The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-10-03 00:00:00

aLlg Eibtrpool &tanbarb. TUESDAY MORNING, OCT. 3, 1848 14 good man struggling with difficulties," the ,Oher has said, "is one of the noblest lea in the universe ; " and of a similar Int of a nation or a community sum- ter is t ) Its E ies to the task of inquiring causes of its d . .• nee froin prosperity. Hence, we watched with .est the movement which gave rise to the tion of the National Financial The whole lssociation of ;ominunity was suffering a prostration of credit, un alleled in m CM history. Commerce and industry were para.- sled and even realized property seemed to be way in the hands of its owners. Railways lands and houses, produce and mann- L,re unsaleable, except at a ruinous and, to complete the picture of disaster, :es of the country were no longer equal its ordinary expenditure. At such a crisis _ . a step worthy of the merchants of Liverpool e to the public the advantage of their vast aried experience, in an effort to unravel the plication of evils which were pressing us down, to undertake the task of cure, which a feeble avernment had shown its utter incompetency to perform. Here was a great occasion seized; a great opportunity to- be made use of to win the lofty reed of a nation's gratitude. Let us see in what at has resulted! We take our text from the pro ceedings at the meeting held on Wednesday last, whieb, we presume, may not unfairly be regarded -as a kind of epitome of the views at which the asgociation has arrived on the conclusion of its first year's labours. From such a hody, 4 with one of our most in= ligent merchants at its head, we might have aected a comprehensive inquiry into the whole Liject of the nation's suffering; an inquiry into causes of that prostration of commerce and in stry which visits us in cycles, sweeps away the ;nits of intermediate years of striving and saving, d blights the best-directed enterprise. An asso tion of gentlemen practically acquainted with, who feel daily the burthens which it imposes, ght have been expected to examine for us the ices of that fearful growth of pauperism around the very seats of our - wealth, which - threatens us, from time to time, with convulsion, and provides sich easily excitable materials for the demagogue and the incendiary to work upon. Such, indeed, would almost appear to have been the views, as to the duties of the association, of Mr. Robertson Gladstone, the chairman, as referred to in the following portion of his opening address : "'lt will be for me to secure for those gentlemen who tay address you this evening, a patient and attentive Leming, requesting that a strict observance should be made in adhering closely to the immediate subject before as. Nor let us regard this question as one of a trifling moment, for we have not been induced to come hither out of an idle curiosity, and I would ask you respectfully to listen to what you may hear from those who are about to address you, and, approving, to decide that in a peace able but determined manner, you will hereafter act on the suggestions that may be made.—(Cheers.) It is not for me, on this occasion, to attempt to harass your feelings, stop for a moment to inquire into the fearful depres that has for so considerable a period pervaded every inch of trade. It is not for me to call to your recol 1-ion those painful scenes that we witnessed some two back, when the poor Irish thronged our streets, n from their own country by starvation, imploring `y from those they happened to meet, and urging •ase still more strongly by thrusting their almost ...late offspring in your faces. I have no desire to -al to your recollection those painful scenes, but I can wet forget the contrast." finch, at all events, he acknowledges to he the elraraeter of the evils to be remedied. But most "lame and impotent" is the conclusion to which be and the association would lead us, as to the muses of this state of things and the remedy to be applied. Now, with respect to the cause (he says) of the de pression which has existed for so long a period ; to a cer tain extent, the circumstance of trading beyond our ca ital has, undoubtedly, been one main cause of distress ; &at the present evils ander which we all suffer, in a greater or less degree, arise from excessive taxation— Jona cheers)—with an undue and unlimited expenditure. (Tremendous cheering.) To remedy these evils the Fi nancial Reform Association was first called into exist- riders And he launches forthwith into a strain of accusa- tion of the aristocracy, as the authors of the mis chief, which is worthy only of Mr. Cuffey of the oonvention, and certainly most unworthy of himself, or in keeping with those principles which he has always been supposed to entertain. We give one of his notions as a specimen : " I think that a registration ought to be kept of the `births in the families of the nobility, and that it would be more economical for us to have a committee or deputation, whose exclusive business and duty it should he to wait on each scion of nobility on the occasion of an increase to his &may. Of course, they would be shown into one of the most splendidly-furnished apartments, and it would be the duty of that deputation to congratulate the:noble lord or duke on the occasion. I cannot say that that congratula tion would be a very sincere one ; but it would be far bet ter for the people, in an economical point of view, that the deputation should then and there make a bargain with the head of the family to provide for the sustenance and welfare of the new-born infant, than that the child should grow up and be saddled on our backs at ten times the cost, through the army, or navy, or any other source." Nothing, certainly, can be in much worse taste 'than this, or more calculated to eestroy any prestige which the association, from the station and pursuits of its members, might have possessed. 'We will not deny that there is some justice in "Mr. Gladstone's complaints of excessive expendi ture in some of the departments of government. For instance, it is perhaps not absolutely necessary that the officers of the House of Commons should he enabled, out of their salaries, to "appear in a dean shirt and white neckcloth and black dress ;" and thus be subjected to the exactions of the washer woman, as Mr. Gladstone seems to think io their unhappy lot at present. Perhaps, too, constituted as the 'House of Commons is at present, the bulk of its members not being, necessarily, gentlemen, "a policeman in an ordinary coat" would be suffi cient to take them into custody when they misbe haved themselves. It would be most desirable if we could safely reduce our army and navy, and get rid of the necessity of sending soldiers to Ireland; although we cannot think with Mr. Gladstone that the fact, that the promised rebellion there was "quelled by the ordinary police," proves that the soldiery were not wanted there, or that their being ready, if required, was not a wise precaution. But that the utmost saving to be derived from such cheese-paring reductions in the Royal Household, tor elsewhere, can produce the slightest sensible ,effect in restoring the country to a state of pros perity, or that our recent and present suffering has been occasioned by the atomic burthens which we have had imposed upon us, from the extravagance complained of, we utterly deny. We might as well wisely argue that the trade of Liverpool has been thrown into a state of stagnation because a pound or butter too much has been consumed weekly in some gentleman's kitchen, or the Mayor's servants have, unnecessarily, red collars on their coats. It is preposterous to suppose that two or three millions expended, which might be saved, can have produced the crushing devastation by which every class and every interest in the country has just been visited, and by which the property of the nation 'has been diminished in value to the extent of hun dreds of millions. An attempt to restore us to a sound position by these peddling means is like one to tighten a sinking ship by throwing overboard , our pocket handkerchiefs or tobacco-boxes. To be sure, the association is, in addition, to put a stop to what Mr. Gladstone calls " overtrading' —a term which, we presume, means importing produce, and tasking hats, coats, and shirts when everybody has already plenty to eat and wear. As we cannot ob ,serve, however, that