The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-02-05 00:00:00

FEBRUARY 5, 1856.] LOCAL INT.ELLIGENCE. • IRE body of Mr. Joseph Owen, draper, of 'Warrington, has 'een found floating in the Mersey ; deceased has been kissing since 23rd December last. MR. STEPHEN CARTER, of Myrtle-street, has presented to t he Northern Hospital £4 45., being the one-third proceeds of a lottery of a biscuit model of the south portico of St. George's the gift of Mr. Joseph Hitchin, St, John's-lane. - • The Liverpool and Canadian new screw steamship North A merican has been launched from the yard of Messrs. Denny, ,V3le. She is 1760 tons. Another vessel of the same descrip '°ll, to be named the Anglo-Saxon, is at present on the stocks, 41 E 1 will be launched in about five weeks. SIINDAY SCHOOL AND LITERARY INSTITUTE . — The seventh lecture of the winter series was delivered at the Concert-hall, °, ll Tuesday, by the Rev. W. M. Punshon, of Leeds, the sub- Jed being Literature and Science, their connexion with Re ngion. ball was much crowded. YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION. — On Wednesday , ajecture on "Things Secular and Things Sacred," being the eighth of the course in connection with the above association, tas delivered in the Hope : hall, Hope-street, by Mr. Luke H. wiseman, of Stoke Newington, London. There was a nu terons and respectable audience. EVENINGS WITH WORKING MEN.—On Thursday, the Rev. , Cromar lectured to an audience of working men, in the ,f , eading-room under the Concert-hall, Lord Nelson-street, on Heroism." He contended that every man of earnest pur- Pose was a hero, and that work was the principal charac leristic of heroism. He was listened to throughout with the Rrea test attention, and was repeatedly applauded during the 'tenvery of his address. - - - LIVERPOOL PAWNBROKERS' ANNUAL BALL.—The fifth annual ball of the Pawnbrokers' Association of this town took Place on Tuesday, at the Royal Assembly-rooms, Great George- Stre e t. Every arrangement calculated to ensure the comfort uf the visitors had been made by the committee, under whose guidance the ball bad been got up, and the refreshments were bet only abundant, but of the best quality. There was a good attendance of the members and their families, as well as Several of their friends. THE BRIDGEWATER CANAL.—After a negotiation, which has been pending for some time past, the Bridgewater trustees have entered into an agreement to lease the Bridgewater enial and the Old Quay Navigation to the North Staffordshire Railway Company for alo erm. By this arrangement the telnpany have secured a t. { - `A inns in Liverpool, with the dock a ccommodation and warehousing room. They have opened a direct and free communication between the Mersey and the Humber; and, so far as regards the Liverpool traffic, they have rendered themselves, in a great measure, independent of the London and North-Western Company. Manchester Guardian. SELECT VESTRY. — The Rev. Rector Campbell presided at the meeting of this body on Tuesday, when it appeared, from the proceedings of the Workhouse Committee, that the vagrant sheds had been used last week by 187 males, 102 ieinales, and 18 children; total, 307 persons. The number in the sick ward on the 19th instant was 708, of which 4.8 were fever and 57 itch cases. The total number in the house on the 23rd instant was 2,649. From the minutes of the Finance Committee, it appeared that there had been a decrease of 1165 4s. 2d. in the amount of out-door relkf granted during the past week, and of £l7O ss. Bd. for the preceding week, as compared with the corresponding weeks of last year. Mr. Hughes was appointed an out-door inspector of relief; and the Committee appointed to investigate the charges preferred against Mr. Bradley, by Mr. Dignan, reported that they were Itufounded. WEST DERBY Gu,AlmrANs.—At the meeting of the board 0 /1 Wednesday, it was resolved that a call be made on the several townships of the union for the payment, on or before the 25th of this month, of the sum of £3,493 ss. Bd. for tounty rates, in compliance with a precept received from the tlerks of the peace, dated the 22d ult. It was also decided `that the dietary table for the idle and refractory inmates of the workhouse, signed by Dr. Nevins, be adopted, and a copy `thereof sent to the 'Poor-law Board for their approval. Notice Was given by Mr. Shaw that he would, at the next meeting, Move that the salary of Mr. Hamilton, the superintendentof out-door labour, be increased to an amount to be then named. Miss Harriet Bishop was appointed assistant-schoolmistress in the workhouse schools, with a salary of £l5 per annum and rations. The total number of paupers in receipt of relief, (luring the last week, were 845 iu-door, 3,657 out-door, 4,502 total ; showing an increase of 58 in-door, and 306 out-door, total 364, when compared with the corresponding week in last Year. TitEBB was a soiree at the Corn Exchange, Manchester, on 'Monday last, given to the members for the borough, Messrs. Gibson and Bright. Both vindicated their peace policy ; and the latter addressed the meeting for two hours. He referred in detail to thelerms of peace which have been accepted by Ens ilia as preliminaries, expressing his opinion that they are in themselves admirable, chiefly because there is reason to believe th e y will lead to a pacification. He directed attention to the vast loss of life, of money, and of material wealth which the contest has entailed upon the nations engaged in it, and the addition it has occasioned to the public debt of this country. Mr. Bright indulged in some bitter attacks upon the'press in general (on The Times:in particular), on account of their un fair representations of his conduct. General Thompson and Mr. Heywood also addressed the meeting. THE, ATTEMPTED BULLION BOBBERT.—The brothers Robert and Henry Eyre, who were charged before the Liver- Pool magistrates with a serious assault upon Mr. Hughes, th e cashier of Mr. Durandu, and with attempting to steal a cash-box containing £1,6t,0, underwent another examination on Friday. Mr. Hughes stated that the elder prisoner struck him and knocked him down with a life-preserver, and that the prisoner Henry then came forward and hit him on the head with a poker. The-elder prisoner tried to throttle him. A surgeon stated that the wounds of the witnesss Hughes, although not dangerous in themselves, might lead to serious consequences. Ifughes had his head bound with bandages. The prsioner Robert put in a written document, in which he alleged that he had not been able to obtain work ; that he Was in a state of starvatian, and could not obtain relief from the parish. He had a helpless family of small children, who had not eaten anything for 36 hours. These circumstances tempted him to commit the offence, and he had felt as if hur ried on to destruction brsome irresistible influence. He had Pod references, and, if he could obtain his liberty, it was his intention to join a regiment of dragoons. He then threw himself upon the mercy of the Court, begging the magistrates to deal summarily with the case. This the magistrates de .clined to do, and both prisoners were committed for tridi at th e assizes. ISLE OF MAN STE/Of-PACKET COMPANY.—The half-yeafly meeting of this company was held on Tuesday, at the offices, Douglas, Mr. G. W;Dumbell in the chair. From the state ment of accounts for the half-year, it appeared that compared With the corresponding-period of last year, there had been an increase in the receipts-amounting to •upwards of £2,780. The increase was not confined to one item, but was apparent in character, passenger, freight, and sundry account, whilst there had been a decrease in the expenditure of £4ll, showing a nett profit on the half-year of £6,831 4s. ld. From this sum ft dividend will be paid of five per cent. on the half-year, £1,250 placed to the reserved fund, and the balance allowed 'to remain as floating capital for the time being. Messrs. H. 1 3. Noble, William Gell, and William Okell were re-elected as directors, and Mr. Richard Quirk and Mr. John Winram were appointed in the place of Mr. Senhouse Wilson and Mr. Philip Killey, resigned. Mr. John Harris and Mr. George G. Saunders were elected auditors. The thanks of the meet ing were voted to the directors and the chairman, and the shareholders, a large number of whom were in attendance, retired evidently highly satisfied with the management and prospects of the company. DOCK COMMITTEE. — The usual weekly meeting of this committee was held on Thursday, at a quarter-past one o'clock, Mr. Charles Turner in the chair. The other members present Were Messrs. Shand, Palmer, Robinson, Gladstone, Gregson, Rounthwaite, l3rocklebank, Barber, Holden, Langsdale, Holme, Anderson, Rathbone' Rankin, Smith, Lockett. The Sub-com mittee of Works recommended that the contract of Messrs. Willoughby for towing the mud flats be continued on the same terms for twelve months ; also that the tender of Mr. R. A. Watson, to supply a quantity of the best Quebec pine, be ac cepted. Confirmed.—On the recommendation of the Marine Sub-committee, the salaries of the keepers of the Upper and tligher Hoylake Lighthouses were raised from £45 to £55 per annum—A gratuity of £5 was ordered to be paid, at ss. per Week, to the widow of David Doyd, the late keeper of the Formby Lighthouse.—John Sharpies was promoted to be the Junior master of the Formby Lightship, at a salary of £lOO Per annum; and John Roberts was promoted to be junior master of the Crosby Lightship, at a salary of £9O per annum, with the usual allowances.—The tender of Messrs. Ogden and Barnes, for an iron casting required at the Formby tide-gauge, was accepted.—The Harbour Masters Sub committee recom mended the adoptiontf additional by-laws relative to stages, Prepared by the Dock solicitor. These (which were adopted) Provided that in case any perm takes possession of a stage Without the written order of the dockmaster, he shall be liable to a penalty of £5, and a like penalty will ensue where all stages, &c., not belonging to the Dock Committee, are not removed within six hours after they have ceased to be used. These by-laws will come into operati -n on the 6th February. The Sub-committee also recommended that tenders be obtained for the construction of a residence for the master of the King's tioek, on the north side of the Queen's Basin.