The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-04-02 00:00:00

GENERAL MISCELLANY. Rom aNism.—The ceremony of laying the foundation stone of a new Catholic Chapel took place in the retired village of Blackbrook, near St. Helen', on Monday last. Much curiosity was excited at the west-end during the last week by the commencement of the laying down of the Indiarubber pavement in the court. yard of the Admiralty, "Whitehall. The Ebbw Vale and Sirhowy Works, which were adver tised to be sold on the 18th of April next, have been dis posed of by private contract, to the Coalbrook Dale Iron Company, for £216,000. The CARTOONS OF RAPHAEL.—There is at present an artist busily occupied, by order of the King of Prussia, at Hampton Court, copying, in the most elaborate manner, these wonders of art. Richard Dadd, the unfortunate artist, who murdered his father, some time ago, is not likely to be brought to trial. He will, probably, not long survive, as, according to the Kentish Observer," his brain is wanting." It is said that the postmaster-general, now Earl of Lonsdale, intends to relinquish his office as soon as ar rangements can be made for the appointment of his suc cessor.—lforning Post. By the death of the venerable and estimable Earl of Lonsdale, a Blue Ribbon and Lord-Lieutenancies of the counties of Westmoreland and Cumberland have become at the disposal of the premier. THE MARQUIS OF WESTMINSTER.—We regretto learn that this nobleman continues seriously indisposed. Lord Robert Grosvenor arrived at Eaton Hall on Wednesday last.—Chester Chronicle. THE FANCY FAIR IN THE THAMES TUNNEL.—A "Fancy Fair" in the Thames Tunnel commenced on Monday, and has been continued during the week, vast numbers of persons having passed through the tunnel to mix in the gay scene. CHRISTCHURCH ELECTION: DEFEAT OF THE LEAGUE. —At four, on Thursday, the numbers were—Hon. Capt. Harris (conservative), 180 ; Tice (leaguer), 84. • The con stituency consists of 330 voters. At two a hand-bill was issued, " The League are gone on a water excursion." THE SEASON. — Covent-garden market, last week, was supplied with green peas, French beans, cucumbers, straw berries, hot-house grapes, asparagus, rhubarb, sea-kale, good cauliflower and brucoli, (abundant and cheap,) roses, geraniums, camellias, lilacs, heaths, epacrises, and other flowers, in rich and luxuriant bloom. At Huntingdon assizes, on Wednesday week, Gifford White, aged 18, pleaded guilty to a charge of sending a letter to one Isaac Ilett, threatening to burn him and other farmers in their beds, and alsa to destroy their pro perty. Lord Abinger sentenced him to be transported for life. COUNTY OF Bucxs.—lt is stated that Mr. Murray, who has embraced the Roman Catholic doitrines, will hold his seat for Buckinghamshire until September, when the Marquis of Chandos will attain his majority and offer himself a candidate for the representation of Buchingham shire in the room of Mr. Murray. MURDER OF LORD GRANTLEY'S GAMEKEEPER.— At the Kingston assizes, on Wednesday, James Elsley was indicted for the wilful murder of James Edwards, a game keeper of Lord Grantley. The jury found the prisoner guilty of manslaughter, and he was sentenced to trans portation for life. SOUTHAMPTON, March 23.—1 t is generally reported here, and I believe with accuracy, that the Oriental and Peninsular Company have just purchased the Great Western steam-ship, to ply between this port and Alex andria, thus showing that the company are not only not unmindful of their own interest, but anxious to afford the numerous passengers home and out to India the very best possible accommodation. THE FACTORY BlLL. — Memorials praying her Majesty to dismiss Sir James Graham from her councils, have been sent up from eighteen towns in Lancashire during the last few days ; three from Manchester and one from the following :—Preston, Blackburn, Burnley, Bury, Bol ton, Chorley, Chowbe n t, B e df or d, Hi n dl ey , Wigan, Warrington, Stockport, Hyde, Ashton, Oldham, Lees, and Waterhead Mill. PROTECTION OF AGRICULTURE.—The subscription to the Yorkshire Protection Society now amounts to £8055; the subscriptions to the Doncaster Local Society amount to £525 2s. 6d. ; the subscriptions to the League Fund from Doncaster and the neighbourhood is £5B Bs. ; a sufficient evidence of the feeling of the town and neigh bourhood on the question of the corn laws. —Doncaster Chronicle. TRAGIC AL OCCURRENCE.—OR Tuesday, Mr. Baker held an inquest at the New Globe Tavern, Mile-end-road, London, on the body of George Furley, aged 18 months, who was drowned by his mother, Mary Furley, in the attempt to commit a double suicide by drowning herself and child on Sunday night, in the Regent's canal, near the Mile.end-bridge. The jury returned a verdict of "wilful murder" against Mary Furley, who was com mitted to Newgate. THE MANCHESTER GAS WORKS.—The Manchester Gas Works are, no doubt, at the present time, the most extensive in the kingdom ; but large as they are, a very considerable addition is about being made to them by the construction of another gasometer, which will contain 200,000 cubic feet. Whe this is completed, which no doubt it will be during the coming autumn, the Manches ter Gas Works will contain gasholders for 1,300,000 cubic feet of gas ! AMPUTATION DURING MESMERIC SLEEP.—The Wol verhampton Chronicle records a case of amputation of the arm being performed on an inhabitant of that town, named Morrison, aged 45, while the patient was i n a mermer i c sleep. ur contemporary says, "In one minute Mr. Dunne performed the operation very neatly ; the cutting the flaps and the dividing the bone by the nippers was watched with breathless scrutiny by all present, but not a muscle quivered, nor did a sigh escape." WILFUL Loss OF A VESSEL.—On Friday last William Read, shipowner, of Ipswich, and William Simpson, com mander of the brig Colina, which was lost off the coast of holland, was finally examined, at the Mansion-house, on the charge of having conspired to sink that vessel for the purpose of defrauding the Marine Assurance Company. The case against them appears to be very strong. The witnesses were bound over to appear and give evidence at the next sessions of the Central Criminal Court, at which the prisoners are to take their trial. BRISTOL AND GLOUCESTER RAILWAY COMPANY.— The half-yearly meeting of the above company was held on Wednesday, at Bristol. The total receipts were £599,611 17s. 4d. Expenditure to June, 1843,£307,372 3s. 9d. ; ditto for the last half year, £115,855 6s. 9d. ; making a total of £423,227 10s. 6d., and leaving a balance in the hands of the bankers and in securities of £176,385 6s. 9d. A dividend of £2 10s. per cent. for the half year ending June, 1843, amounting to £1,125, was declared, leaving a balance available for a dividend for the half year ending 30th December, 1843, of £1,155 13s. 3d. DEPRECIATION OF MINING PROPERTY.-The Cwm Celyn and Blaina iron works, Monmouthshire, were on Wednesday last brought to the hammer by Messrs. Fair brother and Co., at Garraway's. The above valuable pro perty cost the company above £400,000; the biddings commenced at 40,000 guineas, and the property was, after some spirited bidding, ultimately knocked down at 50,000 guineas. The freehold land situate at Cwm Celyn, abounding with minerals, comprising 101 a. lr. 3p., with the coals and minerals under 14a. 2r. 9p.—£7,ooo.—Bath Journal. MOST MELANCHOLY ACCIDENT.—An inquest was held in the Town-hall, Preston, on Monday, on the body of a roan named Joseph Ainsworth, a steam-loom weaver, who had become a patient in the House of Recovery, and had on Saturday night week, while labouring under insanity, and during the temporary absence of an attendant, got up from his hed, and forced himself up the chimney, a fire being in the grate at the time, by which he got so shock ingly burnt, as to cause his death, in about three minutes after he had been extricated from the alarming situation in which he had placed himself. THE INFERNAL MACHINE AGAIN !—About half-past one o'clock, on Saturday morning, some murderous ras cal threw a tin case loaded with gunpowder, into the bed room window of Mr. George Gillott, file grinder, residing at 197, Granville-street, Sheffield. Mr. and Mrs. Gillott, with an infant, were at the time in bed ; but on jumping out, Mr. Gillott saw the fuse burning, and very wisely got his wife and child down stairs as quickly as possible. They had scarcely, however, crossed the lower room to wards the door, when the explosion 'took place—shaking down part of the ceiling of the bedroom, and breaking every pane in the window, with a part of the sash also. A COSTLY WlNDOW.