everybody is in this happy pre dimment, we are a little dubious as to the " over trading;" and would suggest respectfully to the association the advisableness of an enquiry in another direction. Probably it might result in the discovery that there is a power in the country which 'works periodically far more disaster to the country than all the extravagance of maids of honour and officers with clean shirts and white neckcloths; which one year impels all classes of the community o what its chairman calls " overtrading," but what some people think is only the activity of prosperity, and, in the next, dips its hands into people's pockets and snatches the reward of their past toil and enter- Such an enquiry—an enquiry, in short, into the effeet,of 'the present monetary system—would well -become a hotly of merchants, such as those who compose a leading portion of he members of the National Association, who cannot but witness daily the effect of that system in countervailing even their best directed enterprises, and in spreading min and privation throughout the community in Which they live. The experience of the past two poursis surely not to be lost upon us, Destroy, or cripple the monster power, which periodically crushes us to the earth, and against whose cruelty no prudence or foresight is a protection ; and then gentlemen we shall believe that you are seriously in earnest in the work you have undertaken. We are perfectly willing to go with the Associa tion in another effort; to which we at first under stood that their particular attention was to be directed, viz., an effort to substitute a system of direct Taxation for the present imposts upon some of our leading necessaries of life, and to enable us to remove some of the most injurious of our excise restrictions. For the duty upon Tea, especially, we should be glad to see a substitute found. But we are afraid, after our experience of the repug nance with which the proposal of an increased income and property tax was received last Session, that the difficulty world be almost insuperable in devising any plan which would he, at once, just and tolerable; which would reach alike the owner of tangible and of floating capital. The suggestions and d ssions, however, of a body orpractical men upon such a subject would be most valuable; and might smoothe the way of the legistature to the solution of this difficult question in financial And it is mainly from a conviction of the great usefulness of the Association, if employed in the legitimate field of enquiry, that we regret that its attention has been drawn aside to enquiries, the publication of the results of which, during a period of excited popular feeling, aggravated by severe distress amongst our working classes, was most injudicious. science. WITH whatever amount of sympathy the ultra- Liberal party in this country may have regarded the spread of anti-monarchical principles on the Continent, there can now be no longer a doubt that the recent changes, which have been effected there, have not at all tended to promote the recognition of their pet theory, Free Trade. Indeed, in addi tion to the check which has been given to com merce generally by the disturbance of the politi cal world, the idea of a universal communism, and the • free interchange of commodities amongst nations being brought about, appears more distant than ever. The boasted triumphs of Mr. Cobden, in his proselytizing tour of last year, have told for nothing. That gentleman had to do only with the e f fete coteries and the crotchety theorists of the last regime—the empty bubbles which the policy of a Louis Philippe permitted to float upon the surface of the political world. These feeble things have been succeeded by men of action and of facts, who recognize the principle that a nation is bound to prefer and protect the industry of its own artizans against the competition of the foreigner; and, as the result, we see signs, most palpable, that exclusion of our products, wherever they come into injurious rivalry with the artizans of other e)untries, is to be rendered more complete than ever. We remarked lately upon the fact that the manufacturers of France were not only competing with, but beating, the British manufacturers in the finer fabrics of merinos, in our own market. The home consumption of Great Britain will shortly he almost entirely supplied with this article from the foreign loom, and of foreign printing. So far, free trade has been a losing game to the Yorkshire manufacturers, at all events; and they have re cently been knocking most lustily at the door of the Exchequer and the Foreign Office with demands for further protection--they, who va poured so largely, during the agitation for corn law repeal, of their ability to meet any com petition, and laughed at the idea of protection for them as a farce and a mockery ! We have now the silk manufacturers in a similar position. The new republic of France, in order to give increased employment to the distressed and disaffected arti zans of Lyons, have decreed that a bonus shall be allowed on the value of their silk manufactures exported ; and they are now pouring these goods into our markets, and into those of the Continent, at prices which defy competition. We are our selves helpless in such a case as this. We are firmly and blindly pledged to the carrying out of our insane system. We have thrown away our armour, in bravado, whilst the foreigner is adding to his, and has strength given him for the contest, wherever and whenever he finds himself naturally , weak. But other countries, who have manufac tures of their own, and know the advantages to be reaped from their prosperity, reserve to themselves the right to retaliate, and are doing so. The German Zollverein has just been raised, in order to meet this movement of France ; and an increased duty on several manufac tured articles imposed, sufficient to neutralize the bonus on French exports. We are assured, indeed, that the increase in question is not intend ed to affect the export tradeof this country ; that it is directed against France alone ; and that other nations are to be specially exempted from its opera tion. But the spirit is exhibited nevertheless. The principle of protection is recognized in its full force. The German Government will not allow France, by a simple device, to supply the German people with goods at a cheaper rate than they can he produced by Saxon manufacturers. They intend their own artizans to live by the sweat of their brow ; and they will not be seduced into tolerance of a system which will transfer the reward of their labour to the foreigner, whether that foreigner be Republican France or Great Britain, and whether the instru mentality of cheapness he a drawback on exporta tion, or improvement in machinery and reduced wages We are inclined to suspect that the experience of a few more years will bring the nature of their real position, under our present free trade system, home to a large portion of our manufacturing classes. Already the scales are dropping from before their eyes; and the bombastic promises of the Cobdens and the Brookses are being compared most scruti nizingly with actual results. Probably another election,will tell a startling tale to some of these gentlemen PROPOSED CLOSING OF THE LIVERPOOL GENERAL POSTOFFIOE ON THE SABBATH. Yesterday, a private and preliminary meeting, convened by notice posted in the Exchange Newsroom, was held at the Clarendon-rooms, South John-street, for the purpose of considering the pro priety of adopting immediate measures with a view to the closing of the Liverpool General Postoffice on Sundays. The worshipful the Mayor took the chair, and the meeting was attended by the Rev. Frederick Barker, the Rev. Thos. Nolan, the Rev. Mr. Pollock, and other clergymen, and also by several lay advocates of the observance of the Sab bath, and we believe that the result was that a numerous sub-committee was formed for the purpose of waiting upon the members of the Town-council with a view to inducing that body to memorialise the Postoffice on the subject. We understand that the Postmaster General has intimated an opinion that if such memorial is presented no objection will be made to complying with its prayer. On Wednesday the Prince Albert, Birkenhead steamer, came in contact with the Queen, Woodside steamer. The latter was run ashore close to the Birkenhead pier in a sinking state, where she now ties, having sustained very !erious injury. DEATH BY BEING RITN OVER.