The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-01-10 00:00:00

LIVER THEATRE,CHURCH-STREET. MRS. WAYLETT'S LAST WEEK. Fifth Night of the MAGIC VEIL, OR, THE FAIRY LAxg. Continued and unexampled success of JACK SHEPPARD. MR. HATTON'S SECOND WEEK. LAST SIX NIGHTS OF MR. HOSKINS. ?THIS present FRIDAY, the 10th instant, and following L Evening, will be performed anew romantic Burletta, called THE MAGIC VEIL! OR. THE FAIRY LAKE. Issacher To which will be added, a laughable Farce, called STATE SECRETS. Gregory Mr. Hoskins. To conclude with a new version of the 'celebrated Historical Drama of JACK SHEPPARD; Or, the Housebreaker of 1703, Oven Wood . ..................... Mr. Tilbury. Joe Blueskin.. Mr. J. L. Hatton. Boxes, 3s. ; Pit, 2s. ; Gallery, 6d. Second Price at Half.. ls. No Second P r i ce to t h e vast Eight—Boxe s , 2 s . ; Gallery. Private Boxes, to contain seven persons, to be had tr;iriT,. price Is. Tickets and places to be had of Mr. BRF.ZE, at the Box office., &owl Eleven till Three. Dams to be open at Half-past Six, performance to com- Illieflec at Seven precisely. ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE. Second Week of Mr. DUCROW and his extensive London National Establishment. r HE immense O ver fl ows to the Boxes, and all p ar t s o f th e I Theatre, has caused Mr. Ducrow to prepare Four Extra Private Boxes for the Nobility, which can be secured at the Office to prevent disappointment; likewise a New Staircase and Approaches have been made for the convenience of Female Visitors to the Second Gallery. 'THIS EVENING, (Friday,) and TO-MORROW, (Sa turday,) the 10th and 11th January. JERUSALEM, SPLENDID FEATS OF HORSEMANSHIP, And Ducrow's Performance of THE CONSCRIPT, Having been already honoured by the presence of Lord SErroN, and a crowded assemblage of rank and fashion, t iese Entertainments will be continued A Paw EVENINGS LON Gait. Early in the ensuing week, will be presented a choice se lection of performances as a splendid JUVENILE FETE! ! and Holiday Entertainment for the Younger Branches, and a DRESS SPECTACLE, for the Ladies and Gentry, for which purpose the first tier of Boxes will be handsomely decorated and arranged. EXPRESS LONDON NEWSPAPER OFFICE, 32, CHURCH -STREET, LIVERPOOL, (Opposite Parker-street.) WILMER and SMITH anpounce that duri ng th e tap proaching session of Parliament, they have made ar rangements for receiving EXPRESS FROM LONDON, Every Morning at Seven, and Afternoon at Four o'clock, the LATEST and EXPRESS EDITIONS of the following Daily Journals, for which they are Agents : MORNING PAPERS. Chronicle. Advertise r . I Herald. 1 Sun. EVENING PAPERS. - Sun. 1 Standard. Courier. Globe. 1 Shipping Gazette. Lloy e st. d's Li The Evening,. Mail. I The Evening Chronicle. Eng ish Chro n i c l e . St. James's Chronicle. Pulished Three -times-a-week. The above, and b all the Weekly Papers, are delivered at any part of Liverpool, and forwarded to any part of the United Kingdom, or sent abroad. *** Advertisements forwarded to London daily. Times. Post. TO CORRESPONDENTS. We cannot answer the queries of "R. H." at present. In our next we shall do so. We have fo apologise for the omission of several notices of • new publications, which we are compelled to defer till our next. ebr tibrrpool tanbarb FRIDAY MORNING, JANUARY 10, 1840. The arch -traitor O'Connell has just published the form of an address to the Queen, which is to be for warded, in obedience to his instructions, from the dif ferent parishes in Ireland. This impudent document demands a few observations. Like all the other pro ductions of the mendacious demagogue it is composed of a tissue of atrocious falsehoods from beginning to end. The very first paragraph in the petition is a lie of the first magnitude. What will our readers think of such language as the following in an address ema nating from the arch-rebel himself, and adopted by the bloody Riband confederacy of Ireland—" none of your Majesty's subjects can exceed them (the petitioners) in loyal and dutiful allegiance to your Majesty's person, throne, and government 1" Every one knows the con ditional loyalty of these Popish conspirators. They only profess their allegiance as long as their influence at court is predominant. The moment the Queen ac quiesces in the appointment of a conservative adminis tration, and transfers to them that confidence which has been so outrageously abused by the Whigs, that moment.will the boasted lip-loyalty of O'Connell and his myrmidons be converted into implacable hostility against the " throne, person, and government" of her -Majesty—that moment will O'Connell begin to load her'Majesty with all the malignant abuse and slander ous epithets which he has so liberally bestowed upon her royal predecessors and relations. We feel perfectly convinced that the day is not far distant when the yells of savage execration will be substituted for the servile adulations in which O'Connell now indulges towards the person of her Majesty. We can scarcely refer to a single individual, of any historical importance, upon whom this Billinggate orator has not alternately be stowed the slaver of his praise and the bitterness of his malevolent abuse. In reference to the Royal Family, to the Duke of Wellington, to Sir Robert Peel, to Lord Melbourne and his associates, to Lord Brougham, to the Orangemen of Ireland, and to a host of minor characters, he has been, at one tune, as crouching, ful some, and indiscriminate in his flatteries, as he has been, at another, vehement and unbounded in his abusive denunciations. At one time, when he was feasted and caressed by the mobocracy of England, Englishmen were the objects of his exaggerated praises. As soon as the people of England found him out to be a cheat and an impostor, whose mountebank antics de served to be universally laughed at, he turned round and declaimed against them as the sworn enemies of Ireland, and branded them as a nation of foreign ag gressors. To expect consistency in the loyalty of O'Connell and his degraded and priest-ridden adhe rents would, therefore, be as unreasonable as to expect honesty in a thief, to look for principle in a rogue, or sincerity in a practised hypocrite. As long as he is suffered to go on unmolested in his career of plunder and violence ; he will offer no annovance to any one ; but the moment an attempt is made to unkennel the vaga bond, to exposé his mendicant tricks, to punish him for his insolence, he will display his true character, and proceed to take the ordinary revenge of a fummard, by diffusing around him the stench of his native meanness and vulgarity. The next paragraph of O'Connell's address proceeds to say, that he and his fellow -conspirators "are ready to brave every danger, and incur every possible peril of life and property, in defence of the rightful prero gatives of her Majesty's throne, and of the liberties and privileges of the free people who have the happi ness to live under her government." Our readers must bear in mind that these hyperbolical expressions of loyalty and patriotism are put in the mouths of the murderous Ribandmen, whose sole avocation seems to be the plundering and destroying the Protestants of Ireland, to whose unflinching loyalty, even under op pression and persecution, the integrity of the British empire is, under Providence, mainly attributable. If the address had stated that the O'Connellites were ready to engage in midnight assaults upon the dwell ings and persons of unoffending Protestants, to plunge the dagger of the assassin into the most truly loyal hearts in Ireland, to waylay and murder the clergy of the Established Church, and to proclaim the supremacy of _the Pope, there would have been some approxima tion to truth in the language employed. To profess the contrary of all this is nothing but sheer and unpa ralleled hypocrisy. The thitd paragraph disclaims the imputation of " self-interested or mercenary" motives as the grounds of Popish allegiance, and alleges that it is " founded on the purest and noblest principles that can actuate the human mind, or regulate human action." If such be the real character of the " dutiful allegiance" of the O'Connellites, how does it come to pass that in their conduct towards the loyal Protestants of Ireland they act upon such base and ignoble pririciples ? Is it a d pure and noble principle" that forms the bond of union between the Riband conspirators, whose object it is to subvert the government of Ireland, and to as sert its independence ? Can any one believe that these profuse protestations of loyalty have their origin in any other feeling than a wish to deceive the q ueen ? The fifth paragraph in the address contains one statement which is founded in truth. It say s _ ,, We feel . deeply grateful to your Majesty for the selection of the- pers ons who administer the government of this Pal of 31 0 Yr kingdom ; and we look with anxious soli citude to their continuance in ofice." Here the murder is out ! The true secret of O'Connellite loyalty is the continuance of Lord Melbourne and his associates in office. As long as the whole patronage of Ireland is under the controul of O'Connell, he is prodigal of his declarations of loyalty and. allegiance ; but deprive him of the power which he now possesses and delights to exercise, and he will vent his blackguard abuse on the Queen without measure or remorse. When O'Connell. asserts that " a great and powerful party exists, especially in England, adopting, as it were by succession, as well as by choice, principles and practices most hostile to the Irish people—a party whose prominent leaders and auxiliaries exhibit the bitterness of gall in their public attacks upon the mo rals and faith of the great and overwhelming majority of the Irish people—a party who sully the sacred name of religion, by making it ancillary to sordid and selfish purposes, and utterly dishonour Christianity, by mix ing it up with the most bigoted, virulent, and malig nant attacks upon the faithful people of Ireland," he utters the most barefaced lie that malevolence ever engendered, or impudence ever promulgated. The only party that is hostile to the true interests of Ire land is that of the despotic Popish priesthood. They " utterly dishonour Christianity" by their extermina ting- edicts against the Protestants. The latter are the only "faithful" people of Ireland. By what party in England are they persecuted under religious pretences ? The only machinations which Ireland has to dread are those in which O'Connell and his fellow-traitors are engaged. O'Connell was never more unfortunate than in re ferring with satisfaction to the conduct of the Irish people since her Majesty's accession to the throne ; and especially when he boasts of the " peaceable and good