The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-12-24 00:00:00

Dec. 24, 1844 SOUTH LANCASHIRE WINTER ASSIZES. UESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1844. RAPE CASES. o f e n 4ar lee Bri n dl e, GO, was indicted for the commission r ape on Ann Turner at Preston. The prosecutrix wa k,! me wife of a respectable innkeeper at Preston, and had v.7yenrthe prisoner for many years. on the 18th No 07nnlbr the prisoner went to the house of the prosecutrix, th.uthernained until a late hour in the evening. The whole e the family had retired to rest, with the exception of fen 4rosecutrix and a servant, the latter of whom had with sleep. The prisoner then assaulted the prosecutrix ft. ._ great violence, threw her down, and committed the .Z.v_u n ce with which he stood charged. An alarm being 1 5 ,;",%, she was eventually rescued by her friends coming vurassistance. The prisoner observed, when appre hendedthat by the police-officer, " What a shocking thing etch 4 Should live to this age, and then should commit se an act at last." The prisoner was found guilty, and e e d g e e:cl to transportation for life. Taylo r stood t Kelly, a young man apparently about 23, charged with having committed a rape on Jane deliver 4 married at Tottington Lower-end. The prisoner was a Man, and was employed by the postmaster to t he cour se letter s in the neighbourhood of Ramsbottom. In ir . o Urse of his occupation, he called at the house of . : othwell, surgeon, where the prosecutrix . lived . as - .enr et Wh en a , , and while there, having watched his opportunity her, ue was alone, assaulted her in a most violent ma . a n d• it was alleged,succeeded in accomplishing his Purp ose Aft er , Mr. M a 1011$ cross-examination of the prosecutrix by tho ught o nk, who appeared for the prisoner, his Lordship prisoner the case could not be carried further, and the Ive d was accordingly acquitted. His lordship ob he ~... that, with respect to the resistence in such cases, i n aillahed it could be made more generally known, that t fled i„ c ases of that nature the parties attacked were jus li er o p,i'l adopting every means at their disposal ; they 'nigh Clx.y.the Weapons which nature had given them, and pose Otte, or even put the man's eyes out, for the p_u_ e Pett f t l i f • Protecting themselves from his violence. T uc h . 4 1 ' Ifac UltY Was, owing to tbe delicate nature of b 'Alines • Wou )e , , .to making such a matter public. But elder atta e L °light teach the younger, that in case of such the face of the as the best course to adopt was to fly yi o i l e ) ,! r tY, and use their nails with the utm s o t stde a g s r s e u e re o d f th at ' Le e. If such a course were adopted, he felt . c. coro e 7 a • s i:s e z e i i s r t;h:i ti sthey had been inquiring into would b on 1 0 ,.." 9e Bzrchall was charged with committing a rape It ap pe'a Sherrington, at Pemberton, near Wigan. of g d Plat the prosecutrix was a young woman of the theage da e m' 'laving formerly worked in a coal-pit, and on h of lUestion, the 2nd of September, she was in search tr:Yra.ent, and walking along Goose - green,uacncosted her aria trisoner, with whom was an . old man , h his father at AsCrrered to procure her a a 0 Ratio n . ; ",I . Which she acceded to, si a t r n u e d e t d l shoold"'`" 1 , the parties, it was agreed Th e NI in a short time and take er her after tb a t s u t Te e prisoner eu uver - her in rtsoner accordingly waited upon h to t u h u e d p l t a c c u e k . down.the direction of Lord's plantation, where they sat in effee-ti„1" hisBotoe fields, where he eventually succeeded an ab set, -g purpose. The jury retired, and after d. s ense o f the Prie o about aquarter of an hour returned, finding !ler gu il._ . l'Y 9 Sentence, transportation for life. .roh . HIGHWAY ROBBERY. 24, *Asher, 24, John Locker, 24, and Wm. Chatter con . , ton were indicted for robbing Peter Newton, at Warr! g a f a °Li the 12th November last. The prosecutor is b e r r t4 , e, residing in Cheshire ; and, on the 12th .Novem rig . wa l at the Star and Garter public-house, in Wa r r i. - eorig,.`°n, drinking together with the prisoners. The o n - VI left about twelve, and the prosecutor soon after. o _ hiethe 18 arriving at a dark ' place in Bridge-street, one . f (Fisher) came up and accosted him, asking fue-ecflor sixpence. the othrrs following him. This be re the ; and they then accompanied him, with the view, as ee,.stated, of providing him with lodgings. After pr.o pivjilog a little further, Locker pinioned his arms, ti _ uer rifled his pockets ; and one of them knocked him while t ,'_wtl, and abused him in a most brutal manner. They e - . 711 ran away. Mr. James Pollock, for the P nceived there had been a mistake as regarded the tak ing of thei ene •risoners, depositions, which did not agree with the ev ip.t. e given before the court. He called witnesses to . _ow . that the case was totally different from that opened i'.2•,tl2e prosecution : that the prosecutor was in liquor, e l l' ac ci and not know what he was about, or what money h public o h u t i; and that the prisoners were never at th . e Lordship-ouse at all with him as had been stated.—His considered the evidence insufficient to convict. —A verdict of acquittal was then taken : and the prisoners discharged. CONCEALING THE B IRTH OF A MILD . Elizabeth Johnstone, 27, was found guilty of , in November ing the birth of her child, at Manchester and hard last, and sentenced to two year's ina Eminent pr , s labour.conceal last, WEDNESDAY. Eliza CONCEALING THE BIRTH OF A CHILD. iar ne.9 , l JaleY, 20, (could read and write imperfectly, c ould AJa/f 30. (could write,) and li:irabeth Daley, 66, neither read nor write,) were indicted for conceal- Vile birth of a child at Manchester. agaieveral witnesses were called, who proved the ca t se ilst the female prisoners, but there did n ot appear o a nY -er evidence against the male prisoner, who was, op tion Lordship's direction, acquitted of any participa to,the crime charged against the prisoners. . J u ry found the two female prisoners guilty, and na i' e ,re sontenced to twelve months' imprisonment and 'aoour. James Daley was immediately discharged. •E • CONCEALING A BIRTH. tOt e llZa .beth Gurnan, 20, (could read,) was charged with di si3 „",ilng the birth of a female illegitimate child, and dit, ai g of its dead body. The prisoner lived in Har- Pre;rtreet, Liverpool, and had been observed some time qu est ( PlalY to the 9th October, when the occurrence in ear ne ' e tt l took place, to be in the family way. On the 15eerii:oende,v:ning, from some information which had been re- Person named Jones, went to the house of the re ntl y :1 and found her sitting in a lower room,appa • a . )," er ill. On going up stairs, there were . evidences heineuild-birth having taken place, but the prisoner, on N g charg e d w i th it, d en i e d a ll knowledge of the fact. call e r d ti : er inquiry took place, and a police - o fficer was Lot t , when the body of a child was fo und amo ng st ashes in the cellar, wrapped in a handkerchief. 