The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-09-13 00:00:00

TO CORRESPONDENTS. We decline reluctantly to insert the letter of " Veritaa," but our columns do not afford the fittest medium for giving publicity to his query. We have lately received communications from several cor respondents on the subject of the desecration of the Sabbath by the crowds of persons who frequent the post office for the purpose of receiving the Sunday newspapers brought by the London mail, but none of the parties suggest any re me dy f or t h e ev il, w hi c h we adm i t to b e a cryi ng ue and which we would do all in our power to remove. Ebe 9Lthcrpool Atanbatt. TUESDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 13, 1842. When the committee was nominated, on the motion of Mr. Ferrand, to' inquire into the existence of the truck system in the manufacturing districts, loud was the howl of anger, loud the protestations of innocence, from members of the millocracy, great and small. Such an evil, as the payment of wages in other than the current coin of the realm, was, we were told, a mere creation of the teeming imagination of " Tory- Chartists." The committee might meet and summon befor e it evidence ; but, except a few isolated cases, ferreted out for the occasion, it would have nothing to report upon ; and it would prove only the absolute Purity of our manufacturing system, from such a blot as had been attempted to be fastened upon its character. We have at length before us a portion of the evidence taken before the committee in question ; and we shall be able to prove, from that evidence, not only the ex istence of the truck system in a few isolated plaCes, but its prevalence throughout a large proportion of the manufacturing districts. We never contended, and no man ever believed, that a practice so dishonest and so tyrannical could exist in our larger manufacturing towns ;-that it could exist, except in a modified and mitigated form, in the great seats of manufacturing industry-in Manchester, in Leeds, in Stockport, and similar densely populated places. But of its existence' in the villages of Lancashire, Yorkshire, Cheshire, and other northern counties, we never had a doubt ; and difficult as must always be the task of proving the existence of a practice carried on in violation of law carried on with studied precaution against exposure, and where the witness incurs the risk of proscription and ruin for having given his testimony-we contend t hat, by the evidence before us, all that we have ever urged upon this subject is abundantly proved. We Purpose, here, bringing portions of this evidence before our readers ; and first let us take the evidence of Mr. Squire Autey, a hosier, residing in Bedford, Yorkshire who is examined as to the condition of the working classes in that town and neighbourhood. Mr. Autey is asked :- 3. Have you any acquaintance with the system corn -1:"IllY called the truck system ?-I have. 11 4. Does it exist to any extent in Bradford and the neigbourhood ?-Yes, it does. 5. How are the wages in that district chiefly paid ?- 'art in shop goods or eatables, such as flour, meal, malt, cheese, bacon ; and partly in goods for wearing apparel. 6. In some instances are they paid in worsted stuffs?- Yes, in some instances. 7. Have you reason to think that that gives any profit Ove r the retail dealer?-1 believe it does in some cases, and in some cases to a considerable extent. " 8 . Hav e you any samples of the worsted stuffs in which the wages are paid ?-I have (the witness produced two sample s of worsted stuff) ; these have both been paid in the manne r I speak of. " 9. Take the first sample you have got in your hand ; what pri ce h as been paid for that ?-This has been charged the man who wrought for it by combing 11d. per yard. 10. What is your estimate of the real value of it ?-It is not worth above Gd., and the article is not saleable at all at. Present. (!) " 11. Have you any other sample ?-I have a sample of cloth I have taken of the person who has had to take it to get into the master's books; I cannot give up the man's /lame in consequence of there being no protection. I can give the master's name. 11 12. What was the charge upon that ?-2s. a yard. " 13. What do you consider the real value of it ?-I do not profess to he a judge of the article, and I cannot speak to the value. " 14. Is it worth 2s. per yard ?-If it is bought in a linen draper's shop, it may be charged 23., but when a poor man has to hawk it about among neighbours, it is quite a different thin g ; he has to get up a sum according to the price he has paid for it. I. When wages are paid in groceries, what is the cha racter of the groceries ?-In the instances that have come Crid er my notice they are charged ss. in the pound above the real value more than they can be purchased for in the mar ket. " 1 .6. You mean to say that the workpeople would be losers to th e extent of 25 per cent. ?-Yes." We have here, then, the fact established that, in the large town of Bradford, not only are wages paid in • Provisions, too dear by 25 per cent., but that even the unsaleable goods of the manufacturer are forced upon 1141 1 to be hawked about for sale at a ruinous sacrifice ? Surely this is robbery and tyranny of the blackest die! But let us proceed to shew the mode in which the Present law against truck practices is evaded, as appears from the following answers :- 17 . How are the wages to the workpeople ?-For in stance, the comber or the weaver takes home the work, which amount s to so much, 155., or 165., or 18s.; after that they hav e a ticket given to the shop of the master himself, and t hey have to take out goods to the amount of the ticket. 11 18. When you say the shop of the master himself,' do Y ea u mean a sh o p k ep t b y th e mas t er for his own p ro fit ?- " 1 9. Do the workpeople make any objection to take those tickets ?-.They complain very much; they say they cannot gel money of the current coin of the realm to pay rates, or tares, or r en t, w i t h ou t some of their family work where they are Paid in the current coin of the realm. b , " 2 °. Wh a t answer d o t h ey get f rom t h e over l oo k er on mak ing those complaints ?-The overlookers are in many c ases the transactors of the business ; they do not say direct -1 if You do not take the goods you will lose your work,' but it i 8 the understanding that they will do so ; for instance, the overlooker says to the man, ' It will be better for you,' 4 , " the workm an k nows if he does not take it that he will I °4 his work. " 21. H e knows the meaning of the reply ?-Yes. " 22 . Was th a t ans wer ever given, to your knowled ge , by an y overlooker ?-It has been given to the one belonging to t he cloth which I produce. This person was compelled to l a , ke a Piece, measur i ng 28 y ar d s , n ot dyed, b u t i n th e raw 'fate ; that poor person had to take those 28 yards, and 50 einnbers at. the same time had to take the same quantity. It Wa s some time prior to last Christmas. and I believe only 4 44 t Week h e got it finished in a dyed state ; and he declared f° m e at the time he took the goods, himself and his family were at the time starving and pining. „" 25 . At th e ti me t h ese goo d s were g i ven to t h e men , i t was no t a saleable article ?-No, it is not a saleable article." Further on the witness states, that the men are Obliged to go hawking these articles from shop to shop, the consequence of which is, that they are frequently fined for hawking without a license. 25 per cent. is sttuted to be the profit regularly made by the masterfrom he " truck." Mr. Autey is asked : 54 . What profit do you suppose they make upon those i t 3 (lB ?-58, i n th e poun d i s t h e regu l ar t hi ng, I h ear ; I instances to prove it. 55 . Mr. Villiers.-Yon stated that upon general report ? 41of Upon general report. " 5 6. Chairman.-You say that the general report is, that the difference is 25 per cent. ?-Yes. 44 ," 5 7. Rav e y ou any i nstances to prove it ?-Yes ; I will 61° You the instance of a person living three miles from Shi pley, at Idle; a person informed me the kind of goods th ey purchase from the shop of Mr. Denby : she can pier 74ase goods at Idle at ss. in the pound less than she can at t he shop. When she has to take them out for work, she 'an 4d. to 6d. per stone upon flour, ld. per lb. upon sugar, 2 ' l . per lb. upon tea and oatmeal ; cheese, bacon, and other articles in the same ratio." The effect of the system upon the working man is de scribed, by the same witness, in the following answer :- t i l 71 . What is your observation of the eff ect produced upon th e w orking classes by the payment in goods instead of in eY ?--Th e working classes, who are the victims of it, te til ro tilb l very much ;they declare that they cannot pay either beside" rates, and that they cannot get clothes to wear, wn - n 7 .4 e4 having to p a y so muc h more for their goods than they 1 " Pay if they had the money to spend in the market." Need we wonder at the spread of Chartism amongst a Population so oppressed, or that anarchy and outrage Would be gladly welcomed by them if it only promised s ibs smalle st prospect of a change i n t h e i r con diti on ? he following answers shew that the practice is not confined to email manufacturers-that rich firms are en gaged in it. The witness is asked " Bo. Do th e l arge and rich manufacturers in the town o f B radford or the neighbourhood practise the system ?-There Practi se Romelarge firms, and I s h ou ld suppose r i c h f irm s, that riches 81* But, as a general rule, do you find that it is the or the poorer concerns that practise this system ?- twureehn.ave found the most cases among the s ma ll er manufac " 132. And not so much it the large towns as in the smaller districts, such as Shipley and Windhill, and that neighbour hood ?—Yes, mostly in the villages." An attempt was made by Mr. Cobden to wring from Mr. Autey an admission in favour of his own specific for the cure of "all the ills which flesh is heir to." Mark the insidious winding of the leaguer, and "the settler" administered to him by the witness!— " 89. You are aware of the habits of the working class, and their mode of hiring themselves to their employers; do you think that a man, if the trade were good, would submit to a reduction in the price of his groceries and other things equal to ss. in the pound ?