—Yesterday an inquest was held before the borough coroner, on view of the body of a carter named Thomas Kchoe, aged 26 years. It appeared that on Saturday fortnight, the deceased and several other carters overtook each other on their way from the town, by Park-road, to Aigburth. They went into a public house, and some of them had been drinking rather freely ; but the deceased was apparently sober. He drove another man's laden cart in front of the others, at his own request, while the carter to whom it belonged, and some of the others, rode in an empty cart. When they reached Aigburth, and the deceased was at the head of the shaft horse, some of the others attempted to pass him on the wrong side of the road, which he endeavoured to resist. In doing so a collision took place, the wheel of one cart striking that of the other, ay which deceased was thrown down, and the wheel of the laden cart passed over him. He was much hurt, and was conveyed to the Southern Hospital. He died from fracture of the pelvis on Friday. W. R. Sandbach, Esq., witnessed the acci dent, and attributed it to the conduct of the carters in trying to pass the deceased—not to wilful mischief, but to an act of folly, as they were all joking at the time.— Verdict—" Accidental Death." IMPROVEMENTS AT EGREMONT FERRY. We have much pleasure in noticing the great improvements now nearly completed at Egremont Ferry. The newly con structed pier appears to be a piece of substantial and excellent work throughout, whether as regards strength or convenience; and reflects great credit upon the parties who have carried the design into execution. There are now three distinct platforms or roadways,—one the move able,and two standing wooden ways on the pier, of different elevations from the strand, so as to suit the different heights of the tide from the lowest ebb to the highest spring. The platforms are sparred across, and protected on each side by stout wooden railings. Altogether the length and width of roadway is such as to afford safe and easy access to any number of passengers to or from the boats. We particularly noticed a great improvement to the telescope stage, namely, the addition of an additional length of stage, shooting out from the extremity of the moveable stage, and forming a foot bridge. By this pas sengers may land or embark at the lowest time of the tide during springs, without being required, as formerly on such occasions to go by a small landing boat. This outshooting footway is 60 feet in length, which, added to the length of the former stage of 360 feet long, makes the entire length of the projecting pierage into the bed of the river 420 feet. The hotel is a very spacious building, with fine, large, lofty sitting-rooma. THE LIVERPOOL STANDARb. DECREASE IN OUR EXPORTS OF TEXTILE FABRICS, The following extract from the circular of Du Fay and Co.. of Manchester, of Sept. 30th, exhibits a serious fall ing off in our exports of Cotton and other Textile fabrics during the nine months of the present year, as compared with the same period of 1847: " We have now the pleasure of laying before our friends a comparative statement of the exports of cotton and other tex tile fabrics during the nine months of 1847 and 1848; giying, at the same time, the total quantities exported in the two rela tive years ending 16th of September. Our statement shows a slight— Inert in our exports of cotton yarns, in the nine months from the 16th Dec. to the 16th'Sept. of.. lb 898,253 But a decrease in plain calicoes, of yards 26,052,753 And a decrease in printed and dyed calicoes, of yds 17,449,999 on the total airoant of the exports. "The only countries to which an increase of any importance has taken pace in our exports, during the above stated period, ure the following:— (Increase in plain calicoes yards 4,233,177 'Mexico{ Increase in printed and dyed calicoes yds 6,320,590 Increase hi cotton yarns lb 517,936 rit r Increase in cott— - ' 4 'NS,' Leval._ ..ey, ...on yarns ,68.±,.. 3 and lonian 1s- Increase in plain calicoes.. yards 12,149,269 lands. Increase in printed calicoes yds 6,129,448 Portugal,Madei- f Increase in plain calicoes yards 17,' 7 37,238 , ra, &c. 1. Increase in prtd, & dyed do. yds 6,430,076 , Gibraltar&Spain.. Increase in plain calicoes yards 9,720,924 * Probably owing tda fallin off last year." It must strike every observer as singular that the countries, to which increase is observable, are those to wards which we have made, by our Free Trade policy, the most slight concessions. The United States, from which we have imported so largely of bread-stuffs, does not appear amongst the countries who have favoured us. COMPARATIVE PROFITS OF SPINNERS AND MANUFACTURERS. In their cricular of the 30th instant, Messrs. Du Fay ani Co., of Manchester, remark:—" In order to show the margin between cotton and the most important arti cles manufactured therefrom, we have drawn up the fol lowing comparison, which shows that the spinners are in a worse position now, as regards profit, than in an any of the four previous years with which the comparison has been instituted. The manufacturers, who are not spinners, but purchase the yarn in the market, are on the contrary in a better position than they were in previous years, as they avoid the loss they would at present incur in spinning. Prices of Fair N. 0. Cotton. Prices of Yarns and Goods, s. d. 40 mule, B { 0 9/ End of Nov. 1344, per lb 44d. 50 mule, /3 0 11i 40-in. 72 reed shirtings 4o mule, B {0 End of Nov. 1845, per lb. 41d. 50 mule, 40-in. 72 B rd shtgs. 9s 41d to 9 6 40 mule, B 0 9* End of Sept. 1846, per lb. 51d. {5O mule, B 0 104 40-in. 72 reed shirtings 9 3 40 mule, B 0 94 End of Sept. 1847, per lb. Gid. {5O mule, 8.... 40-in. 72 reed shirtings 9 9 40 mule. B Gid. to 0 7 End of Sept. 1848, per lb. 40. {5O mule, B 7ld. to 0 8 40-in, 72 reed shirtings.. 8 3 POLICE INTELLIGENCE. JUVENILE CRIME.—On Friday three boys, John Cun ningham, Patrick M'Dermot, and Thomas Moran, were brought before Mr. Rushton, charged with stealing cot ton. The two former were old offenders, on whom previ ous imprisonment had had no salutary effect. Mr. Rush ton, addressing the chief superintendent, said, "It will be much better for us to have a police-officer stationed outside the door of every marine-store in future." Ile went on to express the opinion that the keepers of marine-stores were the chief causes of the prevalence of juvenile thefts, by the facilities they afford for the dispo sal of the plunder got by children, ever on the watch in the vicinity of the docks and warehouses. Cunningham will be imprisoned three months and M'Dermot two months. The third boy was discharged, this being his first offence. COMMITMENTS TO GAOL FROM THE POLICE COURT, YESTERDAY.—WiIIiam Moss, for an attempt to pick pockets in the streets, three months.—Catherine Walsh and Mary Hill, for stealing fruit, vegetables, &c., in St. John's market, were committed for two months ; and Winifred Lavan and Ann Clarke (same offence), one month.—Joseph Francis and Thomas Parke, for stealing ropis at the Prince's dock, on Saturday last, one mortb. —Thomas M'Kenna and Henry Lynch, old offenders, for being found in the night, and under suspicious circum stances in Chisenhale-street, 3 months.—Esther Brown, for stealing a fender worth 2s. 6d. from James Herbert, three months.—Mary Parkinson, a good-looking, well dressed young woman, for robbing a Spanish sailor, named Borino, of twelve shillings, one month.—William Fitzpatrick, charged by a brother seaman, William Phil lips, with stealing his jacket which was found upon his back, one month.—William Travis, for stealing ropes on the 7th September, at the Brunswick dock, three months. The yacht of T. Legh, Esq., of Lyme Park, was nearly wrecked on Friday week through striking on a rock off Guernsey.—(We are happy to learn that the Maud is at present safe in our own river —ED. L. S.) DUBLIN AND LIVERPOOL.—The Dublin Steam-packet Company are about, it is said to place on the line between Dublin and Liverpool steamers of a power and speed far beyond anything we have ever heretofore had in operation. They thus hope to land their passengers at Liverpool with such speed as will enable them to reach Chester in time for the same train which carries up to London passengers proceeding via Holyhead. THE BRUNSWICK CLun.