The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1845-02-04 00:00:00

Feb. 4, 184.5. Eoral anb probinrial getoo. The new bankruptcy premises in South John-street have been named " Eldon Buildings." It has been determined to erect at Fleetwood, day schools for 200 c hild ren, i n connection with the National Society, as a testimonial to Sir H. Fleetwood. DOG CART. —On Thursday Patrick Coyle was ordered to pay five shillings and costs for using dogs to draw a cart in the public streets. - ------- The new iron boat, which is now being built at Glas gow, for the Isle of Man Company, and is to be ready in May, is to be called the Emily Gawne, of Kentraugh. The Salford Cattle Market, the lease of which has lately expired at £3OO per annum, has just been re-let for a period of seven years at £950 per annum. On Thursday a newsman of the name of Birchen was fined five shillings for blowing a horn in Bedford-street for the sale of newspapers. Although cautioned by the officer, the defendant persisted in blowing his horn. John Deane Case, Es w has lael removed to Neston, h as consented tos it for his full - le ngth portrait, at the request of his friends resident in Birkenhead, and to permit the same to be placed in the Town-hall there. ROBBERY or A PUBLIC -HOUSE.—On Saturday night (back window of a public-house, in Comus-street, was ntered by thieves, and a sum of about £5O in notes and gold abstracted. THEATRE -ROYAL. —The excellent company of Mr. Sands continues to fill the house nightly. The perform. ances of the present week will be found in our advertising columns. MANSL AUGHTER. —yesterday week, Thomas Bullock, hairdresser, and E. W. IVladgwick, shopman, were com mitted for trial at Liverpool assizes, charged with the manslaughter of William Robinson, aged 17, in a street row, in Swan.street, Manchester, on the 18th ult. On Friday morning last, a man of the name of Siddall, was suddenly killed at the Chester station by slipping be. fore the train, which was proceeding towards Liverpool, three wheels of which went over his breast before the train could be stopped. • • - NEW IRON STEAMER FOR THE BELFAST STATION.— On Friday last a fine new iron steamer, of large size, in tended for the Liverpool and Belfast station, was launched from the building yard of Messrs. Tod and M'Gregor, at the Broomielaw, Glasgow. PASSENGERS PER STEPHEN WHITNEY.—Mr. and Mrs. Johnstone, Scotland; Mr. Hart, Montreal; Mr. Wilcox and Mr. Drynan, Canada; Charles Crew Reid, 52d Light Infantry; Captain Copley,olly hock, Ne w Y or k ; James Eaton, Esq., Isle of Skye; and Mr. Wm. H. Jazikson, Sheffield. FRASER'S LITERARY EVENINGS. —Thi s talented fa mily appear not at all to retrograde in public favour. The selection of songs which they have given during the past week comprised some of the finest of Scotland's melodies. One, in particular, beautifully sung by Miss M. Fraser, " The Covenanter's Lament," should be heard by every lover of the old Seottish minstrelsy. MEGA ,NICE' INSTITUTION AT CREWE.—A concert is to be held in the Crewe Assembly-room, next Saturday evening, at which time a proposition is to be made to form and organize a Mechanics' Institution. There will then be three very useful institutions within this building; namely, a public library, newsroom, and Mechanics' In stitution. CAUTION TO THE PUBLIC.—On Tuesday afternoon, three boys called at the residence of Mr. Coxe, Sidney place, Edge-hill, and asked permission to examine the back of the premises for a canary which they were in pur suit of. On being allowed to do so, one of the three ma naged to steal £2O worth of wearing apparsl, with which he decamped unobserved. GUANO. —On Wednesday a cargo was sold by public auction, the first lots at £7 12s. 6d. to £7 153., progres sively down to £7 ss. per ton. The market is now quieter. Several thousand tons Peruvian have been sold at £lO. The pas' week has been one cf unprecedented excitement ; perhaps more so than has ever occurred be fore in any other article of merchandise, and a great many thousand tons have changed hands. On Wednesday morning last, an old woman of the name of Roberts was burnt to death, at Chester, through her grandchild lighting the fire, and her clothes catching. The poor girl, upon being in flames, ran to bed to her grandmother, and the bed clothes consequently being set on fire. soon put an end to her existence, she being aged and infirm. We have heard that the child, who was only six years of age, is since dead. PUBLICANS' AND BEERSELLERS' CASES, FRIDAY.— The following are the results of the publicans' and beer sellers' cases, at the Police -court, yesterday :---George Herriman, publican, Waterloo -road, 4ns. and costs; Mary Williams, beerseller, 40s. and costs; Jane Lewis, brerseller, 60s. and costs. John Boardman, publican, acquitted with a caution; and a case against John White, publican, was postponed for a week. SATURDAY EVENING CONCERTS. —There was a nume rous audience on Saturday last to hear the performances of Mr. John Sibbald, the celebrated ventriloquist. This week, Miss Mary Swain, Mr. Ryalls and others will ap pear; and next week, the celebrated Mr. Henry Russell, from America. The interest taken by the working classes in these recreations, proves that they are at all times ready to avail themselves of rational entertainments when offered to them at a rate suitable to their means. On Saturday next, the Bth inst., at half-past o'clock, will be launched from the yard of Messrs.Hunible, Milch rest and Co. a fine new ship of 468 tons register, to be -called the " Harriet Humble." She is intended for the China trade; to be commanded by Captain E. Davies, of this port, and is the sole property of Michael Humble, Esq. Her length for measurement is 119 feet, breadth 29 feet 6 inches, depth 19 feet 6 inches ; she will be a first class 12 year ship. She is fitted out in a superior man - ner, and from the beauty of her model is expected to sail very fast, which, combined with the well known abilities of her commander, will enable her no doubt to make as quick passages as any vessel in the trade. BONDED WAREHOUSES IN M ANCHESTER.--We re cently announced that several Liverpool brokers had de termined to open establishments in Manchester, in order t) avail themselves of the facilities for the disposal of fo reign produce which will be afforded by the establishment of bonded warehouses in the town. We now learn that the following three firms have already opened offices here n arnelY, Messrs. Corrie and Co. of Liverpool and Lon don ; Messrs. T. and H. Littledale and Co. of Liverpool ; and Messrs. Bushby, Son, and Foster, of Liverpool. We underst , nd, also. that, in addition to the above firms, two first-rate houses in London, and one in Liverpool, have signified their intention to form Manchester establish ments.—Manchester Guardian. ROYAL LIVER THEATRE. —The operatic performances at this theatre continue to be received with the most lively a pprobation, by respectably filled, if not crowded houses. During the past week " The Beggars' Opera" has been repealed, by d es i re, on one night, and for the last time as been replaced by the fine opera of " Fra Dia volo," in which the singing of Mr. J. S. Reeves and Mrs. Alban Croft is superb—that of the former especi. llv so. The beautiful song, "On eta bank reclining," was given by Mrs. Croft with fine ste and effect. The Broekstedt Family have aipeared every night during the week, and their amusing performance has been hihla plauded, as has the Polka, which continues to be danced. It will be seen that " The Bohemian Girl " is in prepa ration. SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF AND DUMB. —The annual roettng of the friends to this excellent charity was held in the school-roona. The chairman, R. Rathbone, Esq., , said the average number of children attending the In had not varied for the last two or three years. The building was capable of accommodating double the num ber of children ; and he regretted to see so few of the poor partaking of the advantages of the institution. The de . mend for the needlework of the girls had not been so great this year as on former occasions, arid, consequently, had not realised so much, although the amount done had far exceeded any previous year. The report stated that returns recently made proved that, by careful instruction and judicious management, the children might be made capable not only of gaining their livelihood, but of sup porting, or contributing towards the support, of their re latives and friends The attendance of the children was the same as that of the year 1843, the number in both years being fifty-two. From 1500 to 1600 persons have visited the institution, and have evinced their interest in its success by contributing to its funds. Several resolu tions, which will be found in another page, were adopted. THE LATE EXTENSIVE ROBBERY. —In our last we gave an accou n t of the committal of a young man named Evan.Price,.for 4y . in g at various