) imagined be made a mistake in saying that the prisoner had been in bed instead of in the house. Mr. Mallaby, as clerk to the magistrates, objected to it. Mr. Case then intimated, that as soon as another magis trate could be obtained, he would be committed on the charge of assault, with an intent to do some grievous bodily harm ; but intimated that he would be admitted to bail on two sure ties of £5O each. Mr. Wardle very ably commented on the evidence, with an intention of showing that there was not sufficient ground to commit the prisoner ; but the magistrates thought other wise. The case excited considerable interest. A Shrewsbury manager who lately "got up " the tragedy of Virginius. introduced the " ashes" of Virginia, not in urn, but in a large coffee-pot with a long spout ! The audi ence burst into a roar of laughter, and the tragedy became a farce ! A COLOURED JUDGE.—Mr. Athill, a gentleman of Afri can descent, has been appointed Chief Baron of the Ex chequer, in the island of Antigua. On occasion of this appointment the Antigua Herald expresses itself as follows : —" We are too well pleased with the appointment announced in last Tuesday's Register to allow it to pass without giving it our unqualified assent. Whether we view it as a valuable precedent, or as the means of admission to one of the highest colonial titles of a highly respected member of the class to which we belong, we unhesitatingly pronounce it to be the most important appointment that has yet been made by the Lieutenant-Governor during his administration of the general government." - SPECIMEN OF A TORY Jon. — The whig papers, particu larly the Globe and the Scotsman, have lately been making a great outcry against the conservative government, because it authorised the appointment of Lord Heytesbury as Gover nor of the Isle of Wight, in the room of the late Earl of Malmesbury. It appears that the latter nobleman received £1,500 a year while he held the office, and accordingly the whig papers aforesaid have fallen tooth and nail upon the conservatives, on the presumption that this salary is conti nued to Lord Heytesbury, in the face of a recommendation of its discontinuance by the House of Commons. Now, what is the fact? Although the government had the power to continue the salary, still Lord Heytesbury is not to receive one farthing of money—the office in his hands being entirely gratuitous. So much for this whig charge of jobbing and cor ruption. We wish it could be said with truth, that the whigs had always acted with equal purity and disinterestedness. TIIE EXCHEQUER AFFAIR. - Mr. B. Smith, who has earned such an unenviable notoriety, and who h as b een in custody for some time past, was brought up from Tothill street prison to Bow-street police-office. After the night charges had been disposed of, Mr. Smith was placed at the bar, and the examination of witnesses, into the mysterious frauds and forgeries of exchequer bills , was proceeded w ith. An unsworn broker, named Et a pallo, to who se possession six teen £lOOO forged exchequer bills have been traced, has also been examined at the Mansion-house. Smith has been com mitted for trial, but the affair as regards Rapallo is still under investigation. It is said that other suspected parties will soon be in custody. At presext, the Chancellor of the Ex chequer declines giving up the fraudulent bills. This has called forth complaints on the Stock Exchange and in the lower city circles; but, surely, the surrender of the forged instruments, that the market may be tainted with them, or individuals annoyed, would be to play into the hands of the wrong-doers. The examination of bills at the Bill-office is carried on with all possible despatch ; but in consequence of the large number to be examined, it is thought the examina , tiou will occupy the whole of this mouth. THE WEST INDIA MAIL STEAM-SHIP " FORTH." This splendid vessel—one of the fourteen destined to run between this country and our West India4colonies, convey ing letters and passengers—is now nearly ready for sea; and after making a trial trip, towards the end of the present week, will proceed to Southampton, the British station chosen (in the meantime) for the whole of the line. And as the public cannot fail to be interested in an establishment of a steam fleet which will secure to Great Britain a more inti mate, extensive, and, we may add, profitable and protective intercourse with her most valuable western dependencies, some account of the build of the vessel, her equipments and accommodations, will, we trust, be acceptable,—more parti cularly as from the similarity in the construction and the size of the whole line, it will equally apply respectively to the other thirteen ships, all now ready for service, or approaching to completion, at different British ports. The names given to the respective vessels forming, this gallant fleet of fourteen sail, and of which the country may be justly proud, are the " _Names. " Medway," " Trent,' Th " his,'; " Tweed: " Solway," " 'fay," " Dee," " Tiviot,'" Forth, " and another, the name of which we have not obtained. "The FORTH" was built at Leith, by Mr. Menzies, and came round to this port, under sail, to receive her engines. She encountered some stormy weather on her coasting voy age, and proved herself an excellent sea-boat. She is built of the choicest materials; is put together in the most faithful manner, and diagonally fastened throughout with wood and iron, on the most improved principles of naval architecture, no pains or expense being spared to render her, in every re speot, a first-rate vessel. She is of a fine model; combining sharpness of the extremities with rotundity, which at once gives assurance of speed and safety under any anticipated contingencies in ocean navigation. She has a spacious spar deck, and stands well and comfortably out of the water without being top heavy, her bearings being such as to ren der her peculiarly stiff. The following are her dimensions : Length of keel Length of spar deck 229 „ From taffrail to figure head, about.24s „ Breadth (or beam) 36 „ Depth of hold.. .Burthen (new measurement).... 