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

March, 12, 1844. THE PATENT A UTOMATON CALCUL ATORS, which h ave b een d escribed in all the princ i pa l L on d on Journals, and have been adopted by the ADMIWTY, are bOW on SALE at th e PATENTEE'S AN 5 HOTEL, Pale -street, where th e i r wor ki ng w ill be oP I4 tiined, which Is AO simple, that a few minutes are,,AdThcient to make it r ir?i n og d nil e a r d s n t dd o i o isi d ou . nb Price, T HREE G UIN eAI for each perform- , t a r n a t e l ti F o o n v . R G ult•i 13 each performing Adch , D. J. WERTHEIMBER, Patentee, Who will remain here only for Two or Three Days. THE BRITISH AMERICAN LAND COMPANY. 'rPorated by Royal Charter and Act of Parliament. THE COURT of DIRECTORS HEREBY GIVE EasteroTloE to parties desirous of Emig. ating to the ~_n Townships of Canada, that in consequence of the they will gorfeatly increased demand for the Company's Lands, isEleieny6:v ill discontinue, from and after the 15th instant, the a Free Passage to Purchasers of Fifty Acres, at d. per Acre —the price thenceforward on these terms Perg en Shillings Sterling per Acre. _ sons desirous of information relative to the Lands Fothe N Company are requested to apply at their Office, o• 4, Barge Yard, Bucklersbury, London t, to Messrs. NNETtt DOWSE and Co.. Agents at Liverpool ; and t he followi ng Banks, where Prospectitses may be had, an d Deposits can be made : National Provincial Bank of England, Yorkshire Banking Company, Saddleworth Banking Company, ,BWeelfsatsotf B E an n k gl i a n n g d c a ora nd p - t o n u y t , h Wales District Bank, -Leamington Priors and Warwickshire Bank, AS • InL•stteinsgd, amps ence nf the superiority of the Eastern Town ty had been • as a otahcaet oof'fAsentdtletmheeinrtß, t r h a e nc p h teres I. i e r s e . ctors have pleasure 35,521 Acres sold in 1843, only 263 f ...ave been returned to the Company, of which but at ut SYstem, purchased in Great Britain under the pre- By Order of the Court, Low A. T. GALT, Chief Clerk. •_‘-'' 18 ‘ March, 1844. L ONDO N and CIIATHAM and CHATHAM and PORTSMOUTH JUNCTION RALWAY. • Capital, £1,000,000, in 50,000 Shares of I £2O each. Deposit, £1 per Share. Betjamin Baines, Esq. R s ovISIONAL COMMITTEE. John Lawrie, Esq. Charles Sedg field Crowley, Ralph Ricardo, Esq. Esq ' Frederick Roberts, Esq. /3: obert. Hollond, Esq. M.P. Wm. Arthur Wilkinson, Ralph Kt). Howard, Bart., Esq. (With power to Ra i d to their number.) b Engi neer •••• • • . J. K. BRUNEL, Esq., F.R.S. '''ankers The Commercial Bank of London ; Messrs. Soaci l• DAYS and NictrotsoN, Chatham. tors.. Me s srs. Butt& ELL, KILGOUR, and PARSONS, 15, Parliament-street. A PPlications for Shares to be made to the Solicitors ; or to R S. YOUNG, Esq., London and Croydon Railway ~, Mee, London Bridge Station ; Messrs. NEILSON, Li verpool ; and Messrs. RIDSDALE, Leeds. London, 23d February. 1844. GREAT SOUTHERN & WESTERN RAILWAY. FIRST DIVISION FROM DUBLIN TO CASHEL, A "R WITH - RANCH TO ATHY AND CARLOW. TOTAL LENGTH, 123 STATUTE MILES. CAP ITAL, ONE MILLION STERLING, No sh a In 20,000 Shares of .C5O each. reholder to be liable beyond the amount of his Subscription. Dsit, £2 10s. pe Share. Futur e Calls not e t p o o exc, ed £2 10s. r per Share, at intervals of not less than Three Mouths, until after the corn t'enoement of the Works, the progress of which will regulate the amount of the subsequent Calls. Lord Mo:f P ETER , PROVISIONAL COMMITTEE. rURCELL, Esq., Chairman. The Earl Edward Devon, .c.oward Cane, - I !eagle, Divett, Esq., M.P., kesident in London. Sir Esq Jame Hartley, Esq., Moffatt, Esq., 0 ! Edward Burrough, Bart. Sir J o h n Burke, Bart. Sir Thomas Butler, Bart. Alderman Josepl• T' Richard Cane, E George Carr, Et John Ennis, Es, Peter Eckersley, Robert R. Guin. Simeon Hardy, Thomas Hutton. William Haughf Thomas Moonel Edward Nl'Dorr James Perry, Et Sir David Roth) , David Henry Sh Richard William:, q W. R. Collett, Esq., M.P., Chairman of the Chester and Holyhead Railway Co. J. B. Boothby, Esq., Directors of the C. R. Moorsom, Esq., Capt. R.N., London and Edward Cropper, Esq., Birmingham Thomas Smith, Esq . Railway Co. ENGINEER. John Macneill, LL.D., F.R.S. SOLICITORS. t arrington, Son, and Co-, 10, Ely-place, Dublin ; and P ladgate, Young, and Jackson, 12, Essex-street, London. SECRETARY. William Taylor, Esq. FFICE. 4,Collete-green, Dublin ; O & 62, NIo orgate-street, London The DUBLIN BANKERS. 1141, c of Ireland, Dublin, and all its Branches. • ` 4I M, ENGLISH BANKERS. don the Manchester Mills, and Co., 67, Lombard-street, Lon th 'no Manchester and Salford Bank, Manchester e Bank of Liverpool, Liverpobl. 10tted LIVEItPOOL, of the Shares of the above Company wil be Al beict. Appl ruade a to ions for Shares, or for further particulars, to S. WOODS, JUN., 3, India Buildings, Liverpool. Blus, AT4OL AND EXETER RAILWAY COMPANY. the HALF -YEARLY GENERAL MEETING ~q the "CONIPANY, held at the White Lion Hotel, tY of Bristol, on THURSDAY, the 29th of Febru 4rY, 1844, JAMES GIBBS, Esq. in the Chair, Mo tinaninzously Resolved, by J AmEs Grrins, Esq., and seconded by EDWARD Ist DIVETT, Esq., M.P., art,ss-That the Cor oate Seal of thi Company be "'zed to th e Register p of r Proprietors now s produced. Moved 1, uy C. J. WHITTUCK, Esq., and seconded by 2d 'WILLIAM HOLLISTER, Esq. , ,-- That the Report of the Directors, now read, be received and adopted ; and that they be requested to send a Copy th ereof to every Proprietor. Moved by T. B. AYSII, Esq., and seconded by H. T. BRIDGES, Esq., 3d,—That Messrs. Williarn Watson, Michael Hinton Castle, and William Browne, be re-elected Directors of this Company. Moved by W. D. HORSEY, Esq., and seconded by T. W HILL, Esq., 4 th,--That the Directors of this CompanY are hereby authorised to subscribe, towadr the South Devon Railway Company, Anti part of the Sum of £27,500 over and - al' £200,000 voted for that purpose ; may find expeuient, the amount relta, of all Calls. Moved by JOSEPH SAMS, Es ~ and seconded by JOHN SPARKOXfq., 6th,—That a Dividend of.,W- 18s. per Share, for the Half-year enclitic the 6th oritpril next, be declared pay able after the 30th of hod same month, free of Income tax. Moved by Jour: STONE' sq., , _and seconded by R O B ERT SCOTT' Esq., 6th,--That the best thanks of the Proprietors by given to the Directors, for their able and zealous management of the affairs of this Company. JAMES GIBBS, Chairman. The Chairman having quitted the Chair, It was Resolved by acclamation, 7th,—That the cordial thanks of this Meeting be given to Jame s Gibb s , E sq ., for his able an d judicious conduct in the chair. And it was also Resolved by acclamation, Bth,—That th e b es t th an k s o f thi s M ee ti ng h e giv e n to our indefatigable Secretary, J. B. Badham, Esq., for the unremitting zeal, attention, and talent, with which be has promoted the interests of this Company. be, and they Is the Capital of ier the whole or -bove the sum of td to borrow, as they tired for the payment SONS OF THE CLERGY.—There wilt be no grand per formance this year in the St. Paul's Cathedral as Paß been the custom for a century past. Objections . hav -Ing been made to the erection of scaffolding, which inter 11Pted the daily service, the Archbishop of Canterbury, acting under the advice of the Bishop of London, has de cided that the festival is to be confined to the performance of one of the old services, with some increase of the choir. T HE TEA TRADE, M arc h 4.—Th e d e li ver i es o f t ea last week were rather lower, being 435,8791 b., ; but the Xeneral consumption for the present year has been very good, having amounted to 4,351,00 1 1 b. from London 71 °11e increase of nearly 300,0001 b., compared with r"e corresponding period of last year. The stock, it ust be remarked, is lower, being 25,208,0001 b. on the i k t iost., against 27,532,0001 b. at the same date in 1843. ‘ , 7 " e imports have been only 2,313,0001 b. this year, and is e b re 4 + 9 8 . 9,0001b. to March last year. Speculation in tea ; ecorning rather brisk ; and an extensive export demand " 8 lookedA for during the next two months. OF THE FIRST SHIP-LOAD OF GUANO IN j a sinti.—W e observe, from the Ayr Observer of /4 1 1 e , s i daY, that the Hamilla Mitchell, belonging to Bailie '„.' e nell, of this city, has arrived at Ayr with a i e lo car go of guano from Peru. The Hamilla Mitchell vet Valparaiso on the 7th November, and called off Li forlt:l°W orders on the 25th ult. This is the first ship ,&„"t, 9f that valuable manure which has been . made to . e . o it 'e . e ' d " . l . re • Considerable difficulty, we believe, is experi ,ll procuring guano, from the jealousy of the South Ito s e t ri Fao governments in reference to it. Chili is the h.beral. Native vessels bring it to Valparaiso, from " I ch it is transferred to cur ,ships,—Girtr...tercrer. tacr, pat-L. ph Boyce. Esq. ,sq. q. r, Esq. iness, Esq. 4, , Esq. n, Esq. ' ton, Esq /s ? . Esq. nnell, 07.01. Esq. „f- -ie, Bart., M.P. iherrard, Esq. nns, Esq. 1544 , _ - - - - - M French -style 64- octaves, t the makers ft ) ! " s the first ever . Old a very greal ;eorge-aq uare ' HOLD 'FREE— x c es Len and. erby-road, n e .: annum. )rtgage• n o ild. W a son .To l4 ' r WOO— .change, &TES, Escw ' II toge ther, or " SE, coo ts u or eakfast go° the tchens, sod with dri .1 sto cked w s l o reenhonse, Cose se Box, ail .4 ms, and etber of LAN ,01 from Lir err i;d has a fr° l !