The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-03-11 00:00:00

h - Vrt", I t 1 -A A. telegrapt reached ).lars ay, the 6 Ilan mail arriy )t Cahn an attack of the gc to the 14th of Dec( on the return of s evacua monstration would having, as usual The intel has brought to I on in the town a arming repo, tory, it is not possib winter season. and snow, as w and the mu and in s on Sat 1 violat ping of the mountain passes uy f the country around , had prevented the arri ,1 of accurate acts on which reliance can be placed Sir Alexander Burns and several other officers, the insurgents, who are said to consist chiefly of the Gbiizie tribes, and whose numbers have been magnified most extravagantly, made attempts to destroy the G,OOO British soldiers in the Bala Hissar and the entrenched camp, but,Up to the end of December.they, although stated to be ten•times their number, had not succeeded. One day fighting and four days looking on, together with various attempts at negocia tions, had brought the matters down to the end of the year. They ),ad conspired, they had chosen their own time for th e attack, they had taken their enemy with surprise, two months, they had not even gained t . forts after possession of the There_ . weres several engagement; ing, in which Biitish officers were the 19th of I\'oven3her, when au attempt was made to send a mmunition from the camp to the Bala Ilisiar, and on the 22d, wlien the enemy showed themselves ou the heights, on the 29th. and the Ist and 4th of December, and alsoon the 13th and 23d of the latter month. The enemy did not, how- rided on ever, succeed in their attemptiioovWcoMe the British. The great want in both the stations of the British troops is stated to be food and clothing; for it appears that, by some unac countable mismanagement, the commissariat stores were so placed as to be seized by the enemy on the first attack. There was abundant ammunition in the entrenched camp, and but little in the citadel, and so careless had been the ar rangements, that a sate mode of communication had not been established between 'those two places. The ►esults were that many lives were lost in endeavouring to send the necessaries from one place to another. Mahortimed Akhbar Khan, the son of Post l'ilahOrnmed, 25th of November,, and his pre- joinedthe insur 'lts on th sence is stated to have contributed to extinguish some dis sension amongst the chiefs, as well as to inspirit their troops. He pretended also to endeavour to make terms with the British envoy and commander-in-chief ; but he has perpe trated an enormity which will render his name for ever infamous., On pretence of making arrangements with Sir William Hay M`Naghten, he invited him to - - near a bridge. Sir W. H. M`Naghten went there, panied by four officers and a small escort. He ana hemmed Akhbar had some conversation, when the traitor Mahommed Akhbar abused the British ambassador, drew a pistol, and when the shot missed, drove another, and firing into the breast of the ambassador, killed him on the spot. Captain Trevor, 3d Bengal Infantry, one of the. escort, who, on seeing the first pistol fired, rushed to the rescue of Sir W. H. WlNTagtiten, was cut down, and the • three other officers made prisoners. It appears, that Mahommed Akhbar had arranged an ambuscade near the spot. The head of Sir W. H. MeNaghten was subsequently cut off, and the mouth being filled with a portion' of the mutilated body, it was de corated with the green sPeetacles which Sir William used to wear, and in that state paraded through the town by order of Dost Mahommed. conference Thus fell, in the discharge of a great public duty, *an amiable man, a gentleman, and a scholar, whose loss as a public servant is sincerely deplored, and for whose death, by the hands of an assassin and a traitor, the whole British em ` pire will demand, as India has already done, the most decided vengeance. The care of the Cabal mission has been taken by Major Eldred Pottinger, whose reputation has been esta blished since the gallant defence of Herat. Hopes are even entertained of his being enabled either to defend his position ` until succour arrives, or else to make terms for the with drawal of his brave companions. Among the deaths are those of General Elphinstone, it is said of an attack of gout, caused by fatigue; Colonel Mackerell, her Majesty's 1-Ith Regiment ; Colonel Oliver, sth Bengal Native Infantry ; Captains Mackintosh, Laing, and Walker, of the same regi ment ; and Captain Westmacott, 37th Bengal Native Infantry. In'the meantime, the utmost exertions are made by the government of Bengal and Bombay, to send troops towards the scenes of conflict. Sir Robert Sale, the departure of whose brigadb from Cabal, in October, was the signal for the insurrection, has established a strong position at Jellalabad, whither two convoys and two brigades are marching from Peshawar. The spirited conduct of this officer and of his brigade has obtained the highest praise. If the forces in Cabal, which is ninety miles distant from Jellalabud, could hold out for some time longer, it was supposed in Bombay that the speedy defeat of the Affghans who were still dis united as much as ever, would be easily effected. Great anxiety continues to prevail for correct intelligence from Ca bal, for there is a party desirous of distorting all the facts in order to serve their own purposes. There is a large corps of British troops at Candahar and its neighbourhood. Ghuznee is also well garrisoned, so that, however desirous. the Affghans there might be of revolting, they will not probably attempt it until the fate of. Cabul is known. Scinde is also tranquil. In the interior of India, tranquility prevails generally. There have been some slight disturbances caused in, the Nizam's country, hy some small disaffected chieftains, and at different stations of the military, by some of the regiments discussing their rights to.batta, or additional pay ; but they are not of any moment. The news from China extends to the I3th of December, from which it appears that Sir H. Pottinger had returned from Chusan to Amoy and Hong Kong, where it was said that he purposed waiting until the reinforcements from Europe and India reached tie expedition. It was said that he was dissatisfied with the Chinese fulfilment of the con vention entered into with Captain Elliot, relative to the river of Canton, and that he was about to attack their forts in the middle of December; but this was looked upon in India as a tea-jobbing report. Tharawaddie is tranquil, and engaged in destroying the city of Rangoon and building another, which he calls Voh-a -lal;-ban. The Nepaulese are also inactive. The news of the Sikhs in Thibet under Zorawar Singh is still unfavourable to them, but nothing is said of their total defeat. In Bombay there is a general mourning ordered by the government for three weeks, in, consequence of the death of Sir W. H. M`Naghten, the late governor elect. Ani itinerant diplomatic agent is said to be travelling in the east on behalf of the French government. His name is Colonel Dubois de Jansigny. On arriving lately at Macao, in the frigate Erigone, he called hi.nself envoy to the court of Pekin, but the real nature of his employment is that of an observer merely. Just before the departure of the mail the most alarming rumours were circulated at Bombay respecting Cabul, but nothing official was published, and, as it had become the fashion to sppak of massacres and their most frightful details at the last moment, they met with little credit. The following is the official dispatch of Major General Sir R. Sale, dated Jellalabad, November 18th, 1841. The troops under/13y command reached this city on the 12th inst. It illustrates, in a painful manner ' the excitement of the mind or the people agai ns t us at this period, to relate that my decamping from Gundamuck on the 11th was the signal for the :commencement of a scene of shameful defection amongst the ieregular troops, and a general insurrection of the surrounding Kheils, which hadbefore remained quiescent; Brevet Captain Gerrard, of Captain Ferris's corps of Jazail chees, had been intrusted with the duty of holding the Fort of the Urz Begee. The engineers blew up, under my in struction two of its bastions, and though an accidental fire prevented the demolition of the other two, the ruin of the place was nearly effected by the conflagration. But as the irregulars retired towards the cantonment of Gundamuck, they were attacted by the Ooloose of the Mamoo Kheil, who had before been so submissive. • In this moment of need the Jezailchees behaved admira bly, but Captain Gerrard found himself deserted by the whole of the Janbazes, who, secured by their native com mandant, Noorood-deen, a traitor fostered in the Shah's family at Loodinah, went over to the enemy almost at the same moment. Captain Burn S's corps of Khyberees showed symptoms of disaffection, and though -a portion of them were kept around their colours, it was .soon seen that a re treat from Gundamuck, which the Ooloose of the whole country were attacking, had become inevitable. The can tonment was plundered by the .mutineers r who in their breathless haste to destroy it, blew up its magazine and many of themselves with it. Captain Burns's two field pieces were spiked and abandoned near Alee Murdan Khan's bridge, and three hours after nightfall the, debris of the irregulars came in full and disorderly retreat into my camp at Futtiha dad. M Y own line of march on the llth was no otherwise inter rupted th w an ho by the attacks of bodies of plunderers on the bagga ge , received signal punishment. from our precau tionary2,ooo to parties 3, ; but as the camp broke up on the 12th, from and loaded animals armed men began to close round our tiotips pulation successively and these were joined by the whole ,po lonel Dennie corn y on the line of march; Lieutenant4co slowly before the enemy; tided the rear-guard. He -r9tired cannon as long as the r, repelling Lam by. skirmishers and ground continued abrupt. and rugged. But on approaching the with the view of drawing t hem he commenced to m.anceuvre, their boldness favoured his esint into an action on the level ; sult, I had despatched the. Rri:staagem, and foreseeing this re rein of the Shah's horse to reinforce him. At length-the the lieutenant-colonel directed desired moment arrived, and Oldfield of the sth Light Cavalry, and Lieutenant Nl: t4in of thp : Shaw's' 2d, to make a combined charge against th l e n P ecuted with great rapidity and resolution, and in very corn- This,Was ex , and theorfesthtednA,ff.egohaion pact order ; in a few minutes upwards of It was ascertained on matchlockmen were sabred and shot Irremediable confusion to the heights. the spot that the OolooSe had left inthe cowseaffair 150 dead on the field, and' the proport o i r on th o e f w t t e e l i e r. wounded must have been heavy. After this salutary lesson their efforts to annoy ou r column on t heir route up to the walls of this place were cautious and feeble. The defences of Jellalabad consist of a mud encientcr of up wards of 2,00 0 ' yar ds ' of weak curtains • and round towers which have a nartoW rampart, of no sufficient' parapet. On the northern face the profile is legs bold than elsewhere, and there was excellent cover for an enemy within pistol shot. On the evening of the 12th Otir infantry occupied thegatesandth e ill-constructed citadel, whilst the artillery an cavalry were dispersed in the enclosures adjacent to the re d sidence of the king, and envoy, and minister, without the walls. On the morning of the 13th ' som e regular occup a tion was taken of the place. Troops were posted in the whole of its bastions. The two infant r y co rps were established in the citadel, the artillery on an o en s ace in front of it, and th e cavalr y in the shah's..