The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-10-23 00:00:00

SUPPLEMENT TO THE LIVERPOOL STAN 150 yet, Master James, though you look so shocked, it was his honest business so to do, and a far less hateful way of getting on in the world than is practised in high places daily ; still, when he had found what he wanted, and, laden with as many bags as he could carry, was returning to the main-deck another way, it seemed to him the worst job he had ever been set to do---and, lo ! at the foot of the companion-ladder, he met the man he knew so well, and parted within wrath so lately, with one hand on the round, as if in the act of flight. The look upon the drowned man's face seemed to reproach him for his latest wish, so that he dared not put him aside and pass by, but he turned back and went upon deck by the road he came ; nor ever after that dreadful sight could brother Bill be brought to venture down into the sunk West Indiaman.---Ilousehold Words. CONDITION OF ENGLAND AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CENTURY.—The first census was taken in 1801. As the first, it was not so well managed as it might have been ; but it so far affords guidance as that we may venture to say that the population of England; Wales, and Scotland, including the soldiers and sailors serving abroad, was about eleven millions. The pro portion of this population employed in agriculture, in comparison with that employed in manufacture and commerce, was much greater than it is now. Since 1795 there had been a series of deficient harvests ; and that of 1800 was so bad that the price of wheat rose to 115 s. 1 ld. per quarter. To the middle classes em ployed in manufacture and commerce this was a cruel aggravation of their hardships, while taxation was becoming inordinately oppressive. The misery was felt also by the poorest classes, as was shown by the swelling of the poor-rate to the then enormous sum of nearly four millions per annum, for the poor of England and Wales, a sum truly enormous in the eye of all times, for the relief of pauperism in a population of 9,000,000, which was about that of England and Wales. But the landowners were in a highly flourishing condition. With wheat at 115 s. 11d. per quarter, they had no great reason to care for the deficiency in the harvest, in this last season of the century, and they lived in a style which abundantly asserted their prosperity. While the tradesman or manufacturer came in from his daily business depressed and anxious, unable to extend his market, on account of the war or its consequences, pressed for poor-rate, threatened with an increased property-tax, worried by the Excise in his business, warned of bad debts in his trade, and with bakers' and butchers' bills growing more for midable from week to week, the farmer was cheerful, and his landlord growing grand. While the towns man was paying ls. 10d. for the quartern loaf, and 2s. per lb. for butter, and the children were told they Must eat their bread dry, and there was a dinner of shell fish or other substitute for meat once or twice a week, and hoUsewives were trying to make bread with pota toes, to save flour---the farmers kept open house, set up gigs, sent their children to expensive schools, and upheld Mr.-Pitt and the war, their king . and country. The landlords obtained encloSure bills in great and increasinc , number, and some of the more enTightened, looking beyond the present privilege of high prices, which so swelled their rents, began to attend to suggestions for improving the soil. It was in 1800 that we meet with the first trial of bone manure. The farmers laughed, and declared they would let well alone, and not spend their money and trouble on new devices which they did not need. But the philo sophers were at work---such a mau as Davy for one--- and the best order of landowners were willing to learn; and thus provision was made for future agricultural improvement, and some preparation for that scientific practice of agriculture which was sure to be ren dered necessary, sooner or later, by the increasing proportion of the more enlightened manufacturing to the less enlightened agricultural population of the country. It appears that, at the opening of the century, 10;000 acres of raw, newly-enclosed arable and pasture land would support 4,27 persons ; while, thirty-five years later, the same quantity of similar land would maintain 5,555 ; and the fifteen years