times, robbed his em ploler, M. P;.i.cival, of *lganchester to a great extent and it appears that another large sum of money has been die,covered. At the time the house of the prisoner was searched, a small scrap of paper was found marked " 1:1,110 13s, Otl. Liverpool ;'' and, since the prisoner's committal, Mr. Beswick, Commissioner of Police, Man chester, went into the prison to see if he would give any explanation about it, thinking it might lead to some thing ; but this he refused to do, stating that it was a mere ooching but a scrap of .paper. Mr. Beswick, "how ever...suggested to Mr , l'ermval that it would be desire. ble fur some one to go to Liverpool, and make inquiry there at the different batiks. Mr. Percival having to go to Liverpool, went to several of the banks ; and, at the Liverpool Borough Bank, he discovered £1,372, 13s. de posited by the prisoner, and he had also left with them his bankipg-bo, k, from which it appeared that all this sum had been paid in since August 11th, 1843. This Bum, With the amounts previously discovered, makes a total of £4,887 l4s. 61d. FRIGHTFUL CASE OF SUICIDE. --011 Thursday morn ing, Mrs, Sarah Martin, a respectable middle-aged fe male, the wife of Mr. J. Alartin, proprietor of the Saddle Inn, Vernon -street, Dale -street, met her death under the folliwing dreadful circumstances :---The deceased had been attended for some time by Dr. Cripps, who pronounced her to be labouring under the effects of insanity ; she had not, however, exhibited any symptoms of violent conduct either towards herself or other parties. She attended last Sunday week. About ten days ago a female, l u rcha frequently employed in the house in getting up lin, heard the deceased say that it was her determina tion to make away with herself. This information was communicated to the family, and a strict watch was con sequetitly set over her. However, about half-past eleven o'clock, as she had been missin g for a short time, one of the waiters w as found ran up st a i rs to the laundry, the door of which to be locked ; and, apprehensive that all was not tight, he instantly burst it open. His efforts, how ever, to prevent the fatal catastrophe which followed were ttnava iling, the poor woman having just thrown herself through the window, which was on the fourth or highest story of the bailding. S ou was taken up immediately, and conveyed into the house, where medical rutsistance was ptocured, but it was of no avail; she died shortly afte r wards. THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD: ADULT BAPTISM AT CHRIST CHURCH.—On Wednes day evening, a lady was publicly baptised at Christ Church, in presence of a large congregation, by the Rev. Fielding Ould, who preached a sermon appropriate to the occasion. The baptism was by immersion in a large ves sel of water placed in the centre aisle, in front of the read ing desk. The lady was Mrs. Griffiths, wife of the late keeper of the Athenaeum News-room. We believe that sbe was for some time a member of Comus-street Baptist Chapel, but, still retaining her belief regarding adult bap tism, preferred being received into the communion of the Church of England by the administration of the ordinance in that way. THE BLUE-COAT BROTHERLY SOCIETY.—The sixth an nual report has just been printed. It says the number of boys who have left the school since the formation of the society is 273, being an increase of 59 over the number of last year; and all within its reach have been regularly visited, and the reports which the visitors have had the pleasure of presenting at their monthly meetings, afford good evidence of the beneficial result of their labours. On almost every occasion they have received from the employers an expression of perfect satisfaction with the general conduct o the boys, and in many instances the good behaviour of one boy has been an inducement to the employer to take another apprentice from the school. We are glad to perceive that they have in the Savings' Bank £ll9 14s 6d, and in the treasurer's hands £3l 7s 2d, while they have in other hands £27 Os 7d. NORTHERN HOSPITAL.— 011 Wednesday, a special meeting was held of the trustees of this institution, for the purpose of considering law No. 19, with regard to its alteration or confirmation. The question for discussion was, in effect, this—whether the medical officers of the institution should be elected for fifteen years, or, as at present, According to law 19, for a shorter period, ten years. After Mr. William Gill had handed in the reso lutions passed at the medical meeting on Monday, Mr. Elias Mosley moved and the Rev. Mr. Lawrence seconded a resolution for the alteration of the law. Mr. James Aspinall, seconded by Mr. W. Gill, moved the confirma tion of the law. Mr. Mosley eventually consented to withdraw his motion, seeing, as he said, from the tone of the discussion, that additional surgeons were required at the Hospital, and that some salutary improvements in this respect were likely to be effected. MEETING OF COTTON IMPORTERS. —On Tuesday a meeting of the importers of cotton, who bad signed the declaration agreed to at the public meeting on the 15th ultimo, was held in the Cotton Sales-room, Exchange buildings, for the purpose of considering a modification of the proposed plan, suggested by the Cotton Brokers' Association, as to the practice of removing samples fiom the selling broker's office. Mr. W. Stewart moved a re solution, " That in lieu of the plan proposed at the meet ing in question, the following plan be adopted, viz.:— That of every parcel of cotton on sale, duplicate samples shall be drawn : that one set of the samples (to be dis tinguished by a red ticket, and to be called the office sample) shall always be retained in the office of the selling broker, so as to enable the seller to exhibit his cotton to all buyers, and to give the opportunity to any buyer at once to purchase the p arce l." Thi s resolution, having been seconded, gave rise to considerable discussion, but was ultimately carried. The meeting was about to sepa rate, when Mr. Hugh Duckworth said he would move, as an additional resolution, " That samples be not allowed to go out from any broker's office before ten in the morn ing"; but this was eventually withdrawn, and the meet ing, which only lasted about half an hour, separated. HIGHWAY BOARD, THURSDAY.—The Head Constable reported that an explosion of gas occurred a few days since in Preston-street, which blew off the stone which covered the eye of the sewer. Mr. Cunningham, the surveyor, stated, in reply to a question put to him by the chairman, that the accident was unavoidable. Mr. Proc ter again referred to the state of the pavement in Great Howard-street; he had inspected it; and Mr. Cunning ham bad made an estimate of the expense which would be incurred by having it done as he proposed, namely, with twelve feet of macadam in the centre of the street, and twelve feet of paving on each side : the cost would be £330. Some discussion ensued relative to proceeding with the repairs at present, as the street would shortly have to be sewered, and would also be interfered with by the new dock works, when the pavement would require taking up. In connexion with this subject a letter was read from Mr. Hartley, the Dock Surveyor, to the effect that if the Board would furnish him with sections of the sewer running near the dock works, he would make a plan for effecting what was required in a way that would be satisfactory. Some further conversation followed, and the matter was undecided. LIVERPOOL ART UNION.—We are bappy to learn that this association is progressing most favourably, its funds exhibiting an increase of nearly £2OO over the amount subscribed last year. The distribution of the prizes (thirty-two in number) took place in the Exhibiti, n rooms on Thursday, and the following is the list of the fortunate subscribers:— J. H. Syers Geraldine Mrs. Jenkinson ...... 40 D. M'Viccar W. Humphreys ...... 30 William Dalgleish Allan Potter 3O John Brittain J. F. Goodwin 25 Thomas Bouch ........ 10 John Bent 25 J. E. Wright .... 10 Edward Gri1fin........ 20 Ha rr y C oo k .. 10 Elias Arnaud Mrs. John W a lk er George Casson 2O Robert H arr i son ...... 10 Edward James., 2O Mrs. U nswor th M. S. Cisme ...... 15 J os h . Shi pley ..... ... 5 J. Atkinson ..... Fairhurst........ 15 J o h n H oug h ton 5 Miss . 15 John Ru55e11.......... 5 T. H. Hornby ..... ... 15 Edward Littledale .... 