The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-05-23 00:00:00

TUESDAY, MAY 23, 1854 LOCAL litiTELLIGEXCE. 1 thel3 o f FIRST PLOWER Snow of the season takes place at t ric Gardens on Thursday next. ellit.alDA:r evening, officers of the Royal Lancashire 6,2 4 entertained his t worship the Mayor, and a select i. S to l . 2 dinn .. er at the Adelphi Hotel. 4 . B.."' ar n with satisfaction that our respected townsman, lest Vael Holme, who has been unwell for some time Ta g 1 . 1 , 1 a state of convalescence. hen LIVERPOOL POLICE have ceased to carry sticks dlitY, and instead of them the men have been Inpet tcaltu:ith whistles, with which to make their signals. 'ctsoN. proprietor of the Park Sawmills, has e i 4e „ Y raised th e wages o f a ll hi s hands 3s. per week. Zila at : 44 ~,,se amounts in the aggregate to £l, OOO per Gregson, we learn, too, with praiseworthy 'Qtir e rloti.Proyides sittings for his men at St. Matthew's t Is t ._ ree . About half-t nine o'clock on Thursday night , ` t 7t, ll el e : out in the pas extensive bakery of Mr. W. Demps - Nft, corner of South John-street and Cooper's Zii g o e t, „lue Liverpool and other engines were soon on the qu the fire was quickly subdued though not till a 4 44 144 . ntity of breadstuffs was destroyed and much glass Ap ic v bit les B r A- NENT COMMISSION for the examination o f I ,ti ve ._ l / 1 prize cau s es has been appointed for the port i t ‘kirirol, by the Registrar of the High Court of rek as Y The commissioners are, his worship the Mayor, Deems A .,_ o !ainford Raffles, Esq., barrister-at-law, Mr. Mr. John Palmer Palmer, Mr. Robinson 7, ee a n ti, a n d M r. G eorge J ames D uncan . Mr. Ambrose thk b'ta r• Thomas Carson, notaries, are appointed by ,"!,(4_arar actuaries to the comm i s sioners. N lNa l ' ELECTRIC LIGHT.-On Tuesday evening, the k/Beatqr ,and head officials of the Dock Committee were so a trial of Staite's electric light, on the tower at Meieney end of the Huskisson dock, made to ascertain through red glass, in order to give a con k, signal at night, when the docks are full. This ba k i„ s __ still continued as a surface light at the Sandon ly' t g d ec k s. Sa.;, 4tr re.rioN.-Captain Kermode, of the Isle of Man De L C fl a •cket Tynwald, has been presented with a silver k ra's -11 d a complimentary address, by the Bondonderry 4 di le tac a ket Company, as a mark of their approval of his b 'qear t ,Thig the time the Tynwald was chartered to run P"°8 1) '" Port and Londonderry. thelr FROM THE GRECIAN HOTEL. Edward ,Young man who was remanded on suspicion of li i Nl 4 -° l , 4 cerned in the late extensive robbery from the 1, 5 4 1 . 44," 10 te1, in Dale-street, was again brought up on b 4 44 ,4 1 1 .4 The magistrate said the case was very be en was made more so by the fact that the prisoner eer S everal times previously convicted. However, 4 4'as a doubt, he would give the prisoner the benefit A 4 TZ, is clis eharge him. t a , I vE ROBBERIES IN LIVERPOOL. - On Thursday ill a untryman was robbed of about £ 5OO in notes, ~kilig,'lghbourhood of Williamson -square. - On the same tZte4 t he shop of Mr. Keen (of the late firm of Gray L're4 l) , nautical instrument maker, at Wapping, was a p ow Y the back premises, which had been forced open h tl 'ev A er flll crowbar, and a variety of chronometers, &c., o ll oil t ;.tle of £l5O, stolen. 0 I, 4 l'a e al To THE JU D GES AT THE MANSION -HOUSE.- 4;"° , Y evening the annual dinner was given by .the ; o `test, :Yor, at the Mansion-house, to the judges. The kt 1 1 , 44, r e numerous, and besides the learned uges, the t 4i ! , , 1 4 Includ e d many of the nobility and gentry; among of r e his grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Torst i ni a l iMesbury, Sir John Packington, MX., Thomas 1 ,7 Esq., M.P., W. Mundy, Esq., M.P., &c., &c. e ,x I DENT AT BOOTLE.-Ahollt five o'clock on k o ,lllor „v e iling, a man, apparently under the influence to ,"e-i ) ;,,,_" (43 seen driving a gig at a furious rate up 1 4, 1 , 44 ht Ct, when the horse swerved to one side and the e f, gig in contact with a lamp-post, which was th`he dig Over the collision. The horse was thrown down, pf e ,„ 6 „Pver it ; the shafts were broken, and the man, i tfe r "' 4 - 1 e who accompanied him, were pitched with .„ e to the opposite side of the road, where they lay d i ft Ira lto motionless Mr Reed surgeon was sent for, tlifound that the female had dislocated her shoal had escaped with triflinc , injury ; and the kpi:,..7nable one, though stunned for some time, did " 1 7 , ;" to be much hurt. 1i Ily unattended ACCIDENT.-On Tuesday night, an accident, ‘ebn:_nattended with loss of life, occurred near the Vlvat,ul-street station Of the Lancashire and Yorks hire eba The nine o'clock train for Waterloo, left t he rn street station at the proper time, and had pro vbr.rar as the goods hoist, a distance of about half a Zet i Zen it came in contact with a train of goods wagons. at thetime was in the act of pushing the goods • trait- the siding a • a ,. One of the wagons in the centre of he appears, had got off the line, and, on coming -s ling points, it dragged two others off. The LI:0N Withoyer and obstructed the up line, and hence . the as the passenger train, which ran into . the i4tst one the breaking of the tender of the engine, ho 4 l l d one third-class carriage, a van, and two or oa• t's wagons. Two of the carriages of the passen ;t4tifeill 'were thrown off the line by the concussion, but 10 0 ,1 1 Igine. The confusion and alarm which the . colli e th e ' ll eed were great, but the accident happening so kjelib.. station, assistance was soon procured, and the , train was brought back into the station. • Seve -10, passengers were injured, some slightly, and is tf ,, k,; 4 °M severely. f 'Errivo. B y A SERVANT GIRL.-011 Thursday a 1441,",.*Mary Gibson, about fifteen or sixteen 0,, !tie' named ught before the magistrates by detec wahabrgveed with stealing twelve gold-plated r ite s WatAieguards, worth 4s. 6d. each, and a pair of (4 Gd 'id gloves, from the shop of Mr. Smith, draper, 8, _el,tstoac.l. It appeared that the prisoner had been, 1 ,41 4 i, 12th instant, in the service of Mrs. Davies, 3, ca t She had purchased a dress from the 14t ~0, f •or which she was to pay by instalments, and ,Nlll 4 Nlt'lle went to the prosecutor's shop to pay the ,`he - ' 7 ,1 1 4.. While in the shop she asked to see some ti le r eat s, a p during fir , time the assistant went to alio- S e p:",e4 .e4 % . he shop to get them, she took the guards. N it a 3 , 111 : . L slight glance at the bonnets and left the T lt t i t h gi re s,lshe would go and ask her mother if she L ne price asked for them. Shortly after she IltNivs-151) the guards were missed, and information I h i ,ttea s e n to Carlisle ar he went to the house, and found i t or?icl a gold guard, which, in reply to g a question, 4 1 °I. she had bought from Mr. Smiths assistant S t ,' l ,l l ti se ' ; and she had given another to a little boy in `lit l l4 , l. svu iell she stated she had won at a lottery. On , up stairs, the officer also found a pair of e a ',l v ul.ch bore a private mark of the prosecutor. N e tt .1? "-onitted for trial. 4 1 ' 4 11 f e " l TIIE BENEFIT OF SOLDIERS' WIVES, &C.-- T i c i 'r the benefit of the charity, given at the Town kt4ht. distinguished night, was very brilliant one. It was I lk,4 7 , ll4 l r ei r e sli ti e n th ga , ished was e of Lady Sefton, Lady Lady M`Dougal, Mrs. Ashton, Woolton t4oo Blundell, Crosby-hall ; Mrs. Bourne, Heath ; ti• Hornby, Sandown ; Mrs. B. H. Jones, Lfla Loa". Langton, Abercromby-square ; Mrs. John Aigbuigh - Mrs. Littledale, Highfield; Mrs. A.4(18 04 ) .1 oas °ss, Roby-hall • Mrs. Jacques Myers, yar ,;4l,leey lit;t.lrs. J. B. Neilson, Doe-park; Mrs. Tinne, rfli t t stoa e • Thompson, Thingwall ; Mrs. J. N. Walker, ; ; the Earl of Sefton, lord-lieutenant of the 'zy 'Worshipful the Mayor of Liverpool, Colonel It d staff, Sir T. G. Hesketh, Bart. ; Sir D. 11 1irY a Officers Officers of the Royal Lancashire ht tt l 4, ' .9,d the of the Second Royal Lancashire 1‘ 1 11 the , Z. trte coin p any lady patronesses and patrons were pre- Z, 41 also included Lord Pomfret , Ma j or 4 4 0 f the 4th Royal Lancashire Militia, Hardman 1 11 4 e Nti t i s ',_ William Earle, Esq., Hugh Hornby, Esq., r 1, 1 1 P41.f.„ unndred other gentlemen and members of the aI of firallies residing in the borough and neighbour -111k" ve rPool Dancing commenced soon after nine ,IR l ki e :aa"%i ll e Inns . ic of Gribi band. The following . et,. - .3 r ed on the occasions-1, polka, Sovereign , 41 ; rant d'Amonr ; 3, quadrille, English ; 4, polka, 1, 1 Aden'. aloe, Etna ; 6, quadrille, Scotch ; 7, waltz, polka' 8, Polka, Cheer Boys Cheer • 9, Lancers ; ; 1 444 1 , - ` 4l core ; 11, Tempete ; 12, gLop, Electric; 16 , British Navy • schottische, Hungarian ; Ar tlosalinda ; 16, po'lka, Drum ; 17, Lancers ; C °I 2 .;CY I.II Ph of the Wave ; 19, polka, Katlunka ; S nekoo ; 21, galop, Irish. F a ir 34 ,, ° RE NUISANCE ON THE RIVER.-There has ;tllll' V ir l ) eration for several days, in the Woodside irral „ ; a smoke-prevention apparatus, invented ' 4 151 4 Apc, -13 by Mr. O'Regan, engineer, Belfast, and fl , 6 ,l, l ithitrs to answer the object intended. The appa "heelan,,is Patented is constructed on the prple of N a Llt . l3Vated air into the furnace at different places, N nt lon, or easily regulated so as to insure complete Oe fi l l th e all the carbonaceous matter. A secondary y, l ‘ Ot ez ,, s Invention is that the.furnaceodxooorr never be chamber . t he heated, there_ b a c r inga b has to pass before it oin which the cold g ments are also made for (ba l; 4vi g a t he r e ll o ace al "anaAj.rreveenting the formation of 4of the apparatus seems to be fre e from the objec _44 Vicfa„,._.equally heating different portions of the boiler,. , P 1 44 t rg sudden and great variations in the tempera pr tVe furnace. The application of" Mr. O'Regan's I, (l Ve sa t Wirral steamboat is an experiment, and should lirrfactory we understand that it is the intention 1 7b,.