—ln another column will be found an advertisement relative to the additional amuse ments attached to this popular club, including an extra billiard table and the American game of ten pins, at which a silver snuff-box and a silver pencil-case, value seven guineas, will be contended for on Tuesday next, by sixty— four members; entrance, ls. 6d. each. The new quarter commenced yesterday (Monday. Oct. 2nd.) ENORMOUS CHAlN.—Probably the largest chain ever sent out of Stourbridge was manufactured by Messrs. Bailey, chain manufacturers, from whose warehouse it was removed on Tuesday. to the wharf, consigned to a firm in Liverpool. It was a link chain, and intended for the use of an incline ; its length was 2,400 yards, or rather more than one and one-third of a mile, and its weight about 14 tons. It was removed to the wharf in a waggon drawn by eight horses. _ _ . . ASSESSMENT HE THE DOCKS.—The parish authorities have assessed the Liverpool docks to the relief of the poor at about £166,000. The claim made upon the Dock Committee on this assessment is between £19,000 and £20,000. This, of course, only includes the docks within the parish. The dock solicitor has entered a notice of appeal at the borough sessions, but the question is not likely to be argued before the Recorder. Mr. Lowndes, on the part of the parish, and Mr. Worthington, the dock solicitor, with the view to save expense, will ageee to a special case, which will at once be submitted to the Judges at Westminster. _ _ CHUBB THE REGISTRAR'S CASE.—A mandamus from the Court of Queen's Bench was received by Mr. Rush ont on Friday, requiring him to accept bail for the ap pearance of the prisoner at the next Liverpool Assizes, provided the sureties were in accordance with the re quisition of the said mandamus, which is that Mr. Chubb entes into his personal recognisance in the amount of £3,000, and procure four sureties of £750 each ;• making together he extraordinary sum of £6,000. It further re quires that three days' notice of the place of residence of each bailee, and the time at which he will tender bail, be given to the court by the prisoner's attorney. SERIOUS FIRE IN NELSON-STREET.—A little before six o'clock on Tuesday morning, smoke was disco vered issuing from the premises of Mr. Wright, (late Rigby and Wright,) timber merchants, of Nelson-street, immediately contiguous to and in the rear of Dr. Rallies' chapel. The fire, the origin of which is unknown, broke out in the lath-room, whence from the extreme dryness of the materials, it rapidly spread to the surrounding timber ; the store-room in the yard, forming one side of Griffiths street, was completely destroyed, and its valuable con tents, chiefly mahogany and furniture woods, fell a prey to the flames. The engines of the West of England Co. and of the Liverpool fire police were quickly on the spot, but from a total absence of water from the mains for a considerable time after their arrival, they were rendered inoperative. The premises and stock we learn were in sured. Had the flames extended in the opposite direction to which they did, in all probability that beautiful structure, Great George-street Chapel, would have been again in ruins. The loss is upwards of £lO,OOO, but is insured. THE LIVERPOOL FINANCIAL REFORMERS. - It appears surprising that a number of men cf business, accustomed to reason from cause to effect, should not have perceived the entire want of connection between their premises and their conclusions. The chairman began by lamenting the " fearful depression which pervaded every branch of trade." Mr. Heyworth alluded more particularly to the sufferings of the poor, arising from want of employment. " In Manchester alone there were 7000 or 8000 persons wholly unemployed." "In Yorkshire the root of Char tism was want of employment." Well, depression of trade, and want of employment, being the evil, how came these gentlemen to hit upon a reduction of the army and navy as the remedy ? Is the connection obvious ? Clearly not. Discharge '20,000 men from the army, and put 20 ships out of commission next month, will the cotton market forthwith revive ?—will the mills of Manchester once more swarm with busy life ? Is not the very ques tion an absurdity ? We have already said, and the fact is indisputable—that between 1845, when all was prosperity, and 1848, when everything is the reverse, there has been no material change made in our armaments. It is quite certain, then, that our army and navy are not to blame for our present sufferings, and that if the Liverpool Re formers would act like men of common sense, they would direct their view into a totally different quarter. A great change having taken place since 1845 in the state of trade and commerce, the first question, with men of judgment, seeking for the cause, would be, " What legislative changes affecting trade and commerce have been made since that prosperous era ?" The answer they would receive would point out, 1. The adoption of Free-trade ; and 2, the tightening of our banking system. And the rational course for men of sincerity would lead them to consider how far the new measures of Free-trade and Fettered Banking required amendment. Some men of sense there appear to be in Liverpool; for on the same evening a practical inquiry into this part of the subject seems to have been entered into by Mr. Duncan, who, before a numerous and respectable audience, delivered an admirable lecture on the Currency, an abstract of which we yester day supplied. As a practical suggestion, we should like to ask the merchants of Liverpool, why the Chairman of the Financial Reform Association and Mr. Duncan should not be asked to meet, and in a friendly and reason able spirit to discuss the question, whether the Currency, or the Army Estimates, have the most evident bearing on the trade el Liverpool ''—Morning Herald. LOCAL MEETINGS, EVERTON AND KIRKDALE WARD.—A meeting of the electors was held on Friday evening, at the Everton Coffee-honse, to adopt measures to secure the election of Francis Shand, Esq., as a representative of this ward. There were present Messrs. G. H. and W. J. Horsfall, Mr. Councillor Bennett, Mr. Kerford, and other gentle men of influence in the neighbourhood. Mr. Maddock occupied the chair. Mr. Bennett, in a brief compli mentary address, proposed Mr. Shand, whose past ser vices entitled him to the renewed confidence of the electors. Mr. Kerford warmly seconded the motion, and it was unanimously carried. After some conversation on other points, irrelevant to the meeting, a committee was appointed to take measures to secure :Mr. Shand's elec tion. A vote of thanks was passed to the chairman, who feelingly replied, stating that, in the cause of old toryism, he should always be at his post. RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY.—The thirty-fourth an nual meeting of the Liverpool Auxiliary to the London Religious Tract Society was held on Tuesday evening last, in the Portico, Newington, the Rev. H. Hampton, the incumbent of St. James's, occupying the chair. After the Rev. Mr. Kirkus, of the Necropolis, had im plored the Divine blessing upon the meeting, and a state ment of the accounts to the end of the society's year had been read, the Rev. W. W. Ewbank, the Minister of St. George's, Everton, moved the first resolution, which was seconded by Mr. William Jones, the esteemed super intendent of the parent society's operations, who gave a brief but exceedingly interesting statement of the trans actions both at home and abroad. His address was lis tened to with great attention. Subsequently, the meting was addressed by the Rev. Mr. Carpenter, of St. Jude's, and the Rev. Mr. Brown, a missionary from Africa, who urged the claims of the society, on the ground of the va luable assistance rendered to the missionary in his benevo lent endeavour to elevate the character of the degraded and swarthy sons of that long-injured continent. The Revds. Messrs. Kirkus and Graham briefly addressed the meeting, after which a collection was made for the Lon don Religious Tract Society, which, we fear, would be but trifling, in comparison with its claims upon this large community. MEETING OF THE SELECT VESTRY.