1940 tons. Like all the other ships belonging to the same line, she has a round stern, on the plan now adopted in the navy, and which, though not so pleasing to the general eye, from the habit of seeing square sterns exclusively, is, nevertheless, handsome—the roundness being considerably relieved by quarter galleries—and is undoubtedly conducive to greater strength. She has a bold figure-head, and the carving, both forward and aft, is ample and appropriate without profusion, and being gilded on the black ground of the entire hull has a chaste and pleasing effect. Her entrance and run show that sharp and graceful sweep below. and lifting swell above, which attracts the admiration of sailors. She is rigged in the usual style, as a three-masted schooner, with stout and tauntish sticks, an ample fore-topsail, top-gallautsail, and in running down the " trades,' or with a fair wind, will spread a large breadth of canvas, which, together with her steam, will doubtless send her spanking along at the rate of 12 to 13 knots. As a whole, indeed the "Forth" may be said to be one of the handsomest and noblest steamers afloat ; and in the event of war she is adapted, from her strength and bearings, to carry one large pivot gun forward, another aft, and four others of thundering calibre amidships, rendering her, generally, we should think, with the advantage of her steam, quite equal in action, and in cases of calms perhaps superior in capacity for " mischief," to a first-clrss sailing frigate. The spar deck is protected all round by a light, but suffici ently strong, rail, filled in with handsome net-work. This by admitting the passage of the breeze, will offer little or no obstruction requiring displacement, and is peculiarly adapted for coolness in the sultry clime to which she will be exposed during three-fourths, at least, of her respective trips out and home, and her stay in the West Indies. The " Forth" is fitted with two of the patent safety boats, invented by Captain Smith, R.N., of which we made favour able notice before they were adopted on board the iron go vernment ships now in the African exploring expedition, and which has also been most snccessfully employed in other steamers. They are flat bottomed, and planked diagonally for greater strength and lightness. One is placed. bottom up, on each paddle-house, forming the top. They may readily he righted and lowered over the sides by means of ingenious davits; and are each capable of containing eighty soldiers, or marines, fully equipped for hostile assault or de barkation, besides the requisite rowers. They make an ap propriate finish to the paddle boxes, and save, at the same time, their own room on the deck or over the quarters, as they merely occupy the place of planking which would be otherwise indispensible. The thafts or seats being moveable, the tops of the paddle wheels revolve within the boats. The ENGINES, a beautiful and stupendous piece of me chanism, are from the manufactory of our talented towns man Mr. Edward Berry, who has been highly successful for many years in producing both land and marine steam-en gines of practical excellence. They are of 420 horse-power. The castings and polished work are of superior finish ; and in proof of the mathematical accuracy of their construction, we may adduce the fact that the moment the steam was first got up, (on Wednesday last,) the vessel proceeded out of the dock into the river, where she made instant way at the rate of miles an hour ! Generally, engines of this size require to he worked a priori for some hours in the dock, for ad justment, before an outward trial is ventured upon. In this case such a precaution was considered, and proved to be, unnecessary. _ _ The accommodations for passengers, and also for the officers and crew of the ship, are of the first order, both as regards space and convenience. Comfort, combined with neatness, has been especially and almost solely studied; and by judicious arrangements this has been fully attained, apart from the introduction of gaudy or snperfluous decoration in costly gilding or device. There are in all, 73 detached state or sleeping rooms, besides those for the chief officers, en gineers, steward and stewardess, and others connected with the ship, and exclusively also of 25 excellent berths that may be appropriated for passengers when required. Each of these rooms is for the reception of a single passenger, there being but one roomy and lofty bed place—a decided improvement on the usual sleeping rooms—with two beds, one over the other, and into the upper one of which the wight to whom it is assigned must mount up and " shelve" himself in the best way he can. In several parts of the vessel one of the rooms communicates with the next by an interior door in the partition, for the convenience of families or others who may require a larger dormitory for their pri vate and exclusive use. A number of these rooms are immediately under the quarter-deck terminating abaft in the ladies' cabin ; others are on the lower deck, on which also is the saloon or dining-room ; and others forward under the main deck. They are ranged on each side of two passages or corridors, running longitudinally with the ship. Those running on each side the ship, are lighted by port-windows; those amidships, scarcely less cheerfully, from the deck. They are all handsomely painted, and