‘es -1 / 4 enhead commissioners to contract with . th . Neli," fitting up the whole of their boats with Rim e j, k 4, ° .t trrY. Mr. Newlands and Mr. Gowen, .on th e N't4l' 4 Health Committee, have been watching th 1 1 of ;:' , and it is to be hoped that, if successful, the ale l °lic opinion and their own good feeling will 1 4 0t,,, °11 'ners of steamers plying on the river, as well N.L r ietors of works where steam-engines are used, ble e x ' IKII Y in an endeavour to suppress to the utmost tent the nuisance arising from smoke. ;1,t 11 „ 1 4 1: t 13 - I NARY SEIZURE OF BAD MEAT AT NEWTON Thursd Mr. W. M. Ireland, the chairman NeeY w ton Board 'of Health, appeared at the New ,ilt4, s4t loi nh .,, °ll, to prosecute butchers for having in their Wecuund meat. The first case taken was against „,,,Ster. Mr. Booth, the inspector, stated that, 4,eveo'nerneon, he went to Mr. Webster's slaughter pllestin°lPanied by Mr. John Roberts, a butcher, and t tlit 4 iiv4i - e rl ii s, where he found the halves of six cows, not Q * C' t tin was sound. Mr. Roberts said they were . all I fp . , It e ' l 7 ll food, and that the whole did not weigh the reps 114,11er:Lliall, butcher, was charged, en --4 occupier of a slaughter ' °l t Ashton Board -11f:N: th e Yo ah w • The next case was Wallis .h is e aa withha , ving ,th-qta oals -ger. It was proved that a beast was found b, ° 41 1 6 "ee-house unfit for human food. Mr. Picker ' LVtoi t r a llce inspector of Salford, said that the selling 000, 1 ‘ c1 agh ill . e t was carried on to a very great extent ‘`,4 n P . v_ Yv ithin the last two years, they had Itcl had " borough of Salford, the greater par.t, or . seized. been th ,. brought from Newton Heath. Mr. kre. ktt't , in Newton Heath it was calculated tha_t ii ih ks ° ,9l e . ll ,,° ll an average, twenty dead beasts a week Vtltf ha d 'O i l food. Amongst the rest, goats, and even ban f t we ll found mixed up with other meat that was t ro te ig4e, ( l , Tar(' was so alive to this evil that they were V: be POssible, to put it down. If the dealers 11 , t, % ,° 1 11( erl ?litted to go on in the way they were doing h e re nth Poison half the country. Mr. Trafford said vLif y • (q i i i sPeet to Boardman's case, the magistrates ld i 4 n eon N i T e li t .that there was not sufficient evidence lit! NI 1 11 4 D en 1 2 11 , but Webster and. Hall were eachc9 1 V 5 ,,; Til Y of £7 .0 and costs, or two months' im- Nbe e magistrates, by thus inflicting . to the e p nt of the law, hoped that this disgraceful trade stop 'W.-Manchester Courier. MESSRS. M'CLITNE AND TAMPLIN have commenced running steamers between this town and Jersey, calling at Penaance, Falmouth, and Plymouth. For- cheapness and variety we do not know of a more pleasant trip by sea. BLOWING OPEN A SAFE WITH Or NIS' POWDER.—On Thursday night, or early on Friday morning, some person or persons, at present unknown, entered the counting house of Mr. Underwood, which is situate within his rope walk, in Bury-street, Salford, and by means of gunpowder blew open his safe, and took therefrom a sum of £2O in gold. Between six and seven on Thursday night, all was safe at the counting-Bosse; but the first person who went there on Friday morning found the outer door burst open, and the lock of an inner door picked ; and a three-bolted safe, which stood on a block of wood in a corner of one of the rooms, was laid on its back in the middle of the floor, with its front completely blown out. After removing the safe from where it stood, the robbers appear to have laid it on the floor with the door upwards, and thus charged it with powder. The small locks inside the safe had all been forced open, and the £2O, which was all the safe contained, had been taken out. All the cupboards in the counting house had also been opened ; but although there were a number of articles of some value in the counting-house, nothing appears to have been taken except the money. A number of panes in the windows of the counting-house had been broken by the explosion of the gunpowder used in opening the safe.—Manchester Guardian. PROPOSED RAILWAY ACCOMMODATION FOE THE DOCKS. —At the meeting of the Health Committee, on Thursday, a letter from Mr. W. Earle was read, in which it was inti mated that a proposition had been made to the directors of the Liverpool, Crosby, and Southport Railway Com pany, to construct a branch from that line, near Sandhills, to the Sandon Dock, and thence along the quays to the south end of the Prince's Dock, and wishing to ascertain what were the feelings of the authorities on the subject. Mr. Earle and Mr. Hugh Hornby, on behalf of the board of directors of the Liverpool, Crosby, and Southport Rail way, attended the committee, accomp anied b y Mr. Sharpe, engineer, who had made the proposition to the directors for constructing the branch railway.—Mr. Sharpe ex plained his plan for the branch line. It is proposed that it be a high level railway, carried along Regent-road upon pillars, till it reaches the dock wall ; that it shall then run along the outer wall of the docks, supported by the wall and by pillars, to be erected on the street side, so as to form a sort of piazza ; and in this way the line to be continued into the heart of the town. It is proposed that there shall only be one line of rails, and that the traffic shall be con fined to passengers, the trains to be worked by stationary engines at each end of the branch. There are to be stations at each of the docks for taking up and putting down passengers ; so that in addition to the branch being worked as a portion of the Liverpool and Southport Rail way, it will be a sort of omnibus line, giving facilities to persons having business at the docks. A model was exhibited to the committee, showing a small portion of the railway where it would be in connection with the dock wall. A conversation took place, and the committee seemed favourably disposed towards the project, subject to proper arrangements. It was ultimately decided that time should be taken for further considering the matter, and that the result should be communicated to the gentlemen representing the railway company. The plan was also brought before the Dock Committee on Saturday, with a similar result. In the construction of the proposed line the company would trench, of course, on the property of the Corporation and of the Dock Committee, but, as a set-off, they propose to remove all the night-soil and manure to the north, without any cost to the public. ORE AND ANOTHER V. THE UNION BANK OF SCOT LAND.—This was an appeal, heard in the House of Lords on Tuesday, from an interlocutor pronounced by the First Division of the Court of Session in Scotland, in a suit where the appellants were the pursuers, and the respon dents the defenders. The appellants were Messrs. Wm. Orr and Alfred Barber, merchants in Liverpool ; whilst the respondents were the directors and managers of the Union Bank of Scotland. It appeared that a merchant in Glasgow, of the name of John Gordon Campbell, was ac customed to have business transactions with the firm of Orr and Barber in Liverpool, and that in the course of such transactions he became indebted to that house in the sum of £460 95., whereupon, on the 22nd of October, 1844, he paid into the Union Bank at Glasgow the sum of £460 95., to be paid to Messrs. Orr and Barber, in Liverpool. The Union Bank gave Mr. Campbell, in exchange for his money, a draft on the Manchester and Liverpool District Bank here. The Union Bank did not write to the Liver verpool District Bank that this letter of credit had been granted, as they ought to have done ; but the very day on which it was granted Mr. Campbell transmitted it by post, under cover, to Orr and Barber, at Liverpool. Both Mr. Orr and Mr. Barber were absent from home, and on Mr. Orr's return, he discovered that his clerk, a Mr. T. P. Smith, had absconded with some money, and that the £460 had been paid at the bank to some one who had. forged Orr and Barber's signature. The appe ntsllant w s there uponh demanded payment from the responde, fusing, an action was commenced to enforce payment, i upon the ground that the Union Bank had failed to per- 1 form what they had u ndertaken, n amely, to establish a credit at the Liverpool bank kitthe sum of g 460 9s. in favour of the appellants, and, further, that they had not accepted or fulfilled the mandate contained in the letter. , of credit, that they had not honoured the draught, and I had refused to give credit to the Liverpool bank for the sum in question, as having been paid to their account. The respondents, however,"in the court below maintained that the letter of credit having been duly delivered at the place of business of the appellants, in accordance with the arrangement made, the claim upon them had been duly satisfied. The court below held in favour of the re spondents, intimating that the liability, if any, attached I. to the bank at Liverpool, and the present appeal was against that decision. After a long legal argument, the j Lord Chancellor announced, that their lordships would i 1 consider their judgment. 1 EXAMINATION OF DEAF AND DUMB SCHOLARS.—On Thursday last, an interesting event was witnessed in the examination of the scholars attending the Liverpool Deaf and Dumb Institution, which took place at the Royal In. stitution. There was a large assembly of ladies present, and in the absence of Rector Campbell, Richard Rathbone, Esq., occupied the chair. The examination was conducted by Mr. Dnvid Buxton, the talented and indefatigable principal of the institution. The proceedings commenced by reading the annual report of the institution for the year 1853, which was passed at the annual meeting held on the 19th of January last. It contains the following information relative to the position and operations of the institution :—" During the two years in which the ply sent principal has held office, the number of expense ils has increased from 45 to 65, while the aggregate expof conducting the establishment has been very considerably reduced. Nearly the whole of the children now in the school belong to the town and district, and more than half of them are day scholars—poor children resident in Liver pool—for whom the advantages of the institution are p ea ro vided free of all charge . ' This class of pupils has nrly doubled within the last few years, and for the means of receiving them the institution depends entirely upon the support of those who recognise the claims of our own poorer population." Mr. Buxton, before proceeding with the examination, stated that the scholars were divided into three classes, according to their proficiency, and ex plained the principle pursued in imparting knowledge to the pupils, which he said was principally through the medium of common objects in the first place. Out of the sixty children in the school forty-two of them belonged to Liverpool, which, from statistical information, was found to be precisely the number of deaf and dumb persons there were too roportion to the size of the community. There were two classes of pupils, boarder and day scholars. The day scholars had their dinners given them, besides their education, free of expense. The boarders contributed slightly towards the clothing, but all the rest they had free of cost. The examination of the thenchildre then co nc m menced, and it was astonishing to find ntege displayed by these afflicted creatures. Some of the ques tions were geographical,—Where is Odessa, Constantino ple, Melbourne, New York . ? The answers were perfectly correct. Sebastopol was described as the strongest for tress in the Black Sea, and the bombardment of Odessa was noticed. They were fully acquainted with the details about the City of Glasgow steamer, and described a visit paid to the vessel in the Wellington Dock before she sailed on her last voyage. Specimens of drawings executed by the pupils were then handed about. Somegeometrical com bi na tions, by the eldest b o y , gave proof extraordi nary skill. During the proceedings, the children were reg aled with buns and other refreshments. At the close of the examination, a vote of thanks to the chairman was moved by the Rev. W. Brewste h expressed the de light he had experienced, and paid a compliment to the successful efforts of Mr. Buxton. —The Rev. T. Moore seconded the resolution, which was carried unanimously. Door COMMITTEE.