The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-02-13 00:00:00

TO COR.RESPONDENTz.). We are cornpolled 'o postp{?ne , nnyil weekrepc , rt, of the meeting of the Foreigu a,;-1 oti.er con - , munications. Ebe 7iltnrll tlot kAanuaro. TUESDAY MORAING, FEB. i 3, 1314. By a reference to our Irish news, it will be seen that the trial of O'Connell at:d his confederates is at length drawing to a close, if even it has not al ready done so at the time at which we write. On Saturday evening the jury returned a verdict of guilty upon the third, fourth, fifth, seventh, and eleventh counts, the purport of which will be found detailed in the report of the proceedings, which is admitted by the organs of the traversers themselves .to be equal in its consequences, to a verdict of guilty upon the whole. The return, however, was decided by Justice Crampton to be informal, owing to the jury not having said guilty, or not guilty, upon the remaining counts ; and the jury were sent back to fill up this omission. Owing to the late hour (nearly midnight) at which they retired for this purpose, it was considered best to adjourn the court over Sunday; and, nine o'clock yesterday morn ing was finally fixed upon for receiving their com plete finding. There is no probability that anything can arise from this course being pursued, to alter the effect of the decision to which the jury have al ready come. We hope to be able to give the complete verdict, Inything of importance which has transpired blin up to a late hour yesterday, in an early nd Edition, which our subscribers will be fur : hed with gratis, on application at our office. Government has at length made a move—we trust only the first of a series—to wrest the suffering working classes of England from the domination of tyrant capital. On Tuesday last Sir James Graham moved for leave to bring in a bill "to amend the act for regulating the employment of children in factories," the chief provisions of which we shall briefly place before our readers, preliminary to a few observations which we feel bound to offer upon them. It is proposed, in the outset, that the term " child" should be defined to apply to children between the ages of 9 and 13, instead of 8 and 13, the age pro vided for under the existing act; and that no such child should he employed for a longer time than six hours and a-half each day—such six and a-half hours to be either in the morning or the afternoon. The term " young persons" is to apply, as under the existing act, to persons between the ages of 13 and 18 years ; and, so far as relates to this class of workpeople, no material alteration is proposed, be yond the extension of the present restrictive clauses to silk mills, which have hitherto not been under regulation as to the hours of labour. The time at which it is proposed that such "young persons " should work, is from half-past five o'clock in the morning to seven o'clock in the evening, during the summer months, and from half-past six o'clock, a. m., until eight o'clock, p. m., in the winter; thus making thirteen hours and a half per day, of which one hour and a half would be allowed for " meals and rest I" Under the present law, all persons above the age of eighteen, without distinction of sex, have been treated as adults, and no limitation of the hours of labour imposed. Acting, however, upon the repre sentations of the Factory Inspectors, with respect to the injurious results of the long hours of labour imposed upon fema!es, Sir James Graham has decided that no female should, under any circum• stances, be required to work for more than twelve hours out of the twenty-four—the inspectors them selves recommend ten hours as the extreme ; thus placing them under the clause which applies to the la bour of "young persons," viz :—imposing upon them attendance for thirteen hours and a half per day, with an hour and a half for "meals and rest." Regula tions are also proposed for restricting the existing power of making up for short time, for providing against accidents from machinery, and for other remedial purposes. The educational clauses, which last year excited so violent an uproar in the camp of dissent, are omitted in the present bill, the Govern ment contenting itself with providing that a cer tificate from some school should be a necessary condition to a child receiving employment, and insisting that sufficient time be allowed for school attendance. Of course the voluntary efforts now making to provide efficient schools, have bad some share in inducing this determination. We cannot say that we are at all satisfied with this measure, although we acknowledge the value of many of it' provisions. So far as the clause limiting the hours of labour of children, from nine to thirteen years of age, is concerned, it has our unqualified approbation. No child of such tender years ought to be immured in the factory for more than half the working day, thus depriving it of the recreation necessary to its growth and health, and of the opportunity of mental cultivation. But we should have been glad to see some provision made, with respect to the kind of schools empowered to grant certificates. If we do not insist upon the education provided being education in the tenets of, and regu lated by, the Church of England, still we are bound to take care that it is sound and wholesome educa tion, conducted by competent persons, and not the mockery of education which has been afforded un der the existing measure. With respect to the clauses affecting "young persons" between the ages of thirteen and eighteen Years, we have strong objections to them. For a boy of such tender years—for a girl just verging upon womanhood—who can deny that thirteen hours and a half's attendance upon the drudgery of the factory, with but an hour and a half per day for " meals and rest " (!)—for meals which, in five cases out of nine, must be taken with the factory floor for a table, and "rest " which cannot be taken at all—is a slavery alike destructive to health and to morality ? Such a proposition is disgraceful to Sir James Graham, and savours far too much of the heartless utilitarianism of " liberal" philosophy to be acceptable to the English people. It will be scouted, we do not hesitate to say, by nine-tenths of the manufacturing population, who, for this class of workers at least, must have and will have a TEN Houßs BILL. There is one consideration connected with these and the preceding clauses, which strikes us as a formidable obstacle to their working advantageously together. You restrict the labour of children, under thirteen, to six hours and a half per day, and thus render necessary a double set: of such hands for each factory. You have thus a growing population training up to factory labour, one half of whom may possibly be surplus hands on reaching the age when they may be allowed to be plunged into the full drudgery of factory life. What, we ask, is to he done with this surplus ? The difficulty of the ques