-- ace ttwo hundred and fifty of the "e e . the Khyberees had returned steadily to th e ir a Jezailehees were emulatin Torts wer e made by plying courage, and unrernitting, trenching tools, and the sub! sand bags, to put the town in a meantime the enemy in great for walls to the southward and had assembled 'under the r masses down from the directionoi lsted its closely to: the nor to the cantonment raise( n' an, crossed the river, ard,' detaching parties cis so great an expense in It had been in part burnt dawn the night before, and w involved in a general conflagration. The enemy, masked by trees and old buildings, kept up en ineessant fire —iisketry against the walls, at a' very short range, for twenty-four hours, tromiwhich our men sustained'. ,ss behind their growing defences; and, as it was de .sole to diminish the consumptied of provisions within the city, and there w a s r e ason -to aPPrebend that the, armed in habitant would join in-any 'Attack made on us from without, I adopted the measures, first of pe all strangers andmittilig 'the women and children to withdraw, next of excl udin g auspicious p ersons, and finally of getting Ai d, as far as it was lge the enemy from a p i;t of their position.- he purpose a force •consiWng of 300 men of h, 100 sapjers, three guns of Capt. hole of the cavalry, and 200 Khybe )f Lieut.-Colonel Monteath, C. 8., and a the town and assail that part of ch I was most desirous -of expel t of the very gallant ) of the 33 to forwar Ic walls AS rei ich I had t This spirited attac wholly broken up the enemy's Lye from that hou ban in our neighbourhood scarcely We have availed yes of this pause to put the walls into a state of de which will, I trust, enable us to defy the efforts of any exertion to store our magazines with grain from the adjacent villages. I enclose reports from Lieut.-Colonel Dennie and Captain Oldfield, and casualty returns from the 11th to the 14th instant inc We extract the following paragraph from the official an nincement of the murder of Sir William M`Naghten, issued the hon. the governor in council, dated Bombay Castle, January 21st, 18-42 " lligher authority will pronounce the eulogium so justly he to the eminent talents and distinguished services of this ted public functionary. But whilst this government abstains from trespassing on this ground, it cannot refrain, amidst the most unfeigned grief, from recording almost the last public act of Sir William Hay M`Naghten's life. When terms dishonourable to the British arms were proposed by the leaders of the insurrection at Cahill, his excellency heroi cally replied,—` That death is preferable to dishonour ; that we put our trust in the God of battles, and in his name we defy our enemies.' " KILLED AND WOONDED Casualties between the 2th and 28th October, of the force under Sir R. Sale, on their march through the Khoord Cabul Pass to Gundamuck. _ _ - . Killed—Captain Wyndham, 35th B. N. I. ; Lieutenant Jenkins, ditto; Ensign King, H. M. 13th L. I. Wounded—Major-General Sir R. Sale, commanding; Captain Wade, staff; Lieutenant. Mein, H. M. 13th L. I.; Lieutenant Oakes, ditto ; Lieutenant Frere, ditto; Lieute nant Jennings, ditto ; Lieutenant Holcombe, ditto ; Lieute nant Rattray, ditto ; Captain Younghusband, 35th B. N. I. ; Lieutenant Coombs, ditto ; Lieutenant Orr, Sappers and Miners. Captain J: G: Gerard, Ist •B. E. L. 1., wounded on retreat from Gundarnuek - to Jellalabad. Wnndburn, 41th B. N. 1., S. S.F., killed near —aptain J. Ghuznee, 3d November. Between the 3d and 17th November, at Cabul Killed—Sir Afßilrnes, Bombay N.A., political resident ; Lieutenant Burnes, ditto, political agent, Ghuznee ; Captain Swayne, H. IT. 44th regiment; Captain Robinson ' ditto; Lieutenant Raban, .ditto ; Captain Maule , artillery ; Lieute nants H. M. Wheeler, 48th B. N. 1., E. W. Salisbury, Ist B. E. L. 1., W. Broadfoot, ditto, Shaw's force ; Ensign. T. W. Gardon, 37th B. N. I. ; Lieutenant C. Codrington, 49th B. N. I. •, Lieutenant C. Rattray, 20th B. N. I. Wounded.—Captain Bott, sth Bengal cavalry; Lieut. Eyre, B. artillery ; Lieut. Evans, her Majesty's 44th foot ; Captain Makenzie, pay department ; Lieut. Sturt, B. engi neers ; .Lieut. Waller, B. artillery ; Lieut. Wartburton, B. artillery. C Sated Malta, March 1 hich this mail a Beteen the 17th Nov. and the 25th Dec., at Cabul Killed.—Col. Oliver, sth B. N. I.; Captain Mackintosh, ditto ; Capt. Laing, 37th ditto; Capt. Walker, ditto; Col. Mackerell, her Majesty's 44th foot; Capt. Westmacott, 36th B. N.I. On the 25th Dec., atCahul!— Killed.—Sir William Hay M'NFghten, envoy ; Capt. Tre vor, 3d Bengal cavalry. Lieut. Ha ' milton sth cavalry; Capt. C. Troup, 48th B. N. 1., and H. Johnson, 26th B. N. 1., reported killed, un certain, though they are missing. Major Eldred Pottinger and Lieut, Haughton, 31st B. N 1., wounded. In the hands of the enemy.—Capt. Drummond; Lieut. J. B. Conolly, 20th B. N. I. ; Lieut. Lawrence, Bengal ca valry, officiating military secretary to envoy ; Capt. Sir A. Mackenzie, filth B. N. I.; Ensign Rose, 57th B. N. I. Capt. Golding, commanding Jabuaz corps, murdered by his men, - at Candahar; and Lieut. Patterson, severely wounded. CHINA: (From the Bombay Courier.) Our intelligence from China is to the 13th December. The latest accounts from the expedition which hod reached Macao up to that date state that no event of importancehad occurred subsequent to the occupation of Ningpo. It was, however, reported that a portion of the expedition had proceeded against Hong-choo-foo. Sir. W. Parker and Sir Henry Pot tinger, when last heard of were at Chusan. The latter had expressed an intention of returning to Hongkong, and his ar rival at that place was daily looked for. When the Falcon .left Macao on the 13th Dec., a vessel was in sight, supposed to be her Majesty's ship Cruiser, with the plenipotentiary. It was generally understood that immediately on Sir Henry's arrival instructions would be issued for an advance against Canton. The Chinese have committed repeated infringe ments of the truce by repairing the old and erecting new for tifications, as also by obstructing the navigation of the river above Whampoa. Major-General Burrell aud Captain Nias, R.N., who have for some time been in command of her Ma jesty's forces at Hongkong, have been passive spectators of these breaches of treaty, and have hereby incurred the most serious displeasure of the plenipotentiary, who is known to have publicly expressed his sense of their misconduct. The arrival of Sir Henry would, therefore, be the prelude to the immediate resumption of hostilities. There can be little doubt that active operations against Canton have taken place long ere this, and that an entire stop has been put to the export trade. It will, therefore, be many months before another opportunity will offer to ship teas in any quantity for England. The greatest activity has been displayed by the commanders, of her majesty's ships of war, in carrying out the orders of the admiral, for putting a stop to the Chinese coasting trade, as also to that with Japan, Java, and Manilla, by seizing their junks, and bringing them into Kongkong and Chusan. Many hundreds of all sizes, from twenty tons and upwards, have already been captured. No molestation is offered to junks bona fide proceeding to the British settle meats in the Straits. - • At Canton, on the 16th of November, everything remained quiet, and teas were being shipped off without interruption. But the high prices which we mentioned a fortnight since as being paid for 'congcn have not been maintained, and those then valued at 35 taels may now he had for 31 taels. Trade was proceeding as usual in Canton on the 4th of De cember, although upon unfavourable terms. By forcing sales of manufactures upon an unwilling market, their prices are even lower now than before, and cotton also shows a ten dency co decline. Teas are about the same as last week, but it is observed that this year's crop is generally of an inferior quality. Large quantities of green - teas are now being pre pared at Macao for the American market, a considerable por tion of these sorts of teas, as indeed of many others, being now shipped from here instead of from Canton. The scar city of the circulating medium daily increases, and syce silver is at par,, whilst Mexican dollars are of extremely diffi cult sale at 4 or 5 per cent. discount. . We were, we learn, misinformed last week, when partially attributing the present scarcity of pillar dollars to the ship ment of the ransom money of Canton to Calcutta. The dol lars then received were mostly kept here for the use of the expedition, and a considerable portion of them must have again been circulated. The chief reason for this sudden diminution of these dollars may prObably be sought in the present troubled state of the country, when Spanish dollars, as generally more current than sycee, and, besides, easily concealed, are eagerly sought after in the provinces of Canton, Fokien, and Chekeang, by the people. Another reason, which would, however, not act with quite so sudden effect, is the nearly total cessation of supply of