The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1851-04-08 00:00:00

Zibrrpool Otanbatt. TUESDA Y MORNING, APRIL 8, 1851. THE London Times has devoted two articles to a critical examination of the speech of Lord Stanley at the recent banquet, given to him at Merchant Tailors' Hall. Of course the demonstration does not please our contemporary. Lord Stanley and the Protectionists ought to have been extinct by this time. There ought not to he within these realms a man hardy enough, in the face of the un exampled prosperity which has been so frequently demonstrated by ingeni,us statisticians, to harbour a doubt of the success of our free-trade policy. What seems chiefly to annoy our contemporary, however, is the tact that his lordship has furnished him with nothing for him to try his teeth upon. He has not pledged hitrself to }ing forward any definite measure of Protection. He has laid down no definite line of policy. The sum of his achieve ment is that, whAst describing the agricultural in terest as labouring under depression, he has hinted at a mitigation of the unjust hurthen of taxation borne by it ; and thereby thrown down the gauntlet to those who, with Sir Charles Wood and many other authorities on finance a 0" main tain that it hears no such unjust hurthen. We at once admit that his lordship's speech is wanting in the requirements which the Times con siders it should possess, as that of a statesman looking forward to the possession of power. Lord Stanley has not pointed out to " a weak and totter ing Alinistry"—one which " is obliged to catch at support here, and at a stray vote there, to concede this point anel to abandon that measure"—the pre cise policy upon which he would himself attempt to govern the country. But his lordship has made himself tolerably intelligible nevertheless to those who really wish to understand him. His striking remark, that the pet interest of the free-traders-- the cotton manufacture—has decreased its con sumption of raw rna;erial since 1846, and that, under the operation of the Navigation Act, British tonnage is decreasing, while foreign is increasing, point with tolerable closeness to his lordship's opinions. We trust that we may also interpret favourably the following passage of his speech : " T greatly fear there are symptoms which prove that even our apparent proFpr-ritv is hollow and deceitful, and that in the midst of this seeming prosperity, and this great extension of commerce, we are slowly eating into the capital and strength of the nation. (Hear.) We are diminishing the means from which our annual burdens are to be borne. You are in the vain pursuit of cheap ness, and nothing but. cheapness; and you forget that just in proportion as you make all articles cheap, and diminish the value of all articles to the producers at large, so you benefit one class and one class only—those consu mers who are not producers in their turn. You advantage those who are in the possession of fixed money incomes. but by diminishing the value of everything else you raise the value of money and enhance the al owing burden of that national debt, which no other country could support, and increase the pressure qf taxes. which, however they are themselves diminished, are borne with increasing diffioulty by the people, whose capital is constantly de creasing." Does the Times, or any other authority, imagine that Lord Stan would attempt to arrest this ruinous tendency of things by the mere imposition of a fixed duty upon grain ? Impossible. The ruinous process described has been going on for years before free trade in grain, or any thing like it, was thought of. For years the money power in this country has been trampling upon its industry and enterprise; the rich have been growing richer, and the poor have been gr► wing poorer; and it is most improbable that a statesman like Lord Stan ley can have omitted to observe that not only has the process in question, in the commercial portion of the country, been contemporaneous with the existence of the monetary laws of 1819 and 1844, but that agricultural depression as well took its date from the return to a metallic standard. We are assured that Lord Stanley is not thus unobser vant, from a Report on the Currency, furnished by a special committee to the " National Association for the Protection of Industry and Capital," of which association his lordship is an honoured member. In the Report in question, we find it remarked that : " It is impossible to over-estimate the advantages which the system of commercial credit has afforded to the development of our manufacturing and commercial undertakings. But it is obvious that the existing laws for the regulating of banking and currency have in a great measure rendered insecure and limited these means of finding scope for the industry of our manufacturing and commercial classes ; while the recurrence of repeated monetary crises has so shaken confidence as to destroy the credit and with it the independence, of many who formeriy, by adding their industry to the use of compa ratively small capitals, afforded wide-spread and conti nued employment, as well as the means of elevation, to the industrious classes. Lonetai legi powerful effects in ri capitalists engaged in lation has had such obvious and tricting the operations of small anufactures and carnmerce ; and, by shaking or destroying the credit of all but the large capitalists, restricting trade virtually to the hands of a few, whose mere subordinates and dependents the minor traders have in too many instances become ; it is obvious that the same causes must have operated with extended effect upon farmers as a class, and upon farming as a trade. The restrictions imposed on the country hankers the acts of 1844 and 1815 have greatly impaired their inducements to accommodate farmers; and have obvi aded to increase the deficiency of credit and accommodation, so severely felt by the agricul- In fact, loans to farmers under these arbi- , restrictions are becoming mere matter of history. It is true, however, that there is also another reason, at the present moment, for the indisposition of country " ices to farmers—the belief that to mai' loans would permanently save them from the ruin which is im ver them- It is impossible, we repeat, that Lord Stanley, and the members of the Protectionist party, can have shut their eyes to the importance of a ques tion, upon which the lamented Lord Geo. Bentinck, to whose exertions and talent Lord Stanley so feelingly referred in his speech on Wednesday, was so well informed. Speaking of the crisis of 1847, Lord George remarked : " Then is it a want of cotton that has produced this distress ? No ; is it a want of credit ? Is it your restric tive monetary laws, your cruel Bank Charter Act; your 4-he true object of which we were let know by the , of endeavouring by anticipation to correct any too great commercial speculation ; it is your act of parliament, passed with the view of making things in England artificially cheap, 80 that when, by your free imports, you have allowed all the gold to pass from the country, because foreign countries would not take your manufactures in return, you might then bring back the d *--this it is that has produced the distress. .ear, , You have cotton selling at £3 the bag below t cost price, sugar at 6s. and Bs. the cwt. below Elbing letter gold again "He the price it was purchased at in Cuba or Brazil ; tea sold by the pound retail at a price less than what it cost the merchant by the chest in Canton. These are the works of your free traders, who must bolster up their new fangled schemes by means of this Bank Charter Act. I am assured—l speak in the presence of mill-owners and cotton-:spinners, who may contradict me if they can—that for the fir• - _ , t time in the history of cotton manufactures, calicoes and yarns have been sold at the price the cotton cost. (Hear, hear.) Do you think that is a profitable trade for England ? (Hear, hear.) It will bring back the gold, pertiap for the right lion. baronet the tr, - worshi, —it will brinij back the oolden image ber for Tan:worth to , -but will it benef t the country We must complain of Lord Stanley and the Protectionist party generally, that they do not give stiffilient prominence to this question. A reform of our currency laws is the only measure which can effectually check the tyranny of capital over labour, and which can enable the community to sustain the enormous burthen of taxation imposed upon it. This is the first step also of protection to the native agriculturist ; the rest will follow. Whatever statesman will resolutely grapple with the money monopoly, and liberate us from the grinding tyranny of a (Told standard, will enable the world to witness in this country such a putting forth of industry, energy, and enterprise, as was net er equalled in the history of nations. Let the Pro tectionists tell us that they are prepared