—Shears for roasting ships were directed to be placed on the south side of the Sandon Dock, at an estimated cost of £1,200. These shears are calculated to lift 25 tons, and will be available for roasting ships of the largest burthen ; its lift will be 75 feet. - -The general business of the committee then terminated. HEALTH COMMITTEE. — The weekly meeting was held on Thursday. Present—Messrs. Langsdale (chairman), Dover, Rodson, Crosthwaite, J. Holme, Johnson, Tinne, Haydock, C. Stewart, Sheil, M`Gnffie, Godfrey, Beckwith, Gladstone, end Halhead. The borough-engineer, building-surveyor, and inspector of nuisances, reported various particulars of the operations in their several departments during the week.—A recommendation from the borough-engineer to pave Dutton street with square sets was, after some conversation, postponed - ! , 0 allow the members to examine the street.—Mr. Haydock, in accordance with the notice he bad given at the previous meeting, moved that the license to Mr. Clarke for keeping a i slaughter-house in Plumbe-street be withdrawn. He urged nis motion on the ground that the slaughter-house was a nuisance, and had been proved by the inhabitants to be so. some discussion followed, and the general feeling elicited was that the subject of slaughter-houses should be taken up and c onsidered. As an amendment, Mr. Hodson moved that a c ommittee be appointed to consider the whole subject of slaughter-houses, which was carried by a majority of eight -11 to 3.—The medical officer reported that in the week ending ° / 1 the 26th instant, 277 deaths were registered in the 10ronh being 25 less than in the previous week, and 1 2 less than the corrected average of the same week of- the preceding :tven years. Of the deaths, 151 wFe in the paish, and 76 in t he out-townships. The mortality from diseases of the 431zotic class was lower than in any week of the previous si z months. Of 69 deaths, 20 were from hooping - cough , 13 f rom scarlatina (less than in any week since August), 7 from teasles, 4 from typhus, 2 (adults) from small - po x, o n e having ,en vaccinated in infancy.' From diseases of the lungs and ~ 'unsumption there were 99 deaths—a number which has been V 1 137 once exceeded since the month of March. A commercial javeller, aged 46, died of delirium tremens. Of the 227 who and, 129 were below 20 years of age, 73 between 20 and 60, i 25 between 60 and 90. It was stated by the law-clerk, reference to the long-disputed question of the area in Vfed-street, that a clause existed in the owner's lease by 11 ich he could make a certain extension of the area so long 4, u e kept it in proper condition. — The law - clerk int imated t hatb o the contract for the removal of the refuse from the ee Mligli expired on the sth of May next, and it would be ne kilttee arY to take measures in reference thereto. A sub-com -1.,f for that purpose was appointed. Several letters having c r ;' et ence to the smoke nuisance were referred to the Smoke n4ll4ittee, after which the meeting broke up. THE QUEEN has approved of Mr._William Watson, as con-. sul in this town for the republic of Venezuela ; and of Don Fernando Montoya, Marquis of Caballero, as consul at St. John's, Newfoundland, for the Queen of Spain. ELIZABETH GRUNDY, fourteen years of age, has been com mitted for trial, on a charge of setting fire to the cotton-mill of Mr. W. Seed, Derby-street, Preston. DUCHY or LANCASTER, Jan. 30. The Queen has been pleasecrthis day to appoint Robert Needham Phillips, Esq., of the Park, Manchester, to be Sheriff of the County Palatine of Lancaster for the year ensuing. TROMA.S MOORE, tailor and draper, Ashton-under-Lyne, has been committed for trial on a charge of wilfully setting fire to his dwelling-house, with intent to defraud the Man chester Fire Assurance Company. AUSTRALIAN MAlLS.—Messrs. James Baines and Co.'s chartered mail clipper Joseph Tarratt, will sail with the mails for Australia on Thursday next. The Post-office boi will close on that day at 8 a.m., with late fees at 9 a.m., and on the Landing-stage at 10 a.m. QUICK DESPATCH. — The new iron clipper ship Mary Stan house, from Akyab, and owned by Edward Bates, Esq., baying on board 22,511 bags of rice, was discharged and cargo ware housed in the transit shed No. 2, Prince's Dock, under the usual regulations, in twenty-nine working hours. Tim magnificent Boston liner John Eliot Thayer, captain Gains Sampson, sailed from the Mersey on Sunday last, for her destination, with another enormous cargo of upwards of 3,400 tons, the value of which cannot be computed at less than £130,000. THE TRANSPORT SERVICE.—The Great Britain, at present in the graving-dock, is announced to sail from Liverpool on Saturday, with upwards of 1,000 troops, her destination being Malta. The screw-steamer Sarah Sands is also being made ready, at Liverpool, for the conveyance of troops to the seat of war. AN OLD LADY, residing at Normanton, near Wakefield, having determined on removing thence to Manchester, sold off all her furniture the other day for £2OO. On her way to Man chester the money, which consisted of notes, was abstracted from her pocket, and the poor woman has thus been rendered penniless. - - - LADIES' COLLEGE IN LIVERPOOL.—We understand that some of the clergy and laity of this town, including gentlemen connected with the Collegiate Institution, have under their consideration the propriety of establishing a ladies' college, similar to those colleges for the instruction of young ladies which have been so successful in London. ROYAL INSTITUTION SCHOOL.—In the late degree exami nation at Cambridge, Mr. W. Glen, formerly educated in the above school, and son of G. Glen, Esq., of this town, obtained the place of twenty-third among the wranglers, or first class of the mathematical tripos. Mr. W. Rees, Canning scholar of the Royal Institution School, lately gained the Hulsean Prize Essay at the same University. - LIVERPOOL CHEMISTS' ASSOCIATION. The fortnightly meeting of this society took place on Thursday, at the Royal Institution, Colquitt-street. J. Abraham, Esq., of Bold-street, presided. Mr. Rowland exhibited and explained his apparatus for taking micro-photographs. Mr. Mercer delivered a lec ture on the "Chemistry of Food." A brief discussion fol lowed ; and, after a vote of thanks to the lecturer, the pro ceedings were brought to a close. ROBBERY AT THE BOROUGH BANE.—On Tuesday, a gentleman named Kerr, whilst attending the Borough Bank to deposit a sum of money, was robbed of £215 in notes, which were taken away from the counter during the time he was engaged in counting some gold. No clue has yet been obtained to the missing notes. The attention of the gentleman was distracted from his cash by a person at 'his elbow directing his notice to the beauty of tha :new ceiling of the bank. The gentleman admired it for a few moments, but in the meantime his money 'had gone. CA.UTICN TO LETTER CARRIERS.—At the Police-court, on Wednesday, Thomas Stephenson, elate a letter-carrier in the Post-offi3e, pleaded guilty to the charge of having, on New Year's-day, neglected to use proper care and diligence in the delivery of letters entrusted to him for that purpose, for which offence he had rendered himself liable to a penalty of £2O. It appeared that he had already been dismissed from his situa tion-; and under these circumstances, Mr. Mansfield thought a fine of 40s. and costs would serve the purpose intended. CHRISTIANITY IN NEW -ZEALAND.—On Wednesday,the members of the Everton branch of the Church Missionary Society held' a meeting at the Everton and Kirkdale School room, for the purpose of hearing an address from the? Rev. Richard Taylor, a missionary from that colony, detailing the progress the gospel had made there, and affording interesting information in connection therewith. He was attended by Hepango," a New Zealand -chief. A similar meeting was held on Friday, at Hope-ball. RAISING THE WIND.—John Fisher, a boy about , eleven years of age, was charged et the Police-court, on Friday, with stealing six pairs of bellows from the shop of Mr. Fraser, St. Anne-street. The prisoner has been charged before the magistrates with thefts no less than seven times, on 'two of Which he has been convicted and punished, and five times dis charged through his ingenious defences. He was, however, on the present occasion, sent to gaol for three months, with a few cautioning words from the magistrates as to his future prospects by leading such a wicked life. DESTRUCTION OF A COTTON MlLL.—Shortly after mid night, on Tuesday, a messenger' arrived at Preston• with in telligence that the cottom-mill of Messrs. J. W. Dale and Sons, at Samlesbury, was on fire. These premises are-situate at Roach, seven or eight , miles from Preston. After the mes senger had arrived with the news, about an hour and a half elapsed before horses maid be procured to convey the engines to the spot; so that at least three hours must have passed before the engines arrived at the burning mill. The building and all it contained were utterly destroyed; the loss amounting, as we have been informed, to £14,000. The proprietors are partly -insured. SHERIFFS FOR 185 e. Cumberland : Sir Henry Ralph Vane, of Hutton-ball and Armathwaite, Bart. -Cheshire Richard Christopher Naylor, of Hooton-hall, Esq. 'Derby shire : Alfred Miller Mundy, of Shipley-hall, Esq. Shrop shire : Edward Lloyd Gatacre, of Gatacre, Esq. Staffordshire : Richard Dyott, of Freeland, Esq. Yorkshire : Harry Stephen Thompson, of Kirby-ball, Esq. Anglesey : John Jacob, of Llanfawr, Esq. Carnarvonshire : Lieutenant-Colonel John M`Donald, of Plas-ucha-Dwygyfylchwy. Denbighshire : John Jesse, of Llanbedr-hall,,Euthin, Esq. Flintshire : Frederick Phillips, of Rhual, Esq. Merionethshire : John Priestley,-of Hafodygregoge, Esq. SABBATH DEFENCE MEETING.