_ll, cr e, to ightt:no -001 its . 11 51 ;;(1 e , van y the MT 0 , ro Has, aria , . of an extent, °0 ntage, s. KEIG Ir s Ol ol where Pla°, o 4 BaAssOt Lirerpo -_--___•r_.------ __ lent FA.-- ivfl ,g the River r lio d good apt )obbin. it:Tlel_____/1 10t. Hest n, an exce- o j klibrioun $ l 4 ig Dining' s , eak fast fte o ,4 with four ling A ge nt, °? ~, may oe -P r os Selkirk. ~A , l an d beauty; :ircamfele P T,6 ougkilot tod sired, is f a p e l Ithodious, n for serca° tor' It the our ) r rivers in )erty, ar e ( extens". le, in ad a ese would ed. a pd .s. Tops :et, A N Wrlt ,_ • te s been es r lourhood s‘' l . c, subjoine a o e Fully ack n o •nestly t he asurer of r-street 18 3 ' Dec., r , c)o 1 14 ' f bh e mea ns ,w 0 the pa le° cure the r d ; dr. DAv l ;r ;e, in co,o t o COM Mi t ioo r..onsider ti log e of seourd,) of Eng i ftl3 6 :ntiou ••• must bfaPors 3 witharorp ro, the t his ca bje i t i ° , /00 , soot ve , sa; irds t asethis lern to cii! ( . o e Institu ou ji : eneral fen her ise a fu r fort the Pi. ° :if t ) direct 4' 4 • it the d to vls. t isti ich Chris.ttee e Com M id to idly be e the .esort to re' )mmitte e tract fro0:0 ttendanew ng, t At' moral tre t io o s instruct visited Def :h place 'd; Y p e rforie_j, SuperieVm 1 04 ' oln As/41 s bened el e oo ouse-surgoo Ltd, WI ti e s for 9 1 C o' ned iPtl ble do ines ro' Las been' erit ' appolol, $4 sting fre ations, hairrat o ' 0 , 0 bson.• 6 5 0 . hell.. 6 t!, ,dd • • 5 U, c ker • 6 v . tiger • 6 U. ..... U. lifers • y 1), mo an. rocker 2 u, 'riders 1 fright. 5 (I . •• • • 1 010 0 )n.. • • 6 id . ii : ' 1 1 0 . •• •• 30 0 gertoil 10 fining' 5 Orin' 1 1 0 • ••• 5 "•••• 21 0 hnsott 5 0 Es 4 ' 25 man • 5 0 Yne ulc 5 aforth 10 owl.. 5 v 0 E sc !'" 1 0 0 sq. •• 10 0 irt •• 5 0 Peel.• 5 0 ag .• 5 .•• • 0 p mant 5 0 Co.• 5 0 • • • ". 0 Moss 1 5 0 lueb•• 1 0 rnbY • 0 Brigh t 10 0 • • • 5 g btori 5 0 0 irerS• • 5 I Lsoe•• 1 ; eY 2 5 1•• • • 0 0 • Esq . 3 0 os • • y 0 ) rtb.' 1 0 10 oo 1° 0 e tb •• 10 P P ' 0 40 0- 5 5 . • • 2 5 0 ▪ . • • • 2 0 10 aclO n r , 1 0 0 000- y 0 ian'• 5 ° 0 ot on a - 4- ' Li 0 ... ' , DURHAM ASSIZES.-THURSDAY. TOPHAM AND WIFE V. M . GREGOR AND WIFE. Mr. Knowles, Mr. Wortley, and Mr. Addison, ap peared for the plaintiffs; and Mr. Fitzroy Kelly, Mr. Packley, and Mr. Crompton for the defendants. This was what is called a " great will cause," issuing by writ out of the Court of Chancery, to try the fact whether the will of the late Richard Wrightson, Esq., of Cocker ton, in the county of Durham, made on the 29th Decem ber, 1839, was, or was not, a valid and legal instrument. The will was drawn out by Mr. Francis Mewburu, of Darlington, solicitor, who was the legal adviser of the testator. H e was under examination for nearly six hours ; and his account of the transaction was, in substance, that having gone to Cockerton to examine a large number of deeds and papers, which bad come to the hands of the testator, as executor, residuary devisee, and residuary legatee, under the will of the late Mrs. Garth, of Cock erton, who died on the Ist of December in the same year, the testator, after the investigation was concluded, ex pressed a wish to make his own will. Mr. Mewburn re commended the testator to call at his office, and have the will made in a careful form ; believing that as Mr. Wrightson had lately come into the possession of a large property, the document would contain numerous limita tions, &c. The testator, however, at once said, that he intended to leave everything to his wife; and Mt. Mewburn finally agreed to make out a short will to that effect, which, he said, was signed by Mr. Wrightson, in the presence of Mrs. Wrightson, himself, and George Hind, the steward, and Jane Finney, (who subsequently became Mrs. Hind,) a servant in the house, (both of whom were in the service of Mrs. Garth, and received, under her will, legacies of £lOOO each.) Its validity is disputed in this issue; and, likewise, the competency of the testator to make it. Mr. Mewburn proved the mak ing of the will as above; declaring, on his oath, that every thing was done in a legal and regular form. Twelve other witnesses were examined to shew that the testator was quite capable of transacting ordinary business before, about, and after the will was made; and it was further proved, by the production of numerous letters, that the defendant was not only corresponding at and near this time, with several parties on matter's of business, but that the defendants themselves (of whom the wife is sister to the testator) were in pretty frequent communciation with him on certain legal proceedings in Scotland interesting to all the parties. The proceedings were then adjourned till the following day, the case for the plaintiffs being then unclosed. FRIDAY, MARCH 8. At the sitting of the Court this morning, some further evidence was given by the plaintiffs; after which Mr. Kelly addressed the jury for the defendants, in a lucid and comprehensive speech of upwards of three hours' duration., Several witnesses were then called, the purport of whose evidence is that the two attesting witnesses (besides Mr. Mewburn,) attached their signatures in March, 1830, and not in December, 1829 ; that there were only about five lines written at the top of the paper ; that there were no signatures to it previous to their own ; that no seal was fixed to the document at that time; that Wrightson, the testator, was in a state of habitual drunkenness from the time he acquired the property, drinking, on an•average, three bottles of wine per day, one at night, and, sometimes a bottle more when he had company ; that his wife en couraged him in the indulgence of this propensity, and or dered one of the servants to keep his decanter continually supplied ; and, that her second husband, Mr. Topham, (the present plaintiff,) remained and slept at the house for a period of six consecutive weeks between Januafy and May, 1830. A number of minor facts, tending to the con firmation of the above, were deposed to, after which the court again adjourned. HOUSE ROBBERY. — Between the hours of seven and eight o'clock on Saturday night last, the house of a mas ter-pilot, of the name of Samuel Slater, in Rupert-street, was entered in the absence of the family, and a silver watch, together with a variety of household articles, were abstracted. No trace of either the thieves or the pro perty has since been discovered. • - • • • SANKEY BROOK NAVIGATION.—A special general meeting of this company was held at the office of Messrs. Leigh and Eaton, Leigh-street, on Friday, for the pur pose of confirming the sale of the above navigation to the company of proprietors of the St. Helen's and Runcorn Gap Railway. The chair was occupied by Thomas Sands, Esq., and, after a short discussion, the sale was con firmed. HOUSE BREAKING AND ROBBFRY.—Yesterday, at the Police-court, a young man named John Lyon, was charged with having, with others, broken into the house of Samuel Slater, a pilot residing in Hopwood-street, and carried off a quantity of wearing apparel, &c. The complainant had gone out on Saturday afternoon, leaving no one in the house. •On his return he found the doors fastened inside, but found his way into it, and found it " full of thieves." They all then eseaped, and he found a pane had been taken out of a window and the sash opened. He missed three coats, three handkerchiefs, a watch and guard, a vest, three silver tea spoons, &c.—in all of the value of £9. He gave information to the police, and about three o'clock on Sunday morning a constable saw the prisoner with a quantity of articles, and asked him where he was going with them. He replied to Mr. Green's, the dyers in Copperas-hill. He detained him, and it turned out that the articles comprised great part of the clothing missed. He was committed for trial. EXTENSIVE ROBBERY OF MONEY.