The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1845-12-02 00:00:00

Etteratuu. POETRY. THE. MOTHER'S FAITH BY THE LATE AIRS. JAMES GRAY (From the Dublin University Magazine.) " Hark how the wind is whistling, Mother, List to the drivi ng rain ; And, alas, to think that my gentle brother I, tossed on the stormy main." The mother raised her meek blue eye From the holy book to the stormy sky, And a moment's flush went o'er her brow As she thought of the boiling flood below. But she checked her nurnan weakness well, And sighed for the heart that would rebel; And then she meekly spoke—' my love, I will not fear, there's a God above.' 'But I have been to the garden, mother, And tne vine is trailed and torn, One rose-tree crushed, and pale the other Droops like a thing forlorn ; And oh ! all night how the tall trees creaked, As if some fearful woe they shrieked.' Again the mother's pale cheek burned, As she thought of him for whom -he yearned ; But she spoke again in holy trust, ' The God I worship is good and just.' ' lint look at the tossing waves, mother, How th' y dash. and foam, and roar, And the wild winds howling almost smot':er . . Their echoings , shore.' The m( the. looked to the ocean wild. And her heart grew sick for he: absent child, And the strong prayer rose from that swelling heart— My God, thy help and aid impart.' took, look to the with on the beach, mother, some neighbour that must be— Oh, ,hould he say mine only brother Is wr But the mother's brow grew deeplier flushed, And her very h:eath at her heart was hushed, And the light in her meek and tru-tful eve Grew bright as a star in a trosty sky ; Then over the cottage floor she sprung, And back the dm , r on its hinges fling, And round her wet and weary boy She flung her arms in eve .eked in th t s y sea." The gallant ship is all a ,reck, But she hath fallen upon his neck ; His hard-earned wealth is lost and gone, But the God of mercy path spared her son NOTICE Chemical Tables of the Urine and Urinary Deposits, By R. H. Brett, Ph.D. These tab'es, by the lec•urer on chemistry and foren sic medicine at the Medical Sc 1 •ool of this town, are highly useful, and fur their accuracy and practical bearing must prove of the greatest service to refresh the memory of medical pracri , ioners. We understand that they are published by request of several leading members of the med cal profession of Liverpool. See advertisement for particulars as to wht re they nay be had. VARIETIES. WANTON FELONY.—The Tones of Saturday last con tains an advertisement headed as follows :—" Railway scrip stolen." Can a more gratuitous piece of dishonesty be imagined than such a theft, when waste-paper is only 2d. a pound. —Punch . GARRICKS REQU SITES FOR A COMEDIAN.—Garrick used to say of himselt, " A comedian is not master of his art who cannot model his throat to all sorts of sounds, from the cat like shriek of a peacock to the whirring of a knife-grinder's wheel.' SUPERSTITION The wide extent of superstition amongst us—superstition, too, in many cases, of the most idolatrous character, affords a hurniiating subject of re flection ; and it. is a striking proof of the tyrannical cus tom on the mind, that many, who have no faith in these observances, could not teel comfortable were they to ne glect them. We recollect a naval officer, high in rank, smiling at tht , superstitions of his profest ion, and espe cially at the almost universal belief, that whistling on deck is capable of raising toe wind, yet declaring, in the same breath, that he should not feel at ease were any one on deck to whistle in tempestuous weather. — Hampson's iledii jEei Kalendarium. THE JESUITS —There are at this moment in Italy 150 houses of the order of the Jesuits, containing nearly 4,000 persons, of whom 1,800 are priests. In France there are 46, containing Bi 2 Jesuits of whom 362 are priests. In Germany there are 88, of which 14 are situate in Bavaria, 21 in Austria, 3 in Wurtemberg, 7 in Baden, 2 in the two ilesses, 2 in Nassau, 5 in the province of Rhenish Prus sia, 3 in Westphalio, 6 in Silesia, 3 in Saxony, 1 in An halt- Konen, and sin Hanover and the Free Cities. In the Grand Duehy of Posen there are are 7; in East and West Pt tts'al 5; in Pomerania, 2; in Brandenburgh, 2; in the province of Saxony I. The total number of the Jesuits living in these houses i.: 1.000, of whom 400 are priests. In Spain there are 87 houses, containing 536 Jesuits, of whom 220 are priests ; and in Portugal 8, COntaininz 160 J-su ts, or whom 75 are priests.—Frank fort Postam s Zeitung. APOSTOLICA L SuccessroN.—Archbishop Mathew Pa rker was seventieth in succession from St. Augustin. Now it happans that there is an authentic register of his consecration preserved in the proper courts of the see of Canterbury ; and there is also another in Corpus Christi Co:lege, Cambridge, which the archbishop left to that college. In these register , we find that the consecration took place on DecemEwr 15, 1559, at Lambeth Chapel ; that four bishops joined in the consecration—William Barlow, Bishop of Bath and Wells ; John Surrey, Bishop of Ch chester 111 , 1 es Coverdale. Bishop of Exeter ; and John Hodgskinne, suffragan Bishop of Bedford. Now, these four being allowed to have had proper consecration themselves f orn prelates of the Church preceding the Reformation, so they had undoubtedly apostolical power to consecrate another bishop. The thing is, then, per fectly plain. Every priest and bishop now existing traces up his ordiqation to some previous bishop, who traces it up to Archbishop Parker. Archbishop Parker traces his consecration seventieth in number from St. Augustin ; and St. Augustin again traces his upwards to the apo , tl , -s, through the bishops of the Church of Rome. —Rev. W. Bennett. PECULIARTIES OF THE BAR —A barrister once in public cannot retreat and recut u An attorney, or stir gPon, physician, or even a divine may on one failure fall back can a minor occupatii.n, in eihich to prepare for a se cond attempt ; but not so with the barrister. With him ret , ovessi.m is final failure; for not more surely than the air ru-b•s in to supply a vacuum will his place be imme diately MIA by o h-rs, whom he will never displace. Be sides, the acknowledgment of failure always excites a pre judice of incapacity, though none may have previously existed. Fur all these reasons, I say, let him pause to re fl .ct on his stamina bo h of purse and person before he Undertake a wearvine plgrimage, which, once begun, can only be elided in success or de-truction The allegory in the Spectator, of the multitudes who, climbing the steep to fame, ever and anon, overcome with past toil, and ap palled at the prosvect yet before them, shrink from the lah , rioua t-isk, to be t recioitated into the gulph of des pair ; and S a d.,k. i t , each of the waters of oblivion, to whom the ttrrois of retreat were greater than tho s e of progress, are the nearest illustrations of his situation that I can remtmber, and they are by no means in the extreme. (T-,der all circumstances of heal , h and illness, wealth and vverty, the barrister to whom it belongs to assist him &lf mu-t never step aside from his course ; for the perils of ' 4 eparture from it equal. it 0 e, do not exceed, any awaiting him in it.— Hood's Magazine. WHOSE IS THE OREGON TERRITORY I—lt would be MO difficult ta,k to c.trwile from the materials which are a'ready hrfore the public a statem. nt of the claims of this country to the Oregon teiritory, ut,answerably strong in itself, and infinitely more conclusive than any argu 'bents whit h can be adduced on the other side. The Coast was visited by British naval officers at various periods from Drake to Vancouver : whilst the alleged Ciseoveries of the Awericans were merely the expeditions of priva te mei chat.tmen. But mere discovery, or taking po-session by proclamation, is of little avail, unless it be toll,,wed by oci ups ion. The Americans have never Id any posi ion on the C.Aumbia, save the fort of Astoria, which they long ago abandoned ; whilst, on our aide, to repeat the position we laid down some mouths ago in dealing with this subject, the occupation by the North-West Company, and sub , eqm ntly by the Hud sen's Bay Company, recoenised by the Legislative and Execu ive power of Great Bri.ain, is a full and sufficient ocmpaiton of .12e territory according to the law of cations, and therefore ab , olute as avainst the adverse c 1 rim of any other nation, save and except the concurrent rignt admitted by the tr aty ot 1790 with Spain, and now anst red to the United nata.s. To these arguments aright be added others den ivied from the French claim to the count, y extending from the Lake of Woods to the Pacific Ocean, which is admitted to have been ceded to us in 1763. togi ther with the province of Canada ; whilst, on the contrary, the American attempt to stretch the limits of the province of I ouisiatia beyond the Rocky Nouotains has been utterly confuted.— Times M R ENVM AN'S FORMER OPINION ow Romit.