The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-01-03 00:00:00

in direct defiance of positive pledges to pursue an oppo site course; her insolent and annoying interference with our commerce upon another portion of the African coast ; her constant efforts to overturn the established Government of Spain, and to destroy British influence in that country; her late ridiculous Marquesas affair; the silly, though impertinent, in trusion of one of her officers, on board a British ship, an uninvited Witness to the completion of an important negotiation with the Chinese Empero —all these dis- play, mingled with the outrageou vanity wind peculiar to the French character, a disposition to carry insult and aggression to that pitch at which England must interfere, or be content to sink down into the position of a s of her press ton ondary power. Add to them the tone —the readiness with which occurrences of the most trivial nature are seized upon, as the pivots upon which to turn the national hostility against us—the forbearance, if not encouragement, with which her Government has recently appeared to regard these insults and outrages; and we are driven to the inevitable conclusion, that nothing but exem plary prudence, combined with firmness, on the part of the British Government, can prevent the occurrence, at no distant period, of an embroilment between France and the British nation. Many causes have, doubtless, contributed to the pro duction of the spirit to which we have pointed. Memory of the past has done much to produce it. The giant effort by which British arms crushed the glit tering fabric of the empire, and twice dictated peace before the gates of Paris, is not forgotten. The arm which chained its haughty chief—another Prometheus— upon that barren rock in the midst of ocean, is not forgiven by the French nation. The very meanness and treachery which its marshals, its statesmen, and its philosophers—" unwise in their glory, and base in their fall"—turned at that eventful period, from the obscured meteor to worship the new risen sun which victorious Britain gave them—the bitter consciousness of the contempt, which they then earned in the eyes of the world—goad them still, and will goad them, until wiped from the page of history, or from memory, by a fresh career of blood and conquest. Thl contrast, too, which presents itself in the subsequent career of the two nations is not one calculated to soothe the vanity of the French people. Whilst Great Britain has grown in commercial and colonial greatness—is greater, at this moment, than when she "strode like a Colossus" over the fields of France, whilst the a wrecks of " the empire" lay scattered beneath " her • huge legs"—that nation has been progressively cle f clining, in its prestige and its position amongst the nations of the world. Incontestibly, this is the case. a The name of Great Britain is paramount amongst ci vilized nations, whilst France has, more than once, been " isolated." A revolution, even, has not sufficed to retard her downward progress ; and—unless some sudden outburst, like that which, under the auspices of Napoleon, conferred upon her the dominion of the a world, revive for a time her faded glories, to be fol , lowed by a new prostration beneath the feet of insulted Europe—the day appears not far distant when she will sink into the condition of a second, if not a third-rate, power. It is natural to a nation constituted as is the French nation, and circumstanced as she is, to regard with an eye of jealousy, if not of hostility, her victorious com petitor in arms and in greatness. There was, how ever, a time, we remember, when these feelings ap peared, as in the natural course of things they might be expected, to be passing away. Friendship, com merce, the intercourse of brotherhood with France, was then universally talked of. That these expecta tions have not been realised, is, we firmly believe, at tributable to the insolent and insufferable vanity of one man, and that man Lord Palmerston. There is t virtue enough, wisdom enough, patriotism enough in e the French nation to have enabled it to resist and re -1 strain the turbulent spirit of its canaille : that virtue, wisdom, and patriotism Lord Palmerston has succeeded ; in turning away disgusted from the effort. A noble F spirit can bear to be vanquished, but never to be duped. r Disingenuous intrigue in every foreign court—the i everlasting interference and eternal manoeuvring of the ex-Foreign Secretary and his officials--have sue - ? ceeded in neutralising the healing effect which time had wrought upon the temper of the French people ; , f and we confidently believe that the return to office of 1 that statesman an d h D embroilment between the two countries ! s party would be the signal for As it is, we repeat, nothing but exemplary prudence combined with firmness, on the part of the British Government, can prevent the occurrence, at no distant period, of a consummation so deplorable. On Friday next th e Collegiate Institution will he, as announced elsewhere, formally opened by the deli very of an inaugural address by Lord Stanley, and other interesting proceedings. In addition to the dis tinguished names which appear in the advertisement, we understand that Lord Skelmersdale, Lord Lyttleton, Sir Stephen Glynne, 1.P., the Hon. R. B. Wilbraham, M.P., J. Wilson Patten, Esq. M.P., the Hon. and Rev. Horace Powys, Rector of Warrington, and other noblemen and gentlemen are expected to be present. No doubt a great body of our townpnen will join the procession. We understand that his Worship the Mayor has issued cards for a grand entertainment in the Town-hall, in honour of the occasion. We rejoice to hear that the number of parents who intend to avail themselves of the sound scriptural edu cation to be disseminated within the walls of this school, is already very considerable. LOCAL NEWS, JUNIOR Cuun.—lt will be seen that this new undertaking is upon the eve of being commenced. A meeting of the sub scribers will take place to-morrow, at the Brunswick Hotel. Captain Nye, of the packet-ship Independence, which arrived at this port, on Sunday week, in sixteen clays from New York, informs us, that, though he has crossed the Atlantic above a hundred times, the last was the only voyage he did not see a solitary sail the whole distance from New York to Liverpool. STEALING A PAIR OF SHOES.—At the Police-court yes terday, a rather well-dressed young man, named William H ielanson, was placed before Mr. Rushton, on a charge of stealing a pair of shoes. The prisoner had lodged at the house of a Mr. Davies, in this town, and had taken away the shoes, which belonged to a fellow lodger. They were found on the prisoner's feet. His father it was stated is a preacher in Manchester. He was committed to gaol for one inonth. GEOLOGICAL CURIOSITY AT EGREMONT FERRY.—Our readers are, perhap.;, not generally aware, that near the Timber Pi er , a t E gremont, there is a block of slate visible at low water. It is believed by geologists, that, as this slate is nowhere to be found nearer than Shap Fell, it has, in some remote geological era, been transported all that distance by some iceberg in which it had been imbedded, and which has melted at that particular spot. Another tine specimen is to be seen on the side of Brombro' Pool. DEATR By BURNING.—Agnes Fayrer, aged seventy seven, died, on Friday morning last, from the effects of severe burns which she received in consequence of her apparel hav ing taken fire. On Wednesday night she was washing her bands, when the candle set fire to her sleeve, and she was quickly enveloped in flames. She made her way to the street, where she was seen by her neighbours; one of them enfolded her in a blanket and extinguished the fire. Sur gical aid was procured, but it was unavailing. WILMER AND SMITH'S EUROPEAN TIMES.—Our adver tising columns announce the appearance of Messrs. 14 zllmer and Smith's European Times, the first number of which will be published on Wednesday next, in time for the steamer, which sails on that day. This publication is principally in tended for circulation in the United States and Canada, and the commercial and general information which it will con tain cannot fail to possess interest, and acquire popularity amongst our transatlantic friends.—See advertisement. ST. ARK'S OOLS.—A sale of lan ornamental work i n behalf of SCH these institutions was usefu held on Tuesday last, in St. James's School-rooms, St. James's-road, which realised, we understand, after payment of all expenses, up wards of £360. The order and propriety which prevailed, es well as the satisfactory result of the undertaking, must Le extremely gratifying to all the parties concerned; more especially to the ladies of the committee, whose indefatigable exertions arc beyond all praise. We are given to understand that the remaining articles will be disposed of on Thursday next, in the Infant School-room, St. Mark's Church-yard, at eleven o'clock, for the benefit of the Juvenile Church Missionary Society. THE FUNDS : SATURDAY EVENING.—ConsoIs for the account have advanced to 941, and though not much busi ness has b een transacted in the public stocks, they bear a V ery firm a spect. B an k S tock is quoted 171 to .1i 3 ; Ex chequer-bills 60s. to 625. premium; Three per Cents. Re - duced, 94; to 95 ; Three-and-a-Half per Cents. Reduced, 141 i; Long Annuities 12 11-16; and India Bonds, 525. to . premium ; all of ' which uotations show te present favourable conditio n of the market. The superabundance of cash now prevailing continues to be the grand cause oAerating on the v a l ue o f our stoc k s. A further rise oc curred in the price of Colombian Bonds to-day ; from 221 nessthe advanced to 23, and closed 23 to 1, with a tolerably busi . The prospect of some steps being speedily taken to reanimate the credit of this part of Spanish America, by a final settl ement ui 4 its creditors, a n d th e p a y m e n t of a tent has indu, speculators to op e r a te t o a li m ited ex in securit y. H ow far anticipations of the sort may be JOsticipated, however, yet remains to be seen. Few bargains took place i n any other stocks, and quotations linderwent no material alteration. Spanish Actives left off, IS/ to I; ditto, New Three per Cents., 241 to 1; Portu guese Flv . e per Cents., 41i; ditto, Converted, which hence forward it per Cents., will be the class of bonds more generally quoted, 35 to 1; Mexican, 31i1 to 32; Danish, 81 !,? „, 8 0 ; Brazilian, 71 to 72; Belgian, 101 i to 1021 ; Dutch 1..0-and -a-Half per Cents., 53 to 1 ; and ditto Five per Cents., 101 i to a. OCCURRENCE.—Mr. James Hallier6liant, who bad sustained an attack of paralysis, but from which he had partially recovered, was seized with a setend attack, on Tuesday last, in the Exchange Newsroom. He was carried out in a state of insensibility, and conveyed to his residence, in Berkeley-street. He died next day. MR. HENRY RUSSELL'S CONCERTS.—The actual over flow, notwithstanding the advanced charge for admi which occurred at our Mechanics' Institution when portunity was offered of hearing Mr. Henry Russell, s, remembered by many who were disappointed of obtaining access on that occasion. Since that evening, Mr. 11. has been delighting the public in the metropolis, and gaining honours which will soon be heard of by his friends in Ame rica. We are glad be has met with such a reception in the " daar old country," and have the pleasure to announce his re-appearance in Liverpool.—Sec advt. MR. STUART, THE TRAGEDIAN.—We understand that the friends and admirers of this gentleman will shortly have an opportunity of again witnessing his performance, in some of his favourite characters, at the Theatre-royal. Mr. Stuart, it will be remembered, was the leading tragedian of our stock company for some years, till the close of the last season, in 1841, when an advantageous offer from Mr. Webster, the lessee of the Haymarket, induced Mr. Stuart to try his for tune on the London boards, where, as is well known, he has been quite successful, and during the past season, has ap peared in several original characters. Mr. Stuart was a great favourite in Liverpool, and his friends and admirers will, no doubt, give him a hearty reception on his re-appearance on those boards where he has achieved some great triumphs. It is Mr. Stuart's intention, during his stay here, to resume his Shaksperian lectures, as well as his lessons in elocution, &c.