—On Thursday, at the usualweekly meeting, Mr. Charles Turner, the chairman, presided ; and the members present were Messrs. Shand, Palmer Ro bi nson , B r ocklebank, Gregson, Chaloner, Steele, G lad stone, Barber, Bighorn, Langsdale, Boyden, , Ronnthwaite, Rankin, Lockett, and Smith. The offer of Mr. 'Vincent Higgins for the supply of 100 tons of No. 3 Scotch pig iron, at 935. a ton, was accepted, and also the supply of a ton of hoop iron. The subject of the working of the Stanley Dock Warehouses, which had stood over from last week, was then taken into consideration. Mr. Shand moved that the Albert Dock Warehouse Commit tee report on the st reuisite for the workin of the Stanley Dock Warehouses, es, and proper plans and estimates for the necessary offices. Mr. Robinson seconded the motion. Mr. Bigham said they might add to the resolu tion that they should also give the salaries which they would recommend to the officers. The suggestion was agreed to. Mr. Smith asked if it was quite understood that the present committee for the management of the Albert Warehouses were to be the committee for the ware house management of the whole estate? The Chairman said that hereafter there might be a change. Mr. Smith understood that 'the present warehouse committee were occupied for three hours at Dockng, and if they had the management of the Stanley Warehouses, an estab lishment perfectly distinct, they would have to sit for two hours longer. He thought it would be better to have a distinct committee for their management. They ages the paid in the Albert Dock Warehouse £40,000 a year in mi ht in wages the of labour. He thought it p ossible that they g economise. Would this meet the case ? Let there divided into two sub-committees, the one for the Albert and the other for the Stanley 'Warehouses, gentlemen choosing as arehouses, to the one on which they should sit.° The Chairman said that, by-and-bye, if the Albert Dock Warehouses Commite - tee could not manage the w ork, they might add to th number of them ; but if one committee could not be trusted with the management of the warehouses altogether, they had better at once give up the management of warehouses themselves. Perhaps they would let the resolution pro posed by the deputy-chairman pass, and the ether thing could come on for consideration at another time. Mr. Smith hoped that no member of me the Albert NVaree least houses Committee would suppose hant to cast he reflection upon them. Mr. Lockett cautioned them against having too large a staff, as it could be more easily increased after than reduced, and th at the y should have fewer here forms to go through if possible. Mr. documen ts and 114'othanebtilapillsaclye to the be appointed piermaster, at a ° . service as dock- t p gannetimil, ' in the place of William Williams, • salary of 8(.) - thate the wages of Thomas Williams, assist of work at one p , carried. The lb dismissed ; ana t t h h e a t bone hen . there was a surplus or slackness lace they could transfer the hands from said The motion was then put and rmasters' Committe recommended who had been for twenty years in the a week. agreed t° ' eam mmakiserclosbeedintcurease peudblfic rebusiBuso. t ‘i o . 21s. ant to the scale- THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD, AND GENERAL COMMERCIAL ADVERTISER. GENERAL INTELII-GENCE. ' AN ARTIST has just joined the Bitic fleet, for the pur pose of making drawings of all theships and their per formances, for the Queen's scrap-book. Mr. STEPHENSON, the engineer of the Grand Trunk Railway of Canada, proposes to construct a tubular bridge over. the St. Lawrence, at Montreal, the "estimated" cost of which is no less than £1,400,000. Sls J. BROOKE.—Mr; C. R. Priisep, the East India Company's Advocate-General at Cahutta, and the Hon. H. B. Devereux, of the Bengal Civil Service, have been appointed the commissioners for incuiring how far the position which Sir J. Brooke-holds it Sarawak is advan tageous to the.commercial interests of 'Gre,at Britain. THE EMPEROR OF RUSSIA. AND THE ORDER OF THE GARTER.- The Emperor of Russia is aknight of the Order of the Garter. Now, according to the statutes of nothe oorrdienr,any w knightay assist ou anybody gh takettoso to up arms against Em p another, eror do.Willth of Russia be deprived of ill-deserved honours, or what is the course now pursued? It was not unusual formerly for kings to exchange orders, and to return them in case of war.—/Votes and Queries. Mr. BRIGHT!S SPEECH in the House of Commons on the 31st of March last has the equivocal honour of a trans lation in extenso in recent numbers of the Petersburg journals, And in certain Finnish ones, under the immediate control of the Russian Government. • - REGISTERING SHIPS DR Novo.—Application having been made to the Treasury for permission to register a vessel de novo, without endorsing thereon a mortgage which remained undischarged on the previous certificate, their lordships have been pleased, upon communication with the law officers of the. Crown, to comply with the request, and to direct that the practice which prevailed prior to a general order issued in 1852 be restored, and the order alluded to rescinded. The principal officers of the Customs at the several ports throughout the kingdom have been made acquainted with the order of the Treasury for their future government. BUSINESS OF 'rim HOUSE.—The select committee which has been sitting upon the subject of the business of the House of Commons has made a report, suggesting a simplification of some of the forms at present observed with respect to bills, and proposing the abolition of the hebdomadal motion for adjournment to Monday. In the Main, however, the committee seems to prefer trusting to the good sense and right feeling of members, and the effect of the evidence given by the Speaker, and others, respect ing impediments to the despatch of business. It may give some idea of the multiplicity of forms observed in the legislature to mention that there still 14 questions neces sarily put in the House of Commons upon every public bill that is passed, exclusive of the proceedings in com mittee and of amendments. To DESTROY VERMIN IN HousEs.—Take up your car pets, down your curtains. In a Pailful of water (cold) mix well lib. of chloride of lime (having first diluted it into a thin paste in a bowl of water, for facility of mix ture), with a mop wet and saturate well the floor, skirt ings, and any other woodwork that will not suffer injury, then shut the doors and windows close. If there should be a suspicion of other tenants in the bedstead, take that down too. In three or four hours all will have disap peared or perished ; but to assure perfect immunity front the plague, it might be well to repeat the lustration a second time. i. e. the day or two after.—The Builder. GOLD Ix INDIA.—A correspondent writing from Bom bay says :—" I am confident that the metamorphic rocks, cropping Out in Goondwana between Hossungabad and Baitool from under the eastern margin of the great basal tic formation of Western India, will be found to contain gold. In, travelling in these districts some years ago I observed that these rocks occurred in ranges running north and south, and that they were frequently traversed by veins of quartz of very great thickness. Where all these indications are present gold is seldom absent. Similar indications occur in the range which traverses Rojpootana from north to south, and which, passing close to Ajmeer and Oodypoor, forms the watershed separating the rivers falling into the Gulf of Cutch from the affluents of the Ganges." THE BANKRUPTCY Comialssioar.—The report of the Bankruptcy Commission has been presented to Parliament and printed, and with it the minutes of evidence and answers to the circular of questions. The Commissioners niake a number of suggestions for reducing the costliness and altogether bettering the condition of a tribunal which hitherto has not been very successfully reformed. They recommend that creditors be attracted by a revision Of the fees and per centages, and greater contra over the official assignees; and debtors, by a revision of the penal clauses, and by allowing a trader to obtain an adjudication in his own case if lie can show available assets to the extent of £l5O, instead of (as at present) ss. in the pound. On the question of a continuance of a system of classification of certificates the Commissioners are divided in opinion ; but those of them who approve of it are for having two classes only—a certificate of approval of the bankrupt's conduct, and a certificate merely of his conformity to the bankrupt laws, leaving misconduct to be punished by suspension or refusal of the certificate. PERILOUS SITUATION.-011 the 16th of December Captain Grant, of the ship Tay, recently arrived at Ade laide, discovered smoke ascending from the main hatch way, and upon making the closest examination of the laden hold ascertained that the coal had become ignited by spontaneous combustion. To attempt to -extinguish the fire by removing any portion of the cargo, and so giving the air free admission to the hold of the vessel, would probably have proved a most destructive course. A more safe remedy—that of battening down the hatch ways—was adopted, and the captain, the first officer, and a few of the crew, to whom alone the perilous accident was known, watched with anxious solicitude for the general safety, and, while the captain cracked on the vessel with sedulous earnestness, the cause of his eager efforts to terminate the passage was unknown to his pas sengers, whose ignorance, while it did not exaggerate their danger, preserved them from unceasing and tor turing alarm. Above the coals were 1.50 barres of gun powder and a large quantity of spirits. The fire was sub dued, and there is little doubt but that she Will deliver her cargo in good order.—Globe. THE CABLE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.—The first portion of the great Mediterranean cable, the largest ever made, and, in point of circumference also, the Digest at present existing, is completed and ready for shipment. The subterranean works on the island of Corsicia, &c., will be connected to the cable on its being laid down. The cable is about 110 miles in length, and weighs somewhere about 800 tons. It contains 6 copper wires or conductors for the fluid to traverse, protected by a gutta percha covering, secured in a hempen rope, and finally surrounded with 12 iron wires, of No. 1 gauge. As now coiled in the yard, the cable occupies 75 feet, taking its convex sides. The perpendicular height of the coil is about five feet, and the width of one side of the coil from convex to concave reaches 24 feet. The moment it is laid London will be in immediate communication with Cagliari through the cable, about 4430 miles of subterranean wire. Extensions to Malta, Turkey, &c., would give us news from the seat of war in an incredibly short space of time, and might, in the matter of rapidity of proceedings, speedy communications of orders, knowledge of wants, &c., be of essential service to the country. THR ABOLITION MANIA.