this sort of dollars, and their rapid destruction in the hands of the Chinese, from their habit of - stamping them ; a measure resorted to by them, as bills of exchange are endorsed by us, holding those whose stamp is upon them responsible for the goodness of the metal. _ - SIR ALEX. BunNEs. , ---Although the - most intense anxiety has been manifested on the subject, we have not been able during the month to obtain any minute particulars of the fate of the late Sir Alexander Burnes and his brother; no com munications containing details of any sort having, so far as we can ascertain, reached India from our ill-fated countrymen at Cabool. The melancholy fact, however, is confirmed by a manifesto in the Persian language, an extract of which we have seen, and which had been addressed by the khans of Cabool to some of the subordinate chiefs. In this document they proclaim that early in the morning of the third Tuesday of the blessed month Ramazan (corresponding with the 2d November last) they with other brave heroes, •` striving like lions," carried by storm the house of Sikunder Burnes, rushing from an ambush right and left, and put him to the sword, together with some other Feringees of consideration, and nearly 500 battalion men. The destruction of Sir Alex. Burnes thus boasted of was evidently, therefore, the first re sult of a deliberative determination to exterminate the Ferin gees, by removing him who had at the same time the strong est hold of the Affghan people, as well as the highest and most prominent qualities amongst his own countrymen for checking the designs of the chiefs. How well they calculated has been proved by the event. TRANQUILLITY RESTORED.—We may now fairly con gratulate the people of Ireland on the accession of the con servatives to office, and the consequent restoration of peace to the most disturbed districts of the country. Tipperary— which, twelve monts ago, was a literal aceldama, a field of blood—has now become as tranquil and as orderly as any portion of Ulster ever was previous to the unhappy outburst of party spirit which, we trust, the on-going circuit of assize will effectually quell. At the opening of the court for the south-riding of this county on Friday last, the Right Hon. Justice Ball addressed the grand jury in the following terms : " Gentlemen of the grand jury of the county of Tipperary, 1 have the pleasing task of being able to discharge my duty almost in a single sentence, and that is one of congratulation on the surprising decrease of crime, in this county. Gentle men, it is truly gratifyin to find . the criminal calendar sO, light ; and having hartlrecaiendaa for the last three years before me, I do say that the decrease of crime in this county 78 one of the most extraordinary facts in the statistics of Ireland. In the'spring assizes for 1810, there were 125;f0r trial, in 1841, there were 92, and now we have but nearly one-half, namely, 56. When such i s the improving condi tion, gentlemen, of your division of the county, I have only one topic to address you upon, and that, I am happy to say, ione of congratulation. I find from your calendar that the crimes bave.diminished in atrocity as well as in number, and from the'few, comparatively speaking, you have for trial, I think the assizes will be over in a few days. Gentlemen, the bills will now be sent up to you, and probably you will be able to get through the greater number this day." The value of this attestation to the government of the Earl De Grey, is enhanced by the circumstances that Mr. Justice Ball is a Roman Catholic—a whig—and was elevated to the judicial .bench by the late administration.—Dublin Evening Mail. - VICISSITUDES or FORTUNE.—A grey-haired blind old man appeared on Friday before Mr. Hardwick, at Marlbo rough-street, London, who stated that his name was Robert Matthew Annesley, and that he had been a solicitor, and was an admitted member of the Inner Temple. He had at one time a most lucrative business as a solicitor, and had also been engaged in literary pursuits ; amongst other works, he had bee n su b- e di tor of " Tomlyn ' s Digest of the Laws," had assisted in compiling the " Statutes at Large," and had also contributed various articles to " D r . Lardner's Cabinet Cyclopmdia." His intense application to business had in jured his sight, and " it had at length pleased the Almighty Disposer of all things to deprive him altogether of his vision ;" and he was now with a wife and four children absolutely starving, hot having tasted food for twenty-four hours. He was well known, he said, to the lste Mr. Dyer, whose death - great loss-to him, and who had frequently, since his affliction, relieved him. He had expected to be received as one of the recipients of the late Mr. Day's bounty for the blind, but, unfortunately, the will was thrown into Chancery, and how long it might remain there it was impossible to say. In 1839 the benchers of the Temple had subscribed £3O for his relief, and he had also received a subscription from the Literary Fund; but these sums being.exhausted, and he and his family starving, he not liking to trespass upon the bounty of former friends, had caused himself to be led to this office to state his case.ir. HTahredwapiepk, which licantha thended in w oartnhuymmbeargoisftrdaote cuments to j l having perused, and afterwa t rd a s t a ge shouldcoenesvuelrteeidMr.F b e Fitzpatrick, the chief clerk, he ordered that hearing this unexpectedgrant, th ee a u t r lV t l t r o . him from th e e po pp o l r ie b e o n x t , , fo e r n thepresnt r . elief - of himself and i ni ar i d retur nedyw'ic thanksHa rdwick di be o enable him to .recover himself. tlhede.mooutti emotion, directed te n d. a that voice hhe should chok ed magistrate for his The poor man having been reinove4 weut•away thanking the wort hy kindnesors::, was a To COMEERPONDTINT A Pussenger" calla the' attention of:the 'authotilleF to a very dangerous but common practice of boys throwing stones in some of the leading. thorouubfarei of the town, (Great Homer-street in particular,) and is desirotis of seeing the police using a little more energy in suppressing the nuisance. _ . . . We can afford to disregard the paltry spleen exhibited by " Fai'r Play." " Q in a Corner" on Tuesday. Had not "J. W." better let the subject alone ? At all events, we cannot find room for his letter to -clay. 7.tibtrpool &tantarb. FRIDAY MORNING, MARCH 11, 1842 The afflicting duty is imposed upon us of laying before our readers the intelligence brought by the last overland mail from India. The particulars will be found fully detailed in our columns ; and upon the heart of every Englishman this awful legacy of Whig misgovernment—whether viewed in relation to the bloodshed which has already occurred, the stain which it has fastened upon the British arms, or the calamities of which it may, with too great certainty, be looked upon as a forerunner—must fall with crushing and paralyzing weight. Upon the, faction, whose insane and selfish policy has drawn down upon the security of our Indian empire so disastrous a shock, and which has sacrificed the lives of so many of its gallant defen ders, the universal voice of Great Britain will surely be raised in a tone of indignation, which ought to compel every thing which bears the name of a Whig statesman to hide his head fOr ever from the sight of men to whom the honour of their country, and the blood of their fellow countrymen, are not as dust in the balance, when weighed against the paltry considerations of place and pay I. The Morning lieraid,.the Chronicle, and the Post, we must state,- dive- far more gloom/ particulars ; and report the massacre of the whole of the Cabool army, amounting to nearly 6,000 men, and the capture of 14 ladies—the wives of British officers,—a calamity, how ever, which we fervently pray has not occurred. There can be no question, however, with respect to the cha racter of the policy of the government which, confes edly, has placed our East Indian possessions in a po sition of unexampled difficulty. The Conservative statesmen and the Conservative press of the country have denounced, throughout, the iniquitous course pur sued by Lord Auckland and the India Board, with respect to this Affghanistan war ; and, even so late as on Tuesday evening last, in the House of Commons, the very disasters wltich have since been made known, and the mis-government which has led to them, were touched upon with a distinctness, almost prophetic, by our valued representative Sir Howard Douglas. These disasters, we repeat, may be exaggerated. We trust they are ; but if they be so—if our gallant army in Affghanistan is not as yet annihilated—the thanks of Great Britain are due to the undaunted courage of our soldiers, and to the protection of an overruling Provi dence, but not to any virtue nr care of the selfish faction which has wantonly and madly placed them in peril. In accordance with our promise, we now proceed to point out a few of those injurious practices to which, we maintain, is to be attributed, in part, the deterio rated reputation of British manufactured goods in fo reign markets. And, first, we will take—as one, in the production and export of which, from the quantity of manual labour which enters into its competition, it is of essential importance that the manufacturers of Great Britain should maintain a high position—the article of PRINTED CALICOES. Of this description of goods, and of dyed calicoes, to which our remarks will also apply, we exported last year, as will be seen by a re ference to Burn's Commercial Glance, 278,748,275 yards; and by a comparison of this quantity with the export of plain calicoes for the same year, which was 366,946,452 yards, it will be seen that printed goods are perhaps the most valuable of all our exports of manufactured cottons. To enable us to bring the sub ject clearly before our readers, it will be necessary to trace this manufacture through its entire process— from the loom into the hands of the foreign consu- The first operation which we shall notice is the pro duction of,the piece of cloth in the gray state. The length of the piece of 7-Bth printing cloth should he 281 to 29 yards, and of 9-Bths 24, 1 2 - to 25 yards ; these goods, when printed, requiring to measure, respec tively, "281 and 241 yards. By practices, however, which we need not describe, they are made to come from the loom 30 and 31, and 25 to 26t yards long ; and the manufacturer is enabled to take " a