—lt appears to me very plainly, as far as I can see, that the many facturers have the men under their own power, and can do what they think proper with them, whether good or bad !" Hear that, Mr. Cobden,—you know that it is true "The manufacturers have the men under their own power, and CAN DO WHAT THEY TIIINK PROPER WITH THEM !" They can reduce their wages at will; and, if they are restive, they can—" send them out to play a week !" But proceed we with Mr. Cobden's questions : " 90. If there was employment for the labourers, and plenty of it, do you think that the labourers would agree to a reduction of their wages to the extent of ss. in the pound ? —I do not know that they could prevent it. We hare a good deal of work going on in Bradford, bad as trade is said to be, and as soon as ever the income tax was mentioned, it re- d►cced their wages at once ; so soon as ever Sir Robert Peel introduced the bill the manufacturers said they would have it at once out of their wages !" Excellent, considerate men ! You would transfer at once the burthen of taxation to the shoulders of the over-tasked and over-toiled drudges who serve you ! Professors of humanity—you who tell us that all your care—all your political nostrums—are for the exclusive benefit of the working man,—what would be your course if, instead of imposing taxes, the government of Sir Robert Peel had remitted them—if it had con ceded to your demands for free trade, cheapened the price of bread, given you low priced sugar moistened with the blood of slavery, and reduced to one half the cost of living ? You would give at once that benefit to the starving weaver and spinner;—you would raise, rather than depress, the price of labour? Let us see what you hare done already, as brought before us in the evidence of the same witness ! " 91. Mr. D uncombc. —How much have the wages been reduced ?-4s. in the pound. " 92. It is as great a reduction as that occasioned by the truck system ?—Yes ; since this income-tax was mentioned, I know of one person who declared that to a girl who wrought for him at the time, a weaver ; the conversation ran to this effect Well, Sir Robert Peel is now going to lay an in come-tax on us,' or the tariff,' more properly speaking. " 93. Mr. Yorke.—There is a material difference between the two ; which do you mean ?—ln this case it was the tariff, in the other it was the income-tax ; I have two or three cases that I could mention ; this was alluding to the tariff; he said to this girl, Sir Robert Peel is going to make things cheaper.' She said, ' Yes, I believe he is.' Well,' he said, I shall take Gd. a piece off you.' In the second case the income-tax was the reason ; he said, If Sir Robt. Peel lays the income-tax on, we will make you pay for it.' Undoubtedly this would be the course of the very " liberal " gentlemen of the Anti-Corn-Law League. Cheapen the loaf, reduce the cost of living, and then— starving weavers of Lancashire and Yorkshire, victims of this atrocious truck system !—your very liberal masters, these professors of excessive consideration for your welfare, would "take sixpence a piece off you" —would coolly proclaim to you their determination to place the whole amount of the advantage, which was for you, in their own pockets ! Proceed we, however, with our evidence. Mr. William Jennings, a master manu facturer, at Windhill, near Bradford, 70 years old, thus testifies : " 597. Is it the practice much in your neighbourhood to pay the wages of the workpeoplc in goods ?—lt is sadly too much, I think. " 598. Is that practice recent, or has it always prevailed ? I think in our small village there are only about three but who do pay in goods, only three who pay in money; there might be some small clothmakers that I have not any know ledge of that pay in money ; I do not know that there are. " 599. Mr. COBDEN.—Three out of how many ?—I cannot say ; there are a few good clothmakers in our town. " 600. Are there 20 or 30?-1 am sure I cannot say ; they are only very small manufacturers. " 601. C nit irtmAN.—ls the practice recent in that district, or has it always prevailed ?-1t has been a growing evil; lately one man has gone on three or four years, and other persons have seen he has gained property by it, and that has caused them to follow the same plan. " 602. What effect does the system of paying in goods pro duce upon the manufacturer who pays in money ?—I think it produces a largeish benefit to the man paying in goods ; he generally sells them a little higher than the shopkeeper. " 603. He sells the goods to the workmen a little higher than the shops ?—Yes ; I can tell you an instance that I recollect. We had a poor woman that was very badly; she wished the husband to yet her a little light bread that comes from Pudsey ; lee said lee had no means, he lied not had money for a month ; she said, go to such a spot, and he went to John Firth, and he asked him to let him have a little bit of light bread ;he went to him and told him his case : I can bring you candles, or something of that kind.' He said, ' That will do for me ;' and he got a bit of light bread for his poorly wife for the candles; that he told me just before I came away here, and that I can credit." The same witness states that by practising the truck system, although the wages which he pays amount to no more than £4680 per annum, he is assured that he would gain £4OO to £5OO per annum !—four hundred to five hundred a year wrung from the working man by this most cruel and wicked fraud ! But come we now to the cotton manufacture ; and, although it occupies more of our space than we can well spare, we must give the following at length, as furnishing a complete description of a truck cotton establishment, owned too—we blush to record the fact—by a Conservative ! Thomas Montgomery, an operative, who had been employed at Mr. Dugdale's establishment, Lower•house, near Burnley, was ex amined at great length by the committee as to the extent to which the truck system had been practised by that firm. He was asked— " 788. Be so good as to state in what manner the truck system is carried on ?—I will commence with the rent of the houses ; the rents are from ls. to ls. 3d. more a week than the rents of houses belonging to other landlords, and I have reason for knowing that, from having lived in a house occu pied by one of the workers of Mr. Dugdale, and also in a house that was occupied by a tenant of another landlord. I had lodged in each of the houses at different times while with Mr. Dugdale, and I can state, from experience, that the ac commodation was as good for 2s. 3d. as it was for 3s. 5d., which was paid for Mr. Dugdale's houses. " 789. Are the people compelled to reside in those houses ? —When there are any empty that is the case. " 790. Those who work for Mr. Dugdale are compelled to reside in them?—Yes; if there are any empty. The next thing is as to the shop and premises belonging to himself, but the licenses are not taken out in his name. A person of the name of Fleming takes out the license, but the men are told that they must go to the shop, at least those with fami lies. The young people they do not interfere with. " 794. What are the prices of these groceries at the shop ; are they the same prices as at other retail grocers ?—The people have complained to me, but I am not prepared to give the items, or how much they differ from other shops,—only these people have frequently complained, and said, if they had had the money they could have purchased the things at a great deal a lower rate in Burnley than at the shop, for they said they were forced to take them whether good or bad, and if they complained or remonstrated, they were dis charged. " 797. Now to proceed to the next item ?—The next item is the butcher : Mr. Dugdale keeps a butcher regularly em ployed, and he kills meat; this meat has a price set upon it by the master on the Friday morning, and if any of the meat remains it is sent round on the Saturday. " 798. If any meat remains unsold ?--If it happens to be so, which is frequently the case; but that is only on a Friday in the month; and I will tell you the reason why it is all sold then. They have a month's credit, and they carry it away then without forcing, because of the credit; but at other times, if they kill a cow they always kill sheep. Bu t it is not every Friday they kill a cow ; only now and then, If they happen to kill a cow and some of the meat remains, the man is obliged to carry lt out, and leave it where he thinks proper, whether the parties like it or not. I have known instances occur of that kind, which have come under mY own notice. " When this meat is served out to the working people, is there any clerk connected with the establishment standing by ? - -Yes, there i s one regu l ar l y s t an di ng by, and he book s it; th ey w i ll take no money for anything if they offered it The clerk i s not allowed to lake money. It is always b ooked until the month's pay. " 801. Are the people obliged to allow the meat to be booked against them ?-1 understand in some cases it is left, and in others they go for it and carry it away ; they are not compelled to take it, but if any remains, the butcher goe s round and leaves it at any house where there is a large family, and they must take whatever he pleases to leave without grumbling. (!) " 102. And what is the price, generally speaking ?—The highest price; the meat is not perhaps so bad; I have nothing to say about the meat ; it is generally tolerably good and of the highest price, the highest Eurntey market price. The meat is pretty fair. " 803. Is the price of this meat stopped out of the wages ? —Yes', always stopped, as well as rent and coals. " 80-1. How long has this system prevailed in Mr. Dug dale's establishment to your knowledge ?—I will tell you. He kept a shop up to the time that the Truck Act passed ; he then gave it up. That is now two years ago; but since then he has started another shop." A similar practice prevailed with respect to supplying the workmen with milk : "805. Now proceed with your next item ?—The next is milk, which is a very great grievance to the people, or at least they seem to be dissatisfied with it. "806. 'What is the character of the factory of Mr. Dug dale; what does he manufacture ?