The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-12-26 00:00:00

TUE LIVERPOOL STANDARD. RA7 UAL TO CORRESPOND —ln our pap .d Mr. Rval stead of of Toe t several late- Zibervool &tan Dan, TUESDAY MORNING, DEC 26, 1813 The present is the last opportt. g our readers b 'e have, therefi duties, we have to w .4. SI E R CHRIS 'equired from the Colonial-office to eno !ontr , se" Che zniinpertant year in En wosperity to h commerce and wider bounds to It has brought with it few reverses to eve over, h some of its ere s, it is true, we ght wish that history had not to record. "Take ' back upon t for g or ill," hoc ', we can 100 faction, I in sincerity pray that its for emigrants 1 embart calculated to forward s will introduce to well, then, good old upon and record what you unworthy selves —for the pro s perity and extended influence and n of the Wh The Land and I Radical party, .e organ, of LIVERPOOI ravings of intense ignorance, h we I 'YEAR ration to be made, and the requisites to their validity and ,day last we erroneously proof •; and, as far as it can be made applicable, the t for Wednesday last, (to-morrow). Passengers' Act is to be the basis of their regula tions. In the colonies themselves, provision is to he made to ensure the labourer, after his arrival, the benefit of any contract made by him with the •la bourer who brings him, or of transferring him self to another employer should he find that he has v which we shall been imposed upon. the close of One circumstance contributed materially to our 'ties to per- hopes of the successful working of this measure, and, amongst the most viz., the circumstance, that th e p or t s i n I n di a f rom I 1, for each and all our which the Chinese labou rers ma y b e expecte d to are not infested, like Sierra Leone and ht he pardoned, perhvg, were we at some other places, with the emissaries of the Anti nbrace the opportunity of glare- slavery Society, to whose mischievous efforts is to le year whose close we are be mainly attributed the failure of emigration from our readers Africa. In the former ports the interests of both ly. It has been no employers and candidates for employment will be history. It has placed under the supervision of British laws, ad- who, unlike the professedly ultra humanity mongers of the latter localities, will certainly not interfere to check the progress of civilization which the succes ful carrying out of any scheme to cultivate our colo nial possessions, by means of free labour, is well Under the head of " Our Commercial Policy wards the United States," the Mercury of Friday contains some statements which, if we did not re member that " enormous lying" was a favourite Ire should say As it is, they display a confidence, on the part of the writer, in the credulity of his readers, which is perfectly rage the I Mr. Sands, it is alleged by Messrs. Evans and guilty of the offence of concealing Dock Committee - fraudulently as his op ponents would have us to infer—the fact that th Harrington Dock Committee would have been dis- Aikin, has be posed to take 355., or any price indeed, for a por tion (40,000 to 60,000 yards) of the estate, for the whole of which they subsequently agreed to take 31s. 6d. The facts of the whole case, we believe, stand as follow :—Mr. Sands, as chairman of the Dock Committee, was instructed to treat for about 60,000 yards of that estate, the whole of which, con sisting of 127,763 yards, had previously been offered by the directors at 335. per yard. He accordingly placed himself in communication with them ; and at an interview with their chairman, on the 17th of July, was informed authoritatively " that the price for 40,000 to 60,000 yards of the land and strand at the north end of the estate would be 425. per square yard." Mr. Sands, however, was only em powered to offer 31s. 6d.; and the usual negocia tion was, therefore, closed for a short time. Further approaches were subsequently made between the parties, in the course of which it appears to have been intimated to Mr. Sands that 355. would be taken for a portion of the estate. This, however, it was beyond the power of Mr. Sands to offer; and the result of the continued negotiation was the re port made to the Dock Committee by that gentleman that the whole estate could be bought for 21s. 6d., the committee's limit,) and a resolution that such purchase be concluded. The charge, as conveyed by the motion of Mr. Aikin, is, that the Dock Committee were never made aware that a portion of the estate of the Harrington Company could be purchased at 425. or 355; that they were urged, in fact, to the purchase of the whole by an impression, left upon their minds by Mr. Sands's communication, that they must take the whole or none. That gentleman, it is urged, ought, when making his report to the Council and recommending the purchase of the whole estate at 31s. 6d., to have stated any and every intermediate price named in the negociation and every other alternative which had presented itself, to enable him to avoid the larger purchase. And so, in effect, Mr. Sands did; and we ven ture to say that there are not half-a-dozen candid men in Liverpool who so far misunderstood him, as have the authors of this trumped up charge and the malicious insinuations which it is intended to convey. There is not one man in ten thousand so senseless as to believe that the Harrington Company would ever refuse to sell a porti on o f their estate, the price being sufficient. The whole tenor of Mr. Sands's communication to the Dock Committee—and the public can refer to it—was to the effect that the purchase of the whole was the most advantageous to the Dock estate and to the port of Liverpool —was, in fact, the only advantageous course. It was distinctly argued, at the time, by Mr. Sands, and that argu ment was commented upon by ourselves, that by the purchase of the whole estate, at the low price fixed upon, and its conversion to profitable ute, the 40,000 or 60,000 yards, first sought to be bought, would be obtained for almost nothing. Mr. Sands may or may not have formally con veyed to the Committee as a body the intermediate circumstances of the negociation in which, with their full confidence, he was engaged. We care nothing whether he did or not—whether " the records" of the committee contain this or that offer. Perhaps they may contain neither. Perhaps they may not even contain his authority to offer 31s. 6d. Messrs. Aikin and Evans can worm their way into this mysterious mare's nest and inform us what it contains. The public, however, we can assure them, care little what they may find. The public fully understood the whole transaction : recog nised the propriety and advantage of the conclusion arrived at, and care nothing whether the nego tiations which preceded it were conducted by proto cols, by resolutions and counter resolutions of the two bodies, like a kind of semi-political game of chess, or was managed by the chairman of the Dock Commitiee and the Harrington Company in the way in which men of business ordinarily con duct their affairs. And.what after all is the amount of criminality which can possibly lie hid in this very small affair. Has Nlr. Sands put any thing in his pocket from the transaction ? Is any man bold enough to stake his reputation upon the success of a charge of dishon esty against Mr. Sands ? We imagine not, nor can any one bring home to that gentleman a self inter ested motive for any step taken by him throughout the negotiation. 