are each furnished with a marble-topped basin-stand and a mahogany dressing table, forming a neat chest of drawers, with a drawing -out writing table or desk. The bedding, hangings, oil-cloths, &c. are of the best quality ; and great care has been taken to secure throughout constant and effectual ventillation. A number of excellent rooms, in addition to those of the officers, &c., are also on the main deck, (under the spar deck,) neatly panelled, and with venetian-blind doors. These, with the spar deck, through which a strong volume of light is admitted, form a delightful and spacious arcade. The SALOON IS a large handsome square apartment on the lower deck, well lighted by a central oblong square deck-tight, and also by six side-port windows, three on each side. It is 33 feet 7 inches fore and aft, and 36 feet athwart ships. The corners are taken off by the steward's pantries at one end, and two state rooms at the ether. The beams of the roof are ornamented with water leaf carving in alto relievo ; and the whole is neatly painted la plain delicate tints. The sides are fitted with fixture sofas, upolstered in red Spanish Morocco, with scroll arms of polished mahogany. There are four ranges of massy telescope framed mahogany tables, the two in the center connected at the top by a crossing table for the chairman and principal guests. The entire length of the tables is 90 feet—calculated to accommodate upwards of 100 guests. Besides central seats, also cushioned in morocco, there are thirty-six handsome mahogany chairs. At either end there is a handsome sideboard, each fitted up for the reception of a large assortment of silver plate, decanters, wines in bottle, &c. A handsome stove grate, on a new double principle, by which the heat is evenly diffused, forms the centre-piece of one of these sideboards, which are each covered with a thick slab of veined marble. Over each of these is fixed a handsome mirror in a guilt frame, carved in laurel leaf to correspond with the roof. The floor is covered with an oil cloth, and over it a Brussels carpet. The walls are altogether devoid of gilding or meretricious ornament; yet the apartment has a most comfortable and even elegant appearance, and we can well conceive will be the scene of many a joyous banquet. The LADIES' CABIN, or retiring room, is on the main deck, close to the stern, from six large windows in which, and two oblong side ports, it is cheerfully lighted. From the shape of the stern its form approaches to semicircular, audit is fitted round with wide fixture sofas, with scroll arms, four in number, handsomely upholstered. Here, too, there are two fine pier glasses, and between them a handsome patent stove grate. The whole of the furniture and upholstery is from the manufactory of Mr. W. Turner, of Islington, and is highly creditable to him as a tradesman. The FORECASTLE under the spar deck is exceedingly roomy and well aired. It is divided into two compartments, fore and aft, and commodiously fitted up for the accommo dation of the blue jackets who will sleep in hammocks. Each will have a convenient locker, to supersede the necessity of lumbrous sea-chests. Immediately below, on the lower deck, are two other large rooms, for the servants of passengers, fitted up with eighteen berths or sleeping places. We may here add, that there are in the whole ship 104 sleeping berths, exclusive of sofas, that may be so appropriated, and cots and hammocks. Ample provisions has been made in accommodations, as regards the live-stock, culinary, and other departments. The cook-house is very large, and admirably fitted up for the at tainment of perfection in the preparing of the viands, pastry, &c. The cow-house is 9 feet 6 inches in length by 8 feet wide, and 6 feet 8 inches high, being the height between the main and spar decks, There are also sheep-pens, coops for a vast number of fowls, (70 dozen on the spar deck alone,) pigeons, &c., and a large ice-house. The subsidiary arrange ments are all on the same scale of neatness and convenience that characterize the larger apartments; the pumps are of the newest and most approved patent, and in the mode of lighting, by night, great care has been taken to guard against accidents by fire, Forward, amongst the sleeping-rooms, is the Dispensary, handsomely and elaborately fitted up, and with ample store of medicines and every surgical requisite for apparently a town of no inconsiderable size. Next to it is the surgeon's apartment. The " Forth" is commanded by Capt. R. J. Fayrer, R. N., a gentleman whose long experience as a seaman, and particularly (of late years) in ocean steam navigation, while commander of the " Liverpool," and more recently of the " President,"—and whose well-known urbanity of manners, and powers of conversation, cannot fail to secure him that popularity which has hitherto been the grateful award of all who have embarked under his " flag." His officers—Mr. Strong, Mr. Armitage, and others—are all of the navy, and his crew are " picked men," w ell t ra i ne d an d di sc i p li ne d. The " Forth" will, it is understood, leave this port in about a fortnight, and sail from Southampton, on her first West India voyage, in the beginning of January,—one or two others of the fleet taking precedence of her from that port. It is fully expected, however, that Liverpool will, ere long, be the home station of the whole, which it decidedly ought to be from its central position, and for other reasons to which we shall hereafter refer. FIRE AT GUILDHALL,--Last night at half-past ten, an extraordinary sensation was created in the city by the report of a fire having broken out at Guildhall. The recent dreadful calamity gave an additional and fearful interest to the report. Hundreds were quickly on