7red Pri soner afterwards admitted that s he had been de f.o.4 d of a child on the previous evening.. imprison and was to aunt, and sen t en ced to twelve months' h Y ard labour. STEALING A COW. nor write ederick Kearsley, 33, (could neither read ,) 13 e 8 charged with stealing a cow, the property of John th e r lnett. Tbe osecutor an s a was at the Warringto fair on 241"ovena b d while hittention n was en tate, prosecutor last ,and tj o u , one of the cows was taken away. From informa -0,4 he received, he went in the direction of Newton, and t hat h e ook the prisoner, who had the cow amongst others ro ed . was driving along the road. The prosecutor latel y took possession of the cow, and gave the pri- Zetpr into custody. Mr. James called . witnesses for the r was in ence, from whom it appeared that the prisone and that a mistake had arisen which caused the ~— ° Perty to come into his possession. Under these cir 'lll4Btances the prisoner was acquitted. • S TABBING AND WOUNDING. John Delap, 25, (could read and write imperfectly,) W as charged with wounding Richard Bainbridge, by s triking him with a pitch fork. It appeared the prisoner was an ostler at Mr. Hayes's stables in Roscoe-street, where the prosecutor was attending some horses. On We morning of the 28th of August, the prosecutor went to the stables to look after his horses, when some alter ation took place, when the prisoner took a p itch fork 'NI stabbed him in the neck, inflicting a very serious Wo und. Witnesses were called to the char acter of the p, l''soner H e was found guilty, and sentenced to six -( B lt h •har d imprisonment and labour. FORGERY. Robert t e Armstrong, 41, (could read and write imper det%) was indicted for it . te_rin . g a forged order for the 10"erY of some goods, with intent to defraud Thomas o--Y r e lv and Joseph Jeffries. It appeared that on . the 25th u fa N ovember last, he went to Messrs. Eyre, paintmantu hithtirera, and requested some goods to be furnished t e rn ' Which were refused, unless he would produces writ afierder- He then went away, and came again shortly b y awards presenting an order, purporting to be signed Dark °B ePh Wilson, painter, of Bedford-street, Toxteth al4-,. The articles, consisting. of paint, .&c._, were itipsr u ed to hi m , w hen, on inquiry. it turned out that no eo oro.e r h a d ever b een sen t by Mr. Wilson. The pri auer denied that the handwriting of the or der was his, • , alte n . ne had no intention of committing a forgery, but u ed to pay for the goods. e was found guilty. It 1 0 4'ekred the prisoner had been previously convcte . d of fe /* He was sentenced to ten years' transportation. BIGAMY. IV4 11.4 M T h° R 34, (could read and write imperfectly,) a . Ma- I • 011 th"‘rged with the crime of bigamy. .It appeared that tru., e B th of January, 1840, he was married at the Regis and , B : °f fice, Manchester, to Alicia Henrietta Cummins, at T' . .gain on the sth of August, 1844, to Jane Clarkson, filhentlity Church, Liverpool, the former wife being then t hte - e . The prisoner was found guilty, and sentenced to klonths' imprisonment. C' Qt4 MAKING A FALSE DECLARATION.. . retiV l eri ne Morgan, 20, (could read and write .imper ,.,`°re",,'', was charged with making a false declaration be kl,sept: Justice of the peace. It appeared that, on the 2d of ftol u ,`„ tll ,her last, the prisoner went to the shop of Mr. op' Roberts' Hi hfield-street, and pledged a pair of s' B kr 2 5., in'the g name of Mary Brown. On the 20th . to 1 1) ,._, t ellIber she went again to the pawnbroker, and . said !•al lei ,"" lost the ticket. A form was filled up and . given thp" e nd, after making a declaration before a magistrate, , trek - Usual way, she took the form back to the pawn -I)tisoenr.,' and obtained tbe boots. It turned out that the 1 4 11 7 4 had sold the ticket to an individual of the name 'res e n n, for a shilling, and the original duplicate was P riaa: t ed by another party. Mr. Innes, on indict- ofth !kte t , t "er, took an objection to the wording of .the 14 the' Wh ich, under the direction of his Lordship, resulted - acquittal of the prisoner. CHARGE OF MANSLAUGHTER. ;, 11 8 Q h - "ine Gillis 58, (could neither read nor write,) ao e-ar ged with having unlawfully killed one Mary Soo -4t Liver I From the statement of Mr. Paget, t , % tits , poo . f i erlin.",.ei for the prosecution, it appeared that, on the - h ° th e ',°r the 31st August last, the deceased was sitting lan 'LePs of a house in Craven-staeet, se . wing, w ill the came up to her, and, after using some ill L j b e tll l7, e, went far as to spit in her face. Subsequently I ' Pr " ° ner proceeded d d to still greater violence—took her t yth t „ h „ e hair, struck e her e and threw her on the ground. A 'he 3,this occurred the deceased was pregnant, and on me atf": l , 4 „of Sep tember following she was delivered of a „,etl',7o- O the 9th of October she died, and the man who attended her during her confinement, -`ltnee I to lead that death occurred under such circum - as tote conclusion that it had resulted from personal violence; the prisoner was consequently taken into custody. His Lordship declared it to be the most aggravated case of assault he had ever met with, and sentenced the prisoner to seven years' transportation. STABBING ON THE HIGH SEAS. The case of Samuel Brown, charged with stabbing and wounding Launcelot Reed, on the high seas, in Novem ber last, was postponed until the next assizes. The trial was deferred on the affidavit of Mr. Deane, surgeon, which was to the effect that, in consequence of the wounds under which the prosecutor was suffering," he would be unable to attend and give evidence, without great risk and danger, during the present assizes. THURSDAY. Tames Kean, 35, (could read and write in a superior manner) was charged with uttering a forged will of one James Baines deceased. Messrs. Blair and Drinkwater appeared for the prose cution. The prisoner conducted his own defence, and manifested considerable dexterity in the management of his case. He is rather a good-looking man, of genteel eater. ior. In the early part of the present year Mr. James Baines, of Everton. died, leaving a considerable amount of pro perty, under a will dated in 1840. Disaffection being ex cited amongst some of his relatives in consequence of their expectations not being realised, Mr. James Mawdesley, a brother-in-law to the deceased, residing in Burlington street, employed the prisoner to make inquiries as to the validity of the said will. Accordingly, in September last, the prisoner took some steps in the matter, and several interviews