—A special meet ing of the select vestry was held at the Parish-offices, Lime-street, for the purpose of electing a registrar of births, deaths, and marriages, for the district of Great Howard-street, in the room of Mr. Charles Chubb, dis missed. The chair was occupied by the Rev. Rector Campbell. It appeared from the proceedings of the Finance Committee, that there had been thirty-nine candidates for the vacant registrarship; and the commit tee, after having inspected the various applications and testimonials, recommended one of the three following candidates, namely, Mr. Henry Schroeder, Mr. William Salmon, and Mr. Thomas Parr, to be appointed to the office _of Registrar of St. George's district ; and they further recommended that Mr. George Gurdon, the present Registrar for St. George's district, be promoted to the more lucrative district of Great Howard-street or Vauxhall. Mr. Seward moved that Mr. Gurdon be ap pointed to the district of Great Howard-street. Mr. Avison moved, as an amendment, that Mr. James Board man, who was an old and deserving officer of the parish, be elected to the Great Howard-street district. Mr. Woodruff, seconded by Mr. Shakeshaft, proposed Mr. Henry Schroeder to the vacant office ; but shortly after Mr. Woodruff withdrew this amendment. The voting was then taken, when there appeared :—For Mr. Gurdon, 19; for Mr. Boardman, 5. Mr. Gurdon was accordingly elected to the Registrarship of Great Howard-street ; and the filling up of the vacancy for St. George's district was postponed until official notice of that vacancy had been first declared. LIVERPOOL COLLEGIATE IN•STITITTION.—A most inte resting meeting of the directors of this institution was held, on Thursday, in their board-room, for the pu r pose , of taking leave of the Principal, the Rev. W. J. Conybeare, and of receiving his successor, the Rev. J. S, Howson. i The Chairman, (Rev. A. Campbell) on behalf of the board of management, in handsome terms expressed thei sense of Mr. Conybeare's services, their regret at his der parture, and their sincere wishes for his future welfare. Called upon (said Mr. Campbell) to execute an import tent, but hitherto, perhaps, untried experiment, an expe riment in which the board have endeavoured to aid your efforts without restricting your discretion, you have evinced not only a marked ability, but a conscientious zeal which has deserved and met with their cordial approbation. In the language of St. Paul you may say: I have fought a good fight," and if our joint endeavours have not been crowned with perfect success, the partial failure which has only been a financial one, may be ascribed, not to any want of zeal on your part, but to the commercial embar rassments of these most disastrous times. Mr. Conybeare, in returning thanks, said the duties in which he had been engaged for the last six years had been to him delightful, and he owed the directors a deep obligation for the confi dence they had intrusted in him in the appointment of all the masters. He concluded by introducing, in a compli mentary manner, his successor, the Rev. J. S. Howson, to the meeting. Mr. Howson, who was received with cheers, warmly acknowledged the confidencereposed in him. He said " It is no slight encouragement, gentlemen, to be trusted from the first by those whose confidence I might have been glad to earn by continued exertion ; and it is no slight encouragement that I shall find here a body of fellow-masters in whom I have myself the utmost con fidence, some from a personal knowledge now of some years' standing, and others from the opinion I have heard expressed by my predecessor, who appointed them ; but I find my highest encouragement and greatest advantage in that excellent organization of the schools to which he has, by his judghient, and energy, and patient toil, in the six years (or nearly six years) during which he has pre sided here, successfully brought them.' Mr. Adam Hodgson said, that, as a parent who had placed several children in the upper school since the opening of the in sti:uton, he should not be doing justice te-the exertions of the Principal, or his own feelings, if he did not express the deep sense which he entertained of the care and at tention which the Principal had taken of them. The Albion adds—Having had several of our own children in the middle school for some time, we may state, with Mr. Adam Hodgson, that we should not be doing justice to our feelings if we did not join with that gentleman in an expression of our thanks for the care taken of them by the retiring Principal. DocK COMMITTEE.—The sub-committee of Works reported that they could not recommend the erection of dwelling houses for the respective pier masters. Mr. Tobin argued that the residences were as necessary as- those for the dock masters. Mr. Nicol said that it was not considered desirable to have the wives and fami lies of the men running about the pier -heads, and they had huts sufficient to go into. Mr. Tobin :_ You and 1 would not like to live in a hut, and I would not ask them to live in a hut. Mr. Aikin thought it was perhaps an error in finding houses for the dock. masters, and be would not go further. If any alterations were made at all, he should like to see the principle adopted of having a certain number of men appointed for each dock to remove ships, and do away with the system of employing shipkeepers. As it was now, he believed they were pay ing for a set of plunderers. Mr. Tobin moved that houses be erected for the dock gatemen, but, finding no seconder, the proposition fell to the ground.—The sub committee for the marine department reported that they could see no reason to alter their recommendation to dis pense with the services of Mr. Cox, the-temporary as sistant to the marine surveyor. The same sub-committee also reported that that they could not recommend any increase in the salary of Lieutenant Lord, the marine surveyor. Mr. Tobin said he was one who took the lead in raising Mr. Lord's salary from £4OO to £6OO, and that sum he considered a handsome emolument for the services performed.—The arrangement with Mr. Bailey to rent the top of Tower-buildings, for the telegraph, on a lease of seven years, at £7O a-year, was confirmed. By the removal of the telegraph, signals will be passed slang the line to Formby—An application from Messrs. Vernon and Co., for the use of the Clarence Graving-dock for the Prince of Wales steamer, was granted, on conditions. —The harbour-masters' sub-committee recommended that Mr. William Foyle, aged 31, should be appointed master of George's Dock, in the placo of Mr. William Gerrard, resigned, at a salary of £250 a-year. Mr. Tobin objected to the placing of new and untried hands over the heads of old and deserving servants. He men tioned Mr. Horsfall, master of the Canning Dock, who had risen from the situation of gateman, as a man every way qualified and entitled to the situation. It came out, in the course of a lengthy conversation, that Mr. Hors fall had been before the sub-committee, and that the only objection to him was that he was not quite so genteel in his manners as some of the members desired, and this by some was deemed sufficient to stand in the way of his promotion to an increase of salary to the extent of £lOO a year. Mr. Tobin admitted that if they expected a man to make a long speech on a small matter Mr. Horsfall was not the man. In reply to the argument that the master at Georges Dock bad to come in contact with the public in the frequent opening and shutting of the dock gates, and therefore ought to be a little polished. Mr. Royden said if a man dropped from the clouds, with a head on at all, he was quite able to take charge of the bridge. It was only like a man turning a grind-stone handle, and required no great refinement of scientific skill. (Laughter.) Mr. Tobin then proposed that Mr. Horsfall be appointed. to George's Dock, and on a division the motion was car ried by a majority of 10 to 7, namely, for Mr. Irorsfall, Messrs. Lockett, Kendall, Tobin, Mann, Horsfall, Shand, Royden, Wood, Aikin, and Robinson ; against, Messrs. Sanders, Bold, Gladstone, Molyneux, Chilton, Nicol, and the chairman. A division then took place on the ques. tion whether Mr. Foyle should be appointed to the Can ning Dock, or the subject referred back to the sub-com mittee, to see whether some other old servant could not be promoted. Singularly enough, Mr. Kendall and Mr. Tobin, who strongly advocated promotion in the one case, opposed the reference back again, but the committee pre served its consistency by referring the subject