—Mercury. DEAD BODY OF A FEMALE FOUND.—On Saturday mor ning last, about nine o'clock, as James Harper, of Crown street, was passing a field near that street, he saw the body of a female lying in some water. He went to the spot and found a woman, about sixty years old, lying dead. The water was about six inches deep. Mr. Harper called Mr. Parkes, a surgeon, to her, hoping that she might be restored to life. Mr. Parkes pronounced that she had been dead some hours. A police-officer was called, and she was taken to the Dead-house. She had on a cotton printed dress, a dark tip pet or mantle, and an old black bonnet. In her pockets were several pawn-tickets, a needle case, a pair of spectacles, and two-pence in copper. An inquest was held before Mr. Curry, on Saturday, when it appeared that the deceased was seen by Agnes Brokie, a dressmaker, on the preceding afternoon, on some steps in Great Orford-street, and a second time going up Brownlow-hill. She was excessively intoxicated, so ih .t she could not walk. The inquest was adjourned till twelve o'clock to-day, for further evidence. ROYAL ASSEMBLY Rooms.--Mr. Henry Russell an nounces a concert at these rooms to night, and another on Friday , when he will sing some of his most celebrated songs.—zn:,,,ngst them the " Gambler's Wife ;" which song is designed to represent the feelings of a young wife and mo • tiler, under circumstances sufficiently common to warrant the assertion, that it is founded on fact without exaggeration. It represents the Gambler's Wife and Child, deserted by their natural protector, in the extreme of poverty and starvation, for the PLEASURE of play. The fire expires ; the energies of life sink from the want of food ; and the mother vainly strives to hope in the midst of despair, appealing to the past with the memory of the bride, while vainly endeavouring to soothe her child with the energy of a mother's love, until the infant dies in her arms, and her heart is broken. The current of her feelings is interrupted only by the peal of the clock, s and at the third hour the scene closes ; while time strides onward in its monotonous march, regardless as the world of the issue. He also will sing " The ship on fire," " Woodman spare that tree," The brave old oak," "The ivy green," "The maniac," &c. THE SHIP SCOTLAND.—DREADFUL DISASTER.—The ship Scotland, a well known transient vessel, which has sailed between this port and New York for some years, experienced a dreadful disaster on the 21st ult., about nine o'clock in the evening, in lat. 58, lon. 22. In a heavy gale she was struck by a sea, which carried overboard her commander, (Captain Robinson,) the second mate, (Mr. A. Palmer,) the steward, J. Simpson, La boy,) and two seamen. It swept the decks of cabin and round-house ; bulwarks, spare spars, studding sails, - and railings ; split the covering board, stove in the fore and after hatches, and caboose and caboose-house, partly filled the ship with water, and shifted the cargo. The Scot land, which sailed hence on the Bth ult. ' immediately p u t b ac k, and reached here on Thursday i n thi s dilapidated state. Her escape was providential, for the whole of the chests, books, and nautical instruments were likewise carried away. The captain's chronometer was found, about twenty-four hours after the accident, totally unfit for use. Fortunately, it was remembered that an old compass had been stowed away in a chest between decks, which, being regulated, was rendered available. She was out altogether twenty days. Poor Capt. Robinson, who was well known in the trade, has left a wife and, we believe, three children (sons) to deplore his loss. He was a very amiable man, of a religious turn of mind, and was reading his Bible when the disaster occurred. He was part proprietor of the ship, in conjunction with Captain Hackstaff, Mr. George Timbsell, and Messrs. Smith and Demon, of New York, who own the remainder. His pecu niary circumstances, owing to recent losses, were, we are sorry to learn, much impaired. By the recent failure of Messrs. Dyson, of New York, he lost 3,000 dollars. The steward, who was severely injured by the calamity, died on Friday, on his way to the hospital. CHRIST CHURCH : THE PROTESTANT ASSOCIATION.-- We understand a sermon will be preached at Christ Church to-morrow evening, by the Rev. Hugh MeNeile, especially addressed to the young members of that numerous congrega tion. On this occasion it is intended that an appeal shall be made on behalf of the nearly exhausted funds of the Pro testant Association. We cannot but think the association of these two objects both judicious anti well-timed. What can be more important, at such a crisis as the present, than to have the minds of the rising generation amongst us thoroughly imbued with those sound Protestant principles, of which so many in the present day are affecting to be ashamed, but which are in reality the decus et tutamen, at once the glory and defence of the constitution of the church and the institutions of the state. Would that similar pains were taken in every congregation of our town, and through out the country, to teach our youth to lisp in Protestant accents, and to learn the value and appreciate the importance o f those great religious truths, for which, in antagonism to Popish . falsehoods, our brave and pious forefathers contended to the death. We trust there are no symptoms, as the enemy craftily pretends, of any diminution of the Protestant spirit of our fellow-townsmen, because of the altered political circumstances of the country. Whatever may be the case as respects the higher classes of the community, we are per suaded that no spirit of decay has come over the ripened freshness of the Protestant feelings of our operative classes. These are now the main support, as they chiefly constitute the organization of the Protestant Association, whose politi cal and religious value to the town will never be sufficiently appreciated until it has ceased to exist. We hope that day is still far distant. In the meantime, let its consistent and true-hearted friends rally round it whenever, as now, an opportunity presents itself of lending it a helping hand. We understand there is a considerable deficiency in the funds, which MUST BE SUPPLIED at an early date. We need not say that we anticipate a crowded auditory to-morrow even ing, when the ablest champion of Protestant truth that his country has produced in modern times will again exercise his powerful eloquence in the defence of the principles of Scriptural Protestantism, and in the application of those principles to the hearts and consciences of the young. We further trust, that such an amount may be collected as may serve to relieve the committee of the Protestant Association in its present emergency. Mr. John Greaves, sharebroker, of this town, publishes in the Mining Journal the following annual statement of the high est and lowest prices of shares in the leading railways, banks, and other property for investment, which gives much data of an important character; thus the greatest extreme difference in railway shares will be found in Great North of Englands, which have varied during the year from 521 to 88—a difference of 351, and the present market price being 591, shows a de cline since April last of 281 per share. The lowest difference during the year i s i n E as t ern C ount i es, wh i ch i s only 2a, the highest price having been in April 104, and in November 8 per share, the present price being 84. London and Briming ham have varied 24, the highest price being 191. Great Western 14, highest price 95. Liverpool and Manchester 26, highest price 129. South Western 7, highest 61. Man chester and Leeds 241, highest price 90. Midland Counties 251, highest 85. North Midland 161, highest 73 ; and York and North Midland have only varied 9, the highest price being 95—thus the average extreme difference in the prices of the shares of the abovenamed ten principal railways during the past year is 18 4-10ths. In the shares in joint-stock banks in Liverpool, nothing like the same extent of fluctua tion is found, seven of them only varying from a to 24 during the year, and the Royal Bank, with its £5OO shares at a maximum price of 7031, has varied 695, thus being less than one-tenth of the price of the shares. In the Bottle Water Works the difference has been 291, on a price of 316 i, and the Liverpool and Harrington of 93 on 613. The New Gas have varied 27, and the Exchange Buildings 221. These statistical data, though but of little interest to the casual reader, are of much importance to the speculator and the proprietor of shares in different kinds of investment, as by them the effect of various circumstances connected with management, finance, &c., can be traced to its true cause, an d, probably, may hereaft er b e the means in many cases of firmly establishing property, which, without such investigation, might be looked at with anything but confidence. The fol lowing is a comparison of the weekly average traffic taken from the Ist of July to the 23d of December, 1842, with th e corresponding average of last ye ar on th e following lines of railway, in each case the first named sum is for 1841, and the second for the present year :—Eastern Counties, £Bs4 £lOl4 ; Grand Junction, £9217—X7926 ; London and Brighton, £1786—£3934; London and South-Western, £5929—X6387 ; Liverpool and Manchester, £5317—£4486; North Union, £1224—£1050; York and North Midland, £1695-11781. EXTENSIVE ROBBERY OF COPPER MONEY.—Last week, during the night of Wednesday, or early on Thursday morn ing, the country house of Messrs. Alexander and James Sharp, brewers, Richmond-row, was entered, and a box forced open, from which a sum of £3O in copper money was abstracted. A clerk in the employ left the office all safe about eight o'clock on Wednesday night. There was a box there in which the copper money was kept, and which was usually covered with the gig-cushions and some books. He had that evening put into it about £lO in copper, and there was previously about £3O in it, also in copper. On entering the office on the following morning, he missed about £3O worth of the coin, and information was conveyed to the po lice. On the followir ' , morning, Inspector Ande rs , f rom information he received, strongly suspected some parties of bad character, in George's-court, Ford-street, and proceeded thither with one or two officers. He there found seven young men and women, all of whom he took into custody-- namely, William Thompson, John Fox, John Jones, John M`Carthy, Charles Endoe, Ellen Fe e an d Eli za Fee. These were brought up on Friday, but were remanded for further evidence, until yesterday, when a chain of facts was dis closed which left no doubt of their all being engaged in the robbery. Another young female, Catherine Hagan, who had been subsequently apprehended, was also added to the num ber. It appeared that several of the male prisoners had en tered the office by means of a skeleton key, while the others, or most of them, were outside, and afterwards assisted in carrying away the booty. In searching the house in Ford street, copper money was found in several parts of it con cealed ; and on the roof, near the garret window, were found two bundles of skeleton keys, one of which opened Messrs. Sharps' office door. A crowbar had also been left in the office, and the box had, no doubt, been forced open by it, as there were marks upon it precisely such as would be produced by the forcible use of the instrument. The girl Hagan, too, after beingcautioned, made a confession of the robbery by the party, detailing some of the facts at tending its perpetration. A considerable number of respect able witnesses, connected with various pawnshops in the north part of the town, (where the prisoners resided,) also deposed to several of the male prisoners having come to them on Thursday, and procured various sums in silver in ex change for copper money. Some of them, too, including the females, had made purchases at drapers' shops, spirit vaults, &c., for which they had paid throughout in copper. The prisoner Charles Endoe, had, it appeared, been in Messrs. Sharp's employ, and had left it about seven weeks ago. Some of the goods were found, and several of the brown and blue papers in which the copper was wrapped (when in the box) were produced by several of the witnesses, and identi fiad by Mr. Sharp and his clerk. The evid ence did not CarthofY as against the oth er them, getting silv or appearprisoners; tto b butbe so he strongwas in exchange for copper ; and Mr. Rushton c omm i tte d t h e asgeaeinns with M th' one whole seven to take their trials at the sessions. While leaving the dock, the two females named Fee attacked the woman named Hagan, who had confessid the robbery, and they were ordered to be put in separate cells, lest some fatal assault might ensue. THE ConNonoN.