to strike here a Mow against the selfish politicians of the day, and the Times and his faction will no longer dare to taunt them that they have not a policy to propound. IF the case to be urged by the American Chamber of Commerce in favour of their bill for effecting an alteration in the constitution of the Dock Trust were no stronger than it appears as developed in the proceedings before the Commons on Thursday and Friday, we should have little fear of its success. Testimony more far fetched and trivial was, probably, never before produced in behalf of a Bill so ambitious. There is one porticn of the proceedings, however, which is a little mys terious to ourselves, and, we have no doubt, will be so to most of the public of Liverpool. We refer to the comment of the Chairman of the Committee upon a passage in the report of the Sub-committee of the Dock Trust, denying that either he, or any member of the Commons Committee, bad ever suggested any negotiation for the purchase of the Birkenhead Dock Estate, or even for any negocia tion with the parties interested in that property, who were not, in fact, before the committee in any way. An explanation, we observe, was given by Mr. Cardwell and Mr grown, " That such a suggestion had been made, though not to the committee, because it was very desirable that con flicting local interests should be reconciled ; and that the statement in question appeared to be founded upon a mis apprehension, inasmuch as the committee had nothing to do with Birkenhead." If the committee offered no suggestion upon the subject, it must have emanated from some of the promoters of the Bill ; and it is fair to infer that had the Dock Committee consented to saddle the estate of the burgesses with the ruinous specula tions of Sir Isaac Lyon Goldsmid and his friends, to the tune of some two millions sterling, the obnoxious proposal of the American Chamber of Commerce would have been quietly withdrawn. Thanks, however, to the judgment and firmness of Mr. Littledale and Mr. Brown ; and to the extra ordinarily develot;ed greed of the Cheshire Dock people. who would have nothing less than their bond, the attempt was defeated. It is no slight sign of weakness that the pro moters of the bill place so prominently before the committee the necessity of providing an Emigrants' Home. Thus, on Friday, we had the Rev. Mr. Welsh, chaplain to emigrants in Liverpool. called for this precise purpose; and are told that : . " The rev. gentleman entered into a description of the lodging. houses usually resorted to by emigrants, their want of proper comfort and accommodation, their high prices and occasional extortion, and of the class of persons called " runners," in their own parlance, but " man catchers" in popular phraseology. It was desirable, there fore, for the benefit of the emigrants that a home should be established in order to prevent these evils. The home should, in his opinion, be established at the expense and be under the control of the dock committee." Unfortunately for the effect of the rev. gentle man's evidence it was elicited that " there were some good and clean lodging-houses for those who could afford to pay for superior accommodation. For such as could pay only 4d. or sd. a-night" he continued, " there was not a sufficient number of good, clean, and well ventilated lodging-houses." We can assure the rev. gentleman that such parties would neither thank us for the cleanliness nor the ventilation of their lodgings. A single night would Efface the firmer ; and a pair of old brcgues, or a hat, stuffed into the chimney, or other ventilating aperture, would effectually get rid of the latter. Then Mr. Welsh is uninformed with respect to a portion of his subject : . _ _ " Ht. was not aware that every lodging-house for emi grants was obliged to be licensed by the health committee, or that a copy of the rules, regulations, and bye-laws made under the local act was bound to be hung up in every dwelling; hut he believed the police looked atter them, not perhaps every day, but to the extent of their no ers." The Rev, gentleman is of opinion that "the Home should be established at the expense of the Dock Committee." Pray why? We can see no more reason why the Committee should build an Emigrant's Home than a Sailor's Home or a Pauper's Home. " It should he under the control of the Dock Committee." In other words—that Committee, as they are already exercising the trades of porters, coopers, warehousemen, weighers. samplers and others, should add to their numerous avocations those of lodging-house keepers, slopsellers, old clothesmen, and dealers in beef, pork, butter, bacon, tea, coffee, tobacco, and the om ni um gatherum of commodities which occupy the shelves of a chandler's shop. Will any of the promoters of the bill tell us how, in such a case, the rents and rates of the numerous parties, at present deriving an honest livelihood from these trades are to he paid ? The Government Emigration Agent, however, settles this Emigrant's Home affair. Mr. Welsh tells us " Lieut. Hodder, the emizration agent, he believed was of opinion it would he very difficult to carry out the establishment of an emigrant's home in the manner pro posed by this bill." We should not, we repeat, have any fear of the bill if its promoters relied entirely upon the evidence which they have to offer openly to the Committee. Parliamentary contests, however, are not always decided in this way ; and we do not much relish the idea of gentlemen in the Com mittee, but not of the Committee, intruding them selves to propose such compromises as that which we have just happily escaped. Again we would urge upon the Dock bondholders to be up and stirring to resist this bill. Let them ask them selves the question—where would have been the value of their security with an additional two mil lions added as proposed to the existing debt ? SOUTH LANCASHIRE ASSIZES CROWN COURT.—TvEsDAY. (Before Mr. Justice Cressweil.) Mary Kennedy, 39, was indicted for the wilful murder of her new-born male child, at West Derby, on the 19th of February last. The child was secreted by the mother immediately after its birth, but discovered before it was dean ; and it was suggested on her behalf that some inju ries of the head of the child might have bee❑ caused by her, unintentionally, during the delivery. The jury found the prisoner guilty of manslaughter, and his lordship sen tenced her to transportation for ten years, remarking that nothing but the accidental finding of the child had saved her from a conviction for murder. On hearing the sen tence, the prisoner fainted. William Howarth, 20, was indicted for having on the 24th January burglariously oroken and entered the dwell ing-house of Benjamin Butler, at Rochdale, and stole❑ several articles of clothing. The prisoner was found guilty of housebreaking. Sentenc.. deferred. CharleB Shaw, 39, and Richard Show, 28, were found guilty of having, at Liverpool, on the 6th March, com mitted a robbery with violence, and stolen from Ralph Leyland his watch, chain, seven sovereigns, and other things. Richard Shaw (previously convicted of felony) was sentenced to be transported for fourteen years, and Charles Shaw to be transported for ten years. _ _ David Nicholson, a young man, was found guilty of a highway robbery upon the person of Allen Stone, of Little Hulton, at Salford, on the 20th March. Sentence deferred. Mary Ogden, a young woman, was charged with the manslaughter of Mary Cain, at Manchester, on the 18th of Feb. Some angry words passed between the two, during which the deceased was heard to say, " I have not got the money" ; upon which Ogden seized hold of her, thrust her against a wall, and beat her violently, immediately after which Cain died. The prisoner was apprehended three weeks afterwards. The jury returned a verdict of not guilty, on the ground of disparity in the medical testimo nies as to the cause of death. CROWN COURT n .:EDNESDAY On the prisoners John Howard, 'I homas Bonner Rus sell, and John Owen, who had been admitted to bail on this charge of having conspired together to cheat and defraud Thomas Parkinson Lewthwaite out of certain goods, being called on to surrender, none of them an swered, and their bait was order to be estreated, and bench warrants to issue for their apprehension. Upwards of forty witnesses were in attendance on the part of the prosecution. William Russell (father of Thomas Bonner Russell), Frederick W. P. Russell (another son of William Rus sell), and Edward Orford, were found guilty of having, at Heaton Norris, by means of false pretences, and by con spiracy and fraud, obtained six hundred weight of twine, fifty sacks of corn, and a variety of other articles, with intent to cheat Frederick James, Robert Beman, and others. Sentence deferred. Wm. Tynon, Michael Kevelin, and Margaret Martin, were found guilty of having, on the 21st of March, at Manchester, feloniously assaulted John Murphy, and stolen from his person twce sovereigns and a watch. The female prisoner had pleaded guilty. James Donough was indicted for the manslaughter of Charles Horrozks, at Manchester, on the Bth of January last. The prisoner and the deceased worked together, as. clogmakers, and on the day in question the latter, who had been drinking, alluded to sQme expressions used by the prisoner respecting him. He also said to the prisoner, "Thou saidst if any body struck thee, thou wouldst put thv knife into him. "The prisoner said, " Hold off, or let thee see what I'll do," when deceased struck him with the flat of his hand on the face. The prisoner was at work at the time, cutting welts with a knife, and imme diately after being struck he made a blow at the deceased with the knife, and struck him in the groin. A struggle then ensued, but they were separated by their fellow workmen, and deceased was taken to the Infirmary, where he died a month afterwards. The prisoner was found guilty, but recommended to mercy.