fent " from each piece, varying in length from 1 to 21 yards. In the operations of bleaching and printing the pieces are considerably stretched, and the printer is enabled to take off an additional "printed fent," still deliver ing the article to the shipper about 29 yards long. By the shipper these goods are frequently calendered, in which operation they are further lengthened and the width consequently decreased ;by the maker-up they are stretched in "hooking," and very frequently are only made up in yards of 36 instead of 37 inches, stretched measure, the result of all which processes enables ano ther printed fent to be taken off, whilst the goods, in nine cases out of ten, go out to the foreign consumer short of the measure which is marked upon them ! Let us examine the effect of these tricky practices. In the first place the gray "fent" is brought into competition in the home market, at a reduced price, with the cloth in the piece. In the same way the printed " fent" is brought into competition with the printed piece. It is well known that the sale of both plain and printed calicoes, in the home retail market, is seriously injured by this competition ; and we have a right to ask from what motives does the manufactu rer pursue so baneful a course ? Why, in the name of common sense, manufacture a piece of goods two or three yards longer than it is required to be, and sell the " fent " torn off for less than it ought to be worth if attached to the piece ? We can divine no reason for this strange anomaly, unless it be that the weaver re ceives no additional wages on account of the additional length of the piece that comes from his loom ; that the " job printer" receives no additional price for printing; and that the exporter pursues the suicidal course of imagining that the fraud practised upon the foreign consumer will not rebound in injury to the general trade of the kingdom, in his time. Unless some one, or all these motives exist, this mutilation of goods is manifestly a piece of aownright folly on the part of the manufacturer, the printer, and the exporter. It cannot, we may remark, be urged that the prac tice in question, to the extent to which it is at present carried on, is an indispensible one to the trade. We can remember when it was comparatively unknown. When the duty upon,,milited- calicoes existed every piece exported went out its full measure, the excise not allowing more than ten inches to be torn off for a pat tern. The home trade in printed , . goods was then, we have no hesitation in saying, a more satisfactory one, and the foreign trade more honestly conducted,—ex cept to the extent that both were affected by the frauds which were practised by the printer upon the excise. Passing over this part of the subject, however, which is of comparatively trifling consideration, let us come to the more general view of the subject. We will suppose, then, that an exporter receives an order for a few thousand pieces of printed calicoes of some given style, in the best colours and upon the best cloth, for any foreign market—say a three or four-coloured print, at 16s. or 18s the piece. '['o execute this order the printer has rollers engraved and blocks cut; and at the end of a month or six weeks the goods are upon their way to the foreign market. Having despatched these, however, he sets his machinery and blocks to the production of the same patterns, originally in per manent colours, in fleeting or otherwise inferior co lours, and upon an inferior cloth, which are sent into the same foreign market to which his former order was despatched, to compete with those goods, at a re diction of two to five shillings the piece ; and here it must be borne in mind that the difference in appear ance between permanent and fleeting colours is not one which the foreign consumer can readily detect, being, in fact, often to the advantage of the latter. It may be urged, however, that the exporter will secure his patterns, by binding the printer to forward no similar or lower-priced goods to the same market ; and that the calico printer who exports on his own account will not conduct his business on so suicidal a principle. Be it so ; but then, within six weeks after the original order has been executed, the "pirate"' has got hold of the same patterns•; has got his rollers and his blocks ready ; or, dispensing with the latter more expensive proCess, 111131 pmaticed..tut sFoot Itnit4tion, tintiroly cif marline work, and is preparod, to &Inge every..ioreign m ar4t with the very abode which were originally ini6l6ed 16s. to 18s. at : ,los. or 12s. Is this, we ask, an over strained case ? Is it not every day practice? Has not a Manchester calico printer—a member of the Anti- Corn-Law League, Mr. John Brooks—declared, be fore a committee of the House of Commons, that the bulk of his fortune was made " by pirating other men's patterns " in the way we have described ? And what, we ask, is the natural effect of such a system ? Why, manifestly, that the foreign consumer, having no secu. rity that, when he buys our best fabrics, his market will not in a few weeks be inundated with spurious imi tations, prefers the goods of other manufacturers whose business is conducted upon a more healthy and honest principle ! That this is the case in most foreign markets is not, as the apologists of the. manufacturing system would have the world suppose, a mere assertion of ours or of any man's. It is proved by the experience of every foreign merchant, of every intelligent traveller, of our own calico printers, even. It has been proved before a committee of parliament; and the remedy has been again and again pointed out, and as often refused, by the free traders of the League. Upon this point Mr. Richard Cobden, of Stockport, is at issue with Mr. John Brooks,' of Manchester the scientific calico printer with the wholesale "pirate;" and whilst both these gentlemen, who represent classes of the trade, join cordially in the common object of cheapening pro duction, by means of a reduction of the price of food and of wages, both, in their secret souls, are ready to acknOwledge that, without some corrective measure on the part of the legislature, however cheaply we may produce, we shall never be .able to aspire to the excel lence and to share the reputation of the foreign calk!) printer in the markets of the world. We could easily, detail a geat . many of the:.practicet by which the honest manufacturer of this commodity, primarily, and the entire trade, ultimately, is preju diced; but we prefer confining ourselves to the really useful and remediable points in - which the subject may be viewed. We have no wish to raise an outcry against the manufacturing interest—to draw upon a body the odium which properly attaches only to 'individual classes of its members. For the malpractices which injure the trade of calico printing, and the repUta tion of British calico printers in foreign markets, we do not blame printers exclusively; for we know that those malpractices are rife amongst merchants and ex porters as well; that they are, in fact, evils of the sys tem, and as such only can be effectually dealt with . To those who are acquainted with the history of " job printing" in Manchester. during the last ten years, (and there are few who have more reason to know it thoroughly than the drysalters of Liverpool,) the fact is tolerably well known that to the mercantile capitalist, who- has for years past rough-ridden the trade and fleeced the tradesman at pleasure, is to be attributed one-half, at least, of the evils of which we complain. But what, it may be asked, is the remedy which we would provide, if not a repeal of the corn laws ? In the first instance, we say, 'encourage the art of design as applied to calico printing. Extend the duration of the copyright. Diminish the temptation to introduce fleeting colours for permanent ones, by untaxing, as far as possible, the materials required by the honest printer. And in addition to these measures, we would say also, if practicable, fix, by a stringent enactment, the minimum length of the piece of printed calico. By the present copyright act we believe that the practice of "fenting" is in part, although, it would seem, in effectually, attempted to be prevented. It would per haps operate advantageously if it was provided that no copyright whatever should attach to goods which did not bear upon both ends of the piece the usual imprint of publication... Upon this and similar points, how ever, we must defer to the opinion of those more prac tically acquainted with the subject. . In our publication of the 25th ultimo, we called the attention of our readers to a statement put forward at an anti-corn-law meeting in Southampt on , b y t h e itinerant lecturer George Thompson, which we then denounced as a gross and impudent fabrication. We have since been favoured, by a friend to whom they have been forwarded by the charlatan himself, with copies of letters from tfie Itr. Henry Ashworth, upon whose authority the statement was made; and we now proceed to prove, from these documents, that such statement was, on the part of Thompson, not only gross and impudent, but something very much worse ! For the sake of perspicuity we quote again the origi nal statement copied from the Hampshire Independent, a Radical paper, published in Southampton, and dated the 12th of February : " I recently attended a great anti-corn-law tea party in the town of Bolton, in Lancashire, where, you are aware, there is a large amount of distress. On entering the spacious Temperance-hall, where this meeting was held, I saw before me, in the front of the orchestra, two rows of fresh meat — one to the left, and the other to the right —a short row and a long row, much beef and little beef. As soon as I reached the platform I inquired what the spectacle meant; and was told that was cheap meat and dear meat—the roast beef of Old England, and the roast beef of New England. (Loud cheers.) An esteemed friend, Henry Ashworth, (a thorough repealer,) said to me, I went to Liverpool yesterday, where I found a packet just in from the United States. I inquired if they had any fresh meat on board. They answered they had. I asked them if they would sell the same. They said yes. I said, at what price? They said, 11d. a lb. I said, give me 255. worth. I brought it to Bolton, and then went into a butcher's shop and said, what do you charge for good cuts of beef? The man said, 7d. a pound. I said, give me 255. worth. I brought both lots here, and had them hung up where you see them.' And there they were, 200 lbs. of Yankee beef, fesh and fine and tempting, fat and lean beauti fully mixed ; and 43 lbs. of English beef, in two sorry pieces, looking askance at their well-fed neighbours from the other side of the water ! (Loud laughter.)" Before proceeding, we ask the reader to mark the circumstantial nature of the above statement through out. First, the "two , rows of fresh meat—one to the left, and the other to the right—a short row and a long row," &c. ; and again, " the ,roast beef of Old Eng land, and the roast beef of New England." Then the detailed conversation of my "esteemed friend, Henry Ashworth"—his journey to Liverpool—his discovery of " a packet just in from the United States"—his enquiries, " had they any fresh meat on board ?" " would they sell the same ?"