—lf we are incite d to helm ve the proles-ions of Rome, and wale advances towards her, s if a sister or a mother Church, which in theory she is, we shall find, too late, that we are in the arms of a pitiless and unnatural rela tive, who will but triumph in the arts wtiich have inveigled s wi , hin her m sh. No : dismissing the dreams, which the rornal.e.• of early enure!) history, and the high doc trines of will raise in the inexperienced in•nd, let us la , sure she is our enemy, and will do eta a mischief when she can. In speaking and acting on this oecatinn, we need not depart from Christian charity rower& her. We must deal with her as We won'd towards a friend who is visited with de "ngellient, in great affliction, with all affectionate tt ncler thoughts, with tearful regret, and a broken heart, but stilt %lit, a steady eye, and a firm mind. For, in truth, she is a church betide rself, abounding in noble gift- and rightful titles, but unable to use them religiously crcity. obstinate, tvi?fut, ma ictous, cruel, unnatural, as nadmen are. Or rather, she 111911 he stid to resemble a drynoniae, posseased with principles, thoughts, and ten• denies nil her own ; in outward form and natural powers w h at G„d m ade her, but ruled within! by; an inexorable spirit. who Is sovereign in his marr.getnent over her, and crio , t sub le and most successful in the use of her gifts. 'thus she is her real self only in name, and till God you , L. to restore her we must treat her as if she were el . e evil one which governs her. And in saying this, I must not he supposed to deny that there is any real ea cell. nee in it( nrenism, even as it is. or that any really ex ccllent men are its adherents. Satan ever acts on a sys tent—virious, manifold, intricate, with parts and instru sinents of various qualities, some alm,st purely evil, others Co unexceptionable that. in thews-lves and detached from end to which all Is subservient, they are really " angels Of l zht," "^( 1 may he found so to be at the last day Netrtnan'a Lecture*. THE SERPENT OF MARTINIQUA AND ST. LUCIA. — More unfortunate than the Carib Indian, the serpent has obliged the Colonists to surrender its native wilds and forests—all that is uninhabited by man; and, save when it shows itself upon cultivated ground, no attempt is ever made to trouble or molest it. The serpent may be said to abridge the enjoyment to man of the pleasures of a country life ; for here is no safe repose in the shade of an old tree —none of those sweet reveries along the fields, which must be enjoyed in solitude alone, without a guide, without reserve : love hath fled from the groves ; hunting is no more a pleasant recreation; at all points and continually the mind must be possessed of that verse of the poet, which would seem to have been called forth under the inspiration of similar spots— ', Fugit hinc, Latet anguis in beam." —Simmonds's Colonial Magazine. AUTUMN PLANTING OF POTATOES.—One of the re commendations contained in the report made by Professors Lindley, Playfair, and Kane (dated Nov. 7) has been re ceived with considerable distrust by the Potato growers, to whom I have mentioned it. I allude to the question of autumn-planting. The ground of objection is the proba bility of danger by spring frosts. I, however, quite agree in the recommendation of the Commissioners, and had, in fact, prepared some land for immediate planting, before their report appeared. One of the strongest arguments that can be adduced in its favour is that the few potatoes that escape notice when the crop is taken up always make vigorous plants the next spring, and even though hoed down once or twice, when appearing amongst corn, have strength enough to push again, to the great annoyance of the tidy farmer. It is. therefore, very clear that in winter frosts do not destroy the sets, re r spring frosts the young shoots.—H. S. Thompson, Kirby Hall, York, in Gar. dener's Chronicle. HINT TO TRAVELLERS.—The great moralist of our age and nation went to study man like Wakley in the Isle of Sky. How few there are who ever dream of going there now ! "Up the Ithine "is the cry of 01l who have a week, and money enough for the week te spare. Men go to - see the great tun of Heidelberg, and the largest wine cask in the world, who have never had the curiosity to see the Winchester pint of the time of Queen Elizabeth, the largest pint in the world—an Englishman's pint, redo lent of the good old times,—the Lycurgus and measure of all pint pots of that convivial period ; regulating Shakspeare's sack libation at the Mermaid, and Ben Johnson's draught of canary at the Apollo. Measure as large and ample as their minds, equal to a pint and a half of our degenerate pewters. What is the great tun of Hei delberg, in an honest Englishman's eye, compared with the Winchester brass pint of the time of Queen Eliza beth ? The great tun at Heidelberg is a wonder by itself; but the Winchester pint was a begetter of wonders—the patriarch of a race of pints.—Fraser's Magazine. How TO IMPROVE THE YEOMANRY.—The yeomanry are constitutionally a brave race of men. They are ro bust, active, good-humoured. devoted to their country—a little over-fed, perhaps, but for a spurt a man is not much the worse for being well fed—and willing, we are sure, to turn out to a man should government desire it. We re commend that they be informed, on authority, that the government is aware of their good qualities, and prepared to make use of them when the fitting moment shall ar rive. And, in the meanwhile, we are tempted to ask, whether it would not be judicious to change both their appointments and drill ? The Duke of Bnckingharn and Major Deeds may both depend upon it that they will ne ver get their fine corps to ride side by side with the 11th Hussars. But put rifles into the bands of these young farmers, and train them to fire from their saddles, and mount and remount in the midst of a skirmish, and let them see that you expect them to pass through woods and over quagmires which no regular cavalry would face, and we deceive ourselves if you do not increase their useful ness fourfold. We have some faint recollection of the masses of mounted riflemen whom the Yankees used to bring into play two-and-thirty years ago, and we fancy that in every county of England there are materials with in reach out of which to form corps at least as trouble some to an invader as these.—Fraser's Magazine. VAN DIEMEN'S LAND.—Having no house, the origi nal inhabitant of Van Diemen's Land had no home ; and he had no tie to bind him to a particular spot; and having the habit of roaming over the country for food, he felt the less necessity for a fixed dwelling-place, and therefore was less solicitous about erecting one. Thus he has ever re mained, so far as his history can be ascertained, the only being in the human form without a roof of sou.e sort, wherewith to shelter himself from the inclemencies of the weather. It ie to he observed also, in explanation of the peculiar habits of those aboriginals, that the country pro duces no wild seed similar to any grain, such as wheat, barley, or Indian corn: they have no bulbous root; nothing like the yam, or the banana, or the bread fruit. Neither have they any fruit of any sort in the whole of Australia. This singular denial of nature in these coun tries of the food necessary for the sustenance of mln in the shape of grain, fruit, herbs, or vegetables, is of a piece with the other singularities of those primitive regions. There the trees are all evergreens, and shed not their leaves annually, bt t their bark ; almost all that grows there is, in some respects, different from all that grows in the rest of the known globe ; and all the animals, and even some of the fishes, possess an organic peculiarity of forma tion, in the false belly, or pouch, which is different from that of the animals in all other countries.—Hood's Maga zine. THE CREATOR'S GOODNESS.