conduct" of the " millions" of Irish subjects " distributed in the various towns, cities, and localities of England." Did he never happen to hear of the proceedings of his countrymen in Liverpool at the period of the last general election ? Has he never been informed that such was the violent and blood thirsty conduct of the miscreant Popish population of this town, that the electors were unable, in hundreds of instances, to go up to the polling-booths, excepting under the protection of the policemen's cutlasses ? Whoever O'Connell may deceive by asserting the loyal and peaceable character of the Irish Papists, he will never deceive the people of Liverpool. We know O'Connell and his " base, bloody, and brutal" fol lowers too well to be misled by their flimsy and hollow professions. Are the Whigs fairly demented ? If such be not the case, bow can we account for the monstrous announce ment in the Gazette of Tuesday last, that " the Queen has been pleased to appoint Lieutenant-General Sir Lionel Smith, Bart., to be Governor and Commander in-Chief of the Island of Mauritius and its dependen cies ?" To those who know anything of Sir Lionel Smith's career in Jamaica this announcement must have appeared nearly incredible ; and to those who know anything of the present state of the Mauritius it must have caused the utmost consternation. It is a matter of notoriety that the eccentric conduct and absurd pro ceedings of Sir Lionel Smith chiefly originated the misunderstanding between the Jamaica House of As sembly and the Imperial Parliament, which occupied so much of the attention of the House of Commons during the last session. Under his administration the island of Jamaica—one of the finest colonies which Great Britain possesses—was fast sinking into ruin. While he remained in the colony there was nothing but bickering and quarrelling, discontent and mutual dis trust, prevailing among all classes of the community. Instead of promoting union and harmony, it seemed to be his delight to foment discord and enmity. In stead of encouraging industry on the part of the ne groes, he uniformly praised them for their independ ence, and sided with them in all their quarrels. In stead of promoting the interests of the planters, which are identical with those of the colony, he appeared to enjoy a savage delight in witnessing the ruin which was rapidly threatening to overwhelm them. Such is the man whom the Whigs have chosen to govern the im portant colony of the Island of Mauritius ! In that colony there is an experiment in successful operation ith which the colonists have every reason to dread Sir Lionel Smith's interference. We allude to the immigration of Hill Coolies into the colony, and their employment as field labourers. In the present condi tion of the Mauritius there could not have been a more unfit appointment than that of Sir Lionel Smith, whose inefficiency for the office of Governor of such a colony is proverbially notorious. The Anti-corn-law campaign for the present season was opened yesterday in Liverpool. The enemies of the Corn Laws have acted a cunning part in fixing upon a commercial town like this in commencing their operations. They wish to produce an impression that the mercantile interests of Liverpool are in favour of the total abolition of the Corn Laws. Such a belief, if they should succeed in inculcating it, has no founda tion whatever in fact. The merchants of Liverpool, as a body, have had no voice whatever in passing the re solutions agreed to at the meeting of yesterday. W e protest against the idea that it conveyed the opinions , of the commercial classes of the town. It was attended by about eight hundred individuals, the great propor tion of whom consisted of idlers of all descriptions, and nearly all of whom belonged to the Tradesmen's Reform Association. Out of about three thousand subscribers to the Exchange News-rooms, we do not believe that there were two hundred present. The whole appearance of the meeting, and the whole tenour of the proceedings, convinced us that it was nothing more than a political movement, got up to support a tottering administration. We now clearly foresee that, if the present ministry are kicked out of office, as they deserve to be, they will be made the grand stalking horse of the Whigs in their subsequent appeals to the people of England. Every other expedient having been exhausted, they are now driven to the desperate extremity of seeking the ruin of the landed interests of this country, as the only means of diminishing their political influence. The question of the Corn Laws is one of vast and overwhelming importance. In legislating on this sub ject the greatest caution and circumspection are neces sary. As was very properly remarked by Mr. Rath bone, at the meeting of yesterday, one false step in this matter may lead to irretrievable mischief and ruin. A change such as that sought for by the anti-corn-law agitators may not only fail of accomplishing the objects which they profess to have in view, but also involve the permanent derangement of all our commercial re lations. Such being the case, even on the admission of those who are in favour of abolition, the subject should be approached in a spirit of calm and dispas sionate deliberation. Is it not, therefore, to be deplored that the itinerant orators in the pay of the Anti-Corn- Law League should indulge in violent and abusive ti rades against the agricultural interest ? Is it a likely mode to bring the question to a satisfactory settlement ? While they denounce the landholders and farmers of the kingdom as robbers and oppressors of the poor, as exercising over their fellow-citizens a tyranny to which history furnishes no parallel, how can it be ex pected that those who are in favour of the present sys tem of corn-laws, and who see through the shallow sophisms of the anti-corn-law agitators, should abstain from use agg t ur h ei e csutilotun y agriculturists retaliatory langua g e ? While we hear manufacturing brand e d nstacstaupritaalllistsany better ?" How comes it as ty ran t s an d oppressors, the the suggests itself 4 ‘ are the great to pass that they have immense fortune s , e contrived operatives, t o . accumulate byle s such wea while t of whose brows they have been enriched, are pining in want and misery ? Have th e manufacturers done their duty towards those whom they have employed ? Have they allotted to them a fair, reasonable, and equitable proportion of their enormous gains ? If they attempt to answer this question in the affirmative, we again de mand why are they in the possession of their hundreds of thousands, nay millions, while the poor, hard-worked operatives are dragging on a miserable existence, sur rounded by all the squalid misery of distress and fa mine ? We cannot avoid asking these questions. We do so because we believe, on the authority of Holy Writ, that he who withholdeth from the labourer his hire, is sure to meet with his reward. We warn the manufacturers against the course which they are now pursuing. Let them first do justice to their operatives, and then they may expect to meet with a greater de gree of indulgence from the legislature. Let them esta blish a claim to public sympathy before they venture to appeal to the public suffrages of the empire. Above all, let them remember that angry vituperation and slanderous charges against the agriculturists are only likely to provoke angry recriminations in return. They cannot expect to modify the corn-laws, much less to repeal them, by abusing their best customers and sup• porters. We have said that the question of the Corn Laws is one of vast moment and importance. We feel con vinced that very few have bestowed upon it that con sideration which it so imperatively demands. The agricultural interest, which is now assailed, is of incal culably greater importance than all the other interests in the kingdom put together. Look for instance at the pecuniary amount and value of the agricultural produce of Great Britain. The number of acres in Great Britain amount to 77,394,433, of which 46,522.970 acres are under cultivation as productive land. The whole avail able income of this country is estimated at £514,823,059, of which no less than £246,600,000 is declared to be derivable from the produce of the land alone and directly, whilst at one-half of the remainder is indirectly derived from the same source exclusively. Now, as corn is the principal article of agricultural produce, some idea of the extent of the .corn trade may be derived from the preceding statement. It is calculated that 60,000,000 quarters of grain are annually grown and consumed in Great Britain. We believe this estimate to be much under the mark. As it is given in the Anti-Corn-Law Circular we shall take it as the basis of our calculations. Sixty millions of grain at the average price of forty shillings would alone produce £l2o,ooo,ooooine-tenths of which is expended in this country. Of this immense amount the Circular acknowledges that "only a small portion goes into the pockets of the landlords." This acknowledgment is important. If " only- a small por tion finds its way into the pockets of the landlord," what becomes of the residue? Is it hoarded up by the farmers ? The Circular answers " the greatest part is thrown away." Thrown away, indeed ! By whom, where, when, and how ? Shall we tell the simpleton of the Circular what becomes of it ? More than three fourths of the £246,600,000 derived from the produce of the land, after decucting the amount consumed in the maintenance of the farmers and their labourers, finds its way into the pockets of the tradesmen, artificers, manu facturers, &c. of the country. It is notorious that farmers, with all their thrifty habits, are very rarely able to ac- - cumulate any considerable sums of money, even in the most prosperous times. It is notorious that the four millions and a half of agricultural labour ers and their families can have nothing to lay by. It is equally notorious that the landlords sel dom contrive to hoard anything out of their incomes. The inevitable conclusion, therefore, is that the im mense amount of wealth annually created in this king dom is diffused over the whole community. The value of the manufactured goods purchased and paid for in the home market is at least six times as great as the whole amount of our export trade. Is it desirable to destroy this market ? LIVERPOOL EPIPHANY SESSIONS. BURGLARY. George Hughes, aged 18, Edward Evaiut,36,James Burns, 28, and Richard Sumner, 22, were indicted for having felo niously arid burglariously broken and entered the dwelling house of John Naylor and another, and stolen therein, four coats, four jackets, four pairs of trowsers, four pairs of stockings, and a number of handkerchiefs and