—At the police court yesterday, a woman of abandoned character, named Maria Davies, and a young man, were brought before Mr. Rushton on a charge of robbing a person of the name of Thomas Smith of the sun - r of £5O. The com plainant stated that .he had come to the town, to which he was a stranger, from Bradford, on Thursday last ; and being accosted by the female prisoner, he treated her to a glass, and afterwards went with her to a house in Cum berland. There, after having had some more drink, he was awakened in the night, and told to leave the house, when be found that his " fair friend" had decamped, and that all his money (iu country bank notes, and 27 sove reigns) had disappeared! He gave information to the police, and the female prisoner was found. It appeared she had changed a £lO Bradford note at Mr. Hancocks, in Marybone, who afterwards took it to Mr. Barnard's bank, where it was stopped. Another £lO note of the Huddersfield bank was found ; but one of them only was identified. The male prisoner was in her company when she was apprehended, and, it appeared, had stated, at her suggestion, that he had given it to her, and that he Lad received it from an uncle in Shropshire—he being drunk at the time ; but no distinct evidence was brought against him, he was discharged. The remainder of the money was not found. The female was coin onitted for trial. DR. ROTH'S AUTOMATON CALCULATORS. — We have much pleasure in learning that Mr. Wertheimber, the Patentee of the automaton calculators, has arrived in this town, where he intends staying for a few days. We have had an opportunity of inspecting this most wonderful invention, and can add our unhesitating testimony to the high opinion which our contemporaries of the Metropoli tan Press have expressed of its merits. There are four different machines; the first is a counter, and indicates, with unerring correctness, the number of revolutions, or quantity of work performed by machinery with rotary or any other movement to which it may be adapted. The second performs addition, simple or compound, from one farthing up to a million of pounds, the third, addition and subtraction, and the last, the four rules of arithmetic up to thousand millions. The operation is extremely simple and easy and the regularity with which the succes sive transmission of figures are made, and the instanta neous rapidity with which it returns to 0 (zet o) necessary for commencing new operations, are quite remarkable. Such machines have engaged the attention of the scientific for upwards of two centuries ; something of the kind was attempted by Perrault in 1720, Poetius 1728, Peregre in 1750, Prahl, 1789, Gruson, 1790, Gutle, 1799, &c., &c. The instruments however, which these eminent persons produced were of very limited utility, partaking more of the character of toys, than of practical inventions, and have long since sunk into oblivion. To another class belong the machines invented by Napier in 1617, called the " Virgulce Neperianae," as well as the two other Works of this celebrated Scotchman, viz., the " Multi plicationis promptuarium," and his " Abacus Arcalis" ; in his footsteps followed Demean, 1731, Jordan, 1798, Leopold, Petit, and others. All the machines mentioned in this brief sketch required the attention to be fixed, and did not attain the object. Hence the aim of scientific men has been to invent a self-acting instrument for cal culations, which can alone deserve the name of a calcu lating machine. The first attempt of this kind was made by Blaise Pascal in 1640, his machine though it performed addition and subtraction mechanically, was so difficult to work, and its mechanism so imperfect, that it was soon discarded and forgotten. A similar fate awaited a ma chine for adding and subtracting invented in this coun try, by Samuel Moreland, in 1666. The insufficiency and defects of these instruments gave rise to subsequent en deavours to improve them. Lepine in 1725, and Hillorin de Boistessandeau in 1730, were not more successful than their predecessors, nor did Gerstens' invention, submitted in 1753 to the Royal Society of London, afford greater satisfaction. We pass over several attempts made with partial success by Polenius in 1709, Leibntz in 1673, and others, and come at once to the well known Machine un dertaken by Mr. Babbage, in 1821, for Government, in tended to form tables of progression by mechanical means, for the use of surveyors. A portion of this machine forming a progression up to five figures was complete; £17,000 had been expended on it already, and the project was abandoned in 1835. Mr. Gabbage is at present oc cupied with the plan for another machine, and all friends of science must wish him success.—We now come to speak of the recent attempt of Dr. Roth, of Paris, for the last three years this gentleman has been engaged in the construction of arithmetical machines, and has ac complished 'his scheme of performing mechanically all the operations of arithmetic. The machine in its present state, works, as L We have stated, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and 'division, quite mechanically. The aritmetical progression is of most importance; and when we consider the variety and utility of the functions per formed by a small instrument, and its comparatively in significant price, we cannot but congratulate the inventor on his decided success, and express our cordial wishes that he may meet with every encouragement to persevere in his highly interesting and important labours. Mr. Wertheimber, the proprietor and Patentee, has had the honour of submitting the invention to her Majesty and her royal consort at Windsor Castle, both of whom were pleased to express their admiration of the machines and to honor the Patentee with an order for two of each sort. l i It has been highly approved by the Admiralty, which has adopted the counter,-for registering the number of strokes made by their steam engines, and the Board of Trade, to whom Mr. Wertheimber has supplied several of the Machines. The Roal Institution, the Society of Arts, and the Institution of Ci,il Engineers ; and many scien tific Bodies have likewise honoured the Patentee with testimonials of their approbation. —For price and other particulars we refer our readers to the advertisement in another page. LIVERPOOL STANDARD. MONEY MARKET. (From the Spectator of Saturday.) STOCK EXCHANGE, FRIDAY AFTERNOON.—The an nouncement made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on Wednesday evening, (although the maasure of the re duction of the three-and-a-half per cents. was one that had long been considered as certain to take place in' the course of the present year,) came with some degree of suddenness upon the capitalists. Its immediate effect has been to cause an improvement of per cent. in the price of the three per cent. stocks, while the three-and-a halt per cents. have also improved slightly. The opera tions of the day have been of a varied character, in fluential capitalists having been acting extensively in opposite directions, f or l arge purc h ases o f three-and-s -hall per cent. st oc k h ave b een ma d e b y one par ty, an d sales equally l arge known. There can a meat secret has by another ; so that we infer the govern ment d k o e u p b t t and bow e n v o e t r h , i that, tr,e regard ally is being had to th e li w tt e le ll magnitude of the operation, the terms proposed will b e liberal, and as little doubt that any reasonable proposition will be sure to be accepted and carried into effect. The result of the operation must be to give a higher value to every description of government security; for, apart from the annual saving of from £500,00 0 to £1,000,000 that will be effected by the re duction, it is considered certain that the government would not have ventured on a financial operation of the present magnitude unless they were assured of a peaceful settlement of the various political questions now existing' or likely to arise, between ourselves and the governments of France and America. SATURDAY, TWELVE O'CLOCK.—The Government scheme for the reduction of the Three-and-a-Half per Cents. meets with general approbation ; and there seems no doubt that it will be carried through. The amount of Three-and-a-Half per Cent stock not held by trustees, or in what may be termed unchangeable investment, of which the holders may object to the reduction, is between forty and fifty millions : if holders to that extent were to dissent they might, of course, seriously embarrass the scheme; but there seems to be no fear of any general re jection of the proposed terms, as the guarantee against reduction for twenty years to three per cent. is considered a very large and liberal bonus. At the present value of Three per Cent. and Three-and-a-Half per Cent. Stocks, that bonus is considered equal to from 11 to 1 per cent.; as will be seen from the following calculation : Present value of £lOO New Three-and-a- Half per Cents - £lO2 2 6 Present value of £lOO Three per Cent. Consols £9B 7 6 Ditto of an Annuity of ss. per an num for ten years, reckoning the interest of money at 3 percent 2 2 8 Add for excess of dividend now due upon New Three-and-a-Half per Cents. as compared with 0 2 6 Consols £lOO 12 8 Making the present value of £lOO New Three and-a- Half per Cent. St( ck, when resolved into the elements of which it is now com pounded leaving £1 9s. 10d., or in round numbers 11 per cent., as the value of the guarantee against reduction for twenty years from 1854. Some large transactions have occured this morning among others, the broker of the Scotch Banks has sold extensively. The prices of new Three-and-a-Half per Cents. have declined + per cent., while those of Consols aae the same. No change of importance has occurred in the Foreign Funds. SATURDAY, Two o'CtocK.