took place between him and Mawdesley, when the latter paid over several sums of money as a compensa tion for the prisoner's trouble. In October the prisoner called upon Mawdesley and produced a will, which he stated to be the original and legitimate will of Mr. Baines, and purporting to be signed by him; he then proposed to go with Mawdsley to Chester to have the will executed, (that was about the latter end of October ;) but, on their meeting there. the prisoner made some excuses as to the non-appearance of several witnesses who were to have been in attendance, and afterwards contrived to make his escape. On the 25th of November he was discovered at Manchester, and taken into custody. A number of papers were found upon him connected with the transaction in which he was implicated. The will which the prisoner had prepared, and which bore the signature of James Baines, was alleged to be a forgery, and in the handwriting of the prisoner. The prisoner entered into a long defence, in which he endeavoured to fix the charge of forgery on other parties, and to show that he himself could have no motive for the commission of such an act. He called several witnesses, whose evidence did not, however, change the features of the case. His LORDSHIP briefly summed up the evidence, and the jury, found the prisoner guilty of uttering the will, knowing it to be forged. The prisoner begged bard for mercy, when his Lordship said,—" Have you never experienced mercy before?"-- Prisoner : " Slightly, and I have not abused it ; for many years of my life. I have had great difficulties to contend with, and have fought my way up to hold a respectable station in society.' The JUDGE.—You have been once before sentenced to transportation. The case of to-day has proved you are a most wicked, daring, bad man, in every sense of the word ; and I should ill discharge my duty if I gave you any opportunity of returning to this country. The sen tence of the court is, that you be transported for the term of your natural life. Prisoner, (with a look of concern.)—" We shall meet again, my Lord." CHARGE OF ASSAULT. Edward Davies, was charged with assaulting Matthew Mathews, at Manchester. It appeared that, on the 24th July last, Mathews and another gentleman were walking along the street, when the defendant came up and struck him, and was about to repeat his violence, when he was given in charge to the policeman. A verdict of guilty was returned, and the defendant fined 205., and ordered to enter into his own recogni zances to keep the peace. John Chamley, Edward Kynaston, and John Lomax were discharged by proclamation. John Clarkson, convicted of forging a promissory note, was sentenced to ten years' transportation. The whole of the original business being disposed of, his Lordship thanked the jury and adjourned the court at a quarter to six o'clock. LOCAL AND PROVINCIAL NEWS• The Manchester testimonial to Sir Henry Pottinger amounts to £3OOO. Miss Bryers and Mr. Wooley have sold up their public house in Frederick-street, and left Liverpool. Mr. Booth, keeper of !the lock-ups at Birkenhead for the last thirteen years, has sent in his resignation. The Liverpool Observatory is now, as regards it most popular use, the determination of time, in full operation. On Thursday a fire, which did but trifling damage, took place on the premises of Mr. Manning, cabinet-maker, Stanley-street. _ . MANUFACTURING PROSPERITY.—The sum deposited in the savings bank at Bolton amounts to £100,000., and in the two last consecutive weeks the deposits paid into the bank have exceeded the sum drawn out by £lOOO. On Sunday week, at the parish church, Oldham, after a sermon from the Rev. W. Falloon, of Liverpool, the handsome sum of £l2B was collected in aid of the schools attached to the church. On Sunday week the Demerara packet, which sailed from this port on Friday week, with a general cargo, and amongst other things, a quantity of lime, was destroyed by fire off Dublin. The crew were saved. The Lancashire Epiphany! Quarter Sessions will be held at Lancaster on Monday, December 30 ; at Preston, on Wednesday, January 1 ; at Salford, on Monday, Jan. 6; and at Kirkdale, on Wednesday, Jan. 15. SELLING OBSCENE WORICS.—On Friday, Bailey, bookseller, of Manchester-street, was found guilty, before the Recorder, of having exposed obscene books for sale, and was sentenced to three months' imprisonment. FATAL ACCIDENT.—On Saturday morning, a painter, of Birkenhead, named Henry Norman, accidentally fell from the front of one of the new houses in Hamilton square, where he was in the act of graining, and died almost immediately after. Several merchants in the various out-ports of Britain, who have benefitted so much by the importation of guano, have been intimating a wish to join in a public testimo nial to Norman M`Leod, Esq. of Liverpool, who was the first individual that sent out a ship, at his own risk, for guano, from the west coast of Africa.—Fife Journal. SHIP ON SHORE.—The ship Captain Henderson, from this port to Calcutta, struck on the Blackwater Bank, on Friday morning, and afterwards went on shore in the North Bay, about three miles to the northward of the spot where the James Mathieson was lately wrecked. The crew were all saved, and the discharge of the cargo was proceeding. THE DUTY ON COTTON WOOL.—On Tuesday last, a meeting of the inhabitants of Manchester was held at the Town Hall, in that place, in compliance with a requisi tion to the mayor, for the purpose of promoting the re peal of the tax on cotton wool. The mayor presided, and after resolutions against the duty had been adopted, a de putation was appointed to wait upon the lords of the I treasury to urge the removal of the.duty. DEATHS FROM BURNING.—On Saturday week, a child (aged 7) of Mr. iThomas Sayle, of Scotland-road, was burned to death in consequence of its clothes catching fire, while at play, in a bed-room, with its sisters.-- On Tuesday last a child (aged 31) the son of a man named Peter Bradley, living in Stewart-street, died from injuries received, the previous day, from its clothes hav ing caught fire whilst playing in the nest cellar with two other children. THE LATE CoutstoN.—On Monday week, as the crew of one of the Steam-tug company's packets were hauling up the anchor off the Toxteth Dock, the body of Mr. John Harrison, one of the persons who were in the boat which swamped in the river on the night of the 21st ult., by swinging of the Birkenhead steamer James, at the time of the collision with the Royalist, was brought to the surface and conveyed to the dead house. On Tues day an inquest was held on the body, and a verdict of found drowned was recorded. SERIOUS AFFRAY WITH POACHERS.