—A meeting of the Working Men's Reformation Society was was held on Friday, at the School-room, Lower Beau-street, to promote the Sabbath Defence movement. The.-chair was taken by Mr. Ball. Re solutions were proposed .and carried to bind the meeting to defend the Sabbath, and expressing their gratitude to their Creator for having prescribed its observance. A. petition was also passed, calling on the Mayor to repress Sunday trading in the sale of provisions —the driving of cattle through the streets—the opening of newsvendors' shops, and the vending of spirituous liquors. The speakers were—Messrs. Flannigan, Johnson, Eaton, and Sefton. The attendance was very .limited. BLUE-COAT BROYIIERLY SOCIETY.—On Thursday, the members of this society celebrated their seventeenth anniver sary by dining together at the Royal Hotel, Dale-street. The society is composed of those who have received their educa tion in the Blue-coat Hospital, .and who are associated toge ,ther to carry out several excellent objects specified in the :annual report. The chair was occupied by Mr. T. Wood, the president of the society, and the vice-chair by Mr. T. Down ward. Several of the speakers.ealled attention to the objects of the society, and the large amount of good it had been in strumental in accomplishing in numerous cases which came within the sphere of its benevolent operations. All present were highly gratified, and the evening was spent in the most agreeable manner. 14vEnroor, TOWN COI:WM.—A special meeting of the council was held on Wednesday, John Stewart, Esq., the mayor, presiding. The meeting was held for the purpose of taking into consideration the provisions of a bill about to be introduced into Parliament, "for carrying into effect certain provisions of the Birkenhead Dock Act, 1855 ; for providing for the construction, completion, and management of the Birkenhead Docks; and for other purposes." The council having, on the motion of Mr. Hornby, resolved itself into a committee, the town clerk read the provisions of the bill, clause by clause. After considerable discussion on the 12th clause, on which Mr. Hodson moved, as an amendment, " that it be an instruction to the special committee to avoid, as far as possible, the large present outlay required in so limited a period of time;" but which he did not press to a decision. Ultimately the whole of the clauses, 123 in number, were agreed to, and the bill was referred to the special committee on the Birkenhead Dock affairs, to take all the necessary steps for its prosecution. There was no other business before the council, and the meeting separated shortly before two o'clock. DARBY v. DA ILBY.—This was a suit in the Vice-Chancellor's Court, on Tuesday, before Sir Richard Kindersley, by the widow of Mr. Alfred Darby, to 'administer his estate, but the only point which was argued was whether certain estates en the neighbourhood of Liverpool, purchased by Mr. Alfred Darby and his brother, Mr. Abraham Darby, were to be con sidered in equity as converted into personalty, or whether they descended to the infant heir-at-law as realty. It appeared that Messrs. Abraham and Alfred Darby purchased the estates in question out of money borrowed by them of the Colebrook dale Company, of which they were partners. Their intention appeared to be to prepare the lands for building, and to sell them for a profit, but no part of them ever was sold. Mr. Alfred Darby died intestate m 1852, and it was contended on the part of the plaintiffs, his widow and younger children, that the whole transaction was to be considered as a partnership business, and that the estates were merely merchandise, and as such were merely personalty. The heir contended, on the other hand, that it was not such a partnership transaction as that the court could hold that the estates had been converted. —His Honour reserved his judgment. ME RAGGED SCTIOOL UNION.—The annual meeting of the subscribers and friends of this institution was held on Thurs day, at the Charitable Institution-house, Slater-street. Mr. Edward Heath was called to the chair. Amongst the gentle men present were Mr. S. Martin, Mr. G. Duncan, the Rev. R. W. Wolseley, &c., &c. The chairman intimated that it had been considered undesirable to hold their public meeting as on former occasions, but to meet as they were then doing, and rather make the public acquainted with the institution through the medium of the report.—The report, which was read by Mr. Burt, the honorary secretary, stated that, in consequence of the multiplying claims on the benevolent, and other causes, the society had, in common with many others, not made much progress in a pecuniary sense. The income of the society for 1854 was £2lB, and this year the applications had been more numerous, and it was the first time the committee had been unable to comply with all. The statistics of the schools showed that in 27 week-day, evening, and Sabbath-schools there vv ere on the books 4,706 children, the average attendance being 3,455. Of these, there were 2,144 able to read and write, and 162 who had obtained situations during the year. The number of teachers was 341. There were five infant schools, and the number of children on the books 596, average attend ance 508 ; of these the number that could read was 218 ; teachers, 11. In the two industrial schools there were on the books 216; average attendance 203, of whom 132 could read ; and 57 had obtained situations. As compared with last year, there was an increase of 454 in the average attendance, and of these there were able to read 403. But of those there were many who attended other schools, leaving the real increase in the average attendance 284, and of those able to read, 253. It appeared that of the 341 teachers all were voluntary except 10, and that the total number of children educated was 3,455. The financial statement showed a balance in hand of £l5, and there were already more applications than could be met with the present proceeds of the society. The report was adopted unanimously. Besides the chairman, the meeting was ad dressed by Mr. Martin, Major Greig, Mr. G. Duncan, the Rev. Mr. Wolseley, and other gentlemen. The committee for the ensuing year having been appointed, the proceedings termi nated with the usual compliment to the chairman, THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD. LORD'S-DAY DEssoßATiox. -- _We mentioned in . a previous impression that the barbers of Stalybridge, Lancashire, had, with two exceptions, determined to abandon the practice of shaving their customers on the Sunday. One of the oppo sitionists, named Cook, was charged at the petty sessions with exercising his ordinary calling on Sunday, the 13th ult. The trade having, by friendly remonstrance with defendants, faiW to induce theni to close their shops, had determined to take the present proceedings. The defendant pleaded guilty, and Was convicted in the usual penalty with costs. Deputations of the trade were in attendance from the surrounding towns to hear the decision. CHIMNEY STRUT* BY LIGHTNING. -- On Monday, last week, during the brief thunder-storm, the chimney at Messrs. Hill and Sons' chemical manufactory, Vauxhall-road, was struck by lightning. This chimney is 310 feet high, and the brick-work nearly a yard thick. The lightning first struck it about twenty yards from the top, stripped off the outer layer of bricks, something in the shape of the letter S, to a distance of forty feet, then left a space of some eight or ten feet appa rently untouched, then struck the chimney again, carried with it, in a similar shape, about thirty feet of brick, and then took another direction. The workmen employed about the yard were at dinner, so that the fall of the bricks did no further damage than smash a couple of carts that were lying near. The crash of the falling mass was heard some streets off, and several pieces of brick were scattered to a considerable dis tance. FALLING or A. Dale-street, opposite the Police offices, extending round into Preston-street, was a dead wall surrounding the timber-yard of Messrs. Jones and Roberts. It was about ten feet high, and appeared to be substantially built. Against this wall huge stacks of timber were reclined, without any suspicion of danger. On Thursday night, how ever, at a quarter-past seven o'clock, about four yards in width of the wall in Preston-street was suddenly, and rather quietly, borne down into the street by an immense quantity of timber that was reared against it. The street was, to a considerable extent, barricaded, Much alarm was created, but not a person was injured by the sudden fall. The police immediately set to work to clear away the timber and brick, to be sure that no one was buried under the load. The accident is very similar to the one that occurred .in South John-street some months _back, and thaw after frost may tend to account for it. ROBBERY ON SRIPBOA.RD. — Five seamen, named Hugh M`Neile, John Brown, William Reed, Thomas Ashton, and William Keitch, were brought up at the Birkenhead Police court, on Thursday, on remand, charged with stealing a quan tity of wearing apparel, belonging to John Johnson and some other sailors, who formed part of the crew of the ship Inde pendence, lately wrecked in Drogheda Bay. The vessel went into the Mersey on the 17th tilt., and remained at anchor until the 21st, when she sailed for New. Orleans. Soon after the prisoners were shipped, the prosecutors had their boxes broken open and their bags rifled, and the missing apparel was found to be in the possession of the accused men. Upon a complaint being made, it was said that the captain intimated that the matter should be investigated in America. The ship, however, was stranded in Drogheda Bay, and a portion of the crew returned to Liverpool on Saturday, when the prisoners were given into custody. One of the Liverpool police force found a portion of the stolen clothes in their possession. M`Neile and Keitch were committed to gaol for 14 days, and Brown, Reed, and Ashton for 21 days. LAIINCR AT