—It is a delightful evi dence of the benevolence of our Creator, that all our or gans of sense are so framed as to he productive of pleasure. Not one bone, or muscle, or nerve, indeed, has ever been discovered, in any kind of animal, of which the natural tendency is the infliction of pain on its possessor—all are made to produce pleasurable sensations. True indeed it is, that each of our five senses may be grievou'ly of fended ; that the organs of animal bullies are capable of derangement and disease ; and that the destruction of one living creature by another, is one of th- laws through which an inscrutable Providence maintains the order of nature. But while, in the sufferings which are thus occa sioned. we may perhaps trace one mark of a fallen and degenerate world, it is nevertheless obvious even here, that the happiness of conscious living creatures is the object of the Divine economy : pleasure is the rule, and pain only the exception. The law of mutual destruction, in the lower animal cresti n, is, indeed, the law of life. Were that law reversed, and were these sentient creatures left to the slow operation of disease and decay, the suffer ings of those animals which now exist would be vastly ag gravated ; pestilence would spread on every side, and the pleasure of existence itself would soon be fearfully cur tailed. Who can listen to the songster of the grove, or to the lark which carols in high air—who can witness the smooth and easy flight of myriads of birds ; the happy gliding rapidly of countless fishes ; the dance of millions of insects in the sunbeam—without confessing that great are the pleasures which their Creator has bestowed upon them—that the painful but unforeseen stroke which may soon consign them to nonentity, is as a cypher in compa rison with the unreckoned sum of their enjoyment. —Gurney's Thoughts on Habit and Discipline. THE OREGON QUESTION. The practical question arising out of the termination of the last attempt at an adjustment of the dispute, and out of the threatening intimations of the semiofficial journal of Washington, is simply this—WbJt do Mr. Polk and his Cabinet propose to do next ? What are the Americans prepared to undertake by way of giving effect to these claims to a remote and almost inaccessible rug on? They must either do nothing and leave the Oregon territory to the chapter of accidents ; or they must discover some means not only of establishing their power in that dis trict, but, what is far more difficult, of expelling our own. They have a right to send emigrants in any numbers across the Rocky Mountains, and to possess themselves of any lands not previously occupied. They have a right to let these emigrants take with them their own laws, usages, and even the jurisdiction of their country; for we have done the same thing, and the right of both parties are equal and concurrent. But they have no right to infringe upon any existing privilege of any British subject, nor to encroach, in any manner, en our power, which is still north of the Colombia, de facto, undivided and uncon tested. This brings us to the point at which these ano malous and imperfectly defined rights may come into direct collision and even assume a hostile character. But such a result cannot occur until something of an active and aggressive character he don ; and whatever may be the ill-humour of the settlers, or the extravagance of the Ame rican people, there are luckily very serious impediments in the way of so deplorable a catastrophe. An uninhabited and uncultivated country, two thou sand miles west of the frontier of the state of Missouri, situated on the coast of an unfrequented ocean, cannot by possibility become a theatre of regular war. No army could be conveyed there, no army could be fed there ; and if such a force were, by some miracle, dropped in that re mote region ,it would find no enemies but winter and the de sert, and no positions to occupy but a few blockhouses and stockades, built to protect the trappers and fur-merchants from the incursions of the Indiana. Nor is it much more easy to take armed possession of such a territory. The Americans have already experienced the difficulty of that kind of operation in the Florida war, and in all their con tests with the red men. Where there is no property and no fixed population, the soldier is a less powerful instru ment than the husbandman, and he .commands no more than the ground he stands upon. By sea, we have still less to apprehend from any act of aggression. The Ame rican squadron in the Pacific is stro ng , b u t it can on l y re ceive reinforcements round Cape Horn by a run of 18,600 miles; ours is within the reach of our stations in China, Austrialia, and India. Moreover, although the boats of a man-of•war might burn a fort by a coup de main, such an attack could have no effect whatever on the occupation of the country. In short, we h ave th e hi g h aut h or i ty o f Mr. Calhoun himself, backed by the opi n io n s of the Army and Navy Departments in the United States, for the as sertion, that " the attempt to assert and maintain en ex- Moire right to the Oregon territ or y aga i nst th e a d verse and con fl icting cla im of Great Britain MUST PROVE UN SUCCESSFUL." The reasons by which he supported this opinion are unanswerable. Are we, then, to suppose that since Mr. Calhoun deli vered the memorable speech to which we allud e , th e pro gress of the American democracy in . its passion for terri torial acquisitions has bee n s o rapid that President Folk will actually a. tempt in 1846 or 1847 what the ablest and unscrupulous statesman of the democratic p ar ty pro nounced to be a hopeless undertaking in 1845 ? If we are to believe the Washington Union. such is the case; and to be consistent with this announcement, the first step of the American Cabinet must be to declare that th e t rea ty of 1827 is in twelve months to expire. Such a measure might lead eventually to hostilities, but it would not amount in itself to a casus belle. Perfectly confident of the justice of the cause of England, and no less secure of the superiority of her forces on the north-west coast of America, we should then await the result with composure —still most reluctant to endanger the peace of the world, but most ready and resolved to punish those who may presume to break it.—Times. 1 INVITATION TO UNITED PRAYER, FOR TUE OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, ON THURS. DAY, IST of JANUARY, 1846, BEING 111 E FIRST DAY OF THE NEW YEAR. DEARLY BELOVED IN THE LORD, The priv►lege which I have enjoyed for the last NINE years, of inviting you to commence THE NEW YEAH, BY UNITING IN PRAYER FOR THE OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT; is, by the kind providence of God, again vouchsafed to me. And it is with a heart desiring to ex press its thankfulness to the Giver of all good, fur count less mercies that I would renew my annual Invitatation for this GENERAL CONCERT FOR PRAYER, which, by Divine permission, will be held ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 1846. • he present is a period which very particularly calls for such a devotional union; for, surely the important events which have occurred during the present year, and which it is probable will be more unfolded in the coming one, are of a nature which, in a very special manner, make the abundant outpouring of the Holy Spirit, in his enliven ing, enlightening, purifying, comforting, and sanctifying grace, especially needful. Oh! that our Heavenly Father, for his dear Son's sake, may first grant to his peo ple the Spirit of grace and supplication, and then in answer to their prayers fulfil that gracious promise, "I will open the windows of heaven, and pour out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." To mention only a few of these remarkable events : First.—The grant of the Finnan for building a Pro testant Church iii Jerusalem by the Sultan, which has been at length obtained through the powerful influence of her Majesty's ambassador at Constantinople. The following sentences are extracted from this interest ing State paper : " It has been represented, both now and before, on the part of the British embassy, residing at my court, that lititish and Prussian Protestant subjects visiting Jerusa lem, meet with difficulties and obstructions, owing to their not possessing a place of worship for the observance of Protestant rites, and it has been requested that permission should be given to erect, for the first time, a special Pro testant place of worship, within the British Consular re sidence at Jerusalem. My royal permission is therefore granted for the erection of the aforesaid special place of worship. And my Imperial order baying been issued for that purpose, the present decree, containing permission, has been specialiy given from my Imperial Divan. " When, therefore, it becomes known unto you, Vallee of Said, governor 01 Jerusalem, you will be careful that no person do, in any manner whatever, oppose it."