'What other charge then can pos sibly lie, unless it be that he acted too honestly for some parties—too much for the interests of the Dock Estate and too little to advance the pet crotchets of some gentlemen, amongst whom are his foremost accusers. The whole matter lies in a nutshell. Mr. Sands went, instructed to purchase of the worst portion of the Harrington estate. He was asked for it double and treble its worth. He found that he could pur chase the whole, including two docks already formed, at a large outlay of money, with the busi ness of several carrying establishments attached to them, at the price per yard which he was instructed to give for the comparatively unproductive part of the estate. He saw that by one course he left the Company in possession of the paying portion of their estate, r lieving them of its incubus, the un productive portion ; and more than all, he left them in possession of their act of parliament, which re lieved them from the payment of dues to the Dock Trustees. By the other he secured a valuable pro perty, at a reasonable price, and removed from the Dock Estate a competing Company. As an honest man he recommended the latter course, for which we - thank him, and his fellow-townsmen in future time will thank him still more, But he did not afford Mr. Aikin and Mr. Evans a peg on which to hang obstructions—there's the sore point ! He car ried the majority of the Dock Committee with him, and struck the iron whilst it was hot. He did not —so we are told—inform these gentlemen of the astounding fact that they could, have the worst part of the Harrington property for 355. a yard. We venture to assure them that they can have it yet ! If the Dock Committee choose to reverse their course, the Directors of tha Harrington Company will have no objections to embrace the opportunity of keeping the best themselves. The Committee, however, will not thus stultify themselves at the bidding of Messrs. Aikin and Evans ; and, if they will not do this, what becomes of the charge ? Why, it resolves itself into its true character, of a spiteful and trumpery effort to injure the well won reputation of a political opponent, It will be perceived, by an advertisement in our columns this day, that a meeting will be held, on Thursday next, in the Commercial Hall, at which Mr. Ferrand, M.P. and other distinguished advo cates of the cause of Conservatism and of humanity will be present, for the purpose of organising an effort, in this town and neighbourhood, for the libe ration from prison of Richard Oastler. We have given in another column a sketch of the past labours and present position of this persecuted patriot, to which we refer those of our readers who are not so familiar with them as hie immediate friends ; and ;vith this before them, and the fact that the Whig radical and League factions, here and in the mann- :acturing districts, are striving might and main to ,ifolong his imprisonment and divert from him public sympathy, by every description of misrepre ,;entation and falsehood, we are confident that :he people of Liverpool, ever faithful to the good cause, will be found doing their duty. ent year with added prospect f success—with added I How haw reproach against our de t hand. It has of ou .opes of useful- But w vatioD, n We have al ground of d—the year clipt us, in its ! It has docked us Instead of sing and in- ieve not, reac for the depri- rd and are proud to proclaim, that in our present shape we are able to confer er benefit upon the community for whom we and reap at the same time a more ample re- for ourselv Seriously, w• assure our readers, that the than ht to THE LIN D, has been in eve way an are happy to n has been incre ge which the pre- RPOOL STAN- ntageous one 1 beyond our warmest hopes, and is still increasing. Our adver- ing friends have become more numerous, and are Increaszny. session of a v nes s, w h ly to o By these aids we are put into pos- ler and extending sphere of useful- it shall be our study to occupy, credit- profitably to our fellow townsmen, 1 holy cause ave devc to advocate—the her Monarchy, and State," rties of her peon When we betray these—call us recreant ! With gratitude, therefore, we now take our leave of 1843. May the friends which it has brought us nd around their hearths and LI fast friends ay happiness and prosperity und. To each and all we address ourselves Christmas boar( n—and to our unfriend: if we have any—and our thanks, we lay before th, knd wish them at the same time A HAPPY NEW The arrival, in British Guiana, of the permission, granted by the home government for the emigration of Chinese labourers from our ports in Eastern West Indies, under contracts of service for five years, has excited in the minds of the plan ters of that suffering colony the most lively feelings of satisfaction, coming, as it has done, so seasonably von the gloom caused by the now-acknowledged failure of the attempt to procure any effectual supply of labour from Africa. By all parties an expecta tion appears to be confidently entertained that the best description of labourers can be had in larger numbers from China than from any other country; and any repugnance which might have been enter- !ndia to t tamed to the principle of emigration from Africa, or st the poi-. our Indian,posses- not here apply. The Chinese labourer s lar st erior in intellect and cult ivation to the an or the Coolie--more capable of estimating .aloe of a market for his labour, and, therefore, ing into a ju iicious contract The difficulty, too, which has been felt respecting the proportions of the sexes of the parties emigrating, is to a great extent got rid of by the fact that the habit already prevails a of leaving their country, un- ompanied by fern les, in search of employment he case, however, in favour of this measure of Colonial office is so ably argued in a despatch of ter. G. W. Hope, the and not resist quoting from it the folio s him Lord S it intel 1 and i on, combine to point t r having found their way er-secretary, that we can- remar. hich you par- s of embark the Coast of cal) causes at eem it neces- illingness to striouslhabits, the labour of .11 - 1 out as a valua- circumstance of ;earcb of employment, three weekstoSinga- lements, would t gnaran- king the nature of the proposals )n so much disputed in the case bility of t. Teets of ,r ability to endure licable to this class of emi g unaccompanied by women ; and this nain objection al heir b very serious obstacle to sanctioning a bounty upon their introduction into the British color " The sat which prevailed in in the case of Kroomen, namely, that their xre to leave their country in search of temporary me consideration, hewevc sbjection as yment, has alone induced