shawls. Mr. Murphy conducted the prosecution, and Mr. Venables defended Sumner. Mr. Naylor stated, that he was a pawnbroker in Maguire street. The prisoner, Sumner, was the step-son of a Mr. Hubbersty, who had formerly occupied the premises which he (witness) now occupied. From this it was inferred, that Sumner was acquainted with the premises. Mr. Naylor de scribed, that he fastened the doors on the night of the 20th December last, and retired to rest ; on the following morn ing be arose and found, that an entrance had been effected into the shop by some person or persons who had got in through the coal-vault. When he looked into the street he saw the prisoner, Sumner, standing at no great distance. On cross-examination by Mr. VENABLES, it appeared, that the prisoner lived in Ford-street, not two hundred yards from the scene of the burglary, and also, that a relation of his kept a tavern, the door of which was only about one hundred yards from the spot where he stood. A pawnbroker, residing in Fazakerly-street, proved that about twelve o'clock on Saturday, the 21st, the prisoner Burns, offered him a pair of moleskin trowsers for pledge. As he had received a description of these, he questioned the prisoner, and ultimately went out for an officer. He met Martindale, the Inspector of Hackney Coaches, who procu red the assistance of police-officer Phillips, and went to the shop. Martindale left the prisoner Burns in custody of Phillips, lie (Burns) having told him, that some men outside had given him the trowsers to pledge. The pawnbroker had also seen Sumner, Hughes, and Evans in the street. As Martindale approached they all ran away, and Hughes, as he ran, slipped out of a rough blue coat which he had on. The men were all captured. Mr. VENABLES submitted to the court that there was no case against Sumner. The RECORDER agreed that the evidence was too weak, and a verdict of acquittal in favour of Sumner was taken. The other three were found guilty and sentenced to ten years' transportation. John Millar, a very respectable looking young man, was placed at the bar, charged with having obtained certain hares and turkeys by means of forged orders. It appeared that a few days previously to the 18th Decem ber, the prisoner went to the shops of Mrs. Ann Lloyd, Mr. Matthew Storry, and Mrs. Margaret Shone, with orders pur posing to be signed by• Mr. Radley of the Adelphi, and Mr. Lynn of the Waterloo, by which means he obtained possession of several fine hares and turkeys. In the first instance, the prisoner pleaded not guilty. By advice of his advocate, Mr. Murphy, he afterwards withdrew this plea and pleaded guilty. It appeared that the prisoner is a highly respectable farmer near Bebington, in Cheshire, and he has a wife and two children. It appeared there was nothing against him before. He was sentenced to two years' imprisonment. STEALING A BARREL. John Ryan, aged 24, was charged with having stolen a barrel, the property of Henry Copeland. The Jury found the prisoner guilty, and he was sentenced to four months' imprisonment, the last month in solitary confinement. CHARGE OF THEFT FROM THE PERSON. Henry Fisher, aged 23, was charged with having stolen a watch, the property of Leonard Smith. . . The Jury found the prisoner guilty of larceny, and he was sentenced to six months' imprisonment, the last mouth in solitary confinement. ASSAULT AND ROBBSRY.-DEFINITION OF THE TERM DRUNKENNESS. Agnes Cartwright, aged 49, Ann Clifford, 30, and Sarah Williams, 24, were charged with having assaulted Thomas Glasco, and robbed him of his purse, containing 20 sovereigns, a half-sovereign, and a half-crown. Mr. Henderson conducted the prosecution, Mr. Murphy defended the prisoners. Glasco is an old man. It seems that, on the 17th Decem ber, he was passing along Byrom-street, when he was ac costed by a female, who called herself Jones, who told him that she wanted to get into service, as she had ran away from her father and mother a few nights before. The conversa tion ended in her taking him to a house in Lace -street, where he sent for six pennyworth of whiskey. • They were sitting drinking it in an apartment where the prisoner - Williams was in bed. He thought she was a decrepid old woman, till, sud denly, she started up. This was the signal for the others to seize him. They held his arms fast while Williams thrust her hands into his pockets, and robbed him of his gold. He re sisted as much as he could, but ineffectually. The prisoners all made off, and he went and informed a police-officer. The girl Jones, who had lured him to this den of infamy, was not captured, but with the other prisoners the officers were more fortunate. Mr. MURPHY caused great merriment in the court by his cross-examination of the principal witness, who, it appears, is a married man, but who protested that he went with the girl Jones from mere charity. He gave her the very best of advice, he said, and advised her to return to her father and mother. She said she had no money, but she had a neat furnished lodging, for which she paid 4s. a week. He said he would see in a few days if a little money could not be raised for her. She requested him to go and see her lodg ing, that he might know where to find her. " Upon this hint" he went, and, as he himself remarked, he " paid dear enough for it." The officers detailed the course of circumstances leading to the capture of the prisoners. The officers all said the old man, Glasco, was intoxicated. Bonfield said he was intox icated, but he knew what he was about. At this point Mr. Murphy cross-examined him, and when he found the officer persisting in his opinion that the old man was not insensibly drunk, he said War; he sober ? No. Was he drunk ? No. Pray what is your definition of drunkenness ? I call a man drunk when he has had so much liquor that his recollection cannot he depended upon. The RECORDEB--It is generally considered that a man is not drunk so long as he can stand. Mr. Ylugniiy.—The usual definition, sir, is that a man is not drunk so long as he can lie down and hold by the ground. The RECORDER, in summing up, made some severe re marks upon the conduct of the old man, dwelling upon the fact of his having been intoxicated. The Jury retired. In a quarter of an hour they returned and delivered a verdict of not guilty. LARCENY. John Duffy, aged 2S, and John M'Vey, 38, were charged with having feloniously stolen a pair of cunhooks and a cooper's back iron, the property of Arthur Oughterson and Co. The Jury found both prisoners guilty. They were sen tenced to two months' imprisonment and hard labour. ROBBERY IN A RAVELLING-HOUSE. Hannah Warren, a pretty young girl, aged 17, was charged with having stolen a gown the property of Margaret Priest, a shawl, the property of J. Tattersall, a pair of boots, a pair of stockings, a petticoat, three aprons, a sheet, and 4 pillow cases, the property of James Clegg. The Jury found the prisoner guilty, and she was sentenced to three months imprisonment and hard labour. The RECORDER ordered that all the property which had been pledged should be delivered up. Mrs. Clegg said the pawnbroker had refused to give it to her. The RECORDER ordered that police-officer Cearns should go with her to the pownbroker, and say that the whole of the goods should immediately he restored. ROBBERY FROM THE PERSON. Ann Hunt, who gave her age to be 28, but who appeared at least twice that age, was charged with having on the Ist instant, stolen a purse containing zt:22 and 60s from the per son of Robert Taylor. The Jury found the prisoner guilty. She was sentenced to two years' imprisonment with hard labour. LARCENY. David Isaa^s, a Jew, aged 20, was charged with having stolen two coats, the property of. Thomas Hughes. The Jury found the prisoner guilty. He was sentenced fo four months' imprisonment and bard labour. NVEDNESDAY. John Stanley, 25, aliclfhotnas Kerr, 25, were indicted for having feloniously stolen 12 sovereigns and a purse, from the person of John Finnigan, on the 20th of December last. Mr. DRINKWATER conducted the prosecution ; Mr. VEN- AnuEs defended Kerr, and the prisoner Stanley was defended by Mr. MURPHY. It appeared that the prosecutor had been employed as a labourer by Mr. Pattison &lames, of Allerton Hall, and that on the 18th Dece m b er , h e received his wages, amount ing to £l2, with which he proceeded to Liverpool, intending to embark for Ireland. He met with Stanley, with whom he had formerly worked, in Harrington-street, and they agreed to go into a public-house together. On their way they met Kerr. Whilst the three were in the public-house, the prosecutor, who had previously had some liquor, fell asleep ; and whilst he was in that situation two waiters per ceived Stanley with his hands in Finnigan's pocket, and Kerr turning him upon his side. Shortly afterwards the pri soners went away, and the prosecutor, when he awoke, missed all his money, which was the accumulation of a year's saving out of 12s a week. Kerr, on being taken into custody, admitted being in the public-house, but denied the robbery. Mr. Edwards, a farmer at Speke, was called on the part of Stanley, and proved that he had been in his service for six years, and that he had given him £2 a few days before the robbery. The witness gave Stanley a good character for honesty. The jury returned a verdict of Not Guilty, in favour of both the prisoners, and they were discharged. PRESENTMENT OF THE GRAND JURY. In the course of the afternoon, the grand jury having finished their labours, came into court, and made the follow ing presentment The grand jury, in separating, beg to express their opinion that the facilities afforded by marine store dealers for the disposal of stolen property have been, and continue to be, the main inducements to thefts to an immense extent ; and the grand jury, aware that such presentments have from time to time been made without leading to any beneficial results, beg leave to suggest to the consideration of the magi strates and town-council, the benefits that would result from a system of licensing such establishments, so as to bring them under the immediate surve ill ance of ie authorities. " The grand jury, haying visited the borough gaol, have much pleasure in bearing testimony to the cleanness and general good order of the establishment, particularly as regards the arrangement for conducting the instruction of the juvenile offenders. " The efficiency of the police force has been a subject of the greatest satisfaction to the grand jury, in the course of their investigations. " JOHN BIBBY, Foreman." The recorder expressed his concurrence in the valuable suggestion of the grand jury. They were then discharged. YESTERDAY. Mary . Quin stood indicted - for having stolen a sum of money, of from £6 to £B, froth