-011 Wednesday night last, as George Bury, head keeper to W. Garnett, Esq., of Quernmore-park, and two of his assistants, were going the round of the preserves, they heard some shots fired from the direction of the wood, where pheasants are usually found. The three, having no guns but stout sticks, and accompanied by a large muzzled dog, made towards the spot. Supposing there were three poachers, each agreed to seize his man. One of the poachers was thrown down and secured ; but between the head keeper and another named Bury a desperate struggle took place. The poacher struck his interrupter a terrible blow on the head with the muzzle of his gun, inflicting a dangerous wound. The dog, finding his master abused, became fu rious, and desperately attacked the poacher, tearing off part of his coat before he got away. The keeper was unable to pursue him from loss of blood, and he has hi therto escape d. A less serious stru took lace be tween two of the others who have been p taken and com mitted for trial. A great deal of noise has been made about a few bags of Venezuelan sugar imported at Liverpool. This noise has been made on the ground that the sugar is slave grown.—The territory of Venezuela—a territory as large as France—has a population under 90,000, of whom, not withstaeding that slavery has been long abolished by law, about 30,000 (one in thirty) are in a state of qualified slavery, for this sole reason, that the Republic has been hitherto too poor to buy out the liberty of all its slaves, though having made the best provision it was able to do so. No slave, however, can be born in Venezuela, for all are born free. No slave can be imported ; and even the remnant of the slave population that lingers, notwith standing large annual redemptions ; and manumissions cannot be transferred from master to master—the thirty thousand slaves—one in thirty of the panula'ion, are thus almost necessarily employed as house servants, or in the cultivation of g ar dens and small farm s, and, from the na ture of things, cannot be employed in sugar grounds. The Venezuelan sugar, therefore, is neither slave-grown, nor the produce of a country attached to slavery. All the world is not as rich as Great Britain, and able, like her, to buy the freedom of the negro ; but the Venezuelans are doing the best they can to imitate our example, and there fore deserve all the encourage ment that we can gi ve them. Unfort unately , however, we have little opportunity to en courage the sugar trade, for the country produces little sugar, and it costs a dollar the hundred weight to carry it to the coast. To compare Venezuela in any respect with slave trading countries, like Cuba and the Brazils, would be the grossest folly as well as injustice. _Standard. Tranincre 1 I 1 1 i ~ i ~ I I ~ ~ 1z E.; ; O CY k— ct. cz cb N. ~1 sa THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD. lir O I ( 0 I) \ Area 11 Acres I: , I. ' !) I /c., ..:'-t .1 ~t,.; ROVgR Mgß3gy SUDDEN DEATH.—On Wednesday last, a servant, who lived with Mr. Brownless, of Oliver-street, Birkenhead, was sent to a druggist for some paint, when, on her re turn, she was taken suddenly ill, and being carried to a milk-house in the neighbourhood, where medical aid was procured, died in about twenty-two hours afterwards. An inquest was held on Saturday, but in consequence of the friends of the deceased having removed the body on the previous evening, and interred it at Liverpool, the inquiry was adjourned till Monday. By an order from the Coroner, the body was disinterred, and brought back on Monday, when a long investigation took place, which resulted in a verdict to the effect that the deceased bad died from a perforation of the intestines, but how pro duced thertt was no evidence to show. PROFESSIONAL PEDANTRY.—The world, generally speaking, gives professional gentlemen the credit of being learned, and, therefore, it is that pedantry on their part ought to be scouted by all right-minded individuals. A medical man gets into the witness box in an assize court to explain to twelve plain-going unprofessional jurymen, in the presence of an unlettered prisoner, the nature of certain wounds, and, instead of doing so in the simplest manner possible, he begins as if he were addressing a class of students, using every professional technicality. Mr. Baron Gurney s eems to have a profound contempt for such " lingo.' During During the present assizes he has w nf as th t e alk w i n n u g n o d f taken the opportunity of reb ukin g several of the profes ts h i o e n p a a l s r t who a bai a g g a v .. e a n e evidence ,•:!!* andhim. On anothere being of a "crucial" form. On both occasions the shrewd judge, looking at the counsel, said in a tone of voice which conveyed far more meaning than the words he uttered,— " Get him to speak English ; the jury wish to understand him." REGISTRY OF SEAMEN.—The commissioners of the customs, with reference to their general order of the 19th ultimo, for carrying into effect the provisions of the Act 7 and 8 Victoria, chap. 112, for amending the laws re lating to merchant seamen, have issued directions to the collectors and comptrollers at the several outports of the United Kingdom to keep an account of the expenses in curred in carrying into execution, distinct from all other charges; introducing such payments in the charges of management, under a manuscript head, at the foot of ex penses not connected with the collection of revenue. In reference to this subject, it is important that it should be generally known by seamen in the merchant service, that, by this act, every seaman must be provided with a register ticket, in pursuance of the directions contained in the act of parliament above quoted, by the Ist of January next ; and every master of a vessel who, after that date, takes a man into his service without first calling on him to pro duce his ticket will be liable to a penalty of £lO for each offence. The tickets are now being issued, and may be had on application to the Registrar of the Merchant Sea man's-office in London, and at the custom-house of the different outports, free of all charge. PAVING AND SEWERAGE COMMISSIONERS.—At the meeting on Thursday,—Mr. J. Holmes in the chair— after some minor proceedings a report was read from the Lighting, Sewerage, and Fire Police-offices, from which it appeared, that for theyearending the 30th September, 1844, the amount collected was £41,809 10s. 10s. ; the per centage on the current year's rate, was £3256 Os. 2d., which, added to the former year's collection , gave £B2ls 10d. per cent. on the rates of 1842. The reports of the col lectors from the various districts showed an increase of 1679 payments, and the rates received at the office amount ed to £7872 11s. 5d., or nearly one-fifth of the whole. The number of persons who had been summoned to ap pear before the commissioners for rates exceeded two thousand. A deputation from the Guardian Gas Com pany waited on the board, requesting their concurrence in a renewed application to parliament for a new gas company. They conceived it right to acquaint the board as the measure would interfere with the pavement. Some of the members considered it advisable to remain neutral on the subject, Mr. Brancker said the Company woald supply the public with gas at a cheaper rate, and that the board ought to patronize the scheme. The chair man said that when they saw the bill they would be able to give an opinion ; and the deputation withdrew. The other business was financial, and consequently private. THE CORPORATION SCHOOLS.