him not to consider this operable, and I am therefore directed by film. to state that he will not refuse to grant to a limited extent the permission asked for to introduce them into India colonies according to the scheme a•lict it will be my duty to explain. Before doing so, however, I should observe, that in stating it I have assumed the Aerations to have been made in the laws of the different tolonies which will be necessary to allow it ,o come into operation ; and I may also remark that the state of the irr the crown colonies and legislative colonies respec tively, will render necessary a different mode of proceed /mg in the two cases. Lord Stanley might ha been disposed to hare made the same provision in the case of Chinese labourers as in that of natives of Africa, had he considered such provi alms to he necessary for their protection against fraud, yr even as not calculated to create objections and sus picions in their minds. But from the information he has been able to obtain, he is led to believe, first, that the Chinese, who may he found at the British settlements in The eastern seas are fully competent to stipulate for - would be most for their own advantage, and also 'Tom their peculiar habits they will not be induced irate at all except under such previous stipula s shall ensure them employment and remuneration rtain sc To guard, however, against any possible malprac- ices towards the labourers, either y eviously or quently to their arrival in our colonies, most stringent regulations are laid down for the working and the scheme. The assessment of the bounty to be paid for each colony is to he confided to the Land I Erni; ration Commissioner Licenses are to be extraordinary, Alter a rambling history, or pretended history, of the commercial and political relations between this country and the United States for the - last eighty years, our contemporary thus describes our policy during the past few years : At the crisis which is to decide whether America is hole weight of our influence and example on the side of protection. We exclude the staple produce of America by our corn laws, as if on pur pose to force them into excluding our manufactures. Our legislation appears to be directed to the sole object of limiting, as much as possible, the market for British commodities. Sir Robert Peel, in 1843, turns a deaf ear to the free-trade party, whether in England or in Ame rica, as Lord North did in 1776 to the overtures of Franklin. The result in the one case was most disas trous to the best interests of the British empire,—will it be less so in the other ? Certainly not, if Sir Robert Peel continues in power for three years longer." K e throw ti The " crisis" above referred to is, we presume, that readjustment of the tariff of the United States which took place at the time (in the session of Con- gress, 1841-2) when the decreasing duties payable under Mr. Clay's bill (the tariff of 1533) were about to reach their minimum point. Now what was the relative position of the two countries at that period ? By Mr. Clay's bill, the highest duty payable upon imported commodities was to remain at 20 per cent. ad valorem, after having graduated down to that point by a scale previously fixed upon. Great Bri tain herself had then commenced that reduction in her tariff, which has since been more fully carried out by the large measure of Sir Robert Peel's go vernment. We had admitted America to important privileges in her commerce with our own transatlan tic possessions, and had announced subsequent liberal measures towards her. And what was the tours pursued by her statesmen? reciprocate evinced ? The reverse was the case Was any disposition to America met our proposed concessions by a more stringent tariff, shutting out from her markets a large portion of our most important commodities. Nor was it at all apparent that she did this in any feeling of pique or retalirtion. The declared objects of her revised tariff were, protection—that odious principle in the eyes of liberalism !—protection to her own manufacturers, and the increasing of her revenue, which was diminishing year by year under the graduating duties of Mr. Clay's act, and, it was stated, must become unequal to provide for the wants of the government, if settled at the 20 per cent. maximum. Protection was the demand of the great mass of the American people; increased reve nue was the necessity which pressed upon American statesmen. There was never held out to us, during the discussion of this measure, nor has there ever been held out to us since, a well-grounded or autho ritative hope that any concession of otcs could lead to material concessions on their part. We never, therefore, wilfully " excluded our manufactures" from the American markets. We never acted as if so absurd an object was in our contemplation as that of " limiting the market for British commo- We are assured, however, by our contemporary, that the repeal of the Corn-laws would have the effect of inducing a more liberal policy on the part of the United States. Our reply to this is brief. Our past concessions have had no such operation; and until we have some better assurance, as to the effect to be produced by further concessions, than is to be found in the raving and random promises of such political sages as our Mercury, and his free trade coadjutors, we shall not be willing to proceed, or warranted in proceeding, further in the path of concession There does appear to be entertained, in Whig radical quarters, a singularly hostile animus against the Mayor for the time being of the Borough of Liverpool. The " box and case" affair has been settled by a committee. It has not been productive of the result which it was expected to bring about. It has not, legally or morally, criminated Mr. Sands ; and his opponents have, therefore, just taken up new ground for the display of their inve terate animosity. Mr. Sands has done something or other improper, in his negociation with the Har rington Dock Committee for the purchase of their estate. He has made too good a bargain, or too bad a bargain, for the Dock Committee. This new charge, such as it is, has been brought before us by the proceedings of the latter body on Thursday last, in which we find Mr. Alderman Evans, and his Whig-radical coadjutor, Mr. James Aikin, entering a complaint against Mr. Sands, to tha effect that he had—it is almost insinuated with a fraudulent motive—withheld something, con nected with the treaty for the purchase of the Har rington Dock estate, from the Dock Committee, of which he was lately chairman. Wherein consisted that fraudulent intent we are not informed, and are at a loss to conceive. Our Whig-radical contem poraries, however, leave no doubt upon the minds of the public—save the natural doubt as to their own honesty in representing the affair, and the purity of their motives—that something is to be brought to light which, in the words of one of them, (the Journal,) is likely to affect " not only his honour but his honesty, as a trustee to a public estate." Dark hints are sent abroad, from other quarters, that