The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-08-13 00:00:00

e re and ►field► ifford• d An' meth v. the of the he de' :lergi"" ye Ire far eur. NbreEl August 12, 1844 COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS. On Wednesday the usual monthly meeting of the Coun cil was held at the Town-hall. BIRTH OF A PRINCE. Mr. BRAMLET-MOORE said, he believed the business nich ought t o t a k e prece d ence o f every thi ng e l s e would e to name a comm i ttee f or t h e purpose o f a greeing upon n affectionate address, to congratulate her most gracious Majesty on the birth of a Prince. (Hear, hear.) As the corporation of Liverpool had always been distinguished for their loyalty and attachment to the throne, he hoped they would come forward now, as on former occasions, to express their gratitude to Providence for the increased security t h us afforded to the succession to the t h rone o f nese realms, and for the present accession to the Queen's Zi7Piness. Without further remark, he begged to move a committee, consisting of Sir Thos. Brancker, Mr. a-au gh Hornby, and himself, be appointed to draw up the addr ess. Mr. just h Bustritu. said, that, fully concurring in what had Lae r ootio ..een kdM r. r emar e by Moore, he begged to se:ond Th e x.r n ' Aron was quite sure that he need hardly put the A proposition to th e council as it would be most readily ad opted. , T he motion hiving been carried unanimously, the corn -I:ittee retired with the view of preparing the address, and dodo slog it f or th e a d opt i on o f th e counc il at a later pe -Ist i ?f the m eet i ng. O n t he re t urn o f th e com mittee, th e a d 13 RaalLav-Mooak said he had the honour to move ~cr ion of the f o ll ow ing address i— bo4r,o.virugheo, lier Most Gracious Majesty, Queen Victoria. o pe Mayor, Aldermen,.. and Burgesses of the the Liverpool , humbly approach . your Majesty to 80 sPicious event of the birth of a Prince, and offer t ou r Majesty, and his Royal Highness the Prince Al 74.:tir heartfelt congratulations on an occasion so aatisfialertliLcaanleduiloayte.d to excite the liveliest feelings of We and t ha t the preservation of your Majesty's sacred ind o -Il d that of the young Prince, and that be may be shall by the Almighty with all those virtues which jest ! hake him contribute to the happiness of your Ma ing to Your illustrious consort, and render him a bless- Mr. 4 11 affectionate and loyal people." tra lun Pore concluded by moving that the address be Pre s -litt ed by the Mayor to the Secretary of State, for Sir oh to the Queen. earri ed ner ltA c N o C n K . ER seconded the motion, which was The ST. ANNE'S WARD. MAYOR announced that the committee appointed on the 3 rd ult. to take into consideration , the application from th e b urgesses of St. Anne's Ward, upon an alleged /*cane), in its representation in the person of Mr. Robert Jones, and to confer with the Town-clerk thereon, had agreed the following rep or t : " Th u ar th n e committee met on the 9th July, 1844, and after electing John C. Thompson, Esq., their chairman, the memorial to th e counci l was read, and also the lett er of Mr. Jones trans m itt e d by the tee, and, after consideration,it was ordered that the Town-clerk should report to the committee on the mat ters referred to them with regard to legal considerations. " That, at a meeting on the 24th of July, the opinion of the Town-clerk was read as follo ws " The question in this case is , — w : hether Mr. Jones, ontitled by his qualifications to to be of one o n or su ch put on the burgess more roof roll of the year, continues entitled h ll, snooet withstanding the subsequent loss qualifications. " ' This is a ques ti o n which requires oinjudicialle to think determi nation i nation ; but, after much doubt, I now in • that the advice in Mr. Slater's case, given before he had become bankrupt, was correct, viz., " not to proceed to - elect until th e ensuing autumn, at which time, as at pre sent advised, (i t was thought by the counsel then con. suited.) the vacancy should be filled up." consulted in Mr. Slater's case were M nthe ::: , ; be S ai T t ne a ke h r tr e k iuo i pe e n : acs u a l a )s e m i , r. Crompton. The consideration of a y to o o f d A o i v r er sl u a n te ti r l . all doubt was removed by 4 ' Were an election . to take place now, it would be qUestionable d - kr, J ones unng the whole period of service. But, as • will be subject to the judgment of the Mayor and Assessors in the Revising Court, and any burges r s jizioaoyeeo,baject to his qualifications, the continuance of M • qualifications, or the validity of a new election on the Ist of November, may be put beyond doubt. . " And it was resolved that Mr. Bradley, on behalf of :11fletipetitioners, and Mr. Jones have notice of a meeting ,+ue committee on Monday next, at eleven o'clock. That, tiler : 184 4, it at a meeting accordingly, on the 29th July, made bein gtic : a a i s iit r e e d s , olved that shoo Bradley and M . r. Jones k a:tendance, ld be called in, and be_ the Town. leinr andby t t h h e at ch m air r m . n Jonesw iatehdthe Mr. opinionß radl Bradley, weikb haled in, were made acquainted by the chair „I,7thereon opinion of the Town-clerk, and were heard m opinion ; and in the course of discussion a further th; called for, and given by the Town-clerk, i t.the to the 52d e.ction qualification, except in the cases under the effect of the Mon . ' • I Corporations Act, did not rest l 'itb the council, but lcl o P n a any question arising, would have to be determined indepenently of them. itihaisttee th e ` That, the parties having retired, it was resolved that 'uP hat, of the Town-clerk be adopted by this com. be reported loth the chairman, with the rest of proceedings, to the l. Mr. T " J. CATON report. Ai r. NrlomPsorc moved the adoption of the n TnomPsoN." M r I.°ll,ru asked what the purport of it w . allegntio PsoN said the fact was, ' h burgesses 'were t WI contained in the memorial of t e . -11°141 • that provided all the the ete:, there was no or n ot ) ;, °r to ' d whether the party were qualified .. JII ge power in the council to entertain in otheronly be he case rested with the upper courts to decide , swords, it was a judicial question, which could mr ae p et at rest by the of law. it was ad ""11 oPted accor seconded the courts adoption of the report; and Jingly. The p ro ~, WATCH COMMITTEE. a" e° l l6 - Th ee . e .;"°_ge of this committee having been read place of the . lateMr. Rae. of it, 10 r i"`., Mr Henderson was appointed a member laeo The p roceed. "ad and 14 gs of the Improvement Committee were confirmed. It A.L „„... op TPINANCE COMMITTEE. . -PPeared f `-'' LAND AT THE NORTH SHORE. rOlttee, th r°4l th ' c orpor a tion at th e 4 e proceedings of the Finance Com the s ," ) °k trustees heir estate south of tt -n " of £250,879 for the whole ofett the had agreed to offer to the . z 2ew north the rate °f 33 Ist °f Jul ' chicks, e th ae e ° °' B gutter, upon which to . ere n te purchase money to be paid o . h able half ' 853 . and to bear interest until that period at v 3 ,„ 1 P e r Cent. per annum, the interest to be pay- Pnrch as - arq. The dock trustees further agreed to uPon with the agreed e the j am] north of Beacon's Gutter at the price the pi Earl of Derby. At a meeting of g o tian ee r , ,-,Onamittee, on Friday week, they agreed to c o ,.. P ., ° _s. of their estate, subject to the approval of the ;,.. ' 4 ' 1 91, at the sum mentioned, namely £250,879, limit ,.lg the payment, however, to six months, and exacting limit interest at the rate at which the last sale to the dock trus tees had b een made. At a subsequent meeting, held the Y befor e th e council meeting, (Tuesday, August 6,) the Finance Committee virtually rescinded the latter part of their resolution of Friday, and agreed to accept the terms offtred by the dock trustees, the principal to be paid on the Ist o f J u ly, 1853, and the interest thereon to be pay able half-yearly, a t th e rate of 31 percent. per annum. Sir THOMAS BRANCKER, in moving the confirmation Of the proceedings, said that the sale had not been com pletely finished until the day before ; and that, upon re ceipt of the resolution of the Finance Committee on Fri day last, the dock t rus t ees s t r ongly urged the propriet y of having an interview with that committee, in order that the t erms might be agreed upon before the meetin g of cou ncil, c ou and th e ma t ter fi na ll y conc l u d e d, so as t o enable work to be proceeded . with without delay. He was itre that there was some irregularity, according to the Ilatle e P Itand ing orders in bringing the proceedings of the _Fi h -Q ultnttee, adopted on the preceding day, before ,- -e Present council but as the dock tiustees were h so llik in 'i#ZT E ' s ina P r eSSed with the necessity of commencingt e f in order callin g ' then,,,(l taken the responsibility upon