—Messrs. Kendall, Milne, and Faulkner, the eminent haberdashers, at the Bazaar, Deansgate and Police-street, Manchester, have just had completed one of the most, if not the most, expensive and gorgeous windows in the kingdom, at all events out of London. The window is 42 feet in width by 12 feet in height, and contains, with the glass in the doors, &c., upwards of 650 superficial feet of plate glass, and is said to have cost between £5OO and £6OO. It is a decided treat, and of no common order, to view this splendid work of art. Mr. Frank Bellhouse has the merit, it is said, of the design. It is, though plain and substantial, still most gorgeous withal. ECONOMY AT COURT.—The royal establishment at Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace are undergoing a total revision and arrangement, to come into operation on and after the 30th inst. The rota of " the waits of the lords and ladies of the bedchambers, maids of honour, grooms, equerries, &c., is to be more strictly observed than has hitherto been the case, Both the state pages are placed on the retired list ; four or five of the other pages have been discharged, and the duty of the remain der rendered permanent, instead of having alternate months of close waiting. The number of the gentlemen porters has been reduced, and many of the male and fe male domestics of the royal household discharged. CONFERENCE OF OPERATIVE MINER'S ASSOCIATION. —A conference of about 100 delegates from the mining • districts of England, Scotland, and Ireland, has been sitting last week in the Mechanics' Hall, Trongate, Glas gow to petition Parliament against the bill in reference to masters and servants, and for the more effectual recovery of wages before justices. It appeared from some subse quent proceedings, that the delegates present represent 44,000 members of the Miner's Association, chiefly in England. The question of a general strike of colliers, was discussed on Tuesday. The votes of the delegates, as representing their respective constituencies, were given as under : For a str ik e Against it 28,042 For a partial strike Showing a clear majority of 3157 against any strike. On Wednesday the delegates had under consideration the propriety of a strike in Northumberland and Durham, and it was agreed that the miners in those districts should be allowed to drop work on the sth of April, when their The Times states that Lord Brougham is seeking the Lieutenancy of the County of Westmorland, and Sir James Graham, Bart., that of the County of Cumberland, both vacant by the decease of the late Earl of Lonsdale. The Journalist recommends that both offices should be conferred upon the present Earl of Lonsdale, as both the Noble ex-Chancellors and the Home Secretary have been rejec•ed by the parliamentary constituencies of the respec tive counties. "A GREAT FACT."—A Preston correspondent of the Morning Herald, alluding to the subscribers in that town to the League Fund, states that the relative respectability and influence of the firms may in some degree be esti mated by the horse-power used in the manufactories. The power used by the Leaguers (exclusive of Messrs. Horrocks, Miller, and Co., the firm of which are divided in opinion) is 160 horses; the power of the Anti-Leaguers (also exclusive of Messrs. Horrocks, Miser, and C 0.,) is 1306 horses. The above facts speak for themselves. A CUTTING DUT DESERVED IiEDUKE.—At the Lewes Assizes last week, on the special jury cause of Putland v. Troup being called on, one of the jurors, on his taking the book, to be s w orn, s a id he w i s hed to now, being, as a Roman catholic, deprived of his civil rights in other respects, whether be was eligible to serve the office of a juror. Mr. Baron tklderson looked up to the gentleman and said, " How can you be so foolish? I cannot think how a man can make such a goose of himself. Don't be such a goose." ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.—About four o'clock on Satur day afternoon, a young woman, dressed as a servant, was observed to mount the parapit at the middle recess of the Blackfriars Bridge, and would no doubt have precipitated herself into the river but for a gentleman who was pas sing seizing her by a portion of her gown. Being thus foiled in her rash attempt, she broke away from those who held her and ran with the fleetness of a deer down the steps of the bridge, closely followed however, by police constable 368, who succeeded in arresting her further progress within a few steps of the bottom. A desperate struggle however now took place between her and the constable, during which her clothes were much torn before she was properly secured. FATAL ACCIDENT AT MANCHESTER.—A calamitous accident occurred on Wednesday last at Manchester. The New Bailey bridge is now re-building, to effect which a temporary railway had to be thrown across the river, whose only supports were two beams on which the rails were laid, and on which also a moveable crane was made to traverse. Whilst five or six men were in the act of raising one of the wood centres for the principal ash, esti mated to weigh nine tons, one of the beams suddenly snapped asunder, by which the men, centre, crane, and beams, were precipitated into the river. One of the men was killed, three others very severely maimed, (legs and arms broken,) the rest of the men slightly wounded. It is marvellous that none of the men were drowned. The HOUSE OF SIR CHRISTOPHER WREN.--In Fri day-street, Cheapside, a short time ago stood the house which was in the occupation of Sir Christopher Wren, the eminent architect, during the erection of St. Paul's Cathedral, and which adjoined the church of St. Mat- thew, Friday-street. In the course of pulling down the building, which was sold a few weeks ago, and which is now nearly level with the ground, several silver and cop per coins were found in the joists of the flooring by some of the workmen. The silver coins were of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, some being in good preservation. The copper coins were of an earlier period. The foundation walls were of extraordinary thickness, a portion of which formed part of the Saracen's Head, which is also taken down. SERIOUS PRACTICAL JOKE.—On Wednesday five men, without invitation, took possession of the cabin of the Robert and Elizabeth, a small craft lying at the Marsh End, Preston, and with the utmost sang frond, seated themselvei around the fire, to await the abatement of a snow storm, then passing over. The sailors, not relish ing the company of the new comers, advised them to de part, but this request being unheeded, the Jacks coolly fastened down the scuttle, and threw a quantity of sul phur down the chimney pipe, blocking up the orifice with a wet sack. After a short time had elapsed, and Jack had enjoyed his joke sufficiently, the cabin was re-opened, and it was then found that the inmates (a lot of carters) were in a state of insensibility. One suffered a great loss of blood from the nose and ears ; and it was riot till after great exertions that all were properly restored. A SERMON TWICE PREACHED.—On Sunday even ing a somewhat novel scene took place in Islington Church. It having been announced that the Rev. Stephen Bridge, M.A., who for the last foal. years has been the evening lecturer, and whose talents have deservedly gained for him great popularity, would preach a " farewell ser mon," long before the time appointed for opening the doors of the sacred edifice, immense crowds had assem bled round the church in their anxiety ter gain admission. The church having been, during the performance of divine service and the delivery of a most eloquent and affection ate discourse, crowded to excess, it was announced to the preacher that the multitudes without the walls exceeded that within, when the rev. gentleman, in compliance with the often-repeated wish, although much exhausted, kindly consented to return to the pulpit, and there,. to a fresh congregation, delivered his sermon a second time. It was past ten o'clock before the service concluded. FATAL FIGHT.—On Wednesday last an inquest was held at the Town-hall, Derby, over the body of William Baker, aged 24. On the previous clay, deceased and ano ther individual named Lee, who is only 19 years of age, quarrelled about their respective right to a shilling which had been given to one of them, and they went into a field on the Uttoxeter road to fight, by way of settling the difference. When they got into the field they stripped, and a young man named George Hollis acted as-second for Baker, and another, named Gervase Fletcher, acted as Lee's friend. They fought four rounds, and then the deceased fell, having previously received several severe blows About the heart from John Lee. When he was down he exclaimed "Oh I dear." These were the only words he uttered. The jury returned a verdict of "man slaughter " against John Lee, Gervase Fletcher, and George Hollis; and Lee and Fletcher were committed for trial, under the coroner's warrant, at the present assizes. Hollis has absconded.—Derby Reporter. MAD DOGS.—DESTRUCTION OF CATTLE.