further " disclosures" are shortly to be made public ; and we are, therefore, notwithstanding the difficulty of disproving a charge which has never, as yet, been fairly and definitely made, fully justified in en- tering upon an enquiry as to the possible amount of culpability which is insinuated, and the nature of the grounds upon which it is attempted to be sustained. MR. OASTLER AND HIS PERSECUTORS. We are continually told by the whig.radical press that :re are elevating Mr. Oastler into the ra.)k of a martyr, when in reality he is only a prisoner for debt. To enable ,nr readers fully to understand the peculiar position of 41r. Oastler, and his strong claims upon Conservative sympathy, we shall submit to their perusal a brief sketch if the man and his career. The father of Mr. Oastler was for many years—nearly twenty, we believe —steward of the Yorkshire estate (at Fixby, near titulderstield) of Thomas Thornhill, Esq.. a gentleman po4se.ssed as well of considerable landed pro perty in the south of England. Upon his death, the charge was voluntarily conferred by Mr. Thornhill upon his son, the present Richard Oasticr, who at once entered upon its duties, and, as more convenient, by the permis sion of its owner, who.never vi-ited his estate there, took up his residence in Fixby Hall. The estate in question was one which required his almost indefatigable atten tion, containing, as it did, no less than NINE HUNDRED AND NINETY-NINE TENANTS, such as are to be found upon property in the manufacturing districts. For this attention, the salary offered was only £3OO a year ; and out of this Mr. Oastler dispensed the hospitality of the hall to parties who called upon him on business, and, in short, represented his landlord, Mr. Thornhill. That zentleman knew it—permitted it—and did not contribute towards it a farthing, in the course of the various settle ments of accounts which they had from year to year, from 1821 up to 1837. He expended money upon repairs of the ball, in which he liv and in various other ways expended his own money—and he had several legacies left him during this period, besides his earnings from valua tions, &c.—to benefit the estate, to relieve the poor, and to carry out his resolve that " the name of Thornhill should re 'gain sc 5 own district, and that Fixby Hall should be once more re cognized us the mansion of ' a fine old English gentle man.' " By this course, which was certainly not that of a selfish man of the worl.l, a debt was in time contracted. That debt, and the way in which the money was spent, were k-pt no secret from Mr. Thornhill. It was spent in performing the duties of the non-resident landlord ; and in the full confidence that, in return, that landlord would never harshly use his debtor, if such he were—that, in fact, that landlord would one day repay him for his own sacrifices. In 1831 it had reached the serious amount of £2,709 Ils. 41d. At their settlement in that year. Mr. Thornhill was more than usually kind to his steward, refused to accept his resignation, and added £2OO a year to his salary. In June, 1837, at the yearly balance, it was reduced to £1,741 13s. 3d., a thousand pounds having thus been cleared of in three years. But now came on the collision, whose result has placed Mr. Oastler in a prison. In all his efforts for the ame lioratio❑ of the factory system, Mr. Thornhill had fully approved of his conduct. Nay, so far had he gone as to furnish him with an introduction to the Duke of Wel lington, in order to lay before him the opinions which lie held, and the knowledge which he possessed, of the con dition of the manufacturing people. But, however well they might agree upon the factory question, they by no means agreed upon another matter—the new poor law. Mr. Thornhill was an aristocratic Whig —one of that class for whom the new poor law was especially devised —one of those who were smitten with the fear that the poor were about to swallow un the property of the land owners. Mr. Oastler, with hia characteristic charity, humanity, and true English feeling, and moreover with that warmth of advocacy for which he is celebrated, gave to that inhuman law his most strenuous opposition. Mr. Thornhill was the college friend of Frankland Lewis, one of the poor-law commissioners. It was the darling wish of " the trio " of Somerset House to introduce the law into the manufacturing districts, notwithstanding the admission that its provisions were totally unfit for the state of society in those districts. Letter after letter reached Mr. Oastler, addressed to him from pretended friends, warning him that, by his opposition to the new poor law, he was deeply offending his patron, and risking the loss of his situation. He perilled the alternative, rather than forfeit his own respect and the integrity of his principles; and that alternative arrived. He was sum marily discharged from his situation as steward, and di rected to make up his accounts forthwith. So far, then, he was A MARTYR to his political princi ples —a martyr on account of his love of his toiling and wretched fellow-beings. But loss of comparative comfort and affluence was not all which he was doomed to undergo. A placard, issued by some indiscreet admirers at the pe riod of his leaving Fixby Hall (when a procession was formed to accompany him), was seized hold of as con taining, in some reflections which it conveyed upon the c(4irse pursued by Mr. Thornhill, a pretext for the dis p!ay of that gentleman's animosity ; and proceedings were forthwith taken for the recovery of the whole balance doe en the face of the accounts. In addition to this, the most injurious aspersions were thrown out by Mr. Thornhill, in some letters addressed to the press of Yorkshire, affecting Mr. Oastler's character, the result of which was to drive the latter, in self-protection, to a legal defence. as the only Topping or Gifting the charges made against him. The venue of the action was removed from Yorkshire to London, placing the procuring of evidence beyond Mr. Oastler's reach, on account of the expense of removing his witnesses. The fixing of the day of trial was prolonged, over term after term, by which his little means were further exhausted; and at length the trial came on in the Guildhall, in London. The defendant was prepared to establish counter claims, for money ex pended for the benefit of the estate; but, his only object being the clearing of his char•acte.r from the imputation of wrong doing, on the withdrawal in court of all im putations of the kind, lie voluntarily submitted to a verdict, and threw himself unreservedly upon the justice of Mr. Thornhill, for which he received the marked thanks of the judge before whom the case was tried. Here he imagined the affair was to stop. The vindic tiveness of his employer, he thought, must now be sa tisfied. But no; such was not the case. It rested for a time, certainly, during which Mr. Oastler was giving the benefit of his local knowledge to the new steward ; and, this done, he was desired to prepare for an arrest. Previously to this, however, his attorney had been asked if he was likely to apply for his discharge to the insolvent court, in which case it would be useless to arrest Ms body; in re ply to which, an assurance was given that he was not likely to take such a course. That pledge has been !cot t; and hence his captivity from the date of his surrende to a sheriff's officer to the present moment. Is such a man, so treated, not doubly A MARTYR.? THE FUNDS, SATURDAY NIGHT.