The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1845-03-18 00:00:00

TO CORRE ton Guar 1. " I am at a the Govern , 1815 andmarks stian cons:itution shall soon ne pr►nc ants v to that of heathe he days of the ragernent to of Popery in Great removed. Britain The C her reach ; th I to be D, whilst men who or to bel 11 which Rome ad to enjoy her temporalities ; g to throw down the frail bar- and w nice of fallen Israel from Jral affairs of a Christian et rid of the few disquali- R. froth the Sover at the Reformation, and admit M 00, and infidel, upon . . ___ even terms, to scramble, in common with Toiies, Whip, and Radicals, for supremacy in the govern ment of British communities, or of the empire ? It can no long with truth he said, that there is Leh the mass of the nation will a poi beyond v e principles which have guided us in past times to be violated, or beyond which conces errnitted to be carried. We are 'ion r dead to tional. se of consistency, individual or na ! resolutely blind to all the warnings of experience or of history, and impiously and madly deaf to all the solemn teachings and the threats which God himself has placed on record for our guidance, and that of e ery nation of believers 'e. The scoff of the fool is the answer to the faithful voice which would remind us that the sin of a nation will as surely bring down the wrath of Heaven upon its head as the sin of an individual. Philosophers sneer at the very thought that nations and legislatures are responsible to any authority, or affected by any influences, which are not merely temporal ; and even Conservative men and statesmen act as if they acknowledged only such influence —shrink hack from the direct path of what they know and feel to be duty, rather than, by perseverance, incur the " dread laugh" of men whom in their hearts they despise. By a kind of tacit consent, those vital considerations which ought to direct the regulation of society—the care of the the national morals, and the aside, whilst they devote 's and the talents with which they have -ad higher objects, to splitting hairs and weighing soap bubbles. in his provide national happiness, national religion— been gifted, for better Examirfe the tone of society during the past two Or three years ; glance over the proceedings of the legislature during that period—in fact, since the accession to office of the present Government, for from that period we date the lamentable change which has taken place in the national mind. What nizing of trifles we see—what !onsiderations—what dread anxious care for g cup of the rich should let a drop run over to cool the parched lips of the fainting poor, or the full garner let a grain escape to relieve the gnawing hunger of the pennyless ! Enter the House of Commons, or pore over its dry debates, and see, on the one side, with what interest and 3r less of protection is with what rapture a ray e trade is greeted ; and fierceness a grain weighed—OT of the ignis fatuus of ft thiß, w on the other ,cting the happiness or of millions of human beings are mooted to ears, and the destruction of institutions, nded down to us as interwoven at is valuable in our social system, is i with utter apathy, as beneath the no- are like mariners who on a dangerous beach, for Jr worthless weeds, or tempting nk by plank is borne down to de -,ore our very eyes, the timbers of the essel upon whose preservation alone we end for transport in safety to cur distant scram of any prim They :essary. And her( once to ti minis- is more d for private character ?Ire ea pebbles, or shells fruits, whilst plat .ruction, can d homes. To what are we to attribute this strange fatuity which has come over the nation ? We have said that we dale its commencement from the accession to power of the present ministry ; and we think we have said so justly. The very questions, with re spect to which we have now to deplore such apathy and total neglect, are those upon .vhich Conserva tives, before that event, felt, or affected to feel, the most strongly. How earnestly they contended then against those concessions to Papery, to secta rianism, and to infidel liberalism, which they now see carried without a murmur, and even are the first Ives ! How loudly they denounced to propose them every s utional or religious princi- cle upon th y and worldly expe diency ! We blush at the recollection. We blush to compare the professions of the men, who were then our idolised and, alas, our trusted leaders, with their subsequent acts; and to feel ourselves corn peiled to admit how ready, in the case of other men, our political opponents, we should have been to jump to the conclusion that, whilst making those profes uld not have been sincere—that they sions the ns only r stepping But can we complain if Have the Conservative ut forth as the such has been the ca people of England upon their superioi ht to plume themselves ency ? Ha 3 one man in among st us (ration, Conser' hnup se any ri me m 1 r than thou ht to say to Sir r of his adminis ' As a mass, the ies, to Nay, we 4gltatlO u our o Do we he measures antagonism to his our own. We and, having done so, that was required of he turmoil of political armour, and devoted ate pursuits. We laid whilst our leaders as rid of their principles; and ever since ahmitted unmurmuring to the tyranny Is ministry, in thus may so on the con he darker in Sir - "R f our own confident 'sable, too, from the er in the h called for no compro- Lion an perpetua- I to pick his e straightfor- and to neutralise Peel was, from the iirect path, and the h a man, is the more .rtv in But, a the kingdon n Sir Prober They wer bad no necessity any remonstrance which .ainat any I their sin of omiii• sucti re lonstrasce I _ _ point from which w set out—to the - naked, unaccountable, startling "To the ShiyearpPnters of Live r p oo l—l ncrease o f fact, of that apathy which has taken fast hold of the Wage: to Five shillingsper day. public mind. Whence does it spring ? To what "On the 13th May la st y ou r wages w ere reduced from can we attribute its existence and its growth, unless ss. ve to tw 4s o . r fi e d. per day . F or your p emp loyers rces 1 ' the great reduction tio it he that, for some unseen and wise, although la- of the necessaries of life ;' and 2nd, ' the ruinously de nuntable, purpose, we are blinded, as a nation, to pressed state of the shipping interest.' The first of these THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD. , reasons we believe to be fallacious, and founded on mis- to help me, `striving together with me in your prayers to taken views of the laws which re,uiat, , the value of la- G o d f or me, that the word of the Lord may have fret therefore addressed you, showing that if the course and be glorified, even as it is among you.' od really recuhited wages, you should have " I am yours, in the year 1839, whet. the average price of " With n yak wheat was itos. Sd. per quarter—Se. Id. per day. As you only reetived 5s per day, you had consequently been de frauded of 3s. ld. pe: day." Detical argument this but unfortunately it is thrown away. The " reasons," themselves, upon which it is founded, do