—It is one of the minor evils of a gross abuse that all sorts of ludicrous attempts are constantly being made to abolish it. Everybody admits that the abuse ought to be got rid of, but nobody can help laughing at the lame and impotent measures that are taken to bring about the desired conclusion. It has long been a settled thing that the ecclesiastical courts are a nuisance that must be swept away ; but we never can suppress a smile when we pass a certain zinc plate on a certain door post, not very far from our own abode, inscribed with the magnificent words, " Society for the Abolition of the Ec clesiastical Courts." The " Society" seems to occupy a floor, or the portion of a floor, and we cannot help con trasting the insignificance of the premises with the grandeur of the conchisiou which the society aims at. As there are 'several other equally ambitious associations that are just as ill -lodged as the one we have named, we would propose that they all unite their means for the purpose of taking one good house, in which the various abolition societies should have separate apartments—or, at all events separate barss plates — assigned to them. There are societies for the abolition of a State Church, for reform of the law, for getting rid of the C ourt of Chancery, and a variety of other more or less useful purposes. Should the house become inconveniently crowded, it would be easy, by a proper arrangement as to the knocker and the bells, to keep the societies distinct from each other. For ex ample, we would have on the door-post such notices as the following :—For the abolition of the Ecclesiastical Courts, ring the top bell. For the Anti-State Church Association, and for getting rid of the bishops, give a single knock.. For the reform of the Pee ra g e, p ull the lower bell twice, and walk down the steps of the area. For the United Brotherhood and Social Community for the Division of Every - thing, knock and ring, and walk right up stairs to the top of the house, when the door is opened by a check string.—Punch. SUNDAY TRADING IN FRANCE.—The efforts made of late to check the universal desecration of the Sunday in this country continue to be crowned with a very remark able success, and promise speedily to accomplish a refor mation in every part of France. How general and inve terate this scandal had become from one extremity of the kingdom to the other, amongst the northern as well LAS the southern population, may be judged of from the efforts now making for its reformation i almost uninterruptedly between Boulogne and Marseilles. , The subject is become one of common conversation amongst the shop-keeping community, who may be frequently heard on a Saturday night, discussing the two sides of the question with their neighbours, and debating whether the boutique is to be open or not the next morning. Yesterday morning (Sunday, the 14th), being desirous to know what visible progress had been made in the cessation from Sunday trading, I walked through those quarters of the town where such a change was reported to have chiefly taken place ; these are the wealthy commercial districts of the Rue de la Paix, the Rues Vivienne and Richelieu, the adjacent boulevards, &c.; here, where the shops only a week or two. since were invariably and universally open until at least two o'clock, and where, previous to that hour, there was no perceptible difference between Sunday and other dais, a very different state of things was mani fested. The rich quarter has certainly set the example ; , in the Rue de la Paix, that great English thorouFhfares scarcely a shop was open ; in the other streets it was • evident that what had been formerly the rule was now only the exception. Sunday trading has in a great de gree ceased in the Chaussee d'Autin, and it was only round the Bourse, as might be perhaps expected, that the com mercial spirit seemed to be too strong as yet for the new feeling. The streets had put on a Sunday a spect. The great exception to the observance seems now to be in the case of the builders and masons: their works are generally in full activity,. and this both in private and public build ings. The government, or, rather, the Emperor, sets a bad example. Indeed, in nothing that concerns his own will or fancy does Louis Napoleon ever yield one jot,. as may be seen in the most .trifling, as well as the most im portant matters. The demolition of the houses in front of the Palais Royal or the Louvre was yesterday going on . as usual, because the Emperor is impatient to have them down. The Louvre itself was progressing, though not quite so openly as on week-days. To indulge the same fancy, hundreds of workmen laboured recently night and day, through the Sunday, at the Elysee, to prepare it for afile a few days sooner than it would have been other wise ready ; as though, forsooth, the a dvancing such an event were one of those questions of " urgenee" for which alone au exception is professed to be. made. —Correspon dent of the Guardian. BANKRUPTCY COURT.—Re ROBINSON.—In the Bank ; ruptcy Court, on Friday, Mr. Commissioner Perry, had his I attention called by Mr. H. Forshaw, to circumstances con nected with a seizure of types on the premises of Mr. Francis Whitfield - Robinson, a bankrupt, formerly printer and publisher of the Southport Free P;.ess, by Mr. Bullen, . on the authority of a bill of sale,. at half-past 12 o'clock on the morning of the day on which the fiat of bankruptcy was issued. Mr. Bullen was examined at considerable length for the purpose of obtaining information as to the instructions he had given to Mr. Richard Johnston, law clerk to the Southport Improvement Commissioners; but Mr. FOrshaw not deeming, his answers satisfactory, with the concurrence of the commissioner, he stopped. the case. Subsequently Sir George Stephen, on the part of Mr. Bullen, declined to renounce his claim to the property seized. WEST DERBY GUARDIANS.—The Rev. W. Badnall pre sided at this board on Wednesday last. It was resolved that in future the meetings of the visiting committee should be held on alternate Fridays. The porter was ordered to enter in a book the names of all persons enter ing and leaving the workhouse, and William Capes was appointed doorkeeper at the hospital, at a salary of £3O per annum, with rations. The resignation of Mr. Frederick Meyers, registrar of births and deaths for Toxteth-park, was accepted ; his successor to be appointed next 'Wednes day. The tender of Mr. John Ladd, for alterations and additions to the workhouse, at a cost of £2,798 10s., was accepted, and Mr. Holden. requested to prepare the neces sary contracts and bonds. Mr. Roskell resigned his situa tion as guardian, it being understood that he is a candi date for the situation vacated by Mr. Meyers. The number in the workhouse was stated to be 610, against 656 in the corresponding week of 1853. There were 53 patients in the hospital. MeneneNr SHIPPING BILL.—On Thursday the follow ing members of the House of Commons had an interview with the Right. Hon. E. Cardwell and Lord Stanley of Alderley, at the Board of Trade, upon the subject of the Merchant Shipping Bill, so far as regards the liability of shipowners—viz., the Hon. H. T. Liddell and Mr. Thomas B. Horsfall, M.P.'s for Liverpool ; Mr. G. H. Liddell, M. P. for South Northumberland; Mr. Wilson Patten, M.P. for North Lancashire ; Mr. Greenall, M.P. for Warrington ; Mr. Tollemache, M.P., for South Cheshire; Mr. Dunlop, M.P., for Greenock; Sir G. Tyler, MP., for Glamorgan shire ; Mr. Thomas Green, M.P. for Lancaster ; Mr. W. Brown, M.P. for South Lancashire; Mr. Thompson Hankey, M.P. for Peterborough ; Mr. Thomas Thornley, M.P. for Wolverhampton ; Admiral I. E. Walcott, M.P. for Christchurch ; Mr. W. Digby Seymour, M.P. for Sun derland; Mr. George, M.P. for the county of Wexford; Mr. Lindsay, M.P. for Tynemouth ; Mr. Duncan, M.P. for Dundee ; Mr. Hildyard, M.P. for Whitehaven ; Mr. Had son, M.P. for Sunderland ; Mr. M'Cann, M.P. for Drogheda ; and Mr. Thompson, M.P. for Aberdeen. THE " MADGE WILDFIRE."—The above splendid vessel lately launched from the ship-building yard of Mr. Albert White, of this city, took leave of us on Monday last, on her first voyage direct for Liverpool, under the command of Capt. Cobbe. She had on board 464 sacks of flour, 120 sacks of oatmeal, 170 barrels wheat, 10 tons of hemp, besides a considerable quantity of ballast. She was towed down the river by the " Duncannon" steamer as far as the spit of Passage, and on weighing anchor, was cheered by a large number of persons who had assembled on the quay to witness her departure, her sailing qualities being of the very first order; and proud we are that Mr. White has sent to the other side of the Channel so splendid a specimen of Irish ship-building. She is 1,500 tons measurement, and is capable of carrying 340 passengers with ease and comfort. Her accommodations for the passenger trade—in which she is, we believe, to be engaged—is of the very best order, her cabins being fitted up most elegantly. She is the property of Mr. Beazley, of Liverpool, who intends employing her in conveying passengers and goods from that port to Australia.—Wateeford Chronicle. , CHARGE AGAINST A POLICE-OFFICER.—A police-officer of the Liverpool force was charged before the magistrates on Friday with committing an assault upon Inspector Haggarty and officers 92 and 580, in Upper Parliament street, on Thursday evening. The inspector stated that, at eleven o'clock at night, he saw the prisoner, who was dressed in plain clothes, drunk and disorderly in the street. He told the inspector that he was a police-officer, but re fused to give his number. The inspector took him in the' direction of the bridewell, but the prisoner became so violent that he was compelled to obtain assistance, and officers 92 and 580 came up. The prisoner now became still more violent, and even when in the bridewell he kicked the keeper. Divisional-superintendent Quick also deposed to the violence of the prisoner. Capt. Greig, after making a few remarks upon the general conduct of the police, 'stated that the prisoner's conduct was tolerably good, but he was under notice of resignation. He was ordered to pay a fine of 40s. and costs, or two months' imprisonment in default, and be dismissed the force. INSPECTION OF THE SECOND ROYAL LA.NCASIIIRE MILITIA.