—Sentence deferred. In the course of the day the prisoners John Howard and John Owen, along with Thomas Bonner Russell, appeared in court ; when it was explained to the learned judge that the two prisoners, Howard and Owen, were unable to appear when called upon in consequence of a detention in a railway-train. His lordship accepted the apology, and the bail was enlarged. Russell has not sur rendered. CROWN COURT.—TiI URSDAY. His Lordship sentenced eleven men to seven years' transportation, for burglaries or robberies, at Manchester or the neighbourhood, remarking that that town must be in a sad state, when the inhabitants could not go to their homes at night without being assaulted. Another pri soner, for the same offence, was sentenced to eighteen months' imprisonment with hard labour ; James Lythgoe, for stabbing, to nine months' imprisonment; Alexander Rigby, for bigamy, to six months' imprisonment. John Peach was sentenced to fourteen days' imprison ment, for abetting in the death of Richard Lilly, in Sep tember last, at Stretford, near Manchester. The deceased was killed at a prize fight. Patrick Moran was sentenced to three months impri sonment, with hard labour, for stabbing Thomas Gould ing, at Upholland, near Wigan. David Mills was sentenced to ten years' transportation, for stabbing his wife. The woman was taken to the Northern Hospital, and after her discharge she absconded, in order it was thought not to appear against her hus band. John Sothern, 14, was indicted for the m anslaughter of David Dodd, a boy 9i yeari old. The deceased, on the morning of the 17th January last, was proceeding to school in Manchester, when he observed another • lad throw some cards into the air. He picked some of them off theground, and was continuing his route to school, when he dropped' one of the cards in the street. The prisoner's brother picked it up, whereupon the deceased made some exertion to get back the card. The prisoner then interfered, knocked the deceased down, and kicked him on the thigh, breast, and head. The deceased, on the following day, complained of illness, which resulted in his death on the following Monday. The prisoner was found guilty, but recommended to mercy. He was sen tenced to three weeks' imprisonment, the last to be soli tary, and then to be whipped. ' John Hutchinson, 27, was sentenced to eighteen months' imprisonment, for having, at Liverpool, feloniously stabbed Margaret Conway. The prisoner and the prosecutrix had lived together for three Years, but had latterly separated. Labouring under some feelings of jealousy, the prisoner, on the morning of the 17th February. watching an oppor tunity whilst the prosecutrix was letting a lodger out of the house, made a rush at her, and inflicted three severe wounds on her head with a large knife. The prisoner had been previously convicted of felony, and suffered im prisonment on eight summary convictions in this borcugh. Peter Hagan, 40, was sentenced to eighteen months' imprisonment, for having, at Liverpool, on the 3d ult.. feloniously stabbed Patrick O'Donnell. The prisoner occupies a cellar in Paul-street, and on the day named had been intoxicated and making a disturbance with a lodger, and afterwards swore in the street he would stab any person who dared to enter his cellar. The prosecutor was passing at the time, and recommended him to be quiet; but on leaving him, he was followed by the pri soner, who, without the least provocation. stabbed him in the left breast with a large bread knife. William Belshaw, 36, charged with the manslaughter of Thomas Webster, at Wigan. was acquitted.—William Thompson, 26, for housebreaking at Liverpool, was sen tenced to 20 years' transportation. CROWN COURT.—FRIDAY. This court was occupied the whole day with a case of a nature unfit for publication. CROWN COURT-SATURDAY Joseph Dean and William Boxer, indicted for having at Atherton committed an unnatural crime, were found guilty, and death was recorded. Thomas Dewhurst, indicted for rape, was found not guilty, and acquitted. Joshua Butterworth and James Higgins were each sentenced to transportation for twenty years, the former for having uttered several forged Bank of England notes at Rochdale, and the latter for a similar offence at Liver pool. John Whittle, a grey-haired man of 69, was sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment and hard labour, in the House of Correction, for having forged notes in his pos session, knowing them to be forged. John Bourke, for the forgery of a request to deliver goods, twelve months' imprisonment and hard labour. The same punishment was warded to Ernest Anderton and William Greenwood, for the forgery of promissory notes with intent to defraud a loan society at Oldham. Edward Davies, for two offences of a like character, six months' imprisonment for the first, and six months for the second offence. William Russell, Frederic W. P. Russell, and Edw. Orford, indicted for obtaining money by false pretences, at Heaton Norris, were sentenced to be transported for seven years. James Donough, a youth of 19, indicted for the man slaughter of a fellow- workman, at Manchester on the Bth of January, was sentenced to imprisonment and hard labour for twelve months, there being extenuating eircum stances.in the case. YESTERDAY'S CROWN COURT WILL BR FOUND IN PAGE 8. NISI PRIUS COURT.—TIIESDAY. (Before Mr. Baron Platt.) DOE DEM. NPLEAN V. EDMUND BULMAN.—This was An action of ejectment to try the validity of will made by Mr. John Bulman, of Ashton-under-Lyne, tailor, who had accumulated considerable property, and which by that will he left to a niece and to his wife. He had had seve ral attacks of epilepsy, but many witnesses deposed to his competency to make a will, and after a good deal of evi dence pro and con. the jury returned a verdict establish ine the validity of the will . KEMP v. HoLT.—The plaintiff was the secretary of a defunct railway scheme—the Staffordshire Potteries and Liverpool and Manchester Direct Railway Company— and the defendant was alleged to be one of the principal promoters. The plaintiff lived near London, and the de fendant was a carrier at Manchester. The plaintiff claimed a salary at the rate of £5OO a-year, and other ex penses. The jury found a verdict for the defendant, with an allowance to the plaintiff of £9 17s. 6d., money admitted to have been paid by him. THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD. NISI PRIUS COURT.-WEDNESDAY. STAINBANK AND ANOTHER V. FE RMIN G.—The plain tiffs, Messrs. Stainbanks, who are insurance brokers in London, sought to recover from the defendant, an under writer in London. the amount of his subscription to a po licy of insurance, dated Ist December, 184&, upon the Hartland, a vessel of 433 tons, formerly employed in the timber-carrying trade between Bristol and Quebec. Plaintiffs had no personal interest in this case; they had effected this policy as agents for merchants in Liverpool, who carried on business here under the name of Rankin, Gilmour and Co., and who had a house in Quebec, con- sisting of the same parties, trading under the name of Gilmour and Co. These were the rea plaintiffs, and they alone were interested in the policy.—After the facts of the case had been proved at great length, a verdict was taken for the plaintiffs of £2OO, leave being given to enter a nonsuit upon certain points. CUNLIFFE v. HARRISON.