—The neigh bourhood of Kirkwhelpington and Birtley, Northumber land, has at various times, within the last three months, been subjected to much alarm by the visits of dogs-in a rabid state. No fewer than seven of these animals have been killed—all strangers, and principally of the mixed breed between the terrier and bull or mastiff. The injury they have done is excessive. On their first appearance the inhabitants, with praiseworthy care, raised the hue and cry, and pursued them to the death. All dogs bitten were at once destroyed ; which, in itself, although impe ratively necessary, is a severe injury in a district where the services of that valuable animal cannot be di pensed with. Amongst the farm stock bitten, and which have died of hydrophobia, may he enumerated thirteen sheep and four head of cattle at Westharle ; a number of sheep at Sweethope, Birtley. and Cornsacre ; a horse at Gun nerton, and likewise a sow in that neighbourhood.— Gateshead Observer. THE COLLECTIVE' WISDOM.—Never was there a more extraordinary spectacle than the House of Commons pre sents at this moment as recards the factory bill. The genius of inextricable confusion pervades it. Na Whig knows where to look for a brother Whig—no Tory for a brother Tory. The opponents of the government sit on the treasury benches, and not a few of their supporters on ik , that bl k, inhospitable side of the house where "loaves and fi " are phenomena often heard of, but seldom m e t with. e effect produced on the spectator by this strange confounding of parties is the most startling and grotesque it is possible to conceive. He sees a member jest rise be hind Sir James Graham, and within a couple of inches of the Premier's coat skirts, for the express purpose of de nouncing the conduct of these two unhappy baronets; and 10, before he has time to recover his astoni-hment tir his open act of mutiny, he sees another member rise from the opposition side and defend the government with spite and earnestness beautifully inconsistent with his locality. —Sun. _ . . A GLOUCESTER JURYMAN.—At the Gloucestershire adjourned sessions last week, a girl named Adams was tried for stealing a pint of brandy, a bottle, and other arti cles, the property of her master, M:. Thomas, and was acquitted. After the verdict was given, the prosecutor began collecting his property together, and missed the bottle of brandy ; search was made for it round the table, when some one present said he saw one of the jurymen with it in his hand drinking the bra y. Mr. Carter, counsel for the prosecution, then state hat fact publicly to the ceairman, and applied to have it restored to the prosecution. The chairman said to the jury "Is that true, gentlemen ? I hope you are not guilty of such conduct as that ; " notwithstanding which, another of the jury in stantly put the bottle to his mouth, and swallowed the remainder of the brandy, nearly a quarter of a pint. The Chairman and Mr. Carter remonstrated, and said such conduct was extremely disgraceful, particularly sitting as he did in a public court of justice, and exercising the office of an English juryman.—Gloucester Chronicle. INVESTITURE OF MR. O'CONNELL WITH THE ORDER OF ST. JOSEPH AND MARY.—On Sunday evening Mr. O'Connell was " solemnly admitted into the guild ceremony of the holy order of St. Joseph and Mary. " T was performed by the Rev. Messrs. Vloore andn m er at y Virginia Chapel, Ratcliffe-highway, London. About - half-past three in the afternoon, Mr. O'Connell made his appearance, and was greeted with rapturous applause by some thousands of the lower orders of his fellow country men. Having dined with the priests and some other per sons connected with the chapel, at seven o'clock the usull service began. Vespers being ended, Father Moore ad dressed the members of the guild, and alluded to Mr. O'Connell as the most illustrious layman of the Roman Catholic Church. These, he said, were the words of the Pope. Mr. O'Connell was then habited iu a green silk cloak, lined with white silk and trimmed with ermine, having on its front a cross of solid gold. A cap of Guano velvet was placed on his head. Some other religious ex ercises were performed, and the congregation dispersed. NOVEL SYSTEM OF FRAUD•--SeVeral tradesmen, prin cipally woollen drapers residing at the west-end, have, i n a very novel and artful manner, been " victimised" to a considerable extent. It appears that some months ago a parcel, containing the halves of Bank of England and provincial notes to a large amount. was forwarded from Leicestershire to London, and that the said parcel was by some means or other stolen. Within the last two or three weeks no fewer than six drapers have received letters pur porting to come from Brighton and Dover, and in which they were requested to send immediately ten yards of superfine black cloth, at £1 per yard, in paymentr whieh two halves of stolen " f fives' were inclosed, with an mation that the other halves would, upon the The receipt of the goods, transmitted by the earliest post. c was sent, as per order, to the new ready-money customer, and, as the first halves were not perfected by the other promised remittance, inquiries were, of course, instituted, when it was discovered that the bird had floc , n frrm Brighton and Dover, at which places he had occupied apartments for a tew days, and then decamped. REBECCA RIOTERS.—A number of cases of Rebeccaism I were tried at the Carwarhen Assizes the week before last. The following were the results :—John Harris, David Thomas, David Williams, Job Evans, Isaac Charles, and John Lewis, who had been found guilty of the riot at the Carmarthen workhouse, were sentenced—John Harris to one year's imprisonme n t, w i t h h ar d l a b our , and the rest to eight months' imprisonment. Thomas Hughes, John Jones, and Benjamin Jones, for demolishing the Pontar- Benham toll-gate, were sentenced to one year's hard labour. David Lewis, Jonathan Jones, Howell Lewis, Jonathan Lewis, and David Davies, convicted of a riot at Talog, were sentenced to eight months' hard labour each. David Thomas, John Jones, Evan Davis, John Thomas, Thomas Thomas, John Thomas, and David Evans, for the bur glary at Pantyfen, were sentenced—David Thomas to transportation for 20 years, and the whole of the others to transportation for 10 years. After the passing of this sentence a most heart-rending scene took place in court. The families of the unhappy transports threw themselves into a perfect frenzy of grief. Sobs and cries were heard on all sides, and there was scarcely a dry eye in the court. EXPORT OF VALUABLE HORSES.—The season for the exportation of horses has set in in good earnest, the steam ship Queen of Scotland, having, on Saturday last, taken out for Hamburg a fine collection of twenty-three excel lent horses and mares, including one thorough-bred entire horse, one thorou g h-bred mare, ten mares, and geldings of superior quality. On Tuesday she was followed by the Leeds, which steamer took out a smaller number, but very valuable stud. They inclUded twelve steeple-chasers and race horses. Mr. Bonsell has also in his stables the celebrated Brocklesby steeple-chaser, Newcastle Tommy, a fine grey mare, lately rode by Mr. Owston, of Brigg; Rocket, and several other superior Lincolnshire hunters, purchased by Mr. Nevins, and destined for Vienna. Mr. Bamberger and Mr. Fanstenburg, both of Berlin, have been for some days in the neighbourhood, and the latter gentleman, we learn, ships this day froth the Paragon Inn stables an entire horse by Little John, and a prime string of twenty-one superior mares and geldings ; whilst Mr. Bamberger, we understand, is preparing for shipment, in the course of the week, about forty other horses, the greater part of which have already arrived in the town.— Hull Herald cif Thursday. DISGRACEFUL CONDUCT OF THE TURN-OUT COL LIERS.—On Monday, two of Messrs. Field, Cooper, and Co.'s men, John Oldfield and John Bateman, were com mitted by the sitting magistrates, Barnsley, to Wakefield House of Correction, for trial at Pontefract Sessions, for a most violent assault upon one of Messrs. Field and Co.'s men, on the night of Friday last. He was returning from his work, and was seizes by the two men named, and with the assistance of a number of women, who are a disgrace to their sex, he was stripped naked, pelted with stones, dirt, and anything that was near at hand, and was com pelled to walk home in a state of nudity, for a distance of half a mile, surrounded by a mob of upwards of 100 per sons; and when he got home they surrounded his house, and sung the Union Hymn, and threatened him in the most violent manner, adding they would make him as he could not work. There are huncreds f colliers in this neigh bourhood who are willing to work, but dare not for the unionists, and are thereby actually starving. This is said to be a Chartist movement, and it will be well for the au thorities to be on the look out. From what we can hear of the eight hours system which the colliers are about to turn-out for, many men will not be able to earn a liveli hood.—Doncaster Gazette. ACCIDENT FROM AN AVALANCHE.