again. —A letter which created some little amusement was read from a Dr. Trail, offering to lend the committee £72,000, to which the applicant alleged he was entitled for services in Greece and Portugal, the only condition being, that the committee should get the money for him. FINANCIAL REFORM ASSOCIATION On Wednesday evening, a meeting of the Liverpool Financial Reform Association was held in the Portico, Newington ; Robertson Gladstone, Esq., in the chair. Amongst the gentlemen present we noticed Sir Joshua Walmsley, Lawrence Heyworth, Esq., M.P., Colonel Williams, J. Ashton Yates, R. V. Yates, Chas. Holland, Edward Brodribb, Francis Boult, J. Smith, Archibald Shell, Richard Farrar, and James Thompson, Esqrs, The CHAIRMAN, in opening the business of the meet ing, said that the first duty he had to discharge, was to express the gratification which he felt in meeting such a number of his fellow-townsmen for the purpose of discus sing subjects of far more vital importance to them than any other that could be proposed. The second duty (and it ought to have been the first) was to express his sense of gratitude at being permitted to preside over that meet ing as chairman; inasmuch u he could not disguitio from himself that the office belonged to some more consistent friend of reform than himself. After some general re marks, which pressure of time will not permit us to re port, the chairman alluded to the fearful depression which had pervaded every branch of trade, and the necessity for a general revision of the taxation and expenditure of the country. For the attainment of this end the Financial Reform Association had been established, and its objects were— Ist.—To use all lawful and constitutional means of inducing the most rigid economy in the expenditure of the Government, consistent with due efficiency in the several departments of the public service. 2nd.—To advocate the adoption of a simple and equitable system of direct taxation, fairly levied upon property and in come, in lieu of the present unequ.;.l, complicated, and expen sively collected duties upon commodities. Parliamentary documents showed that the people of this country were robbed, and that it was the nature of the Govern ment to encroach on the rights of the people. He utterly denied that her Majesty the Queen exercised any power or control in the matter, and threw the whole blame on the aristocracy and the Times newspaper. Now, with regard to the aristocracy, he thought it far better that the people of this country should make a bar gain with them upon the birth of each of their children, than that the children should be quartered upon the pub lic by holding situations in the army or navy. He next alluded to the state of affairs in Ireland, and contended that inasmuch as a few police were able to put down all the disturbances that had taken place in that country, there had been no occasion to send such an armament into that country merely because Lord Lansdowne was a large landed proprietor there. How could economy be expected from a Government composed of men who had never known what want was ? Lnrd John Russell and the Government, in the Queen's Speech—for it was not the speech of the Queen, but that of her Ministers—to the House of Commons, said, " I shall avail myself of every opportunity which the exigencies of the state may allow for enforcing economy." And how had Lord John Russell carried out this ? By appointing his own brother to the office of sergeant-at-arms —a sinecure that any police-officer could perform much better for £BO or £lOO a-year. The sergeant-at-arms used tcr receive £2,300 salary, but, at the recommendation of a parliamentary committee held in 1836, it was reduced to £1,500, which is the present salary. There was also a deputy-sergeant, salary £l,OOO a-year ; assistant-sergeant, £525 a-year ; housekeeper. £5OO a-year ; three door-keepers, one at £874, one at £4OO, and another at £2OO ; four messengers at £3OO a-year each, and four extra messengers at £lO5 each. All these officers are appointed by the sergeant. These messengers have no duties which require education ; they merely stand in the galleries and lobbies, ready to obey the sergeant-at-arms, and, if necessary, take per sons into custody. It was also stated in evidence, before the Committee on Miscellaneous Expenditure, that " they are obliged to appear in a clean shirt and white neckcloth every day, and in a black dress. The messengers at the bar must wear knee-breeches and black silk stockings." (Laughter.) The chief - increase of expenditure has been the navy, the expense of which has been nearly doubled. Navy. Army. Ordinance. 1834 .. £4,578,009 .. £6,497,902 .. £1,166,914 1847 .. 7,747,156 .. 6,913,816 .. 2,679,124 Mr. Gladstone next adverted to the fact of Sir Robert Peel's son, a young man 23 years old, having been ap pointed to the command of the finest frigate in her Ma jesty's service, over the heads of numbers of veterans who had grown grey in the service; and proceeded to show the meeting the propriety of enforcing upon the attention of parliament the great necessity for reducing the natioral expenditure, observing that nothing could ever be gained, either from government or by parliament, but by exac tion. On resuming his seat, the chairman was loudly cheered. LAWRENCE HEYWORTH, Esq., M.P., proposed the first resolution, as follows " That considering the privations of the industrious classes. no measure of financial reform can n:eet the requirements of •ur national position, or satisfy the reasonable expectations of the country : which aims merely at equalizing the public income and expenditure, without at the same time providing for a ma terial diminution in the present overwhelming load of taxation, by the most unsparing retrenchment in all the departments of the public service."' He thought no one would deny the great privations which the labouring classes had been enduring for the last few years. True, these privations might not have been wholly caused by heavy taxation ; but certain it was that heavy taxation had been the main cause. Insufficient employ ment, too, had been felt in England and Ireland—parti cularly in the latter country, where wages had fallen to 4d. and sd. a day. In Manchester alone 7000 and 8000 people had been wholly unemployed; and yet the labour ing classes were obliged to pay duties and excise to the amount of £32,000.000 per annum—about one-third of the wages they earned. Had the people of Ireland been fully employed, and had' they obtained " a fair day's wages for a fair day's work," would there have been re volt and revolutions in that country ? Nothing of the kind. What caused Chartism to run riot in Lancashire and Yorkshire lately ? Why, it was a want of employ ment; and the same want had produced insurrection in the various countries on the continent, where much of that want had been caused by the fearful expenses into which our continental neighbours had plunged, in order to increase their naval and military armaments. That increase abroad had frightened statesmen at home, and then we proceeded to build additional ships, and to en large our military forces. Wow, was it to be supposed that we should have dearness and scarcity if we availed ourselves of the products of the whole earth ? Let, then, there be general economy, and particularly in our arma ments. Let the excise duties be taken off the commodi ties which the labouring classes consumed, and let those duties be placed upon the broad shoulders of the aristo cracy • and then, when a noble scion was compelled to : pay£3,ooo a-year instead of £3OO, he would soon begin to discover the necessity of reducing the naval and mili tary armaments. Mr. RICHARD SHELL, in seconding the resolution, said that the Financial Reform Association had been organised because of the increase of taxation to meet enormous ex penditure. He objected to the levying of an income-tax alike upon the industrious citizen and the landed and funded proprietor. The taxes were levied upon every article that it was possible for a man to consume, and they were expended in various unnecessary ways. The resolution was carried unanimously. Mr. FRANCIS BOULT proposed the second resolution as follows : " That in the opinion of this meeting no government can or ought to retain the confidence of the people, which does not avow, and to the utmost possible extent act upon, the determi