her master, about two years ago. Alexander Gerry said—l am a fish-monger in St. John's market, and live in Blake-street. Iu June 1837. I bad a female servant (the prisoner.) I went out on a Saturday night to the market with my wife. I found the door locked on my return. I got over the yard wall. I found the drawer broken open. I found a hatchet which corresponded with the marks. There was about Xti or £7 in the drawer, and it was gone. On the 17th of December, I and my wife saw the prisoner in the street and recognised her. Mrs. Gerry, the wife of last witness. On returning with my husband I missed £6 or £7, a gown, and other articles. The prisoner was gone. She had been with us four or five weeks. Mrs. Morris said, that in 1837, ahc soner to the last witnesses. I took her there myself. Isabella Heatly said—She lived in Blake-street. I lent the prisoner a small axe or hatchet, on the Saturday morn ing in June or July, 1837. Mrs. Gerry said the prisoner was hired as a yearly ser vant, at wages of 2s. a . week The RECORDER remarked, that the prisoner's conduct in leaving her place without notice ; her having borrowed the hatchet, which fitted the marks of the drawer, and other Circumstances, left little or no doubt of the guilt of the prisoner. The jury returned a verdict of Guilty. The prisoner said, in reply to questions by the recorder, she had lived, since leaving the Gerry's, at a Mr. Taylor's, in Everton, and afterwards at Mr. Hodgson's, at Seacombe. She wished these parties to be called. The recorder directed that the parties should be sent for. On their arrival they both stated that the prisoner had conducted herself properly while in their service, and she left in consequence of some words between her and their wives.—Sentence deferred. Catharine Evans was charged with robbing a man named M`Gowan, of a sum of money, on the 21st December last, amongst which was an old spade guinea. The prosecutor spoke broad Scotch, and his evidence excited some little mer riment. The money was taken from the pocket of the pro secutor. Mrs. Thursby, wife of the Bridewell-keeper, stated, that when the prisoner was brought in, she said she had no money, but on searching her, there were found upon her the spade-ace guinea, and a sovereign. The prisoner was found guilty, and sentenced to twelve months imprisonmept. John Williams the elder, and John Williams the younger, (both young men,) were charged with stealing from a house in Vernon.street, some article of wearing apparel, &c. which had been left on a sofa. Ann Hatton, the wife of Hugh Hatton, said she lived in a court, leading out of Vernon-street, On the 9th Novem ber, she went out, leaving the door on the latch. On her return she missed the articles, consisting of table-cloths, a sofa-cover, four handkerchiefs, and other articles, (The witness identified one of the handkerchiefs.) Ann Findlay, who lived in the same court, saw two young men there on the night in question, and heard of the robbery a few minutes afterwards. John Chiswell, a police officer, was on duty that night in Pickup-street, and saw the prisoner Williams, the smaller man. He had a bundle with him. He said, on being ques tioned, that they were his wife's clothes, which he had been taking from the mangle. He had some suspicion, and de tained the prisoner. The other prisoner then came up, and, uttering an oath, told witness to let the man go, as the things were his own. He was kicked and abused. He detained the younger prisoner, and afterwards saw the other prisoner, who was also taken into custody. Jane Hanson, a widow, saw the last witness holding the prisoner with one hand, and the bundle in the other. She saw the other prisoner strike the police officer. Some of the clothes fell in the street, and she picked up the handkerchief now produced, and which she knew. Police officer M'Guire saw police officer Chiswell with one of the prisoners in custody, and saw the other prisoner near him. Mr. WILKINS ably defended the younger prisoner, in an address to the jury, contending that the party was not fully ' identified by the witnesses. He called a female witness (Jane Vaughan), a char-woman, who was employed by a Mrs. Wood, in Canning-street, Vauxhah-road, on the night in question, and there saw the elder prisoner. He went there at nine o'clock, and remained until eleven o'clock. The wit ness was rigidly cross-examined on the part of the prosecution. Mrs. Wood said that she was sister to one of the prisoners, and that he was at their house on the night in puestion, from a little after tight until after one o'clock in the morning. This witness was also severely cross-examined by the coun sel for the prosecution. John Woods said his brother-in-law was in his place a little after eight o'clOck on the night preceding the' morning when he was taken up, and remained until after one in the morning. He played at cards with the prisoner. There was, however, great discrepancy in the testimony of these witnesses with regard to the attempt to prove an alibi. It appeared, too, from their admission, that the prisoner lived in a house of ill fame in Gascoyne-street, and had no ostensibly honest way of making a livelihood. The RECORDER summed up and the jury found both the prisoners guilty. The elder prisoner had previously been imprisoned twelve calendar months for felony. The RECORDER stated that the prisoner could not be safely left at large in this country, as it is evident they di rected themselves solely to robbery and plunder. The sen tence of the court was that they both be transported beyond the seas for the period of ten years. John Connelly and John Jones, two boys, stood charged with stealing a decanter from a public-house in Crosshall street, on the 20th of November. The prisoner Connelly pleaded guilty. The other was seen with something under his jacket and was pursued and detained, when he threw the decanter down. The prisoner said to the witness who de tained him,—l wish I had thrown it at you. He was found guilty. Jones had been seven times committed before, and the other four times. The Recorder said that though the value of the article taken was not great, the case was, indeed, a melancholy one. The father of the prisoner Jones was, he said, a man of respectability, and had in vain striven to re deem him from his evil habits. The other prisoner had also become unmanageable, and the parents of both, he had learned, were desirous that they should, as a last resort, be sent to a penitentiary. He should recommend in the proper qUarter that they should be so dealt with ; but in order to do so, they must be sentenced to transportation. The sent ence of the Court was, that they should each be transported for the term of seven years. Margaret Farrall, an elderly female and a widow, who is ' proprietor of a small cooperage, stood indicted for having been in possession of a beer-cask, the property of Messrs. Guppy, Rees, and Co., brewers, she knowing the same to have been stolen. The principal evidence adduced was, that the prisoner had, on her being committed at the Police Court, said it was the first thing she had ever done that was wrong. Mr. MuniglY ably defended the prisoner, contending that there was no proof that the prisoner was cognizant of the cask being stolen, and had not endeavoured to conceal the article. She had not even erased the name and number on the cask, which she would have done had she beenaguifty . party, so that it might not rise up in judgment against her. A witness spoke to the prisoner as a person of good cha racter, who had succeeded her husband as a cooper. The jury found the prisoner guilty, but strongly recom mended her to mercy. The RECORDER strongly commented on the offence, and, after warning the prisoner to be cautious in future, sentenced her to be imprisoned one calendar month. Edward Kinsella was indicted for stealing a coat, a tele scope, a pocket-book, a handkerchief, &c., from the house of Mr. Moss, draper, &c. In this case, which was devoid of interest, the prisoner attempted to prove an alibi, but failed. Some of the articles were found under the prisoner's bed, and he claimed the gloves as his own. The jury found the prisoner guilty. The RECORDER said that the prisoner had previously been convicted of felony, in stealing a coat, for which he was im prisoned twelve months. The sentence of the court was, John Terry, a mere boy, was found guilty of stealing a pair of gloves.—To be imprisoned twelve months, and to be once whipped. Mary Heron, and Mary Ann Barrington, two young women, were charged with stealing a bag containing four half-crowns and three shillings, the property of Hugh M`Guire. The prosecutor said he was a labourer, and went into a public-house in Chapel-street to get a glass of ale, on Satur day, the 21st December. Having only a penny of change, and lid. being demanded, he said he took off his hat, in which was the bag with the money. The prisoner Heron snatched it from him, and handed it to the other. She after wards went into a small room behind the bar. Mr. MURPHY ably defended Barrington. The prosecutor, M'Guire, admitted that be had been twelve months in the borough gaol for theft. Mrs. Highfield, the mother of the prisoner, Mrs. Barring ton. said she was in the kitchen when the prosecutor came in. She heard a man ask for a glass of ale, and knew from his voice that he was drunk. Her daughter came to her and told her to come and see the shameful manner in which he was using the woman (Heron). She went into the room, and saw her on the floor, and the prosecutor searching her in a disgraceful way. The witness called the policeman Ken nedy. The prosecutor did not call a policeman at all. Her daughter was married, and had four children. She had parted with her husband, who was idle and dissipated, and she (wit ness) had to keep the family. Her daughter was not a com panion of, nor acquainted with Heron, who was an unfortu nate girl. Her daughter would scorn to take the man's money. M`Guire never said to the witness that he was robbed. There was no small room in the house. Mr. Lewis, a publican, living next door, gave the prisoner Barrington a good character for honesty. Mr. M'Call said he had known Mrs. Barrington for four teen years, and spoke highly of her as an honest and well conducted person Mr. Hebblethwaite said he had known Mrs. Barrington for the same period, and knew nothing but good of her during all that time. _ _ Mr. Bacheldor, of the Borough Gaol, also gave her a good character. The counsel for the prosecution addressed the jury at con siderable length against the prisoners. The RECORDER summed up, and the jury returned a ver dict of not guilty as regarded both prisoners. The prisoners were both discharged. TRH CRESCENT SCHOOLS.