that have elapsed since the latter date have witnessed a far more rapid advance of improvement. It is a fact worth remember ing, that the first decided step in this direction, the first recorded application of bone dust as an introduc tion to the use of artificial manures, was made in the first year of our century, while the prices of agricultural produce were such as were then called " unheard of." There was less expenditure fox amusement in those days. Travelling was seldom talked of by middle class people, except for purposes of business. Middle class families in the provincial towns and in the country lived on for five or ten years together without a thought of stirring. The number of that class out of London who had ever seen London was very small. Few who lived in the inland counties had ever seen the sea. Mountains and lakes were read and talked of almost as Rome and the Mediterranean. Little money was spent in travelling. Scarcely any was spent on books, music, or pictures. Children and young people had cheaper schooling, and less of it, and fewer masters than now. The business of living was done at home more than now, especially the needlework, to the serious in jury of female health. The routine of living, in orderly families, was so established that it did not vary 220 in amount for a series of years. To householders of this order, it was a bitter and exasperating thing to see millions upon millions voted for carrying on the war, and hundreds of thousands lavished in rewards to military and naval officers ; the tone of government, and of too large a proportion of parliament, being as if money was inexhaustible. From these middle-classes, taxed in property and income, taxed in bread and salt, taxed in the house over their heads and in the shoes on their feet, compelled to take their children from school, and to lower the destination of their sons, pro ceeded those deputations, and petitions, and demands, and outcries, in the closing days of the century, that the king would " dismiss his weak and wicked minis ters." Such sufferers did not mince matters in those days, nor choose their terms with over civility : and certainly, the records of the time give a strong and painful impression that the government regarded the people with little other view than as a taxable and soldier-yielding mass, troublesome at best, but a nui sance when it in any way moved or spoke. To states men, the state, as a unit, was all in all; and it is really difficult to find any evidence that the people were thought of at all, except in the relation of obedience. —Miss Martineau' s History of the Peace from 1800 to 1815. VARIETIES. NEW COLOUR.—What is an invisible blue P The dress of a policeman. A WORD too much spoils the best affairs : a moment of patience accommodates the worst. No praise is due to those who believe only what they see. KEEP the feet warm by moving about—the hands by labour—and the tongue by rest. IT is a curious paradox; that when a man lies he almost invariably stands to it. PRAISE and wine strengthen, provided they do not intoxicate. BENEVOLENCE is the only treasure that is increased by participation. THE world is a great book, of which they that stay at home read only one page.—Augustine. THERE is this paradox in pride ; it makes some men ridiculous, and prevents others from becoming so.—Colton. LOVERS conceal their faults from one another, and deceive themselves—friends confess their faults to one another, and pardon them mutually. . INSTRUCTION. —Wise men "are instructed by reason ; men of less understanding by experience ; the most ignorant by necessity. ODD.—The difference between a Christian and a cannibal is, that one enjoys himself and the other enjoys other people. A BUTCHER-BOY in New York says he has often heard of the fore quarters of the globe, but never heard any person say anything about the hind quarters. WHY is a dog with a broken leg like a boy cypher ing a sum in arithmetic ?—Because he puts down 3 and carries 1. THEY who have great power should be gentle in the exercisinc , of it. This would be an appropriate motto for . the chimney-pieces of all railway council rooms. No man is free from fear ; he is not who says he never feels it ; he fears to be thought a coward ; and, whether we tremble before a sword or a supposition, it is alike fear. SASI SLICK says, " I never heard of secondary formations without pleasure—that's a fact. The ladies, you know, are secondary formations, for they were formed artPr IARD. HORNE TooxE was the son of a poulterer alluded to when called upon by the proud Eton to describe himself—" I am," said Y'„ " the son of an eminent Turkey merchant. „ A SCIENTIFIC QUESTION SETTLED P" light P" asked a schoolmaster of the booblL:,, " A sovereign that isn't full we i g ht is lip' prompt reply. ETIQUETTE.