not assert that the price of food alone should govern the price of labour. With good trade the cheapness of food, when that cheapness, as at present, is the result of abundant harvests, has no prejudi cial effect upon wages. With a depressed trade, the fact of food being cheap ought to be, and was, regarded by the journeymen shipwrights, as a fair reason why they should submit to a slight reduction of wages ; and thus lighten, by their participation in it, the pressure of the difficulties experienced by their employers. The total suppression, in their ar gument, of all consideration of the second reason for —is, on the part of our anti-mo nopoly sages, jesuitical and studiously dishonest. The next paragraph we need not quote entire, for it is upon all fours with the preceding. "If the price of wheat governs wages," it says, they ought at such a period to have been so and so; and. as they were not, " you were defrauded," &C. &C. Nobody ever said that, abstractedly and singly, the price of wheat did govern wages ; and therefore, again our philosophers are fighting a shadow. The writers of the placard proceed to give some statistical facts and calculations of the prices of corn, rates of wages, and comparative corn-value of the latter, which may he all very correct for anything we know or care; and then convey to our ship-• wrights the very important information, that neither combination nor anything save improved trade could have enabled them to obtain their present ad vorced rate of wages. As we perfectly coincide with them here, we need offer no remark, in reply or• comment. But at the conclusion of the paragraph they rather cut the throat of their previous statis tics; and we must gently intimate to them how this is effected. To secure the present improve ment in the wages of shipwrights they say, " Free trade" is the only specific. They had previously told us that in 1839, when wheat was 70s. Bd. per quarter, shipwrights wages were ss. per day; and in 1844 they were, with wheat at 555. Bd., only 4s. 6d. per day. Now, we rather fancy that we had a fair slice of Free-trade between 1839 and 1844 ; and yet we had wages reduced ! flow is this, gen tlemen ? If Free-trade is the grand secret of com mercial prosperity and good wages, the remunera tion of the shipwrights of Liverpool ought to have been better in 1844 than in 1839. It was worse ! But to return to the bearing of cheap food upon wages—the fallacy upon whi h the Anti-monopoly advocates are so fond of entrenching themselves when addressing the operative classes. We have ever contended that one of the principal objects of the agitation for free trade in corn was the reduction of the cost of labour. The most candid amongst them have openly admitted the fact. By implica tion it is every day admitted. Mr. Charles Holland admitted it at the last meeting of the Anti-monopoly Association, when he told his audience that food was " a main ingredient in manufactures." We are met, however, by free traders with arrays of figures, showing that when bread has been cheap in this country, trade has been prosperous and labour well remunerated. The Anti-monopoly As sociation show us now, that, with wheat at 455. per quarter, the wages of our shipwrights have risen this year to ss. per day. But these gentlemen never remember to tell us, that the cheapness which we at present enjoy arises from the abundant pro duce of our own soil, not from foreign importation; that it is cheapness, combined with the proper re muneration of the British farmer, and abundant employment for the farm labourer—not that cheap ness which will drive the former to abandon his culture in despair, and drive the latter to seek em ployment in the labour market of the large towns. There is a wide and an easily understood difference between the effects of cheapness derived from the one source and from the other; and this difference the Anti-monopoly gentlemen do not find it conve nient to acknowledge. The shipwrights of Liver pool, however, will be able to comprehend it for themselves. We need not ask why the Association takes such infinite pains to throw dust in the eyes of this im portant class of our fellow-townsmen. It is one of their electioneering manoeuvres, and of a piece with their efforts to swamp the registry of voters. 'We would urge, however, upon the shipwrights, before they surrender their judgments and their oft-tried principles to the men who have ever been foremost to malign them, whether they suppose that this vaunted free trade—this infallible specific for the production of good trade and high wages—is to stop in its progress precisely at the point where it begins to affect themselves. The free trade philo sophy says, that we ought to " buy in the cheapest market and sell in the dearest," irrespective of all other considerations. If we can build ships cheaper abroad than at home, free trade says, " Build them abroad." If English shipwrights, coopers, ropers, blockmakers, sailmakers, and other artizans, require ss. per day, and foreigners will work for 18d. or Bd., free trade says, " Employ the foreigner." The shipwrights may depend upon it, that, when these men have succeeded in getting their food, building timber, and other materials, duty free, the very next sacrifice which will be demanded, to enable us to compete with the foreigner, will be the reduction of wages to the foreign level. Let the shipwrights remember this. A paragraph appeared in the Liverpool Albion of yesterday, headed " Departure of the Rev. H. from Liverpool," which excited, in the mind of the Liverpool public, feelings of a varied character. Amongst those who had watched and admired the career of the rev. gentleman, since this town was made the sphere of his ministerial duties, and of his noble exertions in behalf of con stitutional liberty, the announcement of his intended departure from amongst u , was regarded with deep sorrow ; whilst Liberalism and Popery exulted in the thought that they might henceforth slander behind his back the tried champion of Protestant loyalty and truth, whom they never yet dared to meet face to face before any intelligent tribunal. There were not wanting, too, some parties — Churchmen, Protestants, men who had stood side by side with the Incumbent of St. Jude's in the struggles of past days, or cheered that fearless elo quence which contributed so great'y to stir up this cmmuni t y, and the entire kingdom, to the effort which shook the incubus of \Vhiggery from off their breasts, and raised to power a Conservative Government—who bad given too ready an ear to the vile aspersions with which, of late, the organs of Popery have assailed his character and consis t I tencv, to whom this announcement seemed to afford a confirmation of the justice of such aspersions. 