---New schools, in connection with the congregational chapel, in Everton-crescent, were opened on Monday, in Circus -street. They are capable of affording the benefits of education to 800 children. .- M•. .h ANTI-CORN LAW MEETING. A Public Meeting was held in the Sessions House yesterday, in pursuance of a requisition addressed to the Mayor, " to take into consideration the propriety of petitioning the Legislature for an alteration of the laws affecting the im portation of foreign corn." The place was crowded. Among those present we observed Mr. Thornely, M.P., Colonel Williams, and the principal leaders of the whig, party in Liverpool. _ At twelve o'clock the MAYOR took his seat, and the pro ceedings commenced by the Deputy TOWN -CLERK reading the requisition, and the names of the parties by whom it had been signed. There appeared to be from 170 to 200. The 'Micron said, that in compliance with the requisition just read, he had deemed it no less a privilege than a duty to summon the present meeting. It would scarcely be neces sary to remind them, that the subject to be discu - oed was one of the most important that could be brought under con sideration, involving as it did, numerous and mighty inter ests, and that it required to be approached with the utmost calmness and deliberation. (Hear.) He claimed for each person who might b e desirous of addressing the meeting, whatever might be his views, so long as he confined himself to the question, a fair and a patient hearing. (Hear.) If their deliberations were conducted in that spirit, they would go forth to the world with that weight and importance which should attach to everything emanating from this great and intelligent community. Whatever might be his (the mayor's) individual opinions, and they had been too frequently and too fearlessly expressed to be misunderstood, his present duty was the exercise of the strictest impartiality (hear) ; and in that he had no doubt, if need be, he should receive from the meeting that support to which he was entitled from the office which he had this day undertaken. (Hear.) He called upon the mover of the first resolution. Mr. THOMAS THORNELY, M.P., said the committee which had taken the trouble of framing the resolutions and which had done him the honour to place one of them in his hands, had, with great propriety, framed the first with a view to elicit the experience of the meeting as to the operation of the corn-laws during the past year. It would be recollected that a meeting was held in this court-room exactly a year ago, and that petitions were presented to parliament for a repeal of the corn laws. Now it was their duty to address the legislature in confirmation of the opinions they then ex pressed—or at least to shew that they still desired an alteration of the present system, unless the events which had occurred last year had changed their opinions. (Hear.) The first circumstance that occurred to him as proper for him to al lude, was the operation of the existing corn-laws upon the Bank of England and the currency of the country. It was well known that the Bank of England had been nearly ex hausted of gold—that it had been compelled to raise the rate of interest, and that that advance had spread over every banking institution in the United Kingdom. Indeed, the danger had been imminent that the Bank of England would have stopped payment, the gold in hand being reduced to a very small aount. o-4 quite ant itg issue, accorai m ng to what tie authorities upon the 3uoject considered it right the bank, if obliged to pay in specie, should hold with regard to its circulation in paper. (Hear, hear.) The danger was by no means over yet as regarded the currency, for a deficiency in another harvest, or the apprehension of it in the spring, might compel the Bank to stop paying in gold—(hear, hear ;)—and he had heard out of doors that when the directors were complained of for having " put on the screw"—that was for throwing out a great deal of paper offered to them for discount, and raising the rate of interest, they replied " You call upon us to issue a large . amount of paper, when your corn-laws are abstracting the gold from our vaults, in order to meet payments for corn, which by the present system cannot be paid for upon an emergency in any other medium !" (Hear, hear.) He (Mr. Thornely) must say that the whole commercial com munity were deeply interested in an alteration of the present system ; and looking around at the meeting, seeing merchants engaged in a very wide extent of business, men of all sides and shades of politics ; seeing, as he rejoiced to see, many labouring men in this community, probably many of them out of employment, because the corn-laws prevented them getting it, which they would if they were repealed or modi fied—he did say, that, independently of the banking interest, the commercial and manufacturing classes, as well as the labouring members of the community, were deeply interested in representing to parliament the need of an alteration in the system. (Hear.) It had been frequently said, that if you altered the corn-laws, and lowered the price of corn, you reduced the rate of wages. (Hear.) \% hat had been the experience of the past year? Had wages in the manfacturing districts advanced? Provisions had certainly advanced in price greatly, but so far from the price of labour having ad vanced, it had actually fallen ! (Hear.) Last week he was in Wolverhampton, and a manufacturer in that district told him that the price of labour at that moment was lower than it had ever been known before ; and within the last few weeks the wen engaged in the iron-works of Staffordshire, had had notice of a reduction in their wages ! (Hear, hear.) •Why was this? Not, certainly, from want of feeling upon the part of the iron masters ; but on the contrary, because they had been obliged to lower the price of their commodities, and however distressing it might be, to reduce the wages of their labourers. He would say a word with regard to the labouring classes, and he hoped no meeting of this sort would ever be held without the expression of a feeling for their interest and welfare. (Hear.) If freedom of trade was to advance the trade and commerce of the country—and the principle was very simple, that whatever a foreigner chose to bring into this market, and which we chose to purchase from him, we ought to be allowed to purchase—there ought to be no legis lative enactment to oppose it. (Hear, hear.) Whatever we chose to export to foreign countries, if foreigners chose to buy it, we ought to be allowed to export, and they to pur chase. The more you increased your intercourse with fo reign countries, the greater employment you gave to the labouring classes, and the higher the rate of wages. He must say that, independent of what was called " chartism," there was great discontent upon the part of the labouring classes in the manufacturing districts. (Hear.) And he called upon the meeting, by the resolutions they would adopt, to show the labouring classes, all over the kingdom, that they considered the interests of the rich and the poor, the capitalist and the labourer, to be one and the same. (Hear.) It was impossible for a commercial community to flourish without wages advancing, and without the condition of the labouring classes improving : it was impossible for capitalists to employ their capital to advantage without benefitting the labouring classes. Let them, then, throw overboard all divi sions into classes ; let them look only to the good of the people, and see what they could do to advance the interests of all. The corn trade under the present system, was a complete lottery. (Hear.) Years ago parliament put state lotteries down by legislative enactment, but they had nevertheless established a lottery in tire corn trade. (Hear.) No man knew whether at a given time the duty would be one sum or another. The trade, therefore, was a speculative trade, instead of one of fair and easy management. (Hear.) It would be right to read, though it had appeared elsewhere, a quotation from a speech of Sir Robert Peel's, in the House of Commons, in support of a corn bill brought in by Mr. Canning twelve years ago, when experiencing a great opposi tion lest the corn of other countries should come into our own. It was on the Bth of March, 1827, that the bill was brought in by Mr. Canning, and which, if passed, would have placed us in a better position than we were now. Sir Robert Peel then said [the hon. gent. read the quotation at length] it was not for the landed interest to distrust a mea sure of reform in the corn laws upon the ground of foreign supplies lowering the prices of this country. He felt we had now arrived at a crisis in the trading, commercial, and ma nufacturing system of this country ; and if, said the hon. gent., you persevere in th e p resen t s y s tem, distress and ruin will low, but on the other hand, if you alter the corn laws, you will diffuse joy and satisfaction throughout the land, and give prosperity to the people at large. (Cheers.) Mr. Thornely concluded by moving the first resolution, for which, and the others, see advertisement. Mr. WILLIAM EARLE, in seconding the resolution, said, that practical experience of the effects of any peculiar law was the best guide to a correct opinion, whether that law was in jurious to their interests or otherwise. Now all of them there who were engaged in trade must know how injuriously the corn laws had interfered with their commercial operations. The injury inflicted by them upon the labouring classes came home to many of them in a much more serious form, than to those who were fortunate enough to be in better circum stances. Experience told the labouring man at this very hour that he was, by these laws, obliged to purchase corn at a high price, or resort to the sad alternative of purchasing inferior and unwholesome wheat, thereby deranging the health of his family, and depriving them of the means of gaining their livelihood—for if sickness once attacked the poor man, poverty, with all its awful consequences, inevitably followed. He had, therefore, great pleasure in seconding the resolution. The MAYOR was about to put the resolution, when Mr. LLOYD, addressing the Mayor from the gallery, inti mated his intention to move an amendment. He had un fortunately been deprived of the advantage of listening to the speeches delivered upon the resolution, and therefore, in some measure, he was precluded from answering the specific arguments urged in those speeches. But the question, in its general bearings, admitted of discussion ; and he was prepared to shew that this Anti-Corn-law agitation was, to use a plain but not very complimentary term, a graMl piece of humbug from beginning to end. (Laughter, hisses, and cheers.) The MAYOR reminded the speaker that he might readily find other terms than that he had just used to express his sentiments, which would be more consonant to his own feel ings and those of the meeting. Mr. LLOYD had never yet met with a Liverpool audience that felt the slightest repugnance to hear the truth patiently and candidly investigated ; and he was convinced the present meeting, though perhaps differing from him, would give him that hearing which a candid inquiry after truth demanded. Perhaps he might have used a milder term than the one he had employed. He would call it, then, a delusion— a term which described the whole scheme. (Cries of " No, no.") In aid of this delusion the Anti-Corn-law League had engaged itinerant lecturers, who were going about the country spreading discontent, and disseminating false infor mation amongst the labouring classes. (Cries of " No, no," and " yes, yes.") They had likewise summoned to their aid the charms of poetry and of music, by way of s till more strongly influencing the public m i n d in favour of this grand inaatOis ‘tiaae-a bread would be besieficial to the labouring classes, but what was cheap bread? (Hear.) It was purely a relative term. Bread might be as dear at 2s a bushel as it was at this moment at 9s. or lOs • and there could not b e th e s li g h test doubt that the grand Object of those who had set the machinery of the anti-corn-law league to work was to reduce the wages of la bour. (No, no, and yes, yes.) Otherwise the alleged ground o! complaint was as baseless as the fabric of a vision • and why ? [A Voice.