— Written on the first day of Itaniazan, 1261. This finnan may strike the student of prophecy from its date, 1261, or the year of the Hegira; one year beyond the term for which it is said, "The Holy City shall be trodden under toot of the Gentiles." (Rev. xi. '2.) It is the more interesting, as it records that the grant has been made, for the first lime for a Protestant place of worship, and this, by me desire of the Queen of Great Britain, and the King of Prussia, reminding us of that well known prediction, " Kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their Queens thy nursing mothers;" and as it also affords a very pleasing example of the benefits to be derived from the spiritual union of Protestants in the cause of our blessed Saviour. Seeing then that full liberty is now obtained for erecting a Protestant church in Jerusalem, and this when our mission there has all the advantages of a representative of the Protestant Church, who is by birth a Hebrew, but by the grace of God a sin cere believer in our Lord Jesus Christ; has at the same time a band of faithful watchmen set upon her walls, (Isaiah lxii. 6,7.) who hold nut their peace day nor night; seeing also that it is written, "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts," (Zsch. iv. 6.) who would not entreat the Lord to pour out the abundance of his Holy Spirit, 0 That out of Zion the law may again go forth, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem?" (Isaiah ii. 3.) A second event which calls for this devotional union, is the very remarkable success which has attended the preaching of the Gospel in Preece, and the present move. went of the Roman Catholics in Germany. In France whole communes have lett the church of Rome, and placed themselves under the teaching of Protestant Minis ters. One French Pastor alone, during the last year, was instrumental to opening six churches, and gathering in six Cbrisiian flocks, all of whose members were previously either Humanists or indifferent to all scriptural religion. As to the movement in Germany, hswever difficult it may be to speak of its exact nature, every one who takes an interest in the welfare of his fellow sinners must desire that it may lead to that suing faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, which may give peace here, and eternal glory hereafter. And this can only be obtained by the gift of the Holy Spirit. Oh, may this gift be very largely be stowed for our blessed Saviour's sake • that those who are at present in bonda g e t o the Church o f Rome, may attend to the divine warning—" Conic out of her my people, that ye be nut partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." Such a grant is the more necessary from a third event connected with the present year—the encouragement given by our linters to the Church of Rome. No doubt they have done this with the best intentions, and from a desire to promote the welfare of her Majesty's suljects; but not taking the word of God as their sure guide, they have alas ! overlooked the unscriptural tenets of the Church of Rome, and the dangers to which those Ivor are in her caurtnunien are exposed. But you, my beloved brethren, who unite with our Protestant fore fathers in their belisf regarding that corrupt church, you regard those concessions with serious alarm, and poignant sorrow ; the noire so from the jeopardy into which our dear Protestant brethren in our Sister Island have been brought; and from the schism lately made in our Church by some of the Leaders of the Tractarian Novelties, who have le t our communion, and united themselves to the Church of Rome; now more active than ever in spread• ing her pernicious errors. Surely these are loud calls for prayer, that enlightened by the Holy Spirit, we may retain our privileges as the Protestant nation, that our divisions may be healed, and that our beloved brethren in Ireland may stand fast in the faith—cheered by that gracious word, "Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer." "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." There is yet one more event of which I desire to remind you, which in a very special wanner, should lead to this concert for prayer. The desire which has lately arisen in the Church of Christ, for the scriptural union of all sin cere Christians. _ _ _ _ . This invitation must of necessity be brief—but this sub ject is of such vital importance that I trust to your indul gence for stating the following reasons for every sincere believer exerting himself to the uttermost to promote this uni n. _ _ _ Ist. That the whole Church of Christ in its present po sition, is in a state of sinful disobedience to the command of our blessed Lord "to love one another." The guilt conne ted with this state, will lay as a heavy burden upon the conscience of every one who reflects upon the fre quency and urgency with which this command is enforced, and the little regard which bas, in practice, been shown to it. For who that sincerely asks himself, Have I loved me Christian brethren with the love wherewith my blessed Saviour has loved me, but must feel guilty? And feel. ing his guilt, he will desire that his burden may be re moved. Whilst, therefore, be entreats forgiveness for the past, re moved., aim will be that his love may be fervent fur the future; believing that the insensibility of Christians to this burden may have been a principal cause why our prayers have not met with greater acceptance. 2ndly, Tbat the great Jehovah delignts in union : whilst there is a great d iversity iu all His work*, his purpose is unity—" to gather together in one, all things in Christ," to make Him the Head over all his Church. The Lord has also revealed our future blessedness to us by unity— one Father's house—one city—one country—one kingdom —one King over all, who is liing of kings and Lord of lords; therefore, as we promote union, we are in our degree following the divine mind—using our endeavours to bring all into one bond of brotherly love. 3rdly, That whilst the Lord Jehovah delights in union, it is very dear to the heart of our blessed Saviour, he not only giving this as his new commandment, but making it the subject of his last prayer. Doing this in this very affecting manner, that if the belief and knowledge which are mentioned in Juhn xvii , v. 21 and 23, are saving be lief and knowledge, then our Lord seems to soap rid the blessedness of the world upon the love of his people. If it be only a belief and knowledge of conviction, then the glory of our Saviour is connected with it—the love mani fested by his people being the proof to the world of his Nlessiatiship. Whichever mode of interpretation, there fore, is adopted, it proves that the advancementt of Chris tian union is of the first importt.nce. . . . • 4thly. That the promoting Christian union is in perfect accordance with the ordination vows of the Church of England, and with her devotional liturgy. At our ordi nation for the priesthood, the Bishop asks will you main tain and set forwards, AS MUCH AS LIETH IN YOU, qui. etness, peace. and love among ALL CHRISTIAN PEOPLE. Previously also to receiving the Lord's Supper, the first prayer which we offer to the Divine Majesty is Beseech ing Thee to inspire continually the universal church with the spirit of truth, unity, and concord; and grant that all they that do confess Thy Holy Name, may agree in the truth of Thy Holy Word, and live in unity and godly love " When, therefore, clergymen are promoters of Christian union, they are carrying out their ordinatiou vow, and all other members of our church are acting in conformity to their frequent prayers. s'hly. [he great benefits which would follow such a scriptural union. It would put to silence the cavils of those who now speak so loudly against the party spirit of Christians. It would much lessen those angry strifes and contentions which alas! at present subsist between dif ferent members of the Church of Christ. It would pro mote a kind and courteous spirit in the ordinary affairs of life; remove the prejudices which distance and strange ness occasion, lead to an earnest desire that these consci entious differences which now keep them from a full uiiion might, if possible, be removed, and produce friendly dis cussions upon such subjects, iostead of hostile disputes — each desiring that the Lord would give clearer light to hi people, that they might at length have "the same mind in all things." Gaily, It would enable Christians more readily to re alise their final blessedness—that happy day when we shall see " eye to eye," and when clothed "in robes wade white with the blood of the Lamb," we shall all stand be fore the same throne, and unite in the sante song. These are some of the reasons which I would respect fully offer to you, my beloved brethren, which would lead sincere Christiaus to use their efforts to promote the scrly ' tural union of all who love the Lord Jesus in sincerity. And as this cannot be expected without an abundant out , pouring of the Holy Spirit, it forms a very powerful nio ' live for uniting in this concert for prayer, on the first day of the new year, the more especial! as the spirit ~ f bro therly love, mutual forbearance. and harmonious concord and unanimity, which, as I am informed by persons w ho were present, was manifest at the late meeting, et Liver pool, for promoting Christian union, warrants the pleasing hope that this gracious God, whose name is •'Love," and who is ever ready to hear the prayers of his faithful peo ple, will vouchsafe a gracious answer to our petitions. Bearing, then, in mind that the same general cau.es which have led to previous concerts for prayer, on OA first day of the new year, in former years still remain— Let me request you to reflect upon the various important events connected with the present period to which I have referred, as calling for special prayer for the abundaat outpouring of the Holy Spirit; and giving them the weight which 1 trust they merit, cheerful accept this TBNTH INVITATION FOR PRAYER, ON .NEW YEAR'S DAY, THURSDAY, JANUARY IST, 1816. The following suggestions are respectfully offered, to assist those who are desirous of this union:- Ist. Let Christians follow the example of our blessed Lord (Mark i. 25), who rose up a great while before day for secret prayer. Let them thus secure the blessing of Him who says, " Pray to thy Father which seeth iii secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. 