—This newly invented and very sweet instrument is taught by Mr. Thompson, of London-road. When Mr. Thompson was connected with the orchestra of the Theatre Royal, the able manner in which he executed difficult accompaniments, and melodies was often the subject of remark and applause. He is well able to give instruction to the learner of this fashionable instrum-e,lit. BY A S: Healey said the prisoner t vice, and that as she (Mrs. II.) hml frequeidly of money from a drawer in which she kept it, and had season to suspect the prisoner, she employed a friend to procure and mark two sovereigns worth of silver, which she deposited in the drawer, in her bedroom. On Saturday night last, the prisoner had gone into the room, and some of the money was soon afterwards missed. She was given into custody, and in a purse which she had in her pocket were found two of the marked shillings. She was committed for trial at the sessions. OUR NEW PACKET SHIPS.—At the ship-yard of Messrs. Brown and Bell, foot of Houston -street, East River. the ship of eleven hundred tons, intended for Messrs. 'Woodhull and Minturn's new line of Liverpool and New York packets, is in a state of great forwardness, and will be ready for launch ing in about three weeks, should the weather prove favour able for the workmen engaged on her, At Messrs. Webb and Allen's ship-yard, at the foot of Sixth-street, another fine vessel of about 950 tons, and intended for Goodwin and Co. and C. H. Marshall's old line of Liverpool packets, is also under way. We understand she is to be commanded by our old favourite Captain Waite, favourably known to travel lers as the master of the packet-ship England.—New York paper. FIRES, AND ALARM OF FlRE.—Yesterday morning, about five o'clock, fire was discovered to have broken out in the upper story of the corn windmill at Croxteth, in this neigh bourhood, the property of the Earl of Sefton, and tenanted by Mrs. Mullineux. The alarm was immediately brought to the fire-police station in this town, and Mr. Hewitt instantly proceeded to the spot, with three engines drawn by four horses each. They reached the ground in so short a time as tb astonish the country people in the neighbourhood ; but happily found that their services were not required, as the fire was got under in a very masterly manner before they reached, by the stout and active yeomanry of the neighbour hood. The damage done might amount in all to about £lOO only. the destruction being confined chiefly to a small quan tity of flour, &c., the top floor of the building, the break, and part of the roof. The building was five stories in height. No one had been in the building from Saturday night, when the men went home until yesterday morning, at about the hour stated, when they returned to resume work, and found the top in a state of combustion. As the wind was blowing in heavy gusts during the interim, the probability is that the wood-work and other light and dusty materials took fire from the friction of the break . Mr. Hewitt, our superintendent of the fire police, gives great praise to those who extinguished the fire, particularly as the floors coated with flour dust became very slippy when the water fell upon them. A small engine was brought from Croxteth-hall, and was of some service, but it appears that the flames were principally subdued by men who carried water to the immediate side of the conflagration.— On the morning of New-year's Day, at about one o'clock, smoke was seen to issue in considerable clouds from the windows of the top stories of the high warehouse at the bottom of Chapel-street, the lower part of which is oc cupied by .Mr. Sixsmith as an inn. Information was in stantly conveyed to the fire engine station, in Temple-street; and while the engines were being got in readiness, a mes senger was despatched to the ground with all possible speed to ascertain the probable extent of the fire—great apprehen sion being naturally entertained if it once gained head at the exposed end of the range of warehouses, and the west end of that street, it might become one of the greatest we have for years had the misfortune to experience. Luckily it turned out that the alarm was caused by the smoke fromthe chimneys of the inn being driven down by a brisk westerly breeze into the upper rooms of the warehouse, which it nearly filled, and no ignition of any of the materials had taken place. The en gines were, therefore, counter-ordered.—Yesterday, about eleven o'clock, a fire broke ont in a dwelling-house, in Davies-street, near Stanley-street, but it was speedily ex tinguished with buckets of water, by some of the police, with but trifling damage.—Last night, about eleven o'clock, a blaze of fire w as seen t o i ssue w i t h great, and at first, alarm ing brightness, from premises near the east side of Bold street, near the bottom. Numbers of parties rushed to the spot, but it was found that this alarm was produced merely by a chimney of the Palatine Club-house having taken fire. It is stated that the chimney had but recently been swept by a machine, but, it would appear, very imperfectly. It was immediately got under. There is now growing in a garden at Ulverston, a pear tree with a second crop of fruit.—Waterford Paper. A mushroom, eight and a quarter inches in diameter and two feet one inch in circumference, was found in a field at Reddish, on Tuesday evening.— Waterford Paper. A man of Londonderry came to his death, last week, in consequence of having taken a quantity of oxalic acid in the place of Epsom salts. The Lieutenant-General commanding the forces in Ire land has given directions that the troops, when oa march i❑ that country during the winter months, shall practise such movements as the nature of the road will admit, The opponents of the league have begun to fight them with their own weapons, the distribution of tracts, beginning with an article from the Quarterly Review on the league, which is attributed to Air. Croker, and has excited some attention. We understand that, in consequence of Aden having been declared to Lid, for the purposes of commerce, a port of the Presidency of Bombay, coals exported thither from this country are now exempted from the payment of duty.— Greenock Advertiser. A sum of 4,000 f has lately been voted in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives, for establishing a special violin class, at the Conservatoire of Music at Brussels, in order to retain i'l. de Beriot in the country. The sum of 12,560 f, required for the expenses in erecting a statue to Godefroy de Bouillon, was also granted. Count de Merode has announ ced his intention of presenting 3,000 f towards this work. INTERESTING DISCOVERY.--VAUDREUIL, DEC. 22. Some workmen, i❑ removing a Druidical stone, two metres and a half in length, by two metres one-fifth in breadth, and one metre one-third in thickness, discovered twenty-five or thirty bodies lying in a circular manner, with their feet in the centre. The bodies were separated by stones, and placed one above the other, with a thin layer of earth between them. There were besides several funeral urns, enclosing ashes, and a piece of ivory representing the axe which the lictors carried before the consuls.—La Presse. BLUCHER. —The 100th anniversary of the birthday of Prince Blucher was celebrated at Dusseldorf. on the 15th instant, by a brilliant entertainment, at which not only many comrades of the deceased veteran, but nearly all the officers of the garrison, were present. General Count von der Gro ben presided on the occasion, who is represented to have de livered a most impressive discourse, in illustration of the brilliant events of 1813, 1814, and 1815. In almost every large city in Prussia the day appears to have been celebrated in a similar manner. MALIBRAN'S MAUSOLEUM.—A white marble statue of Madame Malibran has just been placed in the mausoleum which M. de Beriot had erected in the cemetery of Laecken to the memory of the celebrated cantatrice. The monument itself is about 10 feet long, and nearly as many wide. The interior is circular, and is crowned with a cupola. The door is composed of open work, which allows the statue to be seen towards the other end. The white marble is thrown out from a brownish ground, so that Malibran appears quitting the tomb, and rising towards Heauen, where she is about to be received by angels, painted on the cupola. In the centre of the cupola a lamp is placed, which sheds a subdued light over the whole statue. On the front of the pedestal is to be placed a basso relievo, representing the Genius of Music be wailing the loss of this celebrated singer. —Examiner. THE CHINESE TREATY.—The great seal of England was on Saturday affixed to the treaty recently ratified between this country and China, at the residence of the Lord Chan cellor, in Great George-street, Hanover-square, after which it was transmitted to the War-office, for the purpose of being forwarded to the " Celestial" Empire, under the care of Major Malcolm. The seal is enclosed in a very handsome silver box (similar to that used for the patent of His Boyal Highness the Prince of Wales), and, together with the im portant document to which it is appended, is enclosed in an elegant case covered with crimson-velvet Of the seal itself, it is expected that no trace of the impression of Mr. Wyon's beautiful mould will exist when the case reaches its destina tion, on account of the yielding nature of the materials of which it is composed : indeed on former occasions, it has been discovered that, during the comparitively short journey between Scotland and London the design has been completely obliterated. A GUILELESS YOUNG LADY.—Miss Pecksniff took up her station on a low stool at her father's feet. It must not be inferred from this position of humility that the youngest Miss Pecksniff was so young as to be, as one may say, forced to sit upon a stool by reason of the shortness of her legs. Miss Pecksniff sat upon a stool because of her simplicity and innocence which were so very great —very great. Miss Pecksniff sat upon a stool because she was all girlishness, and playfulness, and wildness, and kittenish buoyancy. She was the most arch, an d a t ie same time the most artless creature, was the youngest Miss Pecksniff, that you can possibly imagine. It was her great charm. She was too fresh and guileless, and too full of childlike vivacity, was the youngest Miss Pecksniff, to wear combs in her hair, or to turn it up, or to frizzle it, or to braid it--she wore it in a crop, a loosely flowing crop, which had so many rows of curls in it that the top row was only one curl. Moderately buxom was her shape, and quite womanly too ; but sometimes—yes, sometimes—she even wore a pinafore ; and how charming that was. Oh, she was indeed " a gushing thing" (as a young gentleman had observed in verse in the poet's corner of a provincial newspaper), was the youngest Miss Peck sniff.