himself o Finance Committee together the day before, tut r that the interview might b held, and the impor t_ , .esult submitted to the council. That result they observethtlr :;t4titiset heard read ; and it was now for the council to considered the read would confirm or reject it. He might Was en „ n .,at the original offer of the Dock Committee quite inadmissible; but, after a long dis kid r e n e On both sides, the present terms were accepted, ceedings Tk-ue ,Pollended to the council for approval. "uncil, tZ'N'CLEAK said it was in the power of the passed- ° ha k e as the same had been -- f ll'a in m an a c tters regular, by receiving the pr ' a resol 13.11 Pridtty eCommittee,if they need , utio n wii„, las t , and then, • the subsequent pro it,Tiga of t h e Lull should embrace pleased, passing „,--(r. /I, ti ot Z uelornittee. .L quite then' that nh t ' b ivi thought it should be distinctly under uPonsit• - rtiday last a resolution was passed rn reilri ar;VUDeD.PiZticrasttdenayd -- 'ittee - 0 ,, ~7 to that which had been adopted by the co of the committee ithin the la (Tuesday). He He had not re doubt "rt note h tingeda he was at. t wenty-four hours, though he had no ~vlng been sent, were thr which h a ' c lusent, he knew not what arguments (3 ,. illete:itrittee and that it was mislaid; o.. the effect of changing the sentiments . . e t 'iv...hi e n, th e o ,',' the subject. He thought it wo Id b on ' end p l !" a co : 1 ;cl' to pass the more recent resolution luie e ft a %Toad, inpravention of the resolution passed coun e ehat thm a all, lac believed the Municipal Act r,ee maernbes4 411 Pl a t ntice should be giYao to t r n e- Priddy veo Plat t,_ proceedings. He begged it to . be 111 r. N I I ILLI invory alteration made in the resolution of sing a• case co t m ie e a loss of £lO,OOO. even thrreality, no itil-i:Pteke was, h i when t e : l that .Hornby was only suppo the pi eir conse nt -,-, o eeause the dock trustees had not a loss of £lO,OOO. There M r "nee Com m i t `'° the terms originally proposed by betw . H. ii"NE ee. ...cxtent o f the "n t he tWo reanci",tended that there was a difference #3O 0-ontwos of the Finance Committee to fat N icol, ad , . 0. After,nere was tn j'ss a 1 Itted there was a difference, but denied toce..,. a orief (1:)ss. ' sideedi nfr, 2. Iscussien as to the most regular mode of 'u tnitt4 , ...Its:ras arranged that the resolution of the tlred nuill'azin-!(1 o . n the preceding day, should he con- L tild be tak e d the,void and that the resolution of Friday in -..r, H . u _ nas one immediately before the council. Seconded the RR of th e ultNnY aecordinel moved that the proceed /4: DlRit er rzi th e „„.. ttalkii t ,....., A mot 1). the 0 f• 4 „ r !, TOORE moved, as an amendment, that ' Paid 0 *l/4-40u,8e9 be accepted, the purchase money to a t the 11 the Ist JUIY , th e , rate o f 31 18 53, and the interest half-yearly, ..,_ e .pp rob _, Per cent. per annum ; such terms having tprz -n tl eeri „ atton of the Lords of the Treasury. He con). e l t io s'uelYa statin,z, that the negociations had been carried ken 1,3,- . opna.t of. fairness as ought always to exist it ) r `w bathes like the Finance Committee and the bad alw a t ;,! t ees, .and that, so far as he Was concerned, he 7. considered himself in the character of an ar- bitrator, anxious to do justice to the ratepayers on the one hand, and to the burgesses on the other. He believed that, so far as the present bargain went, the advantages were rather on the side of the corporation. The first offer made by the Dock Committee was £226,000; and this. which was taken as a main between the estimates of two of the first valuators in the town, showed that the com mittee were not disposed to deal in a niggardly manner. It subsequently turned out that one of the valuators (Mr. Stewart) had acquired some additional knowledge as to the extent and value of the strand on the North Shore ; and he having presented a report accordingly, the Dock Trustees tendered the amount to the Finance Committee which Mr. Stewart had submitted. Here again there was no higgling ; neither was there any attempt to get the property at less than its value. Another proof of the liberality of the dock committee was furnished by the fact, that the purchase of the land at the North Shore was with the view of constructing a dock there for steam pur poses; and it was well known that a steam dock was not the most lucrative to the estate , for the entire income de rived from the steam trade of the port amounted only to £ll,OOO. The probability was that the proposed dock, with the expense of management, would leave a clear nett loss of £5500 per annum ; and these facts showed that the committee had not proceeded upon any narrow-minded principle, but that they had looked at it as a great ques tion, involving the interests of the town at large, and the benefit of the burgesses. He then went on to contend that 31 per cent. was a fair rate of interest, as many public bodies were at present taking money on such terms. and that the extension of time for payment of the pur chase-money took nothing out of the pockets of the cor. poration, and enabled the dock trustees to enter the money market on better terms than they otherwise could. He then showed that the council were deeply interested in the question of increased steam-dock accornodation, be cause passengers might otherwise cross to Birkenhead, travel by the Chester and Crewe railway, and thus deprive burgesses of Liverpool of many thousands of pounds of outlay. He observed that it would take a great deal of time before the works could come into operation ; an d this was an additional reason why the time for the pay ment of the purchase-money ought to be extended. They bad indeed already commenced with the erection ; they were not going to make any show in laying first stones; (a laugh) but they were going on silently and quietly; an engine of 60-horse power had been ordered ; and the moment they got possession, rapid progress would be made. It would, however, take four, five, or perhaps six years before advantage could be derived from them to the full extent. Mr. HENRY HoLMEs seconded the amendment. Mr. BIRKETT admitted the good feeling that prevailed on both sides with regard to the treaty, but thought the dock trustees had obtained a capital bargain. He objected most to the amount of interest, but contended that, at the expiration of five years, the question of the future amount of interest should be considered ; and he intimated his intention of moving an amendment to this effect. Mr. Isaac HOLMES cordially supported the amend. ment, and thought that matters of pounds, shillings, and pence, should not be considered where the great interests of the port of Liverpool were concerned, and the immense mass of business which steamers brought to the town. Mr. Nicol, said the Finance Committee wanted, in the first instance, cash in six months, and interest at the rate of 4 per cent. He contended that, if this rate of inter est had been acceded to, the Corporation and Dock Com mittee might justly be twitted, as they often were, with having joined together, the more particularly as they were each borrowing money from the public at the rate of 31 per cent. He thought it the duty of the Corporation not to place the Dock Committee in any wore condition than that committee was placed out of doors, and that if any advantage was to be given at all, it ought to be given to the trust over which they (the Council) were themselves the trustees. Mr. H. HORNBY expressed his decided dissent to the amendment. Nothing had been stated to alter his opin ion that the proposed arrangement would be most im provident on the part of the Corporation in the present state of their finances. Their bonded debt was now £1,100,000, about one-fourth of which was borrowed at 34 per cent. and the whole of the remainder at 4 per cent. and upwards. If, then, they obtained the £250,000 for the sale of their estate on the North Shore, they could apply the money in the reduction of their bonded debt, and thereby relieve themselves to a considerable extent. He thought the price reasonable and moderate, and that an abatement of one farthing would not be doing justice to the burgesses. It was said to be the duty of the Council to aid and assist the Dock Committee in the con test likely to arise between them and the promoters of docks on the other side of the river. Mr. BRAMLEY-MOORE.—I never said that : I look upon the competition as mere moonshine. (Hear, hear.) Mr. HORNDY.—I am very glad to hear it . I look upon it in the very same light myself. (Hear.) Be thought the simple question was, whether they were lending the £250,000 at a lower rate of interest than it was worth? because, if they were lending it at 3} when they could get 4 per cent, they were losing £1250 a-year to the burgesses, and this too, at a time when they knew not how soon they might be obliged to lay on a borough rate. He believed it would be admitted that the Dock Committee had ef fected the purchase with Lord Derby at a price £lO,OOO or £15,000 lower than its value. Mr. AIKIN.