—He is a calico printer, and a general manufacturer. Ile manufactures through and through. The milk is a very great grievance. In the win ter time they have not enough, and in the summer time they are obliged to take what is given to them. The man calcu lates when the cans are filled for him, and the clerk stands there to deliver the milk out at 8 o'clock in the morning and 6 o'clock in the evening. The milk is delivered, and he cal culates how much every person must have, and they must have the quantity whether they please or no ; I have known them to be under the necessity of churning the milk; they have had so much of it they could not use it, and they dare not refuse to take it. The clerk's orders were, the milk must be divided, and they must have it. Supposing there is only one quart, they must take it, or two, or three, if there is so much, and the people are very much grieved about that, be cause, where there are large families they generally give more in proportion to their families, and there is, sometime:, three or four times as much milk as they can use." The witness then proceeded to state that in the establishment in question .there existed a vexatious system of fining the men, they not being previously aware in some cases what offences were fineable. After describing some of these lines, he says - " I do not wish to say as much as I could upon the sub ject of fines. There are many ways that they tine. I have known as much as ss, and in one instance they fined no less than 15s, all at one time. Young Mr. James Dugdale came in and caught four playing at cards in the printing place at the dinner hour, and two men sate beside getting their dinner•; be fined the four 5s a piece, and also the two for sitting watching them. I remember another case of an old man, an engineer; he banded a newspaper over to another old man working at the machine; young Mr. Dugdale came in at the time, and he fined one 2s and the other 2s 6d. Well,' said the man who received the paper, I think this is too hard ; I have not read the paper, it has only just been handed overto me.' There was also another case of an apprentice whom he beat and fined 2s 6d ; the apprentice said, Ido not think that is very gentlemanly ;' he knocked him down and kicked him, and fined him 2s 6d afterwards." May we not well wonder that in England, free and enlightened England, a system such as this could be tolerated for a day ? That the working classes in this manufacturing Arcadia could submit to have the wages of their almost ceaseless toil thus measured out to them in the trashy and highly-charged wares of the truck-shop ? Well, indeed, we might, could we blind our eyes to the hopeless dependency of the working man upon his exacting master! He must visit the truck-shop. He must take from -it the whole or a large portion of the amount of his earnings or submit to be deprived of his employment. If any working man has not done this, an intelligent witness informs us, "he has been discharged, and when he has gone from the employer there has been a note sent to all the other manufacturers in the town, saying, he is a man that will not pay his shop debts, and he must yo about his business, and the poor fellow is turned off; there are more of those that get transported than there are of actual thieves in our neighbourhood ; this is my firm opinion !" The labourer who will not submit to the terms of the truck master, is a proscribed man ! His place is no longer amongst the friends of his youth or his man hood. He must tear himself away from every scene which he has loved—from the graves, perhaps, of his parents or of his children—and go forth to struggle in a land overstocked with labour, amongst strange faces, too often to sink down in the struggle to the dreaded doom of pauperism and the union workhouse. Englishmen, though demoralized, as too often they are in the heart of manufacturing districts, love and cling to their homes. This feeling it is which alone enables them to endure on, with such a system snatching from their eager and hungry lips the very food for which they have toiled. But more upon this ~subject by and bye. In the meantime we beg the calm and earnest attention of our readers to the facts which we have placed before them. In the observations made by us in our paper of the 2nd instant, respecting the election of councillors, in November next, we are surprised to find that the remarks upon Mr. Richard Bright have been consi dered an imputation upon him. We have no hesita tion in stating, that we did not mean to reflect upon his public or private character, for we have no reason to believe him anything else than most upright and respectable. Our Radical friends have become amazingly touchy of late. If an humble journalist, like ourselves, has ventured to hint a fault against the fancied perfection, the beauty of countenance, the grace of attire even, of any "liberal " philosopher, we have been pelted, forth with, with big words, threatened with long pieces of parchment, more painful to endure than whip thongs, and even had ominous intimations conveyed to us of impending assault and battery, daggers and pistols ! We cannot even indulge ourselves with a glance at a town-councillor's gaiters without bringing down upon ourselves a storm of rabid denunciations, to which the explosion of a fishwoman's indignation is as a penny pop-gun's report to the thunder of a sixty two-pounder; and yet, strange to say, Radical journal ism itself can bluster and call names, rail and throw dirt upon all that comes in its path, with as much assurance as if it had never professed to write in kid gloves, use honied sentences, and eschew hard lan guage ! As an instance of this strange perversion of " the fitness of things," we were visited last week with a volley of " excellent indignation"—(we could imagine that it had been bottled up for a twelvemonth !)—by our excellent neighbour the Albion, because we dis turbed the visions of self-importance of some half dozen gentlemen, who are about to submit themselves to the judgment of the municipal constituencies of the borough. Contemplating our especial benefit, our con temporary laid aside for the nonce his ordinary slip_ slop style of writing, and ventured upon the use of the tomahawk. To this moment we have scarcely got over it. The vision of the editor of the Albion, in his war paint, _ . " Grinning most horribly a ghastly smile," as he smote right and left, has clung to us even in our dreams. And now, when the blister, raised upon the hands of the learned Theban by the unwonted wea pon, can scarcely have healed, we are completely struck aback by the discovery of the very offence in his own columns, for which we so lately sustained the weight of his virtuous indignation ! We were personal last week, and must not be personal again. The Albion was personal yesterday, and may be personal whenso ever it pleases him ! We questioned the grace of Mr. Yates's short trousers and gaiters, and other small matters of the kind; and we were monsters ! The Albion, or his thinking man, yesterday, and upon every occasion, indulges, unreproved, in nicknames and per sonalities, of an infinitely more aggravated character, and is a yentleman—a model of propriety and elegance! If our readers will peruse the lucubrations of the Albion's "Thinking Man" this week, he will readily perceive the justice of our remarks. The dauber who does these pieces of witless impertinence, ought cer tainly, in fairness, to be visited by the Albion, in his war-paint, and frightened into good behaviour. The thinking man is, however, a Radical—perhaps a Radi cal alderman—and he may therefore jest, with impu nity, upon the personal infirmities of other men; and even enlarge upon his own claim to rank amongst " the giants" (who be they, good Albion ?) of the Radical faction in the council ! ST. HELEN'S CATTLE SHOW AND FAIR. — The annual fair and show of cattle, at St. Helen's, took place on Thurs day last, at the new market place in that town. There was a very fine show of good horses and cattle of all sorts, but the day, on account of the wet, was very much against the fair. Many dealers from distant parts attended, and there was a good deal of business done. As the present exhibition in cluded a prize show as well as fair, many of the neighbouring farmers brought some fine cattle in order to obtain the prizes. The judges were, Mr. Webster, spirit merchant, St. Helen's, Mr. Rocliff, fanner, 'Windle, and Mr. J. Unsworth, Den ton's-green. The following is a statement of the award of the prizes :—For the best team of horses, won by Mr. Bellis, £4; 2d prize, ditto, Mr. Clough, £2. For the best drive of milk cows, won by Mr. Highley, £3; 2d ditto, by Mr. Ben nett, £2. For the best drive of heifers, won by Mr. Bay £l. ..LOCAL NEWS. Tin ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS.—It will be seen that the proprietors of these charming gardens are still giving their fetes twice a-week : the attraction does not seem in the least to abate. A JEwrsir FUNERAL—On Sunday last, a long train of mourning and hackney coaches was observed proceeding along West Derby-road, preceded by a handsome hearse, and attracted considerable attention. We ascertained, on inquiry, that it was the funeral procession of Mr. Marks, a member ,of the Jewish persuasion, whose death is an nounced in our obituary. There were no less than fifteen mourning coaches and four hired vehicles. THE LICENSING SESSIONS.—The general annual licen sing sessions took place on Friday, at the Sessions-house, Chapel-street. There were 138 applications, namely-101 for houses in Liverpool, 26 for Torteth- . park, 5 for West Derby, 4 for Everton, and 2 for Kirkdale. The folloning only were.granted :—David Evans, for house 39, Bridport street, before a beer-house; John Wood, Crown-street, cor ner of Sun-street ; Ninian Cunningham, Gill-street (beer house) ; Elizabeth Jenkins, 41, John-street South (bear house) ; John Hughes, Rathbone-street, corner of Nile street (beer-house) ; Anthony Summers, Blake-street, Tox teth-park (formerly the John Bull Inn) • Thomas Gardener, Park-street, Torteth-park, corner of ' Mann•street (beer house) ; Sarah Jones, Park-street, corner of L!anrwst-street (beer-house) ; Henry Washington, Sefton-st. (beer-house). —Removals:—Joseph Arrowsrnith, to 45, Great Nelson-st.; John Robinson, Park, to Laurel-street Wm. Dawson, from Crooked-lane, to Dantzig-street, east side Union Dock. No new licenses were granted to the applicants from West Derby, Evertor), or Kirkdale. SAC RILEG E.-At the Birkenhead Police-court, on Thurs day, Samuel Hinde. George Taylor, Elizabeth Hughes, and Sarah Powell, were charged with breaking into Liscard church, and stealing a quantity of Prayer-books, Bibles, &c. Robert Davies, sexton of the church, proved that on Sunday last he locked up the church, fastened the windows, &c. lie found the vestry window and another had been broken, the fastenings were unlo ose d , and he missed a quant i ty of books out of the church. George Taylor, sexton of the church, ' saw the prisoner Taylor loitering about the church on Sun day morning. Henry Mosley, an inspector of police, in Liverpool, stated, that on Monday evening he was informed by John Gristlewaite, one of the police, that a quantity of stolen books were in the house of Peter M`Nance, in Pres ' ton-street, Liverpool. He went there with inspector Smith and Gristlewaite, and in an upper room they found the four prisoners, and between the bed and the mattress about fifty prayer-books, bibles, and hymn-books; many of them had the names of the owners in them. The other officers con firmed this statement. The Rev. John Tobin and Mr. John Wilson identified books found by the officers, as their pro perty. The prisoner Ilinde, after being duly cautioned, de clared that " the other three prisoners were all innocent." The prisoner Taylor and the two females stated that they did not know the books were in the room until they were taken into custody. The prisoners were fully committed for trial. ST. PETER'S CHURCH, STOCKPORT.