—The English stock market is well and firmly supported, although we have had very little business transacted. Consols maintain 96 to ; Bank Stock, 1821 to 1831; ExchNuer Bills, 58s. to 60s. premium ; Three per Cent. Reduced. 96i to ; Three-and-a-Half per Cent. Reduced. lOn ; Long An nuities, 12 11-16 ; and India Bonds, 76-. to 78s. premium. The foreign securities have been equally devoid of move ment, and Spanish continues flat from the non-appearance of the advertisement respecting the dividend. The Ac tives closed this afternoon at 20 to k, and the Three per Cents, 30 to i t. Other quotations are mueh as before. Portuguese left off 43} to 44 ; Peruvian, 22 to ; Mexi can, 311 to j; the Deferred, 9 1 1 to I ; Dutch Two-and a per Cents., 55i to i; the Five per Cents., 991 to 4 ; Danish, 851 to 861 ; Colombian, 11 to 1 ; Chillian, 99 to 100 ; Brazilian, 73 to 74 ; and Belgian, 103 to 104. CORPORATION REFORM--On Wednesday last, a Court of Common Council was held in London, for the purpose of proceeding with the adjourned debate upon the report of the committee on the election act of 11th George I. de livered in November last, for the introduction of a bill into parliament for amending that act. The court was crowded and much interest was excited.—The Lord Mayor stated, in reference to Mr. Alderman Brown's re marks at a former meeting, that Mr. Vv - ire had endea voured to get the matter postponed, but that as the court wished it to proceed there was no alternative. Mr. Brown's amendment at the meeting, but not entertained in consequence of informality, was then read. It was (in opposition to the report of the committee) to the effect that it was the duty of the court to protect the freemen in their franchise; not to admit non-freemen to participate in it without becoming free • and that it was expedi en t t o apply to parliament f or a reform of evils in the municipal institutions of the city, unless it should th'reafter appear that the corporation had power to effect such reform. This amendment was carried by 113 to 54. Several re marks were indulged in by one or two members against " reducing London to the pitiful condition of Liverpool, Bristol,.&c." CHRIST CHURCH NATIONAL SCHOOLS, CHRISTIAN STREET —On Thursday last, a public examination of the senior classes from the boys' and girls' schools, was held in the fine upper school-room. The children's answers showed a solid and extensive knowledge of the Scrip tures; and the ready simultaneous citation of facts on a variety of subjects was particularly striking. The exami nation included geography, grammar, a music lesson on Hullah's system, arithmetic, &c. The proficiency of many of the scholars on mental arithmetic was really sur prising —and the answering in general gave great satisfac tion to the auditors, and reflected the highest credit on Mr. and Mrs. Andrews, the excellent master and mistress of the respective schools. On Friday, there was a nu merous attendance at the infant school-room, when a whole regiment of " little people" went through the com plicated manoeuvres of " the weavers," " the cobblers," &c., to the high gratification of themselves and their audience. The more practical part of the examination showed clearly how much instruction may be conveyed under the infant school system by a kind and intelligent mistress like Miss Piddell. The infants (ot whom there were about 200) were dismissed for the holidays with a huge bun a piece ; but the rest of the scholars, to the number of 400, assembled at 4 p.m. in the school-room, tastefully decorated for the occasion, to partake of sylla bub, buns, apples and oranges, provided by the ladies of the committee and others, many of whom were in attend ance to distribute the good things. After a hymn had been sung, and an address delivered by the Rev. Fielding Ould, the piles of cake and fruit rapidly disappeared under the powerful machinery of 400 sets of sharp teeth rigo rously set to work upon them, and the children were soon ready to go below and ;enjoy themselves at various Christmas games. The ladies then sat down to a well furnished tea table, and Ilr o jes were given by the masters to some of the best sch o l a ,immediately after whi c h th e il whole party broke up at an early hour, highly zratifie4 with the proceedings of the evening. Dec. 26, 184' THE MARKETS.-C RISTM AS FAIR ----- 1 THE BISHOP OF ORIENSE AGAIN. ST. JOIIN'S.—This, our principal market, though The arrival of the West India Mail Steamer , neatly decorated on Saturday, was not quite so gay in ap- brings us later intelligence of the vagaries in Deo ei pearance as on some former Christmas anniversaries, in of the (late) Very Hey. Father in God, Dr. Clod) consequence of a request made to the Market Committee may be remembered that this very exemplary divi rje fl by the principal ten an t s th a t very l arge trees, w hi ch over- for the perpetration of some very gross offences f d, shadowed their st a lls, s h ou ld b e di spense d w i t h , an d a l so public decency and his ordination vows, (and en a representation from gentle m e n i n th e ne i g hb our h oo d his having domiciled himself in the interior of 11 that their shrubberies had, on previous occasions, , been nery,) been summoned to Rome, and there depose d ` much despoiled. With respect t o the l a tt er , th oug h t h e i r his spiritual o ffi ce. He had subsequently, on the wishes were attend e d t o , we appre h en d t h ey d er i ve d b ut a necessary visit to London, quitted the Papal donio,l little protection from the restriction; for we do not remem- and (notwithstanding an express injunction to the n ber to have seen sn im m e nse a quant i ty o f green b oughs, trary) returned to Demerara, where, immediately 1) ; and indeed, whole trees of laurel, holly, &c., brought arrival, he signalised himself by a brutal as sault , o into the town for private use as " ki ss i ng b us h es, " an d witted upon the person of a British subject vvith i the probability is that many a pleasure-ground that was walls of a Roman Catholic chapel. at all accessible by night or day fo r th e l as t wee k h as b een In due course another priest —a Mr. J. T. Hey re stripped of its honours. The " mi s tlet oe b oug h" was nominated by the holy see to supersede his revel (which, until of l a t e ye ars , was comparat i ve l y li tt l e known Dr. Clancy ; and the latter functionary was required, or appreciated in this town, was also more than usually til the arrival of his successor, to surrender his Irobl u abundant, and real as well as artifi c i a l fl owers were " as and some twenty-five thousand dollars into the 11 thick as blackberries"—for such i s th e unwon t e d m ild ness of two Roman Catholic pastors nominated for the f of the season, that in sheltered spots Flora has already pose. Such resignation, however, formed no par t 4 scattered her wreaths in field a n d garden, and, as it were, d octor ' s p l ans. When these gentlemen, in the an) crowned the country with a winter garland. St. J o h n ' s , ofrwo colonists, waited upon Dr. Clancy, to deliver t however, if not profusely, was at least chastely decorated letters and credentials, be met them with a—bludg e° o 0 with sprigs of holly, laurestina, mistletoe, (loaded with his episcopal fist,—in coarse terms ordered then' berries arid mostly imported from the smith 1 and white •1.