Aunnosseiv,—On Friday, Messrs. Barr and Shearer, shipbuilders, Ardrossan, launched a fine timber ship from their building-yard, in presence of a large number of spectators, several of whom had arrived that forenoon from Glasgow. The necessary preparations having been completed, the ship took the water in fine style, after being gracefully named the Victor Emmanuel, by Miss Mary Shearer. The lines of the ship are very fine, and it was an opinion pretty freely expressed by nautical men at the time of the launch, that they would be disappointed if she did not prove a fast-sailing craft. The Victor Emmanuel will be ship-rigged, her dimen sions being—Length, 194 feet 1-10th; internal breadth amid ships, 29 feet 1-10th ; depth amidships, 21 feet 6-10ths ; re gister tonnage, about 1,010 tons. Her poop is about 46 feet in length, 22 feet 9-10ths in breadth amidships, with a height of about 7 feet, and measures about 135 tons. The tonnage of the hold is about 874 tons. She is owned by Melsrs. Henry Moore and Co., of Liverpool, and is intended for the Liverpool and East India trade. Captain Newlands, a gentleman well known in the China and Eastern trade, is appointed com mander. THE ROYAL OZARTER. — The following letter has been ad dressed to The Times by the Rev. Dr. Scoresby :—*Sir,—ln a paragraph in The Times of-this morning, on this splendid ship, it is stated that my fears and the surgeon's concerning her "assisted in inducing Captain Boyce to return." Will you' allow me to correct this ( the only particular in the paragraph, perhaps, likely to be mistaken) by stating that, , while I did certainly feel anxiety at the distressing condition of the pas sengers forward, I scrupulously avoided giving any opinion on the question of perseverance or putting back until after the captain had declared his determination, and had given orders to put the ship round? I may be permitted to -add, that, as to one of the difficulties we bad to contend with—that of the deep draught of water of the ship—this is now in progress of being remedied, the ship 'having been already lightened for ward, by the removal of ballast, between one and two feet ; and, in a day or two, the trim of the vessel ( the defectiveness of which had to do with every other inconvenience) will be satisfactorilyadjusted. As to the staunchness of the ship, her buoyancy, and other characteristics as a " sea-boat," in the heaviest weather, nothingeould be more satisfactory or admir able.—l am, Sir, your very obedient servant, Wsl. SCORESBY. —Royal Charter, Plymouth Sound, Jan. 29, TICE LIVERPOOL DISPENSARIES. — The annual meeting of the governors of the Liverpool dispensaries was "held on Thurs day, in the Philadelphia-chambers, Hackin's-hey. The Rev. Rector Campbell, who had kindly consented to become presi dent, took the chair, and expressed his desire to promote at all times the interests of the institutions. The Rev. Cyrus Mor rall then read the report for the past year, which expressed the regret of the committee that the income still fell consider ably short of the expenditure, though, by the kind assistance of liberal friends, the debt of the institution had been reduced from £628 195..3d. to £l5l 9s. 7d. during the year. Notwith standing an addition of £64 4s. 6d. by new and increased sub scriptions, there was still, from various causes, a falling off in others of about £B4. In order to meet the exigencies of their position, the committee had had to realise a deck bond for. £lOO, which would depreciate the income of the institution to the extent of the income derived from that source, and thus the diminution-of the debt of the institution was to the extent of £lOO more apparent than real. The receipts of the past year exceeded those of the previous year by £816125. ld., while the decrease in the expenditure bad amounted to nearly £3O. The numbers relieved by the dispensaries during the year were 37,305. After appealing to the public for an increased subscription list, the committee concluded by deeply lamenting, in common with the whole community, the loss of the Vene rable Archdeacon Brooks, who for several years had - been the president, and ever the warm friend of the institution. Mr. F. Mill, the treasurer, then read his statement of the accounts, and on the motion of Mr. W. F. Macgregor, seconded by Mr. W. M. Moss, the report and treasurer's statement were re ceived, and ordered to be printed and circulated as usual. Other resolutions, expressive of thanks to the committee, to the honorary medical officers, the clergy, &c., were also adopted, the proceedings terminating with a vote of thanks to the chairman. - - - - - TIER MANCHESTER POISONING CASE.—On Monday, the wholesale exhumations in St. Wilfred's Roman Catholic chapel yard, Manchester, in search of the body of John Monaghan, who is alleged to have been poisoned by the administration of acetate of lead, by his son and two accomplices, were re-com menced, and during the course of the afternoon the searchers came upon the coffin. On the following day, the city coroner, Mr. Herford, proceeded to hold an inquest. Mr. Thomas Timperley, the undertaker, was examined, and proved the order given for the coffin. On Wednesday, the examination was resumed. Before the ease against Monaghan and Barry was proceeded with, two men, named Terence M`Laughlin alias Mulroney, a commission agent, and James Keefe, a shoe maker, were charged with forgery and perjury in relation to an alleged will of the deceased John Monaghan. This case was remanded until yesterday. James Monaghan and George Barry were then placed in the dock. The first witness was Thomas Holland, surgeon, who stated that he became acquainted with Edward Dunn, one of the accomplices, in May last, and with James Monaghan about three months previous to his father's death. He further stated that James Monaghan was intro duced to him by Dunn, and that on the night of the introduc tion Dunn, his wife, and her mother,-,James Monaghan, and Mary Monaghan, along with himself, went to a public-house, and each had a glass of porter. Dunn then stated something about an insurance on James Monaghan's father's life, and James Monaghan admitted that they had a policy. Holland never saw Barry till after the old man's death, when Dunn,. Monaghan, Barry, and himself, had some conversation about old Monaghan, and they stated that £3OO would be divided amongst them, when they received it. Some time after that, it was mentioned that sugar of lead had been given to the deceased, and James Monaghan was present at the conversa tion. Francis King, son-in-law of the deceased, deposed that James Monaghan had given his father a noggin of whisky, although it was contrary to the doctor's orders. The deceased was ill about six weeks, and was, up to the time of his death, purged violently. He was in the habit of taking sugar of lead during his illness. William Monaghan, son of the deceased, corroborated the foregoing evidence, and • the case was adjourned till to-day. LivEnroor, SAILORS' HOB/R.—The annual meeting of the governors of this institution was held on Thursday, Mr. James Aikin in the chair. The report for the yeaalBss, presented on the occasion, showed that during the past year 2623 men and 428 apprentices had boarded in the house, against 2991 in the preceding year. Of this number 400 had been resident twice or thrice before. This progress the committee deemed most sa tisfactory, considering the active agencies which were in ope ration out of doors, to withdraw sailors from the influence and benefits of the institution. The facts with regard to the savings' bank were highly encouraging, for, whilst the receipts of 1854 amounted to £12,632, and the balance of the deposits at the close of the year to £4,369 17s. ld., the receipts of 1855 had been £21,989, and the balance to seamen's credit in the bank £9,011 19s. 3d. Thus the transactions in this department had more than doubled in twelve months. Irrespective of these sums £13,912 had passed through the cashier's hands, a large propor tion of which had been transmitted to sailors' families. The report further stated that the library was much appreciated, and the school, under the direction of the Board of Trade, successful. The Chairman, drawing a distinction between the operations of the Local Marine Board (to which one portion of the institution building is devoted) said that, as a home, ,the institution had progressed satisfactorily, the number of boarders at present being more than 200. There was accom modation, however, for double this number ; but in conse quence of the misapprehensions which existed with regard to the Home, and the efforts made by those who preyed upon sailors' earnings, large , numbers of men were prevented from availing themselves of the benefits of the institution. Those who had so availed themselves, however, comprise the best seamen fre quenting the port. The weekly board charge of 14s. had during the last year been found too small to be self-sustaining ; but it was hoped that, with the return of peace, the cheapen ing of provisions, and increase of inmates, it would be so next year. The promoters of the Home had endeavoured to act as harmoniously as possible with the Local Marine Board, and to give every accommodation which was in their power to their operations ; and it was satisfactory to know that their efforts in this respect were appreciated. There was one matter, however, in which neither the Home nor the Board had been altogether successful, namely, in checking crimpage, which still prevailed to a great extent. It was not generally known that not only the crimps themselves, but those who employed them, were subject to heavy penalties, whether they were shipowners, overlookers, or in any other capacity. But the best way of curing this evil was for the owners to instruct all those who engaged sailors not to employ crimps at all, but to come to the Sailors' Home, which in time would thus become, what it ought to be, the most complete and safe mart for sailors' labour in, the port. The report wag adopted, and the usual appointments filled up. There will be no steamer due at this port, with American mails, until the 10th or 11th, when the America, from Boston, may be expected. The captain and crew of the barque Maid of Auckland, of London, arrived at this port, on Friday, in the United States ship Equity, of Boston, having been picked up in lat. 40 20 N., lon. 58 W., having abandoned' their vessel in a sinking state. THE SUMMARY PROCEDURE ACT.