nation to deal justly with all classes, by an equitable adjust ment of the burden of taxation; so that, ins ead of pressing. as now, on the springs of industry, limiting the consumption of commodities, restricting the operations of commerce, and causing social privation and distress, the necessary revenue shall hereafter 1,0 levied by a.direct impost on the members of the community, in pnportion to their respective ability to con tribute." It was true we had a Parliament called " the collective wisdom of the nation," which had always supported the prejudices and class interests of the nation ; and no real reform was obtainable from them without vigorous and continuous agitation. He lamented this as much as any man; but the fact was, that agitation must be kept up if: we would keep an effectual check on national expenditure. Now, industry in this country was legally prohibited to. an enormous extent, for we were now paying £3,000,000 per annum for liberty to carry on our trade. This might be denied upon the ground that a man could turn himself• to whatever he liked ;. but the fact was true nevertheless;; and he proceeded to illustrate its truth by reference to the business of a soap-boiler, and the duty upon that and other articles of manufacture. This association did not hold any Utopian plans, neither did it indulge in any ex-. travagant hopes. But it hoped to make financial reform. a hustings question, and it further hoped to make mem bers of Parliament vote a little more of their own money, and a little less of the money of the people. Then we should hear very little indeed of the so called "glory" of naval and military forces. At present we are main taining 60 vessels for the purpose of preventing peo ple trading with• their neighbours in the North Sea. He wanted import duties to be taken off, and for new markets to be opened free to the sons of industry. He called for the abolition of the window tax, the soap duties and the window duties. He complained that while the Navigation Laws were about to be repealed. the duties upon the raw material were kept up, as if to prevent the home ship owner from entering successfully into competition with the foreign shipowner. He was prepared to show that the income tax, unequal as it was, was, nevertheless, less unequal than any other tax now imposed, for almost all the taxes pressed with the greatest severity u.pon the poor est classes of the community, for they had to pay not only the excise duties but the profits of the shopkeeper. • • Mr.. EDWARD BRODRIBB seconded the resolution. Voluminous and ill-arranged as the documents were on the subject of taxation, yet they could be arrived at with accuracy. The gross amount of taxation, for the year ending the sth of January, 1847, was £58,438.000. This was raised by direct and indirect taxation ; and these terms of " direct" and " indirect" taxation, he proceeded to explain in a manner which excited much laughter. Now, there were Ils. duty paid out of every 20s. upon tea, in the shape of direct taxation, and 2s. 9d, more, making 13s. 9d. in all, in the shape of indirect taxation. Now, the annual taxation of the country was laid as fol lows ,—Customs and Excise, £37,000,000 ; cost of col lection, £1,924,000; Stamps, £7,676,000; cost of col lection, £154,000 ; Land Tax, £1,166,000: Assessed Taxes, £3,309,000; cost of collection, £317,000; Income Tax, £5,544,000; Post-office, £1,964,000 ; cost of col lection, £1,128,000; Crown Lands, £394,000; cost of collection, £259,000; other items, £427,000; cost of col lection, 459,000; China money, £668,000; superannua tions, £365,000. Mr. Brodribb proceeded at some length to comment upon the enormity and inequality of these several taxes, and said he had often wondered how £37,000,000, in the shape of customs and excise duties, should have been submitted to by the people. The fact, however, was, the people did not understand the nature of the items, but they were as follow—Spirits, £8,376,000 ; Beer, £5,371,000; Wine, £1,892,000; Tea, £5,112,000; Sugar, £4,050,000 ; Coffee, £756,000; Tobacco, £4,319,000 Soap, £966,000 ' • Excise licenses, £1,000,000. Now, with reference to the duty on soap, if cleanliness was next to Godliness, where was the piety of our legislators ? If financial reform could not be brought about in its entirety, ruin would stare the country in the face ; and, in order to prevent this ruin, he called for the suffrage to be commensurate with taxation, and for the electors to do their duty manfully in returning proper representatives to Parliament. He contrasted the tranquility of England with the anarchy of the continent, and he said that, in order to preserve this tranquility, justice must be done to the people. Mr._FARRAR supported the resolution. _ _ Sir JOSHUA WAl:msuly also supported the resolution He was happy to find those who'imce differed with Re formers in opinion now giving to Reformers their cordial support. The Chairman had spoken in a manner deserv ing of himself. He had called things by their right names, and he had enunciated great principles. He was happy to find that the reduction of local and general taxa tion was engaging the attention of the people of Liver pool; and with reference to national taxation, IN Axtuly Oct. 3,1145. believed that it was unjustly proportioned, so far as the oligarchy were concerned. tie knew something of the local taxation of Liverpool; there were 63,000 assess ments in Liverpool on £1,500,000 worth of property, and yet thousands of houses never paid a shilling of taxes. About one-third of the population paid the whole of the local taxes; and would it not be fairer and honester that every house should be taxed, and that every owner should pay ? There were, moreover, three sets of tax collectors in Liverpool, and the consequence was, that the tax col lector was never from the door, and the confusion was 11 great that the people never knew whether they had p!lici their taxes or not. He contrasted the enormous taxation of England with the diminished taxation of the 'United States, Russia, and Austria, and he said that the present melancholy position of affairs in this country would con tinue until an intelligent people returned honest Repro' sentatives to the House of Commons—a House that Wag now little better than a Registration Committee of the House of Lords. England was now maintaining an armed force of 300,000,000 men. For what pur pose ? Should he tell them for what purpose ? No; they knew it themselves. There were 151 Admirals now on pay; and we had 500 Majors, and 70 Lieutenant- Generals in three regiments of dragoons alone. And tint state of things would continue, so long as there wereot ll l 70 members of the House o f C ommons w h o vo t e d with the people. He referred at great length to the unequal franchise and mode of representation in this countrY , and said that half the House of Commons represented £600,000 of property, and that the other half represented £92,000,000 of property. Col. WXLLIAMS proposed the third resolution : "That copies of the foregoing resolutions be sent to the First Lord of the Treasury, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the members of the borough and the county." Mr. CLAY POLE seconded the third resolutio n . . A vote of thanks was passed to:the Chairman, and the meeting separated. EARLY CLOSING MEETING On Tuesday a meeting of the friends of early closing was held at the Music-hall. The attendance was respect. , able. His Worship the MAYOR occupied the chair. He said he came there rather as a listener than a speaker. 