tion is great, and we do not pretend to be able to solve it satisfactorily. It must be met, however; and we cannot see how, except by further restric tions on the hours of labour of the class styled " young persons," arc? !,T:i!Ett.;o,7l rf th e bur 8 nAfemale ;`ebour. '%Ve Ill,ve long dep!ored—every humane ulLtn bas long deplored— lie subsittv.ion, which has been past, of female for going on extensively for years male labour in factories. Sir James Graham proposes—beneficently (.0) proposes—that no female shall, under any circumstances, he permitted to work for more than twelve hours continuously. The young mother of an infant in the cradle, whose unemployed husband is tending it at home, if he is not at the beer -house or the dram-shop, shall not be permitted to withdraw the maternal breast and the maternal care, for more than twelve hours in the day. Excfeding humanity of' a Conservative government ! The mother, whose child is, or should be, attending the factory school, must remain at her toil until seven o'clock in summer and eight o'clock in winter, and leave that child to the guiding of his own inclinations, or of the vicious companions whom he may meet in the streets. Rare philan throphy of a Christian legislature ! We trust that English fathers and English mothers will not per mit, in this age, the recognition by parliament of such an atrocity. The women of the manufacturing districts must be dragged from this slavery. It is revolting and barbarous. If we must have women toiling in our factories, give them, at least, some remission of that toil which the constitution of man is alone fitted to endure. Give, to the daughters of England and the mothers of England, protection from the avarice which would doom them to the body's and the soul's ruin, to save a farthing in the cost of a bun dle of yarn or a piece of calico. Give them the protection of that restriction of their hours of labour which will alone tempt the greedy mill-owner to take the husband and the father from their present state of compulsory idleness, and restore the daughter, the wife, and the mother to their houses and their domestic purity and usefulness. England requires this from Sir Robert Peel's Go vernment; and to her repeatedly urged demands the measure before us is an INS ULT. Now, indeed, is wanted amongst us the presence of the factory people's friend—the lately-prisoned Oastler I Thank Heaven, his dungeon is unbwred His voice, impressing upon the hearts of the British people, already opened to the cause of their suffer ing working classes, the iniquities of the system of our manufacturing districts, will seal the fate of these iniquitous and mocking provisions of Sir James Graham's measure. The comments, in our last, upon Mr. Alderman Evans' apppeal to the public in opposition to the proposed plans of dock extension, appear to have flurried that gentleman, if we may judge from the tone of the reply, with which he has favoured us in the Mercury of Friday last. We shall not imitate him. Passion should never enter into the discussion of such questions as the one which we have now in hand ; and whilst we propose heze to examine the facts and figures put forward by Mr. Evans, we shall deal with his ill temper in another place. In fairness to the Alderman, and to enable our readers the better to understand the question at issue, we give his letter entire. DOCK EXTENSION. To the MERCHANTS and TRADERS of LIVERPOOL. It is neither my taste nor my necessity, in defence of 'my statements as to dock accounts, to bandy scurrilities with "editors" who assume, in the way of trade, the re sponsibility of articles which, from the knowledge they evince of details, are, if not penned, probably prompted by some member of the Dock Committee, an advocate of those measures which I oppose. The scurrilous epithets applied to my letter in the Albion by a mercenary scribe, or his recondite prompter, being the expected consequence of my advocacy of the public interests, can give me no concern. The state- menrs which I have given of dock finances are, with one ' exception, (a correction I felt justified in making,) based upon the printed and written documents furnished to me from the Dock-office. The correction consisted of sums to the amount of about £14,000, which, after close inves- tigation, appeared to me, and to another gentleman of the committee particularly skilled in dock accounts, to have been incorrectly placed to the debit of " New Works," instead of being, as this should have been, placed to the account of "Repairs, &c." For this trans fer I consider I have the virtual authority of the surveyor, in his declaration to me that the lowest allowance that should be made for " Repairs and Casualties" was £35,000 per annum. This so far exceeds the sum £25,828, stated in the dock accounts, under the head of " Repairs." as to show the latter to be a manifest error. A more extended classification, and a more accurate distribution of disbursements under the respective heads, is wanted for the purpose of ascertaining the real surplus• or deficit of dock revenue. If a sum is placed errone ously to the account of " New Works," it does not enter into the statement of annual expenditure, and so far im pairs the correctness of the statements, making the ba lance, or, in this instance, the surplus income, appear to be larger than it truly is. I will not again go into the details of my former state ments. They were drawn out with the intention of being correct, and I believe they wilt be found, in any case,, a sufficient approximation to facts to support the general tenor of all that I have urged in respect to the impro priety and danger of accomplishing the projected new works. We are told that only a portion of these new works is to he constructed " at once," " some of them not at all." 1 know of co authority for this dictum, or this mode of carrying out or partially evading the act which goes to the full extent of the surveyor's project, arid which act, once got, may, and probably will, be forced by intorested parties into full operation. The promise of not laying out the whole sum to be raised is truly seductive, but it unfortunately happens that the quantity of land to be purchased north and south will, in limine, dispose of a large portion of the contemplated, to be borrowed, capital. The agreement with the Leeds canal will doubtless make some small abatement of the estimates, bait the spare ❑nmade land at the extreme north, which had escaped my memory, may well be set off against remota future con tingencies. I freely admit that the Albert Dock warehouses, whets permitted to be built, will produce a far greater return than interest of money expended in their construction, but for the Albert or other new docks no claim for addi tional revenue can be allowed, unless the trade of the port increases to the extent of the work they do, otherwise new docks will only take business from the older ones. In this case, the expense of new as