—and the subsequent pur chase of 44 255. worth." Then mark the exclamation of the itinerant : "There they were, 200 lbs. of Yankee beef, fresh and fine and tempting, fat and lean beauti fully mixed; and 43 lbs. of English beef in two sorry pieces, looking askance at their well-fed neighbours from the other side of the water !" We now 'turn to a letter addressed to Mr. George Thompson by his,‘‘ esteemed fsipa Henry Ashworth" gentleman, we may premise, who is high in the councils of the Ariti-Corn-Lawl League—a member of the Society of Friends—the correspondent, formerly, of Mr. Edwin Chadwick, of the new poor law com mission, upon the subject of the migration of pauper families from the southern districts of England to enjoy the high wages paid in the manufacturing towns—and who figured more recently as a member of a deputation to London from that unfortunate body, the Manchester Chamber of Commerce, upon which occasion our readers will remember that the unhappy Quaker cut a very unhappy figure. The letter in question is dated " Turton; Ist mo., 18, 1842,"—(we entreat our readers to pay attention to this date)—anct commences in the proper epistolary style of the society : " Respected Friend, " Geo. Thompson." After sorrbe notice of the said George's lecturing ex ploits, Mr.. Henry Ashworth proceeds " The American beef and pork which . I exhibited was in voiced as follows : • £s. d. - - barls., weighing 12001b5., at 255. per barl., or 1 „ 10 0 1;t1. per 110. in bond Duty 12s. per cwt. and 5 per cent. over 7 2 0 0 3 3 Cartage and porterage,. " Thus it cost me 2.0. per lb." £l4 15 3 By the above it N Pill be seen, then, that the " fine fresh beef," " fresh ; Ind fine and tempting," " fat and lean beautifully mix, ;d," &c., was barrelled salt beef and pork ; and the 1 reader, who has ever seen any of the dirty-looking stun T in questi on, will wonder where were Mr. George Th 'ompson's eyes when he mistook it for the commodity so magni loquently described to the gobemouches of S louthampt on. To this business-like 3 statemer ►t, however, is appended what is, for Mr. Gec ;rge Tho; mpson's reputation for veracity, a very mat a propos tu )te, as folloWs : " I bought it frons a vgular :I)roker on 'Change, and not off a packet." tho whole of the dramatic di - Magna betwe6r. Quaker and tba Yankee—," Haet - thou any fresh beef Wilt.thou sell the same ?" &c.—is a pure invention-- an lie ! and we beg to ask the anti-corn law ladies of Liverpool and elsewhere, what they think of the man who could be guilty of so barefaced a fraud upon the credulity of the public ? But it will be said, " Surely George Thompson has been misled 'in this matter by his esteemed friend, Henry Ashworth." Let us see how this is, then. On the 7th of March the charlatan writes, to the friend who has banded us the letter from which we have just quoted, as follows :—" I beg to. enclose you a letter from Mr. Ashworth addressed to me at Carlisle, in answer to the enquiries respecting the meat I saw at Bolton. I had previously, however, related the facts as I caught them on the platform in Bolton, and they had gone into print with the error of fresh, instead of salt, provisions." This is the apology offered by Mr. Thompson to his friend for the misstatement in ques tion ; and to Mr. George Thompson we must say we are very, very sorry to contemplate the position in which his own apology places him. Stand up, most miserable of detected itinerants, and answer the few questions which we shalt put to you! "What was the day upon which you uttered the state ment above quoted to the people of Southampton ? Ans. The 4th of• February What is the date of the letter of Mr. Henry Ash worth, in which you were put in possession of. the real facts with respect to the beef in question ? Ans. The 18th of January preceding ! - And yet, Mr. George Thompson, you have the brazen hardihood to say that previously to the 18th of January you had given to the world this false state ment, by misadvertence, as you " caught it on the plat form in Bolton ;" you have the impudence to tell us that your statement had gone into print, with the error of fresh, instead of salt, provisions," thereby intending us to infer. that this is the, only error in it, when your correspondent's letter clearly proves that the statement is a fabrication 'from first to last; and as the date of that letter proves a deliberate fabrication ! You. Went, sir, to Southampton and knowingly, with the letter which we have•. quoted from in •your pocket, you uttered there a deliberate misstatement; you received. there a piece of .plate of the value of 50 guineas frorn the' people whom your untruthful tongue had gulled;. in extenuation of your fault you have written to your friend, as a comparison of dates, will show, an additional, deliberate untruth; and, once for all, we ask you, George Thompson, what do you think of yourself ? . what do you call yourself ? for we shall not sully our judgment-seat . with the only name which is your desert. Go down, unhappy man, go down— you stand committed ! Having done with Mr. George Thomson, we shall enlighten the world with a few passages from'the cor reSpOndence of the anti-corn-law Quaker. And first, with respect to the quality of the " fine, fresh, and *tempt ing, fat and learr,beautifully mixed beef," which can be bought at lid. a pound as food for our manu facturing operatives, Mr.. Henry Ashworth, of " Tur ton, near Bolton," writes,— " The Americans appear to possess this class of meat in great abundance, and I find by the New York Herald of the Ist January, that although good beef is 3id. per lb., they quote barrelling beef at lid." Again : " It is stated that 500 tons of beef and pork, now lying in Liverpool, have been invoiced from America at various rates from 25s to 425. per barrel of 2001bs. ; but there is a feeling of prejudice prevails—the English taste has not become used to it, though it has long partaken salted herrings and other fish. The pickled beef loses a large portion, of its saltness by steeping in water for 24 or 36 hours, and Col. Thompson says that boiling with potatoes extracts the salt, and improves the patatoes to some extent ; but all these little appliances require studying, and, with attention, I think the introduc tion of such foreign food would be profitable, adding physical energy to our dilapidated population " ! Amiable leaguer ! Philanthropic reducer of the poor of England to a coarser kind of food ! What a pity that the "dilapidated population" of the manu facturing districts, who have long partaken salted herrings," are not condemned to exercise their teeth and "improve their potatoes" with this yankee car rion! Another specimen we shall quote in full. It is a gem 1- " Respected Friend, " Geo. Thompson,— " A relative of mine has recently exported to America a quantity of British manufactures, and received returns in lard, of excellent quality for household uses. He ascertained from the Customs, that if he released it as ' lard,' the duty would be Bs. per cwt. ; but as ',grease' for wheels, &c., it would be Is. Sd. only. " Upon trying the market, he found it was worth more money to him as grease,' and applied for it upon lower terms, but was informed that he must first 'petition to spoil it,' after which an appointment would be made for an officer to accompany him in performing the following process. " The Customs officer takes a long instrument, about an inch in diameter, and bores holes through the casks in every direction. A' tarred stick' is then introduced into each of the holes; but if tar should be objected to as injurious to the ' grease,' especially in candle-making, the owner is allowed to inject, instead of tar, a quantity of what in Custom-house phraseology is termed ' mare's liquor,' a bucket of which is procured at the nearest dunghill. (! !) The officer thus be comes prepared to attest, that it has been ' spoilt as human food. " I understand that butter imported from abroad is ' spoilt' is the same way " I am, respectfully, thy friend, " HENRY ASHWORTH " Turton, near Bolton, Ist month 18, 1842 " P.S.—My kinsman sold his lard in bond. I presume he felt either the indelicacy or moral responsibility of such an act." We make no comment on the above, although, as a specimen of free-trade morality, it is superb. The postscript, especially, beats " cockfighting" ! We are reluctantly compelled to postpone, until our next, a notice of the two articles which the Manchester Guardian addressed to us on 'Wednesday. Our con temporary views as "important admissions" the re marks in our last publication, with respect to our ina bility to compete with the cheap labour of the fo reigner; and although.he takes some pains to torture the admission in question into something beyond its fair application, we'are willing to allow him to make the most of it, until we have leisure and space to re turn to the subject. LOCAL NEWS. THEFT liY A SERVANT GlRL.—Elizabeth Agar was charged, at the Police-court on Tuesday, with having robbed her master. Mr. Andrews stated, that the prisoner had been in his service seven weeks, as housekeeper. A short time ago he missed three handkerchiefs and a table cloth, and sundry other articles had been missed from time to time. On Sun day last, while prisoner was out, one of the other servants found some of the missing articles concealed' between the prisoner's bed and the mattress. On the followirig day Mr. Andrews was informed of the circumstance. He, sent imme diately for a police-officer. The prisoner's box was searched, and several other articles belonging to Mr. Andrews were found. Some goods, his property, were also found at the prisoner's lodgings. The prisoner was committed for trial. CAUTION TO ERRAND BOys.