'Co the latter class we propose offering a few obser vations by-and-by. To the fast friends of the rev. gentleman, the following letter, which has just been addre sed to the members of his congregation, will afford delight, when we tell them, in explanation, that, although about leaving St. Jude's, Mr. M'Neile is not about leaving Liverpool ; and to his bitter enemies it will nerhans not he (mite so palatable : "TO THE CONGREG.4.TION OF ST. JUDE ' S CHURCH "My dear Friends and Brethren, _ " With feelings which it is utterly vain for me to at tempt to express in words, I sit down to write these few lines to you Circumstances, with some of which you will be ac nted in due time, and others of which you may pro- ly never know; have induced me to accept t of a new church, and thus to consent to a separation from you. in the course of another year. " I have been very happy among you. Your treatment of me, in every respect, has been such as to justify the assurance, that, in compliance with the e xhortation !,f Saint Paul, you have been ` esteeming me very highly in love for my work's sake '-' and I trust that through the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, my uninistra -Hui aft - cet:on, " t4UGEI iiI`NILILE " St. Jude's Vestry, 14th March, 1845." And now to the detractors of Mr.__ -- those of our fellow-Protestants who have too rea dily listened to their fabrications. The rev. gentle man has been taunted by the Radical organs with his silence of late. It has been said, How lamb like is the lion of St. Jude's since the accession to continue those ministrat be presen M‘Neile, and with all affectionati power of a Conservative ministry ! During the past week he has been twitted with entertaining a disgraceful motive for his silence. How far the mind of the rev. gentleman is estranged from those principles which he has advocated in past days,— days of difficulty and danger, when even to espouse publicly the cause of Conservatism was to become subject to the fierce hate of a predominant faction and its unreflecting and unprincipled tools,—let the manly and dignified letter of Mr. M`Neile to Lord Sandon, which appears in another column, and which wilt be felt in quarters where the most elo quent speech which could he delivered at any public meeting would be disregarded, testify. The Incum bent of St. Jude's has, by that letter, given a con vincing proof that he has not deserted his Protestant friends. He has not agitated in public, it is true ; and why ? He never professed to be a mere agita tor, although it served the purpose of his enemies, and of some who envied his superior eloquence and influence, to represent him as such. But if it be asked, why has he been still ? we fear the true answer will be, not that he has deserted the col leagues and friends who battled by his side, but that they have deserted him. Not that he feared, even if he had stood alone to record publicly his protest against anti-Protestant measures and fatal concessions—he has already done that—but be cause the raising of his voice alone, or of a few voicea, whilst the wealth, the station, the influence of the town hung back, would not have afforded due support to the cause which wasand is as dear to him then and now, as when these men fought with him for its advancement. No—No. To Liverpool be the shame, it her voice, and the voice of her faithful pastors, have been unheeded in the crisis which has recently been, and is now, rapidly coming upon us. Let Liver pool resume her old and lionourable place in the van of Protestantism ; let her merchants and her gentry be themselves ; and their old and tried cham pion will be with them ! earnestness , ut I cannot you should learn, through any other channel than a direct communication from myself, the important step, to your feelings and my own, which I have consented to take. " I have laid the circumstances before our valued Dio cesan, and have the sanction of his Lordship's approba tion in the course I now adopt. " My very dear friends, a connexion such as that which now exists between you and me, is not easily formed, and ought not to be lightly dissolved. I feel this—deeply. Whatever judgment you may be led to form, however, of my present conduct, I feel quite assured that you will give me credit in it, for both a conscientious regard t my own high responsibilities, and an undiminished affec tion towards von. " I can truly say with the Apostle, that I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,' and with the Pro phet, the Lord forbid that I should sin against Him, in ceasing to pray for you." And I entreat you to continue PONDENTS I our position of danger, and the doom which, for good or evil, is impending over our heads The it is not for the point to xlstenc and to its pressing emergency—and entreat for it the earnest consul ion of wiser I riper jt ,han cur The Mercury and the Radical zninorit elect Vestry have jt 10. ist found out a mare's nest— —and so astonishing; is the character e present that the former has been quite hysterically affected by it, and on Friday last struck terror into the hearts of all its readers by the awful kwake, Dickey aster's exclaimed t there is at y nt a fund fervour with whici Sam ! ~nnua►l ceruina in the hands of the churchwai s of the parish from the poundag i;lovernment for the collection, by their s and dyers allowed by ( trol for thems s, of the income and property tax. b right of interfer- y or the Poor Law C. sioners, or even the General Vestry ; than insinuated that the money is us jobbing, for expenditure of an-impro Poor Law Board by the Rev 1 fine, that it has been termed Rector Campbell t service money pplied to purposes which the e not bring openly before the church public, We will br' fly state the facts of the case. When placing in the hands of the churchwardens and overseers of parishes the collection of the income and property and assessed taxes, Government did grant them a poundage (31 in the pound) as a remuneration for the extra labour imposed upon the parish functionaries ; and in the parish of Liverpool such poundage has amounted to a large sum, being last year, we are informed on the authority of Mr. Samuel Thornely, who, we presume, has taken his data from the parish books, to which every pa rishioner has access—so much, by-the-by, for the charge of secrecy !—no less than £3582 13s. Id. Of this sum £2406 1 Is. sd.—the itcms of which the same very clever gentleman has published in the Mercury—have been expended, leaving a balance in hand on the 25th of February of £1476 ls. Bd. Of the expenditure in question, the who e, with the exception of two or three items (which are them selves strictly connected with parish business), has been devoted to the payment of the additional clerks required to enable the officials of the parish to get through the large additional duty imposed upon them, and to th payment of a small per tentage to the collectors and treasurer, previously agreed upon as a remuneration for their own extra labour. It is urged that the management of this fund ought to be in the Select Vestry ; that " the money collectors, for whose services the poundage is al lowed, are paid in chief "—(what does that mean ?) —" out of the general fund ; and into that fund, therefore, the poundage ought to go." The facts here are not exactly as stated. The collectors are paid by the parish for doing parish business ; they are not paid for doing the business of Government. They have extra clerks to engage to assist