-012 Monday last, the 18th instant, as a party of shepherds were out on Longdale Fells—situate betwixt Orton and the Yorkshire mountains—they had to encounter most formidable drifts of snow, in order to rescue the sheep from their ley pri sons. Edward Wilson, yeoman, of Long Gills, was un der the necessity of walking on a very steep acclivity, when the snow suddenly began to move in an immense volume from under his feet, with such velocity that the young man was unable to keep his body in an upright po sition ; the rapid progress of the avalanche—for such it really was—making him excessively giddy. He managed, however, to sit as long as he could, till, having descended to a rocky precipice, where, about 50 years ago, a person of the name of James Atkinson was unfortunately killed under similar circumstances, he, the shepherd in question, was dreadfully injured by the concussion occasioned by the stoppage. He nevertheless had presence of mind enough to tie his handkerchief or neckcloth round his head; to which probably he owed his preservation, as although he bled considerably, he did not lose conscious ness, and, on the whole, was much lese injured than might have been anticipated under the circumstances, and in a place so dangerous. On reaching home, Mr. Noble, sur geon, of Orton, was promptly in attendance ; and we have much pleasure in stating that he is now in a fair way to recover.—Kendal Mercury. MELANCHOLY SUICIDE BY A YOUNG LADY.--"On' Friday an inquest was held, at the Globe, Moorgate, on Miss Martha Sale, aged V, living with her parents at No. 47, Finsbury-circus, her father being clerk to Mr. Ross, leather dresser, in Bermondsey. On Wednesday evening she was in an unusual flow of spirits, and passed the even ing at her sister's in Calthorp-place, Gray's lnn-road, where her manner was volatile and excited. On arriving at home in the evening, she amused her parents with a spirited detail of what had taken place at the small tea party at her sister's, and retired to rest still in high spirits. At seven o'clock the ensuing morning she was found dead, suspended by the neck from her bedroll by a handker chief, and this note to her sister left on the dressing table : —" My dearsister, I hardly know what I am doing, but I have finished the lace cap I have been at work at, and trimmed the handkerchief, which I' enclose. God bless you, my beloved sister. All I bevels for you. M. Sale, March 20." For the past six weeks it appeared she had been alternately depressed and exbilirated in her manner. Her depression was thought to proceed . from the fact that her mother was in bad health,. and that she herself was becoming thin and weak. Half-sb-down phials tbat bad contained laudernutOrwete found 'ln-her roosnolftiriWgittc doubt that her excitement was caused on recent occasions by her partaking of it. The surgeon considered that hang ing was the immediate cause of death, and the 'taking opium prior to it was the remote cause; the reasoning faculties would be ultimately depressed by partaking of the drug, so as to border on insanity. Verdict,—" Tem porary Insanity. ANONYMOUS- LETTER WRIT?NG.—A well-conducted female servant,. who had been dismissed from her servi tude in a highly respectable family in Hereford, for tell ing a falsehood by denying she had a " follower," drowned herself - in the Wye about nine days since, her body being picked up on Friday sen'night, about a mile from the house 6f a relation with whom she had found an asylum. There is too much reason to believe that this unhappy and ill-fated girl was the victim of the heartless calumnies of one of her own sex !' An anonymous-letter in a feminine hand, was addressed to the mistress of the deceased, cautioning the lady of the equivocal character and something worse of the maid-servant, and broadly hinting at acts of profligacy upon the part of the girl, which, if true, would have seriously affected her reputa tion. The contents of the letter were communicated to the accused and the rest of the household, and its pur port, as a consequence, was also soon known to some of the other servants residing in the neighbourhood. The deceased, in the innocence of her nature, detailed the slanderous imputations to hen lover, to whom she was going to be married, and for whose reception, upon the prospect of a happy union taking place, a house had been furnished. The infamous insinuation preyed so much on her sensitive and outraged feelings, that notwithstanding her betrothed scouted the charge with scorn, yet life be came intolerable to the poor girl, and the destruction of her own existence becarr e (in a moment when.relson was overpowered by despair) the only apparent means of es cape from the fangs of her secret persecutors.—Glouces ter Journal. _ _ A GHOST STORY.—OH Tuesday morning, a rumour prevail. din the town of Ramsey, Huntingdonshire, that a man and his wife of the name of Inger& n, had been visited the previous night by a ghost, in the shape of a woman dressed in white. Ingerson stands upwards of six feet, and is proportionately stout, and lives in p.trt of a house which communicates internately with the other part. He went to bed coyly the preceding night with his wife ; and about twelve o'clock they heard their bedroom door open -and shut, and, on lookic g up, werehorrtfied at beholding the object alluded to. Ingerson, with great awe and fear, muttered, " in the name of .he Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, what dost thou here x " To wh"ch he received no reply. but was seized by it, and near ly dragged out of bed ; thus showing that if not an able bodied, it was a powerful ghost, to move the body of In gerson against his will. The gho-t then slammed the door to, as if in anger. probably at not being able to make away to of her regions the inanimate Ingerson. At four o'clock, it repeated the vi-it, and paid the same attention to Inger soll, leavirlit in the like unceremonious manner. On the following night, to test this relation, a primitive preacher, named Poole, slept with Ingerson, when they were again visited ; but what further occurred neither Mr. Poole nor Ingerson deign to tell, and further resolve never to relate to mortal. This last inter% iew has been so fir satisfactory, that the ehost is never to appear again, either to Ingerson or his wife, or any otht r person ; Pot le having completely subdued" the wandering spirit, " and "hurried it to its confines." Such is the true version of ,this marvellotts tale, a great portion of the inhabitants entirely believing it, e shuddering with and thertwdrea attheaw courage, fu p a l ognd power sexperi e n c d by Ingerson, of Poole.—Cambridge paper. AFFECTING CAsa.—ln the London Insolvent Debtors' Court last week, Morris Humphreys was opposed by Mr. T. B. Hughes for Richard Wiliam's, a groom, residing in William -street, Lisson-grove. In this ciie a melancholy picture presented itself. The insolvent was a decrepid old man, and his hair, white with age, hung in clusters about his venerable face. He had been thrown into pri son by his son-in-law for a small debt incurred for the ne cessaries of I:fe, and there he remained a long time neglected and forgotten by all the world except his daugh ter (the wife of the creditor,) who clung to her helpless parent with filial tenderness, and found the means to enable him to apply to the laws of his country for that mercy which was denied him by his relative. His daugh ter's career was remarkable. She began life in the capa city of a servant in a family of respectability named East hope, and her virtues gained her the heart of her master s son, who married her ; but three days after the wedding her husband was cut off by an accident. The family with which she had thus become connected generously settled upon her an a nnu ity of £lOO per annum, upon which she immediately made a moiety of her allowance to her pa rents. Subsequently she married again ; but, a fter nine weeks, a se p arat i on too k p l ace . H er h us b an d (Williams) then sued he r f a th er f o r a d e bt o f a b ou t £5 or £6 for I oa d, by which means the old man's debt was augmented to£lo, and thi s was t h e tota l amoun t o f th e Habilitates in his schedule. The appearance of the old man and his fruilltul daughter, who was tffectionately tending him, Harris, on learning the facts, inquired ex cited a general feeling of St mpathv. The learned Com missioner the opppeg mg in the affirmative,whether creditor was pre-ent, and on being answered he had any Alt to be discharg l ed e shame in him ? The court directed the basal-tiontatbiz:trlh:v 'asked the man wheiber THE LIVERPOOL STANDARb. ANTI-LEAGUE MEETING.