—The half-yearly exa minations of the North Schools took place on Wednesday last, before Dr. Tattershall, the Rev. G. Dover, Mr. Alderman Molyneux, (chairman of the Educational Com mittee,) Ald. Hodgson, and a great number of the parents of the children, The Rev. Doctor, assisted by Mr. Isaac Holmes, the head master, examined the boys and girls as to their knowledge of the scriptures, and their acquirements in history, geography, grammar, and arith metic. At the conclusion the prizes were distributed, and the Rev. Doctor expressed the great satisfaction he felt at the readiness with which the children gave the answers to the important questions which had been put to them, their good conduct and behaviour, and their cleanly and orderly appearance, and paid Mr. Holmes a high and deserved compliment on the successful results of his labours. He also dwelt with peculiar pleasure upon the unvarying good conduct and regular attendance, during five years, of one of the boys named Samuel Webster, to whom a prize had been awarded, but had recently left the school to be apprenticed to a lithographic printer, and held out his career as an example for the emulation of his fellows. He also expressed great delight at the nu merous attendance of the parents of the children, and re quested them to spread among their neighbours a desire to send their children to be educated. The Rev. G. Dover addressed the scholars, who afterwards sung " God save the Queen." They were then dismissed for the holidays, each being presented with a bun and an orange. The examination of the South Schools took place on Thursday, before' the Rev. Rector Campbell, the Re/. Mr. Carpenter, and the Rev. Mr. Lawrence. The Rev. Mr. Lawrence examined the infants, and the Rev. Mr. Carpenter the elder boys and girls, after which Mr. Al derman Molyneux addressed the children, highly com mending the progress they had made. The prizes were distributed and the children dismissed with the usual presents of buns and oranges. These schools, which are attended daily by upwards of fifteen hundred children, will be re-opened on the 6th of January. SETTING FIRE TO A WHEAT RlCK.—Thomas Baths, aged fifteen, was, with two men, indicted, at the Exeter assizes, on Wednesday last, for having set fire to a rick of corn. It did not appear that the two men had been at all concerned is the crime. Baths, when before the magis trates, made a statement, and, in consequence, he was sworn and examined as a witness : but, as he afterwards varied in his tale, he was prosecuted, and, it was now pro posed to read his statement. Mr. Baron Alderson, how ever, said he certainly should not allow it to be read. It was improper to admit a man as a witness and then to turn round and prosecute him. The administering an oath was of itself giving a person reason to suppose it would be better for him to speak the truth. We must, said his lordship, with great emphasis, keep faith, even with abad man. If he should be found guilty, Ido not know whether I shall not recommend that he be pardoned. The jury acquitted the two men and found Baths guilty. Mr. Baron Alderson said the prisoner was an unfortunate boy: he should place all the circumstances befo re h er Majesty, and he would not say what the punishment would be. He should, however, at present, adjudge him to be transported for fifteen years. The governor of the gaol said the boy's parents were very respectable, and resided at Liverpool or Manchester. DOCK COMMITTEE—THURSDAY.--Present, Messrs. Moore, (in the chair,) Molyneux, Henderson, Chilton, Nicol, Wood, Horsfall, Moon, Aikin, Houghton, Evans, Royden, Bold, Kendall. Sandbach, and Mann. It was determined to make the width of the entrance of the new dock east of Regent-road, 51 feet, being 34 feet wider than the entrance to the Clarence Dock.—A conversation took place relative to the bad state of the dock quays. The Chairman said the Watch Committee bad formerly a superintendent to look after them, but the Dock Com mittee bad been deprived of his services : if they had him back, all would be right, and he believed the Watch Committee would attend to it. Three lamps were or dered to be placed on Clarence Pier, in order, if possible, to prevent cattle, landed there, fallin; into the river. —The Chairman said the sub-committee recommended that notices should be painted on the gates, intimating which were for passengers exclusively, and which for cat tie.—lt was ordered that £5 should be demanded for the injury done to the Albert light ship by the barque Daunt less.—A new life-boat was ordered for the Magazines station, but the subject was referred again to the Sub committee to consider as to the best mode of construction. —A letter was reed from the Dale-street Gas Co., de clining to give a contract for certain of the dock lamps, on the ground that they had no mains laid where the lights were required.—A letter was also read from the New Gas and Coke Company, offering to light the lamps for seven years at £4 12s. each lamp per annum. It was stated that the late contract was only £4. Some conver sation then arose as to the desirability of the Dock estate making its own gas, seeing the committee expended about £2OOO per annum for that article alone, and, after a little discussion, it was agreed to go on as they were for a short time, inquiries to be made, in the meantime, to ascertain at what cost the gas could be made.—A demand for £2 made by Mr. Hausburg for fitting-up a bude light at the south mortar mills was refused, the committee having nothing whatever to do with the matter.—Plans of the intended docks at Tranmere Pool, submitted by Mr. Chamberlain, were ordered to be returned in the most courteous manner, the committee deeming it prudent not to give any opinion upon them. The Chairman said the committee would no doubt take the usual course ; they would not volunteer any opposition, but they would watch the proceedings. THE MURDER OF A POLICE-OFFICER.