—An action for claret, sold and delivered, to which the defendant pleaded non liability. The plaintiff has for many years carried on business in Bordeaux as a wine mercnant : the defendant is now partner in the house of Allanson and Brandreth, wine merchants, Liverpool ; and the action referred to is an alleged sale of claret by the plaintiff to the defendant in September, 1847. A verbal order for a certain num ber of hogsheads of claret, of the vintage of 1844, was given by defendants to the plaintiff; the plaintiffs sent fifteen hogsheads, of which the defendant was only in clined, in the firstinstance, to take ten. The plaintiff, there fore, sold the other five, after delivery of them at the defendant's warehouse, in bond, to another party ; and the defendant, after trying the remainder of the wine, declined to take any of it, on the ground that it was defective in quality. An angry correspondence ensued between the French and English houses, resulting in the present action, by which the plaintiff sought to recover about £5OO, the value of the ten casks of claret which he had supplied to the defendant. Verdict for the plain tiff, debt £512, leave being given to the defendant to enter a nonsuit, in case there was no evidence of delivery and acceptance to go to the jury. IlicoiNsoN v. HIGGINSON AND OTHERS.—The plain tiff, Elizabeth Higginson, was sister to the late Mr. John Higginson, an eminent merchant of this town, who died in 1834, leaving his wife, Sarah Ann, and his two sons, J. and H. B. Higginson (the defendantO, executrix and executors under his will. The object of the action was to recover about £3700, alleged to be still remaining due, including interest, upon a bond given by the deceased, John Higginson, to his sister, the plaintiff, as security for the loan of £4,ooo.—Mr. Deane, solicitor for the plaintiff, produced an admission, signed by the three defendants a day or two ago, in which they admitted that the testator died possessed of goods, chattes, and other estate, realized long before the commencement of this action, amounting to a sum exceeding £B,OOO, after all debts were paid ; also, that the debt was due by them to the plaintiff.—ln cross-examination, Mr. Deane said the estate was now in the hands of third persons ; in fact, that Messrs. H. and J. Forshaw, the defendants' attor neys, were now the trustees of the property ; and this action was defended in pursuance of an arrangement by those third persons. He did not communicate with Messrs. Forshaw before the defendants signed the admis sion. One of the defendants, Mr. Jonathan Higginson, had become bankrupt since the death of the testator ; and Mr. Jonathan Higginson was the only executor who proved the will. The two male defendants had assisted witness in getting up the case for the plaintiff.—The Judge said he could not see how Mr. Atherton could extricate himself from the situation in which the defen dants' admission had thrown him. It was a very myste rious case when the defendants themselves were no par ties in resisting the action.—Mr.Atherton submitted that there was no evidence of the receipts of the assets by the three defendants.—Verdict for the plaintiff. NISI PRIUS COURT.-THURSDAY James Phillips, 39, Thomas Jackson, 32, Frank Morris, 30, William Forrest, 32, Thomas Fitzsimmons, 34. and Thomas Barker, 36, were charged with a conspiracy to intimidate and prevent the workmen of Edward Sigley and Son, of Ashton-under-Lyne, from following their bu siness as brickmakers, and destroying the property of the said Edward Sigley. The indictment, which contained no fewer than seventeen counts, set forth the charge in va rious ways—namely, the defendants were members of an illegal society, that they left their employers' service im properly, prevented other workmen from continuing their work, and destroyed the property of such employers.— Mr. Serjeant Wilkins, on opening the case for the prose cution, said that if the defendants would acknowledge that they had done wrong, he would ask his Lordship to allow them to go, on undertaking to come up for judgment when called on.—For a long time the men did not seem inclined to comply with this suggestion, as they alleged that they had not done anything wrong. Ultimately three of the ringleaders pleaded guilty, and, after an admoni tion from his Lordship, they were discharged. Wit.soN (ADMINISTRATOR) V. THE EAST LANCASHIRE RAILWAY CCNIPANY.—James Wilson, the administrator of Robert Middleton, on behalf of Charlotte Middleton, was the plaintiff, and the East Lancashire Railway Com pany the defendants. The deceased was a commercial traveller, residing at Manchester, and in the receipt of £lOO per annum, with a promise of advancement. On the morning of the 29th of August last the deceased left Blackburn for Colne, taking a second class place in the express train. On reaching the Marsden station the train, which was going at the rate of 37 miles an hour, came in contact with a truck placed on the siding. The carriages were turned round on the line, two of them upset, and in one of these was deceased. Immediately after the oc currence, he was conveyed to the station, and medical assistance procured • but his injuries terminated fatally the same night. The accident was alleged to have arisen from the siding being too close to the main line, the want of preper signals, and a clock to regulate the time, and the absence of an efficient staff at the station. Since the accident the siding at the station had been removed to a greater distance from the main line, signals bad been placed at the station, and better arrangements made for. the prevention of similar occurrences. The usual staff at the station was a station-master, a gate keeper, and a porter ; but, on the day in question, there were only two persons in attendance, the porter being sick. The gate-keeper, who was an old sailor, extremely deaf (and received ss. a week for his labour) was on this occasion obliged to discharge his own duties as well as those of porter. Verdict for the plaintiff.— Damages, X5OO. The foreman of the jury intimated it as their unanimous opinion that there, had been gross negligence on the part of the railway company, and that it was a groat shame an old man should be hired at ss. a week for such a duty as that he was required to perform. He ought to have been an able-bodied man. The Judge expressed his concurrence in this opinion. NISI PRIUS COURT.-FRIDAY, ROSETTO AND ANOTHER V. GIIRNEY.—This was a Suit by Greek merchants in London, agents for Messrs. Jump and Co., against the representative of the Alliance Ma rine Insurance Company, to recover £4,500, on the ground of a constructive total loss of a cargo of wheat, valued at £6,400, originally shipped from Odessa. The defendant denied that the loss was total, and pleaded that £3,505,' which he had paid into court, was the full amount of his liability. The case lasted a considerable time, and in summing up his Lordship told the jury that he believed all the proceedings at Cove had resulted from the " perils of the sea" ; that the ship had been driven into such a position, that the owner assured could not get out without paying more than the value of his interest in the cargo. He would leave it to the jury to say whe ther a prudent uninsured owner would have thought it worth his while to enter into a controversy with the sal vors, the bottomry-bond holder, and to have given bail to the Admiralty Court. The jury immediately replied in the negative ; and a verdict was entered for the plain tiff._ Damages to be settled out of court. YATES V. r. GARDNER.—Mr. Joseph Brooks Yates, the plaintiff in this action, sued the defendant, who is a builder in this town, for the non-performance of an agreement made to purchase certain lands in the neigh bourhood of Toxteth-park. The whole claim amounted to about £9,559, with interest from the commencement of the agreement. About fourteen pleas were urged in defence, but the chief was that, since the promise had been entered into to purchase, the defendant had become insolvent. As the name of Mr. Yates, however, was not included in the schedule of the defendant, it was con tended that this plea was void. A verdict was given for the plaintiff for £11,391 on the common counts. NISI PRIUS COURT.-SATURDAY. INNKEEPERS' LIABILITIES: ARMISTEAD V. WYLDE.— This was an action brought to recover the amount of a sum of money stolen from the Neptune Inn, Clayton square, in this town, and belonging to a commercial traveller. Mr. Joseph Armistead has for a long period travelled for the house of J. and J. Armistead, seed. crushers, &c., of Leeds. and the plaintiffs in this action. During twenty years he has made the Neptune his home on visiting Liverpool. On November 4th last he repaired, on arriving at Liverpool, to his accustomed inn, where the defendant, Emma Wylde, received him. On the night of the 7th he deposited £285, in gold and notes, in his driving-box, which he locked up, and left upon the table in the commercial-room. On examining his driving-box next morning, he found that it had been forced open, and that all his money had been taken away. He, therefore, claimed from the landlady recom pense for his loss ; and, the liability being disputed, (though it was alleged by Mr. Armistead in evidence that a promise to restore the value of the amount had been made by the defendant,) his employers had recourse to the present procedure to recover. Cyrus Watts, the man charged with the robbery, is now awaiting his trial at the sessions. The defence urged was, that there was nothing in outward show to indicate that the defendant was the keeper of the hotel ; that the license on the 6th and 7th of November was in the name of the deceased mother of the defendant ; that the name over the door was that of the mother ; that the hills were not in the defendant's name ; and that the probability was, (considering her sex and age) that the defendant was not the owner of the hotel at all, though. for family reasons, sbe might have remained in the house. Mr. Knowles also dwelt strongly on the fact of their being no corroboration of the s'ate ment of Mr. Armistead with respect to the restoration of tke value of the property. The judge having summed up, a verdict was returned for the defendant on the ground of negligence. CLAIM FOR COMMISSION BY A SHIPBROKER : COWIE v. SCHARLAN.