—On Thursday last, pur suant to announcement, a meeting of landowners, tenant farmers, and others, was held at Garstang, for the pin-- pose of establishing an Agricultural Protective Associa tion for North Lancashire. The place of meetinci was advertised to be at the Royal Oak Hotel ; but it was af terwards determined that it should be held in the large room of the Town-hall. Shortly before one o'clock, the party proceeded to this room, which is capable of accom modating from 300 to 400 persons, and which was crowded. At the west end of the room was a raised platform. for the chairman and the principal landowners and members of the committee. Amongst the company present were R. Townley Parker, Esq., Cuerden Hall; T. Bright Crosse, Esq., of Shaw Hill; J. Talbot Clifton, Esq., of Lytham Hall; Hugh Hamby, Esq., of Ribby Hall; D. Hornby, Esq., Raikes Hall; A. R. Ford, Esq., Ellel Hall; W. A. Cross, Esq., Red Scar; J. Nowell Farington, Esq., Worden Hall; T. F. Brockholes, Esq., Claughton Hall; W. Garnett, Esq., Quernmore Park; J. Taylor, Esq., Moreton Hall; J. Cunliffe, Esq., Myerscough House; T. Y. P. Michaelson, Esq.. Barrow Isle ; W. A. P. San ders, Eso., of Winnington Hall; George Jacson, Esq., Barton Lodge ; Thos. Walmsley, Esq.. Preston ; Pudsey Dawson, Esq., Hornby Castle ; Kingston Salisbury, Esq., Liverpool ; Edw. Pedder, Esq., Clifton Hall ; and other gentlemen. The body of the room was filled principally with tenant farmers. Upwards of £BOO was subscribed on the spot. WITCHCRAFT IN THE 19TH CENTURY.—A curious circumstance, showing that even at this time of day the superstitious belief in witchcraft among individual s i n the country is not yet altogether extinct, happened last week in the Town Muir. A small farmer there had a cow from which the mulch fell away, and believing it was caused by an " evil eye," sent for a person professing to have the power of discovering the agent of the mischief. When he was called, and Crummy's condition explained to him, he got a hen's egg, blew it, and filled the shell with milk, gave it to the owner of the cow, and told him to go round to all the neighbours with it, and that when on holding the end of it up he found the milk did not drop in the house where he did so, there was the destroyer of his cow. The simple man did as he was desired. From walking, the milk naturally became churned, and at a certain house would not drop. The result was, that the occupier, a woman, was pronounced to be the witch. A very serious conference was held by the owner of the cow and his friends, as to what then should be done. The projector of the witch's discovery was called. He told them the only thing now for them was to get a nail and scratch the brow of the sorceress, when the milk would again come to the cow. This was actually managed, but the cow was, of course, no better from the experiment.— Perth Courier. RACE WITH A STEAM ENGINE ! —On Friday, the Sth instant, the Meerza lbraheem, of the East India College, Haileybury, met with one of the most frightful accidents, and providential escapes, that it has ever been our fate to record. The Meerza was coming from Ware to Hertford, and on arriving opposite the Union Workhouse he deter mined to enter the town through the back street, and for that purpose he went down Mead-lane, and passed over the railway. The Meerza had proceeded about half the distance between the Mead-lane gate and the back en trance to the railway terminus, when the three o'clock train left the station. The Meerza's horse, a fine spirited animal, immediately became affrighted, wheeled round, and dashed back at a furious pace, literally racing with the train ; and on arriving at the gate he had just passed through, the affrighted animal cleared it at a bound, and alighted with its fore feet on the very edge of the line of railway, at the very instant that the train arrived at the gate. Fortunately, the horse did not obtain a secure foot ing; the soil of the edge and bank of the railway was loose, and the horse's feet slipping back, he rolled down the bank, and the train rolled by, within a few feet of the Meerza's head, as he lay under the frightened and strug gling horse, whose legs had become entangled in the fencing,—unable to disengage his feet from the stirrups. After the train had passed, the Meerza succeeded with difficulty in extricating himself from his unpleasant posi tion, as the horse continued to roll about with great vio lence ; but we are happy to state, that he sustained no greater Injury than a few bruises, from the effect of which he has nearly recovered.—Hertford Reformer. IMPORTANT TO INN sea EPER.s.--On.Tuesday, the 12th instant, a man of respectable appearance and address, who gave hisname as James Roberts (supposed to be fictitious) was brought before R. K. Rotherham, Esq., charged with obtaining from Mr. George Thomas Edwards, of the Castle Inn, the sum of £27 155., under the following circurnstancee:—lt appears the prisoner, who had been• staying at the above inn for two or three days. passing himself as at commercial gentleman, on Saturday evening walked into- the bar, and, with a familiar air,- said to the landlord, " Edwards, can you cash me a cheque, the post goes at ten o'clock, does it not ?" Mr. Edwards said he did not think he had so much change in the house, but he would seer and asked him who G. N. Davies (the drawer of the cheque) was. He replied, in an off-hand manner," turning the cheque over, oh, this makes you:safe (show ing the endorsement, B. Green) ; I have just received it from Mr. Green, of Warwick. Mr. Edwards then cashed the cheque for him, giving him five £5 notes, the rest in gold and silver. The prisoner then went, as Mrs-Edwards considered, from the bar to the commercial room, to write his letters and remit the money ; but some suspicion hav ing- occurred to Mr. Edwards, he sent his waiter to the commercial room to see if the prisoner was there, and found he was not s he sent immediately for the chief con stable, who succeeded in apprehending him in about half an hour after, going off by the- coach to London. He gave up the amount, £27 155., and asked to be let go. On presenting a cheque at the banking-house of Messrs. Strachan and Co. of the Strand, they denied all know-- ledge of the drawer or endorsee. The prisoner was fully. committed to gaol to take his- trial at the assizes, on the 28th instant. The priioner. who hawseveralaliases, • Cuthbert. Rodgers, Roberta,. &e.. is about five feet four inches high, very stout, and broad' shoulders, about 45 years-of age, dark bushy whiskers, red face, and broad flat features, and is very fond of smoking cigars. It is supposed many other cases sill he brought against him, as a person of his description has lately victimised several commercial inns in different parts of the country, in a similar - manner attempted in this instance.—Nottinghant. Mereury. A. MANUFACTURER'S OPINION ON THE ABOLITION oe THE CORN LAWS.—On Friday week, a meeting of the landowners, farmers, and other inhabitants of the county of Aberdeen was held.at the Court-house, Aberdeen, to take steps for counteracting the mischevious doings of the Anti-corn-law League. ?Ir. Hadden, who is a great manufacturer made u speech of peculiar importance From what I have mad of the doctrines of the Anti-corn law League, I believe that if any one is to derive ad yenta ag n e s d , f r c o o m n s s eg f u re e e nt t l r y a , de th i a n t co l rn am , it tßoilblebethtahte happy manufacturer,person. (A laugh.) I looked at the matter in every way—and I do not shut my eyes to my own interest; but I cannot dis cover. how I am to be benefitted by a free trade in corn.. If we admit foreign corn free of duty, every one can see that the farming interest, and every one connected with it must suffer by competition. If you look at the poor soil, ungenial climate, and the amount of taxes borne by the farmer in this country, how can he think of competing with that man who has none of these disadvantages to con tend with ? We all know that the great bulk of foreign will come from Germany, and that a few days will bring it here, burdened with only a few trifling charges, when it will come in competition with the home groiNer. We manufacturers have the monopoly of clothing all the far mers and their dependents. Now, what I ask is this—if we lose our own home trade, by depriving our best cus tomers of the power of purchasing our manufactures through admitting foreign grain, are we to supply clothes to foreign farmers ? if a certain country supplies us with corn, I, as a manufacturer, have nothing to say against it, if I am to have- the advantage of - sending goods there. Germany is the principal country where corn comes from Now what chance is there of their reducing their tariff? What chance of Prussia reducing theirs to suit us ? Ihave visited Germany, and I know that manufactures and com merce are in a very flourishing state there. Instead of reducing their tariff to suit ours, they are yearly increasing it, and some goods are burdened with so heavy a duty that it may be said to amount to a total prohibition. I cannot, therefore,, see how we are to be benefitted by free trade which is alt on one side. If a certain customer is taken away from us, and no other provided in his place, how can we be benefited ? I say nothing upon the subject of real free trade. Ido not understand a free trade to be that we should open our ports to all the world, and that their ports should be shut against us." MYSTERIOUS PRIZE.