the spot, and King-street and its neighbourhood were crowded to excess to learn the truth of the report. On inquiry it was discovered that an explosion of gas had taken place, which had communicated to the roof , portion of which wa s s p ee dily i n a bl az e. a The rumour spread with great rapidity throughout the city, and soon reached the West end. An express was despatched to the different engine statio ns M the metropolis, several of which were speedily on the spot. and the flames were in a short s pace of time extinguished. The roof is somewhat damaged, but the fire was got under before any serious injury occurred. A number of workmen having been for some days employed in making preparations for the Lord Mayor's festival, it is supposed that on trying the gas pipes fitted up for the occa sion, that the flames bad communicated to the roof by that means. The alarm created on the occasion was intense, and up to half-past twelve o'clock persons were arriving from different directions anticipating a dreadful restlit.—Mornirtg Chronicle. CORRESPONDENCE. TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD. SlR,—Allow me, through the medium of your valuable paper, to call public attention to the extraordinary manner in in which the vote of thanks to the mayor was received, at the last meeting of the council; and to offer a few remarks in exculpation of that excellent, liberal, and never-to-be too-much-lauded individual. In the first place, then, the liberality of Thomas Bolton, Esq., has been displayed on divers occasions since his election, in a manner never even thought of by any former mayor of the good old town. The number and excellence of the 'town hall dinners have completely astonished the natives, and the bare mention of the number of plates of fourpenny veal pies, exhibited and consumed on various high civic festivals, dur ing the last twelve months, is truly astonishing ; indeed so notorious has been the liberality of our worthy chief magistrate that no tory dare lift up his voice to assail him on that point. I observe. however, with great pain, from the reports of the last council meeting given by your highly respectable truth-loving, and scandal-hating contemporaries, the Mercury and Chronicle, that some of the tories had the audacity to accuse our worthy mayor of partiality, and one of them even gave a case of it which he asserted had occurred in the re vision court. Now, sir, I was a close observer of his wor ship's conduct while revising the lists, and I must say that I much ad: Aired it. The approving smiles with which he greeted the Irish protectors, as they came up in crowds from the classical purlieus of Orange-street, Lace-stret, &c., to establish the votes purchased for them by the subscriptions of the patriotic Rathbones, Walmsleys, and others ; and the appalling frowns with which he met the rascally tories, whose only claim to the franchise was, that they were natives of the town, and had paid their taxes out of their own hard earn ings, was, indeed, worthy of all praise. They called forth the rapturous plaudits of every true liberal who witnessed the proceedings, and made them declare that Thomas Bolton was worthy to be Lord Mayor of Dublin, and treasurer to the Grand-national-repale-of-the-Union Association. But as facts are better than assertions, I will descend from generals to particulars, and give you an instance of his wor ship's impartiality which will set the question at rest for ever. Amongst the parties claiming to be placed on the register were two, whose notices of claim were verbatim as follows : Taylor, William, house Pleasant -street, in succession to a house in Claremont-grove, Kirkdale. Rated in the parish of Liverpool for the house in Pleasant-street twelve months, and for the house iu Claremont-grove, Kirkdale, upwards of three years. And M`keveringan, Edward, house 51, Mulberry-street, rated in the parish of Liverpool and township of Toxteth-park in the last three years. Now, to a casual observer there seems to be but little difference between the notices; it is true, that a man of ordinary comprehension might think the first more complete and definite of the two; but the mayor, with a sagacity worthy of himself, discovered that the first notice was bad, insomuch as it did not specify the exact time for which the claimant was rated for each house, and the claim was there fore disallowed without the claimant being asked a single question respecting his qualification. This instance will surely satisfy the most sceptical on the subject of the mayor's impartiality, and of the injustice of the charge brought against him by the tory members of the council, especially when they are told that Mr. W. Taylor was a conservative, and Mr. E. M`Keverigan a radical. I may perhaps be allowed to mention one more instance of the mayor's impartiality, coupled with a most aimable display of mildness of temper, and of forbearance aad firmness under peculiarly trying circumstances. It has always been the practice at municipal elections for the Mayor to go round to the different poll-booths, about mid-day, for the purpose of conveying the voting papers of the aldermen and other officials, to any other wards in which they may be qualified, and wish to vote. On his arrival at St. Anne's ward for that purpose, Mr. Thomas Lodge, who was the official poll clerk, and who had a vote in Aber ctomby ward, placed his voting paper in the Mayor's hand, and respectfully requested him to convey it to the Aber cromby polling-booth for him. His worship accordingly took the paper, and having opened and looked, either at the voting name, or the candidate Robertson Gladstone's, or perhaps on both, threw it down, and declared with the sweetest tone and manner imaginable, he