well as old docks will fall upon an income which can be kept up only by very much increased dock rates. But whether trade increases or not, I am well assured that unless warehouses be constructed ' to a considerable extent round the docks on this side, not only new but old trade will find other domiciles than the open docks of Liverpool. EYRE EVANS. In its main points, then, the Alderman adheres to his statement of last week, in which he sheaved a deficit of £70,000 per annum, as the result of the execution of the plans at present before the Dock Committee, provided that the revenue of the Dock Estate remains at its present amount. We must see, therefore, by what kind of logic and arithmetic he has arrived at that statement. Here are his original figures : " The interest on £1,798,000, the present debt, as it stands £73,815 Interest upon £475,000, to be still raised for 18,904 Albert Dock Interest upon cost of land and proposed new docks, £ 1,300,000 Lighthouse, telegraph, lifeboats, &C. Management, police, dock-gatemen, &c., for the old docks and Albert Dock Lamps and miscellaneous expenses for existing Docks a n d Alb ert D oc k ... Annual repairs and casualties on existing docks and Albert Dock Proportion of re p a i rs , casua lti e s, and other ex penses which accompany dock extension, on proposed new docks 44,796 ... 39,000 £288,093 Deduct interest on Albert Dock ware houses £12,000 Balance of rents to be acquired from yards, &c., north and south, less £7,000 to be lost on Messrs. E. Chal loner and Duncan's yards 14,000 £274,093 " If to this," he continues, " we add any expense which may, however absurdly, he imposed for disposing of the mud taken from the docks, we may, possibly, have an annual outlay of somewhere abo u t £ 290,000 ; f ro m which deduct the present revenue of . - C216,000, and a deficit ap pears of above z€ 70,000 per annum, which, unless trad , e , increases, must be provided for by increased dock-rates. For the present pss• by the question whether 'ff-IE rvEPPOM WI'ANIMRD cl waa, aaxiaas only i.ad bad a rigat iu drag into an account of thi res')urces of the Dock Estate the whole of the first three items, amounting to ~--'2144,719, when no less than -P33,899 of that sum is interest upon the supposed cost of new works, for which he does not give the estate credit for a shilling of revenue. Deduct the whole of these items, however, from his amount of £233,093; and we have the cost of working the docks put down at £143,374 per annum. Now what was the cost of working our existing docks last year It was £31,520 ; and the assump tion, therefore, is, that to work the proposed new docks will cost an additional sum of no less than £61,854 ! Of itself this is astounding enough; but let us look at the details. In the first place we have put down under the head of " Lighthouse, telegraph, lifeboats, &c., the sum of £15,000." The sum which covered these items last year was £14,700, of which f 5,500 was paid for the new iron light-ship. The present average expense under this head may, there fore, fairly be calculated at £lO,OOO. Again we have " Management, police, Sc . c." for existing docks, and Albert Dock, put down at £31,685. Last year it was £29,057. The Albert Dock, therefore, is to cost us £2,600 additional under this head; and yet such additional cost of the Alderman's pet scheme is held out as an argument against the construction of the proposed new docks. Further, we have the " Annual repairs and casualties," on existing docks and Albert Dock, put down at £44,796. Last year it was only £25,823 ; and we are to conclude, there fore, that the Albert Dock is to involve us in an in creased expenditure of £19,000 for repairs ! But the estimate for repairs this year is, the Alderman tells us now, " a manifest error." It may be. We should imagine, however, that it is not very likely to be so, notwithstanding the discovered £14,00u by himself and the gentleman "particularly skilled in dock accounts." Parties—and especially engineers and surveyors—engaged in the construction of new works are not ordinarily in the habit of in creasing their apparent cost, at the risk of running beyond their estimates, by debiting them with the 1 repairs of old works. An error on the other side would be a credible occurrence. But the most outrageous supposition in this state ment is that the repairs, &c., of the new docks pro posed will amount to an annual sum of £39,000. Yes, £39,000 for the repairs of new docks, contain ing a water space of less than 50 acres, if the whole of the plans were carried out; whilst the old docks, with a water space of more than go acres, are re paired for £26,000. Really, Mr. Evans, you will find few sane people who will gulp down so mani fest an absurdity ! But now, let us ask Mr. Evans how it is that, in this statement, he has no difficulty in giving us the amount of increased expenses incurred by the for mation of the Albert Dock and warehouses, and yet only credits that portion of the estate with a return of 12,000. For his contemplation and , that of the public, we will present him with his own account of this, his pet speculation.' We have, then, first— nterest on present new Ipplied to liwt Dock and works, £421,940, per annum Interest on money to be borrowed, pen annum Additional police, &c., for Albert Dock,. per annum Increase in annual repairs, taking as our basis the- Alderman's own calculation of £35,000 as- the amount now expended 18,904 2,600 9;796 E. 49,295 This large sum, then, of £49;205 is to be the annual cost of the Albert Dock and works, toward which we are only to- look for a revenue from them of £12,000 , ! Yes: this very fair and very honest statement, which the Alderman boasts that he can substantiate, represents the dock estate as a loser, by his own favourite scheme, to the extent of MORE THAN THIRTY-SEV3N THOUSAND POUNDS , PER ANNUM ! Surely, the most bitter opponent of this scheme could never have put forth a statement so damning. We ourselves have certainly no fear that a result so disastrous will attend the working of this- dock and its warehouses. We have some little confidence in the Alderman's sagacity; and, when we remem ber that the estimated revenue to be derived from this dock was laid before the committee on the bill at £12,000 or £14,000 a year, and the revenue of the warehouses at more than £40,000 per - annum, we cannot imagine it possible that such splendid prospects can have altogether evaporated,. without Mr. Evans taking some steps to-arrest the progress of works so ruinous. Mr. Evans says now that, "for the Albert or other new docks, no claim for additional revenue can be allowed,, unless the trade of the port in creases to the extent of the work they do." Why, of course. Any. blue-coat I:oy could have told us that. But the trade of the port will increase; has gone on increasing for years past, and. is increasing still. It increased, for tonnage, goods, and lights, by an amount of 121,751 Bs. 7d., or,. Xll 17s. 6d. per cent. in one year. And yet it is doubtful— is it ?