—OR Sunday week, two sermons were preached in this church, by the Rev. Thos. Nolan, of this town, in behalf of the Stockport National Schools. The collections amounted to £37 14s. The Stockport Advertiser of Friday last says, in reference to the discourses—" Never perhaps, on any occasion, not even excepting the time when the Rev. M. O'Sullivan, the great champion of the Protestant faith preached in behalf of the same institution, have we seen the church of St. Peter's so crowded, every corner was literally crammed, and many, through an anxious desire of hearing the voice of him from whose lips, probably, they first heard the glad tidings of free and full salvation through faith in the blood of a crucified Redeemer, and under whose ministry they were first pene trated with a sense of their own vileness as sinners, and led to cry out, " What shall I do to be saved," were glad to re main in the open air. Nor is this to be wondered at, when we remember the untiring zeal with which Mr. Nolan discharged his ministry amongst them—how he was " instant in season and out of season"—how, for the space of four years he ceased not to warn them, and to teach and to preach unto them Jesus, how, through his instrumentality the gal leries of St. Peter's Church were erected, and thereby be came the means of admitting within its sacred and hallowed walls those whom our adorable Saviour has pronounced " blessed," (" for to them the Gospel is preached") viz. : the poor, and who, previously were excluded in consequence of want of accommodation. COMMITTAL OF A LIVERPOOL CAPTAIN FOR WILFUL MURDER.—At the Thames Police-office, on Wednesday, Captain Partridge, late master of the ship Jarrow, of this port, was brought before Ballantine for final examination, charged with the wilful murder of three Spanish seamen on the high seas. We have already given the previous hearings of the case. Mr. J. Fisher said he shipped at Liverpool, as chief mate of the Jarrow, on the 9th of March, 1841, on a voyage to Benin, on the coast of Africa. The ship remained at Renin for five monthg, and some Kroo boys were shipped to assist in the navigation of the vessel. From Benin the ship proceeded to Prince's Island, where she remained for a few days, and shipped four Spaniards, three of whom after wards died from ill usage. Witness was disrated as mate between Benin and Prince's Island. The log was kept by him until the latter part of June, 1841, and during the re mainder of the voyage by the captain himself. Two of the Spaniards died between Prince's Island and Teneriffe, and the third at Teneriffe. The first one who died was called Jose, and was very well and hearty when he came on board. The captain repeatedly beat Jose in a very brutal manner. The first time he beat bins was a fortnight after he came on board. The Spaniard did not work to please the captain, but he most undoubtedly did his best, and was a very willing man. Jose was beaten over the neck and shoulders and other parts of his body with a rope. The vessel was very short of provisions, and for the first three weeks Jose re ceived the same allowance as the other men, but afterwards only received half that quantity, and he became gradually weaker and weaker till he died. The captain beat the de ceased generally with a rope's end, or the bight of a rope, and on one occasion with a billet of wood. Jose was pressed to work hard unnecessarily, when he was unfit to do so. He was very unfairly treated, and great cruelty was exercised towards him. The name of the second mate was Mariana, and he was one of the stoutest and best seamen of the four, and in good health when shipped. Mariana wa: first beaten on the supposition of having stolen some canvas. The cap tain ordered a Kroo boy to flog him with the bight of a rope, and he was most unmercifully flogged, and Ld nothing on his back at the time but an old cotton shirt and a worn-out Guernsey frock. He saw Mariana beaten by the captain on several other occasions. The man was not steering as the captain wished, and was flogged with the end of the main boom sheet. The captain after that struck him a violent blow with his fist. The man was very often struck at the wheel, and I recollect his being struck there with the log slate the day before his death. The log-slate was a heavy double backed one, and the captain struck Mariana two heavy blows with it, one on the face and temples with the flat part of it, and another on the top of the head with the edge of the slate. The man bled very much, and his eyes were swollen. There was a cut an inch long across his temple, else, on his crown there was an indentation so big that witness could put his thumb into it. Blood and water were oozing from the wounds down the man's face. He died the following night in the forecastle. After the captain had beaten Mariana he sen 2 him up to the rigging. The Spaniard attempted to come down, but the captain flogged him up again. The night was very cold and blowing hard, and when Mariana was taken down he was to all appearances dead. His limbs were stiff and cold. He was thrown over board three or four hours after he died. The man was not in a fit state, from hard usage and weakness, to be sent either to the pumps or the rigging. He got worse, and appeared to be quite silly after he was beaten. The witness said the third Spaniard who died was also repeatedly flogged by the captain and knocked down. He died at Teneriffe after the ship ar rived there. The quarantine doctor came alongside, but the captain did not report the condition of the Spaniard, or ob tain any medical aid for him. The prisoner was then formally committed to take Isis trial at the next Old Bailey sessions. INFORMATIONS AGAINST PUBLICANS AND BEERHOUSE KEEPERS, FOR INFRACTIONS OF THE RECENT ACT FOR THEIR RDGULATION.—On Friday upwards of forty publicans and beerhouse keepers were brought before Mr. Rushton and Mr. Logan, at the police -court to answer informations pre ferred against them for various infractions of the new act re gulating such houses, and requiring that none of them shall open until one o'clock on Sundays ; remain open beyond twelve 011 Sunday night ; or at any time entertain improper and disreputable characters. The proceedings excited much interest in a crowded court, and occupied the bench for several hours. The cases respectively were fully and pati ently gone into, and every advantage of substantial defence was permitted to the accused, many of whom brought for ward witnesses. A very few only succeeded in procuring an acquittal on good grounds ; but a large number got off in consequence of accidental technical informalities in the laying of the informations. The cases, with a few exceptions, in which it appeared that lodgers were i n th e h ouses , or that •there were some palliating circumstances, were nearly alike. —namely, the serving of ale or porter early in the morning, before opening is allowed, or at night beyond the prescribed hour of midnight, and also entertaining drunken and disor derly persons. To go through the whole, would weary our readers; and we confine ourselves to the general summing up of Mr. Rushton, after all had been heard ; the deci sion, except in a very few cases, in which the houses had hitherto been respectably conducted, and the alleged delin quency appeared excusable, being delayed until the close. Mr. Rushton, in pronouncins judgment, observed, that all these cases were under an act recently passed, and of which the parties were all advised, to preserve the peace of the town, and to prevent those scenes of drunkenness and riot in the streets, on Sundays, by which the town bad been so long and lamentably disgraced. As a proof of the ex ce ll en t effect of such a regulation, he had to state the reduction in the number of riotous and disorderly cases was. owing to its operation, in one day only, no fewer than 97 ; there having been 155 of such cases last week, and only 78 brought up last Monday. He considered that such a law abated much of the profligacy that had hitherto prevailed, and added greatly to the general respectability of the town and to the comfort of the people. He felt great reluctance to impose heavy fines ; many of the cases were not so flagrant as to call for the severest penalty, and a large number had fallen through merely from accidental informality. He could assure those, however, who were implicated, that, where the fine was re duced or remitted, they should be hereafter narrowly looked after; and he hoped and trusted that all would take caution, and conduct their houses in future in a proper and respec table manner. He then imposed the fines in each case, and concluded by remarking that this was the first and only time in which the extreme fines would not be exacted. It would be their look out if they were visited more severely ; for the magistrates were determined, in future, to put down such condnct, which had an undeniable effect in deteriorating the morals of the town, and producing destitution and misery among the working classes in particular. ANNUAL COUNTY SESSION.