—This action was brought to recover com mission alleged to be due to the plaintiff, Mr. Henry Cowie, a shipbroker, of this town, from the defendant, Mr. Frederick Scharlan, the captain of the ship Cw. , ar. On the Bth November last the plaintiff chartered his ship for the Brazils; the charter being drawn up at the office of Messrs. M'Bride and Nodin, shipbrokers, by the re quest of the defendant, who agreed also that it should be offered for acceptance to Messrs. Miller and Thompson, as charterers. This firm, after a day's consideration, consented to take the Caesar if she carried coffee in bags and sugar in cases, at 605., loading at Rio Janeiro, and 655. at any other Brazilian port. Other goods were to be in proportion. The only alteration which the defendant requested to be made in this arrangement was, that " 280 tons of coal" should be substituted for the stipulation made by Messrs. Miller and Thompson that the ship should take out as much cargo as she delivered home in the gross. Though Messrs. Miller declined to alter the terms of their proposed arrangement, the defendant agreed with the plaintiff to accept them if the charter could be completed by the succeeding Monday ; but be did not call, as he promised, at the plaintiff's officer and when seen by Mr. Cowie at a later period of the same day, the defendant told the shipbroker that he had com pleted the charter without the aid of the latter, having seen the merchants himself. Mr. Cowie. therefore, feeling himself aggrieved, inasmuch as it was contended on his behalf that the defendant had taken advantage of his hav ing mentioned the names of the firm with whom he was in treaty for the effecting of the instrument, had brought the present action. Evidence on the part of the defen dant was adduced to show that a negotiation prior to that with the plaintiff had taken place with other shipbrokers, Messrs. Bahr,' Behrend, and Co. ; that Mr. Cowie had intervened; though terms had ultimately been completed with the first brokers. Upon this evidence it was con tended that the plaintiff had no right to his commission, and, after the judge had made some comments on the case, the jury returned a verdict for the defendant. EJECTMENT : DOE DEM. KELLYER AND OTHERS V. KlNG.—Recovery of possession was sought by this action of a house in Hill-street, in this town, which formerly beloneed to Samuel Gaskin, a master mariner, who died in 1821 ; and the title of the plaintiffs was, under his will, made in 1815. Gaskin devised the whole of his personal and other property to his wife; and on her death, in ac cordance with the terms of the will, the house in question, with the rest of the estate, were shared equally by the sisters, nephews, and nieces of Gaskin. One of these, Mrs. Parkhouse, the sister of Gaskin, who, on the death of her first husband, married a person named Kellyer, had several children, of whom the plaintiffs were three. The defendant, Bernard King, was a porter in the Dock Trust, who had married a person named Gaskell, who pre ferred to be a daughter of Samuel Gaskin, but who, it was urged by the counsel for the plaintiffs, if a child at all, was not a natural one,• and certainly had no legitimate claim to the property. General verdict for the plaintiffs. NISI PRIUS COURT—YESTERDAY. NEWTON V VAUCHER. This was an action for infringement of a patent, and was tried by a special jury. Mr. Knowles, the attorney general for the county palatine, Mr. Crompton, and Mr. Adolphus, were the counsel for the plaintiff. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL opened the case by stating that the plaintiff complained that a patent, to which he laid claim, had been infringed. The plaintiff did not say that this patent was his own invention ; it had been com municated to him by a foreigner, and that action was brought to protect the partiesinterested. The patent was for certain improvements in the construction of boxes for the axles, or axle-trees, of locomotive engines and car riages, and for the bearings contained within these boxes. The second was relative to the oiling, or lubricating, of the axles. The learned counsel, however, remarked that he should confine himself to the former part, and for this purpose be produced the model of an axle-box. Within this axle-box a metal beading, or case, was placed, which from the immense friction resulting from the rapid action of locomotives was liable to become heated. A Mr. Rabbitt, of Boston in America, invented a remedy to this. He lined the hard metal bearing with tin, and then by means of a mandrill, coated that with a soft metal. This entirely obviated the inconvenience arising from hard metal bearings, abraison was prevented, and another advantage was, that when this coating was worn off a fresh one could be added, which could not be done before. The learned counsel then went on to show that it was not for the bearing itself that he contended, but for the application of an alloy, the basis of which was t , n. Mr. Newton took out his patent. in May, 1843, and specified at that time that the invention had been im parted to him by Mr. Rabbitt. The invention was soon pirated, and in 1845 a case was tried at the Liverpool Assizes, before Mr. Justice Creswell, for an infringe ment of the same patent, which was gained by 'elle plaintiff. Three or four years after the patent was taken out Baron Vaucher intimated to Mr. 'Wood, the patentee's agent in London, that their patent was an infringement of his, which was taken out in the year 1838. The learned council then explained the principle and the object of Vaucher's patent, which he showed was not at all for the same purpose as Newton's, but for rendering pumps air tight by application of soft metal in lieu of the hemp and tow formerly used for this purpose. A further proof that the defendant never intended his patent for a bearing for an axle box was that in 1850 the defendant brought out a patent for the application of his invention of 1838 to bearings, hut which at the time was shown to be a gross invasion of their patent, but if the first patent were appli cable there would not have been a necessity for the second patent. Mr. Benjamin Fothergill, many years foreman in the machine manufactory of Messrs. Sharpe and Roberts, of Manchester, deposed that, by the old method, the fric tion of the axle or journal upon the step or bearing (which was made of brass or bill metal, with no coating of soft metal) was so great as to cause abrasion, a great waste of oil, and destruction both of the bearings and the axle. He explained the process of supplying the bearings with the coating of soft metal. He also explained the action of 1, cher's pump, a model of which was pro duced, from which it appeared that the action of the piston rot was rotatory, similar to that of the axle of a wheel. After numerous witnesses had been called, Mr. WATSON proceeded to address the jury for the de fendant. He said there were two questions for the consi deration of the jury. The first was whether the plaintiff was the true inventor of the patent, and, assuming that to be the case, then whether that patent had been infringed by the defendant. Alluding to the patent taken out by the defendant in 1838, the learned counsel contended that the defendant's discovery was identical with Rabbitt's patent—the application of soft metal to hard for the pur pose of preventing _abrasion from pressure. With refer ence to the action in 1845, brought against the Grand Junction Company, and alluded to al he (the learned counsel) thought rather irregularly by his learned friend, he contended that the Issue was found on a different point altogether from the one Pow in consideration. The first witness called for the defendant was Mr. Cart mall; the well-known civil engineer and patent agent. From his evidence it appeared he had drawn up the speci fication as to both patents. _ The case, which occupied the whole day, was adjourned to this morning. PROTECTIONIST DINNER TO LORD STANLEY. On Wednesday