- L.. Laac uuut 111 tnerr reverenu and red roses were blended amongst the dark green foliage the plea that no orders on the subject have arriyea „0 in a friendly proxi m ity by no means ana l agous to t h e i r the foreign office, he sticks fast to the money respective position in feudal times. Th e s h ow o f b u t c h er v i car i ate ; and laughs at the power of Rome todePerci meat was quite e q ual to th a t o f any f ormer year. A t Mr. by her unaided mand a t e . I n the meantime, he Hinton's shop there were the tempting " remains" of two i all the functions of the holy office, has just been nair very fine heifers, fed in Sh ro p s hi re , an d t w o highland two nuns to the veil, and continues to scandalize tbvieli Scots, fed by Sir James Graham. Mr. Prescott had also man Catholic community of Demerara by residing b 1 a fine fat cow, whi c h won th e pr i ze a t one o f t h e l ate agr i - the walls of the nunnery,the abbess of which, thaegoi cultural meetings. At Mr. Tomlinson's the show would posed as well as himself, manifests no inclination 1° have made an alderman's mouth water. He had a splen- the mandate of the holy office. did heifer, fed by Mr. Powell, near Present. Mr. Dent's supply was also prime and abundant. Mr. Clough's and Mr. Gibbon's was also particularly fine. A Shropshire fed bullock at Mr. Clough's, thou'lh not the largest, was in quality very super , or . It weighed 16 score to the IMPORTANT DOCUMENT, quarter. The cow that took the prize at the late Liver pool agricultural show was also much admired. It was purchased by Mr. Clough from Mr. Lucas, and weighed 54 score 6 lb. The largest weighed 18 score to the quarter. The show of pork was excellent. We saw one pig that weighed 43 stone 1 lb.—a well bred animal that attracted INTERESTING TO THE WINE AND SPIRIT TRA T:4 O %j We have much s a ti s f ac ti on i n i nsert i ng t h e follo w official document, as con f err i ng on the whole of th e 01 ports important benefits and facilities. An order ha s , been received from the Honourable Commissione r t i Customs in Lond on , un d er d ate 14th i nstant , d i re c t' the return of moneys paid for duty on the extra W on brandy since the 26th August. IS 43 ' " Treasury Chambers 19th Dec. „ ti " SlR,—The Lo r d s C omm i ss i oners of her AlNeoio treasury, having had u n d er cons id erat i on your petiticc behalf of the Wi ne an d S p i r i t A ssoc i ation, at Liver rcis referring to their Lordships' order of the 7th last, which sanctioned the grant of additional oflovi!it, on account of deficiencies in brandy warehoused at port, and statin g th a t i nconven i ence i s ex perien . ce N d t l consequence of the delay w hi c h ta k es p l ace in makilbi said allowances, I am commandA to state to W h et? by their Lordships' order above referred to, tbe . ; ,§l allowances thereby gran t e d on account of dedciene'*l brandy, were directed to be made upon speci* l "AO tion to the parties in each case, and the delay to &id you allude has a r i sen f rom the time necessarily reg t ioo to obtain a decisic n upon t h e merits of each transactro but, by a subse quen t or d er of their Lardships, in s v eri tions were issued t o th e o ffi cers of customs at t he se oP outporls, that, in cases where the deficiencies rolbid pear to have ari sen f rom natural causes, an d in fe ence, the allowances may be made by there is no suspicion of improper abstraction or in ter hol a special application to the Board of Customs, allowance in excess of the legal quantity does not .; o llt, three gallons per cask ; and the Collector and CoroP" e ile the officersf re O l t at Liverpool have been directed to govern the c lor o strictly by such instructions ; which will, as my nieo, apprehend, have the effect of obviating the in oo v- ror sir, complained of in your representation.—l am, pa. obedient servant, " G. 01 ' °-- "Mr. Wm. Dixon, jun., Chairman of the Wane and Spirit Association, Liverpool." much attention—at Mr. Crowley's ; and another, nearly the same size, at Mr. Bradey's. There was but a short supply of poultry, the London dealers having stolen a march upon us by going to Dublin, (deuce take the rail ways and steam-packets !) and forestalled, which was not fair, nearly. All the Jowl. We saw one goose, however, which had esc ipe,d them, weighing 20 lb.! Fish was abun dant and of the best quality. During the whole of Friday and Saturday the market was crowded to excess, and, we rejoice to say, that the extensive purchases indicated an improvement in the circumstances of the people. Great Charlotte -street, owing to the large evergreens being kept out of the market, presented the appearance of a luxuriant parterre, and every available spot was moreover heaped with the various produce of the kitchen garden. Great praise is due to Mt. Graham, the active and obliging su p,aintendent of:this great mart for edibles, and to his as sistants, for the order maintained throughout the " try ing occasion," for on Saturday, in particular, such were the crowds that it was positively an adventure of no little peril, for females in particular, to push through the dense masses of purchasers and spectators. The light fingered gentry were, as usual, on the alert, but they were pretty strictly watched by the police, rind several of them were sent to spend their " happy Christmas" in " durance vile." ST. JAMES'.