—On Wednesday last, as a young man was enjoying the agreeable pastime of popping at small birds in some fields near Sedgley, an intended vic tim of his deadly sport perched itself on something, the exact nature of which was not very discernible, in one of the pits of water with which the fields in that neighbour-. hood abound. Our sportsman took his aim—but the feathered one, too cunning to remain in such dangerous company, wisely took wing and fled away. Disappointed for the moment, the wanderer resolved upon a scrutiniz ing examination of the extraordinary-looking affair from which the bird had just departed. It looked like the head of a barrel,, dimly seen through a kind of mist of long attached slime and weed. But what business had a barrel there ? Determined to solve the mysterious ap pearance, and a hedge being near, the hero of our adven ture judiciously armed himself with a tolerably lengthy hedge rail, and took many a cautious poke at the tanta lizing object before him. The weeds and aqueous incrus tations at length gave way, and a portion of a tolerably portlysort of kilderkin stood revealed to view. It was heavy, and literally stuck in the mud. To get it out unaided vv , ts impossible, and assistance was speedily gathered. A. stout rope and a hearty tug or two soon brEught the cu r osity to the shore. It was evidently well charged with something, but what could it be? It was broached, and forthwith from it poured a rich stream of ruddy mellow old pert—port such as might have warmed the heart of even old Bacchus himself. The cheerful news of this wonderful vintage soon spread around ; even from the most unseemly vessels was the precious liquor eagerly quaffed, and those " drank port who ne'er drank port before." Nor did the luck of the party end here, for one of them sagaciously enough conjectured, that as the sur face of the pit presented such good things, its inner depths might not be less satisfactorily stored, and forthwith an actve exploration of all its muddy recesses commenced, and the skill and enterprise of the party beheld their reward in the safe landing, amidst cheers and eager ex pectation,.of another rotund prize, of similar size and aspect to the one already secured. This, on tapping, turned out to be a cask of peppermint. As the news of finding these good things derelict became more extensively known, it was resolved that means should he taken to discover, if possible, unto whom these remarkable waifs legitimately belonged. The wine-cask was found to be marked " Prince and Co., Tamworth," and three " W's" were impressed on that containing the peppermint. A communication was forwarded to Tamworth ; but, strange enough, the firm knew nothing of the commodities, nor is asy trace of them to be found in the books, though referred to for years back.— Wulverhamplon Chronicle. CORRESPONDENCE. BIRKENHEAD IMPROVEMENTS. TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD. SlR,—The world is full of touchy, ill-natured people ; and there is only one animal in nature that never sleeps, and that is old Time. Confound the fellow, he gallops onward as if he was running a steeple-chase, and nobody who has a bill running, a bit of land bought on contract, or a time bargain to fulfil, can scotch the wheels of his chariot. I rather suspect, by the very waspish style of Mr. Zephaniah Smith's last letter, that he has been bitten by the mad dogs on our side of the river, and that he is fearful and paroxismatic at the very sight of water. Mr. Smith, in every line he has written, roalses it as clear as the nose on his face that he has had a finger in the Bir kenhead pie, and that he is mos desperately anxious that every thing should be kept snug and quiet, till he and other " sharp" fellows have wriggled out of their time bargains. What a happy fellow he will be when, as you said some time ago, he has converted his dirtS , acres into Commis sioners Bonds. Why, sir, Birkenhead Bonds will, ere long, figure away in the " Share List"— I Paid. f Last quotation. At £lOO. 1. £574 15s. 9id. Bankers from Siberia, Calmucs from Asia, Hottentot Bohers, Parisian Lafittes, Pennsylvanian Merchants, (honest gentlemen as the} are,) and all those small-eyed, sharp-nosed, curly-headed, and dark-complexioned gen tlemen known on the Stock Exchange as Bulls and Bears, will, ere long, rush in as purchasers, and London and Birminghams, Grand Junctions, and Great Westerns will be forgotten in the rush after Birkenhead Dock Shares — or, if you will, Birkenhead Bonds. Let Mr. Smith keep his temper. He and all the Cheshire people who hold land are on the high road to prosperity,and dame Fortune has taken her seat on a buoy in the middle of Wallasey Pool. Sir, a new area is about to dawn upon us, and although I think some of my neighbours are running rather fast, and are likely enough to get out of breath, yet I can as sure Mr. Smith that I can rejoice in the rich tints which glow in the horizon of Birkenhead ; and I see in the spirit of her Commissioners a proof that we are destined to be come a mighty nation, through the enterprise of those daring minds who—stick at nothing. England was once subdued by William the Conqueror ; but he was a Norman noodle compared with that greater William (we write it short here) who conquered your Liverpool Harold, and vanquished him in fair fight. I know that his (William's) troops can still, like their progenitors, draw a long bow ; and depend upon it, that Birkenhead will become another Hastings, and the dynasty of the Mersey will soon be changed. To be sure, being an old man, you may say that I am somewhat garrulous, and perhaps tell more than the Commissioners like, but they do act so honour ably that there is no occasion to be very nice. Talk cf your public improvements in Liverpool forsooth ! Why, sir, we have a gentleman at Birkenhead can write about public improvements in a most extraordinary manner, and who practises what hie preaches; and although he does wear drab, and sells most excellent gridirons, when Will or Joe shouts out " Go it,iye cripples", he can turn out essays on Birkenhead prosperity, compiled from newspa pers, that would astonish an ostrich. I will tell you a secret, Mr. Editor, but do not for the world let it be made public. Our Commissioners intend to get Wallasey Pool for nothing, or next to nothing ' • and if the Commissioners of Woods and Forest would have kept on their nightcaps, and gone to sleep, as they ought to have done ; and if Jesse Hartley hall been snugly de posited- under one of his own dock walls, I verily believe that we should have succeeded. But somehow or other the thing- got blown, and the little lady at Windsor has been most mischieviously advised not to part with the Pool, unless , a few hundred thousand pounds is paid for it ; and until Attwood establishes a branch bank at Bir kenhead, it will be ragther inconvenient to raise so much money. To be sure there are some beautiful- plans exhi bited, and whenthe ladies retire after dinner, (for I dine out a good deaU)." Prosperity. to Birkenhead," . is always drunk ; and many sly nods and winks, and jokes and leers, are passing, which- seem to say, that many people know more than they choose to reveal. You have heard, no Question, that we are to have amongst our public edifices, a large and magnificent Lunatic Asylum, the first stone of which is to be laid on the day when the Port Jackson Dock Bill receives the royal assent : and it is whispered that a valuable plot of land, recently purchased from , the Corporation, is to be appropriated for that necessary erection. There are several candidates in the field already for the governorship, and one of them lays claim to the situation from his well-known ability in administering. drastic purgatives, and the skill with which he has so co piously phlebotomised renumber of patients. His testi— monials are of the most unexceptionable description, and his: treatment is said to be quite 9angradoish, viz., plenty of blood letting and swallowing' an abundance of (cold) water. But we have had a wet blanket thrown over us is • a most mystifying manner by the postponement of our dock- bill. If it had gone on as it , ought to have done, it would," have made two lovers happy," and fleets of New Yorkers would have soon discharged theireargoes into the centre of Hamilton-square. But list! we are going to do as Hannibal did. We shall leave Carthage to be sacked, and march onwards to attack. Rome.