—A. good looking well dressed boy was placed before the magistrates on Tuesday, charged with a very bare-faced piece of roguery. Police officer 48 stated, that between twelve and one o'clock that day a boy had given the prisoner into his charge,• for hav ing stolen some clothes from him. The boy stated, that he was errand-bay to a tailor, and he was sent about a week ago to a gentleman's house for a coat, which was delivered to him. When he had got to some distance, the prisoner came running up to him out of breath, and told him he was to go back, for he had got the wrong coat. He was return ing with the prisoner, who said he was a plumber, and had been working at the back of the gentleman's house when he met another boy with a bundle tied in a handkerchief. He said the complainant was to give him the coat, as the gentle man was in a great hurry. He was told to wait and the coat would be brought to him. The prisoner and he went off together, and be never saw any more of them till he met the prisoner that morning. On inquiring from the gentle man, it was found that he had not sent any person after the boy. The prisoner said it Was a mistake altogether ; the lad had fixed on the wrong person. The boy said be was sure the prisoner was one of the lads who had duped him. Mr. Rushton remanded the prisoners, and the officers are to en deavour to find the coat. THEFT FROM A VESSEL.—Yesterday, at the Police-court, two rough-looking men, Martin Foley and John Delaney, were charged before Mr. Benn, the sitting magistrate, with having stolen a cask of slush or fat from on board a vessel lying the King's Dock. A ship-boy stated that on Wednes day, he saw Foley cross the vessel he belonged, and take the cask from the boat on the deck of the vessel outside, which he handed to the other prisoner. The alarm was given, and the cask, which had been carried on shore was left , on the quay, where it was found by the constable:who , afterwards apprehended the prisoners before they could escape. Foley, who had before been before the court for similar practices, was sent to gaol for a month, and the other for 11 days. CLIMATE ON THE HAIR. — The effect of climate upon the hair is very great. Extreme cold is apt to dry and wither the roots; and, on the contrary, extreme heat to enervate and weaken this important integument of the head. The most extraordinary thing connected with the preceding fact is, that one counteracting agent should be endowed with the singular virtues of preserving the hair, in health and beauty, in either the torrid or frigid zone ; and it is a question whether Row- LAND'S MACASSAR OIL iS most used in warm or cold Countries. At the court of Russia, the above delightful con servator is lauded, with extraordinary encomiums ; while in. India the,consumption of Rowland's Macassar is immense. —Sec advt. • TiffigoF4lo 0? 5gat1641,27 , 1,—M0 Rev, 3. li, gtewart, desirous to promoto the objects of this valuable appointtnent, has given notice of a tempt' towards the funds for its endow. went, as may be seen from an announcement in another column. We trust that every one who feels interested in such a heavenly mission will not fail to contribute liberally to carry out the good intentions of its founders. MECHANICS' INSTITUTION. — On Wednesday last the annual general meeting of the members of this institution was held in the lecture room, Lawrence Heyworth, Esq. in the chair. The report, which detailed at great length the proceedings of the past year, was read and adopted, after which Mr. George Holt was appointed president for the en suing year. A new committee was selected, and an exhibi tion announced for the months of June and July next. The meeting separated, after viewing the drawings of the pupils in the picture gallery. BRITISH AND IRISH PRODUCE AND MANUFACTURES. — On Tuesday a parliamentary paper (moved for by Sir H. Douglas) was printed, which purports to be an account of the official and declared value of all the British and Irish produce and manufactures exported from the United King dom in the years 1839 and 1840. In the table of the " Offi cial value of the exports," we find the aggregate exports to all parts of the world amount to £102,706,649; and in the table of " Declared value" to £51,476,430. UNITED STATES.—The Rochester, Captain Woodhouse, arrived at this port on Tuesday, from New York. She sailed on the 19th ult., some hours after the packet-ship England, which arrived a few hours after her. By these conveyances we have papers a few days later than those received by the previous arrivals. Their contents are not important. The money, stock, and produce markets had not changed mate rially. The rate of exchange in London was from 107 to 1081- • in Paris it was sf. 27 ,, to 5 f. 281. Accounts from Mobile, dated February 4, say that the State Bank had bought 10,000 bales of cotton, and had taken up one of the largest vessels in port at id. freight to Liverpool. This transaction had created some little excitement in Mobile. VICTORIA BATHS, CASES-STREET. —On Tuesday, we were much pleased with a visit to the Victoria Docks, which have been recently established in Cases-street, by the enter prising firm of Richard Bird and Co, The establishment has been fitted unwith a regard to comfort, neatness, and we might add, elegance, which we have never seen equalled in any part of the provinces. The terms are, moreover, upon a reasonable scale,• six medicated vapour baths, for instance, being obtainable at the low charge - of 18s. We should hope that the principle Which has been so generally laid down, and demonstrated by the first medical men of the age, namely, that hot baths act 'as preventatives of disease, will ere long be as universally received in England as it has been in almost all continental countries ; and that the' inhabitants of Liver pool, ever foremost in appreciating what may turn out ad vantageous, will mordgenerally than they have heretofore, lead the way in this respect. We strongly recommend the public to make trial of the Victoria Baths.• They are situated in what may be considered the centre of the town, contiguous to the principal hotels, and are well entitled to public support. DISHONEST SERVANT GlRL. — Mary Brian was charged at the Police-court, on Tuesday, with having robbed her mistress, Sarah Reeves. It appeared that the prisoner lived in the service of the complainant two months. A fortnight. since one of the inmates of the house missed a brooch, and shortly afterwards several other things were missed. On Tuesday morning complainant was in the servant's bed-room. when she saw her take a pocket from beneath a bolster. Complainant asked her if she had something valuable there. She handed her mistress the pocket, and requested her to search . it. The mistress would not comply, but requested the girl to do it herself. She did so,• and turned out a purse, a pair of cambric cuffs, &c., .which were claimed by complainant. A constable was sent for, the box of the prisoner was searched, and two pawn tickets, with several articles of wearing apparel, &c., belong ing to the mistress and others in the house, were found. Other property was subsequently discovered at the shops of two pawnbrokers. The prisoner, who was overwhelmed with grief, expressed her sorrow for what she had done,. denying that she had ever seen the brooch that was lost. She was committed for trial. -• It will be seen by a reference to our advertisements, that the annual charity sermons on behalf of Christ Church na tional schools, are to be preached next Sunday by that elo quent and favorite champion, of scriptural education, the Rev. Hugh Stowell. With such a cause and such an advocate, we cannot doubt the attendance of. very numerous congregations on this interesting occasion. We understand these valuable schools-Twhere upwards of 700 children receive a superior literary and religious education—are encumbered with.a debt of £5O. But we confidently expect, that not withstanding the pecuniary pressure of the times, the result of next Sunday's appeal will be not only the liquidation of this debt, but the realization of such a sum as will enable the committee to maintain in its present efficient state an institution which is a credit to the Christ Church congrega tion, and a blessing to the surrounding district and neigh bourhood. --- POPULATION.—SUGAR.—A parliamentary paper was pub lished on Tuesday which shows the population of Great Britain, the quantity of sugar upon which duty was paid, and the average price of British plantation sugar, from 1831 to 1841. It results from this statement that the total popu lation of Great Britain is 18,656,414 ; the total quantity of sugar (upon which duty was paid) retained for actual con sumption in the United Kingdom, was as follows Cwts. In 1831 3,781,011 1832.. 1833 3,651,804 1834 1835 1836 1837.. • 3,954,81 0 1838 1839 1810 . 3,594,83 2 1841.. 4 058,431 The average price, from January, 1831, to December, 1841, has varied from 255. 3d. to 38s. 21d. THE SMOKE NUISANCE.—At the usual monthly meeting of the commissioners of the Birmingham street act on Mon day last, Mr. Turner, one of that body, said in reference to this subject that the committee were not prepared to make any report, but lie was happy to inform the commissioners that the nuisance so long complained of in Birmingham, aris ing from the smoke of steam furnaces, was in a fair way of being done away with. The patent of Mr. Williams,' of Li verpool, (of which Mr. Dircks was the agent,) to which he had referred on a former occasion, had been tried at Mr. Clifford's mill, in Fazeley-street, with the most complete success; and he believed that if the principle were generally adopted, the complaints in reference to this subject would not only be put-an end to, but a considerable saving would be effected by mill-owners and manufacturers in the reduced consumption of fuel. Ile thought it was the duty of those commissioners who had furnaces to give the plan a fair trial, and thus set an example to others in abolishing a nuisance in Birmingham which had become almost intolerable. Mr. Edge said that great credit was due to Mr. Clifford for mak ing the experiment, inasmuch as his mill was exempt from the operation of the Birmingham street act. FrnEs.