—We last week announced the death, on the previous evening, of a police officer named Fairclough, in consequence of a wound re ceived from a man named William Jones. On Tuesday last the prisoner was brought up before Mr. Rushton. Police-officer Tegisson (367) said that as he was going home on Sunday morning, about one o'clock, at the bot tom of Whitfield-street, he heard a scream, and some one calling " police." He went up the street, and saw the pri soner and his sister standing at the bottom of a court, and asked what was to do. The sister said, " I give this man in charge for abusing me." Witness told them to go into the house and be quiet. Prisoner said he would not, and if witness offered to take him he would knock him down. The sister insisted on his being taken up, and witness knocked for assistance. Officers Fairclough and Price came up, and they all advised the brother and sister to go in. The sister said she was frightened to do so, and the priso ner went up the court and into the house. The two other officers then told witness to go home to bed. He had not got home when he heard a stick knock, ran back, and met Price bleeding very much. Fairclough was also in the street bleeding. Witness went into the house, and found the prisoner within. He took Fairclough, who seemed insensible, to the house of Mr. Hodgson, surgeon, and afterwards took the prisoner into custody. The officer Price, after corroborating the last witness, said, " After Tegisson left, Fairclough and I remained a few minutes. The prisoner, who had gone in, came out of the house with an instrument in his hand. He got hold of it with his two hands, and swung it round a many times. He dared us to come near him. He used a deal of threatening lan guage, and then Fairclough made a spring at him, I was close behind him. He struck Fairclough over the head first, and he fell down. He struck him again, when he was down, and then struck me. I received a blow on the right temple, cutting through my hat. Saw Gregg pi c k up a poker in the yard opposite the prisoner's door."-- Mr. Hodgson, surgeon, said deceased had a lacerated wound on the front of the forehead, an inch and a half long, and a still larger one on the right temporal bone. The skull was fractured. He was removed to the hospi tal, where he died. At the prisoner's request his sister was called. She said prisoner came home at 12 that morn ing in so violent a state that she asked him if he was going mad. He broke every thing in the house, and she called the police. The prisoner, who has frequently before been in custody, was committed to take his trial for murder at the neat assizes. On Sunday the remains of poor Fair dough were interred at St. Mary's, Kirkdale. The funeral was attended by Mr. Commissioner Dowling, on horseback. and about five hundred of the borough police and fire -brigade, who walked five abreast. I ~ 1980 arriauuntar uran OF THE PE©P©@IED TiI11111).AIRT ODE, THE LICENSED VICTUALLERS' SOCIETY.—AMATEUR PERFORMANCE.—We learn that it is contemplated by this society to give in a short time an amateur enter tainment at the Theatre-Royal, in aid of the funds of their excellent institution for the support of the widows, decayed members, and orphans of the fraternity, and the education of the children. The object is highly praiseworthy ; and as it is purposed that the pieces will be performed by mem bers of their own body, several of whom are rumoured to be possessed of histrionic talent of a respectable order, we have no doubt, if the intention be carried out, but that the appeal will be responded to by the Liverpool public with that liberality which characterises them on all benevolent occasions. POTATOES AND LOBSTERS FOR LIVERPOOL. —Potatoes shipped for Liverpool and other ports still form a con. siderable branch of trade from the different ports of Dum friesshire and Galloway ; and prices at a distance are still advancing rather than declining. The best picked table potatoes, put up in bags, bring, in Liverpool, 2s. to 2s. 2d. per 90 pounds ; and as this figure is 22 pounds beneath the cwt. or purchase tale, the shippers will realise, we should suppose, a fair living profit.—Dumfries Courier. This year lobsters have increased on the hands of the fishermen of the Hebrides, and the Liverpool fishmongers, taking advantage of the supply being only once a fort night from Scotland, have reduced the price, and sub jected the fishermen to other deductions, which bid fair to cripple, if not altogether to destroy, this branch of employment for the inhabitants of the western isles. On Saturday evening upwards of twenty large boxes, cram med full of lobsters, from Mull alone, were sent by the steamer from this port to Liverpool.—Greenock Adver tiser. ------------------\ *-• . -4 - I C ite '-' - ‘4,, , ,5> es'o 'l'd. A.,* 47 x., 1 4, W 44 , za Yards , I , - , . 46 ,•• e • .. '' , / - _ , ,n ..., cAr ttiteli (_, 1 AY a V S2, it C) 4 O . • tr it. K ---. . 4 illiw .q. c 4; r - fl y -vq,44" : ....... : :... c- 4 ,,.. ,41.,??6.4 / tr 4ea 4 _ Pt‘J \ "- 17 041 GENERAL MISCELLANY. Major-General Nott is again so seriously ill as to create apprehensions of his recovery. The Marquis of Salisbury gave a splendid entertain.. ment to his tenantry, at Hatfield House, on Thursday. The execution of Mary Gallop, at Chester, will take place on Saturday. Dr. Adler, the new chiet rabbi, is known to be de scended in a straight, pure line from Aaron ! When the railroad to Marseilles is finished, we shall be within seven or eight days' journey of Syria. About 15 cwt. of tobacco has lately been smuggled into Plymouth, in barrels stated to contain pitch. Another steamer for the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company is building at Glasgow. It will ply between this port and Douglas. At a large meeting of the inhabitants of Brighton, the proposal to apply for a charter of incorporation for the town was rejected by a considerable majority. A surgeon, named Crowther, of Linthwaite, in Hud dersfield, was killed yesterday week, by falling into a quarry in consequence of the fog. A dramatised version of Mr. Dickens's new work, The Chimes, was produced with great success, on Wednesday, at the Adelphi Theatre, London. A verdict of wilful murder has been returned against a man named Thomas Thomas, charged with the murder of the butter merchant, neat Brecon. At Gringley, near Doncaster, a cow may be seen suck ling a litter of pigs, from which she refuses to be separa ted: The Earl of liarrowby and Lord Caltborpe have given garden allotments to their labourers on their estates in Staffordshire. The Earl of Harewood, since his accession to the title and estates, has had his farms revalued, and reduced his rents to the extent of several thousand pounds per ann. The expenses of the late musical festival at Gloucester exceeded the receipts by £747 16s. 2d. The difference was made up from the guarantee fund. At the Central Criminal Court, on Thursday, William Burgess, charged with uttering a for ged warrant-of-aor ney for the transfer £6, i 305 3s. sd. Bank Stock tt was found guilty, and sentenced to transportation for life. TOM THUMB AND THE INCOME TAX.