would have nothing to do with it. What must Ido then ? inquired the voter, I cannot leave my station, and if you refuse to take it I shall be deprived of my vote. What must Ido with the paper? You inay do what you like with it, replied his worship. I have been assured, sir, by several persons who witnessed the scene, that his worship's conduct and demeanour were worthy of William Rathbone, and this, as I before said, un der the most trifling circumstances. For you will recollect, sir, that by this time it had been discovered, that in every contested ward a great many of the respectable Whigs had taken a most unaccountable fancy to vote for a tory candi date, while the virtuous protectors had wisely determined to study their own individual interests, and not to vote unless persuaded thereto by divers solid and weighty arguments. It was therefore evident that the radical candidates had no chance, and that even their fortress, their strong-hold, their rock of Gibraltar was in danger of being taken by the enemy. Yet still we find that Thomas Bolton - is not cast down, he does no t lose his temper, but acting with a truly liberal spirit, he very properly resolves, that as Mr. Thomas Lodge is inclined to vote for a tory, but cannot possibly leave his post to vote, he will allow him to vote as he thinks proper, and tells him so ; a bright instance of radical liberality. I trust I have now said sufficient to rescue our worthy Mayor from the imputations which the tories endeavour to fix upon him, and I shall be happy in being the humble instrument (during the short time he has to remain in the council) of occasionally setting forth his virtues and merits to the view of an admiring public. I am, dear sir, your obedient servant, DICKY SAM. CLERICAL DOMESTIC ASSOCIATION, TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD SlR,—Will you allow me space for a few remarks upon the letter of '' Amator Doctrinte?" The plan of your correspon dent is excellent, and the desirability of such an institution cannot be doubted, but it is, I think, rather too much to aim at all at once. I shall, however, be exceedingly happy if my proposed establishment should turn out to he the em bryo of such an institution, and should use every endeavour to render it as perfect as possible, although my library in the first in•itance must necessarily be of a more humble charac-. ter. If friends possessing duplicates of any theological works would kindly favour me with them, they would greatly facili tate my designs. I have taken care to ensure the works of the Parker Society as they come out. I do not think it would be desirable to relinquish the lead ing features of a club-house, i. e., " the boarding and sleeping accommodation," for although such may be found, it is not very agreeable for clergymen and others passing through Li verpool to have to seek it ; and the neighbouring clergy within miles round the town will find it an accommodation, when visiting Liverpool for a day or two, to have a real comfortable house to which, as subscribers, they can at once resort. My plan was, ni fact, suggested to me by many gentlemen com plaining of this want, and urging me to accommodate them; and the present result chews me, that in that point of view it will be a desideratum, as I have already subscribers in the neighbourhood who intimate that they shall gladly avail themselves of the establishment. If well supported by the clergy, who have such excellent and extensive means of re commending it, I doubt not being able to render it a most useful, comfortable, and important institution. I shall at all times be roost happy to attend to the wishes and hints of my subscribers, and i❑ this respect trust I shall have some valuable suggestions from " Amator Doctrinte." I beg to remain, Sir, yours very obediently, JOSEPH CRISP, 38, Church-street, Bth Nor., 1811 FMr. Crisp here seems to invite a correspondence with " Aviator Doctrine," for which we cannot find room, and any further communications on this subject must therefore be paid for as advertisements.] TO THE CONSERVATIVE MEMBERS OF THE TOWN COUNCIL OF LIVERPOOL. GENTLEMEN,--Without preface or apology, I take the liberty in all friendship to address to you a few lines of sea sonable exhortation. Be united. On the great principles of conservative government, based on Scriptural truth, you are united. Why, then, exhort you to be united? Because you have now reached a point at which general union on great general principles is not enough. It was enough while you were in a minority in the council, because you appeared bef ore th e t own an d th e coun t r y as a princ i ple protesting against error, and struggling to give weight to, and eventually to procure ascendancy for, truth; but now von appear as a body of men—livin g , a c ti ng men , in vested with power to carry practical measures into execution. Now, therefore, general union on general principles is not enough. You require spe c i a l u n i on i u the appli ca ti on o f those principles to specific measures. Such union cannot be had without a large and willing sacrifice of individual preferences, perhaps I might add, of private interests. A great practical man, in his observations on reading history, has remarked,—first, " That while a party is carrying on a general design, each man has his particular private interest in view ;" and, secondly, " That as soon as a party has gained its general point, each member becomes intent upon his particular interest ; which, thwart ing others, breaks that party into divisions, and occasions more confusion." Forewarned forearmed, is a homely but useful proverb. Gentlemen, let the facts of your history, now about to tran spire, prove a happy exception to these shrewd, severe, and