• W e shall carry the war into the very centre of your Dock Committee-room, and we shall spit our spite by. arresting. tiLe progress of your bill Think of that, Master Brooke and we shall succeed too, unless our opposition-should be like Paddy's gun, which burst when it was- discharged, because, al though it was thick enough in the back, it was over thin in the belly-II But, Lord bless me ! how I- lose sight of my subject,- I intended to tell you all about our im provements ;. and, if Mr. Smith and I. could meet in a friendly way, I don't think we should disagree so much tor I am an old man, and - rather work'. wad-dread very fast high-trotting horses, for if they do-cut themselves, they generally come down " all of a heap ;" but he says, " Go on, you can't be in too great a hurry, so long as you-can put money in-your purse." Well, sir; we are to have, in addition to our Asylum, a new Infirmary for all our lame ducks, a charming Refuge for the Destitute, with a pretty look on Wallasey Pool, which view it is thought will be very cheering and consolatory to the inmates, as many of them will probably have their all in it. The Port Jack son Great Dock-is. to be a Naumachia for six-oared gigs ; and several American sea serpents are to be kept in it for the use of the " Young 'uns," who are to be taught to be as dexterous in the use of the harpoon as their fathers have been. Ample provision is to be made for instruction. The lads are particula ly to be taught how to conjugate such verbs as " to buy," and to decline "to sell," &c. Such fables as the hare and the tortoise are to be excluded from our public schools, and our grate literary man talks of publishing a new dictionary, possess ing all the modern phrases now in common use,—such as " go a-head," " Jelly building," and other elegant words omitted by Dr. Johnson ; and such obsolete words as " moderation," " preservation," " punctuality," and several other 'ations and 'alities, are to be excluded, be cause they are perfectly useless, and will only keher the young ideas who are to be taught how to shoot. Our slaughter-houses will soon be in a forward state;. they are not wanted just at present, because we have, as yet, only done a little in the -maiming and wii,ging line; but as the slaughtering will follow in due course, it is as well to be prepared. The calves have been bled to a small extent, but not sufficient, as yet, to make the veal white enough for our New Market ; but I suppose, by the time the building is finished, a good many of them will be ready for sale. The Monks' Ferry Bill is, lam told, going on Swimmingly, like everything-, does at this place. Old Wiggins, my neighbour, was in London on Friday, and herd "Will" give his evidence upon it; and he declares that . "Will" did the thing slick and slap up. That a sharp, cle ver fellow he is I Wiggins thinks he has been taking les sons from Sir Robert Peel.. because, when he said a good thing and made a hit, which he often did in the most mo dest, unassuming manner,, he looked round at his friends in the committee.room, as if he expected a cheer; and he would have got one too,. only Wiggins says that cheering is confined to the house at pi esent. Monks' Ferry must be had, and everybody knows that Birkenhead must fol low. Willoughby will.be much better off; when he is te nant to the commissioners, than being under your corpo— ration,; and I advise him to throw no impediments in the way. There is one thing which I don't like about the ferries, and that is boats running all night. It is teaching our young sprigs to keep bad hours, and will have an evil effect on the morality of this very moral suburb, where nothing flourishes without that strict honour and good moral conduct which has hitherto characterised all our dealings. At present we never get gbove three sheets in the wind; and 1 do hope that our commissioners will let the poor boatmen swing in their hammocks at 12 o'clock, or Brotherton will kick up a shindy if he hears that there is a new motion after midnight. A oright idea has just struck me, Mr. Editor, and it is this. A great bobbery has been kicked up about our dock bill, and terrible in deed has been the splashing and plunging since the " thunder-bolt," as the Mercury called it, fell in Liver pool. Now my opinion is this. The land is not to make the dock valuable, but the dock is to lay a hundredfold on the value of the land—indeed it has done that already. It has therefore struck me, that if nur commissioners would still continue the splashing, and talk big, and look daggers. and blow their trumpets louder than ever, and hurl defiance at the corporation and Liverpool dock peo ple, and then—just let the Birkenhead bill drop, as the monkey did the hot potatoe, that it would be a capital hit. Don't you take ? They could then keep up the ex citement. talk about " grievances," " justice to Birken head," "foul play on behalf of the corporation," and a thou sand ingenious devices might follow, so that everybody will see that they are a very ill-used set of men, and every body will join in saying, " We shall get a better bill next year ! Then land might be screwed up another pound or so a yard, and it is so cheap at present that it will really bear it. Why, sir, fortunes might be made in ano ther year ; and as to the interest accumulating—pshaw ! who thinks anything about interest here ? Besides—but it is of no use speculating (except in land). if I was a commissioner I would suggest such a thing, but I am now rather old for running in harness with such vigorous the last article on joint-stock and bigh-mettled cattle. I have a few things more to boson o f housekeeper gru e has n just sa y brought r t o h u a g t h haveme my b e writtend - cl s bo a ar n y inng , dgl e b e mn u ao t enu to-day. " Put down the gruel, Betty,' and companies. There; you may now go to bed." Yours, Obediently, EBENEZER JONES. d t gm h hay e Times, with Birkenhead, Lady-day. CAVTION.—The Liverpool police have received infor mation that ten experienced London thie ves arr i ve d i n this town on Thursdaylast, for the pu r p ose o f pract i s i ng th e ir art in the omnibuses connected with Liver, 001. Ladies who travel in omnibuses cannot be too careful of the contents of their pockets or reticules whenever they find strangers in the same vehicle with them, although their appearance may be ever so genteel. April 2, 1544. TOWN COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS. s taito O tnh n et h T Teo u Tuesday, Fire-Prevention I s f,o p e r e n c tt special meeting p m Au e r e mp t o i e n sn g edom o f f eti t ai l tk i Counciltaking tll, ,sis:bcrehef before Parliament. The Mayor presided. The Town-Clerk opened the business of the day by et. plaining the nature of the proposed amendments. ile commenced with the third clause, which defined mote clearly the dangerous trades. The object of the fourth and fifth clauses was to enable parties to give certain notices, either landlords or tenants, and according to those clauses it would be for the landlord to determine whether he would conform to the act of last session, and, if be ltd, he would be entitled to 73 per cent. rent on the cost of his alterations. Clause 6 did away with the restriction! as to building new warehouses and provided that 00 1 warehouses should be built in streets, squares, or court! of prescribed, but diminished, limits. Clause 7 provided that nothing in the lastly recited enactment should extend to warehouses hereafter to be built on sites of any buil d ' ings whatsoever (though not warehouses\ existing at the time of the passing of the said recited act. In explaue', tion of the clause, the Town-Clerk said that in case of the erection of warehouses on the sites of old buildings thole warehouses must be subject to extraordinary protection: Mr. ISAAC HOLMES moved as an amendment that 1 11 all cases where warehouses were erected in streets lege, than thirty feet wide such warehouses should be recess ed so as to leave thirty-six feet from the opposite build ings. The amendment was lost. Mr. STEWART moved, as another amendment, that a street be less than 36 feet wide, then, for every foot lee . in width than 36 feet, the height.of 65 feet, allowed for warehouse by the schedule, shall be reduced 3 feet. This amendment was agreed to. Clause S provided that the lowest floor and part ,0 1 other floors of a fire proof warehouse might be PO' with wood. Clause 9 and 10 were framed to alloif hazardous goods to be warehoused in cellars, whit though not arched as is a fire-proof warehouse, shout have a ceiling lined with sheet-iron. Clause I] allow ol dangerous trades, such as the bottling of wine and spirit!' be carried on in certain buildings. Clause 12 env Niwered the committee, for a period of twelve montile,l to allow the licensing of sal , petre and nitrate of soda F warehouses to be approved by them. ('hose 14 was to the effect that no warehouses should be rated to the ware' house fire-police rate, unless such warehouses should be watched. Mr. PARAZR characterised this as a perfectly U 1331. countable clause. Mr. AIKIN thought it would be well to strike oat the clause altogether, if that could be done without injurl to the bill. It was extremely impolitic for the inhabitsew of Liverpol, who were depending for their well-being 0$ the good management and encouragement of property, tt_f, go and charge an extra rare for doing that which it we' the bounden