—Three fires—two of which threatened serious loss of property—have occurred in the town within the last few days. On Saturday morning, a little before eight o'clock, a fire broke out in Atherton's-buildings, opposite North John street, and the alarm was instantly conveyed to the Fire police Station, Temple-court, whence Mr. Hewitt, the superintendent, and a body of the fire-police force, immedi ately started, with engines, &c., and arrived at the spot in a few minutes. It was found that the fire had originated in a room in the building (which is awkwardly situated up an archway), in the occupation of Messrs. Poole and Co., spirit-merchants, and that the flames had entered the room immediately below, and which was full of cotton, belonging to Messrs. Mellor and Russell, cotton-brokers. The smoke was so dense that the firemen could not for some time per sonally reach the fire ; but soon after Mr. Hewitt got close upon it, with several of his assistants, thouglr almost suffo cated in the attempt. In about an hour the flames were, by their exertions, totally subdued, and the damage done was comparatively trifling. The buildings are back from the 'street, and difficult of access on such an occa sion. There was a large stock of cotton and other articles in the several rooms in the building, as well as in the con tiguous buildings,—all of which were for a time in jeopar dy. The parties were, we understand. injured.—On Tuesday morning, about six o'clock, an alarm of fire having broken opt in King-street, reached the station, and engines, water carts, and fire-police were immediately despatched, headed by Mr. Hewitt. The fire was in the room occupied by Mr. Reston, letterpress printer, on the fourth story of the build ing, which consists principally of offices. The smoke was great, but through the activity of the firemen, headed by Mr. Whitty and Mr. Hewitt, the engines were speedily brought to play, and the fire was extinguished in a few minutes, so that Mr. Reston's printing materials were saved from de struction. The damage to the premises was but slight, a portion of the floor only being burnt. The fire originated in a stove in the printing-office. —Yesterday morning, at a quarter-past one o'clock, an alarm of fire, in the north end of the town, reached the fire-police station, and two engines and four water-carts were immediately turned out, ac companied by a strong force. It was found that the fire had broken out in the lower store- room of Mr. Richards, currier and leather-cutter, Vauxhall-road, from what cause did not appear. Mr. Whitty and Mr. Hewitt were present, and it was effectually extinguished in about half an hour, the floor of the room and some leather only being burnt. The loss is estimated at about £6O. The great exertions of Mr. Hewitt at these fires, and the danger to which he exposed himself to extinguish the two first, entitle him to great praise. CAUTION TO RAILWAY SERVANTS.—A GUARD FINED. —On Wednesday, at the Police-court, one of the train guards employed by the Liverpool and Manchester Railway Com pany, named Williams, was brought before Mr. Rushton to answer a charge of negligence or inattention, the result of which might have involved, under circumstances, a loss of life. The complaint was preferred under the Railway Act, on behalf of the company, by Mr. Clay, their law clerk, who was accompanied by Captain Hill, their resident engineer. Mr. Clay stated it was considered requisite, in order to in sure the utmost care in the servants of the company con nected with the working of the trains, to bring the case be fore the court, although, under the circumstances, he would not press for any severe measure of punishment. He then stated, in effect, that on Sunday morning last the defendant, who was employed as a train guard, arrived with two car riages, a close one and an open one, at the mouth of the tunnel at Edge-hill, he and the mail guard (who was present in court) being in the open carriage behind. The defendant alighted, as usual, and gave the carriages the necessary im petus to start them on their way down the tunnel, and then resumed his place. The carriages proceeded down the tun nel, but on approaching the station they continued to run on with such velocity that it was apparent the break to which the defendant had to attend had not been put on, and the consequence was, that the carriages ran with great force against the stationary buffers at the station in Lime-street, provided to avert, or rather to reduce, the danger of casual ties. Happily no one was in the way at the time, otherwise the consequence might have been most lamentable, and the only injury was that done to the buffers. Such neglect was punishable, under the act, by fine or imprisonment. He (Mr. Clay) had learned that the defendant did not purpose to deny the fact, hut had urged in his defence that the lamp attached to the carriage in which he was was blown out in the descent ; that the tunnel was dark at the time ; and that not being aware that he was so near to its termination, he had become confused on finding himself all at once so close to the station, and in his consequent confusion he had turned the handle of the break the wrong way, so that it failed to restrain the impetus of the carriages. He (Mr.. C.) was wil ling to believe that such was the case, not only from the pri soner's good conduct during the four years he had been em ployed by the company,—the two last as a guard,—but from the belief expressed by the mail guard who was in the same carriage with him, that such was the fact. He would, there fore, not press for a severe infliction, but considered it due to the company in their desire to prevent fatalities to passen gers, as well as to the public , t hat the court should mark such ' inattention by some measure of punishment. The de fendant on being asked what he had to say, repeated precisely the .extenuating circumstances so considerately noticed by Mr. Clay, and expressed his deep regret that the circum stance had occurred. Mr. Rushton said it was necessary and proper that the utmost precaution should,be used in the working of the trains ; and but for the explanation offered he should, for the security 'of the public, have visited upon the prisoner, who was so responsibly placed, and Should always be prepared for every possible emergency, a severe penalty. As it was, however, he must pay a fine of twenty shillings, de be imprisoned for seven days. The prisoner was not him self-prepared-with the money, but it was lent to him by the mail guard, and being paid, he left the court, expressing his satisfaction and gratitude for the kindly manner in which the case had' been stated Against him, and the mild decision of the court. THE IHrznmkaf.—The et:mintage of thlo excelloot tn. stitution has circulated the usual annual report amongst the subscribers, The report sets forth that the usefulness of the Infirmary, Lunatic Asylum, and Lock Hospital, in relieving the sufferings of the poor, continues undiminished. The number of patients relieved during the year, amounted to 2,780, of which, 144 cases only have proved fatal. Th&re sidue, under the skilful treatment of the medical officers of the institution, terminated in the restoration of the patients to their families, in re-established or amended health and strength. A summary of the accounts for last year appeared in our columns on the 11th January. The report concludes in the following words :—.` And here the committee would respectfully urge upon the clergy, and upon ministers of all denominations to bring the claims of these institutions, at convenient seasons, before their respective congregations. The committee are aware that the demands upon the public at large for charitable objects, are much greater than formerly. They - would, however, submit that the wealth and commerce of the town have increased in proportion, and that were those who, being able, have not contributed annually to our puhlic charities, to add their names to the list, the cry of diminished funds would not be so frequently heard. The committee, in conclusion would call generally upon all who are favourahlc to the cause of Christian charity, zealously to exert them selves in their individual capacities and respective spheres, in aid of these institutions, which are the means, under the blessing of God, of alleviating an immense amount of human suffering, and which cannot be continued in efficiency with out adequate support." We have every confidence that this appeal will be responded so, for we have never known a re presentation of this nature to fail of the desired effect. It will be seen from an advertisement, that the Rev. Hugh will advocate the claims of this excellent charity ou Sunday afternoon next, at Aigburth church. The Rev. George Mansfield, Curate of Christ Church, in this town, has been appointed to the Incumbency of Trinity Church, Trowbridge, Wilts ; patron, the Duke of Rutland. DEATH BY ASSAULT.—A woman, named Ellen Dunn, residing in Gildart's-gardens, died yesterday in consequence, it is said by the surgeon, of kicks, which, it appears, were inflicted by her husband, (now in custody) some time ago. The evidence will be brought before the coroner this day, the body having been viewed by the jury yesterday. . ANDERSON'S STATUARY AND THE PAISLEY WEAVERS. —The sum realised for the benefit of the Paisley weavers by the exhibition of the statuary of Mr. Anderson, on Monday and Tuesday la s t amoun t e d t o £lO 7 s . Od. Deducting £1 7s. for posting bills, £9 has been remitted by Mr. Ander son, who has benevolently given his time and other items in, to aid his distressed countrymen. AMPHITHEATRE.—Mr. F. Carman the box bookeeper to this establishment, announces his benefit to take place on Monday next. His attention and civility will no douPt be rewarded by a good houseful of spectators. The Cheshire Fox Hounds will meet To-morrow (Satyr . _ . . day), the 12th instant, at Darnall ; Monday, the 14t14. at Booth's Obelisk ; Wednesday, the 16th, at Ridley Tollbar ; , Thursday, the 17th, at Wilskey Village; and SatUrday, the 19th, at Alton Village. THE GRESIIAM HOTEL, DUBLIN.—It is proper that the public should be apprised that, notwithstanding the announce ment of the sale of this well-known establishment (in the columns of this paper), the hotel is still carried on under the control of its founder, who is determined to preserve its respectability in every respect until disposed of. THE ACADIA ROYAL MAIL STEAMER.