night the entertainment to Lord Stan ley, which has for some time been the subject of conver sation among Protectionist circles, as that which was to inaugurate the noble lord as leader of the party, in which the principles and policy of the Protectionists might be laid before the country, took place in the hall of the Mer chant Tailors' Company, Mr. Baring, M.P., in the chair. The invitation to the noble lord received the signatures of 110 peers and upwards of 200 members of the House of Commons. His lordship's health was, of course, the, toast of the evening, and his reply the speech of the even ing. He spoke of the great honour which had been con ferred upon him by his adherents--of his " temporary failure" to construct a ministry—of a similar honour which was paid, thirteen years ago, to Sir R. Peel by the same party, in the same hall, and under nearly similar circumstances, when a united and powerful minority was struggling against a weak and tottering administration, though not absolutely so powerless as that which now assumes to administer the affairs of this country"-- glanced tenderly at the period of 1846, when Sir Robert abandoned his party—pronounced a glowing eulogy on the late Lord George Bentinck—and then, referring to the present state of parties in the House of Commons, confessed that he saw no escape from the position in which the country party is now placed ; " for, whoever may hold the reins of o ffi ce, there will be a weak govern ment, at the mercy of a majority who cannot combine for any useful purpose, but who can always combine for the purpose of destroying any government." The only remedy for this dangerous state of affairs was an appeal to the people. The country must not halt between two opinions; it must say in whom it has confidence, and in whom it has not. With the support of the country he did not fear any combination whict. might be raised against a constitutional government. Agricultural dis tress was then briefly alluded to, and grave doubts ex pressed whether the country is not really declining, instead of prospering, under free trade. His lordship proceeded, " I deprecate hasty and ill-considered and violent changes, and in this course of downward progress in which we are involved, though true prudence and true statesmanship point, I think, not to the hasty reversal of all that has been done, I would, at all events, cry ' halt' in that down ward course. I would say watch the progress that has already taken place—modify the effect of measures, if they have had a greater effect than even their proposers con templated, and prudently, discreetly, but firmly and de terminedly, apply, on sound principles, legislative relief to those classes which your legislative action has made to suffer. (Hear, hear.) How that relief may be afforded this is not the tinie to consider. My hon. friend, the chairman, has complimented me on having frankly, as I felt it my duty to do, stated in my place in parlian ent the general course of policy which I thought the goveri.inent, in the present state of affairs, ought to adopt. To that explanation I have little to add. My own views, un doubtedly, are that there is no course so simple and effec tive for removing agricultural distress, and, at the same time, for returning to a sounder system, as, by the impo sition of moderate duties on foreign imports. at once to afford a certain, though moderate, check to the unlimited influx of those foreign articles, (when they are not re quired in this country,) and, at the same time, to obtain from the foreigner, in imitation of all other nations, a contribution towards the revenue of the state—(cheers) — and to enable us to take off other taxes which press more heavily and immediately on the springs of our domestic and national industry." (Cheers.) Lord Stanley then referred to th' " insolent and offensive aggression" of the Pope, ridiculed the microscopic dimensions of the govern. ment bill on the subject, told his auditory that he felt bound thus to state his views " with the fullest and frankest unreserve," and concluded with a glowing des cription of the blessings which would flow upon the country from a Conservative administration. Mr. Disraeli, " as one of the rank and file in the House of Commons," afterwards made a brief speech, in reply to the toast of " The Members of the House of Commons." PERVERTS TO ROME AT LEEDS Within the last few days considerable excitement has existed in Leeds in consequence of its becoming known that five clergymen of St. Saviour's, and two of the clergy connected with other places of worship, as well as 12 or 14 laymen, had become converts to the Roman Church, and intended making a public profession of that faith on Thursday evening. St. Anne's Roman Catholic Chapel, Park-row, was that evening the sce ne of imposing religious services, for the reception of converts into the bosom of the Roman Church, when Protestantism was formally renounced as false and heretical by no less than seven persons, but these were only a portion of the proselytes who had been received that day. These services, as may naturally be expected, excited considerable interest in the borough, and on Thursday evening, when the ceremonies were brought to a close, with great pomp and splendour, and the Rev. Dr. Newman delivered an address to the con verts, the church of St. Anne was densely crowded in every part ; in fact, there were hundreds unable to find even standing room within the very spacious area of the sacred edifice. Before, however, proceeding to detail the ceremonies observed on Thursday evening, it will be well to state the names of the clergymen of Leeds who have thus em braced the faith of Romanism. They are—The Rev. Mr. Ward, formerly vicar of St. Saviour's, Leeds ; the Rev. Thomas Minster, late vicar of St. Saviour's ; the Rev. J. C. L. Crawley, late curate of St. Saviour's ' • the Rev. Mr. Rooke, late curate of St. Saviour's ; the Rev. Mr. Coombes, late curate of St. Saviour's ; the Rev. W. H. Lewttiwaite, incumbent of Clifford, near Tadcaster ; and the Rev. Mr. Neville, Leeds, (not, we believe, beneficed.) Messrs. Ward and Crawley made their professions at Oscott on Friday in the week before last; Messrs. Min ster and Rooke were privately received at St. Anne's, on Thursday morning last; Messrs. Coombes and Lewth waite made their professions publicly on Thursday night, and Mr. Neville was received privately, but we cannot say whether it was on Wednesday or Thursday. In ad dition to the clergy, there have been twelve or fourteen lay persons, male and female, seceding from the Protes tant church ; some of them moving in a respectable sphere, while others were of the more humble class. Nearly the whole of the proselytes have been connected with the church of St. Saviour's ' • indeed, of the clergy lately belonging to that place of worship, only one (the Rev. Mr. Beckett) now remains in the Church of Eng land. It is already with the knowledgJ of our readers that the Bishop of Ripon, acting upon respresentations made to him, instituted inquiries, which ended in the dismissal of three of the curates of St. Saviour's, and the resignation of his cure by Mr. Minster. These steps of the diocesan have, we believe, given great offence to Dr. Pusey, through whom the funds came for erecting and endowing St. Saviour's Church, and in whom, if we mis take not, the presentation rests. The services on Thursday evening commenced shortly before eight o'clock, and were conducted by the Rev. R. Browne, incumbent of St. Anne's, assisted by the Rev. Mr. Cavanagh and the Rev. Mr. Levy, of St. Anne's ; the Rev. Mr. Leary and the Rev. Mr. O'Donnell, of St. Patrick's ; the Rev. Mr. Clifford, of Clifford, near Tad caster ; and the Rev. Mr. Darnell, of London. The clergy, sacristan, and others engaged in that portion of the duties of the church, having taken their place within the altar rails, the• ceremonies then proceeded. The seven persons presenting themselves to be received as Roman Catholics made the confession of faith required from all persons joining the Romish Church, by reciting together the formulary laid down in the creed of Pius IV. The following additional particulars connected with this state of things we take from the Leeds Intelligencer of Saturday last :—Three or four of the laity were part of the choir of the church, and three or four females, one of whom was denominated a " Sister of Mercy," and occu pied some post in connection with the half-monkish esta blishment that has been attached to St. Saviour's almost from the opening of the church. We have heard that Vim. Willberforce, Esq., of Mark ington, near Ripon, has also joined the Church of Rome. The Rev. Dr. Pusey and the Rev. C. Marriott, Dean of Oriel College, Oxford, are the patrons of St. Saviour's. The Rev. R. Ward was joined with them, but his secession to the Church of Rome prevents his acting as a patron. We understand that