—No. Mr. HORNBY concluded his reply by expressing his opinion again, that the interest was at too low a rate. The Council then divided, when there appeared— For the amendment 35 Against it Majority e Mr. MOORE'S amendment was accordingly carried. Mr. BiRKETT then moved another amendment, to the effect that upon taking into consideration that the corpo ration had no bonds at 31 per cent. beyond five years, the period of the sale to the dock trustees be limited to the same period, and any further period upon the considera tion of circumstances at the expiration of the five years. Mr. John HOLMES seconded the amendment. Mr. BRAMLEY-MOORE hoped the amendment would be rejected without going to the vote. Mr. A IKIN defended the proposed rate of interest, and said the corporation were about to make a good bargain by getting 31 per cent. and £250,000 for a piece of waste land, which brought them in comparatively nothing. They never could have obtained so large an amount of money from any other source. He enlogised the old cor poration for the spirit of liberality they had displayed when they made a free gift of land for the purpose of making a dock ; and said that if the rates were kept low on this side the water the rush would be to the centre of trade, no matter how many docks were made elsewhere. He concluded by observing that Mr. Evans and himself would have the glorious satisfaction of thinking hereafter that they were the first to say—" don't part with the land over the water, but make a lumber dock there ; and if they had spent £50,000 in making such a dock there, they might have kept a million and a ha lf of money in their pockets now. n entlemen Mr. BUSHELL as . k d e e d dock on the other side, He believed that the there to to make it for them? wwhheynthtehyeyshhoaudldfomuakde g a lumber pool corpora houses, and render their estate . houses, &c. would yet revert to one the of L th iv e er m p head people s their defended the Bp en , al Mr. AIKIN properties they d and expressed his belief that the security was gOO ever possessed. pur chase money would be paid. Mr. MooRE said he had cast no reflection on their security, but maintained, then as now, that the security of the Liverpool docks was much greater and better. ' The council divided, when there appeared, for the amendment, 11: against it, 35. The appointment of Samuel Lloyd, as deputy water dbiasitlri ct ; t s l u te rv i e n y c o r r e , a s f e r o o m f t x h B e o s a t l o a r x y l o o f 4 T ; h a o n m d a t s h e B• Lewis, appoint ment of Edward Holt and Jacob Cririe, as assistant dis trict surveyors, at the salary of £lO4 each, were then con firmed. DOCK CONINV,TTEE. The proceedings of this committee having been read and confirmed, Mr. MooRE, Sir THOMAS BRANCKER, and Mr. NICOL, availed themselves of the opportunity to state, in reply to a question from Mr. BIRKETT, that the warehouse owners of Liverpool had not, as was stated in some of the papers, and believed in London, taken any part in instigating the dock committee to commence and carry on the opposition to the Birkenhead Dock bill. COURTS OF LAW COMMITTEE. It appeared from the proceedings of this committee that Mr. Elmes, the architect, sought for a further outlay of £5OOO in improving and embellishing the new assize courts. The committee recommended it to be made. This gave rise to a long and animated discussion, in the course of which some not very complimentary remarks were made respecting those who bad not forseen the ne cessity of these alterations in the first instance. Mr. STEWART said it was an unfortunate business al together. He saw that there would be continual calls for money, and his opinion was that the whole thing had been badly managed from first to last. Mr. NORTH moved as an amendment that the proceed ings be confirmed, with the exception of that portion which related to the expenditure of the £5OOO. Mr. KILSHAW seconded the amendment, and upon a division the numbers were—for it, 12 , against it, 12, The MAYOR having given his casting vote against the amendment, it was lost by a majority of one, and the proceedings were confirmed. The council adjourned, at twenty minutes to four o'clock, to that day week, (to.rnorrow,) for the despatch of the remaining business on the paper. COLLEGIATE INSTITUTION. LECTURES ON GYMNASTICS, BY L. HUGUENIN, ESQ. These lectures have been preceded by a very agreeable performance by Mr. Mott on his newly-invented piano forte. One of them has the apparent combination of the wind and stringed instruments, playing first as a finely toned grand piano, and afterwards imitat►ng most of the wind instruments, particularly the organ, French horn, hautboy, violin, &c., with such correctness that the unprac tised ear would indeed fancy he was listening to a kind of instrumental concert, each performing its part with per fect regularity. This invention of Mr. Mott's bids fair to make as great a revolution in music, and the applica tion of science to the enunciation of sound, as modern systems of travelling have effected in the ancient plan of conveyance. The audience were highly delighted with his playing, and regretted that he was labouring under the effects of a severe cold, which preventel him fully ex plaining the principles on which these improvements are founded. We trust that his visit to Liverpool will not be unavailing, but that he will meet from our wealthy townsmen that encouragement which his ingenious in vention so richly deserves. M. Huguenin then commenced his introductory lecture, and stated that he was sure no one would suppose that he THE LIVERPOOL STANbARD. would have ventured to appear before them in the charac ter of a lecturer from his own choice; because he knew his great defects, as a foreigner, in conveying his sentiments in a language which he spoke so indifferently ; but yet, with all these deficiencies, he responded to the solicita tions of the enlightened directors of that noble institu tion, to embody his own practical experience us a teacher of gymnastics, in a course of three lectures, with a view of pointing out to parents, and teachers of youth, the great advantages which a system of physical education would confer on the rising generation, by making them better enabled to pursue their studies, with greater zeal and with less difficulties to contend with, which too many have in consequence of the total neglect of their being physically trained. He then proceeded to observe—" As to the origin of gymnastics, it may be truly said that they prevailed in every country in which the progress of per. nicious luxury had not deprived the people of power and inclination for manly and athletic occupations. This de fect is an evil, however, which history teaches us invaria bly cures itself. When nations, by excess of idleness, debauchery, and dissipation, become enervated in body as in mind, they experience precisely the same treatment as individuals do under like circumstances : they are over thrown and destroyed by the resolute and robust. Action —action of mind and body—is the law of our being, and without it we finally sink and perish. By this compen sating principle the world is unceasingly replenished, and withered and fruitless branches of society are perpetually cut off. Idleness and debility, whether moral or physical, thus bring their destruction. Races of men are capable of being perfected by judicious training, just like other living things ; and it is not too much to say, that every individual of our species might by it become symmetrical, vigorous, and alert. Gymnastic exercise should constitute an important item in this training. No education, in fact, is complete without its introduction; and without bodily exercise, of which gymnastics is the science, no one, young or old, need expect to maintain his health and strength. Every one is aware of the extraordinary atten tion which the Greeks and Romans paid to gymnastics— the former particularly. They made it a part of the daily concerns of life ; and physicians, lawgivers, priests, and philosophers, considered the science of giving vigour and beauty to the body not less important than filling the mind with notions of truth, virtue, and strength. Bodily exercise was recognised by the most illustrious men of those early days, as eminently calculated to preserve health and avert disease. Every physician knows its in. estimable utility, and the proverb of Mens sana in cor pore sano' is as old as observation itself. Hippocrates, Galen, and Plato are long and earnest in their encomiums on gymnastic exercises ; and, putting aside the authority of those venerable names, the limits of a lecture would not permit to cite