them in these increased duties, whose salaries are not paid " in chief " or otherwise out of the general fund. At any rate, what claim can the Select Vestry or the Poor Law Commissioners have over the dis posal of this money? The Select Vestry are, under another name, a Board of Guardians of the poor. The Commissioners have only too much power al ready over the purse of the Rate Payers of Liver• pool, whose money is squandered by thousands yearly for the payment of officials which their new fangled system has created. The Churchwardens and Overseers are alone responsible that the business for which this poundage is allowed by Government is efficiently performed ; and they are the only proper parties to have its custody and distribution. The parishioners do not fear that it will be fully and honestly accounted for. We cannot conclude without expressing our strong reprobation of one insinuation put forth by the Mercury, which is truly infamous, and if coming from any other quarter would be so regarded. As it is, the silliness of the source takes away materially from the injurious character of the slanderer. Hav ing stated that Mr. Thornely had " asked" whether the payment to Mr. Nightingall was paid out of this fund, the scribe goes on to declaim— " And we will ask our readers whether, if this strange work be allowed to go on, they can possibly he surprised should parties get into office who will actually b. ibe their hirelings to " doctor" the electoral register itself?" We ask if such language is not insulting to the majority of our fellow-parishioners, and degrading to the journalist by whom it is propounded. Fie poor Mercury ! if Dickey Sam has been roused from his comfortable nap to listen to such insulting trash as this, he had better go to sleep again over half a column of one of thy leaders,—a whole column would be an over-dose, except for a very lively patient. " One of the most remarkable circumstance or fea ture of our age is the energy with which the principle of combination, or of action by joint forces and associated numbers, is manifesting itself. It may be said without ex aggeration that everything is done by societies."—Chon ning. The recent Act of Parliament for the regulation of Joint Stock Companies, together with the immense demand and general want of the town, has induced a most respectable body of gentlemen here to form themselves in' o a company for the insurance against loss by fire. The one already established in this town, before the statute, regulating Joint Stock Companies, passed last Session, has done well; and, we entertain no doubt, that will' proper management, and the known respectability of the parties connected with the formation of it, we may augur the most favourable result to the subscribers and to the public. It may not be generally known that by the 7 c. 8 Vic., c. 110, (under which the proposed Company will be incorporated) Compa nies founded under that statute assume the position of a limited corporation. They may sue and be sued in their corporate name. Moreover, a salu tory alteration is made as to the liability of share holders : previously to this statute an execution might issue against any partner of the Company for its liabilities, although there might be funds be longing to it, and a most expensive a d tedious course was left for the unfortunate individual to seek redress from his copartner. By this new Act, and which is only applicable to companies founded upon it, we find that an execution must go against the property of the company until it is exhausted, and then the property of the shareholder, but the execution creditor must exercise due diligence against the effects of the company. With respect to a former shareholder, he is not liable, unless ha fur which the ju 'gment was obta' , d, and case can he be made responsible after the lapse of three years from the date of his mnifer. We have long thought that Liverpool should have more than one Fire-office, and are glad :a see some of our enterprising mercantile men starting one under wholesome auspices. During the last few years the amount of premiums abstracted, as it were, out of the town, has been immense. We believe that during the last year the enormous sum of one million has been paid for premiums on fire insurances alone in this town. This large amount arises as well from the rapid increase of Liverpool as from the high rates of insurances, in our opinion amounting almost to a prohibition to insure. The rate of premium on commercial floating policies was, up to the year 1825, charged only at 2s. 6d.; to the early part of .t 7s. ; 1836, 12 ; and now, or until a few day do hop e , however, ago, 355. per cent _ *hat this new Company will re tax, and fix lieve the town from this pon We therefore wish it a hearty success )een pu Monopoly Association, addressed to the journeymen shipwrights of Liverpool, on the subject of the re cent advance in their wages, which we notice, as af fording an excellent specimen of the kind of fallacies with which the gentlemen who compose that wise body have bewildered themselves and are endea vouring to deceive others. For the sake of perspi cuity we shall remark upon the different paragraphs of this laboured production seriatim. It commences as follows : THE LIVERPOOL DOCK BILL On Wednesday last the Liverpool New Docks bill west into committee. The clause referring to the sheds was passed; and that relating to the landing slips postponed until the Dock Trustees are in a position to produce their plans before the committee, which, we presume, will be those selected from amongst the numerous projects to be lodged at the dock office to-morrow. On the clause to legalize the present structure of the basement story of the Albert warehouses being proposed, Mr. Brotherton ob jected to the public being shut out from any part of the quay room, which he maintained ought to be open for carts, cars, &c. to and from the ship's side. Another member wanted to have them closed against all except persons on business. A considerable discussion ensued, exhibiting, on the part of Mr. Brotherton and the com mittee, a very vague knowledge of the question at issue; and eventually the committee adjourned until the 2nd of April, leaving the point unsettled. We understand that the majority of the committee is composed of materials not very friendly .to Liverpool interests, and that some clauses have been proposed to be inserted in the bill to which the Dock Trustees cannot submit. The result, therefore, we cannot speculate upon, as it will depend upon tlje question whether these hostile clauses are pressed upon the promoters of the bill. THE BIRKENHEAD BILLS On Wednesday the Commissioners' Bill passed the Commons Committee with only a few verbal alterations. The Wallasey Pool Docks and Warehouse Bill went into committee on Thursday ; and the attendance of wit nesses was large, comprising some of the most eminent and enterprising merchants and capitalists connected with this district. A preliminary discussion took place on the right of the Liverpool Corporation to oppose the preamble which was, however, overruled. The case for the