too generally well-deserved observations of Dr. Franklin. Let us have the happiness of witnessing in your case such an elevation above the personal littleness of private interests as will maintain among you the general greatness of public unity. Such a course will greatly redound to your own reputation, as well as to the best interests of the town and the lawful and very desirable disappointment of your politi cal enemies ; who are even now watching for your mistakes, or, in the elegant and characteristic phraseology of one of their organs of last week, waiting to see " how the cat jumps" at the Town-hall. You will perhaps be disposed to say, such general exhotta tions are easily given, and it is easy on all sides to assent to their propriety, but they do not touch the point, you must come to particulars. Well ! Three points press and the Schools —The Mayor, the Aldermen, 1. Report says that you are actually agreed upon the individual to be placed in the chair. I hope it is so, and that not the slightest symptom of disagreement among you will appear in the council or elsewhere. Manifest unanimity among yourselves is of more consequence in this matter than the individual selected; and if you entertained different views and preferences as to who the individual should be, the application of the general principle inculcated in this letter would be accomplished by a friendly conference, at which each might frankly express his preference, and on hearing the rest, sacrifice, if necessary, that preference for the at tainment of unanimity. If necessary! what does that mean, and how is that to be determined ? Why, after reasons heard and answered in friendly discussion, doubtless the majority should have it, and the minority should coalesce without one lingering murmur of disagreement. Then you come before the public as one man. Be persuaded, gentle men, in all such matters let each say there is a good and a greater good. To have the Mayor whom I would prefer would be good, but if I happen to be in a minority, so that unanimity in choosing bins is impracticable, then, as I have consented to the general principle of unanimity being the greater good, let me now gracefully give up my good prefer ence, and cordially coalesce in the greater good of avoiding division and public debate among ourselves. We may still have debate enough with our common enemy. 2. The aldermen— Distinguish bet w een l the sentence pronounce d by any par ticular ward, an d th e sentence p ronoun ced by the town as a whole. Wards are divisions made for convenience, and not independent an d i nsu l a t e d cons tit uenc ies ; therefore, thou g h you have many wards, you have but one council. When the town, as a wh o le, d ec lared in favour of whig• radicals, it was perfectly in accordance with the spirit and the letter of the law that Whig-radicals should be made aldermen, even al though the individuals selecte: l for the honour had been re jected by some particular ward, which happened at the time to have a prevailing conservative constituency ; an d now that the town has declared clearly and decisively in favour of con servatives, i t i s eq ually in accordance with both th e sp i r i t and letter of the law that conservatives should be made al dermen, even although the individuals selected for the honour may have been rejected by some particular ward, which hap pens still to have a prevailing whig-radical constituency. Seine of you may perhaps think otherwise. Some of you may have hastily condemned the practice in this particular of your political opponents, and may now have your attention drawn away from the teal merits of the question by an ho nourable anxiety to act in acc( r lance with your own hasty speeches. This is a snare into which the most generous and ardent spirits are the most likely to fall. All the aldermen now chosen should be decided conserva tives, selected with an enlarged and enlightened view to the general good of the town, and without reference, pro or con, to the circumstance of previous rejection. Regard should be had to the present peace of the town, and we ought not to be kept in the prolonged commotion of elections, consequent upo❑ the advancement of councillors into the seats of alder men. Gentlemen, there may be, report whispers that there are, differences among you upon this point, and our common enemy is on the watch. Disappoint him. Confer together kindly. Scrupulously avoid any approach to irritation, either by impatient interruption or contradiction, or by ascribing unworthy motives for preferences frankly expressed. Culti vate a disposition to agree. Ascertain where your majority is, and permit me, as a lover of good government, a patriot, and a Christian, to implore the minority not only to give in, which they must, but also cordially to coalesce and co-operate, so that, when you come into the council, and appear before the town, we may know nothing of differences among you. Let no man, in such a minority, imagine that by coalescing and co-operating against his personal preference, he is losing re spectability, or influence, or consistency. On the contrary, he is gaining all these for his party immediately, and even tually for himself also. 3. The schools. But I have said enough, perhaps as much as the Editor of the STANDARD can make room for to-morrow morning. I am anxious to send it through that channel, as a peaceful prelude to your council meeting to-morrow. It is possible you may hear further, in good time, from your FIDUS ACHATES. Liverpool, Bth November; IS4I. ALLEGED DISTRESS OF LETTER-PRESS PRINTERS. One of our metropolitan contemporaries on Tuesday last appealed to the public in behalf of the London compositors and pressmen, who, it is asserted, aibe suffering under