—The income tax collectors insist on the General making a return of £25,000 a-year ; but, as he has only been in England nine months, he refuses to make any return whatever. P OLYGAMY.—At Worship-street police-office, on Wednesday, a man named Trubert was remanded on a charge of having married a fifth wife whilst the previous tour were living. On Sunday night week a female lunatic, named Frith, placed herself on the rails of the London and Birmingham Railway, and being run over by a train was almost in stantaneously killed. On Thursday night week a fine East Indiaman, the Scotland, just arrived at Glasgow. with a cargo of new cotton, sugar, &c., was, with her cargo, totally destroyed by fire. The grand jury at the Nottingham Assizes have ignored the bill preferred against Mr. Lightfoot and Mr. Raven, managers on the Midland Railway, for manslaughter, by the coroner's jury. At the Stafford Assizes, Arthur George Reed, late a clerk in the post office, Stafford, was sentenced to trans portation or ten years, for stealing a £5 Bank of Eng land note out of a letter which passed through his bands. Mr. Murphy, the weather prophet, predicts that Wed nesday, the Bth of January, will be the coldest day of the season. He does not agree with M. Arago as to the pro bable severity and duration of the winter. CHESTER IMPROVEMENT BlLL.—This bill is generally approved of. The existing police acts, except as to the management of the poor and workhouse affairs, are to be repealed; and, consequently, local legislation will com mence de novo. In rating, the principle of equality on the annual value is adopted. Extensive powers for im provements are to be taken ; and also power to light, with gas or otherwise, and to purchase by consent the existing gas-works. SHOOTING A GAMEKEEPER.—Two men, name:l J , .hrt and Richard Baxter, have been committed to Chester, for trial at the assizes, on a charge of shooting an assistant gamekeeper to H. Ackers, Esq., in Moreton. Other men have since been taken into custody. On the 20th September the barque Saint Mungo, on her homeward passage from Calcutta to Newcastle-nn- Tyne, was wrecked on the Point of Cape L'Agullas, and ten of the crew were drowned. The loss is estimated at £25,000. Three men were suffocated on Saturday night week, at Dal-land, near Chatham, throuzh a quantity of charcoal having been placed in their bed room to warm it. From their appearance when found they must have died instan taneously on entering the room. The eldest was only t wen ty-two. At the Bury St. Edmonds Assizes, three men were found guilty and sentenced to death, for the murder of a policeman on the 30th July. The deceased having beard cf a robbery intended to be committed by the prisoners was on the night in question on the watch for them, and being discovered was shot by them. THE WOLVERHAMPTON CASE. —On Wednesday, at Stafford assizes, Jane Railton was indicted for concealing the birth of her child, and John Sherif and Jas. flildreth with abetting her in such concealment. The prosecutor's counsel ffered not to bring any evidence against Miss Railton if she would be a witness for the prosecution, but this was declined. The prisoners were actpiitted. At St , ifford, two youths, 17 and 19 years of age, were sentenced to death for tin- murder of a young man named Cooper, who assisted his father as under-garnekeeper, in the employ of Sir T. Boughey, at Audley. Tire act ap. pears to have been instigated by revenge against the elder Cooper, who had caused the murderers to be imprisoned for poaching. EIGHT MEN OF WAR COMMISSIONED.—On Saturday eight British men of war were commissioned :—The Actaeon, 26, frigate; Racehorse, 18; Persian, 16; Acorn, 16, sloops; and Ranger, 6, brie, at Devonport—Lily, 16, sloop, at Portsmouth—Comus, 18, sloop; and Fantome, 16, sloop, at Chatham. It is probable that the English navy never was in such an efficient state as at present. THE SHORTEST DAY.—The shortest day this year was not on the 21st December, but on the following one, the 22d. On the 21st the sun rose at Bh. 6m. and set 3h. 51m.: on the 221 it rose at Bh. 7m. and set at 3h. 51m. ; consequently the 22d was one minute shorter than the 21st, the commonly called shortest day. The sun set 2 minutes earlier on the 17th than on the 21st. At the Central Criminal Court, on Tuesday, Hew Burn, the captain of a barque called the Himalaya, was tried and found guilty of a misdemeanour under the provisions of the Merchant Seamen's Act, the sth and 6th of William IV., chap. 19, and fined in,the sum of £2O, for unlaw fully having forsaken and abandoned, at Port Nelson, in the island of New Zealand, George Robert Roe, a seaman on board a certain vessel of which the defendant was the master and commander. THE STOCKTON FORGERS. -011 Thursday last, at the Durham Assizes, Russell and the two Watsons, father and son, were tried for forging notes of the Stockton and Durham Bank. The younger Watson having pleaded guilty to the charge was called as Queen's evidence for the prosecution, and the jury, without much hesitation. after a long trial, found the prisoners il, d they were sentenced t o t wenty years ' transportatguionty. an Buglass_, who was tri e d f or utter i ng five pound notes, was sentenced to be transported for fifteen years. SINGULAR CASE.—A good-looking woman, aged 23, was tried at York assizes for bitamy. It appeared that she was married five years ag e when only 18 years of age, to a man named Vvoodhead, who, at the commence ment of the present year, off.:red her for sale in the public market at Leeds. She was purchased by William Idle, to whom she was shortly afterwards married. The first husband was in court. The jury found the prisoner guilty, but strongly recommnnded her to mercy. She was sentenced to be imprisoned one month. FIRE AND Loss OF LIFE. —On Saturday last a fire broke out in the residence of Mr. T. Fairy, Guildford_ street, Russell-square, London. The house was soon enveloped in flames, and the interior, with all its valuable contents, was destroyed. When the fire was subsiding, two constables entered the hall, and were about to try to make their way to an interior apartment, it having been stated that some of the inmates were missing, when, at that moment, the floors fell in with a tremendous crash, and the unfortunate men were buried in the burning ruins. Two other men were a'so killed. DEATH OF MISS CLARA WEBSTER.—In our last we gave an account of a deplorable accident, by burning, which happened to this young lady while performing at Drury Lane Theatre. The hopes entertained of her ultimate re covery have proved to be fallacious, as she expired at about three o'clock on Tuesday morning. At ebout six o'clock on Monday evening it was apparent that a change for the worse had taken place; she became delirious. She talked incoherently, and was continually counting " one, two, three, one, two, three," until death put a period to her sufferings. CARELESSNESS.