pro moters was opened by Mr. Hilliard, who called Mr. Rendel, the Engineer, and Mr. Bowman, with two other witnesses, all of whom the counsel for the opposing parties declined to cross-examine. On Friday the Coun sel for the Dock Committee, instructed by their Solicitor, Mr. Worthington, moved the insertion of the clause con tained in the first bill, respecting the payment of light dues, &c. This, however, was decided by the Committee to be unnecessary ; and being the only point upon which that body opposed the bill, they may therefore be said to have retired from the contest. The next question was as to the reversion of the freehold of the land, to preserve which to the Corporation a clause was proposed by them to be inserted. An offer was also made to refer the ones tion of value to the decision of the Lords of the Treasury. It was contended, however, that !his reversion was already parted with, undcr the usual Compensation Clause in the act of last session; and that the Corporation were now in the same position as any private individual, from whom the Company had purchased or might require to purchase land or reversionary interests, and had their remedy by means of a Jury. The Committee took this view of the case, and the clause having been rejected, an adjournment took place till after Easter. We cannot leave this subject without expressing our sense of the want of good management, and even of ordi nary energy, which seems to have been displayed by the Finance Committee throughout this V allasey affair. It was said by them,exultingly, in reply to those who ob]ected to the sale of this property, " Oh but we have still the reversion. In 75 years the land will be ours again, with all its docks and warehouses." How, th , n, have they endeavoured to secure this vast benefit which they said was still (although we doubt if it was ever so since they parted with the property and the first act was obtained) within their reach? On Thursday night, after the Bill had been a day in Committee, one of their body reached London—too late to take those steps which parties ordi narily take to strengthen themselves before a Parliamentary Committee and on Friday their case was lost, and the reversion of Wallasey Pool passed from their hands for ever! Where were the remainder of this body? Where was their chairman ? Under all the circumstances, however, the best advice which we can give the Finance Committee is to abandon all further vain contest with the Birkenhead people, with whom, in enterprise or in tact, it is evident they cannot cope. Let them at once place themselves in treaty with these gentlemen, for a fair settlement of the only question left between them. They can scarcely make a worse bargain for the town than the verdict of a Cheshire Jury, which will, no doubt, be promptly summoned to assess the value of this reversion. will impose upon them. THE DEPUTATION UPON THE CUSTOM HOUSE RRANGEMEN I'S AND THE BONDED WAREHOUSES. On Wednesday the deputation appointed to proceed to London to lay before Government the difficulties im posed upon the commerce of Liverpool, from the de ficiency of the landing waiters, &e., and from the restric tion of the location of bonded warehouses within 400 yards of the docks, had an interview with Sir Robert Peel at the Treasury. They were very favourably re ceived by the premier, who heard, with evident interest and great patience, their explanation of the inconvenience of the existin;farrangements ; and retired from their audi ence with a very confident impression th-it concessions would be made, and increased facilities afforded by go vernment, which would remove materially, if not entirely, the grievances complained of. The deputation waited next day upon Lord Granville Somerset, by whom they were received with equal courtesy, but whom upon one subject—the increase of the distance from the docks to b e allowed for bonding warehouses—they found more st:ff in his views than the premier. Upon the subject of a larger number of landing-waiters being accorded to the port, his lordship perfectly met their views. The deputation con sisted of Mr. T. B. Horsfell, Mr. J. Bramley-Moore, Mr. David Hodgson, and Mr. James Aikin. We observe that a local contemporary of Saturday (the Journal) states, that the above gentlemen were accompa nied by Messrs. James Brancker, and James Mulleneux t` 'rt of " Warehouse owners; and adds that the .he par, me premier "entered into - an amusing reciprocity of hilarity with Mr. James Brancker." Unfortunately for the inter est of this pretty little episode, neither Mr. Brancker nor Mr. Mulleneux were present at the interview in question, although they were in waitirg in the anti chamber. Our contemporary in relating it must have been in the imagi- _ . native mood, 'unless the c '" reciprocity of hilarity" sp of took place through the Keyhole. THE FUNDS, SATURDAY NIGHT.—The English funds have not varied throughout the day. Business has been very slack, and scarcely a bargain is reported. Consols for money left off 991 to -; and for the account, 100 to k. Exehequer-bills were 66 to 68 premium ; and Bank Stock, 216 to 217. In the foreign market operations were equally limited, and the alteration in prices was of the least possible importance. Spanish Five per Cents, left off 301 to ; the Three per Cents., 404 to j ; Portuguese, 664 to 671; Belgian, NO to 1014 ; Brazilian, 90 to 91; Buenos Ayres, 43 to 44 ; Chilian, 100 to 102 ; Colombian, 141 to J : Danish 90 to 91 ; Dutch Two-and-a-Half por Cents., 631 to #t ; the Four per Cents., 99 to ; and Mexican, 361 to I. ST. ANDREW'S CHURCH SCHOOLS.—On Sunday last, after two excellent sermons by the Rev. Hugh Stowell, the sum of £llB 16s: was collected at St. Andrew's Church, in aid of the schools in connection with the church. LIVERPOOL MARCH SESSIONS The Sessions of the Peace for this Born „,_ yesterday, before Gilbert Henderson, Esq. ___ Sessions began on the 3d February, and continued t _ the 12th. The number of prisoners charged with felony at the present sessions (whose names appeared in the calendar) was 61 within the six weeks, and there were 4 misdemeanours : _ The number of cases to be tried (of gh commenced The last felony) was 46. With one or two exceptions, the offences charged wei e of the usual kind, chiefly thefts of small quantities of property. Of the whole of the prisoners 25 can read and write imperfectly ; 5 can read and write well ; 10 can read imperfectly, and 25 can neither read nor write. The following gentlemen were sworn of THE GRAND JURY. George Armstrong, Abercromby-square, merchant. Samuel James Arnold, Anfield-villa, Walton-breck` broker. Armstrong . , Sea-view-house, Liscard, merchant Thomas 13 . irkett, Walton, warehouse-keeper. Edward Finch, Chester-street, iron merchant Francis John Goodwin, Fairfield-terrace, Edge-1: ill, mer chant. Robert Hindley, Great George-street, brewer. 