greater distress than has occurred " during the lengthened period of the art of printing," that is, " about four centuries." The letter in which the appeal is made states, that out of 2,500 compositors, upwards of 1,000 are out of employ, and 500 are not earning more than 10s. a-week. In extracting the following article from the London Time:, perhaps it may be as well to give our reasons for doing so. About two months since, at a meeting of the Liverpool " union " of this body, a resolution was come to for the purpose of determining what number of men were from that time to be employed in each of the local newspaper-offices, in order to " get out " the various papers. We received notice that this rule was to be put in operation at the STANDARD-OffiCC, and that three more men were to be employed upon what is termed the " establishment." This was a species of dictation to which we were not disposed to yield ; and this unreasonable resolution was rescinded at a subsequent meeting of the compositors, by a majority barely exceeding half-a-dozen. All the other rules of the body have been yielded to with perhaps a questionable discretion by the master printers— such as the rate of wages, which are subject to a periodical increase—extra money—number of apprentices—hours of labour—with a multitude of minor regulations, which would be scarcely intelligible to the general reader. We are glad, however, to see that there is every prospect of this " union" being speedily disjointed. If the demands of the men were reasonable, we believe there would be abundant employment for every printer in the kingdom. We now give the follow- ing from the Times in noticing this distress : Doubtless, if the distress exists as there described, and we have no reason to doubt it, it has a powerful claim on our charity ; and we are not unwilling to hope that its mention in our columns may attract towards it the notice of those who are able and willing to assist the sufferers. But, on the other band, it is our duty, not lessened but increased by circumstances to which we shall immediately allude, to caution those charitable persons against the par ticular channel through which the letter in question proposes that the relief should flow; which is a committee of '• the trade," i. e., the body of compositors and pressmen, organ ized at a " general meeting" held at the Mechanics' Insti tution, Southampton-buildings. Now, of these " general meetings of the trade at South atnpton-buildings," we have, had some little experience. We have before us a paper issued by one of them a few years back, containing 22 articles, drawn up to serve as a basis for a general union of the trade. This union, which had . long existed under another form, was organized as far as London was concerned, and proceeded to claim absolute jurisdiction in all matters between em ployers and employed, dictating to the one what terms they should give, denouncing the others if they acceded to any others, and establishing itself (as we have seen) as leader and protector of such " strikes," partial or general, as it might deem advisable should take place. Before it had been esta blished two years, we were favoured with some little speci men of its working, which we suppose may be taken as a sample of the rest. Some 25 years previous The Times had been disobedient to some regulations or other of " the trade." On this had followed, first a defeated strike, then a general anathema of the office, the consequence of which was, and it, that any who, after having worked on our paper, return to the " book trade," are, as the trade's own report words it, the subjects of reproach and persecution. We ourselves, in deed, did not experience any great embarrassment or discom fort from this state of hostility ; but it must have operated rather severely upon that class for whose protection it was enforced, by excluding them from any share in an establish ment considerably larger than any of the kind in London, and, as the " trade council" did not pretend to deny, noto riously liberal in its payments. Now, the said trade council, taking all these circumstances into its consideration, that the sacrifice was so great to its own prolgee's, and the offence so long past, thought it dis creet, " in order that ignorance of the state and practices of The Times newspaper should not be pleaded in extenuation by those who hereafter may work upon that journal, and in order to guide the trade in their decisions upon the subject, believing that a knowledge of the evil will go far to effect a cure, and trusting that the trade will believe that the efforts of the trade council in this particular result from a sense of duty and love of justice," to place before the trade the origi nal cause of quarrel, and pass resolutions denunciatory of those who continued to work with us after an " attempt at adjustment," to the following tune : " RESOLUTIONS RESPECTING THE MODE OF WORKING ON THE TIMES NEWSPAPER, AGREED TO ON THE 15TH OF NOVEMBER, 1835. " 1. That the division of labour on the Times newspaper into day and night work is contrary to the long-established peactice of the business, 'and cannot be recognized by the London Union of Compositors. That the bookmen having, in 1793, joined with the newsmen in ejecting apprentices from newspapers, the pre sent employment of them on the Times newspaper cannot be recognized by the London Union of Compositors. tThe third article of impeachment we omit, as unintelligi ble to ordinary readers.] " 4. That if the irregularities of different prices for night and day work be corrected, and no more apprentices be in troduced, the establishment shall henceforth be considered fair. " 5. That in the event of the above alterations not being made on the Times