2nd. Let them call upon the Lord in their families, for his Spi rit to be poured upon themselves and their households, their neighbours, their country, including Great Britain and Ireland, and our Colonies, the ministers of the Lord, the churches of Christ, and more especially the Jerusalem Mission, the remnant of scattered Judah and outcast Israel, and upon the Gentile world. 3rd. Where circumstances will admit of a mauling service, let the congregation be assembled, and, in a dition to the ap pointed prayers and a suitable sermon, let all who a , e devoutly disposed partake together of the Supper of the Lord—or, as may be more conven'ent. let the whole congregation meet in the evening for public worship, and let an appropriate discourse be preached. 4th. Let the Ministers of the Lord meet on the following day, with their brethren of their own communion, in earliest prayer for themselves, their flocks, the whole body of Christ, and the world at large ; and then especially consult together upon the most effectual means for hasteningthe coming of the Lord's king dom, and particn:arly for the continuance of such a general con cert for prayer, that the year may proceed according to this de- vout commencement. May the Lord accompany these means of grace, or such others as may be adopted, with his abundant blessing ! Oli ! may it indeed be a season of special refreshment from the presence of the Lord ! Let this be the prayer of all who read this paper; and as the new year is now approaching, it would be a great kindness if those who approve the object, and have influ ence over the press, would republish and circulate this invitation, which any one, into whose hands it may fall, HAS FULL PERMISSION TO DO. Peace be with all who love the Lord Jesus in sincerity! Thus prays their affectionate Brother, And Servant in the Lord. JAMES HALDANE STEWART. Si. Bride's, Liverpool. THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD. GENERAL MISCELLANY. The Lord Chancellor is now going on favourably. The Rev. Dr. and Lady Georgiana Wolfe and family arrived in London on Friday, by the Antwerp steamer. Prince Albert has repeated his refusal to pay poor-rates for his farm at Windsor. The key of a closet door was found in the stomach of a pig slaughtered last week at York. Mr. Dickens announces a new Christmas Book, " The Cricket on the Hearth." The work of renovating Carnarvon Castle is being pro ceeded with very satisfactorily. Mr. Powell. son to the Solicitor of the Mint, was acquitted on Thursday at the Old Bailey, of the charge of passing base :oin. The extensive brick and tile works at Buckley, near Mold, are all silent, in consequence of the men having " struck for wages." About 400 hands are out of work. On Sunday night week a desperate affray took place be tween some poachers and keepers on the Bankfold Estate, near Petworth, when one of the poachers was shot dead. On Wednesday, at the Central Criminal Court, Francis Cope and John Gord, letter carriers, were sentenced to ten years' transportation each for stealing letters. T,e baths and washhouses for the poor at Glasshouse street, London, have now been in operation for six months, and have been used ipy 29,080 persons. Sound potatoes were not to be purchased under eight pence per peck in Sleaford market on Monday, and the best were sold as h'gh as 10d.— Lincoln Chronicle. John Hirst was summoned by John Wilson. at Hud dersfield, for wilfully damaging his hat by tearing off the rim ; ordered to pay 3s. damages, and 20s 6d. costs ! ! Sir Gabriel Wood has left £BO,OOO to his native town, Greenock, to be expended in erecting an hospital and almshouses, for the aged and infirm seamen of that port. A young female, of the name of Carr, late a domestic in the service of Lord Strangford, has, through the death of an uncle in India, become possessed of a fortune esti mated at XlO,OOO. Mr. North, the Maynr of Nottingham, was presented last week with two magnificent services of plate, value £BlO, as a mark of approbation of the manner in which he has discharged the duties of his mayoralty. Messrs. Wallace and Dormand, butchers, Sunderland, have transmi ted by railway to London within the last ten days the carcases of one! hundred and twenty sheep—thus commencing a new trade between Sunderland and London. A fatal accident occurred at the Bishopvrearmout h Iron Works, Sunderland, on Wednesday morning, by the burst ing of a boiler, by which four men have been killed, and thirty others dreadfully wounded. A sub,,cripti , ,n has been opened for the purpose of pre senting Lieut. Waghorn, the opener of the Overland route, with some solid mark of acknowledgment for his great services to the commerce of England and India. Mr. Duncombe having declined to receive the amount raised for the "Duncombe testimonial" in money, it is in tended to present him with a piece of plate, value £lOOO, in Decembrr next. Last week, during a storm of thunder and lightning which passed over the island of Anglesea, six cows, the property of Mr. Hughes, of Trewarwydd, we►e struck by the electric fluid, and killed. At Huddersfield, a few days since, a boy, fourteen years of age, was poisoned by taking arsenic, which had been mixed with meal, for killing rats, and which was impru dently left in a cupboard ir% taa asap. - - There is an instrument lately invented, called an " Orientator," to assist Anglo-Catholics in discovering the east; so that they may be able to say their prayers in the right direction, wherever they may be! Another parochial clergyman of Oxford is reported to have gone over to Rome; and eleven lay members of the Establishment, inhabitants, it is believed, of that vicinity, conformed last week to Popery. The hop duty has been declared at £158,008 17s. ad.; being a deficiency of about 15 per cent. on the average of years, and tends to show the probability that that per centage is the deficiency of all the grain of the present year.. . . A discovery of iron ore has recently been made in the Stanmore Fells, Westmoreland, which is likely to prove of considerable value, and is the first iron vein which has been known to exist in that county. The Earl of Thanet is lord of the manor. SUICIDE.—On Monday last Mr. Fell, a respectable wholesale chemist, at Huddersfield, terminated his exist ence by taking prussic acid. He had become involved through railway speculation. lie has left a widow and numerous family. A few days since was found in the stomach of a bullock slaughtered by A/ (-sacs, Podgar and Barnard, butchers, of Langport, a gold chain, about one yard long. The chair► is not in the slightest degree tarnished, but, when found, it was coiled up about halt way. On Tuesday morning last, a labourer on the works of the Lancashire and Carlisle railway, named Alexander Scotaton, fell fri , m the top of the working of Ewe's Cragbridge, near Pettrith, a distance of ninety-five feet, and was killed on the spot. Mr. Bass, the brewer, of Burton-on-Trent, bas written a letter to the Globe, in which he states that he has stopped the rot in potatoes by merely cutting t hem in two, and thus allowing the surplus moisture, which is the chief cause of the evil, to escape. _ _ The dog of George Beech, assistant gamekeeper to Sir John Delves Broughton, Bart., of Deddington-hall, was shot yesterday week, by a gang of poachers, and had not assistance arrived it is more tban probable the keeper would have shared the same fate. In a general order by command of the Duke of Wel lington to the army, gymnastic exercises, wrestling and boxing, after mess dinners, are directed to be discontinued, smoking is ordered to be prevented, and Lieut. Kerwan is released from his arrest. In Bermondsey, the other day, Eliza Jane Gunn, an in fant of nine months, was drowned by creeping and failin4 into a washing tub on the fiJor, containing two quarts or water, in which the mother, who had just gone up stairs, had been washing another chid. Lord Brougham has received a large accession of pro perty by the death f Mrs. O'Flaherty, an eccentric old lady of the convent of Hammersmith, and a liberal sub scriber to the London University. The lady was in no way connected with the learned lord,. . . OUR CORN CONDITION.—We believe, with a convic tion firmly fixed in our wind by investigation and reflec tion, that we are in a better plight even with regard to wheat—casting foreign supplies out of the question in both cars—than we were at the close of the harvest of 1143.—Circular to Bank , .rs. THE BERNARD TES.TIKONIAL.—A subscription has been set on foot, under the above title, to provide for the families of the gallant men who volunteered to bring the plague-ship, the Eclair, front Africa to England, and who fell victims in the attempt. Mr. Bernard was the surgeon, and went on board at the Cape de Verd 1-lands. LlBEL.