11Iichael Harnett, Blackbu, n-place, merchant. Edward Humble, Blackburn-place, gentleman William Itnrie, Rumford street, merchant. Robert Livingstone, Seaforth, merchant John Critchlow Molyneux,Asb-house, Broad-green, gen tleman. Charles M`lver, Low-hill. merchant. Walter Feargus M'Gregor, Falkner-street, ironfounder. Richard Wheeler Preston, Beech-hill, West Derby, spirit broker. John Pierce, Great George-street, tobacconist. The proclamation against vice and immorality being read, The RECORDER, addressing the Grand Jury, said:— about fifty ewes were likely to come under their conside ration at these sessions. The most remarkable case was one in which a large quantity of stolen coods were dis covered in the possession of a man, a tailor by trade, and which turned out to be the produce of various felonies throughout the town, and it was singular that all was ob tained in a similar manner by breaking into or entering warehouses or dwelling houses. For one of these c,ffences two persons were tried at the last sessions, and were con victed and transported. In weighing the evidence against the male prisoner (Ford) alluded to, they would have to consider whether he had a guilty knowledge of the property being stolen ; they would be at liberty to consider evidence of any receipt by him of stolen goods, as well as the parti cular goods mentioned in the bill that came before them ; and if they came to the conclusion that the bill ought to be found against him, by it appearing that he was guilty, they would then have:to consider distinctly the case as regarded his wife. In such felonies if a wife was present at the time that the husband received stolen goods, and was perfectly cognizant of the nature of the transaction ; and if she took some subsequent part in that transaction, the law attributed her conduct to the influence or direc tion of het husband. It presumed that she was acting under his control, and having a tender regard to a female so circumstanced, it attributed the criminality so!ely to the husband. Unless therefore it was shown that she received goods in his absence, and acted separately and independently, he did not think the jury would be acting wisely in finding a true bill against her. Even, too, if she afterwards gave a false account of certain of the goods, it was presumed that she had done so in order to screen her husband, and this therefore ought not to in • volve a charge of felony against her. He might remark that there were no fewer than six cases of stealing lead affixed to premises. Considering the difficulty of detection in cases of this nature, so large a number of charges seemed to show the increasing prevalence of the offence, which would render it necessary to make some examples, in order to show with what severity the law vi sits this offence. He would impress upon them that they were not there to try the prisoners, but merely to ascer tain whether there was sufficient evidence as a basis for conviction or not. He need but add, that if they expe rienced any difficulty, which he did not anticipate, it would be no less a pleasure than a duty for him to render them every assistance in his power. _ _ Counsel then entered the court, and the trials shortly afterwards commenced, but no case of interest took place during the day. The following were the results up to the close of the court yesterday : Sentenced to Ten Years' Transportation.—Robert Roach, aged 20, convicted of having, within the present month, stolen a handkerchief from Mr. Busby, coach. proprietor, at Lucas's Repository, as recently stated in our paper. The prisoner was one of the regular swell mob.—Mary Ann Murphy, aged 60, for stealing a coat. Seven Years' Transportation.—Thomas Murphy, aged 16, for being concerned with three others in stealing goods from a shop.-Bernard M`Mahon, 19, for stealing a pair of boots. Both were, of course, old offenders. The other sentences were for terms of months, and the cases presented no features of interest. Ann Jackson and Gabriel Watson, charged with having stolen seven sovereigns from John Pilling, (as stated in our last,) were discharged. THE SUGAR REFINERS AND THE GOVERN- M ENT On Friday last a deputation of parties interested in the Refining of Sugar, consisting of Messrs. Davis, P. Mar tineau, Hodgson, and Lucas, from London ; Messrs. R. A. M'Fie and W. M'Fie of Liverpool; and Mr. Eales, of Plymouth, accompanied by Mr. P. M. Stewart, M.P., Mr. Lockhart, M.P., and Mr. Bouverie, M.P., bad an interview with Sir Robert Peel and the Chancellor of the Exchequer for the purpose of uging their claim for a return of the duty paid upon their stocks under pro cess of refining. No favourable impression, however, was made upon the minds of Ministers; and ultimately the deputation retired in almost utter hopelessness of their just demands being conceded. A new turn, how ever, was given to their case by the result of the debate that evening, upon the motion of Mr. Hawes, and the concession, by Sir Robert Peel, of the duty paid upon Sugars remaining in the Queen's Warehouses. The claim of the Refiners was generally considered even more un deniable than that of the wholesale Grocers ; and Mr. Clay at once rose to bring it afresh before the considera tion of Government and the House. Under the changed circumstances of his position—the principle having just been admitted in the case of the Grocers—the Chancellor of the Exchequer at onct, stated that the only difficulty which he felt was to devise such a plan of ascertaining the amount of stock, upon which duty was to be re turned, as would meet the justice of the case without opening a door for fraud upon the Revenue ; and inti mated that he wou!d make enquiry into the subject, and probably be able to announce his determination to the house on Monday (last night). We expect that, accord ingly, some announcement would be made last night upon the subject ; but it is the opinion of parties well-informed that the details of the plan will require a few days to mature, although there is no material difficulty in coming to an arrangement of a nature just and sate to all parties. Whilst we congratulate the Sugar Refiners upon what we sincerely trust will result in a satisfactory s-ttlement of their claims, we must accord the tined of praise, which is their due, to both the members for this Borough, for rheir unwearied exertions in behalf of the Sugar Refiners and the wholesale Grocers of Liverpool and of the king dom, upon the present occasion. Sir Howard Douglas, we are informed by a gentleman who was in the house on Friday night, made the most powerful speech delivered on behalf of the Trade. which we regret to find is not re ported ; and Lord Sandon both in the House and out, has been most energetic in his endeavours. Indeed it is the feeling of the trade in London, where these exer tions have been witnessed,as well as here, that to the mem bers for Liverpool is mainly due the satisfactory conclu sio❑ of this difficult business. Sir Howard and Lady Douglas, and Mr. and Mrs. Cardwell, were among't the circle ac Lady Stanley's soiree on Saturday evening. The Rev. J. Gro,m, A.M., at present curate of Padi ham, has been appointed to the curacy of St. John's, in this town. INQUESTS, YESTERDAY.