—The Acadia, which left this port upon the 19th ult. upon a very short notice, when the Caledonia put back after having been at sea seven days, might be expected to reach Boston about the 6th or 7th instant. She would proceed upon her return voyage with all possible despatch ; under the circumstances, she would probably sail the day afterwards, and supposing she left Boston on the Bth or 9th, she may be expected to arrive in the Mersey some day between the 21st and the 25th, perhaps the 23d. Great anxiety will begin to be felt about that time concerning her. LIVERPOOL SERVANTS' HOME.—A most valuable society has just been formed in this town for the purpose of afford ing to servants a comfortable home when out of place, and also an office of registry. The advantage of a good domestic servant is incalculable, and every means which can be used for the amelioration of their characters should be hailed by the community as a blessing to the town. We refer our readers to an advertisement for,the objects of this society, and we strongly recommend them to become possessed of its laws, &c., which may be procured on application to Mr. Newling, Ranelagh-street, The respectability of the origina tors. of this society is a guarantee for the soundness of its principles, the correctness of its operations, and the success of its endeavours. CORN LADEN SHIPS.—From a parliamentary paper, just published, specifying the average number of days occupied in performing voyages from the several ports of the United States to this port by all vessels laden with flour or corn in the year 1841, it appears that the average length of the voy age from New York is 23 days ; from Boston 26 days ; from Philadelphia 30 days ; from New Orleans 45 days ; from Baltimore 32 days ; from St. Petersburgh 32 days ; and from Alexandria 42 days ;—these averages derived from a total of 68 ships. DEATH FROM ASSAULT IN A PLACE OF AMUSEMENT. — About ten days ago, a lad of 17 years of age, named John Chambers, who lived with his relations in a cellar in Bath lane, went to a " show " in Vauxhall-road ; and while there was asked by some bystanders, who were larking, to shout— " Who was it that spent the men's money ?" He did so, and the words appeared to have offensive reference to some persons present; for three men immediately jumped down from an upper seat in the " theatre," and kicked him so violently that he was thrown down, and called out " murder!" He contrived to walk home, where he lingered until Wednes day, when he died, from, as it yet appears, the injuries be had received. Two of the assailants, whose names are Kelly and Cammell, were found, and are in custody : the other was not known. We lea: n that an inquest will be held on view of the body this day. INDUCTION AT ADERDOUR.—The presbytery of Dunferm line met on Thursday, the 24th ultimo, at Aberdour, for the purpose of inducting the Rev. Hugh Ralph, LL.D., late of Oldham-street Church, Liverpool, as minister of the church and parish of Aberdour. The Rev. Mr. Thorn ton, Milnethorp, preached and presided. At the conclusion of his excellent sermon, the usual questions were put, which being satisfactorily answered, Dr. Ralph was inducted into the pastoral charge, and the right hand of fellowship was given by the members of the presbytery. The moderator then delivered suitable addresses to the pastor and people; and at the conclusion of the service the congregation gave a most cordial welcome to their new minister. The patron, the Earl of Morton, entertained the presbytery, the session of Aberdour, and other friends at dinner, in Michell's Inn, when James Dalgleish, Esq., of Dalbetith and West Grange, occupied the chair, as agent for the noble patron.—Edin burgh Evening Post. SUSPICION OF FOUL PLAY RESULTING IN DEATH. — On Wednesday a child named James Culshaw, the son of William Culshaw, who lives in a miserable cellar in Eldon street, died under circumstances which have excited the at tention of the proper authorities, and which will result in an inquest to be held this day. It appears that a woman who lives with Culshaw, administered to the deceased, on Wed nesday, a dose of gunpowder ; and that a second dose was afterwards given to him by another hand for the ostensible purpose of curing him of worms ; although it is stated he was not ailing on the previous evening. EXTRAORDINARY IF TRUE.—On Wednesday last the anniversary dinner of the Seamens' Hospital took place in London, and on the health of the Duke of Wellington being proposed, " Captain Harvey Tuckett, (we quote from the ‘• Times of yesterday,) in returning thanks, alluded to the " perilous situation in India of a portion of the British force, " with many of the officers of which he had had the happi " ness of serving. If he said that he was aware of Sir W. " Macnaghten's death a month ago, what he stated might, " perhaps, be thought impossible ; but yet this was the fact " (so we understood the gallant offi cer t o say ). A s f or Ca pitulation, he believed that such an idea had never entered " the minds of the British officers; and he was led to be " lieve, from information that he had received, that the Bri " tish force was at the present moment safe. The death of " Sir William Macnaghten, too, he understood, had been " avenged in a most signal manner by the 44th Regiment, " and, (if we understood the gallant officer correctly, who " was not distinctly audible where we sat) not one stone was " left standing on another at Cabal." There must be some inaccuracy here, but the statements are too many and cir cumstantial for the reporter to be mistaken in all. MEETING OF THE DOCK COMMITTEE.—The following members were present at the weekly meeting of the Dock Committee, which was held yesterday :—Messrs. Horsfall. Barclay, belt, Holmes, Middleton, Smith, Sandbach, Aikin, Nicol, Molyneux, Mellor, Bulley, Chilton, Evans, Tobin, Bold, Shand, Moon, and Ripley. In the absence of the chairman of the committee (Mr. Sands), Mr. Horsfall, the deputy chairman, presided. The following tenders were ac cepted :—From Messrs. Bowers and Murray, for deepening Salthouse Dock ; from the Coalbrookdale Company, for grates for the dock-masters' houses ; and from Messrs. Berry, Curtis, and Co., for two steam-engine boilers on No. 1 pierhead. The accounts of Messrs. Walker and Cubitt, the engineers, for their reports on the dock plans were pro duced : that of Mr. Walker amounted to £315, and that of Mr. Cubitt to £262 10s.—Mr. Aikin inquired to what ac count these bills should be charged ?—The Chairman said he could not tell.—Mr. Sandbach asked what the committee had obtained in return for these charges?—The Chairman could not exactly tell; he apprehended, however, that they had obtained some little knowledge.—Mr. Holmes said there was no question that the bills must be paid.—A resolu tion was then passed that they be paid. The subject of ad vertising for a bell beacon with machinery, after some dis cussion, was referred back to the Sub-committee of Works. John Jones, the keeper of the Leasowe Lighthouse, was reprimanded for neglect of duty, and cautioned that if he again transgressed he would be discharged. The Finance Committee of the Town Council forwarded a resolution, agreed to by them, applying for the use of the slip at Sea:. combe basin, and requesting the Committee to make the necessary repairs previously to its occupation as a land ing stage.—Agreed to. The Town-clerk forwarded copies of the Mersey Conservancy Bill, and in his note stated that he should have great pleasure in explaining any of its provi sions to'the committee. The Chairman said he had read the bill since the last meeting, and that it was of limited powers, falling very far short of what was contemplated before. It would be unnecessary to give the town-clerk the trouble of attending the committee, as he saw no objection to the bill. After a brief discussion, it was resolved that the secretary should acknowledge the receipt of the copies of the bill, and add that the committee, on perusing it, thought it.would be unnecessary for the town-clerk to attend. The Solicitor re ported on the application from Messrs. Richard Harbord and Co., claiming compensation for damage done to 100 hogs heads of sugar, by the tidal waters of the Mersey breaking into the warehouse cellar, (Frerne's, King's Dock,) that he had carefully examined all the circumstances, and that there was not the slightest ground for resting a claim against the dock trust for compensation. The committee then separated. MELANCHOLY SUICIDE. —O n Wednesday evening, Mr. H. F. Walker, aged 22, a medical student, committed suicide by blowing his brains out with a horse pistol, at the cottage of his aunt, a lady named Elliot, residing at Lewisham. He had the preceding night failed to pass his examination, which preyed upon his mind. MELANCHOLY ACCIDENT AND LOSS OF LIVES.—The violent hurficanes which have visited the west coast for a week or two past have been the cause of sad disasters, both to property and lives. We understand that a number of logs of timber, lying in the Greenock timber ponds at Inch Green, half-way between Greenock and Port-Glasgow, got adrift during the storm. On Thursday, after the gale had subsided, a boat, manned with six rafters, sailed from Greenock, and, on the opposite shore at Hill Ardmore, dis covered and secured a lot of the missing timber. The night coming on, the poor fellowsutAbout ship to return, but the boat unfortunately got on the bank, and, it being low water, it stuck firm and fast, and there the crew lay till the flood came and released them. The boat was then steered for Hill Ardmore, and here again she grounded. The c rew b ecame so exhausted that one of them died. One of them managed to wade ashore, and prevailed on another to follow him. The first then returned to the boat, and found other two of his comrades dead, and another very much exhausted. He offered to try to carry the survivor ashore, but consent was refused; the man with difficulty returned ashore, and got assistance from a neighbouring house; but on reaching the boat, three corpses were found, and one of the crew found wanting. The body was found on the shore, and it is sup posed that the poor fellow had been drowned in attempting to wade ashore.—Scottish Guardian. At a meeting of the Horticultural Society, yesterday.week, there was exhibited a fine diSh of Newtown pippins, grown at the gardens of Sir Philip Grey Egerton, Bart. at Oulton Park, Cheshire, although it was stated that this fruit could only be grown successfully at Long Island.