—By several orders in council, dated January 30, Her Majesty has been pleased to direct—firstly, that all the provisions of the Summary Proce dure Act,' 1855, shall apply to the courts of record established under the provisions of the act 9th and 10th of Victoria, chap. 95, in respect of all actions upon bills of exchange and pro missory notes, where the plaintiff claims a sum not exceeding £5O ; secondly, that the provisions of the said act shall be ex tended to the court of record of the borough of Liverpool, called the Court of Passage, except so much of section 1 as provides for the mode of fixing the amount of costs to be endorsed on the writ of summons ' • and, thirdly, that all the provisions of the said act, except those of the Bth, 9th, and 10th sections, shall extend to the court of record for the trial of civil actions in the city of Manchester. SALE OF THE WEAVER.—The screw-steamer Weaver, which was built two or three years ago, by Mr. John Laird, to run on the Weaver, in conjunction with the Countess of Ellesmere, from this port, was lately purchased by Mr. H. K. Aspinall, of Birkenhead, for service in the Black Sea, as a tug and pas senger boat. Her name was changed to the Sultana—she was rigged as a fore and aft schooner, and had one of Messrs. Scott's three-bladed spiral screws fitted to her ; a trial-trip was then made, and it was found that, although built for canal navigation in a light draught of water, she was remarkably stiff under canvas. After filling up with cargo and coal, she sailed on Thursday for Constantinople, under the command of Captain Carr, having been re-sold by Mr. Aspinall. The Countess of Ellesmere' is going to the same destination, In telligence has been received that the Sultana put into Holy head to repair a slight defect in her machinery. CHARGE OF EMBEZZLEMENT.—Richard Egan, a respectably dressed young man, was brought up before Mr. Bolton, at the Police-court, on Saturday, charged with embezzlement. Mr. Shaw, of the firm of George King and Co., Water-street, agents to the Dublin and Liverpool Screw Steamship Com pany, stated that the prisoner was in their employ as. quay clerk in the Newry department, and had been guilty of em bezzling £37 14. Rd.—Mr. Bolton : What proof have you that he embezzled the money ? Witness : His own state ment ; he confesses that he received Wybergh (the clerk) : He confesses he received it, and did not account to you for it ? Witness : Yes.—Mr. Wybergh : That is, not em bezzlement, and there is no charge of that nature. Witness : We want to deal with him as lightly as possible. He is a good young man, but 'he has a very bad wife. (Laughter.) The prisoner said there was an entry of over £23 in the book, which he had not handed over, but he had in reality received only £l3 of that sum. £lO of it was due by a Mr. John Campbell, who would not pay until Tuesday (to -day).—Mr. Bol ton : Why should you enter money before you receive it ? Pri soner : I am in the habit of entering it before I receive it, for the sake of the head bookkeeper, in order to show as little outstanding as possible.—Mr. Shaw : We would be glad to give him every indulgence. Of course that £lO would reduce the sum. We do not wish to press the charge of felony against him. Mr. Bolton : You must take your course for the recovery of the money in the County Court; there is no embezzlement shown here. Discharge the prisoner. The young man was then released from custody. LIVERPOOL Towx CourrciL.—The following is the order of business to be taken into consideration at the monthly meeting to-morrow :—The proceedings of the Finance Com mittee, comprising a recommendation to increase the salary of Mr. John Surr (auditor in the Town Dues-office), from £l5O to £lBO per annum ; and a recommendation to. continue the contract with Mr. Fraser for printing, for one year, from Ist March next. The proceedings of the Improvement Com mittee, comprising a recommendation to sanction the proposi tion of the Library and Museum Committee, as to the site for new building. The proceedings of the Church Expenditure Committee, comprising a recommendation to light with gas the, 'clock. at St. Michael's Church. The proceedings of the Library and Museum Committee,' comprising a recommen dation to borrow a sum, not exceeding £20,000, for the pur chase of the site for the new building. The laying of a rate under the provisions of " The Liverpool Library and Museum Act, 1852." The proceedings of the Special Committee ap pointed on the subject of the proposed removal of the Public offices from Cornwallis-street. The : Coroner's account, amounting to .£55 '2s. 6d. The Mayor's communications, comprising a letter from the Right Hon. W. L. Bathurst, en 'closing;order in Council, applying the provisions of " The Summary Procedure on Bills of. Exchange Act, 1855," to the Court of Passage. A DRUNKEN MASTER.—In the County Court, on Thursday, a young man, tamed Robert Fielding, sued Bryan Holmes, publican, 12, St. James's-street, to recover £2 as wages for a week during which he was in the defendant's service, and also for a month in lieu of notice upon his dismissal. The plaintiff stated that the defendant engaged him as barman on the 15th of November last, at a salary of tcs:2o a year, an agreement being made 'that there should be-a month's notice on either side upon their-separation. On the 22d of November, after he had been there a week, the defendant, who had been two or three days "on the spree," entered the plaintiff's bedroom, about three o'clock in the morning, and putting the candle close to his face, said—" You - rascal, arn't you going to get up ?" He then went into the servant's bedroom, and was seven or eight times in and out of the plaintiff's room before four o'clock. The plaintiff then got up, and upon going down stairs he found that the defendant had broken in the panels of the bar door with a poker, which was lying on the floor. About half-past ten o'clock, when the plaintiff was going to clean himself, the defendant followed him, and said, - " Now then, you can go altogether ; you come from Bolton, the same place as my mistress. You had better shake hands with her, and kiss her before you go." 'When the plaintiff asked him for the wages due to him, he• said, "No, I shan't pay thee; thou can put me in the County Court." In his defence, Holmes said, "The young man didn't suit me, and I discharged him. He was going out, and I told him that if he did so he had better go altogether." 'His Ho our: What do you say about the money he speaks of ? Did you go to his bedroom at three o'clock in the morning ? Defendant : Not that lam aware of. His Honour : Were you oober that day? Defendant : Yes. His Honour : And the day before ? Defendant : Yes ; for anything I know. His Honour [to the plaintiff]: I give you a verdict for the amount claimed. (To the defendant): You had better keep sober, sir. If you had been in the street at the time of this occurrence you would have been taken into custody by the police, and been fined ss. ; but being in the house, you dismissed your servant, and must pay £2. IMPORTANT To Suirowauus.—ln the County Court, on Saturday, in the case of Farquhar v. James Baines and Co., Mr. Forshaw applied for a re-hearing on a future day, when Captain Forbes might be able to attend. His Honour, in giving judgment, said the facts of the ,case were brought be fore the court on the previous hearing of the application of Thomas Farquhar, against the defendants, for a certain amount of wages alleged to be due up to a given period, namely, the day on which he left the Lightning, at Mel bourne, for H.M.S. Phantom. The act of Parliament passed last session directed, that whenever a seaman did leave the merchant service to go on board one of Her Majesty's vessels, and he presumed it meant voluntarily going on board, because no other mode was recognised by this act of Parliament,—it was the duty of the captain, and he was obliged to perform that duty under a penalty of £2O, to give the seaman, so voluntarily leaving his merchant vessel, an order or "bill," as it was called, upon the owners, payable at sight. It had been urged that in this case such a " bill" was given to the plaintiff, and a " bill" was produced purporting to be an order, by Captain Forbes, to the owners, Captain Forbes being clearly their agent, to pay a certain sum to Farquhar for wages. Upon that, he (his Honour) deemed that the wages were due, and a verdict was given for the plaintiff. Now, however, Mr. Forshaw urged that that verdict ought to be allowed to remain over, on the ground that the order obtained from Captain Forbes was obtained by force, the plaintiff having, as defendants alleged, by an , affiidavit now put in, been taken by persuaders, in the shape of thirty or forty marines from the Phantom, and Captain Dennis, of the Phantom, having fired a shot across the bows of the Lightning as a warning that he, Captain Forbes, must band over the order which be had previously refused to do. No doubt Captain Forbes would rather give the "bill" than have a shot fired into his fine ship by H.M.S. Phantom. If, how ever, it was the duty of Captain Forbes to give the " bill" or order, as it would be, unquestionably, if the seaman went on board the Phantom of his own free will, the application of compulsion, in causing him to give the order, would not, in his opinion, vitiate it. He did not feel, therefore, justified in reversing the order, and he must let his verdict (for the plaintiff) stand. H ei did not say anything as to the effect upon a bill given under force, and after a shot had been fired. He had not sufficient evidence before him upon that point. Mr. Forshaw : Upon a future action we shall have to discuss that; there are six others. His Honour : Then you can have all the points raised at once. MELANCHOLY SIIICIDE.