—There has been a very large business done durin the afternoon, both in Consols and Three-and-a-Half per C ents. and bought Consols to the extent of nearly £1,000,000. There have been however, some large purchases of New Three-and-a-Half per Cents., and the opinion seems to be gaining ground that these funds are rendered more valuable by the gua rantee against reduction. Consols close at 981 -I, and New Three-and-a-Half per Cents. at 1021 1; India Stock, 282 4 ; and Bank Stock, 197 8. (From the Times of yesterday.) SATURDAY EVENING.—Mr. Goulburn's plan for the reduction of the three-and-a-half per cents., announced in the House of Commons, has bad the singular good for tune of encountering little or nothing in the shape of ob jection in the city. There is no circumstance connected with the project of the Chancellor of the Exchequer that has given more satisfaction than his intimation that it has not been thought necessary to make any arrangement with the bank to pro vide for possible dissentients to a large amount. Unlike the last administration, who were perfectly helpless in financial matters, because they never took their measures wisely, and had no funds to support them, the treasury have now a large balance in hand, and need be dependent on no external aid. At all times this is a most material power to possess, but it is especially so at a period when the bank is to be callad before the public to treat for a renewal of its exclusive privileges. As a practical commentary upon Mr. Goulburn's mea sure, it may be stated, that as he offers in exchange for the present Three-and-a-Half per Cents., and from Oc tober next, a stock bearing interest at 3k per cent. for 10 years, and 3 per cent. afterwards, with guarantee against further reduction for 20 years more, this may be con sidered the same as giving 3 per cent. at once, with gua rantee for 30 years against further reduction, and a bonus of per cent. for 10 years. Estimating, then, the rate of interest on Government securities at 3 per cent., the present value of ss. per annum, for 10 years, is £2 2s. Bd., which is the equivalent in money offered as a bonus ; in addition to which must be considered the value of the guarantee for 30 years, which cannot be precisely calcu lated, though evidently worth something when the Three per Cent. Consols are at 981. To illustrate this matter further, a person who assents therefore will receive £lOO in a 3 per cent. stock, with annuity cf ss. for ten years. Thus — X. s. d. His Consols are now worth II is annuity Making.... To Compare this with the case of a dissentient to the conversion, the latter will receive £ lOO in money, with which he can buy £lOl 10s. 6d. in Three per Cent. n Con sols. the value of which is , o f course, £lOO only ;d per a cent. t gain of money by assenting is therefore 12s. Bd. Th As the Three- - - Half per Cents. of 1818 stand in g at ua p r r a e i s it e e n e t f p or ri 3 c o es y e vv a i r t s h . and a out re f ere nce to the value of the a somewhat different position, the terms of the original contract with Government requiring that they shall only be paid off in sums of £500,000 at a time, and that upon six months' notice previously given, a different market value will probably be created for that stock. The extent of the advantages which it possesses over the other de scriptions of 31 per cent. stock consists in the longer period in which the 34 per cent, may be received, but at the expiration of the 10 years fixed for the duration of the Three-and-a-Quarter per Cents., or probably much earlier, all will be in the same situation. A broker of ex perience has stated to us that the Three-and-a-Half per Cents. of 1818 may be worth under these circumstances bout 1 per cent. more than the others. It is not easy to comprehend exactly the mode by which a reduction of .1:500,C00 at a time, and by a notice of six months for each, is to be effected. If one notice is to expire before a new one is given, the whole operation, as the stock is £10,000,000, will extend over 10 years; but means may probably be found of accelerating the process without any breach of the original contract. The proposal of Mr. Goulburn to equalize the amount of dividends payable in each quarter of the year is one which has also given entire satisfaction, and will have consequences, apart from the present question of a mere reduction of interest, full of future benefit to the country. If there should be, in connexion with this arrangement, a sound and judicious course pursued in regard to the privileges of the Bank of England—a question which must closely follow this now under consideration—the term " panic " may fall into disuse and be forgotten, and the trade of the country subside into a permanently safe and healthy state. Consols for money and the account left off this after noon at the advanced price of 914 • New 34 per Cents. were 102; to ; and Exchequer Bills, 70s. to 725. pre mium. A good deal of business was transacted at these quotations, and the market closed exceedingly firm. Foreign securities were generally well supported, and speculation seems to be rather on the increase. The re mittance on account of the Mexican dividend having ex ceeded the sum named yesterday by some 50,000 dollars, there was more business transacting in this stock. The full advance, however, was not maintained, since, as the agents have given notice of the payment of the remaining half of the October coupon, the amount in hand for the April dividend cannot fail proportionately to suffer. Hence the cause of the reaction. Mexican actives, after touching 354, left off 352 to 36, and the deferred, which was done at 144, closed 144 to 4. A little flatness pre vailed in the Peninsula securities, in consequence of sales for realization. Spanish five per cents. closed 254 to 4, and the three per cents. 354 to 4 ; Dutch two-and-a-half per cents., 564 to 56-A •, the five per cents., 1014 to IO2; Danish, 874 to 884 i Colombian, 144 to 154; Chilian, 103 to 105 ; Buenos Ayres, 37 to 39 ; Brazilian, 81 to 83 ; and Belgian, 103 to 105. INDECENT ASSAULT. —On Sat ur d a y a m iddl e - age d man , named Patrick O'Connor, the master of a School, in Bern's -gardens , was brought up on a charge of hay. ing committed or attempted to commit, an indecent as sault upon the person of one of his female scholars, a child about ten years of age. He was o r d ere d to pay a fine of £5, or, in default beimprisoned t wo months. This is the second case in which schoolm as t ers o f t hi s t ow n have been charged with improper offences in the short space of a month or five weeks. COLLEGIATE INSITTITION.—The anxiously -expected lectures of the celebrated musician, Dr. Wesley, will com mence on Tuesday evening, on which occasion and during the course it is easy to predict a crowded lecture hall. We learn that the illustrations comprise selections from Spohr's double choir movements, from th e wor k s of Mozart, and some fine pieces from the unpublished MSS of the late Samuel Wesley. The amateur members o f the Philharmonic Society, comprising upwards of forty ladies and gentlemen have, for some time past, been ac tively engaged in the rehersal of the illustrations, and i from the admirable style n this distinguished so ciety accomplish every thing which they un d erta k e, there is no doubt that full justice will be done to the music. The advertisement of the succeeding c ourse of lectures is rich in promise and it only utmost for th e pu bli c to show their sense of the exertions of the di rectors to en sure the utmo , attention being paid to this most inter esting and valuable department of the Collegiate Insti tution. INQUIRY AT THE WORKHOUSE. On Friday, another investigation took place in the board-room of the Workhouse, before the Hon. Charles Clements, assistant poor-law commissioner, into certain new charges of neglect, which had been preferred by the governor, Mr. Evans, against Mr. Nightingall, the house surgeon. There were present Mr. Churchwarden Wilkin son, Mr. Bright, Mr. Riding, Mr. Bremner, (solicitor,) Mr. Urquhart, Mr. Green, Mr. Muncaster, Mr. Clay, the Rev. Mr. Cragg, and several others. The