—On Thursday last, the period of training the Second Royal Lancashire Militia being about to expire, the corps was reviewed by Colonel De liinzy, inspecting field officer of this district, on the field adjoining St. Do. mingo-house. The weather was beautifully fine, and the ' ground was crowded with the elite of the neighbourhood. The arrangements for the reception of visitors were ad- • mirable, the officers having gone to the expense of erecting a comfortable stand for the accommodation of the ladies. I • Among the company we noticed the Lord Lieutenant of the County, the Earl of Sefton ; Colonel de Rinzy, Colonel Sir Thomas Hesketh, Bart., Colonel Duncan M`Done•all, Colonel Bentham, of the Third Regiment of Royal fan cashire Militia; Colonel Blackbourne, of the Fourth Re giment of Royal Lancashire Militia; Colonel Swann, commandant of the Local Corps of Pensioners, and all the officers of the artillery, in full uniform. The Second Lan cashire Militia went through the evolutions performed by regiments of the line with ease and regularity. Their marching was admirable, and their firing exceedingly cre ditable, both in 'line and squares. We understand that during the preceding week the regiment discharged 30,000 cartridges without the occurrence of the slightest accident. Upon the completion of the inspection, Colonel De Rinzy addressed the colonel of the regiment, complimenting him upon the high state of discipline which the officers and men had attained. In addressing the men, Colonel De Rinzy alluded to the glorious struggle that was going on in the East, and said that if any of them felt inclined to enter any regiment of the line, the present time was per haps the most desirable. At the conclusion, the regiment formed into marching order, and returned to their bar racks. On Friday the regiment made its usual march through the principal streets of Liverpool, and assembled on Saturday to return their clothing and accoutrements. We understand that government has no intention at pre sent to call out the Second Lancashire Militia; but, if required, there can be no doubt that the men would wil lingly and cheerfully volunteer their services. DISGRACEFUL RIOT AT A ROMISH FUNERAL.—On Sunday week one of the most disgraceful riots ever re corded took place at St. Anthony's Romish Chapel, Scot land-road. Between three and four o'clock a funeral party of Connaught people, mustering about 1000, with the corpse of a child, entered the gate of the burying-ground, and before they had got into the chapel, another funeral party, composed of Leinster people, approached the gate, and endeavoured to force their way, in order to take pre cedence of the other party; probably acting under the impulse of the well-known superstition among Romanists, that the spirit of the last corpse which is buried on Sunday night must keep watch until the next corpse is brought to the common resting-place. A struggle took place for precedence ; a man at the gate told the two foremost bearers of the aged female not to proceed, and threatened them with violence if they persisted in advancing. They did advance, however, and were both knocked down, by which means the coffin was upset and fell - to the ground, the boards giving way sufficiently to dislodge the corpse and expose the dead to the view of the combatants, who went at it "pell-mell," bruising each other lustily. The row then became general, Connaught on one side and Leinster on the other, until they became so mingled in the conflict that discrimination of parties was impossible, and they foSe ve ught until wounds and fatigue compelled them to desist. Several policemen went to m quell the riot, - but were so severely beaten, that although they collared some of the most violent fighters, they were compelled to release their prisoners; and we understand that one of the police had his jaw broken.' The coffin xvas 'length. picked up, the corpse .enclosed,.and .the-bow tied to gether, after which the interment took place. ~ .We hope that the police may yet succeed in arresting some of the ruffians who,thus - disgraced a Christian town, and that the law may teach them that they reside in a civilised country. Dn. HIBBERT TAYLOR'S CASE.—On Wednesday an adjourned special general meeting of the governors and subscribers to the Eye and Ear Infirmary was held at the Clarendon-rooms, to receive a report from the committee appointed to investigate the circumstances of Dr. Hibbert Taylor's resignation of the office of honorary surgeon to that institution. Mr. Edward Heath presided. Mr. Hamilton, the chairman of the committee, laid before the meeting the report. The following is the substance of the report :—" They (the committee) have heard the evidence of the patient, Annie Gornall, of the matron, house-servant, dispenser, and two of the medical officers of the institution, some of the most eminent members of the medical profes sion in this town, and other parties. Maturely weighing that evidence, they are unanimously of opinion, that no stain whatever attaches to the moral character of Dr. Taylor. The eminent medical men whom they have con sulted are of opinion that such examinations are necessary in order to ascertain the true causes of disease, and are strictly professional and requisite, both for the public good and the welfare of the patient." In answer to the chair man, Mr. Hamilton stated that the report had been unani mously agreed to. The Chairman congratulated the meeting on the result, and then said the former meeting had been called for the election of a surgeon. They would now have to say whether there was any vacancy or not. Mr. John Cropper moved that the report be adopted, and would add to it, that Dr. Taylor be respectfully requested to withdraw his resignation. Mr. C. Maclver seconded the motion. Mr. Isaac Hadwen called upon the meeting to pause before they passed such a resolution, as he ques tioned if the present committee could in future work bar moniously with Dr. Taylor. Mr. Maclver was extremely desirous that they should not have one unnecessary word said on that occasion, but referred in severe terms to a letter of Mr. Banner in the newspapers, in which he appeared to justify the procuring of evidence by means of a party looking through a keyhole. He thought they should let bygones be bygones, and now render what was only ordinary and common justice to Dr. Taylor, by restoring him to the position from which he had been violently driven. Mr. Hull thought it would be sufficient, - as Dr. Taylor did not consider he had resigned, to pass a resolution requesting him to continue his services. Mr. Banner replied to Mr. Maclver, and at his suggestion the t a h rdin e la g tte it r , part That t f his report w DarreHibbert Taylor, having been entirely exone as firstluatdieereasd'a 3sulrb.sCtarentpiP:ermmoteivoina,gw rated of the charge brought against him, be respectfully n ested to resume his dut ies as honorary surgeon to the institution." Mr. Hull sec onded the motion. Mr. Banner req then took the objection, that such a resolutioanlled could noty ot legally be passed, t hat meeting having been c a special purpose ;- but, after some debate, the chairman decided that he could put the motion ; and it was put accordingly, and carried , three hands only being held up . against it,— and those of Mr. Banner , Mr. Isaac Hadwen, . M no resignation as treasurer, intimating that he co r. Henry Crosfield. M r . Crosfield then tendered uld us longer hold the office, as he still entertained the same opinions in reference to the case that had been impressed on him from the first. At the entreaty* the chairman, meeting. A vote of thanks was then passed to the COI . he agreed to waive his intention till the next general mittee and the chairman, and the meeting broke up, THE CONVEYANCE alone of every soldier from this country to the seat of war costs about £lOO. This seems enormous, and contrasts strongly with £5 a-head for which ten times the number have been carried across the Atlantic every year. It contrasts strongly too with the £3O for which a man may be steamed to New York in ten days, and have•the best of everything on the voyage. His MOST' FAITHFUL MAJESTY, the. youthful Don Pedro, the fifth King of Portugal and the Algarves, at tended by a Bruited suite, will arrive in this country about the first week in the ensuing month, on a visit to his illustrious relatives the Queen and Prince Albert. The young monarch, who is only in his 17th year, is second cousin to her Majesty and the Prince, and grand nephew to the Duchess of Kent. After a brief sojourn in London, his youthful Majesty will proceed to Brussels, on a visit to the King of the Belgians, and thence to Paris and Vienna, returning to Lisbon at the close of the summer. THE PIOUS FEELINGS OF THE SPANISH NATION can hardly fail to be immensely gratified by an announcement in the Espana, that Her Majesty Queen Isabel has appointed herself Elder Sister of the religious community of Our Lady of • the Rosary of Granada, granting to the sisterhood the privilege of ringing their bell from the eve of the first Sunday in October until sundown upon the day itself on which the festival is celebrated. This pleasing and'important intelligence was received in Granada with peals of bells, firing of rockets, and aTe Deum ! It is impossible too warmly to congratulate the reverend sister hood upon the noisy privilege, and upon this important and edifying accession to their ranks. DRINKING THE HEALTH OF THE EMPEROR OF Rus sre..—Last week a dinner was given to the tenants of Mr. Heathcoat, M.P. for Tiverton, of which it will be re membered Lord' Palmerston is the other representative. After the cloth had been• removed various toasts were proposed, and among the rest was that of " The health of the Emperor of Russia, and may the war last for seven years," which was proposed and seconded by two farmers, named respectively Densem and Hewitt. As might have been expected, the toast was received with indignation ; and its proposer has since been taunted by all with whom he has come in contact. Indeed it was questionable whether he would not have been mobbed by the women who assembled. on the market day. Such sentiments of disloyalty, it is scarcely necessary to state, are not generally entertained by the Devonshire farmers, not withstanding their fondness for high prices for their wheat. SEIZURE OF A. GOVERNMENT BARQUE BY CONVICTS. — MELBOURNE, FEB. 2.—lntelligence has reached town of the seizure of the government barque Lady Franklin, by a party of convicts, headed by Quinn, Twitty, and Brewer, who were on their way to Norfolk Island, pursuant to the sentence passed upon them. It appears that the vessel was seized on the night of the 28th of December, Captain Willett having been awakened and overpowered by the prisoners, who had broken out of the hold, and obtained complete mastery over the vessel. Three of the crew were employed in workin g her, the master and mate being con fined in the cabin. On the t3th of January the convicts ordered the crew to launch the long-boat and cutter, both of which were fully laden with provisions. They em barked, having previously confined the master and crew, and leaving a man at the maintop to liberate them when they made a signal from the boat, and threatened to shoot him if he descended before the signal was made. The desperadoes also cut the sails of the vessel and part of the rigging, so as to disable her from making any effective pursuit. After a fruitless attempt to reach Norfolk Island, Captain Willett made sail for Van Diemen's Land, and arrived in Spring Bay. BAPTISM BY IMMERSION.