—The annual general ad journed sessions for the county of Lancaster were held at the Court-house, Preston, on Thursday last, at eleven o'clock. Thomas Batty Addison, Esq. , Chairman ,of th e P res t on Quarter Sessions, presided. There were sixty-two magistrates present, amongst whom were the Rev. Jonathan Brooks, Rector of Liverpool, Peter Bourne, Esq., Theodore Rath bone, Esq., Thomas Rodick, Esq., Adam H o d gson , E sq ., and other gentlemen from this neighbourhood. In the course of the discussion on the accounts, the Rev. J. Horton protested against the charges for the conveyance of prisoners from Rochdale to Manchester, from Ormskirk to Kirkdale, and to and fom other places in the county. Mr. Rodick complained of the cost of printing, and objected to the salary of the Chaplain, but was declared out of order. The accounts were all passed, those of the treasurer of Kirkdale Prison amounting to £8,390 Bs.' 10d. The several rates required for general anctther purposes were brought forward, discussed, and passed. Colonel Rawstorne moved a resolution to the effect, that the court should take into consideration the systeM of secondary punishments as, under the present system, tending to the increase of crime, and that the silent, combined with the separate, system be generally adopted in all the gaols of this county. The resolution was seconded by James Hey war d, E sq . On an amendment, m ove d b y Adam Hodgson, Esq., the following were appointed a committee to inquire into the subject, and to report to a f uture court : The Revds. Jonathan Brookes and J. T. Horton, Colonel Rawstorne, and M es srs. J. F. Foster, E. J. Lloyd, Robert Lomax, Edward Dawson, Adam Hodgson, George Lomax, and Ja mes Cl ar k e (R ecor der of Liverpool.) A mot i on - , pro posed by the Rev. J. T. Horton, to request the Government to pay one half the expense of the rural police, in this county, out of the consolidated fund, was negatived by a large majority. A motion, proposed by Colonel Austin, t o the effect, that, in consequence of the reduction of the constabulary, an assistant chief constable be deemed sufficient for the present establish meat from th e I st o f O c tober next, was passed. S ome ot h er business of no genera l interest having been di spose d o f, t h e meeting broke up at five o'clock. DAVVING.—Mr: Harwood, it will be seen, is .advertising his intention of giving private lessons in this necessary ac complishment previous to his evening classes commencing. Mr. Harwood's style of teaching is such as will fit any one to enter a ball room with pleasure to themselves and gratifi cation to their friends. NEW NEWSROOM.—A new and very commodious news room has been opened in Great Charlotte -street, Queen square, near Whitechapel, by Mr. Campbell, late librarian to the Brougham Institute. All sorts of publications, con servative, liberal and radical, are taken in, with the maga zines in abundance. The terms are so reasonable that no one can complain of the price. We recommend the in habitants in the vicinity to patronize it extensively. THEATRE ROYAL.—Mr. James Russell commenced last evening a short engagement, giving his inimitable sketches of character and delightful songs. Mr. Russell is, without exception, the sweetest ballad singer on the stage, while in his Pasticcio song, he shows that he can execute passages in the florid and Italian style, with great effect and ability. JUNIOR CLoo-HOUSE.—Last evenin2., a. rather nume rously attended meeting was held in the large rooms over Mr. Willan's shop, in Bold-street, for the purpose of consi dering the propriety of establishing an institution in the nature of a club, under the aboie title, for the use of young men in mercantile and other situations. The principles of the proposed institution were discussed at considerable length ; and at the close the meeting was adjourned till Thurs day night. FATAL ADCIDENT ON THE RIVER.-011 Thursday morn ing, between eleven and twelve o'clock, as a boat attending upon the New York • packet ship Virginia, which arrived in the Mersey that morning, was in the act of bringing a hawser ashore, she unfortunately came in contact with a small steamer proceeding down the river, when, to save themselves from being crushed, two of the men leaped overboard ? one suc ceeded in laying hold of a rope, and was saved ; but the other was unfortunately drowned, having, It. is supposed, received some injury which caused immediate death, HOBSON'S CHOICE OF THOMAS BOLTON.—The " Thinking Man," on Monday, thus thinks think that Thomas Bolton made a very sensible speech on Wednesday. Thomas is improving. At one time he was rather in my black books. But that was when we were all a little spoiled by political prosperity. Misfortune has done us all good, by teaching us a little humility, and Mr. Bolton is again up to the mark, and ' hue as the needle - to the pole.' " Poor Thomas—an unkind cut this of your friend the Alderman ! When radical Socinians were " plenty as blacberries" in the Council, you were nobody in his eyes. But misfortune has " taught us a little humility ;" (!) and we are reconciled to put up with Thomas Bolton ! Thomas is "up to the mark" now ' • or has the mark co me d own to Th omas ? Tell us? good thinking man ! A large rope, forwarded on Thursday last from Messrs. Coltart, Clark, and Co.'s works, in Lodge-lane, appeared to attract considerable attention, whilst being conveyed through the streets, on its way to the place of shipment at the Duke's Dock, and various were the surmises as to its in tended use. Though made up into the smallest possible compass, yet the coil was nearly thirty feet in circumference, and three feet in depth. The rope was 200 fathoms in length, made without a splice, and 13 inches in circumfer ence, and contained such a number of yarns, which if singly extended, would have reached the distance of about 330 miles. It was made, we understood, for a mine on the mid land counties. and intended to be used for lifting the pump gear, often of great weight in such works; and as no expense is ever spared by the proprietors of first rate mines, the ropes used by them, are always ordered to be made of the very best materials and workmanship. The rdpe now noticed cannot fail in these particulars, to reflect the highest credit as well on the manufacturers, as the proprietors of the mine, exhibiting the skill and ingenuity of the former, the liberality and enterprising spirit of the latter. THE IMPROVEMENT ACT.—We are happy to say that the publicans' clauses in the Improvement Act continue to pro duce most beneficial results in the way of suppressing drun kenness. From five o'clock on Sunday morning to one o'clocleat noon, only two persons were placed in Bridewell ; and at the Police -court, yesterday, there were only eighty prisoners for examination, 21 of whom were charged with felony, (but one case only was sustained,) and two for smug gling, leaving 47 for drunkenness. The average number of prisoners at the Police- court, on Mondays, before the act came into operation, was 150. ROBBERY BY A SERVANT.-At the. Police-court, yes terday, a respectable-looking man, named John M`Mahon, was charged with having stolen three waistcoats, the pro perty of Joseph Fowden and Thomas Fowden. The priso ner was a servant at the prosecutors' house, which is in Dingle-lane, Kirkdale : two of the waistcoats were found in his box, and a third upon his person, by Ralph Fowden. The prisoner made no defence, and he was committed to the Borough Gaol for trial at the next sessions. DEATH FROM DROWNING.—On Saturday last, an inquest was held at the house of John Bell, the Pig and Whistle, Toxteth-park, on view of the body of Richard Davies. The deceased was gardener to John Cropper, Esq., Dingle-bank. On Wednesday last, deceased and three others went to bathe ; the tide was then coming in ; it was between twelve atd one o'clock. The men who accompanied deceased jumped in first, and they were bathing, when deceased jumped off the rock, where the water is deeper than at the place where the others were bathing. Deceased went overhead immediately, and on rising called loudly for help. Two of the men joined hands, and made an attempt to assist deceased ; but, getting out of their depth, and being unable to swim, they were obliged to look to themselves ; and it is not unlikely that they would have shared the same fate as the deceased, but that a person who had been working at Mr. Cropper's very opportunely came to their assistance, and held them a ladder, by the assistance of which he pulled them to the shore. A boat was immediately procured, but the body was not found until the tide was running out, when it was discovered, dash ing against the rocks, not many yards from the place where the unfortunate man was drowned. Verdict, " Accidentally Drowned." SUDDEN DEATH.—On Saturday last, at the Red Lion Inn, in Lowton, an inquest was held before John Heyes, Esq., the county coroner, on view of the body of Ann Farn worth. Deceased was doing the work of a servant for a few days, at the House of Mr. Barrett, of Lowton. She had a fit on Thursday night last, from which, however, she soon recovered. On Friday morning, about half-past six o'clock, Mr. James Hill, a farmer, residing opposite Mr. Barrett's house, was informed by a little girl that deceased was lying on the floor. He went immediately and knocked Miss Bar rett up, when they found deceased lying on her back, with her head against the leg of a table, quite dead. She was dressed, and had evidently been making the fire, when she must have been seized with a fit. Verdict—Died by the Visitation of God. MELANCHOLY ACCIDENT. —An inquest was held yester day (Monday), before the county coroner, at Great Crosby, on view of the body of Mr. Robert Heyes, a gentletnan who lived at Crosby, and whoee death took place under the most painful circumstances. Mr. Heyes has for some time past been labouring under a severe illness; and on Thursday night, after the family had retired to bed, the deceased was awakened by Mrs. Heyes calling out for something which she was in want of. Deceased immediately got up, and, in the hurry, he missed his footing and fell down stairs. A surgeon was called in, when it was found that the spine of the deceased was very much injured ; and although every possible assistance was rendered, deceased only lingered about eighteen hours. Verdict—Accidental Death. On Saturday last an inquest was held at the house of Alice Westmore, at West Derby, on view of the body of Henry Green, a man about fifty years of age. Deceased had been at a dahlia show at West Derby village, and he and one of the witnesses, John Lucas, who lives servant with Mr. Freme, returned from the village about half-past ten o'clock, and the deceased and Lucas walked together as far as Mr. ' Freme's house, past which there is a style road, which is the nearest way to the deceased's house. Deceased carried a cabbage in his hand, and was fresh in liquor. On Friday morning Lucas was informed that deceased was missing, and that a hat and a cabbage were found floating in a pit, which is about seven or eight roods from the style road, leading past Mr. Freme's to the deceased's house. The pit was immediately searched with drag hooks, when the body of the unfortunate man was found. There was a foot mark at one side of the pit where he appeared to have fallen in. Verdict, found drowned, without marks of violence. PORT NATAL.