5 SUFFERINGS AT SEA. ---011 Saturday week, Robert Quayle. a seaman of very emaciated and sickly appear ance, appeayed to substantiate a claim for wages. He said he was a seaman on board the Falcon, belonging to Agett and Hemingway, of this town, and had signed arti cles for a voyage to Africa and back. Before they reached the coast the captain died, and the mate got somewhat out of his reckoning. He and four others of the crew were sent in a boat to look for Benin river. During their absence the ve.sel drifted from her anchorage, and made for Fernando Po, and, of course, on the return of the boat, she could not be found. The men, who had only a day's supply of food at first, were left exposed in an open boat, without provisions or compass, for five days and nights, during which they subsisted on the rain. water that fell and collected in the bottom of the boat. They at length drifted to Bimby Island, where they were de tained by the natives till released by the intervention of a missionary, who found means to communicate with the captain of the Lady Paget, then off the c inst. The com plainant arrived in Liverpool by the Orozimbo. A clerk from the office of defendants said they declined paying the wages, as the Falcon had not arrived, and they had had no accounts from her, or . any other m eans o f verify ing the s t a t emen t o f comp lainant. Mr. Rushton ordered the wages (X 9 10s.) to be paid up to the arrival of the man in Liverpool. NEW GAS AND COKE COMPANY, The half-yearly meeting of this company was held on Wednesday. Joust HOLMES, Esq., took the chair. W. FOSBERY, Esq., Chairman of the Committee of Management, read the following report : "Your committee, in submitting for the consideration of the proprietors their proceedings since the general meeting in July last, have to observe, that the company's amended act alters the business to be transacted at the present period, the act requiring that the accounts shill be kept and made up to the 30th June, in lieu of the 31st December, in each year; consequently, there will not be any accounts to pass at this meeting ; but the committee are b ippy to say, the company's rent-roll justifies them in recommending a dividend for the half. year ending 31st December, 1844, of £5 on each share of £lOO, and £1 Is. on each share of £25, being at the rate of 10 per cent. per annum, subject to the deduction of the income tax, and payable on the 6th February next. The committee are gratified in reporting the steady prosperity of this undertaking, owing to the extension of the town and suburbs, and consequent increased con sumption of gas ; indeed, so rapid has this improvement been, that. notwithstanding the reduction in price from is. to Gs. per 1000 cubic feet, within the last year, the further objects contemplated by Parliament in the strin gent clauses of the act granted last session, rigidly con fining the profits of the company to 10 per cent. (allowing a reserved fund of £5,000 to guarantee this and to meet other contingencies), and equally securing all further ex cess of income for the benefit of the public, in the reduc tion to a proportionate amount in the price of gas, will eventually be fully realised ; to effect which, the accounts of the company are filed in court annually, and audited by an accountant named by the Recorder on behalf of the maeistra'es, who examines the company's books and other documents, the correctness of which be attests, the Re corder ha.ving the power to lower the price to the extent of the overplus of profit ; and in no case could the com pany raise their charge without first showing sufficient grounds and obtaining the sanction of the court. It will, therefore, be evident, that if there existed a wish or motive for evading the intentions of the act of parliament, the power to do so would be found wanting, whatever insi nuations to the contrary may have been made by inte rested parties. LIABILITY OF TUG-BOATS. —.On Friday, Charles Fryer, master of the Egerton steam-boat, appeared at the police -court in answer to an information, charging him with the amount of certain damage done to the Neapoli tan brig, the Immaculate, on the 31st December last. The commander of the brig, whose name is Stefano Tra fani, stated in the Italian language that he engaged the Egerton when inside the north-west light ship, to tow his vessel to the mouth of the dock for £6. On their way there was a schooner, which the Egerton was desirous of also towing in. for which purpose he neared it. The pilot hailed the defendant, and told him that if there was any damage done in consequence of this proceeding he would be held responsible, out no attention was paid to the caution. As soon as the vessels got near each other, whilst the steamer was taking hold of the schooner, in consequence of the weigh upon the Immaculata, there was a collision with the schooner, the consequence of which was damage to the Immaculata, amount ing to £l6 10s. This statement was corroborated by John Talmasi, boatswain of the Immaculata. The de fendant is reply called Samuel Webster, captain of the Sir William Stanley s earner, who was in company at the time; and also made a statement himself, the substance of which was that, when the pilot called out to the man at the wheel " helm a starboard," Ire pot it a port, arid thus caused the damage. Mr. Rushton said the defend ant ought •;ot to have gone to the other vessel. The de fendant said there was no agreement to tow the Immacu lata alone. Mr. Rushton said that did not signify; he was bound to tow carefully, and in the best possible man ner, whereas he had done it carelessly and thus wrought the damage. Eventually, the defendant being held liable, survey as to the amount was directed to be made by Mr. Askew, the south harbour master. " Your committee, perceiving by their accounts made up to 31st December last, a continued improvement in their revenue, arising from tt e great extent of consump tion of gas and other causes already named, since the last reduction in price, have resolved to anticipate, as on a former occasion, the overpius that may be realised when their accounts are filed in July next, and to announce a further lowering of price from Gs. to ss. per 1000 cubic feet, from the Ist of April next, trusting to the probably still further increase of the use of gas yielding such a compensation as to insure the company from any perma nent loss—a measure which they hope will be equally satisfactory to you as to the public ; and if the company is not obliged to waste its funds in an unnecessary par liamentary contest, there is every prospect, of a further reduction hereafter. The superior quality of the Liver poet gas is not questioned by any party. Mr. Cooper, an eminent chemist of London, in his evidence before the House of Lords, in 1843, proves its illuminating power to be 22J per cent. more than that made in Manchester, where the price graduates in proportion to the quantity consumed ; say to all persons burning below 200,000 cubic feet, or £6O worth annually, 6s. per 1000 ; above that quantity, and under 400,000 cubic feet, or £ll5 worth, ss. 9d. per 1000; and so . on down to ss. to con sumers of 800,000 feet, or £2OO annually,--averaging ss. 9d. to 6s. to the general body of consumers, to which 20 per cent. at least should be added for the difference in quality, which, on a comparison with the gas made in Liverpool, would give the rate charged id Manchester as is. 2d. per 1000 feet. Notwithstanding the price being actually lower than in any other considerable town in the kingdom, you are menaced by a third company, origina ted by the very parties who, only last year, were the means of introducing into your bill all its restrictive and stringent clauses, and who now, without giving time for their operation, expect parliament to undo that which already promises so fairly, even to an extent of benefit to the public far beyond any that a third company could afford, it being now well ascertained that the multiplying of companies only increases expense, to be borne by the public. EFFECTS OF THE LATE STORM boiler room were destroyed the thick iron beam ends being broken like grass. Part of the roof of the foundry shed was destroyed; as also part of some premises ad joining another side of the mill, and belonging to Messrs. Livesey and Rodgett. The damage done to Mr. Dickin son's property cannot be calculated at less than £2,000. Upwards of .C.:90 worth of glass was destroyed. At Yarmouth, two or three colliers were wrecked and the lives of seven men were unfortunately lost out of a yawl which was sent from that port to assist the crew of. .one of the wrecked colliers, and was lost in the attempt. The crew of the collier, six in humber, were also drowned. A melancholy shipwreck happened on the Cornish coast, all bands on board. excepting one seaman, meeting a watery grave. The unfortunate vessel was a . brig called the William Pitt, belonging to Sunderland, Bowser, mas ter, laden with 3.190 arch-bs of beans, bound to Glouces ter from Alexandria. On Sunday morning last the ship made Scilly and Long Ships Light. She then passed up the Channel, when she encountered the storm, and sus taining considerable injury, the master was determined to run into the first harbour. That of Padstow being the first,•the ship was brought before the wind in order to run her in, when, unhappily, she struck on the rocks on the Miners side, and, afterwards on the Dunbar, where she almost immediately went to pieces. One of the crew, named James Hewson, was saved by lashing himself to a spar, which vies carried by the waves ashore. The rest of his companions, however, 10 in number, including the captain, met with a watery grave. The smack Greyhound, which sailed for the Isle of Man on Saturday, has put back. Capt. Waterson reports having experienced a tremendous gale on Sunday from the N.W., which carried away sails, 'and did other damage; bore up for Liverpool at dusk; in the evening observed a ship or barque attempt the Victoria Channel ; saw her strike on the tail of the bank to the S.E. of the Bell Buoy, and go over on her beam ends, the sea makigg a complete breach over her ; she was boarded, and after — being in that situation about five or six minutes, she went down. A. small vessel like a plot-boat was near her at the time. During the severe gale of Sunday, several vessels broke from their moorings in the Queen s Dock, and sus tained damage, some of which are the Jos. P. Dobree, lost maintopgallant-mast ; the Emma, her jib-boom ; Bosphorus, rigging damaged, and bulwarks stove ; Eblana, tafrail and stern damaged ; Fairfield, stern slightly da maged.