COMMISSIONER opened the proceedings by reading documents containing a copy of the charges, and the pre vious proceedings thereon. From this it appeared that a meeting of the honorary medical board had been held on the 4th instant, at which Dr. Macrorie presided, and which was attended by Drs. M'Culloch and Gouthwaite, to investigate the charges alluded to. The first charge re ferred to three children in the Low-hill Workhouse, who appeared to be affected with itch, and who were sent down to the Workhouse in Brownlow-hill, for the purpose of being examined and medically treated by Mr. Nightingall. Shortly after their arrival, the latter, finding they bad been sent into the ward appropriated for such cases, in an excited tone ordered them back to Low-hill, stating that they were not affected by the disease. The governor thereupon applied to Dr. Macrorie, who gave a certificate to the effect that the three children, Jane Kelly, Catherine Wordy, and Jane Jarrett, had been shown to him ; that he considered them bad cases of itch, and that they ought immediately to be separated from the healthy inmates, and put under treatment for the contagious affection. On re ceiving this, the 'governor ordered the children to the itch ward, and the honorary medical board passed the following resolution :—" That the conduct of the house surgeon, in sending thecasesof itch back to theLow-hillWorkhouse,and not immediately submitting them to proper medical treat ment, was highly censurable." The Governor then sub mitted the case of William Freeman, a lad of 15. for the opinion and advice of the board ; and after they had ex amined the boy, and finding him labouring under a severe naphthous affection of the mouth and throat, extending to the upper part of the wind-pipe, and assuming a very serious aspect, they resolved—" That, acmrding to the evidence, Mr. Nightingall, in having not only neglected this important case, but failed to visit the sick for nearly a week, has been guilty of great derelection of duty." They ordered the lad to be placed in the men's medical ward, and not to be exposed, as previously, to the external air while under treatment. He had previously been dis charged as cured by Mr. Nightingall from the boy's sick ward. Mr.Evarsts, the governor of the Workhouse, being called, said he visited the Low-bill Workhouse on the Ist inst. and there found the three children named, affected with the itch. He ordered them down to the Workhouse in Brownlow-hill. He did not then see Mr. Nightingall, nor did he enquire for him. He saw Mr. Ratcliffe, who was that day acting for Mr. Woods, the assistant house surgeon. Mr. Radcliffe called at his office and told him the children were affected with itch. They were sent to the itch ward. Some time after, Mr. Nigbtingall came to him, and asked him if he had sent down three children so affected. He said he had. Upon this Mr. Nightin gall became very angry, and said he (witness) had no busi ness to interfere with his duties ; and that it was his province alone to attend to such matters. Mr. Nightin gall did not say to him that the children were or were not affected with the disease. Witness did not put the ques tion to Mr. Nightingall. Some time after, he (witness) heard that the children had been sent away. He sent for them hack again, and took them down the ssme evening to Dr. Macrorie, who examined them, and gave the cer tificate that had just been read. They were sent by wit ness to the itch ward. Witness added that a boy named Jones had been sent back to the Workhouse after obtain. ing a situation with a shoemaker named Owen, in conse quence of itch. He could not say that the boy bad been submitted to the inspection of Mr. Nightingall before be was sent out, nor did he remember whether he himself (witness) saw him before he left. Jones was away about a fortnight. It was stated that the boy had given the itch to a servant man of Mr. Owen ; but from further questions and replies, it appeared possible that the boy might have caught it from the man. The practice was to submit all who had got situations through the select vestry to the inspection of the surgeon before They went out. (In reply to Mr. Nightingall, witness said he did not know if any certificate was required of him (Mr. N.) for the boy Jones before he was sent out.) Witness was then examined on the case of.the boy Freeman. He said that on Tuesday or Wednesday week, Galloway, the superintendent of the boys when out of school, came to him with the boy, at the instance of Mr. Pilkington, the schoolmaster. Mr. Pil kington said he (the lad) was too unwell to attend to school duties. The boy said he had been in the sick boys' nur sery for a week, and that nothing had been done for him, and nothing given him to take, and that he was then suffering much pain. Previous to being under Mr. Night ingall, he had been under Mr. Woods, and had been or dered down from the boys' healthy nnrsery by Mr. Nightingall. Witness sent him to Mr. Nightingall, and desired the officer to ask Mr. N. why he had discharged him as cured when he was in such a state. Mr. Nighingall came to witness and said the boy was doing well. He was sent back to the ward—not the sick ward—and or dered to attend on Mr. Nightingall every day at the sur gery. Witness spoke to Dr. Gouthwaite on the following Saturday, and that gentleman said the case was one which might be easily cured in the first stages, but if neglected it might end in death. He desired witness to bring it be fore the honorary medical board, specially to be held on the itch cases on Monday, which he did. In reply to Mr. Nightingall, witness said he had communicated to him the opinion of the medical hoard, and that the boy was sent immediately after they had seen him, to the medical ward, before Mr. Nightingall had any notice whatever— he not being in at the time. He could not say whether there was another medical officer in the house at the time. The boy was now, he believed, under his (Mr. N.'s) treatment. Dr. MACRORIE being called, said he had inspected the children brought from Low-hill, and had given the certi ficate read. In reply to Mr. Nightingall, he said the ma tron at Low-hill had told him that his (Mr. N's) invaria ble practice was to visit the children at the Low-hill esta blishment every morning. Two of the cases of itch in question ought not to have escaped the attention of a medical man, but one of them might have escaped notice. The appearances of the erruption in the disease might be less marked in the morning when Mr. N. saw them, than in six or eight hours after, when he (Dr. M.) saw them. This, however, applied to oue of the cases only. The other two must have been much the same in the morning. Mr. EVANS here said that there were 160 children at Low-hill Workhouse, and that 42 of them had been brought recently to the general workhouse, labouring un der the disease stated. Witness was further questioned as to the boy Freeman, and, after describing the disease, said the medical board were of opinion that such a case ought not to be exposed to the external air, but should be treated in a warm room, Ten days, he had heard, had elapsed from the time the patient was discharged to the time at which be was seen by the board, and he could not say but that the boy was cured when discharged. He ought not to have been discharged unless decidedly convalescent, and, if so, a daily inspec. tion would be required. It was the opinion of the board, from the evidence, that the case had been neglected. Mr. RATCLIFFE, surgeon, (who had attended the house in place of Mr. Woods,) said he saw the three children in the reception room on Friday last ; inspected them ; found them suffering from itch ; and sent them to the pro per ward. Cross-examined.—Mr. Nightingale generally sent the cases down from Low-hill that required medical treatment. Several were sent by him last week. Mr. Nightingall gave orders for the three children to be sent back to Low-hill in his presence. The disease was, in all the three cases, in the incipient stage, when witness examined them. Had not his attention been called to them he might have passed them over. EEIZA GILPIN, the nurse of the boys' sick ward, said Freeman was first admitted there on the 30th January, l i and discharged on the 12th February. He was re-admit ted on the 17th February, and discharged on the 24th. Neither Mr. Nightingall, nor any other medical man, saw him at all during either period of time he was there. He seemed well, ate his meat heartily, and played about the yard with the other boys. His mouth seemed much the same when he was discharged as when he was admitted, and he did not complain about it. Mr. Nightingall dis charged 12 other boys along with him on the 24th Feb ruary, leaving 15 sick boys in the nursery. Nothing was sent that week to Freeman, either as lotion or medicine. The honorary medical men bad never visited the ward during the eight months' the witness was there. Witness, in reply to questions from the governor, re lated an instance of her having sent for Mr. Nightingall to see a child, who had a bad cough, when he spoke rude ly and roughly to her, as she supposed, for doing so. She mentioned the fact to the governor, saying she was afraid to apply to him, and be told her not to send sick children to the surgery, as Mr. Nightingall was to come and visit them.