—By the Bland, which left the Cape of Good hope on the 30th of June, and arrived at this port on Fri day, the following intelligence has been received :—" On Sa turday evening, the 27th of June, an anonymous despatch was received in Cape Town from Port Natal, via Graham's Town, stating that Captain Smith's party had been cut off to a man, that the Boors had taken possession of the two schooners then lying in the bay with stores, &c., viz., the Mazeppa and Louisa, and some fears were apprehended for the Couch, then on her way with a small number of troops from Port Elizabeth. Her Majesty's ship Isis sailed from Simon's Bay, the 28th June, for Port Natal, and report said that the Fly and Bramble were to follow immediately. A person who was supercargo of a Dutch schooner in Natal, some time ago, supposed to have been instigating the Boors to rebellion, is now in prison in Cape Town." It will be seen this unpleasant intelligence rests on no official or even suffi cient authority. At the same time the circumstances in which Captain Smith's party was placed, render it, we re gret to say, only too probable. THE FUNDS, SATURDAY EVENlNG.—Business in the English stock-market was not characterised by any important feature, and the ordinary course of dealing did not influence prices in a material degree. Consols for money closed 92/ ; Consols for account 931; India Bonds, 249 to 251 ; Ex chequer-bills, 495. to 51s. premium; and ditto 21. issue, 51s. to 535. premium. In foreign securities also little busi ness was transacted. Rather snore firmness is observable in the quotation for Brazilian, which is called 66; to 671; Spanish Actives closed 16+ to 4 ex. the co u p ons ; Dit to 3 per Cents., 21+ to I; Portuguese 5 per Cents., 35k; Ditto 3 per Cents., 20!1 to 11; Colombian, 201 to 211; Belgian, 102 to 103; Danish, 831 to 841 ; Dutch, 21 per Cents., 521 to I ; Mexican, 35:1 to 6; and Peruvian, 15 to 16. In mi n i ng shares to-day q u o tati ons were made for Copiapo at al; Real del Monte, unregistered, 21; and ditto, Loan Notes, 40. Joint-stock Bank shares were quoted—Australasia, 53 ; Briti,sh North America, 35 ; Colonial, 20 ; and Union of Australia, 31. THE LIVERPOOL EXHIBITION. On Saturday last we availed ourselves of an invitation to attend the private view of the works of art now exhibiting in Post-office-place. From the accounts we have seen in the London papers, and what we have heard from friendly sources, we candidly admit that we went to the rooms with a misgiving as to the merit of the works upon the walls. We had understood that the London Art Unions had completely cleared off all the good pictures, and that nothing but canvas and paint, without talent or taste, were left for us to look at. We were never more agreeably mistaken in our presentiments, and it is passing, we think, no small compliment upon Mr. Egling ton, jun. to say, that there has not been so good an exhibi tion for years past as the present, whether we regard it in point of quality or interest of the subjects of the different works. We cannot but give the new secretary credit for his perseverance and taste in the gathering, although the num ber of works does not reach the usual amount. Nevertheless there are , between five and six hundred paintings, a few being of a high class in modern art, many very good, a sprinkling of mediocre quality, and but very few really bad. In fact, the good pictures predominate, and the difficulty has been where to place them all prominently. In the water colour department there are some charming specimens. The miniatures are few. The portraits are not so numerous as usual —amongst them two or th ree are very con spicuous, one by Patten, of the Rev. Hugh M`Neile, is decidedly the best ever taken of the rev. gentleman, and another of our contemporary Mr. Bean, who looks on the canvas as shrewd interiors,. depicting knowing as he does in prop r ia persona. The nteriors, depicting scenes of humour and pathos, are very numerous. There are many exquisite landscapes. M'Clise has only one picture—his imitators many. In the sculpture room there are more subjects than usual. This apartment is so un suitable for the exhibition of this noble branch of art, that any thing deposited in it is lost in effect. The Liverpool Academicians display some tolerabl e pic tures, and the resident artists have accaderny." A ca d em i es contributed a f a i r s h are. ofW We art have have but d small tt h le op o e r th s n i 9 na Pn y g to advance painting. The art-unions will, in our opinion, effect more in a few years in every way . A n eminent painter,annot fait for than all the academies ever attempted . The se assoc i at i ons twohopsreovoemm beneficialon we have ahigh esteem, once c to encourage cheap pict ures . W e met these con versing with us o n the sub j ect, obj ected to art- un i ons as objectionsbeingbi high - priced h . t r like ly iced b yworks affirming that they would e ncourage, rather, . Of this we are more than ever con vinced ; for a young and unknown artist, on disposing . of a £2O picture through an art-union, will not be satisfied to exhibit one at the same price on the following year. He will endeavour to produce a work that shall realise him £3O, £4O, or £5O. Should he again be successful in finding a purchaser, he will then labour on more assiduously to hang up one still better. Thus art must be improved, while talent is fostered and encouraged. In our next publication we hope we shall be able to find room to draw attention to the leading pictures. On looking over the catalogue, we find, amongst many others, the names of D. Maclise, R. A .,Henshaw, Mulvany, ILA., Seaforth, Bishop, Walters, ington, Creswick, Boddington, W. G. Herdman, George fatten, R. Ansdell, W. Havell, Linton, the Hargreaves, Thomas Crane, F. R. Lee, 8.A., T. Sidney Cooper, Miss Nasmyth, Copley Fielding, Midge, Clater, J. P. Knight, Stephanoff, W. Etty, R.A., A. Clint, G. Lance, T. Uwins, R.A., D. Williamson, Westcott, Egg, &c. "THE PRINCE OF WALES" IRON STEAM-SHIP, We yesterday visited this elegant vessel (Captain M'lsteil age), which, after having run a short time between South ampton and Havre, arrived here for the first time on Sunday last from Cork. accomplishing the passage in the short space of 22 hours and 10 minutes. As she is intended to run in future between this port and Cork, some account of her may be acceptable; and that need be but brief, inasmuch as she resembles, in every point, her well-known sister iron ship " The Princess Royal," and was built (as well as her engines) by the same gentlemen—Messrs. Todd and M`Gregor, engineers, of Glasgow. Her extreme length on deck is 170 feet ; her beam 27 feet; her burthen 500 tons clear, and her engines (which are what are called vertical) are of 260 horse-power. The latest improvements in iron ship-building, as well as in the con struction of the engines, have been introduced, and no ex pense has been spared to render her at once speedy, comfort able, and safe. She is a remarkable handsome vessel in outward appearance, sharp at the extremities, lightly rigged as a three-masted schooner, and has a yacht-like and mischievous appearance. Her figure head is a full length figure of Britannia, resting on the British Lion, with an infant on her knee; and the stern is correspondingly decorated with carved work, with the " Prince of Wales's" arms as a centre piece. The interior decorations—as in the Princess Royal—are in the old English style, but rather more plain, though equally pleasing. The main cabin, at the entrance stern, and under a slightly raised quarter-deck is a fine large apartment, lighted by six stern windows, four side windows at the widest ' part, and a fine deck, or dome light in the middle. The latter forms an oblong square below, with stained glass, on which crowns, prince's feathers, shields, &c. are emblazoned; and the top, or dome, is of an oblong round, or half-egg form, with the glass stained to correspond, and terminating in an oval ven tilator. The walls are of polished oak, with carving of the same material, in the antique English style, decorated with gilded •knobs and other ornaments. It is also ornamented in gilt panelled work, resembling antique picture frames. The larg er panels are formed of crimson damask, with emble matical figures and devices. The smaller ones are filled up with beautiful paintings, in the richest colours, on papier niachcf, from the manufactory of Messrs. Jenners and Bet teridge, of Birmingham. The roof is divided into panelled compartments, and painted in French white, w ith g ild e d mouldings and drops ; the whole having alight and agreeable effect. On each side the folding-door, or principal entrance, forming corner ornaments, is an antique-formed oak side board, with a marble top; and each surmounted by a hand some mirror, in three pieces. placed vertically, in gilded frame-work, and forming a niche, or recess. The tables and chairs are of fine polished oak, of old English pattern—the backs of the latter forming heraldic shields. The stern-part is sofaed round in a semi -circle, with oak arms; and these sofas, as well as the couches and chairs, are upholstered in figured crimson velvet. • _ _ On each side the large cabin, forward (where it is slightly contracted in width), there are commodious and well furnished state-rooms ; those on one side being for the ladies, and those opposite for the gentlemen. From the former, a passage leading direct, without entering the soloon, into a handsome ladies' cabin, fitted up in an admirable manner, with sofas round two sides, covered with crimson figured damask, and bed places on another side. Adjoining the gentlemen's berths, abaft, and immediately on the opposite side, there is also a room well furnished, and with a number of sleeping places, as a resting room for " the ruder sex." The front, which is equally neat and commodious, and all the subsidiary arrangements are of the best description ; every thing being done to ensure neatness and comfort. The structures on the decks are but few, and all of the same style of massy Elizabethan architecture which cha racterises the general fittings of the ship. The engine -house rises to a considerable height between the paddle-house, and affords, without going below, a view of the working of the machinery, which is as bright and highly-finished as a piece of superior clock-work. On the whole, we have no hesita tion in saying, that " The Prince of Wales," from her superior power and speed, will become a great acquisition to all voyagers and shippers, to and from the Mersey and the south of Ireland. OPERATIVE PROTESTANT ASSOCIATION, ST. MARK'S BRANCH. Yesterday evening, the quarterly meeting of this branch of the Operative Protestant Association was held in St. Mark's School,'when (as announced.) a