—Liverpool Telegraph. lln our last we noticed the Robert Burns, which had been abandoned, having been towed into Greenock by the Robert Napier steamer. We have since learned from a letter frc.m Londonderry that the mate, his wife, and eight of the seamen were saved by the Perseverance, M`Ghee, and landed at that port. The master had been washed overboard. BRAVERY R EWARDED.---.A.n interesting ceremony took place in the Police -court, on Friday,—the presentation of a gold and silver medal to two brave British seamen from the King of Sweden, through the hands of Mr. Gustavus Adolphus Liilev, her Majesty's Consul at this port. The recipients are Mr. Charles Nixon, commander, and Mr. Andrew Cooming, mate of the British ship Brockett, of Newcastle, by whose intrepidity a boat's crew belong ing to the Swedish corvette Nayadan, were saved. The Swedish Consul -General in London desired that the pre sentation should be made in public : and with this view Mr. Lilley wrote to the Mayor, requesting his permission to present the medals in his presence, to which he readily acceded, but was himself, from indisposition, unable to leave his house. Mr. Nixon and Mr. Coorning having en tered the court, Mr. Lilley, who sat near Mr. Rushton, addressed the auditory, stating that he had been instruc ted by his government to present a gold medal to Captain N., and a silver one to his mate. He then read a letter from Baron Shre, the Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs, dated Stockholm, 14th July, 1843. From this it appeared, that on the 13th of December previously, one of the Nayden's boats employed in carrying coals on board in the roads of Monte Nideo, was in serions danger in consequence of a sudden hurricane ; that the crew and boat were saved from destruction by the parties named : that the captain refused any compensation for the care he had taken of the Swedish crew, and for the provisions consumed by them while they were detained on hoard the ship during the continuance of the storm ; and that his Majesty, in proof of his gracious satisfaction, was pleased to confer on the captain and mate the medals stated, bear ing the inscription " For commendable deeds." Mr. Rushton remarked that these were very honourable testi monials from his Majesty, and hoped they might long live to possess them. Captain Nixon expressed his sense of the honour done him. He thought he had merely done a common act of humanity, which he trusted he should do on all possible occasions, and he felt greatly obliged to the Consul for his kindness. Mr. Cooming also returned thanks. Mr. Lilley said he should communicate their ex pression of thanks to his government. The Brockett be longs to Newcastle, to which the medals were forwarded, but as the ship had left that port and recently arrived at Liverpool they were sent on here. Mr. Rushton said the whole proceeding was highly creditable to the captain and mate, and the parties left the court. " Perhaps it may not be irrelevant to observe, that the two existing companies have already laid 240 miles of mains only, exclusive of branches, more than 200 miles of which are within the borough ; and a third company would require at least 100 miles of the pavement to be taken up and relaid, further crowding the streets with a sixth line of pipes without any necessity, or any benefit to consumers, who have now a certain prospect of ob taining gas lower from the existing companies, before any third party can accomplish the extent or work and expen- GENERAL MISCELLANY TUESDAY EVENING CONCERTS—COMMERCIAL HALL. diture which the magnitude of the town would require, —The cancert on Tuesday evening was most respectably and which parliament would compel them to give. and numerously attended. The various pieces were rap- "In July last, the company' s p a id- u p ca pit a l b e i ng turously applauded. Mr. Ry a ll s i s a great favourite, and exhausted, the committee directed a sale by auction of upon his finishing "Ye Mariners of England," the whole 330 new £5 shares, which realised, after deducting ex audience in one spontaneous burst called for " I'mafloat," penses, £16,550. Of this sum the gas consumers benefit which he very kindly sang. Miss Joseph's song, " I to the extent of £8,300, being expended in the extension would I were a Fairy," was as a matter of course encored ,• of works upon which no dividend is paid, or, in other how could it be otherwise with such a beautiful ballad and words, the consumers pay 5 per cent. only on the capital such a beautiful voice. " Come forth with me," by Hime, raised, the dividend payable to the proprietors upon that was delightfully sang by Mrs. Hiles, and was also" Should sum being £825. be upbraid," which was loudly encored. Mr. Andrews' " The offices and fitting department in Queen-square fine deep voice suited " Friend of the Brave" admirably. being found totally inadequate to the increasing business As a pianist few in the town can equal Mr. E. F. Smith, of the company, more eligible premises in Newington and the projectors of these musical evenings have done welt have been purchased on taeourable terms, and, when to secure his services. Another treat has been prepared ready for occupation, will leave the former property for for this evening. In addition to Mrs. Hiles, Miss Linacre, sale. " Mr. Andrews, and, we understand, Mr. Crank, is al s o The CHAIRMAN moved the confirmation of the re engaged. port, and FAREWELL DINNER TO M R . J OHN N ICHOL, J UN.— Mr. HARMOOD BANNER, i n secon di ne the motion, af- The friends of thi s en t erpr i s i ng young builder having ter stating that the reductio n i n price, ha d not been made in consequence of any pressur e f rom w i t h ou t, b u t o f the heard that he was a b out to l eave Edinburgh to go into business in Li verpoo l , reso l ved to mark their sense of his fair advancing prosperity of th e company , sa id h e was talents, and their regret at his leaving them, by inviting quite certain that so far from the establishment of another him to a fare we ll di nner. Accordingly, on Thursday af- company tending to a red uc ti on i n t h e pr i ce o f gas — t h ey ternoon, upw ar d s o f s i x t y gent l emen sat down to an ex talked of having it at 4s. 6d. p er 1000 cu bi c f eet — t h at i t cellent din ner i n t h e sa l oon of Gibb ' s Royal Hotel—Bai. would most materially retard the f a i r an d gra d ua l reduc lie Gray in th e c h a i r , supported on the right and left by tion which must necessarily t a k e p l ace as t h e present com the guest of th e even i ng, b y B a i l i e Duncan, Councillors pant' were now going on. Th e present company had an Johnston, Di c k, an d D uncan ; Dr. Fairbairn, A. Fyffe, establishment which did n o t increase in expense as the S. S. C., R ev . J o h n M'G ilchrist ; Mr. Robertson, City operations of the company i ncrease d . A n d t hi s was im portant, because any new p ar ty com i ng i n must h ave a Chamberlain; M r . B rown, superintendent of public works; Mr. Nixon, Queen's Architect, &c. Alex. Ja- new establishment, and the cos t o f a cons id era bl e esta mieson, Esq. offici a t e d as croup i er, supported by Francis blishment to pay ; whereas th e present company, w i th Richardson, E sq ., J ames B urgess, Esq., and Geor g e their establishment, would be ena bl e d t o i ncrease t h e Meikle, Esq , merc h ants, & c. I n proposing the toast of consumption of gas so largely th a t t h at o f i tsel f would en sure a further red uction. ..11uminating po wer o f th e gas , '1 he town was i n d e bt e d to t h e the evening, th e Ch a i rman, i n very feeling terms, adverted company for the to the excelle nce o f M r . Ni c h o l' s character, and the re- increased i as they were the first to manufa c t ure gas f rom canne l . gret which all his f r i en d s , w h e th er pu b lic or private, felt at losing him This was of great consequence s o f ar as pr i ce was ,con southern neigh bours,and complained of th e rapac i ty o f our in carrying off, one a f ter anot h er, all cerned p and those who taunted o th ers w i t h t h e pr i ce i n in our best men i n thi s nor th ern di v i s i on of the island. In Liverpool being higher than els ew h ere , s h ou ld b ear returning thanks, Mr. Ni c h o l expressed his regret at the mind that the illuminating power h a d a great d ea l to d o he fact was ascert a i ne d, as s t a t e d prospect of being separ a t e d f rom so many friends, and as- with the question ; for if t cured the meeting th a t th e i r ki n d ness would never be in the report, that the quality of gas diff ere d i n illuminat ing power to the extent of 22 per cen t it was c l ear t h at absent from hi s memory. S everal other appropriate toasts were give n by th e C roup i er, Mr. M'Gilchrist, and when 6s was charged in Manche s te r , an d 6 s . i n Liver others.