—A few days since the rite of baptism was administered by J. Wilkins, Baptist minister of Ebenezer Chapel, Cottenham, to ten females and one male, by immersion, in the " Old West" river near Lockspit Hall Ferry. A number of persons congre gated to witness the ceremony. The floating bridge was covered principally by females. The congregation having been brought to a high degree of excitement, some mis chievous boy called out, the bridge is sinking," and immediately some of the women, to save themselves as they thought, ran off the bridge into the river ; others were forced in by those behind pushing; so that from twenty to thirty immersions were witnessed more than were expected. These were not a whit the cleaner for their ablutions, as they emerged covered with mud. A few were trodden underfoot in the river; but the dis tance to the shore not being very great, they were rescued without any serious injury. To many this proved a source of immoderate laughter ; to others of serious anxiety, until they were all placed on terra firma. —Cambridge Chronicle. TIER EXPLORATION OF SOUTII AFRICA.. -- CAPE TOWN, 27th 'num, 1854.—Intelligence has just been received of Dr. LiVington, the celebrated South African missionary traveller. He had penetrated as far northward as 11 deg. south latitude, where the climate began to be very un healthy, both he and his people having been frequently down with fever. He had met with Portuguese slave dealers, and seen slaves led away in companies of eight and ten to one chain. He had also met with Arab slave dealers who could read and write Arabic readily. The countries visited by Dr. Livington, in the course of this tour, are described as splendid, fruitful, and very popu lous, but during the rainy season hundreds of miles were covered with water. The traveller having sailed several days on the river Choble in native canoes, was proceedin ,, towards Benguela with a view to discover a road to the remote interior from the westward. He had not succeeded, at the time he wrote, in finding a suitable place for a mis sion station, owing to the unfavourable character of the climate, but his expedition promises to be important and interesting in its results. Mr. Anderson had reached the Great Lake from the west coast, and Messrs. Thompson and Chapman had been in the same quarter.—Correa• pondent of the Watchman. DESTRUCTION OF HER MAJESTY'S GUN BOAT JASPER. —The Jasper left Plymouth on Sunday week, and all went well on board until forty minutes past six o'clock on Monday morning, about fifteen miles off Beachy Head, when the officer of the watch suddenly discovered flames and smoke bursting up from the bulkheads of the gun room. It seemed like magic, no notice being given, or any suspicion of fire, until the vessel was nearly in a blaze. In a few minutes all hands were on deck ; and the officers and men exerted themselves to the utmost to extinguish the flames. No one thought of himself, but every one thought of his duty. For one hour every human exertion was put forward, but to no purpose. Mr. Bate, supernumerary second master on board, assisted by a few hands, entered the magazine, and with buckets of water endeavoured to flood it. They could not remain below long, as the heat was intense, and the smoke suffo cating. Mr. Bate did his best, and was scorched in h►s retreat to the deck. The fire had taken possession of the whole ship, and Lieut. Crawley had to consult the safety of his officers and crew ; and finding all further efforts useless, gave orders to abandon the vessel in the three boats belonging to her, the party consisting of Lieut. Commander Crawley; master, Mr. C. Dyer; engineer, W. Hall; second, W. Lewis; third, R. Biddle; gunner, John Blellock ; and supernumerary second master, Mr. Bate; with twenty-five men and three boys. They pulled away from the burning craft, and then lay to. They at this time imagined, by the smoke not appearing so dense, and the quantity of water they had thrown, and by the flooding of the magazine, that they might yet save the vessel. Nearly all volunteered to return to her, when, on nearing, one of the officers discovered the bottom of the mainmast on fire, and that the flames were running along in dangerous proximity to the spirit-room and magazine. They quickly pulled away from the danger, and not too soon. The fire licking up the water, had reached the combustibles, and the ship blew up and sunk, spreading a shower of shells and pieces of timber to a great distance, fortunately without injury to the officers or crew. A vessel was now perceived to bear down upon them, which turned out to be the Vanguard, of Liverpool. The only conjecture as to the origin of the fire is, that soot might have remained in the flues, have made them red hot, and so communicated to the bulkheads, and being already heated, it must have been like spontaneous combustion. DEGRADING IGNORANCE AND INIILIMANITY.—A shock ing case of filial ingratitude, and revolting inhumanity, has just occurred in a family residing in the village of Shade, near Todmorden. The story is a terrible one. An old man named Thomas Holt, above seventy-five years old, lived with his two sons, John, aged about forty, and Tho mas, aged about thirty-five, in a cottage in the middle row at Shade. The old man had long been a widower, and the sons were unmarried, so that they lived in a deplora ble state of dirt and discomfort. They were all weavers formerly, but for some time had followed the occupation of labourers, and all three were hale, strong fellows. All of them would drink when they had the means, and the discomforts of their wretched home appear to have been vastly increased by the result of intoxication and bad tem per. They often quarrelled and kicked each other with their clogs, and only about three weeks ago the old man declared to a neighbour woman that he was so much ill treated he thought he should drown himself. She pointed out to him the consequences to himself, when beyond the bounds of time, of rushing into the presence of his Maker by his own act, and her observations seem to have sunk into his mind, for on Thursday week he used them in re ference to a man who had committed suicide by cutting his throat. He and his sons retired to rest the same night, and the report of the neighbours is that they were more than usually quiet, the old man slept in a small "turn up" bed in the "house," or kitchen, and the sons slept together in a bed up stairs. About live o'clock on Friday morning the younger son got up to go to his work, accord ing to his own account, and found his father's bed e mpty ! on which he shouted to his brothe r, " This mon s gone.' All his clothes were strewn about, except his trousers, and "Turn," as his stockings hanging o ver the oven door, as he is called, pulled one within the other and threwhem to the bottom of the stair s, remarking "Them 'ill be wanted na mare." They then lighted a fire, got some food, including a collop of bacon, turned up the bed, folded up their father's coat and waistcoat, and put them into a drawer, and having t aken food for dinner, shouldered their spades, and left for their work. When asked by the jury where they thought their father was, the younger son replied "We thought he will. i'th navvy," meaning the Rochdale canal, which was within a few yards of the house. The inquiry natimilly fo llowed, "Then why did you not seek for him?" to which lie replied, "Nay, I wur ower glad he wur gone ; he didn't go a minute too sobs ; he punced (kicked) me till I wur black and blue," When some one pointed out to the brute what a fearful thing self-murder was, he coolly replied " A Idly as would do that wur better gone nor kept ; he wur a fool for his pains." With the belief that their unfortunate parent had drowned himself in the canal; they - departed for their work, actually crossing the canal-lock a few yards from where his body was. Some thing led Thomas to return home that morning and on his way he encountered his uncle, who, hearing of the ab sence of his brother, urged Thomas to give information to the police. The fellow seems to have walked straight to the police-office, and accosted the officer in charge with,"Well, what's to be done ; th' old felly Vtli navvy." When some more distinct statement was got from him, drags were procured, and on searching the canal, the body of the old man was found, dressed in a shirt and trousers, and with a napkin bound about his forehead. This the sons ex plained was a practice of his, "because his brains were rather lowsc," and they wanted binding up. A jury was duly em pannclled anal the death of old Thoma H s olt d en quired into. When they went to see the bo d y , they ound that the br'jthers had slept all night in the same room with it; and as they entered, it being eleven in the fore noon, yelling Thomas Holt was leisurely drawing on his stockings. But there was no evidence to show that there had IKen any foul play, and Thomas Holt was arrested only to be liberated hi an hour. The jury returned au i QM verdict of " Found drowned." COURT AND F.A.SHIOIV THE COURT were to leave Buckingham Palace for Osborne yesterday, where the Queen's real birthday (Wednesday), the 24th instant, will be spent by the royal circle. THE DOWAGER LADY DAME expired at her residence in Chesterfield-street, on Wednesday, in her 82d year. Her ladyship was daughter of the late Admiral Sir Chal loner Ogle, and - relict of Valentine Wilmot, and by her marriage with the late Thomas, nineteenth Baron Dacre, had no issue. THE BISHOP'S HEin.---In consequence of the demise of the late Bishop of Bath and Wells, Colonel Edward Bagot, formerly of the Rifles, and now commanding the Royal South Middlesex Militia, becomes the next heir to th e magnificent property of Ashtead, in the county of SUrrey. This property, long a part of the hereditary domain of the Suffolk family, is of great extent and value, and the late bishop had a life interest in the estate. LIEUT.-GENERAL STAVELEY, C. 8., Commander-in-Chief of the Madras army, died on the morning of the 4th ult., in his transit carriage, shortly after his, departure from Tippicadoo. Since leaving Madras he had improved in health and spirits, and early on the morning of the 4th expressed himsely as being " Never better in his life." At Bandipoorah he partook of an excellent breakfast, and on arrival at Tippicadoo left his carriage and walked some few yards. Upon his re-entering the transit he lay down, as if for the purpose of going to sleep, and into which he immediately fell, and from that passed to death without the slightest struggle or groan. THE EMPEROR. NICHOLAS has at length, it appears, been shamed into decent conduct in reference to the goods and chattels of the British Ambassador. Sir Hamilton Seymour has been informed that his " traps", which had been detained at St. Petersburg. have been sent to the Russian frontier, where he may claim them whenever he likes, and get them home the best way he can. The Emperor, it seems, has actually been so magnanimous as to send them " carriage paid," 'which, considering all things, is perhaps more than Sir Hamilton Seymour had reason to expect.—John Bull. Tim CHEVALIER BIINSEN.