—Prove it.] The very complaint of the manufacturers was this—" We cannot compete with foreign manufacturers ; they undersell us even in our own established markets ;" and why ? Because they can get—[A Voice.— "Their corn cheap." (Laughter.) Yes, because as had been observed by the gentleman that interrupted him, they could get their corn cheaper, and impose a lower rate of wages upon their workmen. (Hear, hear.) That fact had been undeniably established by the unchallenged statement of the great political quack doctor, Dr Bowring himself. If the corn-laws were repealed, and foreign wheat substituted fur the growth of the British soil, at one half or one third of the present prices, the inevitable result of such a change in the price of corn would be the lowering of wages. If wages should not be lower, the manufacturers would still be in the same hobble—they would still be incapable of competing with their foreign rivals, for, as he had before observed, it was the very ground of their complaints that they could not get cheap la bour. That was their real object, and not cheap bread ; and, after a reduction of wages, bread would be absolutely dearer to the labouring classes than it was now. (Hear.) It was asserted that the corn laws had operated injuriously upon the manufacturing interests of the country ; but he would put that matter to a very simple issue, by referring to no docu ments but those which had the sanction of the government imprimatur upon them. (Hear.) The documents he should quote were returned by the present government in answer to certain motions in the House of Commons, and if there was any fraud in them government was responsible. The govern mentr inspectors of f ac t or i es pu bli shed returns o f t h e number of mills in th e U n it e d Ki ngdom, and the hands employed them, durin g th e year 1 8 3 5. These returns were ver y mi nute in their ch arac t er , an d h e b el i eved the i r accuracy mightrin the be depended upon. Si m il ar returns were a l so moved fo past session. year 1838, and laid b e f ore parliament in the 1838. the Thesedi condi tion of the manufacturing interests iu 1835 These returns had bee n recently printed—thecomposed two Y inute volumes, and afforded us the means of coltr e u nd ting were the results : The cotton factories in 1835 were . .. • 1838 .... 220,000 in 1835 was . The number of hands employe d in cott on facto rieslß3B Making an increase of 39,000 hands. 1262 1815 ~, The woollen factories in 1835 were .. 1838 The hands e m pl oye d in woollen factories in 1835 1378 were . 71,000 In 1838 86,000 Shewing- an increase of 15,000 hands. The number of flax mills in 1835 was The number of h an d s employ in in flax mills in 392 1835 was 1838. 43,000 Shewing an increase of 10,000 hands. Of silk factories there were in 1835 238 1838 Of hands e m pl o y e d i n s ilk factories there were 268 in 1835 30,000 1838 • Sheaving an increa s e o f 4 , 00 0 hands. 34,000 The total increase in the number of hands, in all, was 68,000. (Hear.) Was that any proof of injury done to our manufac tures by the operation of the corn laws or any other laws ? (Hear.) It would be very easy for him to go on declaiming, but he should answer his purpose better by referring to sta tistical details; for it was upon them that the anti-corn law agitators grounded all their opposition to the core laws. It had been stated that the export trade of the country had been materially diminished and interfered with b the operation of the corn laws ; but let him reduce that to the simple test of an appeal to the custom-house returns, and if the fact was that the corn laws did interfere injuriously with our export trade, he would willingly acknowledge their inexpe diency. That, however, was not the case. In the iron trade, for instance, the exports (in round numbers) in 1829 were 89,000 tons ; 1832, 120,000 ; 1835, 167,000 ; 1838, 217,000 ;—shewing an amazing increase in the exports of iron. (Hear.) But, not to enter into particulars, he would take the total amounts of our principal exports. In 1824 they were to the value of 20,000,000 • 1830, 20,600,000 ; 1831. 23,000,000 ; 1832, 26,000,000; 1833, 27,000,000; 1834, 28,000,000 ; 1 8 35„26,000,000 ; 1836, 32,000,000 ; 1838, 36,000,000 ; 1839, 43000,000 ;—shewing, from the year 1824 to the year 1839, an increase from 20,000,000 to the enormous amount of 43,000,000, under the operation of the corn laws during the whole of that period. (Hear.) Was this a proof of the injurious effects of the corn-laws upon our export trade? He denied the assertion in lobo, and these returns established his position. He could further, if time per mitted, prove that the cotton exports of the country had received no injury whatever. (Hear.) He was further pre pared to maintain, that the anti-corn-law agitation was a fallacy, when it stated that " commerce had made agricul ture, and that agriculture must not be permitted to unmake commerce." Why, the absurdity of the assertion, that commerce had made agriculture was so glaring that it was beneath notice. (Uproar.) It was urged likewise, that the corn-laws had injured the manufacturers per se, taken apart from their operatives. Now, he maintained, that the manu facturing interest had, of all others, for the last twenty years, under the operation of the corn..laws, been the most pros perous. The manufacturers boasted peeonly the other day that Nhglie s Tt r fa s titele inraioniiiiresfiaa l ltharkftfr lated all this wealth? Had they not acquired it out of the very trade which they alleged to be so depressed under the operation of the corn laws as to be scarcely worth following ? (Hear.) It was an undeniable fact, that immense fortunes had been realised in the manufacturing districts in the last 20 years ; but, he allowed, there was distress among the labouring classes : he allowed they were pining from want in Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield, and elsewhere; and groaning under a misery and oppression which had scarcely any parallel in the whole history of the country. He would put a question to the person who had called out " question" to him. It was this—Had the manufacturers done justice to those from the sweat of whose brows, and from the wasting of whose sinews they had gained their wealth ? (Hear.) Oh, if there was one thing more than another that would bring a curse upon the country it was—[A Voice.—The corn-laws]—this grinding oppression of the poor. (Cheers.) True there was distress among the manufacturing classes ; and it was true there was to be a splendid and gorgeous banquet among the manufacturers of Manchester, for the purpose of still further reducing in the scale of misery and oppression those unfortu nate beings from whom their ill-gotten wealth had been wrung. (Cheers.) He would bring before the meeting a single fact, which would illustrate the manner in which the manufactu rers treated their operatives. (Uproar, and cries of " ques tion.") The MAYOR rose, and reminded Mr. Lloyd that it was not absolutely necessary for him to use this sort of language ; but, at the same time, he (the Mayor) felt bound to state that Mr. Lloyd was speaking to the question when he was inter rupted. • MI. LLOYD would bring his observations to a close. If it were the object of the anti-corn law agitators to procure a supply of corn from foreign countries, and thereby throw out of cultivation many hundreds of thousands of acres in this country, then he should say, they would be depriving our manufacturers of their very best customers. They would be committing an act of suicide as regarded their own inte rests. The corn produced in this country alone, had been estimated in the Anti-Corn Law Circular at 60 millions of quarters. He believed that was much below the real amount. At 50s. the quarter, this would produce upwards of £150,000,000. Where did this money go to ? The Anti- Corn Law Circular said that a very small proportion only went into the pockets , of the landlords. He th an k e d th e Anti-Corn Law Circular for that statement ; for he be lieved that the proportion was very small, perhaps not above one-eighth of the whole. Now, throw the land out of cultivation, and what would become of the im mense amount of money now in circulation amongst the agricultural interests. That money was not hoarded up or put by. It was almost as soon as acquired diffused among the great mass of the population, and clearly went to the support of our own manufactures. It was a great complaint on the part of the manufacturers that they could not find markets for their manufactured produce. That might be, at the present moment, a complaint based on something like the fact, because, within the last three or four years, there had been a great deal of over-production. (Great uproar.) If they wanted markets for their produce, he would refer them to markets which presented interminable capabilities of extension, and which would, if properly cultivated, con sume three or four times the whole amount of manufactures exported from England at this moment. Look at the East Indies. That country alone might consume more than dou ble the whole manufactured exports of this country. Look at South