—Be attentive to your neii dinner table ; pass her everything she she should unwittingly make an ill-' pass that also. RETRIBUTION.—SO sure as there is a above, is it written that those who wron; their neighbours shall, in the end, find t made a rueful bargain. LORD BROUGHAM once said he hoped t' when every poor man would be able to Iva' stand Bacon. Cobbett said it would be i the purpose if he could devise the means ' him to eat bacon. DISCONSOLATE.—A man being asked hour how his wife did, made this answer neighbour, this case is pitiful ; my wife will die, and I fear she will not, which consolate house. OF all worldly judgments there is one fails. No man was ever instrumental, ei or through neglect, to another's demoral he was not made to feel the recoil of his himself. THE total withholding of amusement powers by which religion is appreciated ---, ,exciteable temperament into the "wildness cism, and leaving those of colder constit torpid scepticism. GAME.—The late Lee Lewis, shooting, the proprietor attacked him violently person," said he, "to kill game on my mano r self, the other, lf a and shooty e o r u , d you o come her e " V you D p o . p c o propose game of me ?" CONDEMNED SERMON.—The late eminent statistical writer of Glasgow, was Ns of a criminal who, after attentively listeni] condemned sermon which preceded the turned to a companion, and remarked, in Dr. hearing,"A very good sermon, but rathe: " GENTLEMEN AND LADIES," said the`' es for Nash, the then master of the cereulet t l. all introducing a most lovely woman into To/ " this is Mrs. Hobson. I have often hear", a _ choice, but never had the pleasure to view etF , and you must coincide with me that it retie credit on his taste." A COMMON CASE.—" Doctor," said a p-- A rson a surgeon, "my daughter has had a terribl e morning ; she continued full half an IWO knowledge or understanding." " doctor, never mind that; many people 0 all their lives." A NEW DEGREE OF COMPARISON.—" here," said a Hibernian to his companion, upon the top of a store, at New York, " her, littlest horse ever saw." "Oh ! you fool , ' his companion, "if I had ye on the mountains namarra, I'd show you a horse as little as tv A GOOD REPLY.—The late Sir Francis, was dininc , at Holkham-hall, on an occasion Duke of Sussex' was present, and when the tion turned on the doctrines of the Ari Socinians. " Pray, Sir Francis, which Armenian of Socinian ?" said his Royal , " Oh !" was Chantrey's composed reply, • Derbyshire man." COOL.—A man who was notorious for his cation of evil in regard to himself, being on - a very high house, accidentally lost his footb e ' as he was slowly sliding down the long, smootli, ing roof, with no hope of stopping himself, Yo his foreboding in the following manner :-- my s-t-a-r-s alive ! what a jolly snouster of will have." A COMPANION that is cheerful, and free from ing and scurrilous discourse, is worth gold. to i such mirth as does not make friends ashamed upon one another next morning; nor men that, 0 well bear it to repent the money they spew' they be warmed with drink. And take thi s , rule—you may pick out such times and 001 panions, that you make yourselves merrier for To 123'1° la bit) ait de 3 llo. tr o id Wit: IV .4 . 1` 4 ri E P P-. el booby , e 4 ; light, e R 1110 1 ,i itP aeig de a recti, It „ n atw- vrOCl Of is a 'O l kr b 'Ong ` • , h ti tlia' L i , A,' ~e e to y a O ,as e V 01 .. e Ir; 4 r, ,sl,l e be ane 9 o ;an , r s , :ea V YI sw er . a 7 tY f , fe, 6 l 311 03 ' ; e 115 ti e ° ll .t. ota tiap, prod koraliz a h i s cell or ent d i e'dji ,ted-- -4 0 f 44,1 Iciness • ol li he Instant' , 111 Dting I t 7 • 11 1 Ma ll 0 me here to t ~ propose th e Dr. Clji, t ; Was WO' listening A the e i ;t p o r r e ii r: t orii k the b i l air c ,% . ,,a of • i , 71eW 1 ; it relic - sol °1; : , 1 ? 1 1 ' a per terrible `.;it' n how' ie Ll no," r e llio pie c°" _„• • jlete , 4 Here,, panoon , „ here 11 r a fool, A 7 atb ) r n a an n st a C t i I'l 1 7 CS 11.4 4' casiOn k n the c`,Artneni Lich are Royal 1 4 11 or hiL_4 no. on tb e L:, '.4le LOcToBER 23,