newspaper, such compositors as quit that establishment on the announcement of such refusal of the proprietors, shall be received into the London Union as fair members. " 6. That individuals who previous to this meeting have quited the Times newspaper, shall receive their union cards upon such terms as the council shall deem fit ; but individuals working on that paper after this examination and attempt at adjustment, shall be deemed unworthy members of the trade, and forfeit all claim to the consideration and protection of the compositors of London." Finally, they " begged to be allowed" (as Mr. Chucks says) " in the delicatest way in world to insinuate" to us, that they hoped we would change our system of payment to suit " their long-established scale of prices," which they had be fore observed " put out of view the question of adequate re muneration." Our own mode of dealing with such dictation need scarce be told, and we totally rejected such uncalled for and unjusti fiable interposition between ourselves and those employed in our establishment. Over and above the plain necessity of putting down such assumption of authority, the demands or charges themselves were manifestly unreasonable, as shown by the following extract from their own pages ; "The Trade Council at the same time feel that as the fol lowing statement h►s been placed in their hands, it is but performing a simple act of justice to put the meeting in pos session of the arguments in extenuation of the existing system adopted on The Time: newspaper : " First, that the compositors employed on 7'he Times are, upon the whole, remunerated for their labour (those on the day part receiving on an average 50s. per week). •` Secondly, the apprentices, whioh form one of the grounds of complaint, cannot be received as a just one, as they are not, nor ever were, a principle of the house, and not at all connected with the closing of it, but were forced upon it in its own defence, by a species of dictation which no men (whether masters or journeymen) have a right to use against others. Had it been a principle of the firm in ques tion to carry on its journal by apprentices, time enough has elapsed since its quarrel with the journeymen to have reared three companionships—one for the night, one for the day, and one as a corps de reserve. This has not been. done. There have been but few apprentices taken, and the small number now on the establishment are employed in the day department, and on the same principle as the book houses. The night work is performed entirely by journeymen procured from the trade at large. " Thirdly, the division of the work into day and night ought not to be condemned as unfair, for it should not be forgotten that persons employed on the day establishment have not to make those sacrifices of comfort which are inci dental to an evening paper, and much less those which are inseparable from a morning one." All which " sacrifices of repose and comfort," it is after wards added, "on the premises of that journal are amply paid for." The warfare then continued ; and we find now, that while the trade is in a state of depression, which " hundreds of in persons " can testify has no parallel the last 400 years.. every compositor who has been employed on The T i mes for the last 30 years, unless he has voluntarily left his !ituation,, or forfeited it by very gross misconduct,. is still in th e re ceipt of steady and ample remuneration ; to which we may add, that those still in our employ . are ' among them holders, of several thousand poun ds in a savings -bank. From all this, we leave our readers to judge—not w h e th er it is wise to relieve individuals actually suffering from severe distress—which is not a question of wisdom but of plain duty and charity—but whether th 9. will do well t o comm it the credit and responsibility of dispensing their alms to a commi t t e e so very nearl i y related t o, pro b ably in a great measu re identical with, one whi c h a i ms expressly at giving organ i za tion and efficiency to that " strike " system of which the masons at the houses of parliement and Woolwich have given us a specimen rather too recent to be very popular. FATAL. ACCIDENT ON THE GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY. —Thursday afternoon an inquest was held before Mr. Higgs, at S. George's Hospital, upon the bod • of E. Greening, aged 29, who wa s kill e d b y a lugg age-waggon passing over his bod • , under the following circumstances. William Riddle, a workman i n th e emp l oy o f t h e G rea t W es tern Railway Company, deposed that at eleven o'clock on Wednesday morning, a luggage-waggon, weighing five tons, was by the impetus given to it, running slowly into one of the sheds, when the deceased, who was crossing the line laid hold of the buffer in order to steady himself; his foot slipped and he fell across the line, the wheels of the waggon going over his body. The impetus on the waggon was so slight that the wheels scarcely forced themselves over the deceased ; they almost rested upon the body. The deceased was immediately placed in a coach, but he died on his way to the hospital.. Nlr. Henry Lee, the house surgeon, detailed to the jury the injuries received by the wheels passing over the body, and 3 the jury immediately returned a verdict of accidental death. MR. JUSTICE 110sANQUE T.—It was currentl y re p orte d on , Thursday morning, in Westm inster-hall, that inconsequence of continued indisposition, Mr. Justice Bosanquet will res i gn his seat in the Court of C ommon Pleas before the e xpiratiou of the present term. Mr . Ser g eant Goulburn, the rec or d er (the Hon. Mr. Law) , and Mr. Sergeant Mereweather, are mentioned as likely to be elevates to the bench when a vacancy occurs.