lecture was delivered by the Rev. B. A. Marshall, 8.A., " On the Errors of Romanism." The attendance was numerous, the room, which is used as an infant school, was nearly filled. The proceedings commenced by singing the 122 d Hymn, which was followed by a short prayer. The rev. gentleman named, (who occupied the chair) then addressed the meeting, calling their attention to the objects of the branch, as stated in a report of the general association, from which he read an extract. Its purpose was not political in the usual sense of the word, but to shew that their invete rate enemy the Romanists, were not, as they asserted, anold church, but apostates from the original and pure doctrines promulgated by St. Paul ; and, which were then held by the Church of England. The subscriptions were but 6d. quar terly, and this entitled members to the use of select works in the library. He then proceeded to say that the subject he had chosen was the authority of the Holy Scriptures, and he set out with the solemn reflection, that (as was even admitted by a noted Romish preacher, as well as by the Word of • God,) •the salvation of the soul was indispensable ; that in tact, man could do without anything but that. To obtain that salvation, they could .lone look to God for help and directions—not to :men, sinful and ignorant in themselves ; and he quoted various passages from Scrip ture in proof of his position, and showing that all man kind were called to read and judge for themselves in language so pointed and strong that it could be called none other than the voice of God. He then entered upon the alleged infallibility of the Romish faith, noticing strongly the language of Dr. Wiseman, who would persuade them that thee were under an " illusion" in supposing that they could be' saved by a reliance on the Bible ; but that to ob tain salvation they must throw themselves into the arms ?f the Romish Church. He wished, however, that more indi viduals and families laboured under that blessed " illusion." In adverting to the doctrines of the Romanists, he admitted that the general and universal truths which some of the old fathers adhered to, and others still professed, were good in themselves ; but there were particular doctrines which separated them from those fathers, and those universal truths, and throw them upon dangerous errors, fallibilities, and traditions. He regarded these new doctrines under three aspects, but on this occasion confined himself to the first only—the Scriptures as a revelation of salvation. The Romish Church said they would not be able to know whether .the Bible was the Word of God, only in so far as the Catholic or Apostolic Church should direct them. God was not, in fact, to speak to them direct. We were to throw ourselves in that respect upon the guidance of man. The Romish Church had not always, however, acted in this respect with that unity which it assumed ; for while some of the fathers and learned doctors had repu diated the Scriptures as of no value without the autho rity of the Church, and had thus incurred a fearful responsibility ; others had considered them a light and truth, which all men had a right to avail himself of, and which, (as one of the fathers said) engraved that on the heart of man which could not be written. On this point and others lie quoted the recorded opinions of many of the first Romish divines, and also many passages. He next alluded to similar discrepancies in the edicts of the councils of Trent, and Nice, &c., not only in this primary point, but with reference to the Apochypal books, the most absurd and contradictory of which were, by one set of Romanists, to be received implicitly as true on pain of anathema (or damna tion,) and by another declared to be spurious. The general doctrine of the Romanists of the present day was that the Scriptures were not enough for salvation without tradition; that they were obscure ; and that no versions of them were to be put in the vulgar language, and read by the people— opinions contrary to reason as well as to revelation itself, and, indeed, little short of blasphemy. He next alluded to thetranslation from the originalinto the Latin or "Vulgate," from which the Rhemish and Douay Bibles were rendered. Two translations. had been made in Latin, and both were in accurate and contradictory ; and even the learned Cardinal Belarmine had objected to both, and expressed his fear, not withstanding the Council of Trent, of trusting to any but the original. He (the Rev. gentleman) could not see why a labouring man, an artisan, a sailor, or a soldier, should be debarred from reading the Scriptures in his own mother tongue. But all the inconsistencies he had noticed in Ro manists, as well as the bull of the late Pope introducing the use of the Bible, so as to put down Bible societies, had their object. He considered the Bible sent as a blessing to all mankind, and showed that it would be so, by many promises which it contained, to all who searched it diligent ly. The Romanists had been raising Heaven and earth to bring Britain to their arms; but they never would—they never could renounce their bibles. Those who had it not had neither faith, piety, nor good works, but were immersed in sin, ignorance, and misery. He concluded by a powerful and affecting appeal in behalf of that holy book, which, as well as the rest of his discourse, made a strong impression upon his audience, which they evinced by unequivocal de monstrations of respect and esteem at the close of the dis course—of which this is necessarily but a feeble outline. An appropriate hymn concluded the proceedings, and, af ter a blessing was pronounced by the Rev. Gentleman, the meeting passed to him a vote of thanks by acclamation. " THE HINDOSTAN" STEAM-SHIP. We gave an account of the fine passage of this large and splendid vessel hence to Dublin, on her way to Southamp ton ; and have now to add a few particulars of the interest she excited while at Kingstown, and also to report her pro gress thence to her final port in the British Seas. On Wednesday (the day after her arrival at Kingstown), in consequence of previous arrangements with the directors, all the Irish proprietary, amounting to upwards of 200, with their families and friends, visited the ship. In all, not fewer than 1500 ladies and gentlemen, including the fashion and beauty of the Emerald Isle, visited her in the course of the day. They were all much delighted, and indeed astonished, with the elegance of the saloon apartments; and were loud in their praise of the whole arrangements for the comfort and enjoyment of all who may voyage with her. After two o'clock that day, the vessel was thrown open for the inspec tion of the public generally, and vast numbers of persons visited her, including the whole of the nobility of , that part of the country. The ladies were very numerous , and wi ne and cake was served in the Grand Saloon. She was also open to the public on Thursday, but, owing to the continued rain, the number of visitors, though great, was not so nume rous as on the previous day. The proceeds (a small sum from each visitor) were paid over for charitable institutions. On Thursday evening the Hindostan left Kingstown Southampton, which she reached after a fine run against for t o a r head sea and contrary winds, at an early hour on Saturday morning, as will be learned by the following communication from Mr. Powell, the first officer, kindly forwarded by re quest to a gentleman of our establishment who accompanied the ship to Dublin : " Ship Hindostan, Southampton, Sept. 10th, 1842. " DEAR have much , pleasure in being able to in form you of the arriv a l o f t h e Hindostan' at this place, at 7' a.m. this day (Saturday). We left Dublin (or rather Kingstown), at 4 40 p.m. on Thursday, with a fresh breeze from south-west, and a;rived abreast Wicklow Head at 5 49, distance 22 miles. At 7 25 we were abreast Arklow Light ship, wind freshening a-head, donsed masts and yards—and at 8 found, by both patent and common logs, 81 goi n g at the rate of nine a n d a -h a lf k no t s per h our , which tells greatly in favour of her capabilities of contending against a head sea and contrary wind. At 1 25 p.m. (Friday) passed the Long Ship's Light, (Land's End,) making the distance from Ark low Lights-165 miles—at the rate of 9 miles per hour, against a strong head wind and sea. At 6 40 p.m. we were abreast the Eddystone—and 1 16 on Saturday morning passed the Portland Lights ; at 5 a.m. ran through the Needles.. I ! have only just to refer you to a chart of th e Bristol anti English Channels, to see the splendid run she has made. " I have the honour to be, Sir, in great haste, " Yours obediently, " H. W. POWELL, " Chief Officer Hindostan." The whole distance from Kingstown to Southampton, as nearly as it can be steered, is, we believe, little, if anything, short of 400 miles ; and the vessel having accomplished it in 38h. 20m., made good quite 10 knots an hour on the whole run. On Saturday, the 24th instant, she will leave Southampton with passengers for India. Her route will be Gibraltar the Cape d e V erde, the Cape of Good Hope, the Mauritius, Ceylon, Madras, and Calcutta. Arrived at her destination, she will ply regularly between Calcutta and Suez, calling at Madras and Ceylon, and vice versa. V-.. 4 , 0,....„,,,,,tr :.:--' \----:bi, f` e°- ?'‘../ 't lr!'l • ...), : 1--.• Si----.......