—The usual Christmas decorations at this market were equal to, if they did not surpass those of any other in the town. The tenant of each stand seemed to vie with his neighbour in the tasteful display of ever greens and flowers • and in the centre aisle w er e t r i ump h a l arches of holly and missletoe, &c., interspersed with the usual ornamental flowers. From the roof was suspended an octagonal lamp, bearing the inscriptions, " Success to Trade," " St. James' Market," and portraits of the Queen and her Royal Consort. But apart from the de corative departments, we never beheld a better display of substantials. The beef, in particular, was what brother Jonathan would term " terrific." To ascertain the ex act weight of the several heifers would he a work o' some trouble. Suffice it to say, that in several instances a whole pig, and one of no ordinary size, occupied the in terior of a carcass of beef, and from one cow, fed by Mr. Harrison, of Toxteth-park, 1661b5. of loose fat were taken. The stalls at which we observed the largest spe cimens of beef were those in the occupation of Messrs. Harwood, Broornhead, Jun., Ellison Parker, Webster, Sillitoe, and Lawson. The mutton and veal also ap peared excellent, as well as pork, which was, however, not as large as usual, but of what may be called a choice household description. Throughout the whole of Satur day the market presented a most lively appearance, and Mr. Lup, the activ, superintendent, even in the bustle consequent on the preparations for the feasts of the 25th, had every thing in such order that not the slightest con fusion was observable, though the market was crowded to excess. Several shops in the vicinity of the market and in St. James'-street were speedily decorated. Those that seemed to attract the greatest attention were Feeney Brothers " Constitutional Bread Establishment," and Mr. Hughes, grocer. Mr. Neill h as res i gne d t h e appointment of 1309°tott Surgeon to the Deaf and Dumb School. pV The transatlantic mail steam-ship Acadia, whl c i f tst' to leave Boston on the 16th and Halifax on the ISt' , may be expected here on Thursday or Friday nex t ' _olt4 A special general meeting of the Town-Council pro' held to- morrow , f or the purpose of considering 0,16., ceedings of the comm i ttee of the Dock Trust on t 3 ' ject of dock extension. 0 NEW YE A R' s DAY.—It will be seen, from an e ,61:1 .-- (b SF tisemcnt in a not h er co l umn, that on Mor day lio ct t - the first of Ja n u ary ) t h ere w i ll b e divine service 3 Bride's Church. e r th • VICTORIA THEATRE.--The performances at - 1 5 , e t ip' tre for the ensui ng wee k are of a character to su i t ' o 0. son. Mr. Hollsway, the manager, seems to spar ertion to gratify his audience. THE CHASE.—The Cheshire Foxhounds mee t (Tuesday), at Bouldsworth Cgstle ; on Wedoes n Handley; on Th urs d ay, at B radfield Green ; and °tit"' turday, at S we tt en h am Vil lage ;—eaeli morning 3' past ten o'clock. On Sunday last a very splendid Hebrew Bi w- V. 1 1,, handsome silver salver were presented to the Rev; sty e Isaacs, lecturer to the Hebrew congregation Se9.".eit; by a:considerable number of his young Hebrew l i e ' in testimony of the respect and esteem for his valuable ministerial services." .bei GILL-STREET MARKET.—This beautiful market, de cidedly the best contrived, Airiest, and lightest in Liver pool, was by no means behind any of the other, either in its decorations or display of excellent meat. The occu pants of the shops or stalls in many instances exhibited very great taste in the construction of wreaths and arches, of evergreens and flowers. A number or little flags hung out gave a very pleasant and gay appearance to the scene. Excellent meat of every description was to he met with in all the shops, especially in those of Messrs. Clapham, Lloyd, Brooks, Potts, Lowe, &c. The green stalls were very abundantly supplied, and the attendance of the farm ers unusually numerous for this time of year. Very good prices were obtained for all produce brought on to the ta bles. This market was well attended throughout the day. The . price of meat here, we have been informed, is under that of any other market in Liverpool, as well as being of a superior quality. We trust that the inhabitants in its v cinity will give it its sanguine support ST 7 for e a THE CONDEMNED MURDRESS.—A memor,a. o la r s i g e presented jury w h t e o , i l ee nn W m ig ic ht u m rm an a , ck sig f r o ld th bt .ool o )14 11 convicted Mr j us th of her infant child at Manchester, strongly e ntrea t :A j lordship to use his influence at the Home-ofac e ce . the dreadful sentence he was bound to pronoae to g her commuted to transportation for life. The Rev. A. Hume, of the Collegiate Institutsl received the honorary degree of LL.D. from th e eoill sity of Glasgow, in compliment to his ac quiren'Trio.,o i English literature. D r . H ume i s a graduate o f 01 i College, Dublin, b u t h a d prev i ous l y obtaine d dis t b ell in Glasgow, in th e d epartment of study with vrhieh teen for some years identified. h P A 5 O $ HUDARD GALLERY.—The grea t success Ll t 1;4 tended Mr. Norman's visit to this town has ilgt r to prolong his st a y f or a s h ort t i me. The ovi e. ;or. e l ,r , delineation of th e h uman f eatures that this artis'ct dily produces sh ou ld i n d uce a ll w h o value a corre ri f o rb ness to avail themselves of this opportunity. ,A can be more appropriate as a Christmas present' tto o, LIVERPOOL CHARITABLE SOCIETY.—We regre that the funds of this benevolent society are e o ',' s hausted, at a se ason o f t h e year when the distress's! jo' o r poor are most p ress i ng . W e trust that the aPPe 00 ee l advertising co l umns w ill h ire its due effec t 0 4 0 0) .. it readers, and th a t it s t reasury may be replen i s he s the demands whi c h may b e expected to be mad 01A' during the wint er mont h s. bY MR. RYALL'S CONCERT.—It will 1:e seen,,,. vertisement in o ur fi rs t page, t h at Mr. Ryali c - ces s den t takes place to-morrow evening. The great su deP e A ° o ol gentleman has met with in his musical career, ov oo ris of the talent he has on this occasion secured," ' s eler p er: not, ensure him a numerous audience. The clog ! '0 1) ,1 for the evening, as well as the original itiw ir ,' e 'sl s ' formances, are most attractive. Mr. H. V. b Ucr has long been a deserved favourite with the P play a grand concerto of Hummel's. NI A RTlN ' S.—This market, like the others, pre sented a very gay appearance; and the supplies appeared to be of the first class,—a great portion of which was Lancashire, and the remainder choice Irish. CHARGE OF BIGAMY,—On Wednesday last, John Ba con was brought up at the Police-court, on a charge of bigamy. It appeared the prisoner belonged to the Liver pool Police Force, and, according to a statement made by the first wife, whose name was Roll, was married in 1826, at Bridgewater, in Somersetshire. Evidence was also pro duced, showing that he was married subsequently at St. Peter's Church, Liverpool, in February, 1842. A letter, received by Mr. Whitty from the first wife. was the cause of the inquiry. The prisoner said he had married a se cond time under the impression that his first wife was thud, and had received letters from various parties to that effect. Several documents were handed in, but the case was ordered to be adjourned. THE BOROUGH GAOL.—On Saturday a meeting of magistrates was held at the Town-hall, for the purpose of taking a complaint which had been made by a Sicilian captain, respecting the clothing and discipline of the Bo rough Prison, into consideration. The meeting was et tended by the Mayor, Mr. Rushton, and most of the Borough magistrates, arid lasted a considerable tinie. In all probability, the full particulars will be made public at the next meeting of the Council. In the meantime we are given to understand that the complaint of the captain was, that he had been compelled, shortly after hi s com mittal, to take off his ordinary dress and to a?ssmc that of the prison, and that, considering this to be 80 indignity, he threatened to c o mmun i ca t e w ith th e Sicilian govern ment on the subject. MIDDLEWICH CORN MARKET, 91/^'t.3' Wheat, new, 7316 Oats, new, '4 , 501b old Beans, 19 , Ccib v rr DSdpo c eb LIVERPOOL PROVISION NIARKL , -,: 0 ,; The week closes heavily upon our Butter ina r :, c hig - n e bti,7 e l are t a o gt ; 9 3 t s i . is K to il a k s e l i cz y - e , r. fine ße c it a a r s i t we x do not (1 043 . 