—Bon's Martin Chuzzlewit, No. 1. SINGULAR PRESERVATION OF Two CHILDREN.—Last Monday two little boys, Watkin, aged eight years, and Greatbatch, aged nine, were playing near the lifting engine of Sneyd Green colliery, when they were induced to attemtpt the descent of an old coal-pit, close at hand, to which a wind lass had been applied for a temporary purpose. The young rogues laid hold o: the rope, and a companion, a few years older, held it between the pit's mouth and the windlass. Their weight, and that of the rope, overpowered him, when they were only a few yards down the pit ; and, to avoid being himself thrown in, he was compelled to relinquish his grasp. The rope and its burden descended the pit with fearful ra pidity, and even after 98 yards (the depth of the pit) had been uncoiled from the windlass barrel, continued to run down till at length it snapped in two, and the entire length fell into the pit, as was supposed, still further crushing the already man gled bodies of the two children. The reader may judge of the surprise of those who hastened to the spot, on hearing one of the youngsters call out for a rope to be let down for their deliverance. They were brought out of the pit entirely un hurt, with the exception of a slight abrasure of the skin of one of them. Their preservation is the more extraordinary, as at the bottom of the pit was a quantity of rough rock which had fallen from the sides. The lads do not appear to have been much alarmed during their perilous descent; one of them said the sensation was like that of tickling all over his body.—North Stafford Mercury. Several absurd paragraphs having gone the round of the papers on the subject of Sir Robert Sale's family, the follow ing are authentic particulars :—Sir Robert Sale is the second son of Colonel Sale, of the Company's service, who, after seeing much active service in the wars of Clive, &c., died as Governor of Vellore, at a time when that place was considered an important frontier fortress. He was well known to the Duke of Wellington, then Colonel Wellesley. Colonel Sale (of Vellore) Ind four sons and one daughter:—viz., George Sale, the eldest, who was wounded as a lieutenanl in the 19th Dragoons, at the battle of Assay e, and who latterly corn marded the cantonment of Poonah, and who, when Lieut.- Colonel of the 4th Light Dragoons, and after 36 years of cavalry service in the East Indies, retired, and died in Lon don three years ago ; Robert (the second son), whose ser vices (upwards of 48 years' full pay, also in a tropical climate) are now before the public; Henry (the third son), who died some years ago at Wallagabad, as Lieutenant -Colonel, and in command of a regiment of Madras Native Infantry, after about. 36 years' service ; Charles (the youngest and fourth son), who. after 25 years' service in India on full pay as a subaltern (principally of cavalry), purchased his troop, and died as a Captain of the 4th Light Dragoons, at Kaira, in Bombay, about 16 years ago ; and Harriet Sale, Sir Robert's only sister, who married Major Bladen, of the 22d Dragoons, who also died in India many years ago. Our readers will, we think. agree with us that this is a very fair contribution to the publio service from a single family.—United Service Gazette. TOWN COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS The adjourned meeting of the Town-council was held ht eleven o'clock yesterday, in the Town-hail, fur the further consideration of the statements of the Town-clerk, the Deputy Town-clerk, and Clerk of Committees, and the re marks of the Paid Officers' Committee on those statements. Ti,e council was also summoned specially for the purpose of making several annual appointments. The MAYOR pre- RESOLUTIONS PROPOSED BY THE PAID OFFICERS' CONTAIIITEE The Council on the motion of Sir T. BnA:sTar.tt, seconded by r. G. H. LAWRE.NCE, resolved itself into committee for the consideration of the third and remaining resolutions pro posed by the Paid Officers' Committee on their report, and the auswers thereto of the Town-clerk, the Deputy Town clerk, and Clerk of Committees. Mr. LLOYD then rose, and commenced by observing, that at the last meeting the council having passed the first and second of the resolutions proposed by the committee, had very properly adjourned on the third, with the view of enabling the younger members fully to inform themselves of the subject in the meantime. At the last meeting he had not answered the question put by Mr. Birkett, "how the commit tee arrived at the conclusion in page ten of their report, that if the scheme proposed by them were adopted, there would be a saving to the borough fund of £5OO per annum." He had not answered this question then, because he felt that the proper time to do so would be on the motion for the adop tion of the third resolution, which he was now about to pro pose. The Paid Officers' Committee in entering upon their labours had kept in view the strict letter of the resolution of the council by which they had been appointed : without having regard to persons they had inquired only, in compli. ance with the resolution, into duties and salaries ; and in coming to any conclusion in their report, there had not been, either collectively or individually, the slightest personal feel ing with reference to any of the officers or servants of the corporation. They had first inquired into the Town-clerk's department. As their report stated, they could not separate the individuals employed, as if they were acting in several de partments ; they considered them all as one acting under the direction and control of the Town-clerk. From the evidence before them, they could come to no other conclusion than that the Town-clerk was responsible for all the officers whose named appeared in the report, although the duties were so mixed ; and, indeed the Town-clerk had to a certain extent admitted the same, for he said he was responsible for all ex cept two—the Clerk of Committees and his clerk, who re ceived their appointments direct from the council. Now, although those officers had received their appointments di rectly from the council, the committee could not separate their duties from the Town-clerk, for the duties which they performed were, strictly, legal duties. The Clerk of Com mittees had been acting from the year 1836 as the custodiar of the muniments : he had also attended committees and taken their instructions, but he had not attended the whole of them. There was a confusion of duties, in this respect, by the Town-clerk attending some committees, the Deputy Town-clerk others, and the Clerk of Committees others, the inconveniences of which were pointed out in the report. The only difference then between the Town clerk's statement, and the report of the committee, was simply this,—that the Town-clerk not having the ap pointment of these two officers, did not consider him self responsible for their acts, beyond what the Act of Parliament imposed upon him as the custodian of the deeds ; whilst he (Mr. Lloyd) maintained that the Town clerk, since the passing of the Municipal Act, was the legal adviser not only of the Council, but of every committee ; and that, as there could be no act done except directly under that act, or under some local act, therefore he was respon sible for every act which passed the Council. This being the case, the officers named in pages two, three, and four, in the opinion of the committee formed one department, with the exception of the prosecuting solicitor andthe sub-bailiffs; and, after hearing the evidence, and entering into further inquiry, they came to the conclusion that, if a scheme, founded somewhat upon that contained in their r r eport, (pub lished in Friday's Standard.) were adopted, all the dutie, performed by the officers named in pages two, three, and four, with the exception of the crier and the sub-bailiffs, could be properly fulfilled by persons at the respective salaries set forth in the report. This opinion was borne out by the statement of the Town-clerk. The Town-clerk certainly suggested some trifling or not very considerable alterations as to the salaries; and, if the committee had not recom mended the salaries named upon the basis of the duties to be performed, keeping in view, also, that there were other de partments to be inquired, they might have adopted the Town clerk's suggestions. It was with regard to what the De puty Town-clerk had said in his statement, that he being so much absent from the office attending the sessions and assizes, there should always be one there in whom he could have confidence, that the committee proposed to allow him an efficient clerk, at the salary of £3OO per annum. The committee saw i , . was right and necessary for such a person to be appointed, and they came at once into the Deputy Town-clerk's view. Then, with regard to the Borough Court, they proposed to appoint a clerk there, at a salary of £2OO per annum, the Town-clerk considering that there would be a difficulty in procuring a person with the know ledge requisite for the office at such a salary, proposed that £5O a year should be added. The next point was the subject of the chief clerk to the Town-clerk. The com mittee had gone very fully into the importance of such an assistant being at his right hand ; and, indeed, if any one would sit with the Town-clerk, as he (Mr. Lloyd) had on this enquiry, and see the constant interruptions to which he was exposed upon trifling matters, they would at once acknowledge that he ought to have such assistance. These were the three chief alterations pointed out and suggested in the report; there would then be a chief clerk to the Town clerk, a deputy registrar to superintend the business of the borough court, and a chief clerk to take upon himself, in the absence of Mr. Shuttleworth, the management of the leasing and conveyancing. Besides these, there would be a book-keeper, a cashier, and seven engrossing clerks ; and the Town-clerk had told the cour.cil, that this efficient establishment, considering the inconvenience and extra ex pense last year, would not be any additional charge upon the borough fund. All the calculations in the report were founded upon the treasurer's account for 1841, which was the last published when the enquiry commenced. The officers and clerks, independently of the criers and bailiffs, received, I n 1841 .............................. :£ 5,608 8 10 The scheme proposed by the committee amounted to Showing a saving of .................. £ 918 8 10 Besides this, there ought to be added to the expenses of 1841, although it did not appear in the committee's report, the law clerk's illness, which, with the £9lB, w ould least £l3OO, in round numbers, a s a stationers' bills for work done out of the office, which amounted to about £250 extra. Then there had been £332 portion of the extra work. Mr. Lloyd give a sum of at paid for professional assistance during the late Deputy Town saving, supposing that same individual had been removed, fo r the establishment now proposed would be equal to a great then mentioned that all the doubts of the committee as to the legality of the Clerk ship of the Peace and the Town-clerkship being held by the the opinion of Sir Wm. Follett, Mr. Starkie, and Mr. Martin had been taken on the question, and it was that they were Compatible. The Council, therefore, might be relieved from any difficulty on be this matter. Th e t o t a l diff eren ce, with reg a nd to salaries strictest economy, he would w illingly tween the Town- c l er k, the D e puty Tod here and the com mittee amounted to £236. Mr. Lloyd here pointed out the differences in detail. Though he waiven advocate for the to be £l2OO per an for the salary of the Deputy T o wn-clerk g his individual vote num instead of £9OO, for the duties of that office last year had Town-clerk and Deputy Town-clerk , been enormous. Having now gone through the scheme both in the report of the committee and the statements of the third resolution : be begged to move the Resolved,—That, on taking into consideration the state ments of the Town-clerk and Deputy Town-clerk submit ting a scheme of establishment, upon the principle of Town clerk and Deputy Town-clerk, that this council do approvi alterations in the of such scheme, subject to the followin g salaries thereby prop o sed. No. 4, in the scheme , Viz. :—That, the salary of the clerk , be £lOO instead of £l3O. be £BO instead of £9 O . That, the salary of the clerk, No. 6, That, the salary of the Deputy Town-clerk and Prosecu ting Solicitor, be £9OO instead of .