the person appointed vicar to St. Saviour's, in the place of Mr. Minster, is the Rev. Charles Gutch, M.A., Fellow of Sydney Suss. Col. Cam bridge, and curate of St. Margaret's, Leicester, and that he will commence his duties in Leeds in the course of a few days. Dr. Pusey has been for some days at Leeds. He preached at St Saviour's on Thursday evening, and we understand that he preached at the same place on Sunday last. The patron of the Church at Clifford is George Lane Fox, Esq., and there is no doubt a clergyman of true Protestant principles will be appointed to succeed Mr. Lewthwaite. To give eclat to the " going over" of the parties, " Father" J. H. Newman—himself a pervert from the Church of England —now Superior of the Oratorians, came from Oscott, near Birmingham, and has been both con sellingliattheir p thenewatc admission he rent to t intoh e Ro m the i sh R fai a m t s a h n d c h urch assist ing The most public of the admissions was made at St. Ann's Chapel, Park-row,ron Thursday evening. The edifice was densely crowded, curiosity having led many Protestants, of various denominations, to be present at a ceremony which savoured much of histrionic spectacle. The congregation At Saviour's has always been small, and the clergy there have never obtained influence over any educated persons. In an address lately presented to the Bishop of Ripon, we understand that a great body o f those who addressed an admonition to his lordship were unable to write. There has been an almost unlimited command of money from some source or another by the St. Saviour's clergy, and exaggerations almost asunlimited of their success in flaking converts and of thei r var i ous doings. These things will continue, but Dr. Newman will find himself much deceived if h e expec t s to ma k e converts in Leeds of persons approaching respectability in station or education . One of the cura t es , M r . B ec k e tt, bas declined to act with his former accomplices, and, as it is reported that he and one of the former curates have come to blows, if not with fi s t s y e t w i t h ki c k s , we su pp o s e him to be sincere. The patronage of the Church now rests in Dr. Pusey's family, and the Rev. Charles Mar riott. We would fain hope that Dr. Pusey will, after his miserable failures, place the patronage in the hands of the Bishop of Ripon. Nothing but the nomination of married clergyman will giro satisfaction. April 8,1551. SCOTTISH PROVIDENT INSTITUTION MUTUAL LIFE ASSURANCE. THE THIRTEENTH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of this SOCIETY was held in the WATERLOO Rooms, Edinburgh, OR WEDNMIDAY, the 19th February. ~,, JOHN HUNTER, Esq., Auditor of the Court of Sessions, 1 "` Senior Director„being called .to the choir, said,—The Director s have the greatest satisfaction in again meeting with their Con' stituents. Nothing is so pleasant to report as good tidings. On no former occasion have the Directors had anything to et`' press but congratulations; and the present meeting forms n° exception in that respect. The prosperity of the Institution nas steadily and rapidly increased.. The business reported a our last meeting was the largest we had ever had, and we ha l t e now to report a still more successful year. We have attained a position which, I believe, was never reached by any simila r society in so short a space of time. But lam only forestallin! Mr. Oliphant, who, as Convener of the Committee will nn 7 f. bring up the Report. Mr. WILLIAM OLIPHANT, Publisher, laid on the table the Report from the-Directors. After referring in terms of con" gratulation to the different topics which it embraced, he said , " I will no further anticipate the Report now about to be read; but, having been a Member of 'this Institution from its forint , ' tion, and having had thehonour of being an office-bearer during the last eight years, first as Auditor, and afterwards as Dirac" tor, and having consequently bad the best opportunities of studying its principles, awl of becoming acquainted with the manner in which these have been carried into pract ce. I msl perhaps be permitted, now tht t I am about to retire from Yc ni " ,. service, to offer a remark or two on its leading features, and on the progress it has made during the period I have been officialli connected with it. On the first of these topics it is scarcely needful to enlarged as the principles of the society have been already so amply en s admirably illustrated in the published proceedings of ourvast' out annual meetings. Whether I look at the moderate, though fully adequate, scale of our premiums, which enable the assure at once to receive the largest benefit at the le as t ex p e nse, .1 0 d thus, in the event of his early death, to obtain for his fam' l Y ° largerand definite sum, instead of the uncertain amount unde r the operation of the usual bonus system : or at the equitable mode of adjustment under which the surplus which shall °F s i crue, (and this is already known to be ve r y cons id era ble,/ well he ultimately apportioned among those parties by whom it bee been chiefly created, I am snore and more convinced of the soundness and equity of the basis upon which this society Wei founded. It may be alleged that our principles of division per' take of the nature of a tontine. But this, in the modified sense in which it is true, so far from a blemish, I rather look upon se an advantage. To use the words of the learned Professor who Pre" sided at our first Annual Meeting—' I his peculiarit y will reconl" mend this Institution to young lives, and prove of no di s advantage_ in any case, more especially when it is recollected how prone We i are all to reckon on longevity, and how truly the poet says -- • • All men count all men mortal but themselves.' Longevity has, in this office, its fair and legitimate influenCe) and probably the plan here adopted is the most judicious whicn has ever yet been suggested for the division of the profit& suspectti onas e o l r ec k t n c o l w a s s t h o a f t c t o h n e t y r h b a u l t e o rs l a , t e a n n t d s e t e o d k s e o e f p d b i s a e c a k s e t , hos e Among its other advantages, it tends to sec ure f or thi s Institu stho by bold ing out its chief advantages to those veterans whose constitu' Hone! qualities render them the most desi ra bl e mem bers or suchThei There e s t i i s t u o t n i o l y n o s n . ' e ' point of general character to which I would particularly advert. I should have thought it scarcely admitte d of doubt that a Mutual Office, in which the whole profits belong to the Members, must be more beneficial to assurers than of, modification of the Proprietary system, in w hi ch a portion 0 ' those profits belongs to other parties.- Yet I have met wit!! persons who were under a misapprehension on this point, se d who have alleged that Mutual Assurances societies do not, Or more than Proprietary Companies, divide their whole prnfitg r their constitution requiring that, out of these, they shall re; serve a certain proportion to form a guarantee fund ; and ' lo °' to that extent, the profits are withheld from, the contributor s. Now, this allegation is founded upon a very palpable fallacy, It is true that, in the Mutual Office, a reserve is made at ese' investigation ; but the sum so reserved falls into the fund fo r ,S division at the next period o f i nves ti ga ti on . Ob serve the do ferent results of the process in a Mutual and in a Proprietor/ Office. Suppose that, at a fist investigation, the'profits ore. „ amount to £lOO,OOO, and that i n eac h a re s erve o f a fourtbt made. In the Mutual Office th e sum o f .4'25,1'00 is then wit h held, but it is added to the surplus devisable at the second P e. .