—Robert Fargher, publisher of the Mona's He rald, has been sentenced to pay a fine of £lO, and to be imprisoned till the fine be paid, for inserting in his paper a letter from a shareholder and sufferer by the J oint Stock Bank swindle, which reflected on the character of the pro secutor as a bank director. _ _ _ On Monday, a young woman belonging to Oxford, called Fanny Gosling, was killed near the Abingdon station of the Great Western Railway, by inadvertently crossing it when the fast down train was passing. She was knocked down and dreadfully mutilated. The un fortunate circumstance was purely accidental. FRUIT DISEASE.—We are sorry to learn that the mur rain, or something like it, has made its appearance among both the foreign and home-grown fruits. It is said to be quite evident that the apples and pears will not keep this year, a. toe rot is making great havoc among th em. The fruit-dealers, like the potato-merchants, are hurrying their storks to market.--Greenock Advertiser. _ _ A SIGNIFICANT FACT. —The steam slave-vessel lately captured off the coast of Africa was American built, with her high-pressure eneines, and worked by American enuirseers. The nature of her propelling power—whether it is the screw, the screw-auxiliary, or the paddle-wheel, is doutful. When captured, she had on board a cargo of slaves. The papers contain an account of the visitation and chastisement of the Borneo pirates, by the squadron under she command in chief of Re.r-Admiral Sir T. Cochrane. The loss sustained by the squadron was seven killed and fourteen wounded. Tne pirates suffered sever sly, and it is believed that an end has been put to their depredations. THE POTATO DISEASR.—A communication from the Poor Law Commissioners was laid before the Hertford Guardians at their last meeting, authorising them to em ploy the poor in the workhouse in extracting the flour or starch from diseased potatoes, free of expense to any poor person who should send them to the house fur that pur pose. RELIC.—A few days since a gentleman picked up on the beach a drinking cup, similar in shape and general appear ance to those which are to be seen in the paintings of the old Flemish masters. The date of its manufacture cannot be assigned to a period less remote than 400 years. It has two handles, and is about double the size of a common claret glass.—Jersey Times. The prospectus of a new morning newspaper to be called the Morning Mail, has appeared. The capital required is £lOO,OOO, and the deposit one shilling per share. The project does not seem very likely to realize the views of the promoters, as, although the scheme has been for some weeks before the public, the balance in hand towards the required half million sterling is, as yet, only £6 7s. POTATOES. — Notwithstanding an attempt to get up a potato panic in this district, the only difference in price now and at the same period last year, is twopence a peck. It is true that a portion of the crop hereabouts has not ripened, but good potatoes are plentiful in the market, and, all things considered, at a very reasonable price, sixpence or 7d. a peck, according to the quality.—Hull Packet. At Thetford, on Thursday, a determined suicide was committed by Mr. Thompson, the principal station-clerk at the station of the Norfolk railway, by blowing his brains out with a pistol. He had recently received an in timation. that the board of directors were desirous that he should resign his situation, owing to the inability to perform its duties, partly arising from ill health, and this is supposed to have preyed on his mind, and led to the commission of the fatal act. Lova AND Muanza.—At Winchcomb, a desperate attempt at murder was made the other other day, upon the person of a young woman named Elizabeth Shillam, y John Harrod, a young man, farm servant to Mr. Smith, of Irbey. The parties had been sweethearts, and had quarrelled, and the fair one refused to be reconciled. Her cries of murder brought assistance, upon which he fled. Harrod had first attempted to strangle her with her bonnet strings, and then stabbed her with a knife. He was captured in a barn, and bas been committed for maliciously wounding. PRIZE FIGHT.—On Monday, one of those disgraceful exhibitions, called a prize fight, took place at Deepcar, betwixt two men from Barnsley. called Ogley alias the Duke's Pet, and Tattersall, alias the Railway Slasher, for £l5 a side. The fight, from what we learn, was finished in the sixth round, Ogley giving his opponent a severe blow over the jugular vein, by which blood flew from every opening in the head ; considerable alarm was created at this, amongst those concerned in the fight, as it was thought Tattersall was killed, however, be re covered, but out of time, to prolong the disgusting scene. The Gazelle of Tuesday contains two Orders in Council one admitting not and pearl ashes, and specimens illustra tive of natural history, into British possessions abroad free of duties imposed by the Act for the Regulation of the Trade of British Possessions; and the other permit ting the French to import into St. Helena, from the do minions of France, such goods, being the produce of those dominions, and to export from the said isl,nd to any foreign country such goods as they are permitted to im port or to export, respectively, into or from her Majesty's possessions in the West Indies and America. WAR.—WEST INDIA MAIL .STEAMERS.—These fine vessels were examined as to their strength for carrying guns and capabilities as war steamers, in the event of their services being required, by competent persons from Woolwich Dockya , -d before they left the East India Docks at Blacgsvall f r the conveyance of the mails, and copies of the reports were lodged at the Admiralty relative to them upwards of two years ago. Indeed the Admiralty have been for some time in possession of sufficient information to be able to arm them, and the Gensral Steam Navigation Company's and other large vessels, on the shortest notice. BECKFORD'S TOWER, AT BATH.—A sale of a small vortion of the treasures of art, collected by the late Wm. Beckford, Esq., is now in progress. The tower alone was sold on Monday for £4,400; and, with the gardens, brought 8415 guineas. it was, however, rumonred that the tower was bought in, as the estimated value of the fixtures left in the tower was £1444. The garden cost £15,000, and the land £3,000, so that at the very lowest calculation. the property must have cost Mr. Beckford £23,000. The total sum realized by the sale of the Pic tures on one day this week amounted to £3,000. The King of Bavaria and the Grand Duke Constantine of Russia, it is said, have made purchases of pictures. GALLANTRY .—A case exhibiting as much of gallantry as was to be found perhaps in the " glorious days" of chivalry, has been related to us by a friend. A little lad, with an interesting countenance, knocked at the door of a house in this town, and on it being opened, he begged alms. You look a decent lad, said the mistress of the house, how is it that you are begging ? Oh, said the young mendicant, I'm not begging for myself; Tissy Thompson's mother is poor, and has sent her out to beg ; so I'm begging for her. "With some astoni,hment at this strange tale, the lady peeped past the lad, and at a little distance off saw a girl standing, no doubt the identical "Tissy Thompson."—Bradford Observer. SINGULAR CIRCUMSTANCE ' .—Mr. Peter Mason, late of Paisley, has sent from the state of Illinois 174 rare spe cimens of animals, reptiles. and birds; but the most ex traord'nary treat in this collection is the heads of two stags, which. it appears, had met in mortal combat; but, unfor tunately for both, their antlers appear to have become so firmly fixed together that they could not extricate them selves from their unpleasant situation. There is every reason to believe that they must have lived for several months in that state, and that they must have grown to gether, as they a ere so firmly interlocked with one another that the ingenuity of man could not separate them. When found, the wolves had not left a particle of flesh on their bones.—Renfretrshire Advertiser. CATCHING A THIEF WITH A RAT-TRAP.—For some time past, Mr. Srnitherson, residing in Cannon-street, London, La u. boar. b 4st !lg.- of "rill° Cs 0111 t,ID cellar. the whole being taken from the bin nearest the door.— Upon examining closely he found that some of the bricks in the wall had hr en loosened, and, upon being taken out, an aperture sufficiently large to admit a hand and arm was apparent. Mr. Smitherson set a rat trap on the in side of the hole on 'Wednesday evening w-ek. Upon going on Thursday morning he round the bricks bad been removed, and the trap sprung, in the teeth of which he found some human skin, and a portion of a finger nail, the stealer of the wine having preferred severe laceration to detection. _ THE POTATO CROP.