Australia, where a mighty empire was growing up, which, at no distant period promised to afford a trade which would rival that of the United States of America. Look at . Canada, which alone would give a boundless impulse to our manufactures. Look at the West Indies and British Guiana, where there was a soil teeming with spontaneous pro ductions of all sorts, and only wanting labourers to cultivate it. The exports to thosefcolonies were far greater in proportion than the exports to the whole continental powers. The exports to New South Wales were nine or ten times as great, in proportion to the numberof inhabitants, as to France or any other continental power. (Great uproar.) Then, if they wanted to render the operation of the corn laws bene ficial, and to find employment for the whole of the popula tion, let them raise this rallying cry--" Ships, colonies, and commerce." What had made Liverpool what she is, but ships, colonies, and commerce ? (Cheers.) He would con clude by moving the following amendment :—" That in the opinion of this meeting it is the paramount duty of the go vernment of this country to encourage the prosperity, and to promote the extension, of the colonial dependencies of Great Britain, as the best means for increasing the trade, commerce, and manufactures of Great Britain and Ireland, and providing abundant and profitable employment for the great mass of our operatives and mechan4s." (Cheers and hisses.) Mr. JOHN FORMBY, in Seconding the amendment, said, that a great numberof merely theoretical remarks were made at meetings of that sort, and very few practical ones. He should like some gentleman to explain to him what propor tion of the price of a bushel of corn consisted of rent. Very few of them there knew how thr that was the case, or could cal culate it. But unless they could,they were not competent judges of the case in all itsbearings. He was not fond of quoting from Scripture at such meetings as that, but lie could no help re minding them that the head could not say to the feet " I have no need of you." In like manner the commercial interest could not say to the landed interest "we have no need of you " unless they viewed the landed interest as an incubus upon the body politic; for the real fact would come to that. If the corn laws were abolished, the end of the thing would be that the landlords would all be ruined. As he had had no answer to the question which he proposed he would answer it for them. In some districts the rent was a third and in other districts it was a fourth of the-price of a bushel of corn. Then what must a farmer deduct for losses and what for savings ? That was the next point. Would they (the anti corn-law agitators) allow that labour would be reduced in price ? They dared not ; because that would upset their case at once. Some of them argued that it would be a good thing for the poor—that the poor would have better wages and a great deal more bread for their money. Others said, and with a great deal more truth, " we want the price of labour to be reduced—we want corn to be lower in price, that we may get our work done cheaper." (Hear, hear.) He would not trouble them with any further observations, because, as he said before, the case of the anti-corn agitators was merely theoretical, and nine-tenths of all their speeches were mere trash. (Uproar.) He begged to second the amendment. Colonel WILLIAsts, being a practical man, wished to reply to the last speaker. He was a practical man as a farmer, and he also stood before the meeting in the character of a landowner. The gentleman who spoke last said the land owners and farmers would all be ruined if the corn-laws were abolished. He (Col. Williams) did not fear being ruined by the change. He wanted to say a word to the mover of the amendment, who had stated, that by the abolition of these laws a vast number of acres would be thrown out of cultiva tion. He would leave gentlemen conversant with commer cial matters to answer the fallacies of the mover of the amend ment on that subject ; but with regard to the acres being thrown out of cultivation by the abolition of the corn-laws, he looked upon that to be the greatest fallacy that ever dwelt in the brain of a pseudo-politico-economist. (Laughter and cheers.) He should like to know whether any field of his, when he refused to sow wheat in it, would not grow some thing else. The greatest fallacy possible was that of com pelling a country to encourage the cultivation of wheat. If 7 . ldid not g ro w wheat, could we not grow cattlej,,,Waict was fond of a l oa f, why lce ''s\touid not to have a round of beef to it. (Great laughter.) The Colonel concluded by expressing his intention to support the original motion. Mr. JOHN MURRAY, in a long address, supported the ori ginal motion. Mr. DYKE, in the gallery, also supported the resolution. The MAYOR then p u t th e amen d ment and the original mo tion, and declared the latter to be carried by a large majority. Mr. WILLIAM RATHBONE moved the second resolution. After a few brief introductory remarks, he observed that the repeal of the Corn-laws was a most important question. It was not one of those thi ngs upon wh i ch, when at some dis tant day we had found out our mistake, we could repent and remedy the evil. (Hear.) The remedy wou ld be of no use . unless we came to a soun d state o f things. Manufactures had been established in other countries; and when we found out who had been the persons who had established them, it would be too late to go back. He hoped, however, we should not be a selfi s h p o p u l at i on , a nd when our neighbour' s house was on fire t a k e no p a i ns to put it out because it was feel forh our se house not our own. H e h o p e d that meeting and would manufacturers. They were our neighbours, was now on fire. What would become of the manufacturing interests of the country if the manufacturers were thrown out of bread. There were two millions of manufacturers within thirty miles of us. Where would our ship s , our co lonies, and our c ommerce_ be, if our m anu f acturers were not supported ? And let him ask the gentleman who was so anxious for the landed interests, what had raised the rents of land near large towns ? What was the rent of land about this town and Manchester? It was about £3 an acre; and it was the manufacturers which had created that price. What had been the cause of the late ev il s ? lle . was not one of those who had begun late in life to s ympathise with the poor. Their Tory friends—no, he m ust not say Tory—b u t t h ere was a class who had lately become very sympathising with the poor. Did they trust -them ? He asked the meeting again, whether they would trust them. Let the labouring classe s look to those friends who, from fi rs t to last, had been anxious to elevate the poor—to, put th e poor in the situation to support them selves. (An ironical cry of '• the poor laws.") The poor-law was not the question just then : but he would say there was considerable fallacy existing among the poor on this subject. He would boldly say he thought the pre sent a very great improvement upon the old la.v, and he highly respected those who had brought it forward. He was not going to p amper th e poor , or t o address their follies or their passions. Where he thought a law was a good one, at the risk of his popularity he would say so. Mr. Rathbone went on to contend that the present corn -laws were an inter ference with the benevolence of Providence ; that if they were abolished prosperity would be given to the labou r i ng classes,and the condition of the agriculturists and the laud- • lords themselves would be improved. But if they committed an error now, by refusing to abolish them, it would a fatal error —one that could not be retrieved when they came to see their folly. (Cheers,) He begged to move the resolution. Mr. WILLIAM BROWN seconded it. He contended that the landed interest would be benefitted by a change in the law, because prior to the enactment of the present vicious system, the population of the country had generally increased, and with that increase the value of the estates of the land owners had increased also. Since the enactment of those laws their estates had not increased in value ; and if the ma nufacturing portion of the country had been prosperous, it was not in consequence of the corn-laws, but in spite of them. (Hear.) Last winter he paid a visit to the United States, and saw their manufacturing establishments. All the twenty-six states had manufactures more or less. In Massachusetts alone :the annual value of the manufactures was upwards of 86,000,000 dollars, a great proportion of which we should have had the fabrication of, if our ruinous corn-laws had permitted us to receive their food. He went on to state that in South America and other parts of the world, they were already underselling us ; that they had even sent their manufactures to Liverpool, and some of them might now be found in the public shops. The landed inte rest need not be much afraid of free trade. The ship-owners were exceedingly hostile to it, but the result had been to de crease the tonnage of their great rivals--the United States. He had great pleasure in seconding the motion. Mr. HARDY opposed the resolution. He contended that the present commercial difficulties were attributable not to the operation of the corn-laws, or to the screw put on by the bank, but to over speculation; and that it was manifestly unjust to repeal the duties on the importation of corn, unless the protection was removed from all other commodities. He was in favour of a fixed moderate duty. Mr. Hardy, whose sentiments did not appear agreeable to the prevailing party, met with considerable interruption. Mr. RATHDONE having explained a remark which had been commented on by the last speaker, The MAYOR put the resolution, and it was carried.. Mr. AIKIN, in moving the next resolution, entered into a very long and elaborate argument, with the view of upsetting the fallacies" advanced by Mr. Hardy, as to the justice of a fixed duty, and to shew the sound policy of an immediate and entire abolition of the present system. Mr. BOOTH regretted that his fellow-townsmen should again have to petition for repeal ; but he hoped they would this time be successful, as nothing tended to enlarge the in tercourse of nations more than free trade. He seconded the resolution. Mr. WATSON, in support of the resolution, stated that he could buy a certain description of cloth cheaper at Philadel phia than at Manchester, owing to the existence of the Corn laws. The MAYOR then put the resolution, and it was adopted. Mr. BOLTON moved the next resolution, and argued that the present system of fluctuating duties had the effect of throwing into the country an inferior