—On Saturday morning, about half-past ten o'clock, Police-officer 248 (William Ward) was called to the public-house of Mr. Helliwell, Bridport-street, where a young man lay on the floor of one of the bedrooms, with his throat cut in three places, and an open razor lying beside him. He was still alive, and the officer asked him his name. He replied " William Moffatt." The officer further asked him " Who has done it?" (inflicted the wound) and the young man gasped out "myself," and in a few moments ex pired. A surgeon had arrived shortly before and attempted to'save his life by sewing up the wounds, but without avail. An inquest was held the same afternoon, when Mr. and Mrs. Helliwell stated that the deceased came into their house about ten o'clock on Friday morning, with a portmanteau, and stated that he had just arrived from Ireland. He appeared as if exhausted from excitement or sickness. He gave them his name, and said he was a clergyman's son from Newry. He added that he had been a very wicked man, and had left a servant girl at home in the family way by him, and that his father had refused to let him marry her. He had been spoiled, he said, by his parent's indulgence, and expressed a fear that he bad broke his "poor mother's heart." After par taking of breakfast he went to bed, and remained there until two o'clock in the afternoon. About half-past nine o'clock he went to bed again, after paying Mrs. Helliwell two shillings for the accommodation he had received, and expressing a wish to be called at six o'clock, in order to catch the early morning train for Manchester. He was heard about five o'clock next morning walking about his room restlessly, and about six o'clock Mr. Helliwell took him a cup of tea. He appeared in great trouble, however, and refused to take it, saying that he should go to Australia. About ten o'clock • Mrs. Helliwell went to his room,, and found him as described. Upon the deceased was found a Punch's Pocket Book, for 1853, containing sundry letters and papers, but no money. One was a letter dated June,' 1855, from the Secretary of the Dublin and Belfast Railway Company, regretting that a situa tion, for which the deceased had applied, was filled up, and enclosing his testimonials, signed by the vicar and curate of St. Peter's, Drogheda, several justices of the peace, and other gentlemen. The deceased appeared to be a fine young man, of about twenty-one years of age, light complexion, sandy hair and moustache, and bright blue eyes. The jury returned a verdict of temporary insanity. Shortly after the termination of the inquest, Mr. Haggarty, who keeps a temperance coffee house in Hood-street, came into the court and stated that the deceased had arrived at his house on Thursday morning. He appeared greatly agitated, and gave the same account of him self as he did to Mr. Helliwell subsequently. He continually exclaimed " Oh ! the girl, the poor girl ; I have ruined the girl I" His conduct was so suspicious that he was put to sleep in a treble-bedded room, along.with some recruits, who stated that several times during the night he tried to jump out of the window. About ten o'clock he left the house, with his port manteau, and was not seen by Mr. Raggarty again until the suicide became known. A small brass plate was found in Mr. Haggarty's kitchen, after the deceased left, with " Rev. C. J. Moffatt, Newry," engraved upon it. The corpse awaits the instructions of the deceased's friends, who have been written to to ascertain their wishes as to its disposal. GENERAL INTELLIGENCE. THE army medical staff corps is to be increased to 1,500, being an addition of 300 to its original strength. THE WI Dow OF M. GIIIAUT, of Valenciennes, famous for having introdueed the cultivation of chicory for mixing with coffee, has just attained her hundreth year, and is still in excellent health. MESSES. STEPHENSON, SA.IILI, RANCO, AND OTHER EN GINEERS OF NOTE, are now making surveys for driving a tunnel through the Mont Cenis. M. Ranco is of opinion that this stupendous work may be effected at a cost of only 25,000,000 f. A LETTER from Rome says—" Vesuvius is itilabour. The signs which precede a violent eruption are apparent. There is an esplanade upon the summit, which usually can be reached without danger, but at present one would be stifled with the sulphurous odour, and the noise is anything but reassuring. AN extraordinary general meeting of the General Iron Screw Collier Company is called for to-day, to reduce the capital from £250,000 to £125,000, to, make the shares of 05 each instead of £5, and to bring the undertaking under the Limited Liability Act. ANOTHER meeting of the new association of railway pro prietors was held on Wednesday, at the London Tavern, to arrange for the organisation of a council of 100 members, of whom 28, consisting of leading shareholders, were at once nominated. M. SWIDZINSKI, one of the richest landowners of Podolia, has left to the city of Warsaw his library, consisting of more than 30,000 rare and precious volumes, a collection of Slave and Polish antiquities, a collection of Polish coins extending to the most remote period, and a magnificent gallery of paint ings, by masters of every school. LONDON AND SOUTH-WESTERN RAILWAY. — The directors of this company have resolved to recommend to the pro prietors at the general meeting on the 14th instant, that the dividend for the last half-year, be at the rate of £6 12s. 6d. per cent. per annum on the capital, making with the previous dividend, £5 per cent. for the year. THE dissolution of the French Polytechnic School has been decided upon, owing to its revolutionary character. It was remarked that it passed the Imperial Guards silent to a man, when every other corps was fre'netique with enthusiasm. The Empress, who was in a balcony, remarked the affront thus offered to the army then drawn up in the Place Ven dome. TELEGRAPHIC DIFFICULTIES IN TURKEY. — The submarine telegraph cable, connecting the two shores of the Bosphorus, has been immersed most successfully. Great difficulties arise daily, however, about the laying out of the wire on the top of the houses at Scutari. The people are superstitious, and fear that the evil spirit, in running through, might station itself among them.—Constantinople Correspondent of the Morn ing Herald. MORTAL STRUGGLE WITH A BEAR.—A few days ago a man who was out shooting in the mountains found at the entrance of a cavern the dead bodies of a man and a bear, clasped together, but partially stripped of their flesh by vultures. The man held a gun firmly grasped in one of his hands, and this caused him to be recognised as the unfortunate shepherd, Delvallez. It is clear, that after mortally wounding the bear, the animal must have seized and pressed him to death.— Galignani. MR. JAMES HATFIELD, for many years postmaster of Huntingdon, has been summarily dismissed by the Post-office authorities, and committed for trial by the local magistrates, under the following circumstances :—ln November last, a Mr. Fox took out a post-office order for 225., inclosing it in a letter to Messrs. Du Barry, for "Arabica Food." The postmaster, being agent for Du Barry, stopped the post-office order, and directed the Arabica to be sent, by which he, of course, ob tained a commission. THE master of a house in Sheffield, one day last week, espied a burglar just as he was making his exit. The thief got out safely and ran off, when the master of the house, who had a dog, said, "Fan, go and catch him." The animal, which was quite equal o the task, ran after the fellow, and, coming up with him before he could get out of sight, seized him and threw him down, without, however, doing him any injury. The master following, secured the burglar, who was brought before the magistrates the next day, and committed for trial at York assizes. THE PEACE CONGRESS AT PARIS.—The Constitutionnel states its opinion that the Peace Congress will not be able to commence its deliberations before the 20th or 25th of Febru ary. It also says that the signature of the preliminaries of peace will be reserved for the Congress. The armistice also will not, if the above version be accurate, take place till the Congress meets. The Emperor has ordered apartments to be prepared at the Elysee and elsewhere, for the official residence of the members of the Peace Conferences. THR TRIAL OF WILLIAM PALMER.—At the Court of Queen's Bench, on Thursday, it was ordered that the trial of William Palmer should be removed from Stafford. The practical result of the success of the application will be that the prisoner cannot be tried during the assizes. The bills of indictment, when found against him by the grand jury at Stafford, will forthwith be removed, by the operation of the writ of certiorari, to the Court of Queen's Bench, and the trial will take place either there, or, as is perhaps more pro bable, in the Central Criminal Court. A FARM SERVANT'S LODGING.— On Saturday (says the Windsor Express) a labouring man, named Jones, preferred a charge of " misusage" against his master, a farmer at Shinfield. During the proceedings it was stated that Jones was hired as a yearly servant by the defendant, who was to pay him a certain sum per week and find him lodging, such lodging being a hurdle covered with straw, and suspended by a rope from the ceiling of the harness-room. Jones alleged, among other "complaints," that this lodging was not pro vided, and that in consequence he was obliged to sleep in the loft of a public-house. CURE FOR HYDROPHOBIA.—M. Guerin-Meneville lately brought before the French Academy of Sciences a means of curing hydrophobia, which, he stated, is practised in Russia with success. A little insect, the golden cetonides, found in considerable quantities on rose-trees, is proved, when pounded to a powder, and administered internally, to produce a profound sleep, which sometimes lasts for 36 hours, and which has the effect, in many cases, of completely nullifying the hydrophobic affection. A distinguished entomologist, of Russia, M. Mots ehouski, has tried several experiments with this insect, and in most cases with success. THREATENED IMPEACHMENT OF MINISTERS.