—The recal of the Prussian minister at the Court of St. James's (his Excellency the Chevalier Bunsen) has been involved in considerable mys tery, which, as it arises from circumstances which may affect the future relations of the two countries as well as the European 'settlement, may deserVe some elucidation. We have reason to believe that the startling and very un expected event in question was occasioned in this manner : His Excellency Chevalier Bunsen, some little time ago, addressed a secret and confidential despatch to his Court, in which he sketched out a new territorial disposition of Europe, and indicated the provinces now belonging to Russia which it was proposed to apportion to his own sovereign. The King of Prussia was very indignant and greatly alarmed when Baron Manteuffel submitted this despatch to his Majesty. The king ordered the instant recal of his plenipotentiary, and' commanded General Groeben to proceed immediately to England on a special mission, and obtain from the British government distinct explanations whether the proposals of M. Bunsen had received their sanction. The ministry of Lord Aberdeen replied that the Bunsen project was in nowise authorized by them, and that they recognized the integrity of the Russian empire as necessary to the political equilibrium which they wished to maintain. The Chevalier Bunsen subsequently addressed a long explanatory letter to his sovereign, but without effect on his excellency's altered position. The king of Prussia expressed the anxiety of the German powers to restore and secure peace on the footing of the status quo, which was a sine qua non.— The Press. STATE BALL. — The Queen gave a state ball on Wed nesday evening in Buckingham Palace. The entire suite of state saloons were opened for the ball, and were bril liantly lit with chandeliers, girandoles, and magnificent crystal lustres, containing wax lights. All the fire-places were filled with the choicest specimens of flowering plants in full bloom, And opportunity was taken of every archi tectural void throughout the state saloons to display beautiful groups of, flowers, bearing the most brilliant blossoms. The staircase by which the state rooms are approached from the marble hall was also profusely deco rated by flowering shrubs and plants of the most fragrant and beautiful species. The archway fronting the first flight was filled with a perfect screen of flowers to a great height, and the walls on each side were adorned in a similar manner. Several yeomen of the guard were sta tioned at the foot landing of the staircase, and up to the entrance of the ante-room leading to the state suite; the main body of the guard being on duty in the grand hall. The ball-room and the throne-room were prepared for dancing, orchestras being erected, and ornamented in a manner similar to the decorations of the apartments, within alcoves, for the use of the quadrille bands. Haut pas were erected in both rooms for the use of the Queen, the Prince, and the royal family. They were covered with crimson Utrecht velvet, and on each were placed a chair of state for the use of the sovereign, and chairs of figured crimson silk for the accommodation of the Prince and the royal visitors. Behind each haut-pas alcoves were fiirmed; in which were placed fine specimens of azaleas, cacti, ge raniums, fuchsias, and other plants; the background being lined with white silk, embroidered with flowers, and having draperies of crimson velvet in the throne-room, ; and draperies of amber-coloured silk in the ball-room, to correspond with the furniture of the respective apart- ments. The Queen wore a dress of white crape lisse, spangled with gold boullonne, with white tulle, and trimmed with wreaths of green bay-leaves and red berries, ivy-leaves and ribbon grass. The dress was ornamented with diamonds. Her Majesty wore a head-dress to corre spond, with the flowers ornamented with diamonds. The quadrille bands of Weippert and Messrs. Cote and Tinney played appropriate music, and dancing was carried on with much spirit. The supper was served in the state dinner room ; a lofty buffet was erected opposite the entrance. It was lined with crimson, and brilliantly illuminated by WAX lights from silver-gilt girandoles and sconces. On it was displayed. a matchless collection of ornamental gold plate, designed by the most accomplished artists, ancient and modern. Some of the pieces were enriched with pre cious stones and beautiful cameos. There were also some exquisite carvings in ivory, mounted in gold. The tables were placed round three sides of the apartment, and were ornamented with vases, epergnes, ice pails, and centre pieces of gold plate relieved with flowers. HER MAJESTY'S BIRTHDAY. On Saturday there was a brilliant reception of about 1,500 persons at St. James's Palace, in honour of the royal birthday, which was fully equal in every respect to any of the courts Her Majesty has held for a similar cele bration, and was above all others distinguished by the first appearance of Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal publicly in any state ceremonial. The Princess accompa nied the Queen and Prince Albert from Buckingham Palace, and was placed during the reception on the left hand of the Prince. Addresses were presented to Her Majesty. The dresses worn by the ladies were of the most elegant, and some of them of the most magnificent descrip tion, it being understood that, as the birthday drawing room is the drawing-room par excellence, the utmost resources of the toilet should be displayed in all their splendour. Fashion, so omnipotent everywhere else, is circumscribed in its dominions at Court, and, therefore, drawing-rooms generally present much the same aspect. It is principally in the difference and in the quality of the material, the taste and variety of the trimming, and in the display of jewels, that one state reception can excel another. A great number of ladies seemed determined to mark the celebration of the birthday by coining in white, with long trains of plain white glace silk. To no other reason could the great prevalence of white dresses be attributed ; no presentations being permitted, there could be no debutantes. In nothing more was the influence of fashion seen than in the adoption of plain glace silks by so many of the ladies for their trains, instead of the brocaded silks which were almost universal last season. The admirers of the respective fabrics seemed about equally divided, and that which the prevailing authorities declare to be the " newest," will, we suppose, finally be pronounced the mode. The Viscountess Palmers ton wore an exceedingly beautiful dress, the train espe cially so; it was of green moire , brocaded with silver, with a headdress in which diamonds were mixed with green leaves with a very charming effect. The Countess of Clarendon wore a train and dress (or, in Court par lance, petticoat) of the same colour and material, pink silk, a novelty in Court costume which seems to be grow ing in favour. The Duchess of Inverness wore a train of the Stuart tartan in velvet. The petticoat, or dress, was of white lace, over white satin. This dress had a novel and very pretty effect, and attracted a deal of admiration. The Countess of Waldegrave (Frances) wore a magnificent dress of the most costly point-lace, with a lofty diadem of diamonds, and a profusion of other jewels. The Mar chioness of Ailesbury wore a train and dress of white tulle over white silk, spangled with gold, and embroidered ' with small flowers in the most brilliant colours. Her ladyship displayed a necklace of large emeralds and diamonds, and a diadem of diamonds. The Marchioness of Hastings appeared in a dress of silver brocade. Mrs. Strutt, with a dress of white silk, wore a train of green, brocaded in gold. Lady Ashburton wore a petticoat and train of the same colour, amber. This dress was simple in its design, but very rich in its effect. The Countess Walewski displayed perhaps the greatest novelty in orna mental trimming, and that was on a very pretty white dress, relieved with light blue. There were a series of flounces formed with ostrich feathers. That our readers may understand how this was managed, they must imagine the feather stripped off from its pen, and then laid longi tudinally round the dress, so that the tendrils, so to speak, of the feather drooped . downwards. There were a great number of these flounces, headed by rtichings of ribbon, and elaborated with true Parisian taste. The countess wore a very full wreath of flowers round her head, of blue and white. Viscountess Barrington wore a train and dress of the same colour and material, which looked very well. The colour was light blue. The Earl of Derby was prevented from paying his respects to her Majesty by indisposition, but the countess and his daughter, Lady Emma Stanley, were present. Lady Emma wore a very tasteful, though simple, dress, the two colours being cerise and white. The train was of white satin, ornamented with cerise ribands, and a few flowers of the same brilliant colour. The petticoat was of tulle, and, like the train, the corsage was ornamented with cerise ribands. The head dress was of brilliant cerise flowers and white feathers. The Rajah of Coorg, and the son and grandson of Tippoo Saib, Prince Gholam Mahommed and Prince Peron Shah, in all their oriental magnificence of costume, were present to render homage to the Queen. But, perhaps, the gentleman whose appearance at Court pro duced the greatest sensation, was a diplomatist who was in the full maturity of his official career half a century and who, at the age of 01, and in an official uniform now quite forgotten, attended to pay his dutiful respects to the Queen, at the birthday drawing-room on Saturday. This was Sir Robert Adair, Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath, and the representative of England at the Court of' Vienna in the year 1806. Sir Robert ob tained the Order of the Bath for concluding the peace with the Ottoman Porte in 1800. As might naturally he expected, the attendance of naval officers was remarkably scanty. • On the other hand, the attendance of officers of the militia and county services was unusually large, which, with the gay uniforms of the Light Cavalry of the East India Company's service, produced quite a su fficient variety in the costumes of the g entlemen. The reception occupied about an hour and a half, and Her Majesty and the Prince ' cheers of the people assembled in the Park, retrArned to Buckingham Palace amidst the enthusiastic THE' ANTIC. ilfP_E22lvg TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD. SlR,—Knowing that your columns are always open fo. the cause of truth, I have ventured to address a few words to you on the Anti-Charch Rate Meeting, which took. place last Tuesday evening, in the Concert-hall, Liverpool The meeting was held for the purpose of " petitioning - Parliament for the entire abolition of Church Rates;" and, as a matter of course, the Voluntary principle was lauded,_ and the compulsory condemned. Mr. Eyre Evans, who was called to the chair, in con trasting the working of the two sytems, referred to. America in proof of the (alleged) success of the Voluntary principle. Mr. Evans having adduced no facts in support of his assertions, one or two might, in my humble opinion,. throw a little additional light on the subject ; and, with