0 5- 00)0 it i withes basa i 6 s 6 s a t i o s 0 7 0 a s ; s medium hade l lower, r i s to 7 4 s.'oed Carlow, •e. • p j c 0 0 , offering at a further decline of 2s Cd per tce. r i s , e i r y Pork is upheld ; but for either the emand 'bulk of market is inundated with Foreign provisions , tl,' e r res : is very inferior, and is offered at exceedin glr I° ‘' vtoertiy4slipineirtecdwtipanoirrisc.e ott cio;or: MARINER'S CHURCH SCHOOL. —The half-yearly examination of the female children of this school took place on Tuesday forenoon last, in the Mariner's floating Church, George's Dock. All who attended (including several ladies who take a warm interest in the religious and secular education of these children, by which they are fitted to 'occupy respectable stations in life,) were highly delighted, and, we may add, deeply affected by witnessing their neat appearance, and their Progress in the several branches of plain but useful learning, so ably in culcated by their teacher, Miss Maxwell, under the su perintendence of the Rev. W. Maynard. The children— between 50 and 60 in number—were all neatly attired, and appeared to be animated by but one feeling—that of evincing their utmost attainments, as the best expression of their gratitude to their benefactors. The Rev. Mr. Maynard presided. After reading portions of the bible, they were strictly and separately examined on many points of scripture history, and they replied with such prompti tude and accuracy, giving in many instances long quota tions from memory, as shewed that infinite pains had been taken in their instruction. Even the Youngest children of the school appeared to be little or not at all inferior to their seniors. Scriptural geography was next gone into, and on a map of the Hoiy Land and surrounding countries bordering on the Mediterranean, they recognised every celebrated spot pointed to at random, and recounted the principal events of which it had been the scene. Two of the elder scholars, (approaching to wonlanhood,) and who act as assistant teachers, also examined them, as well as Mr. Maynard and the schoolmistress, in several series of questions, some of which would hale Puzzled older heads ; and they acquitted themselves with equal honour. In general geography they evinced a like proficiency, giving the several definitions, and naming in an instant any part of the world, when it was pointed to on a map, together with a variety of statistics of the extent of kingdoms, their population, seas, river, lakes, &c. They were next examined in grammar, and were expert in dealing with its intricacies. Arithmetical questions were then worked on the slates and correctly solved. Several recitations, chiefly of sacred poetry, followed ; and one piece —a dia . logue between a mother and d au ghter, ( personated b y two little girls) in which the for me r Point s a re li g i ous lesson from the lark, the dove, the eag le and the sw an , was a t once beautiful and affecting. The rev. gentleman then addressed the pupils in affectionate terms, urging them to avail themselves of the privilege of enlightenment which they enjoyed, and enjoining parents to send their young ones regularly to the school, an d especially on the Sab bath. He concluded by a prayer for the well-being of all, and the whole closed b y t h e chitdren singing a hymn, also "The Song of M oses an d M i r iam," w h ic h t h ey accom plished in an effecti ve manner, accompanied by the organ \lre cannot conclude this brief notice without stating tha the Mariner's Ch urc h , once tI vessel of war, is neatly fitted up; and is well wo r th y of a visit by strangers and others. We need scarce l y a dd that the schools, f or tha education of the poor children of our gallant seamen and r o e , a e cl e i h ri t g lr • c ro h r an f d or ev s e ea ri m in e g n c a l t v t ls a fg ched f t c o r the boys, sc haoto which( PP others, are e n ti t l e to more en larg e d support. There is a o th si e t y e are taught navigation, __-------, pie. 'ite' iirti MANCHESTER CORN EXCLIANG%niost no • rtdi . , The business of the past week has been of ' - w ellsO r re;i4 charactr: the vale of in of a kinds I nc ralll„ e t and thou e gh holders u of Oatmeal Flour and Flour T . ,F s n g t a he ra a ;:er. 4 , 15rm, the stock of both these articles a()%v a - .E . o f the produce, rip, considerable, and prices are the turn in Ka irish e ca of Ti F ie lo i u m r p f o n r ) t m li e st ao sh ad ew a s : olaurrgesoarrivals " with n ear i:t . ter aQ ut titularly of the manufactured artier, i r - oni the -- . 0,1 ,4 p oles terdaY tit however, are pretty nearly at an end. The Liverpool and Wakefield mark steady, and in the latter some improvetlg.r ExeltakAis... VVheat. . rtiele beyond v‘,.01, value of particular qualities of is thinly attended : little is done in any a and pr i ce s, vii i ,": sent svat:t::s this day vire necessary for the supply 0! pre ain as on partial exception above noted, rem marks ° ri f t tlooesk 1c....,101ti0n.4 ---:—:----- MiusT. I EvN. !FISIGHTI ___................Air, Isl,/ HOLTD Tuesday 26 %Vednes. 27 Thurs... 23 Friday.. 2g Saturday3o Sunday 31 Monday 1 4..• IV ••• • •,.....•. ............ ••••••"... ---- 218 2 " 16 4 ,St. Stephen• 323 14 11 St. Joh!!. 3 1 n ,f • err 345 410 13 6 Innocent's “7,03 e e l. 435 5 3 12 6 Mars sets 9b ""e 8. - 0 537 61 1 11 7 Moon in Aploisto 644 7 20 " 3 Ist Sunday in 0 0 0 0 0 0 LIVERPOOL : . T UESDAY, DECEMBER 26, J9t43 ' ,0 N ' PRINTED AND PUBLISHED ..4 P EVERY TUESDAY MO od BY er _et, 6 JOSHUA FLETCHER LACE, of 53,Grove -5 40 t A LEONARD ADDISON, of 14, Great Orford - g - 0 0 "„.., , fit j At N 0.4, ST. GROItGE'S CRESCENT, LI C-- s rs• ' e De s 'k Oders and Advertisements ate received by It:eti, oaf' ail' Co., Warwick-square; Barker, Fleet-s"„ - sou, o rir Walbrock ; Reynell, Chancery-lane; LawOr al e, ', 0 , Birchin-lai e; Joseph Thomas, 1, Finellroicii , c(o Minden Hammond. 2: Lombard-street ; At" 4, 0 0 r n o e w edle Lion-conrt, Fleet-street; Clarke and LestriSo the 1,01 court, Threadneedle-streets GarrawaY's; ° ell e-1 011 09 Commercial Coffee-house, Mincing-lane •at t he 1e .' n F e ' T v Coffee-house, Cornhill ; hapter Coffer - 3 ° -- loust, .....e needle - street; ; a a n i el id SiroluetshersA.mweii•lilciaanm CForeffriecd-:le%isdiu-:ii, Co., Sise-lane, London; by Messrs. Johnston' ~:ce, their Newspaper and Advertisement AguncY O b T, c ierro Quay, Dublin; Mr.M`Phun, Glasgow; Mr. W.4- eet , 0 change-street, and Mr. C. H. Lewis, Chester; 5.::•. Haddock, and Messrs. J.and W. Bo e o s til c o ' sellers, Wart-my-ton ; Mr . Clarke, Pilot-office,Pr ' Mr. Coope, 33. Union-street, Birmingham Market-str ._, O. pap er : On cr.d (' s. , f ril l d' Of-year, 103. - Terms of Subscription for this one year, £1 33. ; half-y advgnce—one year El