—whether the Albert Dock, with its addition, two years hence, of ten per cent. to our dock space, can find any business except what it draws from that of our existing docks. Another increase of ten per cent. in our trade will absorb the additional space afforded us by the Albert Dock, and leave our other docks in their present crowded state; and that increase, we venture to say, will occur long before the completion of the Albert Dock ! But turn we now to the question, as it affects the dock bond-holders, amongst whom Mr. Alderman Evans is endeavouring to get up a panic. Let us see what is the state of their property. The earnings of the working docks last year, as given by the Alder man himself, was The expenditure of the working docks (exclusive of new works and in terest on new debt) was, last year, 138,725 18 3 The excess, therefore, of revenue over expenditure was This is, therefore, the surplus which Mr. Evans says we shall not only get rid of by the formation of our proposed new decks, but create in its place a defi ciency of £70,000 per annum. Now, bearing in mind the fact that the Canal Company have agreed to execute a portion of the new works; that the proposed mole at the entrance of the north docks will not be wanted ; that the graving docks on the parliamentary plan will only be wanted in part ; we are certainly warranted in taking the whole expense of the new works at £1,120,000, not £ 1,300,000 as estimated by Alder man Evans. The interest, therefore, which will fall upon the dock estate we put down at £44,800 To this add the interest upon half the new debt, say £480,000, at four per cent. .• • 19,200 And we have as the new fixed charge upon the estate , to he deducted from the present surplus revenue of ,E 77,00. But ,i 75,000 will be derived from the rents £64,000 of land on the Harrington estate, which, added to the daerence bek ween t 77,000 and £64,000, will give Ili a clear surplus still of £18,000; a sum more than adequate to meet the increased expense of management, which Mr. Evans so exaggerates, whilst the dock trustees will have at the north, when the works there are finished, from 300,000 to 400,000 square yards of valuable land to dispose of. . Grant, then, that for the six, or more, years which must elapse before our new docks are finished, the trade of Liverpool should stand still—a most improbable supposition—and we have still a sufficient income to meet all the demands upon us, without the bugbear of increased dock rates, with which Alderman Evans would fright the bond-holders of our dock estate, and arrest the progress of improvement. INCREASE OF THE COTTON TRADE OF GREAT BRITAIN. Mr. Charles Hindley, M.P. for Ashtcn-under-Lyne, although a member of the league, has ever been acknow ledged as a sincere friend of the working classes; and we have, therefore, pleasure in calling attention to some statements made by him during the debate on the motion for the introduction of a new factory bill. We are con tinually being told by the whig•radical party that any legislative interference between the labourer and his em ployer would be injurious to commerce. Mr. Hindley, however, has reminded us that whereas, in 1833, previous to the factory bill of Lord Althorp (which, to some ex tent, protected the labourer), the annual exportation of cotton was only 66,000,000 lbs.; it is at present 158,000,000 lbs.,—being a difference of 130 per cent. in favour of a lenient system of treatment for the working classes! In 1833, the annual consumption of cotton in this country was 169,000,000 lbs., or greater by 66 per cent. ! We tecommend these facts to the league and their bantling, the Anti-monopoly Association of Liverpool. Again, we are told by these bodies that there has been, up to this time, no material alleviation of the condition of our manufacturing interest. What says Mr. Hindley, howeverP Why—that " NEW MIILLS WERE ON THE POINT Or TIEING BUILT IN LANCASHIRE!" And yet, in the face of this fact, with a deficient cotton crop, and an assurance of an increase of trade sufficient to justify the erection of more factories, we were told the other day, by a fustian manufacturer,—a director of the Bank of Manchester,—that the brokers of Liverpool, in advancing the price of the raw material (cotton), were "picking the pockets of the manufacturers!" Surely the gentleman who uttered this piece of insolence can never have read the letters of the Rev. Sydney Smith; for, certainly, if an American—a member of the repudiating state—ought, before entering honest society in Great Britain, to offer his purse to one creditor of the model republic, his coat to another, and his hat to a third, a director of the Bank of Manchester ought to make some restitution to the shareholders of that mis managed concern, before he ♦entures to twit others with dishonesty r We could say more on this subject; but our Man chester liberals, without having the decency of forbearing to slander their neighbours, have become too fond of directing the penalties of the law of libel against those who offend their high-mightinesses, to render it safe on the part of a journalist to whisper an unwelcome truth in their ears. REVIEW OF THE COTTON MARKET. Oh Tuesday, the 6th instant, at the-close of 'Charge, the sales were reported' at 13,000 bales,. which restored to the market the tone and firm feeling it had lost on the pr..-j- -- 18- day. On Wednesday all was excitement, the pi ....et - was off, and the delivery of her papers shewed a tremendous falling off in-the receipts at the shipping ports ; nevertheless,. speculation in America bad almost sub sided, and although the sales reached from 10,000 to 12,000 bales, yet Tuesday's extreme rates were barely supporteck Thursday, the . enquiry was not to any great extent, and the sales were only 3000 bales,. without any change in price. On Friday, there was a good at tendance of the trade, who-purchased about 5000 bales; late in the day, speculators- also operated to the extent of 4000 or 5000 bales. Gn- Saturday, the market ap peared quiet; the fact of a-short crop seemed to gain credence, and' fully 12,000' were sold, half of them to speculators, 4000 of these were Surats, sold by one house; this extent of demand cleaned-the market pretty well of all saleable cotton ;—prices were imperceptibly tighten ing. On Monday (yesterdiy); there appeared no lack of enquirers, and 7000' bales were sold, 2000 of them only ter speculators—viz., 1300 SuratS, and 700 Brazil. With all this business- doing we may remark that holders do not show their Cotton freely, and will only sell at very extreme prices.