£lOOO. And, that, subje c t t o suc h alterations, the Town-clerk and Deputy Town-clerk and Prosecuting Solicitor, do severally proceed with the requisite appointments in their respective departments. him (Mr. Lloyd . He would name here, and the Town-clerk would excuse him for mentioning it, that several members had suggested to Town-clerk, he might make some which the council would not consider proper and correct. Now, so far as he (Mr. ) that these appointments being given to the Lloyd) had seen of both the Town-clerk and the eputy Town-clerk, he did not see w hy they should not have the fullest liberty of appointing the instrum ents for doing that for which they wer e respon sible to the council. The busi ness of the office never could be carried on, if, whilst the principals were responsible, the subordinates were allowed to come before the council with comolainta. lie might also add, that the Town-clerk had not the slightest idea of ap pointing any relative of his own to the chief clerkship, at £4OO per annum. . Mr. KILSHAW seconded the resolution. Mr. G. H. LAWRENCE was one of those who, at the out set, had been opposed to the appointment of the Paid Officers' Committee, i nasmuc h as he conceived that an y en of the corporation mi g h t h ave b een investigated b y the re spective committee s to w hi ch the y quiry into the emolu ments an d d u ties of the se veral officers were attached. At the same time, he did not ant i c i pa t e the painstaking re p ort which the committ ee h a d presen ted, or else he mi g ht pro bably have taken a diff erent v i ew o f the thing. He wa s bu t an indifferent refo rmer i n matters o f this kind; he was not much in favour of changes, because changes were g enerally, if not always, accompanied with a considerabl e increase of expenditure, and because, in making changes in their duties, they might be apt, at least for a time, to interfere with or intendeddamag to e the eimffiperieonvee. T efficiency of thosehatwas o hfficiesrfseewlg in a h in oseeffic g ie re n a c t y d i a t g w re a e s on the present occasion. Added to that it appeared to him that the Paid Officers' Committee had spoken rather with regard to things as they ought to be than with regard to things as they were, or were likely to become at pre sent. had such an officer as M r. They presented to the c oun c il the beau ideal of a tow n - cle rk, without rememberin g that they Radcliffe. As to the clerk of co mm i ttees , th e y seemed either to have forgotten that he existed at a ll , or t o be prepared by a side-wind to supersede him ; whil st h e (M r . Lawrence) was sure that there was hardly a man in the council who would wish to be deprived of the services of such a valuable officeras Mr. Okill. He (Mr. Lawrence) could hold out no hope whatever that the measures now proposed would be pro ductive of any saving. Unless both Mr. Okill and Mr. Ab bott were dismissed, there would be no saving ; but on the contrary, a further expense to the corporation of £7OO or £BOO a year. The committee spoke about some saving which might accrue from altering the system of law stationery. With this question, however, he was not competent to deal. But he knew how great the pressure of business had been in the Town-hall, and he was afraid so much good would not be effected in this department as was anticipated. Besides, he shrunk from the hardship of upsetting the present system, and mulcting these poor law-stationers. It was paltry work. He would much rather have entrusted this part of the business to the discretion of the Town-clerk than to look for any great improvement by such laws and regulations as the council were now asked to propound. Their labour would be too much for £6O or £7O a year ; they were kept all hours, and it was too much to require from them such conditions. Mr. LACE said the hours expected from them were rea sonable. They were not required to work later than seven o'clock. Mr. G. IL LAWRENCE said they re quired ; and he contended that they would work neit her so must work longer if well nor so fast as they would if they were earning so mething worth having. Then two new lawyers were to come into the building. He was willing to acknowledge that assistance was wanted in the Town-clerk's office, and that Mr. Shuttle worth must be provided with a clerk ; but at the same time he felt rather reluctant at the introduction of two additional legal gentlemen at high salaries. He was aware they m ust conform to the law, but they might encumber their marc h of proceeding by conforming rather too tightly to it; a nd they must not expect that these p arti es would be satisfie d for any considerable length of time w ith £ 3OO and £4O O a - ye ar. With regard to the muniments , wh atev er the Town-clerk said must be carried out ; but if the Town-clerk thought that he had not that sufficient custody of the deeds and muniments of the not the council's ; he ought to have seen to it better. He (Mr. Lawrence) never fo r a m oment supposed it was in corporation which the law enacted, that was his fault, and tended that the Towri-clerk should sit all day long in the re pository, taking care himself of the deeds, books, and muni ments : the Town-clerk's time would be ill employed in such occupation, and he did not think that the arrangement of the office would be improved by such a change. The Town clerk was an excellent Town-clerk, he delighted in his advice and assistance, but he did not think his manage ment of the deeds would be an improvement upon that of Mr. Okill. The law, however, must be carried out; :Ind he was sure that both the Town-clerk and Mr. Okill would willingly bow to what was essential and right. The custody of the deeds was not, however, so completely in Mr. Okill as seemed to be imagined ; for the more important ones were kept in the iron safe, or box, to which the Town clerk and the Mayor.for the time being, had access only. in conjunction with the Treasurer. Mr. Okill had no access to them ; and it would be very easy to add any others which might be necessary. lie (Mr. Lawrence) would never con sent to anything which would degrade Mr. Okill in the opi nion of the council or of the town ; for lie was an old and faithful sereant, a man of experience, greater than any other he could mention, to whom wis owing the protection of the town dues, and whom, only a few years ago, all parties de lighted to honour and respect. Mr. ()kill's salary, he was aware, was a large one ; but some such person was neces sary, whose practical acquaintance with the large estate of the corporation would be useful : some such person as could attend as clerk of committees—not a lawyer—to put into form the minutes of the chairman after the meeting was over. If Mr. Okill went, some £2OO or £3OO a. year would be re quired for such a person. There was one thing in the scheme which could not fail to be mortifying to Mr. ()kill ; and one word from him (Mr. Lawrence) would, he thought, induce the council to alter it. In page Bof the Town-clerk's scheme the Town-clerk was called " legal adviser and clerk of all committees." He hoped the council would consent to his striking the pen through " clerk to all committees," thus leaving the Town-clerk legal adviser, for as it stood it ap peared to Mr. Okill that he was virtually dismissed. The Town-clerk would bear him out in this. . The TOWN-CLERK said, most decidedly, and nothing could he more agreeable to his feelings than to consent to the alteration. Mr. COOPER said, still the Town-clerk would be clerk to some committees, for there were many which Mr. Okill did not attend. _ The TOWN-CLERK said, there could be no doubt that, as to any committee to which there was not a special clerk, the town-clerk was, by virtue of his office, clerk to that com mittee. Mr. LACE observed, that the greater title was the town clerk. which includes all. The TOWN-CLERK said, yes ; and he should certainly consider the term " Clerk of Committees" as degrading to him. Mr. HORNBY remarked, that besides this, there would be the great inconvenience of two officers having the same title. The TOWN-CLERK explained that he had used the term " degrading " in its proper derivative meaning ; not as dis graceful to, but as lowering, him. Mr. G. 11. LAWRENCE, resuming, alluded to the duties of the chief clerk, and suggested, that, in the absence of the Town-clerk, the chief clerk should act under the direction of the Deputy Town-clerk ; so that he might not supersede, in any way, that officer. • , The TOWN. CLERK said, that, as a general principle, the moment his absence took place Mr. Shuttleworth became Town-clerk, and took all his authority, except as to the office of Clerk of the Peace. Mr. G. H. LAWRENCE repeated, that he looked with some jealousy to this ; but, after the explanation, he should not press it further. lie would certainly be no party to the dismissal of Mr. Abbott, to whose zeal and assiduity during the twenty-two years he had been employed in the building he warmly commended. He could find no fault with Mr. Abbott. Mr. LACE suggested that Mr. Abbott's case should be considered when a subsequent resolution was proposed. Mr. G. H. LAWRENCE assented ; and he then proposed an amendment, which was to the effect that the scheme of the Paid Officers' Committee be adopted, with the understand ing that no interference was desirable with the emoluments of the clerk of committees, or with those duties that be ❑ow discharged, which in the opinion of the Town-clerk are not compatible with the corporation act. Mr. LLOYD said the effect of that amendment would be to relieve the Paid Officers' Committee from any inquiry into what the duties of the clerk of committees would be when the Town-clerk took the legal possessions of the muniments upon himself. This, as he understood, was the effect of the amendment? Mr. G. H. LAWRENCE.