—Scotsman o f J an. 22.p001, the gas was 20 per cent. dearer in Manchester than Docw COMMITTEE, THURSDAY.—The application of it was in this town—(hear, hear.) There was one other point on which the public were interested. It had ap- Mr. E. Morris, for compensation for injury done to a peered in the public prints that the public bodies were de car was declined.—The Parliamentary sub-committee re- sirous of getting into their hands the supply of gas to the commended that authority should be given to the chair man to a ffi x the dock seal to a petition for leave to intro- town. He would simely state, for the satisfaction of the duce the proposed dock bill, in order that it might be proprietors, that, on the part of this company, no transferred as as early as th e f orms wou ld allow. The re- ' on fair terms. commendation was adopted.—The Parliamentary com mittee were authorised to present petitions against the The motion pas se d unan i mous l y. George Batley, Harwood Banner, Lawrence Hey Worth, Liverpool, Ormskirk, and Preston, and the Bolton, and Joseph Henshaw, Esqrs., retiring by rotation, were Wigan, and Preston Railways, and also against the Val- unanimously re-elected; arid after a vote of thanks to the lasey Dock Warehouse Bill, merely to obtain a locus chairman, the meeting separated. slandi, should anything in the proposed schemes be con sidered detrimental to the dock estate.—The receipts of dock and light duties for vessels entering Runcorn, dur ing the past month, were stated to be £49 4s 9d. on 174 The Dundee, Craig, vessels, of 9736 tons, b e i ng an i ncrease o f £6 7 s 10d. over master, the corresponding peri o d o f last year.--A letter was read Dundee to Liverpool, encount e 86 tons burt hen red the gale betw een the from the Commissioners of Highways, for Toxteth-park, D'tull of Galloway, and the Irish coast, and was d r i ven granting permis s ion t o th e D oc k C omm i ttee to lay down ashore on Sund a y m orning, about ten o'clock, a bo u t four rails across certain s t ree t s i n th at t owns hi p. —A n applica- miles to the south of Jurby Head. The crew were res cued in a greatl exhausted state, by me ans o f a b oa t than from th e C omm i ss i oners as to the want of landing from the shore, a t y three o'clock in the afternoon. The g vessel, however, is a t o t a l wrec k. M anor , a pi c t ure ga ll ery , one h un d re d f ee t i n l eng th , f or slips at the north en d o f th e t own was referred to the Sir Robert Peel is adding to his mansion, at Drayton cargo has all been saved, b u t i n a d amage d condition. * The sub-committee of W or k s .—A l etter f rom Jas. Livins ton, as to the re n t o f th e wrec k e d s h ed, was referred to the sub-committ ee f or ware h ouse management.—An ap- On Sunday mor n in g , a l arge sc h ooner , suppose d to b e th e rece pti on c hi e fl y o f por t ra i ts o f t h e most em i nen t plication for an annu a l gran t f or t h e ma i ntenance of a life- the Wilhelmina, of Gl asgow , was seen approac hi ng t h e men of the present day. Sir Robert's present coll e ctio n boat at Southpo r t, an d t h e payment of the crew, was rocky-bound shore a little to the no r th war d o f Fleshwick, of pictures at the Manor is already among the largest, if referred to the mar i ne sub-committee, as was an appli it is not the largest, of modern date in this co un t r y. cation from the M agaz i ne life-boatmen for an increase of about half way bet w e en th e Calf of Man and Dalby- head, on the south-west of th e island. About ten o'clock U n l ess un f oreseen c i rcumstances s h ou ld h erea f ter occur the vessel approachedthe shore, when the crew must have t o g i ve a different turn to affairs, no chance exi s ts o f th e wages.—A letter f rom th e L or d P rovost of Perth, as to the erection of a r a il wa y b r id ge over the T ay, was oidered been sensible of thei r i nev i ta bl e f a t e , an d th e poor men duty on foreign grain falling below the maximum ; at to lie on the table. were seen by a number of pe rsons assem bl e d oppos it e present the averages are receding, the last return for the INQUESTS.—On Friday, f our i nques t s were h e ld b e f ore crowded in the ri gg i ng i n a s t a t e o f nu dit y ;it was sup- kingdom being 455. 7d., which is 3d. per quarter lower posed in the hope of being able to swim ashore. In a than the return for the preceding week. the borough coroner. The first was on the body of Wm. few seconds the vessel struck with a fearful violence, the Leander, an orphan , living in Banastre-street, four years masts instantly falling by the board, the hull was parted The extent; of hum a n li fe T lost at the c tl a ie rn l a ate nn di ß st a r % ess w ing shipwreck of the W i l li am Tu rner, in and three months old. It appeared that he was asleep on and dashed in a thousand pieces. At this time the a chair a few nights since, and that he was left alone in piteous cries of the poor men were distinctly heard, but greater,been nas regret neBrn correctly say, et l repo rted. e3do. persons l . t , ha a s s the apartment. When the family returned to the place they were instantly overwhelmed among the wreck and in some time after, they found him enveloped in flames. tremendous sea, and were speedily either drowned or e w r e tai h t at no n fewer re t p h o a r and her ashore. The ship was nearly 500 tons t perished, out of the 30 only 3 bodies have been washed bur hen, He died of the inju r ie s th e f o ll ow i ng morning. —The dashed against the rocks, every soul on board meeting a second was on Berna r d D a ly, o f N as h -grove, a man forty- watery grave. The wreck speedily broke up, an d a great cargo consisted of guano. five years of age. On Wednesday afternoon last, he came portion washed ashore. The cargo appeared to have been PROFITABLE HOAX.—After the fall of snow in Lon home from work, s a t d own on a c h a i r, was seized with a general, consisting of cottons and earthenware, some por- don, on Friday list, very formidable and official-lookin g fit of coughing, and continued to vomit blood for half an tions of which were, during Sunday, Monday, and Toes- circulars were delivered, threatening the vengeance of the hour, dnd then died. The cause of death was rupture of day, washed ashore, but coe-pletely damaged. During law against all who should fail to sweep the snow from blood consequent o n th e l acera ti on o f the lungs.—The -the same time several bodi es , s i x i n num b er, h ave been before their doors. Shortly after the delivery of this mis third was on James Wills, a child, four years old, residing washed - ashore. sive, sweepers offered their services to clear the footways with his parents in Albert-place, Saltney-street. His The Tryall, Stowell master, from Ramsey for Liver- in front of the respective houses. The trick was most elder brother filled a tea-pot with hot water, and while he pool, with a cargo of potatoes, unable to hold out a n y l on - effectual, and realised an abundant harvest to the pro was in the act o f b r i ng i ng i t to the table, the deceased ran ger, was run ashore near R amsey, and the crew were jectcrs. against him, up se t the tea-pot an d was sever e ly scalded saved; but the vessel immediately went to pieces, and MR. GLADSTONE'S RETIREMENT.—We are disposed with tie hot water over the left shoulder and breast. He the potatoes were strewn about the beach in every to think that Mr. Glads' one retires on account of his dis died of the injuries in a few days after.