- The steamer of the Ist is hourly expected. RUMOURED , PROJECT OF A LFNE OF PACKETS BETWEEN NEW YORK AND HULL. The Albion of yesterday callsthe attention of the Dock Committee to a rumour, put forth by the Hs-11 Packet, and:noticed in our last, that "there is a company pro jected for establishing a regular line of packets between New York and Hull." The grounds upon which these projectors base their hopes of the success of their scheme, are the low rate of• port charges in Hull compared with Liverpool, and at less expensive inland carriage. (!) From this rumour, our contemporary says, the Dock Committee ought to derive a valuable lesson, and to "eschew taking any steps which may tend to increase the dues already complained °tits too heavy..!' In reply to this piece of fudge, we shall only assure our contemporary that the Dock Committee are taking no steps likely to increase the dues of the port of Liver pool ; and that the projected company is only a bubble, of which, at about three guesses, we couid name the authors. The Leeds Railway Company, and the Hull and- Selby Canal Company, would, no doub,:, like vastly to see the cotton of America,. all, or the great bulk, of which is consumed on this side of the range of bills bordering Lancashire and Yorkshire, an 3 borne along their various lines; but the people of Lancashire are not likely to adopt so very pretty and very costly a whim as this importation at Hull, with its increased freights, and with above a hundred miles carriage, would prove to them. The Albion had better look out for some other anti dock extensio&bugbear. This won't do ! OASTLER IS FREE.—The good dead is done ! The earnest desire-of the people is gratified. The prison door has been opened, and the poor man's friend is liberated. Mr. Oastler was yesterday released from his confinement ; and, we perceive that a placard has been issue& one of which was left at our office last night, calling upon his friends to form in procession on Shrove Tuesday. and conduct their champion from Brighouse station, to Hud dersfield. No doubt the people will assemble in thou sands on such an exciting occasion. LECTURES.. ON THE EVILS OF THE FACTORY SYS TEM.—We understand that the large body of the Com mercial Hall will be thrown open this evening to the pub-. lie of Liverpool, to hear the second lecture of the series now in course of being delivered there by. Mr. Mackin tosh, from the Episcopal Church of Scotland, when, we have no doubt, the evils of the factory system will be ably pointed out. THE FUNDS/ SATURDAY NIGHT.—The public securi ties have maintained tolerable firmness, and although bu siness has been limited, there appear to be no symptoms of an unfavourable change. Bank Stock left oli 192 to 194; Consols for money and the account, 971 to ) 1; Ex chequer-bills, 675. to 695. premium ; India Stock, 277 to 279 ; Three-and-a-Half per Cents. Reduced, 103 to i; New Three-and-a-Half per Cents., 102 to -1; Long An nuities, 12i; and ditto 30 years, 12 11-10. The fluctua tions in the foreign stocks were trifling. Spanish con. tinues flat at 23 to 1 for the Actives, and 32} to 4 for the Three per Cents. Mexican closed at al-Z tof for the Five per Cents., and 104 to 118 for the Deferred ; Dutch Two and-a-Half per Cents. were 554 to 4 ; Danish, 864 to 874; Colombian, 121 to 4; Chilian, 103 to 105; Brazilian, 784 to 794; Belgian, 1054 to 1064 ; and Peruvian, 27 to 4. GENERAL TOM THUMB, JUNIOR.—Our readers have no doubt heard of an ingenious gentleman in London who advertized his intention on a certain evening, to get into a pint bottle upon the stage, sing a song out of the bottle neck, and perform sundry other surprising feats. The small gentleman, whose name h ea d s thi s not i ce , an d whose qualifications will be found recorded in our advertiz ing columns, cannot—as when put to the proof his London prototype could not—get into quite so small a vessel as a pint bottle; but we can assure our readers that a visit to him will not excite them to tear up the benches of the Portico in their rage of disappointment, as was the ease of his fabulous rival. He is, in very deed, a prodigy ; and should be seen by all who delight in prodigies, as well as by those who wish to look upon one of nature's strange freaks. DEATH FROM Porsos.—Yesterday an inquest was held before P. F. Curry, Esq., the borough coroner, on view of the body of Mr. Thomas Hannah, of Lionel-street. The wife of the deceased said that he was a druggist. About half-past two o'clock on Thursday night he came home in a very dull way, and appeared stupefied, as if he had been asleep somewhere. He complained of being cold ; sat by the fire a few minutes, and was then got to bed. He did not sleep, but was restless during the night, and did not speak. He continued in the same state till about two o'clock on Friday, when he asked for a sweating pow der, which was given to him. He was very cold all the time. About four in the afternoon he fell asleep and never roused again, but continued in that state until about eight in the evening, when he died. He had been in deli cate health ; a pp eare d t o b e i n a d ec li n e, a n d was i n th e habit of taking different articles of medicine when he felt unwell. The witness did not know of what the sweat ing powder was composed.--Mr. Arnold. surgeon, said he was called to th e d ecease d b e f ore hi s d ea th, an d f oun d hi m insensible,. and ev id en tly l a b our i ng un d er t h e e ff ec t s of narcotic poison. He administered such stimulants as he thought proper, but he never rallied. On a post mortem examination he found the cause of death to have Pro ceeded from taking opium —Verdict accordingly, but by whem administered no evidenc,?, MR. ALDERMAN EVANS. Mr. Alderman Evans is, it is well known, in profession, a liberal" of the first water. Ile has ever been I:nown as a thoroughgo'ng advocate of the rights of free discus sion—as an advocate of " the liberty of the press." Nay, so far as this powerful engine is concerned, he has even been known to dabble anonymously in authorship —to creep behind the screen of the editorial chair, and thence to ding his venom in the faces of his political opponents. But, alas! the world has all along been mistaken in the character of this most " liberal" man. The worthy al derman—the friend of free discussion—shrinks before the first application of the knout to his acknowledged literary offspring ; and takes refuge in his abstruse knowledge of a vocabulary which we cannot consent to imitate. This amiable gentleman, defeated alike in the Dock Committee and the Council, appealed last week, through the columns of the Albion, to a higher tribunal than either of these bodies—viz., public opinion. Upon that letter we remarked—certainly in as respectful a tone as it deserved—in our last publication. For so doing, we are termed by him, in a letter since addressed to the Mercury, (upon which we have commented at length elsewhere,) a " mercenary scribe"—one with whom Mr. Evans would not willingly descend to " bandy scurrilities." We cer tainly do not complain of this. On the contrary we are pleased to see our opponent exhibit himself in his true colours—put off the assumed garb of a gentleman. But may we ask him—if he can keep his temper whilst we ask him—in what respect are we " mercenary