—To questions by Mr. Wilkinson, she said Mr. Nightingall never refused to come when she sent for him. He scolded her once, because she allowed a sick child to be taken by the matror. from the healthy infants' nursery , to the other. Many of the sick children in the ours2ry re quired only opening medicine, which was gi v e n by or d er o f Mr. Nightingall. By M r.Nightingall.—W itness has always been told that she must not send children from one ward to the other without orders from the doctor. In the case stated, the matron, who was her superior, took the child to the sick nursery herself.—Mr. Clements asked Mr. N. if he considered it blameable that the matron should so remove a sick child, and send for the surgeon immediately after? Mr. N. said it had been the rule that the surgeon alone should send to the hospital.—Witnees could not say whether Mr. N. had particularly examined Freeman and the other 12 children when he discharged them, but she saw them standing in the usual way to be examined. Du ring the last fortnight the sick nursery had been visited every day by Mr. Nightingale, or Mr. Woods, or both. GEORGE PILKINGTON, boys' schoolmaster, spoke to the boy Freeman wishing to be excused from school, on account of his sore mouth, but witness said he could not, as the doctor had discharged him as cured. He was taken to the governor by Mr. Galloway, but afterwards attended the school dining that week, and appeared to be getting better. Witness believed he then attended on the doctor every second day. The boy had complained of his mouth, but witness thought it was the effect of caustic. SAMUEL GALLOWAY corroborated the above, adding that Mr. Hodgkins, the head clerk, was sent by the go vernor with the boy to Mr. Nightingale. In reply to the latter, witness said that the governor told him, when he took Freeman before him, that if he did not report to him the cases of boys who were sick, which Mr. Nightingall knew of and did not attend to, he (witness) would be lia ble to be reported himself. He had no conversation with the governor yesterday. HENRY HODGKINS, the clerk, said that he was not sent to the governor with the boy, that he could recollect of. He recollected going with three distinct messages from the governor to Mr. N. In one of the cases Mr. Nightingall returned with him to the governor immedi ately, and he believed it was the case of Freeman. In reply to Mr. Nightingall, witness said he was constantly in the habit of visiting the sick wards, and neither the nurses nor the patients ever complained to him of want of attention on the part of Mr. N. The cases that had fallen under witness's notice had always been attended by Mr. N. or Mr. Woods. MARGARET THOMPSON, matron of Low-hill Work house, said there had been many cases of itch there re cantly. Mr. Nightingale was in the habit of attending there every morning and examining the children, one by one. About 30 cases had been sent down this last fortnight. Mr. Nightingall was not formerly in the habit of attend ing every morning, since May last, but during the last month or five weeks had only missed one morning. On Monday last Mr. M'Culloch visited the house, and sent down seven children to Brownlow-hill, as being affected with itch. Some of them did not appear to her to have any complaint. Some of the children evaded the doctor occasionally, but had not been allowed to do so the last week. She had complained to the governor of Mr. Nightingale having on one occasion spoken roughly and discourteously to her, saying she interfered' with his business; and that she was afraid to speak to him about the children. With this exception, he had always behaved kindly towards ber. The governor generally visited Low hill once a week, but the week before last was not there. The governess had not been there since Christmas-day. (It was stated that she had been unwell for some time during the interval.) Witness never saw Dr. M'Culloch at Low-hill till Monday last. She never saw any of the honorary medical men there since she went in May last. The children there consisted of girls and infants. The case here closed as rfgarded the charges, and Mr. Nightingall said he had drawn up a statement in reply, which he would place in the hands of Mr. Ratcliffe to read for him, while he himself retired. Mr. RADCLIFFE read the document. The writer corn menced by stating that the charges against him were at once unjust and cruel, and that he was marked out as a sacrifice to the vindictive feelings of certain parties towards , him. Why did the governor assume that he had neglected the children at Low-hill, before he had ascertained his in tentions towards them? and why had he been in such haste to send them to the ward, without waiting to con sult him? The governor in so acting had obstructed his (the writer's) plans; superseded his professional judge ment, and virtually suspended him from his office. Such proceedings could not have arisen from any but hostile feelings towards him. He wished he could view the con duct of the medical board in a more favourable light. Why had he not been sent for, and heard in his own vin dication. He was entitled to expect a fair hearing; but, in place of that, he was treated like acriminal. The board had tried, judged, and condemned him, unheard • whereas if they had heard his explanation they might perhaps have entirely acquitted him of all blame. The treatment he had received from the governor, as well as the secret con struction and prosecution of the charges, convinced him that he had become the victim of dislike and prosecution. If he were crushed, and his fortunes and prospects in life destroyed, be felt that he should fall as an old and injured servant of the public; but, if he were thus ruined, he should be compelled not to suffer these proceedings to stop • here, but to bring his case before the tribunals of his coun try for redress. He besought the select vestry to in terpose between him and his persecutors ; and he made this appeal as one who had served the parish for the long period of twenty-one years. It could not be supposed that he was so foolish, so imprudent, so devoid of feeling, so unmindful of his duties, as wantonly to incur such charges as had that day been brought against him. He believed that the prosecution had its origin in the fact that he had given evidence on an inquest, the week before last, which, to a certain extent, affected the governor ; and he was in duced to form this opinion, because a system of annoy ance had been waged against him ever since, which had unfitted him for the proper discharge of his duties. He admitted that a week had elapsed without his having visited Freeman ; but this he attributed to loss of memory, arising from onerous duties, and the persecution to which he had been subjected. He also stated that he had sent cases to each of the wards from Low-hill en the day in question, but thought it better to defer the other cases until the next day as they were doubtful. In the meantime the go vernor went up and sent them down. The COMMISSIONER said Mr. Nightingall had not en tered into the merits of the case. Mr. NIGHTINGALL said he had always been kept in the dark as to what was going forward, and new rules and regulations had been adopted, of which he knew nothing. When he sent Freeman out of the sick ward he considered him well. Mr. WOODS, surgeon, was here called for the defence, and stated generally, that, in his opinion, confinement to the ward was not necessary in the case of Freeman, and that he thought air and exercise, combined with local treatment, would, in the first instance, have effected a cure. Be never considered him in a dangerous state, neither did Mr. Gill, who concurred with him as to the treatment—air and exercise being preferable. Dr. Gill was one of the first surgeons in the town. This closed the inquiry,—upon which no decision was of course come to, as the whole evidence, together with the statement of Mr. Nightingall would be transmitted to the Poor Law Commissioners—for them to adjudicate upon. CORRESPONDEN CE. AFRICAN GUANO. TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD. Sir,—For some time past, a report has been current in Liverpool (no doubt originating from parties who have