—The fourth was direction. approval of decided measures, to be taken either by the on Edward Williams, fifty years of age, who, while in a The smack Mary, Skillicorn master, belonging to Dou- Archbishop of Canterbury, at the instigation of Govern. state of intoxic a ti on , f e ll as l eep i n a h ouse in Naylorsstreet, glas, with a cargo of slates, and the H aslewood, from went ; or more likely, by the Queen in Council, with or and the next morning was found dead. The immediate Sligo f or Li ver p oo l. l a de n with butter and bacon, came in without the concurrence and assistance of Parliament, for cause of his d ea th was di sease o f the hea r t. O n Saturday contact on Sunday, and the former went down soon after, the re-establishment of uniformity of worship within the six inquest s w ere h e ld. Th e fi rs t was on an old female, and the latter, in order to save the lives of the crews of church, according to the unexceptionable model which seventy_nine y ears of age , named Catherine Cameron, of both vessels, was compelled to run the vessel ashore. This generally subsisted throughout the kingdom a dozen of Lionel -st ree t, w h o b ecame insensible onThursday evening, vessel struck a few hundred yards to the east of the Tryall years ago.—Record. and died the following morning. The second was on John about five o'clock ; and the crew, after launching the GREAT BULL.—Mr. Elliot of Hardgraves's bull, which Mason, a child sever, weeks old, who died of suffocation,' boat, and endeavouring to save themselves by that means. attracted so much attention in this quarter for his size most prob a bly, in the opinion of the medical man, from were all precipitated into the surge, the boat having cap_ hiving been overlain by its parents. The third was on sized before they were enabled to leave the vessel's s•de Dorab Williams, sixty-eight years of age, residing in The hands of both vessels, however, succeeded in regain ' • we ight at nnan, before s »pmen , was 1 7 8 s ones, o and fatness, was sold and killed i in t Liverpool t His live Leeds -street, who died suddenly of some internal disease, ing the wreck, but both the masters shared a water 141 b. to the stone. Be was sold for £29 10s. We have The fourth was on Richard Hannah, a child five years. grave...persons up. The beef weighed 104 st. 131 b. The weight of the of age, who went to the fire during the absence of his on the spot, who did everything in their power to render 10 0 a letter from Liverpool in reference to his cutting ose tallow was 13st. 61b. ; that of the hide was 9st. 101 b. parents, and was severely burned in various parts of the as s istance. A line was floated from the wreck to the His heart weighed 141 h. The letter described his flesh as body- The fifth was on James Kirkham, a child three sho re by means of a small buoy, followed by a halser, byq u ite like that of bullock beef :in quality, there had been .. . . . , . years of age, who, whilst reaching for a pipe on the chim- means of which the hands of both vessels were landed in a nothing like him in Liverpool for some time.—Dumfrzes ney, was severely burned in the abdomen and arms. The state of great exhaustion. sixth and last was on Eli za b e th Ni c h o l] , f i ve years of DERBY.—On Sunday morning forty feet of a sixty C our i er. age, of Pleas an t- v i ew , Ki i kd a l e, w h o was also severely feet chimney (with the scaffolding still round it, it not At a meeting of the Berwick Council, on th e 11th i ns t . , burned over her chest and l e ft arm by a c i n d er f a lli ng on being quite finished) f e ll w ith a t err ifi c cras h on one s i de to take measures to prevent the pre m i er ' s th reatene d in her clothes. V er di cts accor d ant w i t h t h e evi d ence were of the roofs of five houses, literally cutting them in terference with the currency of Sc o tl an d, t h e f o ll ow i ng returned in the several case s . two, and demolishing them to the very foundations, and among other resolutions were unanimou s ly a d o pt e d : destroying every piece of furnit ure th e y con t a i ne d ; b rea k - " I.—That long experience has shown that the s y s t em o f ing the chairs, tables, beds, chests of drawers, &c., into currency in Scotland is speciallynsnutittendhtsoalttehreecdirocrutmn stances of the country , and ou gh t fragments as though they had been so many mere twigs. Never was wreck more complete. It was most provi- - stricting the present circulation of •rculation of bank notes, and par- when that the accident did not occur during the night terfered with.' 2. — That any measure for altering or ie- - when the inmates were in bed ; for, had such been the to e meeting, be attended with ruinous consequenc •th e case, the loss of life would have been frightful. As it titularly the £1 notes, would, in the estimation ts of th was, no one experienced the s li g ht es t p ersona l i n j ury. various branches of trade and manufacture. CHESTERFIELD.—On Sunday morning three or four CHARGE AGAINST A CAPTAIN OF ABANDONING ONE pinaclea were blown down from the tower of St. Thomas's OF His CREW.—At the Thames police-office, London, Church, Brompron-moor, and burst through the roof, on Tuesday, Cup'ain Alexander Simpson, master and destroying the gallery, and doing considerable injury to part-owner of the barque Elizabeth, appeared before Mr. the church. Fortunately divine service had not com • Broderip to answer a charge of having wilfully and wrong menced, otherwise a fearful loss of life must have ensued, fully left Wm. Burgess, a seaman, at Quebec, contrary to as the children of the Sunday school occupy that part of law, by which he had rendered himself liable to be in the edifice, dieted for a misdemeanour, and, if convicted, to fine or DUMFRIES.—In many houses the inmates felt the imprisonment, or both. After hearing evidence, and a beds shaking under them, and when daylight dawned it great deal of argument, Mr. Broderip ordered the defend became obvious that devastation had been widely at work ant to fine bail, himself in £BO, and two sureties of £4O in the shape of smashing chimney cans, tearing the roofs each, to answer the charge at the next sessions of the of houses, more particularly old tenements, &c. One Central Criminal Court.—Bail was immediately tendered corner of St. Michael's Church has been a good deal da- and accepted. waged, both as regards the lead and slates ; and in the case HOUNDS ON A RAILWAY.—Last week, Lord Gifford's of the latter, a heavy fragment descended with such force hounds were on the point of being destroyed on the rail that it cleft an upright tombstone in two parts. In the way, between Cirencester and Swindon. The fox had country the woods have again suffered, and even close crossed the railway, and the hounds had come to a check to the sown not a few trees have been broken or blown upon the very rails, when the cry of "A train ! a train !" down, including a venerable saugh at Tinwald Downs, that made every one shudder, was heard, and a passenger containing 80 cubical feet of timber. train was seen bearing down upon the p ac k, a t f u ll ve l o - Beeeesee—This town felt seriously the effects of the city. The wild screams of the alarm whistle evidenced storm. Mete is scarcely a street or lane that does not that the engine-driver was aware of what seemed about bear evidences of its violence—slates, chimney-tops, and to happen ; bat it was plain that, if the hounds could not bricks, &c., being strewn in all directions. In North be removed, the pace of the train could not be slackened Queen-street, a range of stables were levelled with the to preserve them. In an instant, one of the " whips " ground. Twelve horses were buried in the ruins; of was upon the line, and, by the greatest efforts, the hounds these, two were killed on the spot, and the rest were with were preserved, though the last of the pack that quitted great difficulty rescued, some of them seriously injured. ther.ii was so near one of the wheels of th e eng i ne t h a t DESTRUCTION OF A MILL.—On Sund a y wee k, d ur i ng f or a time it was supposed to have been destroyed. the violence of the gale which seems to have been felt LIBEL.—A singular case was heard at the Mansion more or less all over the country, a spinning mill, at house on Tuesday, before the Lord Mayor. Mr. R. Bank Top, near Blackburn, entirely new and unfinished, Forbes, jun., ship and insurance broker, of Broad-street, belonging to Mr. Dickinson, was blown down. Tile de- was charged with publishing defamatory libels, concerning striiction was instantaneous and complete; part only of - some of the walls remaining. The roof, first floor, beams, supeorters, and the walls that fell with the roof were all smashed to pieces. The roofs of the engine house Sir T. Freemantle. Mr. Cardwell, and Mr. Baring had interviews with Sir R. Peel on Thursday. The Hull Dock Committee last week declined to admit reporters to their meetings. The Wesleyan Methodist Magazine has refused to ad mit the League advertisement for the forthcoming bazaar. AMERICAN Hags.