everything which might be collected from ancient authorities in favour of it. If the opinion of these great men, then, whom we so justly look up to, be founded on nature and observation, as in truth it is, then it is most incumbent on us to act up to the precepts which they have laid down. The different exertions which people are daily in the habit of making, without having always any particular object in view, are seldom benefi. cial, except to a part of the body; and although by bene fiting a part we benefit all, yet it is infinitely better to go through a regular routine. which will prove useful to every part of the body in due succession, and thus pro duce a frame of the greatest strength and' capability. Gymnastic exercise enables us to do this in the best pos sible manner; for it takes into account every muscle, joint, and function in the body, and provides for the well being and perfection of all. Hunting, riding, walking, are beneficial in their way; but to some they are incon venient or expensive, while many cannot afford the time. In the gymnasium, however, every one can, at any mo ment he pleases, in any weather, take exercise to any ex tent he may require ; and if time be an object, he can take as much in an hour, or even less, as would in any other manner occupy a great deal of time. The best education leads to the best capacity for supporting the joys and the sorrows of life. To support requires force; and that this cannot be imbibed from the spirit of our present effeminate mode of education, which weakens and softens cur feelings, is self-evident. If, therefore, we would approximate the best education, we must gradually abandon this spirit. Not that we must abjure learning and civilization, and with them genuine moral sentiments, but only follow those ancient principles which lead to form and sustain the manly character by exercise and well-managed hardening, instead of curtailing our natural strength and greatness of mind. It is inconceivable how, in the long series of ages during which an acquaintance with ancient Greece and Rome has been cultivated, the excellent principles of physical education pursued in those countries, and of course the accounts of their gymnastic exercise, have been read and re-read in every school and every study, without anything being introduced from them into the education of the day. But men too fre quently read words only, not ideas. If the improvement of the mind ought to be our constant aim, and the mind cannot accomplish anything of worth and importance without the aid of the body, assuredly it is incumbent on us to promote the health grid dexterity of the body, that it may be capable of serving the mind, and assisting, in stead of impeding, its operations. For this reason Plato, in Pythagoras,' calls him a cripple who, cultivating his mind alone, suffers his body to languish through sloth and inactivity." Some of M. Huguenin's pupils afterwards went through a variety of gymnastic exercises, which they performed greatly to the satisfaction of the auditory. An apology, however, was tendered for the very incomplete state of the apparatus, which prevented them going through more than a mere outline of the course, and the lecturer ex pressed his intention of being better prepared for the next lecture. His lectures were resumed on Friday, to an increased audience, who seemed much gratified at the great care which M. Huguenin has evidently taken in bringing his system before the public. After briefly returning thanks for the kind attention of the audience on a former even ing, the lecturer went on to explain, more in detail, the objects and effects of the various exercises gone through by his advanced pupils, and the adaptation of his appara tus for calling into action and strengthening the different muscles of the body. This portion of M. Huguenin's remarks, although by far the most practically interesting and valuable, we can scarcely convey to our readers by a mere report. By the audience it was highly app reciated; and the illustration of the successful results o f the s y stem a p ff u o p r il d s e — d m by os t t he at i h n i t e r t o ie du a c n ti d on ac o t f iv e through a number of feats of muscular rounds of now complete a pparatus—elicitedfreq uent ap plause. are sure they be pleased with will lessor's exertion s.. ria• a course of six lectures will be com menced and o n scholar, t h e James British Montgomery,Poets, ly E j s u g s justly-celebrated reportel ebra t e o d f s a e n l l v i e w S, and we which we hope to have the pleasure of giving our friends, whom we cannot refrain from earnestly inviting to go and avail themselves of this great and rare opportunity of lis tening to one of our first living poets. CORRESPONDENCE. SALTED BRANDY. TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD. I believe that the impression is very prevalent that salted brandy is not found to be so efficacious as it was supposed to be when it created so great a sensation, be cause nothing has lately been published on the subject; but should such an impression prevail, I can assure you that it is a very erroneous one, for scarcely a week passes in which instances of the efficacy of this remarkable me dicine do not come under my notice. My opinion of its virtues is not only unaltered but is higher than when I wrote my pamphlet to recommend it. In support of the above observations I beg to be allowed, through your widely circulating paper, to state one of the many cases of cure by means of salted brandy, which have come un der my notice since the publication alluded to, in testimony of its extraordinary effects. A girl, about eighteen years of age, residing in this dis trict, suffered last Christmas from a rheumatic fever, which was followed by St. Vitus's dance ; and when the latter complaint had left her, she lost the use of her left arm and eye, and the rest of that side of the body gave in dications of being about to become equally helpless. The paralysis of the arm and eye took place in the latter end of February, and continued, though hydropathy had been, partially tried, till the end of May, when the patient ap plied to me for means to enable her to procure wine and strengthening food. I told her that I would endeavour to procure her the latter, but that instead of wine, I would give her salted brandy, upon which announcement I un derstood her to say that she had been medically directed not to take anything salt, or ardent spirits. 1 said that salted provisions. which I imagined were the things inter dicted, might be injurious, but that I was certain that salted brandy could do her no harm, and that I would take upon me the responsibility of administering it in her case. I consequently caused her to take it internally, and to apply it as an embrocation to the paralyzed arm and to that side of the body. In the course of a fortnight the arm was restored to activity ; and in another week she re covered the use of her eye, and she is now efficiently em ployed in the service of a washerwoman here; but five weeks from the period of he& having begun to take the salted brandy had not elapserere she was able for active employment. Hoping that the foregoing statement may prove en couraging and beneficial to poor sufferers, I remain, Sir, Your obedient servant, SAMUEL FENTON. TVavertree,Bth August, 1844. LOCAL NEWS. BIRKENHEAD Dom( TRUSTEES.-At the first meet ing, under the new Birkenhead Dock Act, for the election of Dock Trustees. Mr. William Jackson was elected chairman of the meeting, and the whole of the commis sioners were selected as trustees. Those present took the necessary declaration, and the proceedings terminated. SUDDEN DEATH.—An awful instance of the uncertainty of life occurred at Oxton, on Sunday week. John James, Esq., of Oxton Hall, attended church is the afternoon, apparently in his usual health. On the way home he was taken unwell, and very shortly after his arrival at home was a corpse. The deceased was formerly treasurer to the Birkenhead and Chester Railway Company. We have much pleasure in calling the attention of our readers to the announcement, in another column, of a second edition of the Rev. G. Fisk's " Tour in the Holy Land." The eloquent sermons preached in this town by that eminent divi ne, on th e late missionary anniversa r y , are, doubtless, states fresh in the remembranc e o f readers. tes that no less than 2000 copios avo been e d ufab of in about eight months, a satisfactory proof that the pueapusroelogium of the reviews have not been overdrawn. CAUTION TO HOUSEKEEPERS.