111. had very great pleasnre in complying with the reciees° that he would preside over the meeting, because he 5 0 entirely and cordially approved of its object, as set forth in the circular sent to him, which stated that it was es tablished to obtain, by upright and honourable means, such leisure as should enable the assistants to preserve and improve their health and perform the higher duties of their existence as men. (Hear, hear.) Much he believed had been done, but much remained to be done for the accomplishment of this desirable object. He was aware objections had been advanced against them. He bad been told, with reference to their object, that if young men were released at earlier- hours they would spend their evenings in idleness or amusement, or perhaps in a more objectionable manner. He hoped that the meeting would give a practical denial of that assertion. Next to early closing there was another very important object ; be allu ded to early rising. With the two combined, early clo sing and early rising, he was satisfied much might be done in their religious and moral improvement, and enabling them to discharge every duty in , the station of life in which providence had called them. He approved of the early closing of their offices, of their shops, and of their mar kets. He hoped the speakers would be consistent, that they might have an early closing of their meeting. lie hoped the speakers would not fall, into the too common error of public meetings of making too long speeches when much might have been compressed. His worship resu med his seat amidst general applause_ The Rev. Dr. TRENCH moved the first resolution, 0 the effect that late and injurious hours prevailed in mail places, and that the meeting would use its best efforts to lessen the evil, in a speech of considerable beauty and force. The Rev. Mica STOWELL BROWN seconded the mo tion. He advocated early closing, on the ground of its moral, physical, and social benefits. He argued that shopmen should not be asked to supply articles after seven o'clock, as he who did so robbed them of their time;, their health, and the recreation they ought to enjoy'. He contrasted the condition of the shopman with those mechanics whose business concluded at six o'clock in the evening. To do business after that time robbed the shop man of intellectual and moral culture. Every one who, engaged in late shopping did a moratinjury. It was sal° , some would not close their shops though the vast majority did. He said, let the vast majority close their shops early r and others would be ashamed, and follow the force of public opinion. He would use no , hard words, but he would' have hard facts used in their behalf. It would be no moral injury to shopmen to be liberated early any more than other classes closing at seven o'clock. , the Collegiate Instituti o n was c l os i ng i ts . lectures, an d e" minister was winding up his sermon, and the news-room was closing at that hour, so that the shopman had no opportunity of improving himself. Mr. CROPPER moved a resolution to the effect that the meeting recommended seven o'clock as a desirable time for closing shops. The Rev. Dr. HUMS followed in an able speech. Mr. JEFFERY said when he was requested to move the resolution, he felt it his duty at once to accede to the re eqaurelsyt.ciosHinisg resolution t r o ecommended He h e e h support opfiacesthe of business filled with persons engaged in business as late as eleven o'clock at night. His friend, Mr. Woolright, took pains to get the opinion of the body of tradesmen of the town, and they were of opinion that it was time to grapple with the monster and destroy him. The first meeting was held at the Clarendon-rooms, presided over by Mr. Reay. Another meeting arising out of it WAS held at the Adelphi Hotel, when a deputation was sent to the employers. A meeting of abouit 100 tradesmen was next held, when it was urged that shops should be closed at the hours of seven, eight, and nine o'clock, according to the-season. But the public had not been consulted► and the shopkeepers by degrees gave way. It was after wards arranged that the shops should be closed at eight and nine o'clock, but this was obliged to terminate in consequence of the late hours of the closing of the mar kets. Mr. Jeffery entered into a.continuous history of the early closing movement. The time hitherto given to young men had been well employed ; the abuse had been the exception, the use the rule; and he contrasted their conduct wit h what it was under the former rule. Mr. Jeffery showed the advantage of early closing to the shop keeper, the assistant, and the public. He especially urged that ladies used the middle hour of the day as best calculated to make purchases. He also thanked those ladies who gave their servants a day a month to make per chases. Mr. JOHN SMITH seconded theresotution. Mr. LAWRENCE HEYWORTH; ALP., supported it. The whole of the resolutions were carried unanimously, and, after a vote of thanks to the Mayor, the meeting separated. District P.cb3s. A Roman Catholic priest of Halifax, named Rigby, has '.Seen held to bail at Manchester, for obtruding his atten tions on'a young married female. ROSSALL COLLEGE.—The Bishop of Manchester has founded three annual prizes, in Fos ;all College, Fleet— wood, for the best translation and explanation of passages selected from the Greek Testament. The Fleetwood Hotel, isle of Man, was discovered to be on fire on Monday last,.and before the flames could be subdued, the whole of the interior, with the furniture, sa entirely consumed. ABUNDANCE OF STONE —This year the wo uce of stone fruit has been most abundant. Among any other instances. that might be named, Richard FRUIT Canning, a cottager in. Poulton, gathered from one tree 10 dozen, or 120 quarts of damsons. On Tuesday, at the opening of All Saints Church. Preston, after sermons. by the Rev. Dr.W/sleile and Rev. W. Pollock, the sum of £lB7 10s. was collected towards liquidating the debt for erecting the church. The amount is the largest ever received at a church collection in that town. DRIVING A BUSINESS.-During the time that Mr. Bradley, surgeon, has been in practice in Preston, about twenty-six years, he and two assistants who• have been with him have brought into the world the astonishing number of between thirteen and fourteen thousand children ! EARLY CLOSING.—On Tuesday a meeting of the shop keepers and tradesmen of the town was held in St- George's School-rooni, Preston. The meeting had been convened by the Rev. B. Powell. The. attendance Was not very numerous, but included several of the Town Council, and all present appeared to have an evident de sire to shorten the hours for keeping open the shops, and allowing the assistants therein more time for recreation. GRATIFYING PRESENT.—On Saturday a party of gentlemen, for the most part former pupils of Mr. Wm. Miller, surveyor, Stanley-terrace, Preston, met him at dinner at the Bull Hotel, to keep his 77th birth,day. They took that occasion of presenting him with a valu able service of plate, as a mark of their esteem for hi s to them when under his instruction, and for h is kindness to them at all times. It consisted of a large and handsome salver, four silver candlesticks, snuffers &c.. and a dozen silver forks. " DICKEY " BIRDS.—The Albion says, that at a chris tening which took place the other day, at Leasham Hall Chapel, some amusement was excited when it was disco vered that, not only was the child to be called Richard, and not only did his father and grandfather bear the name of Richard, which was natural enough, but that the two godfathers were called Richard, that the name of the minister was Richard, and that five of the guests present had received the same baptismal denomination. FALL OF CIIININKYS.—On Monday a large new chim ney at the soap boiling establishment of Messrs. Hayes. and Co., of Preston, came to the ground with a tremen dous crash, A son of one of the proprietors, twelve peens old, was killed, and a man had his leg broken. O n the same day, the chimney at Moorgate Fold Factory, Black burn, fell to the ground, but no one was hurt. 111 foundation of the former chimney was insufficient, and the latter was 55 yards high, and latterly had leaned veil much. Ineffectual attempts were made to straighten it. ILLEGAL WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.—On Thursdafr the Mayor, Thos. Berry Horsfall, Esq., sat in the Court in High-street, for the purpose of hearing informationo against persons for using illegal weights and measures.: Mr. Fell was present. Inspectors Kissack and Edwards preferred the charges. The Mayor, in the course of the day, said that from enquiries which had been made fro° some of the chief towns in the kingdom, it appeared that the charge made for the adjustment of weights and mfr. sures was much lower in this town than in any from which they had obtained information. There were forty-fog!' persons summoned, and of these forty-five were fined la sums not exceeding £5, the addition of 43.6 d. as 0 0 being made in each case. eel ammi TUE _Alum Watt, Jo Morris, .] VigilantSAlLE St. Titon ,tlason a.ran c k l e doßtan. Ikuper, totriett Dort. 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