—Another result of the operation of the new tariff has been seen, the last few days. in the im portation of hops from the United States. On Wednesday a young man at Bethnal Green delibe rately shot dead a young woman to whom he had for some time been paying his addresses. The whole marriages before the superintendent regis trars do not exceed a fifty-seventh part of all the marriages in England and Wales. The proprietors of the New Docks at Hull were yester day to present their chairman with a piece of plate valued at three hundred guineas. The highest tide since 1816, and, with one exception in that year, unparalleled during the last 50 years, visited Hui! on Sunday evening week. A poor silk-weaver of Bethnal-green, the father of eight children, has lost six of them by death within the last month, arising from scarlatina, and one of the two sur vivors is so ill that it is not expected to recover. Last week, Mr. Woolley, paper-stainer. of Birming ham, was suffocated by the fumes, supposed to be car bonic acid gas, arising from some ochre which he was moistening. The eminent civil-engineer, George Stephenson, Esq., has lately been spending a week with Sir Robert Peel, at Drayton Manor, in company with several eminent scien tific gentlemen. John Gladstone, Esq., of Fugue, has become the pro prietor of the estate of Phesdo and Pitnamoon, at the price of £32.000. This beautiful property lies nearly ad jacent to Fasque, and will constitute Mr. Gladstone one of the principal heritors of the parish of Fordoun. A man named Kendall has been apprehended on sus picion of having murdered his mother, a poor old woman of sixty years of age, at a low house in Lambeth. He had, previous to his apprehension, attempted self-destruction, by throwing himself into the Thames. STABBING.—Evan Jones, the young man who was so brutally stabbed during a pugilistic contest with John Harries, at Merthyr Tydvil, has died of his wounds, and the coroner's jury has returned a verdict of manslaughter against Harries. On Wednesday last, John Clements, a wool-stapler, in Grange-road, Be-mondsey, suddenly drew a razor across his wife's throat, whilst she was toasting a piece of bread, and then destroyed himself with the same weapon. The poor woman is in a very precarious state. M. Jullien, gave three concerts and travelled upwards of 300 miles with all his band, a week o: two ago, within about 50 hours ! Two of the concerts were given at Manchester (on Wednesday and Friday), and one before the Queen at Stowe (on Thursday.) FOREIGN CATTLE.—The following is the official return of the importations of beasts and sheep during the past year :—London, 2,531 beasts, 1.814 sheep ; Hull, 1,690 beasts, 775 sheep; Liverpool, 81 beasts, 9 sheep; South ampton, 193 beasts, 5 sheep. Total, 4,495 beasts, 2,603 sheep. the firm of Messrs. Rickards, Little, and Co., East Indi; merchants•, and particularly respecting Mr. L. M. Rate, one of the partners in that firm. Several letters had been mating that they were in a E tate of insolvency—and also to the family and fiends of a young lady to whom Mr. L. M. Rate was paying his addresses, containing most serious imputations on his moral character. A number of wit - nesses deposed to their belief that these letters were in the handwriting of the defendant, between whom find Mr. L. Rate a quarrel had taken place. Mr. M. Chambers, the barrister, on the part of Mr. Forbes, denied all knowledge of the libels, but the Lord Mayor called uFion'the defend ant to find bail, himself in £2OO, and two sureties in XlOO each, to answer any charge that may be brought against him'at the Central Criminal Court. THE QUICKSAND UNDER THE NEW HOUSES OF PAR LIAMENT.—The foundations of the New' Westminster Palace actually float on a quicksand. Westchinster Hall and the Old Palace for many centuries—upWaHs of eight —have dine the same, so there would seem to be no rea son for apprehension. The quicksand, unless confined, has a tendency to rise, spread, and shift itself. It is thoroughly surrounded by walls of solid cbricrete, and above it, keeping it down like the cork of a' bottle, is a deep bed of concrete. The foundation, however, of the Victoria or Record Tower, as it is called,' have passed through the quicksand because of the great weight the tower will have to sustain. A very ticklish operation was performed last week near the ventilating shaft of the pre sent houses. To prepare for new buildings it was necessary to excavate immediately close to this shaft, and even below it. The workmen proceeded almost inch by inch, stopping down the quicksand the instant it began to rise. Fears were eiitertatned for the safety of the shaft, which weighs 200 tons, but no'accident whatever happened—the danger is past and the works are nearly cine. EXTRAORDINARY NARRATIVE.—The following state ment, the accuracy of which may be relied upon, will add another proof of the words of Byron "that truth is stranger than fiction." John Youngs, a native of America, was in March, 1844, shipped on boardtheschooner Superior, of Haverill, in the state of New Guernsey, boundto one of the West India Islands, and from thence to New York. In October she struck on Cape Hadras shoal, 19 miles from land, and the captain (Martyrs Cook) and one man were drowned. The vessel became a perfect wreck, after which Youngs and Thomas Libby, the mate, took to the joilyboat with only a barrel of bread on board, and no water. After being 14 days on board Libby died ; Youngs continued in the boat seven days hinger, and was nicked up by a Dutch ship. He was then taken to 'a small vil lage 57 miles below Amsterdam ; he got on board the schooner Mary, of Ipswich, bound to Hartlepool; find ing he could nit get a berth there, he walked to Middle borough, and got employment in the Sylph, bound to London, which vessel, after having been 10 days on her passage, put him ashore at Yarmouth, on Friday night, being unable to proceed further. —Ipswich Express. DEPTFORD.—Orders have been rece;yrd that imme• diate preparations shall be made for building another steam-frigate, of 1,840 tons burkhen, to be built upon the same principle as the Terrible, to be called the Odin. The improvements now in progress in this once desolate but now flourishing yard will cost the Govern ment nearly 70,000. The Spitfire is nearly ready for going off the stocks; and the Havannab, which has been lying in ordinary in the Medway for some time, Fes off the dockyard for the purpose of being cut down, and af terwards sent to sea as a corvette. ROMANCE OF REAL LTFE.—Fifteen years back, a man belonging to Bedford, deserted his wife and children, and no intelligence could be gleaned of him atter-war-di. The poor woman struggled on, and supported herself and fa mily until about two years ago, when, taking for granted that her husband was dead, she married a widower. Last week, to her great surprise and to the discomfiture of her new husband, she received a letter from her original part ner, requesting her to meet him eta neighbouring town. Thither she went and met him ; be accompanied his wife and friends to Bedford, when he made his conjugal claims in due form, and succeeded in winning her back. It is said that the truant husband has been engaged in theatrical pursuits during his mysterious absence. IMPRISONMENT FOR DEBT.—The diminution in the number of prisoners for debt has likewise decreased the charges incurred by the country in their maintenance. It is stated in a document in the recently issued report of the Inspector of Prisons (Captain Williams,) " that the new act will doubtless lead to a salutary caution on the part of shopkeepers in giving credit, but it will not pre vent credit tiein g given when it is necessary and proper, and that it will work a very great good, in checking the improvident habits, and in preventing a large amount of moral misery and moral contamination incident to im prisonment in a debtors' gaol." From a return printed in June last it appears that there were in England and Wales 2.154 persons confined for debt; 85 in Scotland, and 1,113 in Ireland; making in the aggregate 3,352. Exclusively of law costs, 210 were in custody for debts under £1,'794 for debts under £5, 438 for debts under £lO, 922 for debts under £5O, 249 for debts under £lOO, 298 for debts under £5OO, and 104 f or d e b ts above that sum, and 104 for amounts not stated. Of this number, 256 were Crown debtors, and of the aggregate 85 had re mained in prison upwards of five years! The total amount of charges to the country for two years, ending 1843, for prisoners for debt was £21,091 Bs. STRANGE, IF TRUE.—A circumstance the most ex traordinary that ever fell under our notice occurred in the lower part of Exeter on Sunday last. A person, liv ing in Sherman's-court, having occasion to draw some soft water from the cock, was surprised to find it of a reddish brown colour, and still more surprised, on tasting it. to find it like good beer! and beer it was beyond all doubt, though evidently it had been very lately brewed. He could not conceal his good luck, the news of which soon spread throughout the neighbourhood. Other cocks were tried, with the same result, and the police have in their possession the particulars of seven different houses the tenants of which, for soft water, most unexpect edly obtained general home brewed. There must have been a considerable quantity of it, too, for the drawing atrnnl beery notd muste s i s g o n eb d have easy,vten been but ee n d and drinkinecontinued on S un d a y an d par t o f M on d ay, and the d en i zens o f the quarter made the most of the chance, by ge t t i ng g l or i ously drank. How to aci ount for it is, that atb w t present,ebee bringi it the seemsr w n a off te b r i n quite y . c ti le lAe a r that drawn some brewer i n th e ne i ghbourhood must have suffered, and At p i P r e e s which - sent no brewer can be found who will confess to having lost any beer at all. Perhaps the same pipes that emptied his vats of their contents have by this time filled them again with the pure fluid of the reservoir. —Local Paper. HARBOURS OF REFUGE.