quality of wheat, to the injury of the poor; but he admitted that the abolition of the corn-laws would reduce the wagrjadie" "h^""i""I'"" Mr. RICHARD SHEIL co mm en tee d upon the admission of Mr. Bolton that the effect of repeal ovould be to reduce wages. In Ireland wages could not be reduced lower than they were, and in England, he contended, that the contrary result would follow. The resolution was then carried. Mr. BLACKBURN next addressed the meeting at very great length, contending upon general principles. that the corn laws were decidedly unjust, and that in practice they were iniquitous. He concluded amidst considerable applause by moving the next resolution. Mr. MULLENEUX seconded the motion. and also entered into an argument to show that Mr. Bolton had advanced a false proposition when he contended that the rate of wages would be lowered by a repeal of the corn-laws. Mr. BOLTON explained. Mr. HARDY, after a shrewd speech moved, as an amend ment, " that this meeting recommends the substitution for the present fluctuating corn-law duties, a certain and fixed protecting duty." (Cheers.) Mr. BALDMAN seconded the amendment. After a few remarks from Mr. AIKIN, the question was put, and the original motion was declared to have been adopted. Mr. HOLLAND moved the next resolution in a long speech ; it was seconded by Mr. MELLOR, and carried unanimously. Mr. WILLIAM WALLACE CURRIE next addressed the meeting. He undertook to establish two points ; first, that a repeal of the corn-laws would not reduce wages ; and next, that a free trade in corn would not place this country in the position of being dependent upon foreign nations for a sup ply in time of war. Having done this, he moved the adoption of a petition, founded on the resolutions to both houses of parliament. Mr. LAWRENCE HEYWORTH said, that in the absence of Mr. Sands, who had undertaken the task, he had great plea sure in seconding the motion. The petition was unanimously carried. On the motion of Mr. Ra.wsoN, seconded by Mr. LOCKE, it was resolved, that the Lord Lieutenant and Lord Sefton should present the petition to the Upper House, and the members for the borough to the Commons. Mr. RICHARD SHIEL proposed the establishment of an Anti-Corn-Law Association in Liverpool. Mr. JORDAN seconded the motion ; adding that if the land lords did not concede the demand now made for the abolition of the corn laws, madhouses ought to be built for then in every county in England. Mr. RossoN (in the absence of Mr. James Brancker) moved the thanks of the meeting to the Mayor for his con duct in the chair. The motion having been seconded and carried, the MAYOR returned thanks, and at a quarter to fire the meeting se parated. THE " NOBLE AMATETIRS."—On Tuesday afternoon the inhabitants of Liverpool were amused by the exhibition of one of those vagaries, which, though rather undignified in the scions of aristocracy, create for a time, by exciting won der and curiosity, a pleasant sensation among the admirers of quelque chose distingue". It is already known to the pub lic that several noble adventurers are pursuing their avoca tions, as knights o f th e w hi p, the buskin, and the road, to decide a wager; and on Tuesday afternoon we observed two of the latter, attired as Highlanders, coming down Bold street, one doing the-executive on a set of bagpipes, and the other doing the begging department. The splendour of their dresses, particularly that of the piper, had attracted a large concourse of followers, some of whom be s t owe d th e i r cop pers, others silver, and even gold, upon the distinguished visitors. The piper, who is Lord Glenlyon, lately one of the heroes at the tournament held at Eglintoun castle, was dressed in full Highland costume, his arms and other ac coutrements ornamented with silver, topazes, &c. The other, who is Col. Fortescue, son of the lord-lieutenant of Ireland, although not in complete Highland costume, and having a less splendid appearance than his comrade, was very handsomely dressed. From Bold-street they passed down Church-street, Whitechapel, and through the princi pal parts of the town, with as enthusi as ti c a ret i nue as ever followed their forefathers to the battle-field. Many ladies showed great eagerness in depositing their coin in the velvet cap of the youthful beggar. Every one was eager to get a view of the artistes, and the sound of the pibroch caused as much emulation in the flaneurs of Liverpool to be foremost in the ranks, as it did at Flodden, where " No thought was there of dastard fight, Linked in the serried phalanx tight, Groom fought like noble, squire like knight, As fearlessly as well." After sundry perambulations, our heroes concluded the masquerade for that evening by proceeding to the Adelphi hotel, where they put up, and where they were received by . their friends with three hearty cheers. Chivalry and min strelsy seem to be the order of the day with Lord Glenlyon. Perhaps if i.e were asked for precedents in the latter case, he would tell us that King Alfred played the troubadour in the Danish camp, Richard Cceur-de-Lion bandied stanzas with the minstrel Blonde', and that in the days of chivalry knight and noble were frequently obliged to assume the garb and manner of pilgrims and minstrels. Having gone so far, :we want to know what is to conic next? Perhaps, invoking Poesy to their aid, noble bards will spread themselves over the land, and another Ossiau may sing—" the song of bards arise. The voice of sprightly mirth is heard. The trembling harps of joy are strung. They sing the battle of heroes, or the heaving breasts of love ;" and, as formerly in Provence, that land of troubadours, we shall have a emir d'ainour to adjudge the prizes ; or, going farther, England may produce another " Nibelungenleid," and chivalry and minstrelsy out vie their former selves. Nous verrons. ABERCROMBY WARD. —A highly respectable and very numerous meeting of the conservative electors for Aber cromby Ward was held on Tuesday evening last, at the Phoenix Inn, Mount -pleasant, to fix upon a gentleman as a candidate for the ward at the next municipal election.— Amongst those present we noticed Robertson :Gladstone, Esq., James Aspinall, Esq., Dr. Malins, John Atkinson, Esq., .(solicitor), Richard Griffiths, Esq., Edward Start, Esq., Parker, E sq., William Woods, Esq., &c. It was unanimously resolved that a requisition be presented to James Proctor, Esq., requesting his services for the ward, and several appropriate speeches were delivered in favour of that gentleman. A requisition was immediately prepared, and received nearly sixty signatures before the meeting sepa rated. This is as it ought to be, and we trust the example will not be lost upon the other wards in the town. THE FARMER'S AND GENERAL FIRE AND LIFE INSTI TUTION.—We are happy to be enabled to state, that tht establishment of this institution has been so well received in all parts of the kingdom, that it is the intention to allot the shares in a week from this time. The insurance against storms, the application of one-tcLth of the profits to agricul tural purposes, and the new scale of insurances upon Farming stock, have met with the universal approbation of the agri cultural class. THE DISPENSARIES.—We are sorry to learn that the ad mirable institutions, which annually afford relief to 50,000 of the suffering poor, are deeply in debt to their treasurers. The present deficiency in the income, when compared with th e i r expenditure, is . £1,500. We trust that effectual means w ill be adopted of bringing the wants of the institutions before the public. RUNCORN.—We understand that the Mersey and lrwell Na vigation preparing one of th e i r power f u l an d e are steamers for the p urpose of eonveying pas sengerslegai elegantly-built l Yb Company between e x i z t' this port and R uncorn , and that she wi 11 be ready for the statup very early i n th e spr i ng. Th e pac k et ' s name will be the " Power. " She is the swiftest and decidedly t h e most beautiful and commodious vessel on the river, and her cabins are to be finished and furnished in a superior and comfortable m anner; and in order to ensure the public confidence and support the Company will entrust her only to the care of steady and emperienced servants. We are glad that the company have entered upon this undertaking, for it will be a great public convenience, especially in connec tion with their long-established line of packets to Warring ton, Manchester, &c. DEATH OF CHARLES TOWNE, ESQ.—On the 6th instant, at his house, Norton -street, Charles Towne, Esq., in his 80th year. Mr. Towne's talents as an animal painter were of a high order, and were duly appreciated, not only by his towns men, but by connoisseurs in all parts of the kingdom ; his ability in pourtraying the horse—his favourite subject—has rarely been equalled, certainly not surpassed, and the foun dation of his excellence was laid in a deep knowledge of the anotomical structure of the animal. In early life he asso ciated intimately with the celebrated George Morland, tering his principles of composition, and imbibing much of his feeling for colour, which he retained in his practice for many. years ; latterly his style became more peculiarly his own, and he laboured to form what might with propriety be termed an " ecletric style." Mr. T. was one of the founders of the Liverpool Academy, but for several years had declined sending any of his productions to the• annual exhibitions. j3f the works he has left behind him many collectors will doubt less be eager to possess themselves; but he has left even a still more valuable legacy to his brethren in the art, especially to the younger ones—the example of a patiently laborious and temperate life. He knew that an honest fame was not to be had on other terms, and he willingly paid the price. FATAL ACCIDENT. —An inquest was held yesterday, before P. F. Curry, Esq., coroner, touching the death of one John Davenport. It appeared from the evidence that the deceased was employed by Mr. Bibby in brickmaking, and, on Friday last, was undermining a large quantity of clay, whilst his fellow-workman was occupied above in driving wedges, in order to loosen the earth ; and the latter, whilst doing so, observed it giving way, but, before he could give warning to the deceased, he was covered, and when extricated he proved to be severely bruised, and was conveyed to the Northern Hospital, where he lingered until Monday. The coroner humanely inquired whether sonic equally effectual, though less dangerous, mode of procuring the clay might not be resorted to ; but the witnesses replied that it could not bet obtained in sufficiently large quantities in any other way, and the jury returned a verdict of Accidental death." B e c 4 •., , ..-.~ . J