scribes?" Such a character, we have always thought, belonged to those who, for gain, advocated any particular views, opposed to their judgments and their principles. Does Mr. Alder man Evans mean to say that we have ever been guilty of this l,aseness? We will not "descend" to use in reply the favourite language of the alderman. We will not "fling back the insinuation in his teeth with indigna tion, &c., for in truth we cannot feel indignation —we cannot feel even contempt —we can feel only pity for the utterer of a charge so silly and ridiculous. Perhaps, however, we may he wrong in this. Perhaps, Mr. Evans. in the course of his experience as a public man, has discovered such an animal as a " Mercenary Scribe ?" We trust however he has not been ao fortunate as to do so in _Liverpool. In one sense, no doubt, he may have found such. Editors are, we suppose, in general, paid for their labours ; but surely Mr. Alderman Evans —this advocate for free discussion, and friend of the liberty of the press—does not impute such payment as disgraceful to the receiver. He would not have men who toil in the endeavour to direct public opinion, to the best of their poor judgement, aright, eating the bread of charity and deprived of that feeling of personal indepen dence which that man must have who lives either by the sweat of his brow or the honest exercise of his inte lect. We would remind Mr. Alderman Evans that, by this sneer against us—which is a sneer as well against every writer for the public press—he is guilty of ingratitude the most monstrous and inexcuseable. if there is any public man, within the circle of our acquaintance, more indebted than another to the patient indulgence of the press, it is this very man, who is now angry because he is kicked from the pinnacle to which they have aided in raising him. REPEAL ACHTATION AND ANTI-CORN-LAW AGITATION, ONE! Conservatives have,. as a body, been too much accus tomed to regard the league as a body agitating a mere fiscal question. We have never viewed it as ouch. We have looked at the constitution of that body. We have seen amongst its ranks the most violent and hitter ene mies of the church and the institutions of our land. We have detected in its proceedings a recklessness as to con sequences, which has convinced us that it is prepared, at any moment, to associateitself with instruments the most vile, and to embark in projects fraught with the destruc tion of the greatness, the peace, and the liberties of Eng land. As a proof of the correctness of these views, we now appeal to a witness whose evidence will be regarded as tolerably conclusive upon the question. We appear to DANIEL O'CONNELL, who at meeting of the Repeal Association last week, thus boldly urm►asked his own views and the views of the Anti-Corn-Law-League! " 1 rise," exclaimed the arch traitor,• " - for the purpose of cheering you on with the assurance of success by abstaining from vio!ence or outrage. lam sure that what I say will be heard and observed' from the Giant's Cause way to Cape Clear, from Connemara to the Hill of Howtb. The ministry have set their face directly against the Ant i League, and the Anti-Corn-Law- League will necessarily be driven to rouse the people of England—to bring them to consider the constitution of tae House of Commons and the organic changes necessary.. A reform in parliament will necessarily follow the e f forts of the Anti-Corn-Law League to procure the enlargement of the franehise, and not leaving the aristocracy of Eng landlhe sole dominion over the constitution of that house, and when , they combine with Joseph Slurge and his com plete suffrage movement they will ha2te ensured a triumph. SUCH' A PARLIAMENT AS THAT WOULD AT ONCE TARE THE REPEAL QUESTION• INTO THEIR CONSIDERATION." An An i-Corn Law Parliament will at once take the Repeal question into elnsideration !' Hear you that, Conservatives of Liverpool? The object, for which this conspirator against the integrity of the empire spouted upon Anti-Corn Law platforms, in Manchester and else where, is stow palpable—is now acknowledged.. The An ti brra va.- Longue and the Re peed As.ociation are tune. A. second Lichfield House Conspiracy made them one. The objects are common objects—the abasement of all that is great and noble izt the land before a rampant mill ocracy, and the prostration of your Protestant Church and your protestant liberties beneath the feet of a mix ture of intolerant dissent, of furious infidelity, and of popery ! Surely you will be warned, at length, and awake from the lethargy with which you hav3 hitherto regarded this instrument in the hands of Daniel 0' Conndl—the Anti-Corn Law League ! RODNE7,STREET CUURCH.—On Tuesday, the", 20th instant, at noon, it is the intention of the committee and members of the congregation to proceed to the election of a minister; We understand the choice lays between Dr. Freeland, Mr. Brown and Mr. Frazer. THE Duct TRUST.—We understand it is the intention of the shipowners to memorialize the Board of Trade with the view to alter the present constitution of the Dock Trust, praying that the Dock Committee should be in creased to twenty-four members, the rate-payers to elect twelve, instead of eight representati7es, as at present, for the purpose of deliberating on the wants and considering the interests of their constituents, redressing their grieve ances, and attending to their legitimate desires, as well as to counteract the present preponderating political power of the corporation in the committee ; and to la/the foun dation for more salutary channs in the administration, of the dock estate, with the view to afford due protection to both the bond-holders and rate-payers. CHURCH COLLE:fIONS.—A member of St. Andrew's congregation has favoured us with.the following statement of the collections at that church during the past year, amounting in the whole to £sl4,,namely : Feb. 12, Church Building Society.. Mar. 25, St. Andrew's Schools May 21, Church Missionary Society ..... July 9, Church of England Schools Aug. 27, Church Pastoral Aid Society.. Oct. 8, Diocesan Church Building Society „ 15, Jews Society Nov. 5, Scripture Reader Dec. 31, St. Andrew's Infant School We are informed that the Lord Bishop of the diocese will preach two sermons on Sunday next, On behalF of the schools connected with the church, on which occasion the Mayor has signified his intention of bring present. 113 4f► 53 34. 34 - - SHOP Lle:llTlNG.