—Yes. Mr. LLOYD said, he, for one, should be obliged if the council would relieve the committee from the duty. VV Mr. G. H. LAWRENCE said he chiefly alluded to the muniments. It was for the Town-clerk to observe the legal bearings of the act. _ . Mr. BRAMLEY-MOORE said, if that was so, there was an end to the inquiry. The TOWN-CLERK explained that the effect would be that Mr. Okill would remain as clerk of committees, aid he (the Town-clerk) should have the custody of the deeds and muniments, giving, as he should of course, every facility to Mr. Okill and the surveyor that the Municipal Act would admit of. This would carry out his (the Town-clerk's) state ment, so far as regarded the charters, deeds, and muniments, whilst it would leave Mr. Okill in his present position and emoluments. Mr. BIRKETT thought, after the statement of the Town clerk, that the amendment was unnecessary. He would he no party to loosing Mr. Okill ; and he contended that the new arrangement should be tried for twelve months, and Mr. Okill be continued at his present salary. The system would then have had a fair trial, and the council would then be in a situation to come to a conclusion—a conclusion the more valuable because it would be founded upon experience. Mr. LACE thought Mr. Birkett's idea was founded upon an erroneous impression of what was intended to be done with regard to the custody of deeds. Mr. Okill had hitherto had general access to the strong room. Under the Municipal Act the Town-clerk was the proper person to be the custodian, and the only person to have access. The Town-clerk, for instance, was responsible if a deed was stolen, although it might be by Mr. Okill's negligence ; it was, therefore, per fectly right that he should be put on a proper footing with regard to the custody. There could be no one who would not go to the fullest extent in acknowledging the value of Al r. Okill's services to the corporate estate; and Mr. Lawrence's amendment was with a view to keep Mr. Okill for all the purposes of the corporation, but still leaving the legal custody of the muniments to the Town-clerk. As he (Mr. Lace) understood the Town-clerk, there could be no difficulty in making an arrangement to give Mr. Okill access to any do cuments he might want, and more than that he need not have. The TOWN-CLERK repeated, that consistently with the law he should feel himself bound, with a due regard to the interests of the council, to grant every facility he could, and show the greatest courtesy and respect, towards both the officers—the clerk of committees and the surveyors. Mr. LACE expressed his concurrence in the views taken by the Town-clerk ; and he read, from a statement laid be fore the old council, a detail of the very eminent services rendered to the corporation by Mr. Okill. Mr. Alderman EARLE applauded Mr. Lace for having brought forward such a very satisfactory document. He begged to add, too, that he had always found Mr. Abbott most attentive to his duties. Mr. Alderman EVANS, in a speech of considerable length, assigned a variety of reasons against both the recommenda tions of the committee and the statements of the officers. He contended that the committee, instead of having proposed such sweeping measures, should have proceeded gradually, and have recommended first one clerk and then another, as might be found necessary. Mr. BRAMLEY-MOORE commenced by observing, that a great deal of the difficulty in which the council now felt it self arose from gentlemen dealing with persons instead of things. When the committee was appointed, they were supposed not to possess any knowledge whatever of persons; and they understood they had to deal with the establishment as they found it, to report how it should be carried on, and what staff would be necessary. They had put aside all con sideration of Mr. Okill personally, and made their report only on the number of individuals necessary to carry on the work. The committee had never, for one moment, enter tained the idea of dismissing him. Mr. Moore then entered into a brief examination of the accounts for extra labour from 1837 to 1842, to shew that there would be the saving described by Mr. Lloyd from the permanent arrangement now proposed. He then defended the proceedings of the committee from the observations of Mr. G. a. Lawrence, and stated that if the amendment was carried, he would not, for one moment longer, continue to sit upon the committee. Mr. HORNBY said he entirely approved of the suggestion of the Paid Officers' Committee, that three principal clerks should be added for the assistance of the Town-clerk and the Deputy Town-clerk. He had for a very long time felt that such assistance was absolutely necessary, considering the greatly increased business of the corporation. But, he con tended, there could be no saving effected unless Mr. Okill and Mr. Abbott were dismissed. Mr. Nrcoe said, that no person could have more confidence in the Town-clerk and Deputy Town-clerk than he had, but he thought, contrary to the proposition in the report, that the council should have the confirmation both of the dismissal and appointment of the officers to be employed under them. Mr. LACE thought the confirmation should refer rather to the appointment than the dismissal. Mr. nem, considered that the council ought to be con sulted in both. He presumed that the Town-clerk, in what he had stated with regard to access to the deeds in the Re pository, did not intend to exclude the auditors of the corpo ration accounts? The TOWN-CLERK said, certainly not. Mr. PARKER spoke warmly in favour of Mr. Okill. He defended the report of the Paid Officers' Committee ; but lie trusted that whatever might be the saving, it would not be adopted by the demolition of Mr. Okill's present salary. Mr. NORTH was of opinion that the whole cf the fees ought to be enjoyed by the law officers; but he had no hope of that idea being carried at present. lie was in the predica ment of agreeing neither with the motion nor the amendment. He also differed, though in a less degree, from the proposals of the Town-clerk and Deputy Town-clerk ; and he rested his objections upon the belief that additional assistance could not be effectively obtained, according to the scale of expense at which it was proposed. The chief clerk, instead of £4OO, he thought should have £5OO per annum—for the additional. £lOO would make all the difference in obtaining an efficient officer. For the same reason he would make the proposed deputy registrar's salary £3OO instead of £250. He thought, however, it would be carrying matters a little too far, if the appointments were made by the Town-clerk and Deputy Town-clerk entirely irrespective of the coci unl. The coun cil ought to have the app roval of the appointment, but not of dismissal. The proposal for a bookkeeper and cashier was most useful; hut he did not know whether the Town-clerk and Deputy Town-clerk were to e relieved from the care of the cash concerns of their respec b tive departments. If they were not they ought to be. Mr. LLOYD explained that the Clerk of the Peace could not be so relieved as to the fees in that department. Mr. NORTH would make the book-keeper and cashier as useful as possible. He contended that the whole scheme of proposed salaries was too low for the duties to be perfor med. With regard to the engrossing clerks, those situations should be rendered desirable by their being paid at the rate of £2 a week; and the sooner the system of taking ap prentices was abandoned the better. He did not approve of the intended salary of the Town-clerk being reduced from £lOOO to £9OO, in order to give the £lOO to his head clerk ; and he should move an amendment to the effect that the a lterations be made which he had suggested. After considerable discussion, in which a general feeling was expressed that the amendment should be withdrawn, Mr. G. H. LAWRENCE consented to do so, stating that if, when the report upon the office of clerk of the committees v' as made, he found Mr. Okill was not to receive the amount he at present received the committee must be prepared to meet his opposition. He withdrew the amendment. Mr. LLOYD then replied to the objections to the resolu tion ; after which, Sir THOMAS BRANCKER strongly urged the council to adopt tbe recommendations in the statements of the Tow n clerk and the Deputy Town-clerk. Mr. LLOYD said he had no objection ; and the resoluti was altered so as to embrace this object with the v er b a l ' al teration in the third class of the Tow n - c l er k' s duties sug gested by Mr. G. H. Lawrence. A very long discussion then commenced upon the question whether the council should have a veto on the appointment and dismissal of the chief clerks ; at the end of which the council recurred to the proposition of Mr. Lloyd. On the division the numbers were— For the motion .. Against it 3 Majority for the motion For—Councillors—Houghton, Preston, Thompson, North, Sands, Hornbv, J. Holmes, Aikin, Holmes, Priestley, Boyden, J. Levant's, Cooper, Wood, Birkett, Bushell, Lloyd, Kilshatv, Parket, Brassey, Fiumpton, Leigh, G. H. Lawrence, Lace, Trotman, Smith. Aldermen—Barclay, Bulley, Brancker, Turner, Freme, Nicol, Bramley.moore, Molyneux, Moon, Chilton, and the Mayor-37. Against—Councillor Isaac Holmes. Aldermen—Earle, Evans-3. Mr. NORTH then moved a resolution, that the appoint ment of the clerks he had named previously be subject to the approval of the council; but that they should be removable by the Town-clerk and the Deputy Town-clerk, without the interference of the council. Mr. NrcoL seconded tile motion. On a division the num bers were— For the motion Majority for the motion For.—Councillors Isaac Holmes, Thompson, North, Sands. ornby, Aik in, H ohne, Priestley, Hoyden, Cooper, Bushell, Kilshaw, Parker, 13rassey, Plumpton, Lace ; Aldermen Bul ley, Earle, Nicol, Molyneux, Evans-21. Against.—Councillors Houghton, Preston, J. Lawrence, Wood, Birkett, Lloyd, G. H. Lawrence, Trotman, Smith ; Aldermen Barclay, Braneker, Turner, Freme, Brawley- Moore ; the Mayor-15. The TOWN-CLERK said, if the council took the power of confirmation, they ought to take the power of dismissal. Mr. NORTH said, he was of a different opinion. Mr. LLOYD then proposed the fourth resolution as follows —That, in all such appointments, it be a clear understanding distinctly expressed, and by every clerk or assistant agreed to, that he shall not directly, or indirectly, carry on or assist in any private business, or employment, whatever. COOPER seconded the resolution, and it was carried amidst cries for an adjournment. Mr. LLOYD was about to move the fifth resolution, when Mr. BUSHELL moved an adjournment to Wednesday next. The motion was carried by a majority of 19 against 10. The remaining business was consequently postponed ; and at half-past three the council adjourned. OPENING OF WALLASEY BRIDGE The opening of this bridge took place on Friday, when a large concourse of persons was present. As early as two o'clock the roar of cannon announced the approaching scene, and exactly at three the procession, led by Mr. Palmer, special high constable, moved on in the following order, in carriages : The Rev. James Mainwaring, the Rev. Dr. Byrth, J. D. Case, Esq., J. Harden, Esq., John Jackson, Esq., W. Smith, Esq., and Jos. IVlallaby, Esq. Amongst the company we noticed the Hon. Sir Edward Cust, J. D. Maddock, Esq., W. Jackson, Esq., E. J. Kent, Esq., and numerous other gentry connected with the neighbourhood. The procession crossed the bridge, which was decorated with flags, the band playing " God save the Queen," at the conclusion of which, three times three hearty cheers were given, and on passing through the turnpike on the Poulton side, the Rev. J. Mainwaring rose in his carriage and ad dressed the assembly as follows : Gentlemen,—We are now an ived at that point of our little ceremonial when, perhaps. it may be expected that I should say a few words with reference to this undertaking itself. In the first place, I must express my sincere conviction, that a regard to the public accommodation was a principal motive with the promoters of the work ;—that a direct and facile communication between two districts of country hitherto dissevered, and, as it were, hermetically sealed against each other, was with them a great and desirable object. The principle must be admitted to be good, though the manner in which the principle has been carried out may he somewhat contracted, I will not deny. Still, however, as much has been accomplished as might have been expected. With the limited means at our disposal, we have achieved much, and I think we may take to ourselves some credit for the appear ance which the work now assumes. In the department which has more immediately devolved upon me, I have to acknow ledge all the assistance which liberality and sound judgment can bring to an undertaking ; and 1 trust my colleagues will receive a recompense, if not a pecuniary one, at least one arising from the reflection that they have contributed, in a material degree, to the improvement of the district alluded to. When we look around and see what has been accom plished by individual enterprise—when we see a new town, not a rival, but a sister of the old emporium, starting into life upon our Mersey's banks, we cannot but anticipate some results from the ceremonial of to-day. It may suggest another work of larger dimensions and more eligible site, which I, for one, should not regard with the eye of jealousy, but hail with feelings of joy and satisfaction. What a few years may do for the district on which we now stand, I dare not predict. In my day I have witnessed mighty changes, and perhaps this work of ours may lead to still further changes. iVith these feelings I beg to consign this work to your in dultent consideration, trusting it may prove what its pro moters sincerely intend it should prove,—a benefit and aecommodatiOn to the districts more immediately interested. Perot me to solicit your approbation in three hearty ex pressions of your feelings for the success of the Wallasey Pool Bridge. [The rev. gentleman's speech was followed by unanimous cheering.] Sir Edward Cust, in proposing a vote of thanks to the Rev. James Nlainwaring and the committee, expressed his thanks for their generous and assiduous conduct in carrying out the design and completing the bridge. J. D. Case, Esq., in seconding the proposition, passed a high culogium on the committee for the zealous discharge of the duties entrusted to them. The gentleman composing the committee and their friends dined together at 'Airs. Parry's, the Seacombe Hotel, at six o'clock. THE AMERICAN COTTON CROP.