-0O view of the body of Richard Skelton Jacks, aged three years and a half, son of Mr. Jacks, fruiterer, &c., London road. On the 2d instant, deceased, in play, lighted some straw in the house, and his clothes taking fire, he was so severely burnt that he died on Saturday last. Verdict, " Acci dental death."—On the body of John Jones, aged seventy three, who resided in Hill-street, Copperas-hill. Ori the 21st of January he went out, and, in walking along the footroad, slipped and fell, fracturing the neck, or upper joint, of the right thigh bone. He was taken to the Infirmary, where every attention w `"nri : but, .vas pain tun, , from his great age, and probably the effects of the wea ther. in addition to the injury, he died on Saturday. Verdict, " Accidental death "—On the body of William Miles, second boots of the Stork Hotel, Queen's•square. It will be remembered that on the 21st of last month, deceased, while cleaning a window outside the fifth story of the inn, fell to the ground, and the wonder was that he survived a minute, the height being forty-five feet. It has been found that Le had two of the vertebra of the back, both avels, and the pelvis fr ctured. He lingered on until Saturday, when he di e d. V er di ct, " A cc id enta l t? MORE STEALING OF LEAD FROM PREMlSES.—Yes terday, at the Police•court, two young men, Joseph Harper and James Potter, were charged with stealing a qaantity of lead from the exterior of a house. Mr. Thos. Ashbury, agent for Mr. Alexander Good, executor for some houses in Falkner- s t ree t, sa id th a t so me time ago twopieces of lead had been cut from the premises, and that on Saturday last he found that some more was cut off. The pieces produced precisely fitted the parts left. A polic:.officer said that about eight o'clock on Friday night he saw the two prisoners hastening along the street, and, observing something bulky upon one of them, de tained them. On one of them he found 241bs. of sheet. lead, and on the other about Sibs. On being questioned, with the usual caution, they said that they had iibserved two lads running with something, and on pursuing them, saw them hide something, and that they afterwards found the lead in a hole which the lads bad made. The officer also stated that the prisoner Harper, after being stopped, dropped a chissel, which he produced. Harper's father appeared in court, and said that his son was looked after, but was beset with idle vicious lads in the neighbourhood, who led him astray. Mr. Rushton remarked that a chisel had fallen from him which did not argue much for his innocence in this case ; and as robberies of lead had of late been so frequent in the town, he should send both the prisoners for trial. This makes the seventh case to be tried at the pending sessiSns for stealing lead from build ings. Mar. is, 184.5. 1 I THE SUGAR DUTIES. ALLOWANCE OF DRAW' I BACK UPON DUTY-PAID STOCKS IN BOND• On Friday evening, pursuant to notice, Mr. HoW ei brought before the House of Commons a motion, that provision be made in the Sugar Duties Bill for 111 . allowance of drawback on such duty-paid sugar as no ° remains in the Queen's warehouse; and, in urging tl ll3 case of the parties on whose behalf he made the claim, 0 1 : stated, as shewin g th e h eavy amoun t o f t h e l oss which would be sustain e d b y t h e tra d e , t h at h e h a d some ago presented a petition for relief signed by six of thi principal houses in London, who held 1000 tons of del; paid sugars In the b on d e d ware h ouses, an d that a l-,out 5 54 , tons were held under si m il ar c i rcumstances i n Li ver pool. The motion was resisted on the part of Government br i the Chancellor of the Exchequer, by Mr. Cardwell, 811 by Sir George Clerk, on the ground mainly of the Pr! • cederat which its concession would establish, and l° 6 encouragement which it would hold out for similar de; mands from other parties affected by the reduction o f duties. Another ground, urged by the Chancellor of O . Exchequer was, that the loss to the parties woold compensated for by the increa se d d eman d crea t e d, an, the consequently increased pri ce o f th e art i c l e. — a ratite; unfortunate argument, inasmuch as it a l mos t goes t it® length of intimating that th e d ea l er , an d not t h e put"l ' is,to get the benefit of the reduction of duty. Sir Robert Peel, however, who certainly on this ores' sion seemed to treat his colleagues very cavalierly, after having put three of them forward to defend the retentio n of the entire duty, informed the House that he was die posed to accede to the generally expressed wish of the H ouses and was willing to make an allowance to be adjustent upon the following principle, viz. : that the total among of the duty sh ou ld no t b e returne d to t h e part i es ; butt " supposing there had been, in consequence of the redoe: tion of duty, a rise in the price of sugar, that circumstan ce should should be taken into co n sid era ti on , an d a d rew h ac k a d to the amount of the loss sustained ;" or, in other word` that the duty sho u ld b e returned minus the advance ichic7 has taken place in prices. We have no doubt that thie concession will be satisfactory to the parties, and meet , 113 a great measure if not entirely, the justice of the case. The annual expense of the Metropolitan Police Fore is upwards of £367,000. Lord Sandon, who has been slightly indisposed with $ cold, at his venerable father's, the Earl of liarrowbi S ' in Grosvenor-square, is convalescent. THE BISHOP OF ELY.—The Cambridge Chronicle ?1 Saturday says that the health of this venerable prelate 1 still precarious. On Friday evening his lordship was no so well as he had been a few days previously. NEW SUGAR. DUTIES.—On Saturday last, being t l 2 : first day of the operatio n of th e new S ug+r D ut i e s, th e duty paid at the Custom-house here on that article alone' amounted to na less a sum than twenty thousand pounds' We refer our readers in Birkenhead to the letter j Mrs. Richards, in contradiction of an erroneous an injurious repo r t th a t h as gone a b roa d re l ative t o be' , highly-respectable establishment. MISSIONS TO THE JEWS.—Many of our readers 0.31 be glad to see by the advertisement in another c olunl: that Dr. Keith, th e we ll-k nown aut h or of mans' able works on this subj ec t, i s t o d e li ver an Add ress on J e w'sb Missions. THE. CONVICT TAWELL.—The execut'on of P hri Tawell, for the murder of Sarah Hart, is expected to Ulla ter; place on Tuesday n ex t, a t A y l es b ury. N o h ope i s ,n tamed by the prisoner or hi s f r i en d s o f a reprieve. I.l't legal expenses incurred by the prisoner are said to a moan to upwards of £7OO. He still maintains his tocituroi r P and is not expected to make any confession of his eriol e i In deference to th e w i s h es o f th e S oc i ety o f F l i er -As, " will not be executed in the garb of a Quaker. GRAND JUNCTION AND BIRKENHEAD AND Mf r d: CHESTER RAILWAY CO MPANIES .—A report, we I.° has got abroad, and is very confidently circulated in Mr.; chester and the nei g hb our h oo d, t h at an arrangement f.. 0 been come to for an ama l gamat i on b etween these o ' l Companies. We are auth or i se d t o contra di ct th e rePa in question. No negociation for the purpose is in Pro; cress, or intended ; and the latter Company will go Parliament upon the merits of their own measure aloon, without seeking support from any other Company. Mr. CHARLES KEMBLE.