—Yesterday, at the Police -court, a man named John Hoskisson, and a boy of the name of Robert Haynes, were charged with being concerned in entering the shop of Mr. Reynolds, grocer and provision deaer, 140, Burlington-street. It appeared that Mr, Reynolds and his family had left the house on Sunday to attend worship. During their absence, and abont seven in the evening, a girl who lived in the cellar under the house, and who was playing with sothe.others in the street, ob served the younger prisoner and another boy coming, out of the shop, with each a handkerchief containing something in his hand. They closed the door after them. The elder prisoner, a cripple, who is suspected to follow the voca tion of " teaching the young idea bow to steal," was seen in company with the two boys that day, and was also ob served going in the direction towards the shop shortly be fore it was broken open. The alarm was given, and Haynes was apprehended by police-officer M`Taggart (279) while running across a piece of vacant ground in making his way towards Marybone. A handkerchief, con taining a quantity of copper money, which be had thrown down to disencumber himself, was afterwards picked up near the spot. Four skeleton keys were also found, with one of which it appeared the shop had been opened, and again locked. The property missed was about twelve pounds of tea and £2 ss. in loose copper money. About 61b. of the tea was also recovered, and the copper money in the handkerchief amounted to 30s. As there was a chance of the other boy being found, both the prisoners were remanded, the witnesses, however, being bound over to appear at the sessions, to which they will no doubt be committed for trial this day. LANCASHIRE PRESBYTERY. — Wednesday last was the day fixed for the meeting of this Presbytery. On that day the Rev. Messrs. Campbell, Rennyson, Cleland. Foster, 'Welsh, and several elders, members of Presby tery, and other gentlemen, repaired to Rodney-street church, the ordinary place of meeting. Mr. Welsh stated that he had received a letter from Mr. Boggie, which stated that Mr. Boggle had been in communication with many individuals in connection with Rodne y -street church and that " the intention of the g entlemen adherin g to t he presbytery of Lancashire to hold a meeting in that church, on Wednesday next, is dia metricall y o pp osed to their wishes and will give them great offence; and further, that in their belief all those that attend such meeting will be acting in contempt of the Court of Chancery, and, con sequently at their own peril. The presbytery, in conse sequence, repaired to the vestry of Oldham -street church. The Rev. Mr. Clugston, of the Free church, Forfar, was requested to sit as a member of court. An extract of the deliverance of the free presbytery of Forfar was read, agree ing to the translation of the Rev. D. Ferguisorkto the pas toral care of the congregation recently formed and meeti ng in the m ec h an ics Institution, and this induction was fixed to take place to-morrow. The presbytery then consented position as mi n _ to the translation of the Rev. Mr. Rennys on to one o r the churches in Paisley, and they unanimously expressedf M their sympathy with r. Mourn as to the interference of the Presbytery of Edinbur g h w ith hi s inter. seribed '' xlitombetrot,,,Baardrbsotuhre erection of th e c h urc h in 1111 - , Esq., of M anc h ester, has sub tie-street, for the new Presbyterian congre,,ation,}of which the 11ev. Mr, Fergussou is to be inducted tnini6ter, Feb. 13, 1844. LATEST FROM SPAIN. Madrid journals and correspondence of the 4til instant have been received. The Gazette publishes a despatch , . addressed by the Minister of War to General goncali, directing him, in the name of the Queen, to shoot the 3 0 insurgents taken prisoners at Alcoy. The Minister re quests him to forward to his department an account o their execution for the information of her Majesty, and enjoins him not " to allow himself to he stopped by the fear of any acts of retaliation which the insurgents of Alicant might threaten, for although her Majesty should view with grief the victims that the fury of the rebels might sacrifice, yet the absolute necessity that the lair end public vengeance should be a reality weighed still more in her royal mind." An attempt at insurrection made at Requena, had bee suppressed by the authorities of Cuena. It appears that the insurrection had some ramification in Valencia, for on hearing of the events at Alicant, tal e Political Chief had ordered the arrest of several inhabi tants suspected of being in correspondence with the chiefs of the movement. General Romali has reorganized the National Guard of Valencia, and was to leave on the Ist with all the disposable troops for Alicant, where he es pected, in a few days, to concentrate 10,000 me. Brigadier Concha, brother of the General,n marched from Madrid with his brigade of cavalry for Ocana on the 4th. The General, who had gone to spend a few days 14 Aranjuez, was, however, expected in the capital. The Corresponsal finds fault with Mr. Bulwer for hav ing invited to his table Messrs. Arguelles. Ferrer, and Ttjada, the intimate friends of M. Olozaga. HOUSE OF COMMONS.-SATURDAY. In consequence of the non-attendance of members on Friday last, the House of Commons was unable to proceed to business on that day ; and thus, there having been no opportunity of moving the usual adjournment from the Friday to the Monday, the House was under the necessity of meeting on Saturday. Sir JastEs GuAriAss took that occasion for stating briefly the alterations he intended to propose in his bill for the amendment of the Poor-law. As there was consider able difference of opinion on the abolition of the Gilbert Unions, he would not now propose to abolish them, but would move, on another day, for a select committee to enquire into their operation. The bastardy law in its present shape had occasioned great dissatisfaction in Wales, and in the north of England, and he had introduced into this bill a provision, by which, on application being made within forty day? from the birth of the child, there should be power given to two magistrates to make an order of maintenance on the' putative father, operating not only against his goods, but • against his person. This order would proceed upon the oath of the mother, fortified by some corroborative evi dence. Another subject which needed the interference of Parliament was the want in large towns of some place of refuge for destitute persons, who now had no shelter but under walls and porticoes. He would propose to establish asylums, where such persons should receive not only shelter, but food at night and food in the morning, on con dition of working for four hours. Captain Pectreu , signified his satisfaction at the course proposed with respect to the Gilbert unions, Mr. T.. DUNCOMRE expressed himself to thesame effect, not only on the subject of the Gilbert unions, but also on that of the bastardy enactments, and that of asylums for the destitute. Mr. BECKETT DENrSO'N, Sir WALTER XAMES, and other gentlemen intimated their gratification at the pro posed improvements. Sir JAMES , . GRAWAM gave explanations, in answer to several questions ; and after the intervention of a few words on the subject of prison discipline, the poor law bill was brought in and read a first time. COMMERCIAL HALL.