sent ships to the western coast of Africa) that the Portu guese government had sent a force to that part of the coast whence the Guano is derived, to prevent its being taken away. We, sir, were the first, in conjunction with Mr. James Rae, to send a vessel for that article to the western coast of Africa, the " Ann, of Bristol," Captain Farr, (which vessel arrived at Dumfries with a cargo of Guano,) and have orginated so great a stimulant to Bri tish commerce and industry. As such report is calculated to create great anxiety to persons embarked, we beg to say that we applied to Lord Aberdeen on the subject, and that his lordship has kindly condescended to inform us no power has any controul over that part of the coast. Trusting the importance of the subject will be sufficient apology for trespassing on your valuable columns, We are, Sir, Yours respectfully, M. McLEOD and CO. Leicester-buildings, King-street, 11th March, 1844. LEAGUE PETITIONS. TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD, SlR,—Passing along Paradise-street this morning I was struck with the appearance of a large placard, requesting the passers by to sign a memorial against monopoly, and stating that sugar could he bought at 2d. per lb. A table, attended by a seedy-looking patriot, contained some sheets of paper, to which this philanthrophist was calling upon all the men and boys who passed along to affix their names. After wondering for a moment whether this specimen of humanity was one of those who starve their families by neglecting their business to mind public affairs, or whether he was then looking thin upon the wages of his liberal anti-league friends, I turned away disgusted with the cant of the tool and at the impudence of his employers. I was glad to see the honest and in dustrious artisans who passed along and smiled contempt upon the trick, placed to entrap them to sustain the falling cause of the child-famishing man-starving millocracy. I saw the same gag in operation at two other places during the day, so I should think, with the aid of all the little boys, they will get 90,000 signatures, because such will sign at each board. for the fun of the thing. I am, sir, yours, &c., BEN BLOCK. Liverpool, March 9. 1844. TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD. SlR,—Will you allow me, through the medium of your useful paper, to speak to the masters of the Collegiate and the Mechanics' Institutions. _ Last week, a pupil in one of these institutions, in com ing down the stairs, stepped on a piece of orange peel, and fell nearly from the top to the bottom. In the fall his face struck against one of the iron pikes, at the foot of the stairs, and he was so much hurt as not to be able to attend school again for several days. Would it not be well for the masters to forbid oranges being brought into the institutions, and to give the pupils to understand that any boy who was known to drop orange peel in any part of the premises wovld be pnn ished. I should be glad to see a rule of this kind placed at the foot of the stairs ; and I would also call upon parents to aid the masters by pointing out to their children the dan ger of throwing orange peel about. 9th March, 1844. A MOTHER. FIRE AND Loss OF LIFE.—On Saturday last a fire occurred on board the brig Theresa from Newport, with coals. The vessel is so much injured as to be past re pair. Two youths, one 18 and the other 13, were unfor tunately burnt to death. INDIA ALES.—The demand in India for ales from the brewery of Messrs. Bass and Co., for which Mr. Lyon is the agent for thirtown, has of late so greatly increased, that it has now become an article of most extensive ex port. Its qualities are evidently well adapted for the cli mate. The prices current, published at Calcutta, by Messrs. Gladstone, Hay, Wyllie, and Co., and reprinted in this town by Messrs. Gladstone and Co., contains th e following under the head of beer, in which the name of Bass and Co. appears foremost :—" The only transaction to rate is the sale a few days ago of 50 Wads. of Alsopp's at 85. There is none, however, of any sort now in the market, which may be expected to open high in March." LIVERPOOL NEW GAS AND COKE COMPANY.—The bill which is promoted by the abo ve company was , on Thursday, brought before the comm ittee appointed by the House of Commons to try the merits of the measure, Col. Fox, the hon. member for the Tower Hamlets, in the chair. Mr. Austen and Mr. Talbot appeared for the pro moters of the bill, and Mr. Sergeant Wrangham, assisted by Mr. Hildyard, opposed it on behalf of the Liverpool Guardian Society. Mr. Austen, in a l ong an d a bl e ad dre:43, explained to the comm ittee the nature of the pow ers sought for in the present bill, conten di ng w i t h muc h force against the spirit which guided the opponents in the question at issue. The learned counsel concluded a pow erful appeal by calling upon the committee to declare the preamble of the bill proven. Mr. Sergeant Wrangbam, for the opponents, addressed , the committee, contending against the powers asked for by the promoters, and con cluded by requesting the committee to declare the pream ble not proved. The Speaker having been announced at prayer; the . committee postponed th e cons id erat i on o f th e p r eamble t ill the next d ay. N otwithstanding the power ful opposition to the bill, there is no doubt but the pre amble will be passed, and the battle will then be on the clauses. The measure will occupy some days in commit tee. LOCAL NEWS. The packet-ship Rochester, advertised to leave New York on the 21st ultimo, is now due. The Boston steamer, of the Ist instant, may also be expected to arrive here about Thursday or Friday next. STEAMERS FOR BOSTON AND HALIFAX.—The Cale donia, Captain Lott, sailed, on Tuesday last, with fifty six passengers and a heavy mail. The next mail will be despatched on the 4rh of April, after which time the pac kets will be despatched twice a month, un the 4th and 19tb, from each port. SHOP ROBBERY.—On Sunday evening last, between six and seven o'clock. during the temporary absence of the family, the shop of Mr. James Irvine, grocer, Horn by-street, was entered by means of skeleton keys, and the sum of £2 15s. in copper was abstracted. Dur ing the same evening, Mr. M • Gill, one of the most active inspectors in the police force, apprehended Bernard M`Mahon , a well-known thief, who was disguised at the time, and on his person 6s. 7d. in copper were found. No evidence, however, could be found to bring the charge home to him, and he was discharged. INQUESTS.—On Saturday two inquests were held be fore the Borough Coroner. The first was on the body of a newborn female child, the daughter of Eliza Osborne, a single woman. A posl morlem examination was held by Mr. G. J, Everest, surgeon, who was of opinion that it had been stillborn.—The second was on the body of William Hamilton, a young man, who received a severe injury in the thigh from one of the spikes at the Corporation Baths, on the 28th ult., and died of the effects, in the Northern Hospital, on Friday last. Verdicts in accordance with the evidence were returned in both cases. QUARRELS AMONGST ATTORNEYS.—An attorney, named Grace, nts summoned before Mr. Rushton, on on Friday, on the charge of having assaulted Mr. E. G. Deane, solicitor. The case having been proved, Grace was ordered to pay a fine of £5, and to give sureties to keep the peace : and before the order was pronounced, a very sharp lecture was given to him by the magistrate for his improper conduct. • He was taken into custody until the required sureties were brought forward ; but it was not till he had given some signifiicant hints that he surrendered himself into the charge of the officers. THE HUBARD GALLERY.—Mr. Norman, having com pleted and disposed of the " Exchange picture," has closed his establishment, leaving to Liverpool a lasting token of his talents. During his sojourn here he has executed upwards of 3,000 likenesses, the receipts for which he estimates at nearly £l,OOO, and this in the short space of six months. Mr. N. is now about to visit Preston, and we can only say that if he be there as eminently success ful in catching the peculiarities of every visage, as he has been here, he is deserving of that patronage we feel confi dent a town already eminent for its encouragement of arts will award him. REFUSAL TO MAINTAIN A WIFE.