—A few days ago a most audacious imposition was practised at a gentleman's house in Edge-lane, in the following manner :—A man rang at the door, pretending to come from Mr. Tate, the grocer; he had no coat on ; his shirt sleeves were rolled up above his elbows, and with a great affectation of haste, he anx iously inquired whether Mr. Tate's lad had not just left a loaf of sugar there along with some other groceries. On being answered in the affirmative, he said that the loaf which had been left was the wrong one, that he must take it back, as it was to go off by the coach that afternoon to Bootle, and that the right one would be sent up by his master. The servant, believing the story to be true, gave up the loaf, and the right one not coming to hand, inquiry was made at the shop, when the story was found to be all a hoax. - - MILK PUNCH ROYAL 15 at any season of the year a healthy and invigorating beverage, but in weather like this, in the heat of summer, it is beyond description. The very name Milk Punch Royal carries with it the idea of some thing delicious; but, however capacious may be the ima rgiienbantieosna, off e i w t c flavour n a v o c u o n r. c e It is a tl a re b d e e v l i e c r a a c g y e a y p e t p r fullness and d patronised by royalty, and yet its limited price brings it within the reach of almost exery individual. The city of Chichester has long been famed for this liquor, and the improvement in its flavour, by the addition of a little American ice, promises to make it equally acknowledged in Liverpool. Some have described it as the Nectari of Jupiter, some as Madeira, some as Champagne, but we have discovered what it really is—it is inimitable. The agent for Liverpool is Mr. J. Haram, of Chapel-street, whose advertisement will be found in another column. WARRINGTON BOARD OF GUARDIANS.—The ordinary weekly meeting of this board was held, as usual, on Wednesday last, at the Workhouse; ten guardians were present, and Mr. Kerfoot, the chairman, presided. From the returns, it appeared that the number of cases re lieved in the town, during the previous week, by Mr. Cruikshank, was 457, and the amount expended £52 7s. ; of this sum £37 10s. 3d. was in money, and £l4 17s. 9d. in kind. In the corresponding week of last year, the number of cases relieved was 436, and the amount of ex pense £5B 14s. 10d. In the rural disiricts, the number of cases relieved, by Mr. Owen, was 472, and the amount expended £4B 10s. Id., of which £42 lls. 6d. was in money, and the balance in kind. The number of in mates in the workhouse, at Newton, was 60, and in the one at Warrington 79. Total in both, 139. Balance in treasurer's hands, due to the union, £645 Bs. 3d. The business transacted was not of sufficient public importance to require notice. A FEMALE BURNT TO DEATH.—An inquisition was held on Monday before Mr. Curry, the borough coroner, on view of the body of Jane Hughes. John Adamson, a labourer, residing at 69 Great Howard -street, said that deceased was servant in the house. A few minutes before twelve o'clock on Saturday night last, deceased was up stairs in her own room, when be heard a noise which be at first thought proceeded from the next house. He went up stairs, and found the deceased standing on the landing of the first flight, all on fire. He tried to put it out by tearing off her clothes, but could not ; and he then car ried her down stairs to the outer steps and called for help. Mr. George Wade, manager of the oil mills, in Oil-street, and who lived next door, came up, and suc ceeded in extinguishing the flames. She was severely burnt all over her body, and was sent to the hospital, where she died in a few hours after, from the injuries she had received. The Jury returned a verdict to that effect, with the addition that how or in what manner her clothes caught fire, there was no evidence to show. DEATH BY DROWNING.—On Sunday afternoon week, Wm. Mattbie, a fine young seaman, aged eighteen years, son of Mr. John Matthie, and nephew of Mr. Hugh Mat thie, was walking along the beach between Tranmere and Rock Ferry, with his father, mother, and a young ship mate, when tempted by the fineness of the weather and the appearance of the water, he proposed to bathe. As he was unable to swim his mother felt very unwilling that he should do so, but he promised to be very careful not to get beyond his depth. Shortly after entering the water, he slipped into one of the boles, of which there are many on the shore, and was drowned in sight of his parents and companion who were unable to render him any assistance. The body having been recovered, an inquest was held at Mrs. Fernyhough's Inn, Tranmere, on Tuesday morning, when a verdict was returned in accordance with the cir cumstances, The frequency of such accidents near this spot (this being the fifth, we believe, within eighteen months) induced the jury to present a memorial to the overseers, calling on the proper authorities to adopt some means in order to prevent a recurrence of similar fatal ca tastrophes. DOCK COMMITTEE, THURSDAY.— Present, Messrs. Moore, (in the chair,) Nicol, Barclay, Holt, Trotman, Bailey, Rovden, Tobin, Bold, Shand, Sandbach, Holmes, Aikin, Middleton, Kendall, and Evans.—From the mi nutes which were read, it appeared the committee had of fered, on condition that the Harrington Dock Company would give up the control of their property to the trustees, to pay one-third of the purchase money in cash, and the remainder in bonds payable in seven years, and bearing interest at the rate of 31 per cent. per annum.—The tender of Messrs. Cowle. Jones, and Marsden, being the best offer for the old metal of the dock-yard, was accepted.— A temporary building, as an office for the dock master, was ordered to be placed on the west side of the entrance between the Canning and the Salthouse docks.—The erec tion of a public clock on the quay at the Clarence dock basin was postponed till the plans for the northern docks are agreed upon.—The shed on the east quay of the Cla rence dock was ordered to be proceeded with according to the plans submitted, and not being a subject for fur ther consideration.—The annual report of the surveyor on the progress and state of the dock works was submitted and ordered to be printed.—The Chairman said a diffi culty arose in getting the evidence given on the Liverpool Dock Bill in the House of Lords, in consequence of no sufficient reason being shown for its publication ; it was, however, now printing for the use of the trustees, but could not be obtained for the use of the public generally. The sub-committee for the marine department submitted a report recommending that the dock trustees should pay the steam tug company 400 guineas a year, and seventy-five guineas for each service, on condition that one of the first class steamers belonging to the company should always be ready, with steam up, to take the life-boat in tow, and pro ceed to vessels in distress, for the purpose of saving life. —After some conversation the consideration of the sub ject was postponed, in order that the chairman might consult with the chairman of the Finance Committee, with the view of inducing the Council to bear one half of the expense.—lt was reported that the Marine Surveyor was about to take a survey of the channels on a plan pro posed by Mr. Hartley.—The marine department Sub couramitte reported that they had inspected the line of telegraphs from Holyhead to Hilbre Island, and found all in good working order.—A letter from William Wood, master of the flat Charles, was referred to the Harbour Master's Sub-committee.—Three dock-gatemen for the Canning half-tide dock were appointed, and the committee adjourned. WINSPEAR'S INGENIOUS NEW MODE OF REEFING TOPSAILS.—We several months ago noticed at some length an invention, by our townsman, Mr. Winspear, of Waterloo-road, for the greater facility of reefing the top sails of ships. From an examination of the apparatus, we had then occasion to commend it strongly to the inspec tion of shipmasters, and we are glad to find that it has since, as the Yankees would say, been getting "pretty considerably ahead," on its intrinsic merits.: The yard is the same as that at present used. In front of it, and pa rallel with it, but lower than its centre, is a wooden roller, through the middle of which runs a strong iron rod. This rod, or spindle, is secured with eye-bolts at each end, so as to allow of the roller being turned. The roller is also supported, at different points, by iron crooks or S's, the shanks fixed in the yard ; and these, where the roller rests upon them, form rather more than a semicircle, inverted. They are sufficiently large in the arc or circle to receive and support the roller with great part of the sail upon it, (as in close-reefing,) and are covered with leather to pre vent chafing of the canvas. At each end of the roller there is a small iron barrel or reel, round which there is a coil of chain reaching to the middle of the yard, and thence, by blocks, to the deck. As we have before stated, if a reef is required the yard is lowered, and by clapping on to a tackle attached to the lower ends of each of the two chains, the whole spindle alongside the yard is easily turned