\ S tit. 71,., I U.l . EXTENSIVE FIRE LAST NIGHT. Yesterday afternoon, shortly before five o'clock, the ex tensive warehouses belonging to Sir John Tobin, we believe, situated between Tyrer-street and Barton -street, near the Borough Gaol, were observed to be on fire. The flames soon made their appearance, and the interior of the building soon presented a mass of flames. At eight o'clock, the scene presented to view was most terrific and grand. The surrounding streets were illuminated as brightly as by day, by the flames. The piece of waste land on which the stones and road-ituff are stored for the use of the highways, was covered with crowds of people, who availed themselves of every elevated spot to witness the burning building. Every minute immense volumes of flame were thrown up, as the materials ignited; and from the strong smell of turpentine there must have been a large quantity of it on fire. Dense volumes of smoke poured forth, thickly studded with bright sparks, which, from the calmness of the night, floated slowly away to the southward. As each floor fell with a crash, the fire appeared t o b rea k out w ith renewe d v i gour, and the light then rose more intensely. The adjoining houses were emptied of their furnitdre, and at the time of our present writing (nine o'clock) did not appear to be in a state of igni tion. Men were placed on the tops of the warehouses in Barton-street, who threw down quantities of water on the catheads, which, from their projecting, were likely to become ignited. We perceived the fire-police to be actively em ployed, and exerting themselves assiduously to quell the de vouring and fierce flame. We have heard that these ware houses (bonded) contained large quantities of cotton, salt petre, rum, turpentine, &c., which no doubt greatly con tributed to give the flame its peculiarly lurid appearance. Several accidents have occurred, which in our later accounts we shall be able probably more fully to describe. (FROM ANOTHER REPORTER.) Yesterday evening a destructi ve fi re took place in an ex tensive bonded warehouse, called "Tobias," and belonging, we believe, to Sir John Tobin, situate between Galton-street and Barton-street, and fronting Greenock -street. The ware ( house was rented- by Messrs. Graham and Taylor, and con tains a large quantity of cotton in the upper rooms, and in the lower stories and cellar, a quantity of guano manure, the property of Messrs. W. J. Myers and Co., some rum, and, as reported to us, a quantity of saltpetre. The fire was first observed at about half-past five o'clock in the afternoon, in the top story of the building, and upon the alarm being given a strong body of police and the fire-engines and firemen were promptly upon the spot, and, under the able superintendence of Mr. Whitty, our active high-constable, and Mr. Rose, the superintendent of the fire-brigade, directed their unwearied efforts to check its progress. These efforts, however, were materially retarded by the want of water in the plugs, the main pipe, at the time, not being on ; and the fire made rapid progress downwards, until the whole of the upper part of the building, with the inflammable contents, became a mass of flame. At a little after seven o'clock the roof fell in ; and at this period, and for nearly two hours afterwards, the spectacle presented was most splendid—if such an expression can be applied to a sight involving so much of devastation and ruin. The flames burst upwards several yards in height from the mass of burning cotton and other materials within the building, illumining the whole of the neighbouring docks, shipping, and streets ; and the blaze must have been plainly dis- tinguished for miles along the Cheshire shore opposite, as well as from the high part of the town, and the country round about. Fortunately the wind, which had blown rather fresh from the north-east during the early part of the day, had abated before the fire occurred. This, and the confined and sheltered position of the premises, materially contributed, with the well-directed exertions of the police, to keep down the devouring element ; and, at ten o'clock, although the fire still burnt fiercely, and might at any moment have been fanned to a strength which it would have defied human power to resist sufficiently to preserve the adjacent buildings and the valuable property which they contained, it was the opinion of Mr. Whitty that the force at the disposal of himself and Mr. Hewitt would be able to prevent the spread of the fire to the lower stories of the building, and the consequent destruction which must have resulted had its contents (spirits and saltpetre) been ignited. We have no means at the present late hour (ten o'clock) of arriving at the value of the property already destroyed, or the total value and exact contents of the building. We have no knowledge either of any particulars as to the probable origin of the fire.. We believe that up to the hour at which we write nothing whatever on this point is known. LATEST PARTICULARS, TWELVE O'CLOCK. We regret to announce that several casualties have taken place. One young man of the age of nineteen, in assisting to remove some of the bales of cotton, received a violent blow on the head, which fractured his skull, and he was im mediately taken to the Northern Hospital, where he received every attention, but we are sorry to say he now lies in ai very dangerous state. lie has only'been married two months. and worked at Bury's foundry. Four other men are also in the hospital ; but though their contusions are severe, we trust the able medical skill at hand will be the means of their speedy restoration. The flames appear at this hour to be so far subdued that there is little apprehension of the fire proceeding further ; although the generid combustion within the four walls is still very great. The height of the warehouse from the street (exclusive of the cellars) is six stories. The four upper stories were, we may say, burned out, with the excep tion of a large quantity of cotton, &c. saved by the police out of the lower one of the four. On that floor (the third from the ground) there was 4ITI immense ac cumulation of goods, beams, and building materials of the roof and higher floor, and the heat in the interior appeared to be intense. Nevertheless, several of the firemen had got up with hose inside some of the windows on the south front, and into one of the doors on the west side. Hose was also directed into other windows, and no fewer than thirteen en gines were at play alternately. The contents of the lower stories are as yet not injured by the fire, but are no doubt considerably damaged by the water. Atout half-past ten o'clock, smoke was discovered issuing from the cellar of a marine store-keeper in Paisley-street, the next street to that in which was the burning warehouse. In a short time, however, it was put out by the fire police. No clue exists to its origin. We cannot conceive how the adjacent fire could communicate to this cellar. Our respected Mayor repaired to the scene of conflagration the moment the information reached him, and was present at the time our paper went to press. WIGAN. EXAMINATION OF THE CHARTIST THOMAS GERARD. (From our own Correspondent.) WIGAN, MONDAY NIGHT, 5 O'CLOCK.—A special meet ing of the magistrates was held, in the Town-hall, yesterday morning, at nine o'clock, for the purpose of continuing the examination of Thomas Gerard, who was remanded last Monday, on a charge of being concerned in the disturbances of the 15th of August last. . Mr. Scott again appeared on behalf of the defendant. William Bryham was the first witness called. He stated that he was manager at Mr. Case's coal works, at Rose bridge, in Ince. On the morning of the 15th August, at about 8 o'clock, or a little after, I was at the works and saw a mob coming towards them. They were armed with sticks. I asked them what they wanted, and they demanded that the works should stop, and said they would have the men out of the pits. I gave the signal for the men to come up, and the mob waited whilst they did come up. They then went away towards Hindley. A few of the mob, again came to the pits, when the great body were passing, at noon, on their road from Ilindley to Wigan. I cannot say that I saw the pri soner among the crowd, or in the course of that day. Other witnesses deposed that the number of the mob was from 8.000 to 10,000 men —that they brandished their sticks, and had a very alarming appearance—that Gerard was there reading a paper to the multitude—that they turned the men from the mills, and knocked out the plugs from all the boilers. After the evidence had been gone into . for some time, the magistrates adjourned, and when they again assem bled at four o'clock, three other men were placed in front of riot. the bench along with Gerard as implicated in the Their names are William Catterall, stone-getter, and John Wil kinson, sawyer, and William Mills, carder ; but the evidence, so far as it had been gone into when this report left, merely implicated them as having been present at the riots, and that Wilkinson had used some exciting language. The examina tion is now proceeding, (five o'clock.) PRESTON GUILD FANCY BALL. The following ladies and gentlemen of Liverpool and the neighbourhood were among the company at this grand fancy ball : Addison, Miss, Neapolitan peasant. Addison, Mr. R., French court dress. Atkinson, Mr. Jonathan, a chevalier of the reign of Charles the Second. Atkinson, Mrs. Jonathan, Gertrude. Atkinson, Miss, Wallachian lady. Atkinson, Mr. Joseph, West Indian nl an t er. Benson, Mr. Robert, French courtier, reign of Louis 12th. e in astahnet uniform B Benson, Miss, as Miss Byron, in Sir Ch arles Grandison. ' rin of the 57th. ' A, Miss, is s m lady e rg a o r f e l t Z i t ,h consort of o Crossley, Mr. J., Spanish nobleman. Cannell, Mr. H. W.. Sir Charles G randison. 13 u at s e h so b Y n', M M r r . : R. . TyroleseN Wilding, in . f Charles I. Cannell, Miss Mary Ann, fl ower C c a a n n n n e e ll il: girl. Clare, Mr. J. Legh, Gilbe r t de Clai Case, Mr. George, a Cleme nt tribe. i . r. nian, one of the Albanian tribe. Dodd, Mr. Edward, Greek fisherman. Eastwood, Mr., Sir Walter Eastwood, Mrs., fancy dress. Raleigh. Farrar, Mr. William i port of Juddah. , adjee Abdallah, Captain of the sea' Forshaw, Mr. H., cou rt Grimshaw, Mr. crdress. i cassian cnief. , , Henderson, Mr., * gouth American chief. Hughes, Mr. T. 8., Greek. Lamb, Mr. J., port admiral of the blue. Laird, Mr. W.. Waverley. M`Cheane, Miss, Julia Mannering. M`Cheane, Mr. William, jun., a student of Madrid. Millington, Mr., Turk, and, we ought to say, a Grand as a Turk. Panatt, Mr. J., military officer. Panatt, Mrs., fancy dress. Taylor, Miss, Scotch lassie. Swainson, Miss, an Austrian n ek lady. lad Swainson, Miss 'Eli z a, a Austrian lady Swainson,Miss Diana, an .. E l' 1 . George, an old ng is 1 gentleman—looked Swainson, Mr. the character well. Walcott, Greek. Shand, Mr. W. Master ls: - R Grand of nights of St. John. Syers, Mr. M. " Lady Miss A. L., Ann. Syers, Thompso n, Mr. G. 13., Swiss dress. T homps on, Mr. Walter, courtier. Tyrrell, Mrs. . ll G, court dress, Geor ge IV. W oo dburn, Mr. T., as Rob Roy, and he made 't I perso na ti o n of the outlaw. a capi a L EEDS Lomsas."—Ha Jack lad ; said a Leeds Joiner, the other day, if thear wor nobbat thee an me it wurld, we cud bye horses rare an cheap at Lee-gap fair. c On 'Wednesday ev!iung, as one of Mr. Waddell's coaches was changing horses in Ock-street, Abingdon, the lightning dashed very vividly at the time, which caused the leader, which had been atta.ched, to take fright and start off. The horsekeeperstumbling over a post was unable to stop the animal, who dragged the coach along High-street and Stert street, when, coming in contract with a house, his further progress was arrest e d , fortunately without doing any damage. There were no passengers on the coach at the time.—Oxford Herald.