-011 Wed nesday, a public meeting was held at St. Martin's-hall, West minster, in compliance with an invitation placarded to the fol lowing effect : Do the men of Westminster desire peace at any price?" The Hon. Colonel Vereker moved the first reso lution, condemnatory of the proposed pacification, and declariug the terms to be unsatisfactory. The resolution was seconded by Mr. A. B. Richards. A stormy discussion followed, in which Mr. Harris in vain attempted to move an amendment of an opposite character, and eventually a resolution in favour of the impeachment of ministers was almost unanimously agreed to. A SHORT TIME AGO, while a detachment of militia stationed at Airdrie were out to drill, their commander ordered them to " quick march ;" scarcely had they commenced when a voice shouted " halt." The order was obeyed. The would-be-officer would have remained unknown had not a lad been seen darting across the fields. Muskets were instantly dashed to the ground, and a general pursuit followed. After some time, he was captured and taken to the police-office. He was tried the same evening, on a charge of disorderly conduct, and ordered to pay a fine of 2s. 6d., or go three days to prison. WOOLWICH ARSENAL.—A very extensive paper-mill is now being constructed for the manufacture of cartridges upon an improved principle. Hitherto cartridges have been made from paper, but by the new process they will be manufactured from pulp, and be entirely seamless. The labour required for their production will be infinitely less by the new system. A new building for the manufacture of small arms is to be commenced forthwith, on a site near the east wharf, and plans have been approved for a new foundry for large guns, which is to be built near the new saw-mills. RIGHTS OF FRENCH PROTESTANTS.— A telegraphic des patch brings the result of the judgment of the Imperial Court of Orleans, in the interesting case of Captain Gcetschy, whose relatives sought to deprive him of the custody of his children, on the ground that he had lately become a convert to Protestantism, and was 'about to bring them up in the Protestant religion. The tribunal deciding in favour of the rights of conscience and the natural authority of the father, has quashed the resolution of the " family council," and de clared that Captain Gcetschy's religion affords no ground for taking his children away from him. DETECTION OF POISONS.—At the close of a lecture delivered on Monday, at the Bristol Philosophical Institution, Mr. 'Wil liam Herapath, the eminent analytical chemist, took the oppor tunity of adverting to the state of alarm which had been pro duced in the public mind by the recent alleged secret poison ings at Rugeley, Manchester, and elsewhere. The apprehen sions which the cases to which he had referred had given rise had, he said, been much increased by certain ctatements which had been put forth, and which, as he understood them, were these—that prussic acid could not be discovered in the system at more than 14 days, that strychnia could only be detected a few hours after death, and that coculus Indicus could not be detected at all. Now he had himself detected the presence of prussic add in a human body after an inter ment of two months. He had found coculus Indicus in dead fishes, and in a human body, after it had been buried for ten months. The difficulties in the way of detecting poisons of this class were not, therefore, so insurmountable as some sup posed • and he hoped that the knowledge of the fact would have thei effect of reassuring the public mind. THE CONSERVATIVE LAND SOCIETY AT EPSOM.— On Tuesday, a numerous meeting of the inhalAtants of Epsom was held at the Assembly-rooms of the King's Head Hotel, to receive a deputation from the executive committee, in explana tion of the objects and plans of the society, whose operations are about to be actively extended to that district. The depu tation consisted of the Rev. Dr. Worthington, Mr. N. W. Winstanley, and Mr. T. Knox Holmes, members of the executive committee ; Mr. C. E. Lewis, solicitor, and Mr. C. L. Gruneisen, secretary. The meeting was most numerously and influentially attended. In the unexpected absence of Viscount Ranelagh, the chairman, Mr. Knox Holmes, who was called to preside, gave a very clear and forcible explana tion of the objects and principles of the society. He was followed by the Rev. Dr. Worthington and Mr. C. E. Lewis, in speeches of considerable length. On the motion of Mr. Everest, seconded by Mr. Andrews, a very cordial resolution was passed, expressing the confidence of the meeting in the society, and promising active support. It was intimated, in the course of the proceedings, that early steps would be taken to secure a local purchase of land at Epsom. EASTERN COUNTIES RAILWAY.—The adjourned meeting, for the declaration of the poll on Mr. Goodson s amendment, was held on Tuesday, at the London Tavern, London. The meeting was crowded, and little less noisy than usual. Mr. Wadding ton, having taken the chair, announced the return of the scrutineers to be as follows :—For the amendment : Personal votes 160, representing £277,340 stock, and 4,111 votes ; proxies 552, representing £1,174,880 stock, and 17,014 votes ; total proprietors 712, representing £1,452,220 stock, and 21,125 votes. Against the amendment : Personal votes 508, representing £695,980 stock, and 11,710 votes ; proxies 175, representing £231,500 stock, and 3,994 votes : total pro prietors 683, representing £927,480 stock, and 15,704 votes. Majority for the amendment : 29 proprietors, representing £524,740 stock, and 5,421 votes. The result, therefore, is favourable to Mr. Waddington. Mr. Serjeant Gazelle moved that the poll be printed; a long, wandering, and turbulent discussion followed ; Mr. E. Ball, Mr. Helps, Mr. Unwin, Mr. Love, and others, speaking in favour of the motion, and Mr. Challis and Mr. Cobbold, M.P., and the Chairman, not approving it. The Chairman added that, so far as he could judge from the letters he had read, those who had supported him would glory at finding their names published. Ile was quite satisfied with the verdict of the shareholders, both • morally and legally. The motion was agreed to. A CLOAK, ornamented with garnets, and valued at 200,000 reals, has been presented by the Queen of Spain to a statue of the Virgin of Sonores, in one of the churches. POSTAL COMMITNICA.TION. — The Government of NeliESonth Walei has called for tenders for theconVeyance of the mails between Sydney aud . Sincapore, via Torres'-straits. ThecOn tract is to be entered into from month to month.—Me/b. Age. PROPOSED ARCTIC EXPEDITION.—We hear it 'is in On templation, by some of the savans of the Royal Society, to make a requisition for another Arctic expedition, to be sent in search of further relics of poor Sir John Franklin and his lost companions.— United Service Gazette. IT is stated that Dr. Redman, a missionary, has verified the existence iu Africa of an immense sea, without outlet, twice as large as the Black Sea, between the equator and 10 degrees south latitude, and between the 22d and 39th meridian. It is called Ukerewe, or Inner Sea.—American paper. LEEDS ELECTION will take place to-morrow in the Coloured Cloth-hall-yard. Mr. Baines, it is expected, will be nomi nated and seconded by Mr. J. Wilkinson, tlax-spinner, chair man of his election committee, and Mr. D. Lupton, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce. A NEW TRADE IN PARIS.—The necessity of paying a tax on dogs from the commencement of the present year has led to the destruction of a great number of these animals in Paris, and principally by drowning them in the Seine. A number of persons have engaged in the occupation of getting out the dead bodies and boiling them down, in order to extract the fat, which is employed in the preparation of kid gloves, and especially of straw-coloured ones, and is sold at the rate of 2f. 50c. the kilog. At Bordeaux, 5,640 dogs have been declared, and it is expected that 42,000 f. a year will be raised in that town by the tax ; and at St. Etienne 2,857, producing nearly 20,000 f. a year.— Galignani. THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH COMPANY. —The generalhalf yearly meeting was held on Wednesday, at the offices, Loth bury ; General Wyld in the chair. The accounts presented exhibited a balance of £22,379 in favour of the company. A dividend of 14s. 3d. per share, being at the rate of six per cent. per annum, was declared. Mr. Ricardo stated, in reply to a shareholder, that the number of message- , for the first half year of 1855 was 372,000, and for the last half-year, 384,000 - showing an increase of 12,000. Messrs. Bidder, Till, Hunt, and Cooke, the directors who retired by rotation, were re elected, and a vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the proceedings. COLONIAL EXPENDITURE.