—On Wednesday last, at Exeter, be fore Baron Alderson, Humphrey Harvey was indicted for having killed William Hale, by shooting him with a gun. It appeared that the prisoner had drawn the charge of the gun, but, unknown to himself, had left a few shot in the barrel. He put the gun over a hatch-door and dis charged it. He immediately discovered, to his great grief, that he had shot a boy, who was standing in the road. The jury returned a verdict of guilty, but not of malice aforethought, Mr. Baron Alderson : " Gentle men, there is no such charge. If it is not carelessness for a man to fire a gun across a road with a child before him, the sooner I get out of Devonshire the better, for I should not be safe. With the punishment you have no thing to do." The jury then found the prisoner guilty, and he was sentenced to be imprisoned one month. LOST BANK NOTES.—The amount of Bank of En gland notes lost and destroyed, and for which the bank will never probably be called upon to pay, is estimated at nearly £700,000. The following digest of a recent re turn to parliament shows the exact amount and descrip tion of these notes. No bonus has ever yet been divided to the proprietors of the bank for the notes lost or de stroyed. Between the 4th of March. 1843, and the sth January, 1844, a total amount of £695,571 was excluded from the returns of notesin circulation as lost or destroyed; of which, the sum of £126,321 was represented as notes of £5 and upwards, and £269,257 as notes of £1 and £2. The total amount of notes which the directors estimate as lost from the establishment of the bank, in the year 1694, to the sth January, 1844, is £507,279. All the notes comprised in this total have been outstanding for more than 30 years. The additional sum of £188,299, which makes up the total of £695,578 mentioned above excluded from the returns, has been outstanding for more than 15 years, and is therefore considered to be out of circulation ; but the bank, of course, is liable to pay every note that has been issued. DREADFUL Conetsrost.—On Tuesday afternoon, as the Sylph steamer, 50 tons, was proceeding down to Woolwich during a dense fog, she was struck and nearly cut in two by the Orwell (Ipswich steamer), 150 tons. Immediately on the Orwell receding from the Sylph, three of the cabin passengers were carried to the surface by the rusls of water thus created. They were picked up by the boats in attendance, as well as the crew of the ..371ph, and numerous deck passengers, who had been washed overboard. One of the officers of the Orwell rushed on board the sinking vessel, with an axe in his hand, and rescued two persons who were wedged in be tween the broken timbers and the vessel's side. These were also taken on shore. Some children were picked up, and taken on board the Orwell. One person had his skull frightfully fractured, one eye knocked out, and a leg and an arm broken ; he is since dead. Another man and three young women were taken on board the Hospital Ship, with wounds and severe contusions. The man has since died, but the women, having had their wounds dressed, were sent home. Several other women and chil dren, more or less hurt, as well as being immersed in the river, were taken to different public-houses. The Sylph is of course sunk, and only her funnel is visible. GREAT BOAT RACE.—The great boat race between Robert Coombes, the champion of the Thames, and Henry Clasper, the champion of the Tyne, took place on Wednesday last, at Newcastle, but ended in a dispute. The match arose out of the great four -oared cutter con test on t'. :e Thames last season, in which a crew of the Claspers (brothers), though beaten in the first instance by the Coombes's and others, beat the second picked lot with apparent ease, and it was thought that had their steerage been better kept they would have defeated both parties of London men. The present match was to run five miles on the Tyne, for a stake of £lOO on the Coombes, and £BO from his opponent, with an addition of £lO allowed by the latter for expenses. Coombes took with him from London a beautiful wager wherry, weigh ing under 401 b, while that of his opponent resembled the cutter in which the Claspers rowed at the Thames regatta, and almost as light. Money in London had been laid out. at 5 and 6 to 4 on Coombes; but at Newcastle, a few days previous to the race, there was but a trifling call in favour of him. Coombes claimed the prize as won easily, but the other party refused on Wednesday afternoon to give up the stakes, alleging that a London waterman made a signal to him. The decision of the referee was given on Thursday, and was in favour of Coombe,. EASTER IN 1815.—The Rev. G. D. Wheeler, vicar of Walford, thus simply, but clearly, reconciles the alleged discrepancy between the calendar and almanacs on this subject. He says, ".True it is that the full moo, may fall on the 23d of March, and that the rubric is correctly quoted, and yet the almanacs are correct in their asser tion that the 23d of March is Easter-day ; the reason being, that the pascal or ecclesiastical full moons do not always fall on the same day of the month as the teal full moons, a circumstance referred to in the Prayer-book, in the table to find Easter, from the year 1900 to the year 2199. In order to explain this briefly, it must be stated that the day on which the pascal full moon will fall is fixed by the metonic cycle or golden number ; but that cycle being framed on a calculation slightly inaccurate, it follows that after a course of years the difference between the time of the full moon as found by the cycle and its real time will amount to a whole day, and that difference will on some rare occasions produre the variation of a whole week in fixing the proper day for the festival of Easter. To obviate the necessity of remedying this inac curacy by continual changes of the cycle, and to secure at the same time uniformity in the observance of Easter, it was ordered by an act of the 24th of George 11., that, during the present century, those days in the calendar, between the 21st of March and the 18th of April, against which the golden numbers are set, should be held to be the dal s of the pascal full moon by which Easter is go verned, as indicated in each year by the golden number for that year. Now, the golden number for 1845 is 3; and that number in the calendar stands against the 22d of March, which is consequently to be taken as the pascal full moon, and Easter will fall upon the following Sundai o v,---,_ according to the rubric; that is, on the 23d of MaiONN., z :N..: stated in the almanacs. L . ` • - ... • . , • *- - .,-,7 , , f -- ........ fi e, 4 N 0 7-- •-• c Cr. IV bi tecy ~. , IP it e° l ' dll' ao nsp a tiOng' whic h za , --; `~ MI =ml