-lt will be seen by an advertise ment in another column, that &ball will take place at this now popular room on Monday next. Tun FEBRUARY' SESSIONS FOR THIS BOROOI3If closed yesterday, about one o'clock. The trials have been of little or no public interest. The case of John Mulhol land, charged with obtaining goodson false pretences, was yesterday traversed to the next sessions. STEPAING A WATCH;—At the police-court, yesterday,. two females, Browne and Jones, were committed for trial at the sessions on a charge of stealing a watch from ar man named John Grumbly, on Sunday night in Hill-- street. FREE' PRESBYTERIAN- CH Intelf.—This body, worship.-- ing at present in the Mechanic's Institution, intend in ducting the Rev. Donald Ferguson, to-morrow, to the office of pastor, whose future scene oiz labour will shortly be in Hope-street, near the Baptist chapel, where a good' site has been provided for the erection of a church. A joint deputation from , London and from Liverpool, relative to the subject of the tea duties, had an interview with Sir R. Peel, on Saturday, at his of residence in Downing-strset. Sir Howard Douglas, Mr. Pot ter, and Mr. Duckworth, formed the deputation from Liverpool ' Sir George Larpent, Mr. J o h n Ab e l S m i t h, M.P., and other gentlemen, attended the London depu tation. WARMING AND VENTILATING'ROOMS:—A number of the- models used by Mr. Day, the inventor of the wind guard, to illustrate the lectures he has been giving at Lon don, Chester, &c., on warming and ventilating rooms, may be now seen at Mr. Bennett's, Sir Tbomas's-build. -- in g e, -.who dad:gibed them to no, _ and wines.. a4l who alg visit'them, in a , manner that cannot fail idiot those who have not given the subject a consideration. The screw ventilator is simple and effecti - ae. ADULTERATION OF TonAcco. —We were furnished last night with a report of a case heard at the Bolton police-office yesterday, in which the Excise were the pro semitors, against a tobacco-manufacturer in Bolton. The witnesses for the prosecution proved that. the defendant had mixed oil and sugar in manufacturing his tobacco. The defendant's foreman mated that the oil had escaped from the machinery. The magistrates, however, con sidered the case proved, and fined the defendant £l5O. It is stated that this is the first of a series of detections of frauds in the tobacco laws. SUNDAY SCHOOL SOCIS-TY FOR IRELAND.—we beg to call the particular attention of our readers to the an nouncement of a sermon and meeting in aid of this valu able society, which will be found in our advertising column of this date. Distinguished as Liverpool is for the support which it has afforded to the cause of scriptural education, we feel persuaded that on the present occasion there will be here a cordial and liberal response to the appeals about to be made by the Rev. Dr. Drew, from Ireland. We have seen the report which records the gratifying fact that there are at present in connnexion with the Irish Sunday School Society about 3000 schools, attended by 241,129 scholars and 22.922 gratuitous teachers.—We leave this fact to speak for itself, whilst we merely call the atten tion of our readers to the anouncement of the sermon and meeting. PICTURE OF THE EXCHANGE, WITH.DISTINGUISHED CHARACTERS.—TiIiS picture, to be seen at the artist's, Mr. Norman's, 43, Bold-street, is now fini,hed, and is in point of drawing, as well as in the admirable likenesses of the many characters assembled in the area, a spirited, interesting and extraordinary production. How the artist has, by necessarily casual sights-of the parties, con trived to catch the figures, faces, and.usual attitudes of so many mercantile men, and others known to fame, s more than we can divine. They will all be recognised by those to whom their appearance is at all familiar. Amongst them are the following :—Messrs. Barton, Myers, Duck worth, Dixon, Tobin, Taylor, sari. and jun., Huson, M'Gill, Lawson, Mann, Rodon, Cooke, W. Rushton, Reynolds. Buchanan, Jennison, M:Gath, Rushton, Gar nett, Turner, M a y, H owar d H ar t, M'Devitt, Smith, Robt. Horsfall, S. Martin, J. Myers, Jones, Frost, .Lieut. Parsons, Bevis, &c., &c. Several parties have wished. to purchase this painting, but, in order to give moregene ral satisfactio n , the proprietor has d e t erm i ne d to dispose of it after the manner of Boys' Art Union. THE PIIII,IIARNIONIC SOClETY.—Yesterday evening,. the first undress concert for the present year of this so ciety was given in the Lecture-hall of the Collegiate In stitution. The theatre was very fully attendee:, the body and the lower gallery being, filled to repletion, and the upper gallery (which is not so favourable for bearing) about three-fourths occupied. A miscellaneous selection of music was performed. The opening overture, by Mozart, was effectively payed. The music appropriated to the witches in Macbeth followed, and was well accom plished,:in the vocal department by Misses- Foster and Leach, and Messrs. Armstrong and Barnett—the latter engaged from Manchester, and a pleasing singer. A veil pretty and pathetic glee, the music by Callcott, was. tb' sung by Misses Stott and M. Swain, and Messrs. Il• Sudlow and Armstrong. Miss Stott appeared to us to be in extremely good voice.- A trio, by Beethoven, on the violin, violincello, and piano, followed, of gr eat l ength . and somewhat tame and languid. We would not advise its repetition, if the great author stated has been properly understood. There was a very long interregnum between the first and second part, a p ract i ce which, we think, in w wh n o cuom h u a le dvreonuotsot and sit nutdm eh e p a vs t ee i e cs nortnel efficient,dy o throughont, " w_cre better honoured i n t h e breach than j t u h s e ti o ce bse to rva th a e ce l . a , die A s t p t r h e the commencement p l a l r t t h , e tl e i v e e w o h f ol o e ur ba p n u d b , lic w a h ti l o c n h , is e played an overture from " D er F r i eschutx, " by the master composer, " Weber," and, w e t hi nk, did it justice. Being, main longer, but we have since h ear d th a t t h e whole o f the second part ( whi c h appears from the programme,: have been better selected) went off with great eclat. LIVERPOOL: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1844, PRINTED AND PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY MORNING, JOSHUA FL ETCHER LACE Y , of 53, Grovo.street, and LEONARD ADDISON, of 14, Great Orford-street, At 1 `i0.4, ST. GROROE'S CRssCENT,LEVERFO OL. Odere and Advertisements are received by Messrs. Newton and Co., Warwick-square; Barker, Fleet-street; Deacon Walbrock; Reynell, Chancery-lane; Lawson and Barker. Ihrehin-lare ; Joseph Thomas, 1, Finch-lane, Cornhill; uriden Hammond, V i , Lombard-street ; Mitchell, 6, Red Lion.conrt, Fleet-street; Clarke and Lewis, 4, Crown court, Tfireadnekidle-street Garro.way's; at the London Commercial Coffee-house, Mincin&-lane; at the Jerusalem Coffee-house, Cornhill: Chapter CoffeL-house, Paternoster row; North and South American Coffee-house, Thread needle-street; and Messrs. 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