by a few hands, and the sail taken up or reefed to any required extent—half a reef, three-fourths, a whole reef, or two or three reefs. The sail we saw in operation (that of a large schooner) was readily reefed by only one man, who pulled down a chain with each hand with the simple purchase of a single block and fall: and we should think a very large topsail might be reefed by four men, two to each tackle. The iron rollers, at the extremities, on which the chains work are proposed to be 8 to 9 inches long, and about 3 inches diameter, in a vessel of about 400 tons burthen. From the gradual widening of the sail towards the lower yard, the bolt ropes do not ride over each other in reefing, and the whole apparatus is so snug, that though additional to the usual topsail-yard, it pre sents no eyesore, the roller being scarcely observable at a moderate distance. One considerable advantage appears to be, that as there is a space between the main roller and the yard, the sail splits itself to a considerable extent through this opening at the top when the yard is lowered for reefing, and thus facilitates the operation. The inven tion has already been applied to several vessels from this port, and has, we learn, given the greatest satisfaction. Several distinguished naval officers have given their testi mony in its behalf, and amongst others the gallant Ad miral Napier, whose only objection was that it would render the seamen lazy, as they might order the ship lads, when a reef was required, to hand them down the ropes, so that they might shorten sail while lying in their berths ! As the whole apparatus may be practically seen at the inventor's yard, we recommend captains to satisfy them selves by an early inspection. MEETING OF THE BIRKENHEAD COMNIISSIONERS.— On Tuesday the usual mor,thlv meeting took place at the Town-hall, Birkenhead, J. D. Case, Esq. ' in the chair. The improvement committ ee recommended that the roads in the park should be immediately proceeded with, and that tenders be advertised for in the London, Liverpool, and Birmingham papers for completing the paling. &c., — agreed to. In reply to Mr. J. S. Jackson, Mr. Watson, of the health committee, said that he had no doubt the slaughter-houses would be completed this year. The market committee recommended additional ventilation in the new market, and the communications respecting the building were satisfactory. The ferry committee reported continued improvement in the receipts of the Woodside Ferry. Mr. J. S. Jackson intimated that a weighing machine had been placed near the shore, and suggested that carts plying for hire should be registered and licensed, under the cognizance of the township, in the manner of hackney coaches. Several handsome plans of villas and mansions in the park were submitted by the improve ment committee. The board adjourned to the 2Gth inst. PAVING AND SEWERAGE COMMISSIONERS.—At the usual weekly meeting of this beard on Thursday, the following gentlemen were present :—Messrs. J. Holmes. (in the chair,) Hope, Leyland, Plumpton, Birkett, Cooper, Procter, Ackers, Kaye, Kilshaw, Wood, Whitty, Gladstone, and J. Lawrence. The Law-clerk's charges for the half year, amounting to £253 16s. 6d., and includ ing the expenses of deputations, &c., upon the Dock and Water Bill were produced, and laid upon the table for the inspection of the Commissioners.—A letter was read from Mr. Franklin, the Corporation Surveyor, submitting a plan for the further extension of the width of Lime-street from Elliot-street southward, at the expense of the Cor poration. The alteration was approved of.—The new law for regulating inhabited cellars, having rendered alter ations in the cellar entrances nezessary, the Commit tee, with the view of ascertaining what powers they had to grant accommodation to the owners of property, had a case submitted to counsel by their Law-clerk. The counsel, in his opinion, said the question whether en croachments on the foot-walk in particular cases were nuisances, would depend on the circumstance of the case. If the space taken up left a sufficient breadth of foot-way, then he thought it could not be considered as a nuisance. The proper course for the commissioners to pursue would be to set out, in all the old streets and the new, a line on the foot-walk, so as to make them of uniform width, and no indulgence should be granted by the Commissioners that would at all interfere with the convenience of the public. After considerable discussion the District Surveyors were directed to furnish the board with the width of the streets and foot. paths in the town, in order that the width to be allowed might be fixed. Mr. Barke, of the Wellington Hotel, appeared before the board to complain of the state of the sewers in Dale-street. He produced several articles of silver, which, although cleaned the day before, had now the appearance of brass, in consequence of the ob noxious steam and gaseous matter which escaped from the sewer openings. The Surveyor of the District was or dered to put down stench traps, and to report next week as to the cause of the nuisance. Tenders for the works at the Kensington reservoir, were ordered to be advertised for, and the board adjourned. POST-OFFICE. TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOO L STANDARD. y th h e a i v n e ce th rt e ionin your pap er o f the following effect, if not of correct ing an abuse, at least of preventing trouble and di sap .. p o intment, I shall feel obliged by your doing so. Siß'—lsftaytoeume thin k iltm a On Friday afternoon last, I tendered a letter for France at the usual receiving window at the Post-office, with ten pence, the customary postage for a single letter. After the lapse of a few seconds, the letter and the m oney were re turned to me, with the observation, " Too heavy— fivepence more." Rather surmised, I refu se d t h e addi tional fivepence, and on the following morni ng too k the s ame letter to a receiving box in my neighbourh oo d, re questing the young man to weigh it before he took it in • and upon his doing so, the letter proved perfectly within the weight, a oz., the scale containing the letter quite ascending. This circumstance will at once show the ne cessity of greater care in the officers at the Post-office, and of a more exact adjustment of the scales throughout the whole department. I am, sir, your most obedient servant, Edge-hill, Aug. 12, 1844. G. GUEST. GENERAL MISCELLANY. On Sunday week the interesting ceremony of baptizing a converted Jew was performed at St. Thomas's Church, Bristol. The harbours of the Isle of Man may now be entered, either for trade or refuge, by all classes of vessels, free of harbour dues. A small quantity of Dutch hay has been recently im ported into Hull. It is said the article can be purchased in Holland at £4 per ton. The King of Saxony embarked on board her Majesty's steamer Lightning on Sunday week, and quitted our shores to return to his own dominions. via Hamburgh. MELANCHOLY OCCURRENCE.—OR Sunday last, Mr. Cork, a respectable yeoman, residing at Woodford, Plym ton St. Mary, South Devon, died in consequence of tak ing saltpetre by mistake for Epsom salts. ACCIDENT AT BIRMINGHAM.—At Birminghom, on Tuesday, Mr. John Riches, builder, and a labourer in his employ, were killed by the falling of a wall, in a house in which alterations were going on. Joseph Buonaparte, the elder brother of Napoleon, and the ex-King of Naples and Spain, died at Florence, where he had resided several years, on the 28th ult., in the 78th year of his age. At Chard, the other day, a man in the employ of Mr. Pratt, a farmer, took up a gun, not knowing that it was loaded, levelled it in sport at a young woman who held an infant in her arms, and shot the infant dead. The nurse was severely wounded. MURDER OF A WIFE.—At the Thames Police Court, on Wednesday, Mr. James Cockburn Belany, surg e on. was fully committed for trial, charged with the wilful murder of his wife by administering prussic acid in a glass of water. POSTOFFICE ROBBERY.-At the Carlisle Assizes, on Wednesday, John Nicholson, clerk in the postoffice, was sentenced to ten years' transportation for having embez zled a post letter containing two £lO and two £5 Bank of England notes. EXECUTION AT LINCOLN.—On Friday week, at twelve o'clock, Eliza Joice suffered the extreme penalty of the law on the new drop, for the wilful murder of her two children, Eliza and Ann Joke, at Boston, by administer ing to them laudanum. It being market day, she was launched into eternity amidst upwards of 5,000 spectators. THE CONVICT D ALM AS.