—The report of the commis sioners appointed by ,a treasury minute, dated April, 1844, has been laid before the treasury ; and, after adverting to the state of the different harbours along the coast, and to the various recommendations which have been made to provide harbours of refuge at different places, the com missioners conclude by recommending—Firstly, That a harbour be constructed in Dover Bay, with an area of 520 acres up to low-water mark, or 380 acres without the two fathom edge, with an entrance of 700 feet wide on the south front, and another of 150 at the east end. Secondly, that a break-water be constructed in Seaford Road, in a depth of about seven fathoms of water, one mile in ex tent, and sheltering an area of 300 acres. Thirdly, that a break-water be constructed in Portland Bay. If only one work is to be undertaken at a time, they give the prefer ence to Dover, next to Portland, and thirdly to Seaford. The cost of either mode of construction having been stated to be nearly the same. whether it be masonry or a l long slope of r oug h s t one s i m il ar to t h at of Plymouth break-water, the commission give the following as an ap proximate estimate of the works at the several places, viz. —Dover, £2,500,000 ; Seaford, £1,250,000 ; Portland, £500,000; Harwich, £50,000. The military members of the commission are of opinion that there will be no diffi colty in providing for the defending of the proposed har bours. Without any, except tidal harbours along the whole coast between Portsmouth and the Thames. and none accessible to large steamers, there is now, when steam points to such great changes in. maritime affairs, an imperative necessity for supplying, by artificial means, the want of harbours throughout the narrow part of the chan nel. Mr. Symonds, the admiralty engineer, protests against the report, as, in his opinion, Dungeness was pre ferable to Dover. MURDER AND SUICIDE.—On Friday, a mat named Barry, surgical instrument maker, Finsbury, and his wife were found dead in bed weltering in their blood. The only parties residing in the house were the man Barry and his wife, and their youngest son, a lad, about fifteen years of age. The wretched man had been absent on business the greater part of the day, and on his return home, about ten o'clock at night, after sitting a short time in the parlour, in company with his wife, with whom he appeared to be on the best of terms, he told her to go up stairs to bed and that he would soon follow her. The woman complied with his wish, and the husband remained a considerable time after, apparently asleep in a chair by the side of the fire ; but on being roused by his son, who urged him to retire to rest, he started up, with a look of Peculiar wildness in his eves, and wishing him a hasty grod night, repaired to his sleeping apartment. Shortly afterwards the son also went to bed in a room on the story above, and on awaking at nine o'clock the following morning and proceeding down stairs, he was surprised to find that neither of his parents had yet risen. He went up to their bed-room for the purpose of calling them, but received no answer, and finding that the door was locked on the inside, his fears became greatly excited, and on looking throu g h the keyhole he was horror-struck at dis covering that the upper part of the sheets and bed which stood close against the window were completely saturated with blood. He instantly hastened in a state of extreme terror to the next house, which was occupied by his two elder brothers, and on apprising them of what he had just witnessed they ran back with him and burst open the bed•room door, where they found their parents extended side by side on the bed, with their throats cut in a horrible manner, and both of them apparently lifeless. A surgeon was sent for, but it was tonna that they had been dead some hours. They made a minute examination of the room in which the shocking occurrence bad taken place, and on searching the floor at the foot of the bed found two razors, both of them open and covered with blood, one lying close to the foot of the left foot post of the bedstead, and the other between the opposite valiance and the wall adjoining the window. Beside the spot where the first razor was discovered the officers found a chair, on which was placed an open razor-case, greatly discoloured with the recent impres s i ons of bloody fingers; and it was, therefore, supposed that after cutting his wife's throat with one of the razors, the wretched man had returned to the case for the second weapon, and getting into bed with it, afterwards destroyed himself in the same manner. From the unruffled appearance of the bed clothes, and the placid expression of the unfortunate woman's countenance, it was likewise manifested that she kid not been disturbed by her husband's movements, and that he must have murdered her in her sleep. CRUELTY OF A STEPMOTHER.—On Wednesday, at Clerkenwell Police-court, London, John Marks, a smith, and Ann Marks his wife, were brouEht up on a' warrant, charged with cruelty towards Anne Marks, aged ten years, the daughter of the former, and stepdaughter of the latter prisoner. The child w h en f oun d by th e police- officers had no covering but a th rea db are s hif t , black with dirt, and a piece of sack, quite filthy, about her shoulders. There was an ulcer on one of her feet, and a brui,e on her back, and another sore on her neck. Her skin was literally covered with scales of dirt, and the smell pro ceeding from her was intolerable. When brought into the presence of her parents, she cried, and seemed terribly frightened. She refused to say a word. Upon enter ing the room where the child slept, the officers were so dis gusted with the smell as to be obliged to retire. Upon re.earering it, they found the - floor covered with human ( xcrement, and the only thing it contained was a small heap of carpenter's shavings, which had been picked from the dust-holes and huddled together into a corner of the room, and on this heap the prosecutrix and her three brothers slept, with no other covering than part of a filthy old sack. The child said that they strove to keep them selves warm by cuddling one another when the nights were cold. There was only one small window to the room, which was closed, and the constables declared that it would be cruelty to put a dog or a pig in it. The house contains but three rooms, and that in which the female prisoner and her husband slept and lived was rather a comfortable apartment, was as well furnished with food and furniture ,as most mechanics' dwellings. The child cried bitterly on being brought into court, and seemed to regard the female prisoner with the gr atest terror. She was lame from the ulcer on her foot. Mr. Coombe determined on sending the case fur trial for the assaults inflicted on the child on Saturday, and hence the child's testimony was confined to what occurred on that day. She deposed—l shall be eleven years of age next April. my mother sent me for a kettle of water on Saturday morning, and - when I returned with it she met me at the door, and saying that I had been idle, she seized me by the hair, and dragged me into the passage. She lifted me up in her arms and threw me 0..0wn as hard as she could on the floor, and kicked me on the body. I screamed, but she took me up and " chucked" me down again. She kicked me on the side and on the thighs, and when I was lying on the ground she poured the kettle of water on me. 1 lay there crying. As soon as my mother saw me she ran at me and kicked me again, but my father beat her for doing s.. The child added that she did not wish to hurt her father, who had given her bread and butter. All the clothes I had on was a shift and a bit of a sack. and sometimes the skirt of a petticoat, fastened upon me with a rope. The poor child who as she proceeded with h er testimony, was becoming more and more convulsed with grief, at length swooned away in a paroxysm of grief, and was removed from the court in a state of insensibility. The male prisoner burst into tears, and seemed d ee ply affected, as was almost every one present. The female prisoner did not seem in the least moved. The female prisoner was committed for trial. Her husband was dis charged. tS l '' - : _ •-. "v . "A t t - . N e'0" :111 : 1 0 4 kl.f.