—A. return, moved for by Lord Seymour, M.P., shows that the grand total expenditure in curred by Great Britain for the year 1853-54 for the colonies amounted to the sum of £3,288,338, whereof £2,941,687 (gross) was devoted to military charges, the net amount having been £2,687,070 ; £590,040 to civil charges (gross), and £49,950 to naval expenditure, making a net total amount for civil, mili tary, and naval establishments of £3,291,063. The Post-office collections exceeding the civil expenditure amounted to £3,325. Of the above amounts for civil and military expenses £238,911 was appropriated to Gibraltar, £295,740 to Malta, £513,969 to the Cape of Good Hope, £104,574 to the Isle of France, £130,730 to Bermuda, £47,651 to St. Helena, £149,376 to the lonian Islands, £72,466 to Hongkong, £152,536 to Jamaica, £283,613 to Canada, £120,943 to Nova Scotia, £94,765 to Ceylon, £87,326 to New Zealand, £71,313 to New South Wales, £264,287 to Van Dieman's Laud, and £133,835 to Western Australia. THE EDINBURGH ELECTION. — The requisition to Mr. Adam Black, signed by 1,124 electors, was presented on Saturday week. Mr. Black consented to stand, and invited the electors to meet him on Thursday last, when he stated his views upon public affairs. The names of Sir Wm. Johnston, on the " No Popery" interest, and the Hon. T. Bruce on the Conservative, have been mentioned. Another candidate, Mr. Francis Brown Douglas, advocate, one of the magistrates of the city, is brought forward on account of the unpopularity of Mr. Black's views with a large body of electors on the subject of Maynooth and the Scotch Public-house Act. The new candidate, in his address, expresses his opposition to the May nooth endowment, and his determination to resist any inter ference with the Forbes M`Kenzie Act for restricting traffic in intoxicating liquors. Mr. Douglas having obtained nume rous supporters on both these grounds, the election is likely to be a keenly, and probably a closely contested one. Mr. Brown Douglas is in public politics a Liberal-Conservative. PERPETUAL MOTlON.—George Wather, tailor, a man aged seventy, applied at Lambeth Police-office, last week, under pe culiar circumstances. He stated that be was a tailor, at Brid port. Owing to the extravagance, &c., of his second wife, he became reduced in circumstances. About four years ago he ventured on a third wife, and carried on business in a small - way, until he by accident discovered that which had for cen turies baffled the greatest philosophers, namely the "perpetual motion." His friends said that, doubtless, he would meet with distinguished patrons in London. Encouraged by their re presentations, his wife and himself set off with just sufficient to bring them to town. On their arrival they had only 3s. 6d. left. His impression was that he should be possessed of thou sands in a few days, but, to his utter astonishment, neither the authorities at Marlborough House, the Lord Chancellor, nor Lord Palmerston, would entertain his invaluable discovery, nor, in fact, could he find any one who would. Thus he was reduced to the utmost destitution, and was without the means of getting back to. Bridport. He was relieved out of the poor box, and obtained a pass home. SHOCKING AFFAIR IN SIITHERLANDSHIRE. —We find in the North British Daily Mail an account of some extraordi nary proceedings near Thurso, Sutherlaudshire. A young woman committed suicide, and the body was found in the river. A question arose where to place the body until a coffin could be got ready for the interment. The Free Church minister commanded that the body should be taken to the parish church, as the only proper place for it. On the other hand, the minister of that church demurred to the proceeding, especially as there was an empty storehouse near the very place where the body was found ;. or if it was thought that a church was more desirable, the suggestion arose that it ought to be the church where the deceased herself worshipped when alive, and that, as already stated, was not the parish church, but the Free Church of the district. This, however, would not do for the Free Church party. They proceeded to acts of violence. They broke open one of the windows of the parish church, and thrust in the body of the suicide : and, not contented with this, they placed it, streaming with blood, on the communion table of the parish church, where it lay till the following day, greatly to the dismay, if not horror, of all the members of the Established Church in that place. PRINTING A NEWSPAPER IN THE WOODS !—We are doing what, perhaps, has never been done in the United States before : we are printing the Wisconsin Mirror in the woods —not a dwelling except our own within half-a-mile of us, and only one within a mile ! The forest oaks bang over our office and dwelling, the deer and rabbits are shy around us, and the partridges and quails seek our acquaintance by ven turing nearer and nearer our doors. The noble Wisconsin is bearing onward its immense burdens of ice, majestically and silently, within sight of our windows ; and the snow capped hills, covered %1 ith scattered oaks and pines, peer up in the distance. There is romance and reality in all this, and we feel almost willing to publish a paper iu such a location just for the excitement of the thing. But most of the romance is soon to be spoiled. Already several dwellings are in pro gress near us, and before many weeks they are to be occupied by enterprising neighbours ; and, when spring and summer shall come, we expect such a clatter of axes and spades, and trowels and saws and hammers, that we shall hardly be able to write our editorials without introducing more or less of the confusion. The fact is, we expect a large village —yea, a city—to grow up rapidly around us ; and that is why we are here—printing in the woods !—Wisconsin Mirror, Jan. 1. Loss OF TEE PACKET-SHIP ST. DENIS.—The New York papers contain accounts of numerous shipwrecks, attended with loss of lives, the most serious among these disasters being the foundering of the Havre packet-ship St. Denis, a double decked vessel of 997 tons burthen, which has made regular trips between Havre and New York during the past eight years. She was built in 1848, and fitted up in handsome style as a first-class ship. The crew, including the captain, num bered thirty-three souls, and there were three cabin and ten steerage passengers. The cargo was a full one, and the vessel was separately valued at 65,000 dollars, 28,000 of which were covered by insurance. It appears from the statement of the first-mate and other survivors that the ship encountered a terrible hurricane when two days out of the port of New York, by which she foundered 130 miles from Sandy Hook. Great exertions were made by the captain to save the passengers and ship, but without success, 11 of the 46 souls only being saved. These were picked up by the caPtain of the ship Naples,l_bound to New York. All the passengers, the captain, second m a te, steward, &c., were drowned. At about noon on the day when the vessel was lost, she being then rapidly sinking, her mizen mast cut away, and the sea breaking furiously over her, the first-mate got out the long boat, which, although badly stoved, they succeeded in keeping afloat by constant bailing. At about 10 minutes before 12 they left the ship with all that could be persuaded to take to the boat, viz., the ship's first mate, the third mate, and nine seamen, the captain and pas sengers refusing to leave, on the ground that it was no use, as the boat could never live. The first mate hung about the ship for a few minutes to induce others to leave, but, as no more would leave, they pushed off, and in ten minutes more the ship went down. At half-past five on the following day the boat, as above-stated, was picked up Iv the ship Naples. Captain Follansbee had sailed in the employ of the company, (Boyd and Hincken) for nearly twelve years. He resided at Brooklyn, where lie leaves a wife and seven children. The Second mate leaves a wife, but no children. Francis Weiss, one of the cabin passengers, was married on New Year's Eva, and was returning with his young wife to his fatherland, with his small accumulations. He and his bride went down clasped each in the other's arms. J. B. Petty, one of the lost, was a brother of the Hon. R. Petty, a senator of New York. SOCIAL PROGRESS AT MELEOURNE.—In spite of Com mercial reverses, however, population has continued to pour in, and building has been carried forward in the city with great spirit. At this moment the population of the colony is, as nearly as can be ascertained, 283,000, of which number 30,000 have arrived within the last six months. The pro portion of males to females may be set down as fully three to two, so that there are somewhere about 60,000 marriageable men who cannot find wives in the colony. In the region of intellectual progress some gratifying indications are observ able. A public free library is in course of erection, and will soon be in operation. The University building is going for ward. The Exhibition has been most splendidly successful, and in every way creditable to tbe commissioners and the colony. The existing literary institutions are flourishing, and new ones are rising into existence. Booksellers' shops are multiplying, and the taste for reading of a superior kind is spreading. We have reason for concluding that no adequate ideas prevail in England as to the completeness or character of the buildings in this city. Melbourne is no longer a mere collection of scattered stores, rudely built of battens and bricks without any pretension to style or arrangement. Melbourne may now be styled a substantially-built as well as a populous c ity. Viewed in connection with its rapid growth, this city, in the character, capacity, and even beauty of its buildings, is, perhaps, unique in the history of the world. A great portion of the shops might, without suffering by comparison, be placed side by side with those of Cheapside or the Strand. Many of the streets are now susceptible of great improvement ; but, considering the rapidity of their construction, and the im mense amount of traffic which passes over them, they a re generally in a very creditable macadamised state ; the foot paths are being flagged with Yorkshire stone, and, in some of the principal streets, the visitor might suppose that he was walking through the best parts of an old-fashioned city or town at home. It is a new feature in Melbourne life to have houses in a state of competition ' • but, in consequence of it, rents, which had risen ridiculously out of all proportion, have now become reduced to fully one-half, and, in some instances, to even lower rates. A well-built brick house, which,at the highest times was worth £8 per week, now lets for £4 or £5, and houses which then let for £5 per week are now offered at from £2 to £3 per week. In the neighbourhoods of North Melbourne and Collingwood, there are many comfortable houses without occupants, aud which_ have beeu §o for :gme time.: Melbourne drotes. , i I