—The supply of potatoes to the London markets continues undiminished, but they are still of a nature that renders it to he feared that there will be a great deficiency in the spring of the year. The most diseased are those that are sent from the Yorkshire districts, called the reds; others from Scotland are the same, and are fetching from ss. to 6s. per cwt. Those from the adjacent counties—Bedfordshire, Surrey. Essex, and Middlesex—called the whites, are of a more cheering nature; they are selling, being less diseased, as high as 7s. and Bs. per cwt. The reason that the supply is so plentiful at this time of the year is owing to the a-sertion that, the disease being of such a serious nature, the longer they are kept the more they may become unfit for human food.— Globe. A PROFITABLE ANIMAL. —The celebrated heifer Myrtle, the property of the Duke of Devonshire, was purchased by his Grace at the Royal Agricultural meeting at Derby, at which meeting she won the first prize of £lO as the best yearling short-horned heifer. The same animal also gained the first prize of £lO at the York• shire Agricultural meeting. At Eoncaster. in 1843, as the best yearling heifer; and the first prize of £l5 at the Royal Agricultural meeting at Southampton, in 1844, as the best two-year old heifer. This beautiful animal was never surpassed at any exhibition, and is now only three years and nine months old; she has produced two calves at separate births, ler which, together with the darn, 300 guineas have been offered and refused.—Midland Counties Herald. THE JANUS, STEAM-SLOOP.—Several further trials have been made with this vessel, but with no better suc cess. Her engines made only eleven revolutions per minute, and sometimes even only five. It is n , w clear that this vessel is a failure, having failed in a hundred ex periments, and after having all the resources of the Chatham yard lavished on her. During all the expensive experiments on this unfortunate craft not the least im provement has been made. Wiih wheels proportioned to her nominal tower she would not make two miles an hour, and when sent to sea in this instance she did not make headway against a light sea, whereas another vessel would have run full speed. The J..nus, on going out, had only forty tons of coals and tour tuns of water on board. She is now two feet lighter than she was during her first trips, and has one and a half streak of her copper painted black, to make her appear deep in the water. Her engines are being take.) to pieces. MURDER IN LONDON.—On the evening of Thursday, Daniel Fitzgerald. a labourer in the employ of Mr. Quennel, a ra soeetable builder in Kennington lane, and a countryman of his, named Owen M'Carthy, were pro ceeding home after the labours of the day. and as they turned into Peacock-street they were met, at rather a dark spot, by a person who came in front of them, and who, without the slightest parley, or uttering a sentence, deliberately presented a pistol to the breast of poor Fitz gerald, and discharged its contents into his body. M'Car thy was so affected with the suddenness of the act and the flash of the powder upon his face, that he became powerless for a moment, and the assassin would have es caped but for the promptitude of two gentlemen, named Colton and Allen, who, witnessing the murder, instantly pursued the assassin, who had taken to his heels, and captured him. On examining the body, the surgeon found that the ball bad entered the left breast, passed through (he had not the slightest doubt) the heart, and name out at the left side of the back, so that his death must have been instantaneous. The murderer had been discharged from his employment on Saturday night, and, supposing that Fitzgerald had been the cause of his dis missal, he determined to shoot him. The prisoner is a married man, only twenty-two yens of ago. ELEVENTH REPORT OF THE POOR LAW COMMIS SIONERS,—The parochial year of 1844 is the first since 1837 which does not exhibit an increase of expenditure over the preceding year. The total number of persons relieved in the three months ending March 25th, 1844, amounted to nearly a million and a half, read were about 91 per cent. of the entire population, according to the census of 1841. Of the million and half persons relieved, the report states that a large proportion were permanent paupers. The number who were relieved in the work house was 239,818 ; and the number who received out door relief was 1,246,743. The report contains some very strong observations on the magnitude of the sums annually levied in England and Wales for the purpose of local taxation. The amount collected under the head of of poor's rate includes various county and borough rates, police, lighting, sewerage, and paving rates. most of which are not returned to Parliament ; and adding some other branches of local taxation, the Commissioners esti mate the total amount of local taxes annually levied in England and Wales, to be not less than £lO,OOO. There is a table giving returns of the pauper lunatics and idiots in England and Wales, supported by their respective parishes, in August, 1844. They amounted to 2,245 males, and 2,799 females; together 5.044. The average weekly cost of maintenance was 48 10d. bec. 2, 181 110Wint NOVEL HOAX.—On Tuesday morning, the f° r trick was resorted to by a man named John FIT : so baker, residing in Gray's Inn-road :—His wife had fe el compelled to separate from him in consequence acquired some money and furniture by the death 1. 0 _ 1 ! drunken habits, and having heard that she bad uncle, he tried every expedient to prevail upon he r to return to him, but without effect. On Tues day morning, as a last resource to procure an interview , 0: caused a message to be conveyed to her, "nt_orni_ce ing her that he was dead ; and, with the tissis l of some friends he laid himself out as if dead, eove7'. himself with a sheet. The supposed widow was not have_ before she arrived, and, upon removing the sheet to le_ a last look at the departed, she found herself clasped r . the arms of a living husband. Mutual explanatco. ensued, and there is every prospect of a speedy roe ciliation.—Morning Post. t vraS MURDER AND ATTEMPTED SUICIDII..--All quest held on Wednesday, before the Coroner of the County of he Durham, at Pittington, on the body of a child, ten mo nt h old, which was found in a burn near the river Wear. .:,1 appeared the mother of the child, Margaret Stoker , vi"" ly lives at Broomside, had borne the child illegitimate 03 the son of her master, with whom she had lived in Durbattyr and that the child bad been put to nurse with a wont_ loa.tel_y residing at Sunderland. The father had refused to ? s _l any more money towards the child, and the mother not the means of doing so, and, driven to desperation 9T_ the cruelty of the man who had deceived her, and also . 1.)1 the harsh treatment of her step-mother, she had taken child and thrown it into the burn on the preceding day. She was afterwards uneasy in her wind , l e i': herself into the burn, and would have confessed having done so to a neighbour. She also threw rot been found by a man who rescued her. The itt r i r ' . after a patient inquiry, returned a verdict of wilful ran der, and the prisoner was committed for trial. MELANCHOLY CATASTROPHE . Captain Coleco formerly of the Jane and Barbara, of this port, but ?; 11 7 lately took a vessel out from Newport to Quebec, arrived with her at Gloucester, last week. The captain and 6 wife retained during their stay at Gloucester, their hot% on hoard, and on Monday night they retired to sleep In their cabin, which unhappily was heated by a pan eg c " -- s coal. In the morning Captain Coleman's brother wen,. on board. On going to the cabin, he found the doors huSi; and on opening it, was horrified to perceive CaPtels Coleman lying on the floor with his head close to the door, insensible and apparently dead, whilst his wife was sitting perished had ono up in bed, in the act, as it would seem, of dressing herself.ef as she had the strings of her petticoat in her bands to endeavouring to tie them round her waist, but she e quite dead and cold: the one having been nearly, an d `— other altogether stifled by tie noxious fumes of the shot: coal. Captain Coleman yet remains in a most precaciou! state. Seven young children remain to bewail th e log' of an affectionate mothers—Bristol Mirror. LORDS J. RUSSELL AND 141ORPETEI ON THE COI LAWS.—A very remarkable letter from Lord J. Bu, eh to the electors of London has been published, which,' after allusion to the disease among the potatoes, slus h, " I confess that on the general subject my views har e the course of twenty years undergone a great alteration, I used to be of opinion that corn was an exception to the_ general rules of political economy ; but observation an experience have convinced me that we ought to a bstal° from all interference with the supply of food. Nei ther s government nor a legislature can ever regulate the corn market with the beneficial effects which the entire free dom of sale and purchase are sure of themselves to 1 0 i duce. It is no longer worth while to contend for a fil e duty. The government appear to be waiting for son; w excuse to give up the present corn-law. Let the peop l e, by petition, by address, by remonstrance, afford them din excuse they seek. Let the ministry propose such a teri sion of the taxes as in their opinion may render the publio hurthen more joint and more equal ; let them add Or other provisions which caution and even scrupulous for bearance may suggest; but let the rsmoval of restrictions on the admission of the main articles of food and clothing used by the mass of the people be required, in P l ,! terms, as useful to all great interests, and indi-pens aw 7 to the progress of the nation." Lord Morperh has sen t .