—For the last two years comparatively little curiosity has been felt as to the amount of the crop of cotton iu the United States, every one being sa t,fied that it would be large enough to meet any demand which could arise in the then prostrate condition of the cot • ton manufacture of this country. But the present improved aspect of the trade, and the probability of an extended con sumption during the next twelve months, have revived the interest which was previously felt on this subject ; and, as the period of the year has now arrived when some reasonable judgment may he formed as to the probable extent of the oa.ing crop, the advices just received by the Columbia have been regarded with great attention by parties interested in the matter. We sre glad to state that, so far as we have been able to learn, the mercantile letters generally tend to cc nfirm the previous anticipations of a very large crop ; not less, at Al events, than 2,000,000 bales, and estimated by many at from 2,100,000 to 2,250,000 bales. That these latter esti ma'es are a littleioo sanguine is probable enough, and the assumption may be admitted without endangering that steadi ness of price in the raw material which is at the present time so rs,ential to the prosperity of the cotton manufacture. A crop of 2,000,000,000 bales (of which probably 1,100,000 or 1,200,000 may be expected to reach this country) will re move all apprehensions of inadequate supply.—Manchester Guardian. AFRICAN EMIGRATION TO THE WEST INDIES.—Mr. Macgregor Land, in a letter to a weekly journal, makes the following statement:—" The government have at length de termined to foillw out the recommendatious of the West African committees of last session, by taking into their own hands the African migration that has been and is now going on to the West Indies ; and on Saturday advertisements for transports of 350 tons, to convey free African emigrants from Sierra Leone to the West Indies, will appear. Taking for granted that Lord Stanley has given the sanction of his name and that of the government to this great experiment (fraught as it is with the most important consequences to the cause of freedom throughout the world), on condition that it shall be carried out on the broadest basis of freedom—that the emigrant invited from the African coasts shall, after the lapse of a st p lilted time, have the option of a free return to his native country, and that he shall be landed in the West Indies as free as a British-born emigrant is landed at Quebec or Sydney,—considering that no British minister would dare openly (it has been done covertly for some time) to encourage and invite emigration without such conditions attached to it. I do most heartily rejoice that tree African emigration is to be taken up as a government measure—is to be carried on under the immediate superintendence of government officers specially appointed for the purpose, in national ships (which to all pr actical purposes transports are), and taken entirely out of the control of the commission and colonial agents, in whose hands it was fast running into abuse. The colonies are to pay the whole expense incurred ; and, as far as trans ports are concerned, this is right and proper—the direct and immediate benefit will be to them ; but if a mail communi cation by sleam•vessels had been carried out, the Imperial Government might fairly have been called upon for a moiety of the expense, on the ground of the increased facilities it would have offered to commerce, and its political importance as connected with the right-of-search question. Steam-boats were proposed, but rejected, on the ground that the im portance of the sublect did not warrant the expense; a pretty sure proof that the government of this country do not as yet look upon African emignition as anything more than a mere sop to the West Indian interest—its importance in a moral and financial point of view bas yet to be developed." THE IRISU POOR LAW.—If proof were wanting of the proposition that Ireland would be most benefitted by avail ing herself in full of the aid of powerful England, instead of relying on her own local agitators, Mr. O'Connell's newest production, hig letter on the Irish Poor Law, would furnish it. For the nonce he waves the direct discussion of repeal ; but he does not give up that main object of his present ef forts. Now, if the Union were repealed, Mr. O'Connell would inevitably be a leading man in the country —a chief lawgiver; and here is a test of his qualifications for the office. Be it never forgotten, that Mr. O'Connell was greatly instrumental in obtaining Catholic emancipation for his country—a service which can scarcely be overrated, un less it be repaid by giving m license and opportunity to do his beloved country all the njury which his wayward fancy can devise. He opposed the passing of the Irish Poor Law, as he had a right to do. He has a right also to revive the discussion, as he now does : 'the thinks it worth while to put forth a tissue of assertions, the gist of which is that spon taneous charity is a better provision for the destitute than a national relief under proper regulations, one can only wish him a less idle employment for his talents than the simple contradiction of what all the best authorities have declared in favour of. But that more harmless matter is introduced by the suggestive warning, that unless the present system of Poor Law be abolished, " it will produce a san guinary and general insurrection ;" and with the still more mischevious admission, that resisting the law to the death is a venal offence.—" Blood, alas ! has been shed : and, taking it for granted that the slayers on the recent oc casion were as guiltless as the circumstances would admit, yet that very fact may, perhaps, give to every thinking mind a stronger impression of impending per ils ;" in the qualified allowance for the police, who resisted a tumultuous mob ar rayed against the law, is conveyed to the excitable , rish peo ple the assurance that the guilt was on the side of those who enforced the law. With that implied license to the working Irish, Mr. O'Connell's letter couples a set railing against the landlords of Ireland. Such is the temper of the "pacificator," what are his measures? Either the total repeal of the poor law, followed by an augmentation of medical charities and a multiplication of other charities, or a poor-rate on income ; ail incomes to be exempt which are below £5OO a-year ; the rate to augment proportionately as the income rises, " until, if necessary, it should be 50 per cent. upon the enormous incomes of absentee proprietors !" Such is the neasure of justice which Mr. O'Connell promises to the Anglo-Saxon part of the Irish people, if his repeal of the union were car ried out. And it is proposed as a principle of practical and judicious legislation, that persons whose incomes are under £5OO a-year should be held exempt from all share in the sup.. port of their destitute countrymen. Perhaps Mr. O'Connell's letter had no greater object than to absorb into the repeal ranks the anti-Poor Law body which he thinks he sees growing up in Ireland. But he could not plead that ruse to withdraw his letter from criticism : it is either a very unbecoming trick, or it is a specimen of the measures which he would think wise; and, accepting it in the latter sense, it is a sample of the legislation to be expected from the College-green Par liament, could that by possibility be restored. Being so, it may be put to sensible men in Ireland, whether they bad not rather cultivate a more intimate union with England, and a more thorough extension of English government to their land, than have heaps of legislation like this sample? Pro bably the best antagonism to the repeal agitation—which is 1 1 not harmless because it is an agitation—would be a combined 1 1 effort to draw closer the union with England; to abolish the lord-lieutenancy, for instance, and place Ireland, like Scot ' land, directly under the Home-office; retaining, like Scot land, its Attorney-General in Parliament, if possible, to watch over its legal technicalities, and retaining all needful staff of judges, but having no distinct political dep artment. Such a measure would tend to deaden much gratuitousanel perverse hostility, which is now provoked by the fact of b hav ing such a target as a Lord-Lieutenant : Irelandmncriwisotuld; it one of three kingdoms to judge the acts of the t mffi special go eland urge v c e o r u n ld or.lt no w o a u r l b d i tarlasroy tend to to ud the ua person g ra d u a l o y f a Hoene - office practice in the business of r. f government with that of England.—Speetater. over a Ireland CORRESPONDENCE SUNDAY TRADING ---.^..... . ..: 'ea, TO VIE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL S TAND - Z t tlb:-4 ,,g . li Slit,—ln your excellent paper of Friday last, yditt-re'llif? -~ under the head of " Sunday Trading" certain pr FtiNgilt._: which have been taken against the sellers of chea 44i... call, unstamped Sunday newspapers, -1 1 yeWt •P long carried on this most injurious trade on the Lord's -... '"i k r I have been favoured with a sight of one of the honks w•hic ' ? was handed to the ni•r.gistr:ate on Tin. " Voltaire's Philosophical Diction;, rt •,' pence ; and should there be a doubt in the mind of any of your readers as to whether this class of books is really ob jectionable, I beg to refer them to the treatise on Adultery in the above-named volume. Part 1., price ft Intlernen connected with I am rejoiced to find that the 6,. the district of St. Matthias' Church are determined to e.. force the act of parliament in the reign of Charles 11., which enacts that no business or ordinary occupation whatever be carried on on the Lord's Day; that all goods and fruit exposed for sale or► the Lord's Day be forfeited, and sold for the benefit of the poor of the parish. I deeply regret to see, in the Liverpool ?Mercury of Friday last, a paragraph purporting to be a report of a case in the Police -court, in which the defendant (Bridget Cooper) was fined ss. for selling fruit on Sunday, Dec. 18th ; and the magistrate remarks that such trading, in his opinion, is in nocent, though the law compels him to inflict the fine. These are indeed strange times, when, in the good old town of Liverpool, a stipendiary magistrate declares an act to be INNOCENT which the law distinctly forbids. It is indeed a noble feature i❑ the political constitution of this country, that there are some laws which do not leave a magistrate any power to mitigate the penalties they so justly inflict. I again repeat. I am rejoiced to read what took place in the Police-court last Thursday, and great praise is due to those who have originated these movements; and, in con clusion, I trust that you will, through the medium of your excellent journal, bring this matter fully to light. I am, sir, yours, &c., Jan. 2nd, 1843 A CHURCHMAN FASHIONS FOR JANUARY (From the " London and Paris Ladies' Magazine of