—On Wednesday last, Mr. Gray, the overseer, appeared to substantiate a charge against Henry Robinson, under the following cir cumstances I—He stated that, about Christmas last, Ro binson was held to bail for an assault on his wife, and an agreement was entered into by which he was to allow her the sum of 10s. per week, which had been regularly paid until now, the ground of refusal being that she had been guilty of adultery ; he had, however, notwithstanding this, offered to take her home, but she objected, urging that he would ill use her, and she could not live with him ; she had, consequently, been relieved by the parish. Mr. Snowball, on behalf of Robinson, said the latter was wil ling to provide for her at his own home. Mr. Rushton observed that it was a difficult case to deal with, and wished her to consent to his proposal, adding that he (Mr. R.) would take care, if he did not treat her kindly, that the law should speak to him in a manner which he would be made to understand. The complainant said she would rather take a situation than live with him. Air. Rushton said he was unable to deal with the case, and the parties then left the court. THE MAGAZINE LIFE-BOATMEN.—We have to notice another act of adventurous exertion on the part of several of the crew of the Magazine life-boat which redounds to to their additional honour. On Saturday last, the wind blowing a gale from the N.W., the flat Ellen, from Run corn, drove from her anchor against the pier at New Brighton, when the sea broke furiously over her. The two men on board of her clung to the pier, and the ves sel immediately sunk. The captain was washed off the stage, but fortunately got hold again. Both waved to a Liverpool boat at a short distance to assist them. The crew of the boat made a praiseworthy effort to get to them, but the sea was running so high that they could not. Four of the Magazine life-boat men, William Whittle, William Bell, Thomas Whittle, and John Hughes, beit"r on the shore. put off immediately in one of theii own boats, and at great risk of their own lives rescued them, and brought them to the house of Wm. Roberts, at the Magazines, where they were humanely attended to, and supplied with everything necessary to their recovery from their almost fatal state of exhaustion. HOUSEBREAKING.—Between three and four o'clock on Sunday morning, the house of a gentleman residing in West Derby-street was broken open by a gang of bur glars. They first attempted to effect an entrance through the panel of one of the doors, by means of a centre-bit, but finding it too thick for their purpose, they next tried the kitchen window, and soon succeeded in getting access to the premises by cutting away part of the shutter. Having done this, they began to search for plunder, but fortunately, with very little success, all the plate having been removed up stairs. Whilst rumaging the diniug room they made a slight noise, which disturbed the lady of the house, who after going down a few steps of the stairs, saw a man standing in the passage. She immedi ately gave the alarm, on which the thieves fled through the open kitchen window, closely followed by the master of the house. Two of the three sprung over the garden wall, and got clear off, and the third concealed himself in an outhouse, where he remained nearly an hour, when he was seen by one of the neighbours to jump over the wall and escape. The theives carried off a few articles of no great value, and left behind them a hat, and several house breaking implements. This is the second robbery. of a similar kind, that has been effected in the same street during the last fortnight. NORTH WALES AND DUBLIN RAILWAY AND HAW. noun COMPANY.—We have received a printed statement, dated 26th ultimo, addressed by this company to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, setting forth the comparative merits—as affording a more spegdy and fre quent mail communication between Londownd Dublin than now exists—of the Chester and Holyffead and the Chester and Ormahead line of railway, and their pro posed respective harbours. From this it appears that both lines leave Chester at nearly the same point, but that the Holyhead line passes, at the north end of the city, by a tunnel; and cutting, and crossing the Ellesmere canal and the Dee by a viaduct over the navigable part of the river ; and the Ormshead line passes with a tunnel under Eastgate-street, thence crossing the river on an archway, above the old bridge, at the south entrance of the city, avoids interfering with the navigation. About a mile be low the new bridge, it unites with the Holyhead line, and both lines become identical to the 41st mile, on nearly a water level the whole way. At their point of separation the Ormshead line still keeps the seabound, until it reaches the terminus at the western side of the bay, formed by. the Great and Little Ormshead, the whole length of rail way being 46 miles. The Holyhead line, after diverging from the Ormshead line, passes along a level couniry to the extuary of the Conway, which it is proposed to cross by an embankment, and the navigable part of a bridge, near the suspension bridge. From Conway it takes the precipitous, rocky, and uneven line of coast to Bangor and the Menai Bridge, the distance from which to Con way is upwards of 36 miles, with much rock cutting and steep gradients. At the bridge it is proposed to draw the train across by horses, which, it is stated, would obstruct or retard for the time the passage of private carriages, &c. From the bridge to Holyhead the line is circuitous and will be expensive. It will terminate half a mile from the mouth of the present harbour—(which has but 14 feet at low water, and into which a large class steamer cannot enter)—and it is assumed that passengers will have to walk that distance. The length of the Holyhead line is 84 miles 71 chains ; the Ormshead line is 46 miles 5 chains. Allowing an equal speed on both lines, it is stated that from a parallel line drawn from the 46th mile of the Holyhead line to the Ormshead, the distance to Holyhead is 38t miles, and that taking the curves and that taking the curves and stoppages into account, it can- not be accomplished in less tii . an - two hours. From the Ormshead to a parallel line northward of Holyhead is distance by sea 30 miles, which a first class steamer will accomplish i❑ three hours, and would reach Dublin only by one hour behind the packet starting from Holyhead. The difference in the greater size and power of the steamers that might be employed from the Orrnsheact would also considerably redUce - this difference of time, by half an hour, or less. The distance, it is assumed, from Ormshead, to Kingstown-91 miles—would be ac complished in 8* hours. There is a plan of St. George's Harbour prefixed to the 4tatement, from which it ap pears it is proposed to enclose the bay beiween the two Ormsbeads so as to form an extended harbour of refuge of 800 acres by a sea wall running (with the exception of the entrances) almost direct from one promontory or bead to the other—the steam harbour to be at the western ex tremity, and a quarantine station for Liverpool at the other—both sheltered by an elbow of the wall. The space, however, as yet proposed to be enclosed is 90 acres only of the bay, with a depth of from 17 to 33 feet. Some objections as to the probability of the bay being sanded up are met by opposite opinio ns — an d i t i s state d that Holyhead Bay, which is not so easy of ingress and egress, would be more liable to such obstruction. The capital required for the Holyhead Railway and Harbour is stated to be £2,500,000; while that required by the Ormshead Company is but £700,000. To complete the Holyhead line would require three years; to complete Ormshead line one year. After stating several other advantages of the latter as regards the return mails front Dublin, &c., the directors state that the distance from London to Ormshead by rail is 234 miles, and if a speed of 31 miles per hour were adopted, the whole distance to Dublin would be accomplished in 15 hours. They state that they would be willing to contract for the conveyance of the mail at that speed on their railway, and its convey ance twice a day, by approved packets, from Ormshead to Kingstown, within the time specified. They conclude by stating that should the standing orders of the House of Commons be suspended in their behalf, the rail way will be completed within twelve months—" and and should it be found, on the termination of the contract, that the communication with Ireland was still incomplete, the railway may be continued to Holyhead without loss to the public, as 41 miles of the line will have been com pleted." We should add that the Holyhead company re quire, in addition to their capital stated, the sanction of the legislature to a rate of £400,000 for the construction of a harbour at Holyhead, and that there would be a saving to the public on the respective capitals required of £90,000 per annum, by preferring the Ormshead line. We, of course, give all those statements as we find them, without expressing any opinion of our own. •• ' \*: • TN. r„lio ci i , :‘, 44, - : .04). ~,,--0 r, , , -.7- ---='\44.l t 7.7 • " .*