„ Hod of investigation. The new re serve th en ma d e i s , in Ile s % manner, divided at the third, and so on. Th e amoun t of O'`' re erve fund, indeed, may go on increasing, with the increase of the profits, and so as to bear a proportion to the increasill engagements; but it is only at the first investigation the.. literally, the whole profits are not divided among the assure,: say literally, for if the progress of the first x'25,000 is trace" , it will be found that, within a very few of these recurring P i e,: Hods, it is almost wholly apportioned among the assured. r the Proprietary Office, on the other hand, in the case suppose f the first reserve is forever withdrawn from the assured, and so Is! the sums reserved at thesecond and subsequent investigation% the whole with the accumulated interest going t o swe ll theshares of the proprietors, as compensation for an alleged risk Whj e c s, does not really exist, and being thus entirely lost to the assur Mr. Oliphant then read a tabular statement, contrasting ' o , l ` o , present state of the Society with its position five years ea s t when he entered on office as Director, and which showed "`' in that period the business had gre a tly more than doubted. There was then read the following REPORT BY THE DIRECTORS:. ' The Directors had the satisfaction of re po r ti ng to last Ge nerul Meeting the largest amount of business since the forint tion of the socidty. That incre a se w as p er h a p s i n part atlr,',A butable to theprevalence of theepid em ic i n 1849, w hich direrts4 more than usual attention to Life Assurance. It is therefOL, with peculiar gratification that the Directors have new IsS, Report a continued increase on the business of 1650 over 1 ' 1 " amountDuri During previous or any former year, g a s t s h u e r eyde year being e t in h g ey received in the year have amounted to £10,639 6s. 7 ""0- which £7,159 ls. 4d. is by annual payments. Several Ann, s a .li,2a6voe,36a2cc2esp.ted The e 2 n p e r w opr re a rri l 5 111 11' 0 i ties, immediate and deferred, have likewise been contraneSess for. At 31st December, 1850, the subsisting Assurance amounted to £1,652,707 95., and the Yearly Income from . tS' s 'a miums and Interest was about £54,500. The Accumule"` Fund amounted to .t'166,801 15s. 9d. there had been thirty-one deaths, the amount of claims. Ueil,i; somewhat above £15,000. In the past year the mortality 1 _ 84 0 9 ; The Report to last General Meeting shewed that, in . e been still lower, only twenty-eight deaths have occurresl claims by which amount to £11,850. In this respect the favll,:e able experience of the Society coincides with that Of recorded observations applicable to the community at /ang e l and with what has been observed to follow upon former visits' tions of epidemic. The Directors consider that, in every point of view, they have good reason for congratulating the Contribut o rs On the prosperity of the Institution, and on the position to which it has attained. • The Report concluded with a reference to the flourtsb a _ _ state of the branches in Glasgow and London. The Report by the Auditors, and relative states, having tike' wise been read by the Maer, The LORD PROVOST said,—Mr. Chairman. I have pleasure in moving the approval of the excellent Report twf' te , we have just heard read, than which more satisfactory' 1 1 1 .1/ ment could not have been presented. It has been peetlP.'his gratifying to me to watch the increasing prosperity of ep Institution. 1 was one of its original members, and have e_.`„,f connected with it as a Director and otherwise during its catf.', to the present time. I well remember the. anxiety which_r:cl, felt at its commencement. The principles were new on vo t i`gy it was founded, and the subject was not then so gen e ! t be understood as now. Many, too, were prejudiced agains...oo,, lowness of the premiums, which they feared might be too : o re We have outlived all that; and many of the other offices since then reduced their premiums to as low a rate. I rem s ire" ber, too, how anxious we were lest a single death should h e r. occurred, which would at once have cleared out our excliecl4 l And now we have the satisfaction of finding our SocietY 1 0 .41' state of established prosperity, having a. revenue of ul:oir of .e54..000 a-year, and an accumulated capital of no les s of' .ae166,000. I cordially move than this Report be appro ve " and widely circulated. ltof Mr. WILLIAM BRAND, Secretary to the Union ....on t io0; Scotland, said he had great pleasure in seconding the wo o , Os, He had, as one of the Auditors, had a full opportunity 1) 4 ? examining into the affairs, and of observing the working i 0 this Association, and nothing could be more satisfacto2tist either respect. The principles on which it was based, T e el; necessarily commend themselves to every inquirer; an d, ing this conviction, he could have no doubt as to its contl".(i. prosperity. Without wishing to make any invidious contcrose snn between it anti other offices, (the very diversity of vitten principles served to promote Life Assurance by exciting a, 1 10 tion to its benefits,) it was surely a valuable feature o'. Institution, that it enabled an one to secure for his fo n 2 w aple y specific sum at his decease, at the lowest premium collr' co or with perfect security, besides a full share of the profitso.) con men with all his fellow-members who survive until theiL ir ed. tributions, as accumulated, shall amount to the sun , al., wife No one ought to expect more than this, for he could o wl a greater gain at the expen se roval of-th of othere Report was then ,1101//i. s. • The Rev. Dr. ROBERT LEE, Profes sor of Biblical Cntic , h s e ly m a o d t o io p n te f d o . r the app ino T i k cc s t st l w i oo e ef eallsr Directors, taaassbtlioitsfhgao,met r sio e i r ee good ann evil of different families• „,e the different periods cf our ow it f ods which has been attemPt eu aro 0 l yemotloiefLife ways, Assurance, a wa y s w t society,h i wn t ae h i)fii gross failure, and 501106° iw i ft e itse n jahb d oxsmeuet t n o es h ssil n ni e yattythsen thendigs that i s b ot v oo e e rr n dc r ay le t fi mi t nao c y jd f beneficial da i eu l invitneyhiffmi community on v t ot a t i fihnt goods e 5 'flanks were voted to the Local Boards and Agents, with lamentable results." vv icltt Mr. ADAM CRAWFORD, Farmer, Rhodes, North Rer seconded the motion, which was cordially agreed to. toll; Auditors and Trustees, a-cd to the Office-Bearers . Management was then constituted for the ensuing; Ye a cifil Messrs. John Sinclair, City Clerk ; James Sterling , oed Engineer; and William Nelson, P u blisher ; being aPP° i Directors, in room of those retiring by rotation.. 1. 111 THE SCOTTISH PROVIDENT INSTITUTION, FOR ASSURANCE AND ANNUITIES. 14, ST. ANDREW-SQUARE, EDINBDROH I Glasgow, 67, St. Vincent-street; London, 12, Moorgate-s. Act o Par IS THE ONLY (Incorporated by OEFICE WHICH COMB Ii INES amentd THE aD Ubl g ' TAOES OF MUTUAL, ASSURANCE WITH MODERATE PRES., O O 6 , In many Offices (including even some of the older le of CS Offices) Assurers are offered the choice of a Moderate •- Q or of Premiums, withoat any claim to share in the Profi . ,,..tS , Dr oiLlll l ; right to participate in these, at an excessive rate of LP , " ar- Assurers with the SCOTTISH PROVIDENT INSTlTtrriv,,‘ 100 the sole recipients of the Profits, and at rates of PITT Or equally moderate with the Non-participating scale Of Proprietary Companies. The principle on which the Profits are divided is at o i ot safe, equitable, and favourable to good lives, the Surplus b „ e 0 100 reserved for those members who alone have made so7 f ial payments ; in other words, for those whose Premimps, accumulated Interest, amount to the suing in their Policle t ins The time at which persons entering, at different age! , t r oo the current year, will come to share in the Surplus, Is in the following ILLUSTRATIOS : r oes At Age 20, the Premium being .*'l Its., payable, of c° ,,,111 01 , in advance, will amount to .4 , 100 on payment of the Pre'"a, due in 1879, immediately on which, the Addition declare 0,1, terms of the Laws, at the previous Investigation in 1- 8 n peP vest; and a further vested Addition will be made at t":', Investigation in 1880. An Entrant a t thi s Age will tb v u e lt the time he has reached the age of 54, have acquired B ,,eSt i. interest in the Additions decl are d a t t wo Septennial i" gations. At Age 40 the Premium is 14s. 9d., and an En,..„tritiltttlte_ this age will have a sh are o f surp l us a pp or tioned to I:o."•ditifit Ad d "'" Investigation in 1866, vesting in 1873; 'and a further ~sto ' at the end of the l a tt er year,—thus sharing in two S e p ri. " Investigations by the time h has reached At Age 55 the Premium is e .„t's ls. Ild., and an Enttoo d this Age will have a share in 1859, vesting in 1865, and a s' 7 ,00 11 Addition in 1866. number,Te s These and members not, sharing as is usu ~ail,o in ng commonw it 1 i a with the comparatively grea_ts s o i - ci e c of the contributors, may reasonably anticipate very c0n,.,01.• able Additions, notwithstanding the lowness of the reto,raiesi The Shares will be g iven, at the option of the members,o 0' in additions to the Policies, or in abatement or extin ct the future Premiums. O F EXAMPLESOFANNUAL PREMIUMSTO ASSURE 4 . 100 AT sl‘ _. '-- 50. ...../ ti. I AIT s. d..t' s. d..e s. d. s. d..e 8. d. .e s. (I. .6 . s. d• 1_ , 0„ I 15 81 18 0 1 £ 2 1 62 6103 14 93 594 17 3 1 Of OC Thus, a person of the age of 30 may secure X 10 0 „, 8 „ t , for a yearly payment during his life of £2 Is. 6d. I" oWto amount of Premium which, at that age, is charged 1000 Scottish Mutual Officesfor an Assurance of 4'1,000, W it ' • ,g, a Policy in the Scottish Provident of £1,230. Oigas Tables of Rates, ComParative Table of the Scottis h 0 and every information, may be obtained at the Office. o r ,ok of the Agencies. ' JAMES' WATSON, 14, St. Andreui-tquare, Editiburih, February, 1831. eei' Agent for Liverpool—JOHN REID, 13, Oldball-st f Medical Qtficer—Dr, ORE, 10. Oxfordlitteeti Age 20.1 25. 11 30, _~~ ._ 35. 1 40. 1 45