all deference to Mr. Evans's opinions, I would bring the following observations before his and the public notice : In several parts of the United States, the maintenance of an established religion was compulsory, as in our own. country ; and we find that, wherever this principle has given way to the Voluntary one, religion has rapidly'. declined. Dr. Dwight, wh ose au th or i ty stan d s very hi g h w ith Dissenters, in his " Travels in New England and New York," explains the nature of the Ecclesiastical Establish ment which existed in Connecticut, (it has since beets destroyed;) and contrasts the conditi on of religion in that province with its condition in the more southern provinces, where there was no Establishment a t a ll . A n d what was the result P In a State, in which Christianity was estab lished by law, the _Presbyterian Ministers—(for they were the great body of the clergy) - supported and settled, were in the proportion of one to every one thousand three hun dred and twenty-eight inhabitants,—whilst in the States, where the Voluntary system prevailed, the proportion was one minister to every sixteen thousand six hundred and sixty-eight souls ! Still further—for it is right to give the enemies ,of the Establishment the full benefit of their favourite examples —whilst in the fore-mentioned State, (Connecticut,) out of 209 congregations, for so many it counted, there were twenty vacancies, i.e., about one-tenth without .ministers in the latter State, out of 430 congre gations, which was their whole number, there were 160, i.e., considerably more than one-third vacant, the inhabi tants being to this extent either too poor or too indiffer ent to support a minister. The cities of America may be well filled with churches; but it is the agricultural districts which suffer so much from want of an established religion, and it is here we see the failure of Voluntaryism. - Dr. Chalmers, in'his work on " Endowment," quotes an account given by an American minister, - the Rev. Samuel Mills, who thus describes what he had seen with his own eyes :--" Never will the impression be erased from our hearts by beholding those scenes of wide-spreading de solation. The whole country, from Lake Erie to the Gulf of Mexico, is as the ' valley of the shadow of death? Darkness rests upon it: only here and there a few rays of Gospel light pierce through the awful gloom. This vast country contains more than a million of inhabitants ; their number is every year increased by a mighty flood of immi gration; soon will they be as the `sands on the sea-shore for multitude;' yet there are at present only a little more than 100 Protestant or congregational ministers in it. Were these ministers equally distributed throughout the coun try, there would be only one to every 10,000 people; but now there are districts of country containing from twenty to fifty thousand inhabitants entirely destitute, and `hour shall they hear without a preacher ?' " This picture was drawn about the year 1834. Since that period a never-ceasing tide of immigration has poured its vast streams of pauper wanderers upon the shores of America ; therefore, with the natural increase of the population, these districts cannot be in a much better state now with regard to religions provision than they were twenty years ago ; and most probably the agricultural districts, where the emigrants chiefly seek their new homes, are in a much more extended state of darkness. This, Sir, is the boasted success of the Volunt.;ysys tem ! This is the country to which Dissenters are conti nually pointing in proof of the good working of that system ! No comment of my own is required : facts speak for themselves. But Mr. Evans tells us that "is England the Voluntary principle is supremely successfuL" The Church of England has provided a house of God in every parish; may I ask if Voluntaryism has done the same ? Are there not many agricultural districts too poor to provide themselves with a pastor, which would, like the aforesaid districts in America, be destitute of Scriptural instruction, were it not for the friendly aid of the State? Space precluding my noticing the remarks of the other speakers, I would just answer Mr. Bonar's almost ridicu lous question, whether any of those who paid Church rates loved them, by asking the " rev. gentleman" whether any one ever loved taxes as such ? And if people do not love taxes, is there any reason why they should not pay them ? From the whole tenor of Mr. Bonar's, and in tact all the speeches, one might naturally arrive at the conclu sion, that it was the love of money which actuated the refusal of the late rejected rate, rather than the boasted qualms of conscience. I cannot, Sir, conclude these few observations without bringing before your notice the personalities in which Mr. Bouar indulged, and asking you whether they are becoming in one who styles himself " reverend ?" The parties alluded to having merely raised a cheer at the mention of Dr. MiNeile's name, and expressed by their votes and disapprobation their dissent from the proposed resolutions.—l am, Sir, yours obediently, Birkenhead, May 22d, 1854. JrSTITIA. ST. MATTHEW'S, SCOTLAND-ROAD. TO TILE EDITOR OP THE LIVERPOOL STAND tED. SIB, —Being greatly interested in the improvement of the poptilace in and around St. Matthew's Church district, Scotland-road, I was very much concerned to learn that, on the afternoon of the 14th instant, a riot took place, from an ignorant and superstitious zeal among the respec tive processionists of two funerals, mutually contending for having precedence in the act of interment, as, it was stated, they believed the soul of the body last consigned to the grave would be detained as a kind of watcher in St. Anthony's crowded burying ground until the next corpse should be brought for interment ! Those attending the one corpse were reported to belong to Connaught, and those attending the other to Leinster. From this sturdy contest, upon such a solemn occasion, it is quite clear that, according to the dogmas inculcated upon these poor people by a spurious education or deluding priestcraft, they are earnestly minded in contending for the greatest imaginary advantages over one another, though at the expense of breaking the jawbones of policemen and others ! St. Anthony's Romish Chapel is not only crowded, but sur rounded, on the Lord's Day by people, and there is a large school edifice in Newsliam-street connected therewith, to which hundreds of children go. There is, however, no school edifice connected with St. Matth ew ' s Church (the church of the district), for the religious or intellectual training of. the infant and juvenile population. 'What is called St. Matthew's National School is, as you know, the cellar underneath the chureh. It would, indeed, be a very great blessing among these deluded Papists and careless Protestants, to have substantial school premises in the rear of St. Matthew's Church. Trusting that something may be done to effect the desired object, I am, Sir, yours, &c., Liverpool, May 22. JAMES GILLESPIE. WEST DERBY UNION AGAIN. TO THE EDITOR OP THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD. Sin—Having noticed in the Mercury of Friday last an advertisement for a person to fill the vacant office of " Registrar of Births and Deaths" for the district of Tox teth Park, and as there will be, doubtless, many appli cants for the situation, can you inform me if it be true that one of the " Board" stated on Wednesday last that advertising was a "farce" and useless, as the candidate was already fixed upon ? It is whispered that the appoint ment was agreed upon at the " dinner table," and the situation is to be given to-morrow to one of the " Guar dians" lately holding office, and whose kind, affable, and generous conduct to the poor is well known and appre ciated, although not altogether agreeable to a few mem bers of a pompous, tyrannical, and " radical clique," who consider him a " bore" to their ambition. Hence is his retirement desirable, and, when he is duly appointed, it is said one of the late disappointed " clique" will be pro posed as his successor in the office at the Board. Now, surety this report cannot be true, after the many "sce n e s " and " rows" at this respectable Board of Guardians; and yet, if true, " can swot things be, without our special wonder ?" Why, then, advertise ! The affair reminds one of the " Bigham do" or mistake, the worthy and re spectable "councillor" applying to be " 1169. d constable," with the emoluments, of course. In conclusion, I would beg to add that the district should be divided, as one of the Guardians (Mr. Appleby) suggested, and thusfrastrate the " cunning doings ' and objects of the " clique."—l am, Sir, yours, Kirkdale, May 22, 1851. OBSERVER. " PROPERTY" in Alabama fetches good prices. The live chattels in human form on the estate of the late Edmund Townsend, 285 in number, recently sold for 207,195 dol• lars. A young man and his wife brought 3,000 dollars; two twin brothers 3,700, and a brother and sister of these proved nearly as valuable. AN EXTENSIVE DEPiULTEL—An • quisition has been opened at the Sheriff's-court of Durh f l a n m, to possesses in that county, with a 7 ' o inquire what de falcations amounting to £66 view to the satisfying Doctor's-commons,_ pri soner to the crown, for mone ys property Henry Birchfield Swabe regis trar of the High Court ,000 on the part of the the prisoner was Colliery, worth £lB,627 of sub dli: claims under mortgages. receive d iriity. It b y w ilim as foimasdth at possessed of eight-fifteenths of the Felton ATTEMPT TO STARVE ' A F iec A t Llt h y ow T e o ve D r, s to AT v ir ery —A hea re vY . his wife (a lady-like looking spectable-looking man was charged, at Worship -street Police-court, on Wednesday , with attempting to starve death. His wife stated that she had live young children, and had lived on terms of the greatest affection with the prisoner until within the last twelve months, when his woman) and children to habits of intoxication and brutal treatment compelled her to separate from him. About a week spirince, ituous aftef u ros rnish he .. ing himself with a lar g e quantity, of s formed the horrid design of starving her and her family to death. He destroyed all the food in the house, and. locked them in. For three days they had nothing but some pieces of dry bread, and when she was ma ke her escape f rom the house he intercepted :her and trying t o knocked her down, and gave her a black eye. He then herall locked her and her children in one of the upper room s , and there kept them, until the agonizing cries of her children for food on the previous day induced her to ma k e an effort to break open the door ; but the p r i s oner , 4 had been drinking at intervals, forced her away, strikin-g -_...... w ho h er i n a savage manner in the face, and pinc hi ng over the body. She then made her way to t he and dashed her hand through a pane of glass , and window, circumstance, with her cries, attracted the gentlemen, who forcibly entered the attention of the pri soner was given into custody. The place, and the prisoner was remanded. .