£5 to the League. In his letter he says :—`° The contil; burion (C 5) I enclose for your immediate purposes is very trifling amount; it would not be easy to foresee tyna" calls may not be made upon any of us in the course o f the ensuing year ; but I wish to record, in the most emphsti,e way I can, my conviction that the time is come fora fi ns ' repeal of the corn-laws, and my protest against the con; dewed inaction of the state in the present emerg,encys At a meeting at Leeds, Mr. Cobden remarked, that la ! lordship's £5 was worth more than any £5,000 that ba d been previously sent to the League. MELANCHOLY MORTALITY SEWERAGE. On Monday Mr. Wakley and a jury assembled, in' .the Middlesex Hospital, for the purpose of further prosec!et" ing an inquiry relative to the respective deaths of William Lambert, aged 17, and Henry Larn'wrt, aged 12, brothel* forming two of a numerous family who bad died in th at institution under the following circumstances:— It appeared in evidence that the Lather of the decease d, who carried on the business of a painter and glairr a t No. 33, Cumberland-market, died about twelve wee° since, subsequent to which his relict, three sons, a laugh' ter, and granddaughter, had been seized with a malady which they considered was the scarlet fever. The g rand" daughter. however, dying, and the sons bect,ming dad, worse, they were, on the 4th instant. removed to the hos pital, where, on the 13th, William died, and on the 15th Henry. Mr. W. Corfe, house-apothecary, stated that the ec ceased were admitted into that hospital on Tuesday, the 4th instant. together with another brother, who still re mained there, and was gradually progressing towards re covery, They all exhibited precisely the same svoopton?St and had been attacked in the same manner. The indis tinctness of their articulation rendered it very dfficult for them to explain the na , tire of their complaint. Witness' c nsidered them to be labouring under a poisonous rffle vititn, arising from the sewer connected with the neigh bourhood in which they had resided (near Cumberlan d Market). The eldest brother, John Lambert, still sur vived. There was a great swelling about the jaws an d throat, with an excessively fcetid discharge from the mout h, and nostrils; and from the cause before-mentioned, t he y could not be catechised with regard to their condition. The most voracious appetite was shewn by them, they eating rump steaks and chops, and drinking porter in as great a quantity. Leeches were applied to the jaws. when' the knees and elbows became very much swollen and pall' ful. On examination of the body t - f the deceased Vs illiam Lambeth, atter death, he found both the knee-joints t°' contain a fluid of thick matter, and expected to find phle" hetis, but which did not appear; the membrane of the la rynx was reduced ; nothing unusual was found in the sto mach ; the lower part of the oesophagus was healthy, but there was a laceration about the gums. In a case of Poi' stifling, recorded in a German periodical, and translated by a Dr. Harrison (an extract was read by witness). the symptoms very much corresponded with those of the de- - ceased. On making a post-mortem examination of the deceased Henry, he found an extensive ulceration of the larynx, and immediately behind three large abscesseS.• each about the size of a walnut. The veins did not exhi bit any it,flammation, and the stomach, as well as. the other organs, were quite healthy. He (witness) had never during his 14 years' practice at that hospital met with se' peculiar a case. The disease was quite new to him, ands as lie had stated to the coroner when he forwarded his communication, it was his opinion that death was the re' suit of some poisonous animal matter, but what that Aug mal matter was he was unprepared to say. The case had struck all the medical men who had heard of it as one?' the most incomprehensible in the annals of the motel° medica Evidence was given as to the symptoms of the cote plaints, and the jury found a verdict that the deaths were occasioned by some poisonous effluvia unknown. - BAD' STATE OF TRADE. MANCRESTER.—The goods market has continued in a state of depression sinee our last, and little business ha.; bees don! exc •pt where parties have submitted to a slight reduction. 11 ! . the yarn market cert.in qualities of yarns, suitable for the In t dian markets. have been in fair demand, and business ' one _ B the prices of last week. The depression o' the marker 4. boat ever, not unusual at this season of the year, and as such is b° to be viewed with any alarm. Lines.—A tolerable amount of business, considering the ad vanced period of the season was dor e in our Cloth Halle ° t Saturday and Tuesday last, and though stocks or woollen g o°d are slightly on the increase, there appears no reas, n to fear tha t we not have a good winter trade. It may not be so bri.slt as it was last year; but there is every probability that the Is mand for the foreigs markets wiil be good in the early Mew." of 1846 BRADFORD.—The worsted goods-trade of this town 11 ‘; neighbourhood sti.l continues depressed, and many operativiet are but partially employed , whilst there are also many with e. any work at all. As the stocks of goods on hand are not largl, and the manufacturers are actine with great °antic) , e l " • for an increased trade, and full employment for the operativetgi_ in the course of another month, when the manufacture of sr._ des more particularly adapted tor the spring will commence. the Piece Flail, on Ttursday, the business done was oil a liMite,_ scale; the home trade houses bought but slightly and to asso.r_L their stocks the shippers did a little for the German fair - 1 7 Januiry. Prices remain pretty firm. There is no improvern e° in the wool or yarn trades. H UDDRRSFIELD.—There is no material alteration in our MI: ket on Tuesday, the demand for all kinds of goods being e xeee 4 ingly limited, and the sales effected much below ahe average " this tame last year. o HALtrax.—Our last market was rather dull in the wool trail ra and prices in short wools rather lower. The demand for Y 1 !., 0 was very similar to last week; but we do not hear of any dee_ir d in price. In the Piece Hall, business was flat, but there appe a r to be a fair bus tress (king in the warehouses, principally' 0. 6 reported to order. hanir ROCHDALE FLANNEL MARKET.—There was a decided c in the flannel market on Monday for the worse; very business was done, and the prices give , r were less than last vr The wool market has undergone very little alteration ; the W'ell ness has been extremely limited, and prices. especially of hte l ‘ wool and nils, have a tndency downwards LEICESTE o R.—There s e ci ather mcre slackness both in derhal' o ct and manufacture, but not more th.rn might be expected o re the time of year ; on the whole, we think our trade is in a 111 e healthful condition than is the case. nrifortnnatelY, in siar.. c . ' of other manufacturing districts. There is no doubt tha t P a this slack nes, is attributable to the tightness of the money . ; ket, the stagnation in the railway world (through whir - 11 a l ar tat o amount of capital is locked-up), and the tailure of t he P,'" the crop. Prices, both of good, and material, remain ILO" same.ister Chron r i cle. HOSIERY c AND LACE TRADES —The WT tight i COHOD 11°'e branch is in a stagnant state. The cut-up cotton hose trade if anything, still worse, and employment scar, er than ev e ' • i ll: improvement has taken place in some departments of .. er Leicester Lade, as they have at length applied th., India rt. 1070, welt -the French hosiers have almost universally adopt h LI er y the lag four years) with great advantage The silk slo osiolf trade is in a very dormant condition; if possible it kee, s retrograding. The fancy bobbin-net trade is now in a !Lot t t o able state. The warp lace trade is in mach the sam e P ig role, for some months past. The tatting branch is most de p io the demand L r the East having fallen off. The silk branc-n.. whether plain or Jacquard are, however. in a toler able stan s t as are the various descriptions of lap-and-press. es, sfi ofb both loi in much the causeb,bb bobbin r n te t s p a o n d d we warp p y there are still newg r ma l e n a to the nts are in progress of a most important description. Re? i t In raptures of the new provitictiou from the latter pinch Nottingham Jolorreal, De T Aveßt, Gtr .V in t ", ktlY, ItUt ttor M .ti k k 1 %TO 'lO re " to b Afri,