Fashion.") . _ . . Many morning toilettes in Paris' are made of drap with tight sleeves, corsage high and tight, worked in braid, or trimmed more frequently with wide biais of velvet. Prome nade dresses of pekin, satin, poult de soie, with sleeves of moderate size, a little fulness at the armhole, and jockeys formed of a rounded biais braided ; silk braid has been suc ceeded by velvet braid, but both kinds are more generally used for evening dresses. Short sleeves are universal of an evening, they are tight with very little ornament ! various kinds of mittens are worn with them ; sonic are of velvet, black, violet, or green, with shaded embroidery on the hand, and laced from the wrist to the top, where they are finished with cord and tassels. Very rich materials are worn in dress at this moment, pekins of every shade with velvet stripes, pekins agate, nacre damas, with patterns of white silk shot with silver brocard Pompadour, &c. Elegant redingotes of black satin are embroidered in relief, and some of green velvet have been ornamented all round in imitatio.: of guipure with braid of a paler green. The prettiest novelty tor dresses of petite: soirees are those in the style of Louis XIII., they are of organdy, ornamented on each side of the front of the skirt by two guilles, formed of two inlets of point de Venice, enlarging to the bottom, and leaving an open space in the centre of organdy, on which are placed muds of ribbon a la Louis Xl.ll. ; there are similar ;muds on the sleeves, and barthe round the corsage of narrow fringed ribbon. Black velvet dresses are ornamented with fringes and berthe of jet a jour. Ball dresses of crape or tulle are pretty and light ornamented with bonillonnes of pink or blue gauze, or of white gauze with ruches of pink tulle; ornaments of shaded ribbon are also used as coque:, &c., for robes de bat, as well as flowers. Camails of point de Venise, application of Brussels, Mechlin and black lace are all now in fashion, and various new berthes have appeared open in front, with square corners and very deep ; they are much worn with low dresses, particularly with those of velvet. Camails of ermine are lined with pale blue satin, with small square open collar, showing the blue lining. Camails of sable are lined with pink. Camails of velvet and paletots Polonais of deep blue satin are lined with ermine; fur trimmings of all kinds are fashionable. The Venetian manteau of velvet, satin or cachemire, the manteau Armenien of black cloth with gimp trimmings, and the paletot, are all now worn with a variety of others f the mantetet style. Generally speaking, bonnets are worn a little larger, and straight; satin bonnets have the edge finished with crape lissie or bouillons of tulle; feathers, flowers, shaded velvet ribbons, &c., are the usual ornaments, and veils, but they rather ornament the bonnet than protect the face. Small Moorish handkerchiefs are worn on the head, confined by two gold pins; they form points of red, black, or gold, terminating behind and at the two corners by Arabian tassels. The coiffure Marquise will be the one most in fashion, but many others will be worn, the Ai menian turban, the coiffures Sorel, Petrarque, the little dowager cap, toques a la Louis X///., &c., &c. A CHRISTMAS NOSEGAY. _ —On Christmas.day, Mr. R. Webber, of Silverton, gathered in his garden at that place a nosegay composed of carnations, picotees, pinks, double and Single Brompton stocks, double red and white primroses, marygolds, polyanthuses, auriculas, double and single ane monies, with many other flowers, sometimes seen at this season of the year. Mr. Webber has also three roots of dahlias now growing luxuriantly against the south wall of his garden; they have thrown out within the last fortnight numerous shoots of many inches in length, with buds for med, which, should the mild weather continue, will no doubt expand.— Western Luminary. Loss OF THE BRITISH BRIG NAIAD, AND SUFFERING OF HER CREW.—The British brig Naiad, from Halifax to Demerara, was fallen in with, Nov. 11, in lat. 20.10, long. 55.10, full of water, and the only survivor taken off, by the Shawmut, arrived at Boston from Rio Janeiro. The sur vivor, William Fosdick, stated that they left Demerara on September 14, and on the 22nd, in lat. 294, were capsized in a henvy squall under close-reefed topsails at the time. She righted next day full of water, but with loss of spars and mainmasts. A little flour was washed up from the hold, which they collected and dried in the sun, and ate. Every thing was done by Fosdick to keep up the spirits of his com panions (seven in number), but they all drooped and died except one, who, with Fosdick, went into the maintop in a very stormy night. It coming on to rain, Fosdick touched his companion in order to rouse him to obtain a few drops of water as it fell, but found him dead. In the morning he cut him loose, and he fell into the sea. He then remained six days before the Shawmut hove in sight, and when taken on board he was unable to speak or walk, but the medical skill of the captain saved his life, having been 49 hours without food or water. THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN.—The Presidential cam paign is now fairly opened on the part of the Locofocus. They have six candidates in the field, viz., Mr. Van Buren, Mr. Calhoun, General Cass, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Buchanuan, and Mr. Benton. The great struggle will probably be be tween Mr. Van Buren and Mr. Calhoun. The friends of General Cass hope that he may be brought in as a third man. Mr. Van Buren will he the northern, and Mr. Cal houn the southern cendidate of the party. Mr. Benton, supposed to possess a controlling influence in Missouri, although a southern man, is violently opposed to Mr. Cal houn, and is the friend of Mr. Van Buren. A convention will be held to canvass the relative merits and claims of the respective gentlemen, and to decide who shall be the candi date. That convention may possibly terminate its labours harmoniously, and its recommendation may receive the sup port of the entire party; but, if this should be the result, I shall be greatly disappointed. The Whigs seem to i a waiting the moving of the waters. Their i opponents appear to consi der them prostrated. But such s not the fact. No man in the whig ranks has yet been named but Mr. Clay. He, however, has not given his consent to be a candidate ; nor is it known whether he will. If he does not, it is probable that the loco-focos will have the field to themselves.—The Gene vese Traveller, in the Times; BLESSINGS OF INCORPORATION, — In the seven years that have elapsed since the passing of the Municipal Retorm Act, the corporate expenditure of Leeds has been augmented f rom expense, trouble, and an. revisions and elections of councillors, and as s es sors, &c. In addition to recurring littletperoy a nmoreee. annum, besides o occasioned a ha si iundneesdBAM per annum to upwar d s o f £22,000 the h y the enormousannua annually this the operation of that act has rendered it necessary , i n the opinion of the town - council , that a ne w gao l an d h ouse of correction should be erected in the boro ug h. Thi s i s es es- timated to cost some £38,000, but probably the actual cost of the land and the erections will not fall short of .E. 15,000. This will have to be repaid within thirty -years, with interest the meanwhile, which will in all likelihood swell the amount to £BO,OOO. Then comes the new improvement act and the burial ground act. The former of these acts, it will be re membered, empowers the council to borrow £lOO,OOO upon security of the improvement rates, besides laying a yearly improvement rate of fourpence in the pound on all the rate able property in the borough, and a lamp rate of eightpence in the pound upon property within the certain prescribed limits, land paying one-third as much as buildings. By the burial ground act, the council are empowered to purchase from time to time the requisite land for burial grounds ; but as, by the 28th and 29th sections, only those lands which may be purchased and provided within or for the township of Leeds, within the space of three years next after the passing of the act, are to be divided into two equal divisions or quan tities, one moiety for burial, according to the rites of the church, and the other moiety for the separate burial of dis senters, it will be the wish of the dissenters in the council to purchase as large a quantity as possible before the expiration of the term ; and hence arises another source of increased expenditure. It seems, moreover, from what passed last week at the Town-council, that some of those who take the lead in its management, contemplate a continual borrowing on the security of the rates, so that for a long tine to come we shall have large sums to pay, in interest, establishment charges, salaries, and the cost of improvements.- - Leeds In tellioencer. :William CRUELTY en? AFAT during her was brought Whittaker, fur starving tcmuirsedciartyee Cheltenham, HER TO HIS CHILDREN.—On Sa was very ill, musician, living in King -street, parish surgeo u n p , a b t a: l i ' n e g in a s tt ta e n n c d e ed o and neglecting his c t f h h i t e l h d . and, o This induced ntking Guardians Gregory, he was assisted bywife .eißfueo.a of r i‘ d tih o re .. f Gregory, th e a confinement, saw that the eldest child after men tiMonrin it by the hand, it attempted to him to institute an inquiry, in which: bite him. Butt, t u thtehemraegliisetamintges stance relieving; of the child h • ' • touchtrying bit his hand when be attempted to it, said : state, and had —" I found that the child was in a starving: the child's gnawed its fingers from hunger. On observing other hand, Why it which was tied up in a rag, I inquiredt was so and the mother said its b i tin g b fingers. , On taking off the rag, . I found that it had bit th e fleshthe very badly in many places. I stated this to Mr. Butt, relieving-officer, and, about twenty minutes to eleven o'clock in the forenoon, ue went to the prisoner's house. and found I him at breakfast on tea an d toast. Two children I were in the room, one on the bed, which he (the prisoner) took up like a cat, and pulled it out. I asked him where the other children were : he said up stairs, and be would fetch them. I said, ` No, we will go up.' When he went out be attempted to shut the door , but we pulled it open and fol lowed him to the garret, where we found the children on what may be termed a dunghill. It was a dreadful sight. I never saw a child in such a state in my life before. I asked how he could have his breakfast without his children. He an swered that they were so dirty, and that be put them on clothes in the day ; but, on insisting to see the clothes, be was compelled to acknowledge that they bad none. The W m other said, ` Indeed the children are e starce nd ving ed to the .' Butt, who was also e xamined, stated, " as garret, and of all the sights that ever I lan beheld it was tbe w orst. No bed , no clothes, no s h ee ts, no bkets, the c hildren on the floor on a dung wizen, not dressed : a rem nant of something on, I know not h wat to call it : the priso ner took one by the arm, and pulled it out of bed like a dog: it was covered with filth :it idently b evad not been cleaned f o r many days. The s tate of the room and stench was hor rid. There was a quantity of rags and an accumulation of filth in one corner. These children were like the others, starving. I sent some coals, and got a woman to wash the children, and found the necessary things for doing it. I went to the workhouse, and procured some nourishing food; for them, and immediately sent it. I likewise got some clothes and a bed for them. One of the poor little child ren was produced in court, and i ts moans sunk into the heart of every one present, though Mr. Gregory stated that it was t h en much better , having had s ome been sent to prison to nourishing food and made clean . The ruffian of a father was awa it his trial at the sessions.