—This distinguished gen'l e• man is about to inc rease hi s f ame b y g i v i ng rea di n. o recitations from Milton's Paradise Lost, at the Coita l ; ate Institution, on Tuesday next. His theme i.O th ( words of a great writer will be the noblest monument or human genius, the two first books, by universal conse,°4 being allowed to stand p reem i nen t i n su bli m i ty, an d ll', recitation of the poetry has been described to as b l e gentleman who has had the feli c it y o f b earing i t i n pril i t ,, t as being calculated to rende r a l mos t pa l pa bl e t h e gigantic ideas of the immortal Milton. OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE B OAT R ACE. —This . fine aquatic contest took place on Saturday from Patna' bridge to opposite the Church of Mortlake. The Cate bridge having won the choice of station, tcok up ~ 01„ position at the fourth arch fro m th e cen t re on the ." 1 j dlesex side. The Oxford placed themselves at the secl e pier from the centre, leaving one clear arch between u t , r , two boats. For about 200 yards the boats were togeti: o g the Oxford having slightly the lead ; eve nerve 'O6 strained to keep the advantage, but about this point t y Cambridge gradually drew their boat in front, and 9 ° 4 lily continued to gain upon their opponents ; the distal; between them was enlarged at every stroke, and eve l ' i n po ally the Cambridge boat arrived at the winning rs t ,",l, posite Mortlake Church half a minute before the ON , 5, having completed the distance in exact 4 23 minutes an half. A DEBUTANTE.— At the Royal Liver Theatre , Thursday last, when The Beggar's Opera, The Y c o Dragoon, (as an interlude,) an d a f avour it e a fterPl e cii , were exceedingly well performed befo r e a crow d e d an g, ence, a young lady of m uc h voca l a bility, Miss '7,1 Penketh, made a most success f u l debit' befo, e a LiverP g ej audience. The song of " The Ray of Hope," con l P °s e , „ by Bishop, and one of th e mos t diffi cu lt songs o f that : h p lebrated c omp oser was mos t a bl y sung b y that l a dy ! w ce , displayed great taste and c o ns id era bl e mus i ca l F ele" 11, She was accompanied by Mr. Leonard, our old a nd 0 ?,,A known favourite, and the clariouet and voice bleno most delightfully together. It is to be regre tteds q i. think, that so few sons are written with c l a rionet nu b o gatos, otherwise the public might more frequently 0 . charmed with the sweet tones produced by a skilful c ti ec , bination of the voice with that—in such case—most en five instrument. SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE MONDAY, MARCH 17.—Wind N.N.E. moderate. . 110 1 Aartivan.—Hibernia, (steame r ) Hewitt, fromßoston ; Ist March, and from Halifax 3rd March.—Paul Jones, TT from New Yo k—and D um f r i ess hi re. D avies, from MObile SAILND.—BeLona, Auld, for Montreal. Oxford, from ew York, off fOrd Margaret, Joyc N e ; Intrepid ; The Water Duke, Manger; gel,", - e acw Jackson , Elizabeth, Barclay; Anne, and Coronet, Bute. at New Orleans rov British American, Pritchard ; Duncan, Henricksen, a n d labar. Barker, hence at mobile B rkenhe id, Caswick, from Grenada, ditto Dauntless, Rogers; Ocean, Willard, and Mersey, hence at Apalachicola Carlton. Bence ; Alexander Grant, Alexander, and S e Driscoll, hence at Savannah Tac icari Burrell, Foster ; Promise. Hume; Chieftain, Legg ett Cambridge, Brown, hence at Charteston be° Harkaway, Nicholson, a n d O r di a k a, Glidden, plat Feb , at Philadelphia [race Brown, Myers, hence at Baltimore gnu Montezuma, Lowber ; Virginian, Hiern ; Hottingue r ; se ley; Roscius, Eldridge, and Europe, Farber, hence at York Roger Sherman ; N. Hooper, Churchill, hence at Bost°, 3 o 4 ° Jacob, Storey, he nce a t di tto, with damage, and pars 0 ' thrown overboard . 0 t 0 Catherine, Abbinett, h ence an d Fl oras, at Halifax, Putc. ' a Floras 3rd Jan. h av i ng s hi pped a heavy sea 12th shifted cargo Chamberlain, from New Orleans, at Crookhaven t g ggt Queen Mab, hence to China, was spoken sth Jan. in long. 30 W • Energy, hence at Havana 3° m Oxford, !Sus, and Nautilus, M`Kinnon, he'ice a- 5t 0, N.B. •N. YORK, Feb. 15.—Th e C ur l ew. from Havana to Clenfetc, was totally lost on the Jordines, 2th , crew say' od o° o o 18.—The Coromando, f rom L iverpool to Boston, was abdieik at sea, 18th Jan., in a sinking state. having sprung l a ifali g ti 15th Jan.; crew taken off by he Brothers, arrived at jos e d CHARLESTON, Feb. 22.—The Lord Ashburton, neir l Y,„aio,,, from Liverpool, took fire 2 , th instant, which was extia . L . , e gO alter scuttling her. About 200 or 700 b a l es o f C o tton posed to be damaged. TELEGRAPH OFFICE, MARCH 17, Wind at Holyhead. N.N.W. light breeze. Off Holyhead, No. 2634. Delhi, at to a.m. for Bomb,aY6i, C o t Off Point Lynas, inward b oun d , h ave pilots, N o . sair, at 2 p.m. and 918, Betsey, at 4 p.m. Off the port, at 5 van. 1 brie. and 9 LIVERPOOL COTTON MARKET, Mow °., Of Do or We remain in statu quo ; a ll anx i ety for rem i ss i o n of t ie °,13 0 th:. great Muse. To-day the market is quiet indeed; sent , ply of Cotton " on show" s very inadequa e to supPlY ,res f 1 4' existing demand. Sp ecu l ators seem stup i f i ed f or the r t of the accounts by th e s t eamer shew a very large arnc!Aniate ceipts at the shipping Ports, and will check any finale 3uoo Bales sold to day at last weeks prices. _—_--_-_ i ter P LIVERPOOL PROVISION MARKET, r p e i t e f A great and sudd en exc it ement h as occurre d in ° t oe ;10 0 market, principally, we a p pre h en d, t o b e at t r ib u ted t o _ , I,OY severe weather which we no w ex p er i ence . Stocks 41,p. 1 "10' have become seriously re d uce d ; an d , h ere, to-day „ I f g 5 t ° slow in offering, anything good, but a t an a dvance per cwt. In Beef, Pork, or Bacon no alteration. LIVERPOOL : TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 1845. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED / S EVERY TUESDAY MORN TCHER LA( of b3,Grove- iNARD ADDISON, of 14, GreaOrford-st re : At N 0.4, ST. GRORCIE'S CRESCENT, LIVE t_ Orders and Adertisements are received by . Co , Warwick-square ; Barker and White. 1 3 °*0, 9 Devon. Walbrook ; Reynell. Chancery-lane; Cha r b ill; 00P' Birehin-lane ; Joseph Thomas, I. Finch•lane, C°, l3 0 0 ; messrs. st' A eh den Hammond, 17, Lombard - street; o . oo rt, O e court, Fleet - street; Lewis and Lowe, 3, Castle c ipg -1 C A hill; at the London Commercial Cohee-house, at the Jerusalem Coffee•house, Cornhill; fee-house, Paternoster-row ; North and Soo"'fe-',DIS Coffee house, Threadneedle-str ee t ; P ar sons , g' ", lane, London ; Johnston and C o .. Eden 9,,d;'icet - Liltj Wheeler, Exchange-street, and C. H. Lewis , oit'a O r Manchester; Haddock, and J. an d W. Booth. ler' Warrington; Clarke, Pilot-office, Preston;. So d filt Dahl, Herald-office, Birtainghans, c hi CV ] ill Terms of Subscription fo r thi s p a per iI ea one year, £1 3s. ; half-y ea r, s. P ' tOs. advance--oue year £1 is. ; half year -