—The convict Dalmas has been removed from the Millbank Penitentiary to the insane ward of Bethlehem Hospital, there to be confined during her Majesty's pleasure as a lunatic. The reports of the medical gentlemen who have daily visited Dalmas since his incarceration leave but little doubt of his insanity. Last week, the North horse-mail to Bristol performed its last journey. A local paper states, that "in honour of the melancholy occasion, the horses heads were sur mounted by hearse-like plumes, while tle coachman, guard, and ostler (its only passengers) were decked in all the funeral habiliments of woe !" The bags are now taken by rail. CRICKET.—The return match between the Mold and Denbigh Clubs was played on Tuesday last, on the Mold gro!ind,when the Mold club was again victorio us , having beat their opponents ' by 79 runs. Th e f o ll ow i ng is • ' the score —Mold—firstinnings, 111 ; seco n d i nn i ngs, 55 • total . 166—Denbigh—first innings, GO ; ,second innings, 27 ; total, 87. The Comptroller General of the Coast Guard has di rected the crews of all the Government Life Boats in Great Britain and Ireland, V) be furnished with Mr. Carte's Life Belts. Several vessels in the guano trade have also lately adopted them, in consequence of the surf on the coast and islands having already proved fatal to some of the boat's crews attempting to land there. THE TWO VACANT SEATS.—Mr. Thomas Wyse, M.P. for the city of Waterford, has given formal notice to the House of Commons, that he will move, early next session, that the two seats recently rendered vacant by the dis franchisement of the borough of Sudbury be transferred to such county or counties in Ireland as shall, from its population and the present state of its representation, &c., appear most fit to return additional members to parlia ment. The said two seats have now been unfilled for nearly three sessions, and, consequently, the number of members is reduced at present to 656. DREADFUL Finn NEAR GRAVESEND.—On Wed nesday last, the greater part of the village of Lower Thorne, near Gravesend, was destroyed by fire. Several farms, and their offices, stacks, and implements, and many cottages. were consumed. The hedges on all sides took fire, and it was only by the greatest exertion the ad jacent crops were preserved from the flames. While some labourers were endeavouring to save the property in one of the farm-houses the roof fell in, and three poor fellows were afterwards extricated sadly burnt and bruised. It was feared that one or two individuals were killed. THE RECENT CASE OF POISONING AT CASTLETOWN. —This case has assumed a more serious aspect than was suspected at first, but standingnot the authori ties have taken every step, no been found to the parties who pot the deleterious drug into the pump. It no w appears that it was arsenic that was found in the bread and in the water. A portion of the bread, some of the water from the well, and the bag were sent t o D r . Brett, Liverpool, .for his opinion, and he de c l ares th a t th e y contain arsenic. It is the opinion o f the j ury that the baker, and his family, and no t the soldiers, were intended as the victims of this diabolical act.—ltlanx paper. A MAN AND HORSE KILLED BY BEES.—On Wed nesday week a horse belonging to farmer in aea Cambridge shire, having strayed from hi s pasture in to a ad joining, kicked down a hive of bees which instantly g at tacked him with great fierceness. A shepherd, who hap pened to be in a house adjoining, went to the rescue of the tortured animal, when he, too, was attacked, and stung in every exposed part of his body, notwithstanding every appliance, such as wet clothes, &c., was employed to drive away his assailants. The poor fellow died whilst being conveyed home, and within ten minutes of the at tack, and has left several children to lament his untimely end. The horse died the next evening. MURDER OF A CONSTABLE BY A ROBBER.—On Sunday night, the 28th ultimo, James M'Faddon, a rural policeman, while stationed at Kes . singland, near Exeter, observed some men approaching the farm yard of Mrs. Button, and, suspecting them, concealed himself in a fence. Four broke into the barn, while the fifth watched. The four came out laden with sacks of corn, when he accosted them and recognised one of them as Wm. Howell. This man on being challenged, raised a gun to his shoulder, and taking deliberate aim, shot him in the thigh, He cravqed to d el f ern and gave the alarm. On the . following morning the symp toms became serious, and his deposition . was taken. Il e died the same evening. At the inquest a verdict of wilful murder was returned against. Howell, who was ap prehended, and stands for trial. No clue to the rest of the gang has been obtained. A " Small Tenant Farmer" has M ILKI NG OF COWS. -- forwarded to us the following communication upon this subject :—" Having read some of the recent works pub lished on agriculture; and respecting the management of dairy cows, I was induced to try the milking of a cow three times a day, viz., morning, mid.day, and night ; and I find that it has answered better hitherto, this dry hot weather, than under the old system of milking twic e is a day. More milk obtained ; and the cream on th e mid -day's milking is twice as thick as on the morning's m ilk, and three times as thick as on that milked at n i g ht . Some of my neighbours, who have been farmers a ll t h e i r lives, pr ognosticate that my cow will be ruined, an d t h at nex t year she will fall off to nothing ; but taki ng a corn. mon sense view of the thing, and as it is sa nc ti one d b y M y the Agricultural Society, I shall go on with it. cow l oo ks well enough at present."—Slafford Advertiser. PUBLIC WALKS IN MANCHESTER.—A public meeting of the inhabitants of Manchester and Salcord, and their vicinities, took place on Thursday last, for the purpose of taking the prelitninary'steps towards the purchase of land for public walks or arboretums, and which was most nu merously and respectably attended. The donations were of the most liberal kind--. 4 :11.000, or near that sum hav ine, been subscribed in the room. Among the most libe ral contributions were, Lord Francis Egerton £l,OOO, Sir B. Heywood, £l,OOO, Mark Philips, Esq , M.P., £l,OOO, ditto for the firm £5OO, James Kershaw, Esq., (ex mayor,) £5OO. DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.—O n Monday night a sericus fire broke out in the new buildings occupied as merchants' warehouses, situate in B l ackfriars-street and Parsonage, Manchester, which were burnt to the ground. The pro perty was known as the " Irwell.buildings." A distress ing fatality was caused by the fall of a part of the building. A man named Irving, a workman on the premises, anxious to render all the service he could, had incautiously gone under a cathead, and it fell upon him and killed him on the spot. No satisfactory account has yet been given of the origin of the fire. The aggregate loss will not be much under £20,000, but a large portion of the amount is in sured.—On Wednesday night another man, of the name of Jackson, died in consequence of the injuries received. NOVEL BRIBERY.—The Whigs are an ingenious race. They are very fond of making restrictive laws, which they themselves are amongst the foremost to violate. Lord John Russell's bill for the restriction of bribery is rather too stringent for their convenience ; but one of them, yclept Mr. Hill, at Dudley, has devised a new species of bribery, in lieu of giving money, which he has not hesitated to proclaim publicly. After Mr. Rawson, the League Candidate for Dudley, had addressed the electors of Dudley, Mr. Hill followed, and said it had been asked " Who is M r . Rawson?" He, (Mr. Hill) would answer that he was a large railway proprietor, and, if they suc ceeded in returning him to Parliament, a special train would be brought to Dudley, and the wives of all the electors who voted for him, treated with a pleasure trip to London or Liverpool. If this be not bribery we know not what is. EXECUTION OF A MURDERER.—DREADF UL OCCUR RENCE.—The awful sentence of the law upon William Saville, aged 29, for the murder of his wife and three children at Colwick, received its fearful consummation ore Wednesday morning, at the drop erected in front of the County-hall, Nottingham. The crowd on the occasion was unprecedentedly large, and, in consequence, a most shocking accident occurred. The place where the execu tion took place is in a street called High Pavement, be tween twenty and thirty feet wide, and at the distance of about 100 yards is an avenue, called Garner's-hill, a very steep descent, with five or six steps on the top. As soon ai the drop fell, the crowd rushed violently along the High Pavement, and hurled a number of persons down the steps. Eight were taken up dead from suffocation, four have died since, and a large number of others are seriously injured. AMNESTY TO THE POLISH FIRFUGEES.