duty of the Watch Committee to do' (Hear, hear.) The clause would lead to many disputed and, after all, if they got the twopence, it would 0 121 ,1 anirunt to some £l5OO. he again hoped, that if, wit!: out affecting the bill, they could get rid of the extra rat' altogether, they would see the propriety of doing so. The TOWN-CLERK said they were going as far as thP . , could venture to go to obtain every object mentioned DI Mr. Aikin. The advantage of the clause would be t° give a summary mode of collecting the rate, if there, should be a geberal application for extra watching whleti would, in their judgment, require such rate. On the other hand, if the committee were only called upon bi one or two individual warehouse" keepers, they had tbit power completely in their own judgment to refuse to maW any such rate, and to refer the parties to certain pre'll • sions in the act. Mr. TURNER asked whether it would jeopardise the bill to strike out the clause altogether. The TOWN-CLERK said he had gone as far as he coeli possibly go with propriety. As the clause now stook the Watch Committee could not lay a warehouse fire' police rate but upon the application of parties to. diet& and they could only lay the rate upon those whomadetb e application ; and if the parties applying should be so as to induce the committee not to lay a rate upon thet request, or if, upon any other grounds, they m i g ht , pupil' it unnecessary, they might refuse. He fully agreed vnt b Mr. Aikin, that the town was bound to protect watt '. house property to the fullest extent, and that the policy were also bound to guard, especially against inoendiarial! He suggested that any further consideration of the sob' ject should be left to the committee. - Upon this understandin the clause was adpted. The several clauses havin g g been gone throu o gh, the bine as now altered, was adopted on the motion of Mr` Nicol. Mr. LACE called attention to section 21 of the preset! r act, and asked whether trustees, for minors, had a powe'. o according to its provisions, to lay ou t th e i r own true 6 money ; and secondly, whether they had the power to 1 8 1 out any money at all ? It was understood that this important question won% receive consideration, and' the Council adjourned al twenty minutes to one o'clock.- Mr. J. Birbeck Nevins has just been appointed Pl' fexor of chemistry and natural philosophy, in the COl' legiate Institution. In consequence of thiappointmet he has resigned the office of examining tutor of GUY Hospital, London. which he has lately held. LANCASHIRE ROMAN CATHOLIC Bisuov.—The eX" tensive house and ground called Eton House, situate en the Woolton road, have been purchased for the residence of Dr. Brown, the Roman Catholic Bishop of this cl . ,'!; trict. The house was at one period the residence of r "„f late Dr. Crompton, where he resided for a numb er " . . years previously to his decease. At the B~kenhead th p e ol p ic r e o -c pe o r u t r; 0 , f on a g S e a n tu ti r r da o, y, stylishly dressed man, named Jelin Jones, was 1:;s1 with st Sth of Garbutt,- from Threncli!as tbe , v i nt January last. Mr. Garbutt state vla'" A . , -- ; through the streets of Birkenhead on the previoas d a ps when he observed the prisoner 'wearing the coat thst," 6 (Mr. G.) had lost. The prisoner made a very tame ? t d . fence, and was committed to Knutsford to take his r i 5 When searched, it was found that he had no stocking,. on.—On. Monday, two joiners were charged with Ors"; some timber, the property of their employer, J. 13 . ° e 4 Esq. The case was proved, and they were committ ed Knutsford for trial. St SUICIDE.—On Wednesday last, William Miller, S . acted in. the capacity of boots at the Imperial Hotel, John's-lane, put an end to his,existence by taking Wit"' acid. The deceased went to a house in Lime-streew when they asked him to take a cup of tea, which he sc ; cepted, after which he went out to the yard, and the ° to the privy. One of the pat ti es present, having ta ste some of the tea which he had, left in the cup, and fir."` neg "„1 that it was sour, suspected that- some thi ng h a d been P, t into it, and followed the deceased. Some warm on was given to him, but he refused to take 4 t, and splay H t it about, and in the course of a f ew m i nutes h e di e d. t. '", o had bought the poison a short. time previously at a. in Lime-street. No motive could be assigned for theen"'" mission of the act. Verdict accordingly. A Goon TRICK.—About eleven o'clock on Tber 4 g night, four men called the attention of the policeman „;.. duty to an unoccupied house i n St r i c kl an d--t ree t,•": o - d ton, telling him that the window was unfastened , e s. that in all probability thieves had been effecting. 10 4 0 trance into the premises. The policeman desired tbeVG be good enough to keep " watch and ward" out,ider ° he went in to ascertain the- fact. They did so. HO the cordingly proceeded in, found all correct, sec_iure7loo„., window, and was about to.make his exit by the s_' - "Litiffs, when the four fellows rushed in, said they were - the / (which turned out to be strictly true), a nd that wanted to take possession. of the house. The policemsn. wsowuffit were uhtgoludasaßpbbs susp ect, atd• i • s :ue m aw7ge a e:l : Ysim l l : a e ow d snl i f n itt' heopie t nir h a l ii .r o b: r jrm e e n 'ihets c ee o wyis :t wu r ttl e it's , ekhhie C aprd e l vgo r el t ti a i prach eoa n, aalstrscaei to b ts en tinbeh i b;lit rather than their own sconces. o — ffi O ce n . W ah e d dn s e t s a d te a a v t l h a a s t t, h s e n wa lr s is_ ll ; d that aft er h e had aid his Ol a f e two men, appare ntly far 's emigrantms aag ß ne A e T hn RATHER e g rwt n eoad D sAt DOUBTFUL.—On accostedit:c L ea b y who, having assertained his purpose. told him they cr e ,.. going to the same place, and they would engage him 71,1 farm -servant. Elated with this intelligence, h e reino assented to their proposal to take a walk ; and at 0 , 0 0 three o'clock in the afternoon, when they had reache d . unfrequented part of the town, at the re= of some yl:i t y houses, they all three made a sudden halt, and entered f ir to an animated conversation, which speedily becato, e t bl ther personal. " Give us some proo f , " said one o' ed "farmers' that you have paid your passage, and tha t ,l are ready and willing to e n t er on th e l ucrative post wh!Fl e .' are willing to place at your di s po sa l a t th e o ther • 11 '41 "Oh !" said the Irishman, in reply, "I have no diffi et ti on that head, for here (taking out £l3 in gold) is a yr good proof that I am not without money. "The 10 40 was no sooner exhibited than one him e fellows pres . e_ l :lo had in his possession. The circumstance was cord 00 cated to the commis,.ioner of police, who, we suspec t ' peg a pistol at his breast, and robbed of every shiltd*,i. not at all disposed to believe the statement ,—,imilar otr to which are frequently made by persons in 'he fid,r l .Dltt condition of life for the purp ose o f exciting a pro fsi"- sort of commiseration. moo CHARGE OF EMBEZZLEMEN T. —A t the police-w-terrti on Friday, a highly-re,peotable looki ng person, od John Swainson Royle, was placed before Mr. RushO a tita i a chili ge of embezzling various sums of money t° ,l amount of between £l2OO and £l4OO, the proF er 'l 4 o` Messrs. Jackson, Woolfall, and Percival, bottle ,i! i r et ° facturers, of Man c h es t er . M r. Patchett appeared %re° prosecution, and Mr. James defended the accused• re . ; cases were adduced aga i nst Royle, wherein he...nlisf, ceived monies bel ong i ng to M essrs. Jackson, f r and Percival, fro m par t es who owed them accou o ' - '1 o 1 . 1 0 which he had h ot g i ven them credit in the boo ks' ei-IA first was a sum o f £262 16 s. ld., pa i d to the prisooo, 1839, by Messrs. osens, Johnson, and Co. ; the was £ll ss. 6d., from a Mr. Kearns in 1836; ° r • l orod third a sum of £59, paid by a Mr. Hickson. M r ' i t' fall produced the books and proved that no er' .o ll',:; given to the parties for the sums received by the P! co e who absconded to 4merica in 1839. At that ti he pi to various sums received by the prisoner, for whic h ,eri b t o not accounted, were entered to his debt in the le's°, s o 4o he positively swore that no compromise had been, l lo9%' o , the prisoner, that he should not be prosecute e ti f l o tid:4 the pound were paid on the amount of his d ( T ow s, Two respectable witnesses were called by Mr. J'o o o "o they swore that an offer to forego any proseey of t w o been made by the prosecutors, on the paymen t he he pot of £6OO, or 10s. in the pound on the sums wh i 'fi r ub not accounted for. Mr. Jackson, one of the _ stig et! 4s , being present. the case, a'ter a lengthened id" • was adjourned.—On Saturday Mr. Quickso.u_ be cl O3 O mined ; after which the prisoner was ordered 11 _ 1 e'„ d a mitted for trial at the Sessions, but was at the le t in formed, that he might be liberated on finding "I" sat' in 4500 aotk two sureties in £250 each, I