—During the recent visit of the Emperor of Russia to this country, several of the Polish refugees in London and Paris pe titioned his Majesty for permission to return to their native country. They received no reply to their petitions.. until the 31st alt., when eighteen or twenty of the number now residing in London received a notice to call at the office of the Russian consulate. They attended accord ingly, and were handed sealed letters from the Russian ambassador, the purport of which was, that they might return to Poland, but under certain conditions. The conditions are, that they are first to proceed through Holland, and thence direct to Kowno, in Russia, there to undergo an examination for alleged state crimes ; and un less any charge other than a mere participation in the insurrection is proved against them, they will be at once set at liberty. Many of the Poles, however, have not accepted the terms. THE THIEVES' DEN.—Some sensation has been occa sioned by the discovery of two strangely-constructed houses, (said to have been once the residence of Jonathan Wild,) in West-street, Smithfield, on the west side of Fleet-ditch, which buillings have, it appears, been long_ occupied by a gang of thieves and receivers of stolen goods. One of these houses, it seems, was fitted up as a shop, but there are trap-doors behind the counter, cellars for the reception of property, in one of which was found a skull and human bones, nooks and recesses of all de scriptiods, as well as the means of conveying goods " up the spout," and of facilitating the escape of persons over the adjoining houses. That such a place should so long have existed in the heart of the metropolis without detec tion, is extraordinary, and the spot has been visited and explored by noblemen, gentlemen, and others, as a great curiosity.—The place is to be pulled down for improve ment. SELLING A WIFE AT LEEDS. — On Saturday afternoon, one of those disgraceful scenes of selling a wife took place Leedsint he . ma T rk he et p , e u r s s e o d n s fo e r n g th a g e e d sal i e n o t f but h isi l t l e e r g , a l poultry, &c. transaction came from a small village in the neighbourhood of Wake field, and had been married about five years, but the wo man we understood had been living in service for the last three years in consequence of the ill treatment she had received from her husband, and it was stated that she had been married about six months ago to the person with whom she had been in service. The two claimants to the hand of the female, who is about twenty-five years of age and of good appearance, having met in company, it was agreed that the first husband should sell her and that the other should become the purchaser for the sum of five shillings, on condition that she should be publicly sold in the market place at Leeds. There being no other bidder she was banded over to the individual who had come pre pared to purchase her, with a halter round her neck. The populace who had assembled to witness so rare an exhibi tion in Leeds, was about to proceed to handle him roughly, had he not made his escape into an adjoining public house.—Hull Herald. THE BURNS FESTIVAL.—The proceedings of the great national demonstration, on Tuesday, in a field near Alto way Kirk, Ayrshire, in honour of the poet Burns, went off most successfully. Three of Bu rns ' s sons , M r . Robt. Burns, Colonel Wm. Nichol Burns, and Major James Glencaiclißurns, as well as Mrs. Begg, the sister, and Mr. and Miss Begg, the nephew and niece of the bard, were present to receive the welcome borne to the Banks o' Doon, from a multitude of admirers of their illustrious sire and relative. The Earl of Eglinton presided at the banquet, Professor Wilson acting as vice-president, and amongst the company were—Henry Glassford Bell, Esq., Sheriff-substitute of Lanarkshire ; Rev. Cuthill, Ayr ; Mr. and Mrs. Thomson, of Dumfries (the Jessie Lewars, of the bard) ; Sir John M`Neill, Bart., late Plenipoten tiary to the Court of Persia ; the Right Hon. the Lord Justice-General ; the Countess ,of Eglinton ; Sir D. H. Blair, Bart., o f Bl a i rqu h an ; 4 Archibald Alison, Esq., Sheriff of Lanarkshire, and author of the " History of Europe ;" Colonel Mare of Caldwell, author of " Travels in Greece;" Wm. Aytoun, Esq., Advocate; A. Hastie, Esq., M.P. for Paisley; James Oswald, Esq., M.P. for Glasgow ; Sir James Campbell, Glasgow ; Provost Miller, Ayr; James Ballantine, Esq. of Castlehill ; James Camp bell, Esq. of Craigie, &c. &c. THE LATE HURRICANE AT SEA. — lnformation has been received of a dreadful hurricane having visited the dif ferent ports on Saturday and Sunday week, which was at tended with a great sacrifice of life and property. At Tenby it commenced blowing fearfully from one o'clock in the morning from the south east. About five o'clock a.m., the Richard, Captain Cooke, of Sunderland, from Cariff for the port of London, was, owing to the vio lence of the hurricane, driven from her anchors, whilst riding in the Caldy Roads, and the captain, %%Miami Cooke, was drowned, and also three of the crew. The vessel went to pieces soon after she struck, and she has become a complete wreck. A fishing-smack called The Four Brothers, during the gale lost two hands. The Jane (another smack) was driven on shore on the Penduce Tands, and it was feared would become a wreck. The yacht Rose, belonging to Mr. Roper, of the same port, drifted ashore, and has become a wreck. Fortunately all on board were saved. At Newport the storm commenced at about the same time, with heavy showers of rain, and continued with little intermission until eight o'clock, when it abated a little. The most disastrous intelligence is expected from this port. At Torbay and Teignmouth the gale was equally severe. At Bristol the hurricane was tremendous, with heavy rain, thunder, and lightning. The shipping, however, escaped with trifling injury. At Llannelly, on Saturday morning, the Friends, a fine ves sel, belonging to Ilfracombe, was totally lost on the Cey fen Sands, in Carmarthen Bay. The captain, his wile, and the whole of the crew were drowned. The Briton steam-tug parted from her moorings, and sank near the harbour. POST-OFFICE ESPIONAGE.—The reports of the several secret committees of the two houses of parliament have been delivered. They will disappoint the hunters after grievances. On an average of 21 years, the number of warrants for opening letters have been, in Great Britain, about eight annually; of these, about six have been issued upon the representation of magistrates for the purpose of bringing criminals to justice, or to assist in the recovery of stolen property. About two have b een annua ll y i ssued upon political cons i derations , to find th e means o f obviat ing some public danger. In Ireland, the number of war rants issued has been about two in a year, almost exclu sively for the purpose of tracing criminals. On the whole, it appears that the power has been generally exercised with great frugality, a n d never f or any pr i vate or party object. And so ends Mr. Thomas Slingsby Duncombe's " bottle of smoke." The following is the most material portion of the report :—" It may seem that the issue of six or seven warrants annually, in proportion to the 30,000 or 40,000 committals which take place in this kingdom, cannot be an e ffi cient instrument of police ; but, on the other hand, the issue of six or seven warrants upon a circulation of 220,000,000 of letters cannot ba regarded as materially interfering with the sanctity of private cor respondence, which, with these exception s , there is not the slightest ground to believe has been ever invaded. The committee have examined into the case of the petitioner whose petition has been referred to them. It is true that Mr. Mazzini's letters were for about four months stopped and opened, under the warrant of the Secretary of State for the Home Department, and inspected by the Secretary for Foreign Affairs, upon an apprehension that he was engaged in a correspondence having f or i ts o bj ect d es i gns which might be i njurious to the t ranqu ili ty o f E urope . Certain parts of the information thus obtained were com municated to a foreign government, i n so far as such a communication appeared to be warranted, but without the names or details th a t m i g h t expogh .any individual then residing in the foreign country to Mich the information was transmitted to danger. The committee are bound, in conclusion, to state, that having looked back to the proceedings of several secretaries of state during succes sive administrations for more than twenty years, they have found the practice has been nearly un if or m, that the Power has been very sparingly exercised, and never from personal or party motives, and that in every case investi gated it seems to have Leen directed by an earnest and faithful desire to adopt that course whic h appeared to b e necessary, either to promote the ends of j ustice or to pre vent a disturbance of the public tranquility, or otherwise to promote the best interests of the country." w airla ----... e fifth erday , chastr l uired rill be ra ised Drs_ 01 :than icb hi le the 1