The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-05-12 00:00:00

[Yr at iri rt) 0. ) 11- ruin. Dil s jog ;ea, un -I'6 vst been received from New York to the 20th ultimo, in clusive, seven days later than the preceding. We pro ceed to give as complete a summary of the news as we can collect from an imperfect file. We understand that only one copy of the paper of the 20th reached LiverpooLand that it was forwarded to London. We are, therefore, unable to give the latest news. The papers before us are chiefly occupied with spe culations and discussions on the municipal elections in various parts of the Union. The Whigs appear to have been defeated in New York, but they are said to have been victorious in the majority of other places. Another debate took place in the Senate, on the 14th ult., on the subject of the North-Eastern Boundary. It originated in the presentation of a report of a pacific nature from the Committee on Foreign Affairs. Mr. Ruggles, of Maine, denounced the report, which he said was not strong enough. Mr. Buchanan defended the report, and . said that " it reasserted the right of Maine to the territory in dispute. It contemplated no abandonment of that right ; but, in view of the news from England, and the peculiar state of things, it contemplated a postponement of action until an answer was received to the recent correspondence." Mr. Clay remarked that " the opinion of the country was against war," and that " no party but a criminal party could be found to defend war." The general tone of the de bate was pacific, and in favour of negotiation. With respect to the money market, the Daily Express of April 16, states, that a very small amount of notes were being offered. to the banks for discount. Very little business paper was afloat. Southern exchanges in the extreme south were getting worse and worse. Stocks remained tolerably firm ; a slight decline, how ever, was experienced in some descriptions. The Richmond Compiler furnishes an account of an enormous robbery committed on the Bank of Virginia, by the first teller of the bank, who had absconded. The ascertained deficit in his accounts is said to be upwards of 500,000 dollars. The name of the defaulter is W. B. Dabney. A terrible disaster had occurred in Rhode Island, owing to a tremendous fall of rain on the 13th ul timo. The Providence Herald says that the flood on the Pochasset river had risen to an enormous height, striking the buildings on its banks about eleven feet from the surface of the ground, and sweeping many of them away sixty feet into the channel. Several houses, stores, a grist mill, and a factory, were carried away by the impetuosity of the torrent. Upwards of twenty persons had been drowned. The damage to property was estimated at 12,000 dollars. The St. Louis - Republican gives some accounts of fresh disturbances on the part of the Indians on the North West border. As on the occasion of every other election in the United States, the New York papers are filled with ac counts of the trickery, bribery, intimidation, and per sonation of voters at the recent municipal elections, thus affording an edifying commentary on the beauti ful working of the ballot in that country. The Daily Express states that a woman voted in one of the wards of the city. She was dressed up in a bottle green jacket and light pantaloons. It is added that there "cannot be a doubt that many other like votes had been given on the occasion, by ' the largest liberty peo ple.' " Such instances of personation of voters can scarcely be said to have ever taken place in " merry England." The ballot humbug is utterly scouted in New York, as a cloak for every species of fraud. News from Montevideo to the 26th of February had been received. It is said that the civil war had termi nated. Admiral Dupotet was soon to leave Montevideo for Buenos Ayres, probably to try • the effect of a nearer approach upon the obstinacy of Rosas. Nothing further had been heard from the several military expe ditions, except that Echague and his routed followers had got back as well as they could to Buenos Ayres. The French squadron continued to blockade Buenos Ayres with rigour. The prospect of any accommoda tion was as distant as ever. The Federalists in Yucatan were prosecuting with vigour their operations against Campeachy. They had surrounded the town by sea and land, and were push ing forward the siege with determined resolution. An application had been sent for help from the Texian navy, of which a„few vessels were said to be cruising in the vicinity. The fleet of the Federalists only con sisted of three vessels. We have received a copy of the Halifax (N.S.) Journal of the 13th of April. It contains very little news, with the exception of the following extract of a private letter from Frederickton, dated April 9:— " Four companies of American artillery arrived at Holton last week. These companies complete a regi ment, a part of which are to march to Fort Fairfield, and some are expected to move to Lake Tamisquota." It appears that the conduct of his Excellency the Governor of Nova Scotia was viewed with the greatest satisfaction by all classes of the inhabitants. Strong disapprobation was generally expressed with respect to the recent vote of censure passed on him by the House of Assembly. The Legislature of St. John (N. 8.) had passed the bill authorising the granting of 300,000 acres of land to the Colonial Association, under certain conditions of settlement, to be laid out in blocks of 30,000 acres, they paying three shillings per acre for the same. It is stated that a bill had also been passed, imposing a duty of five shillings and tenpence currency per barrel on all foreign flour imported from Nova Scotia. This was considered necessary to counteract a drawback proposed in the legislature of that province, and power was given to the Lieut.-Governor to suspend the ope ration of the law, in case the measure contemplated in Nova Scotia should not be adOpted. The House of Assembly of Nova Scotia had adopted a petition to the Queen, praying for the exemption of that province from the operations of the act " to pre vent ships, clearing out from a British North American port, loading any part of their cargo of timber upon deck." The provisions of this act would put an end to a lucrative portion of the trade of Nova Scotia — that of conveying deck loads of light lumber to the West Indies. It is alleged that this practice is not at tended with any danger, as that part of the cargo on deck can he easily removed in heavy gales. The rigid enforcement of the act, it is said, would compel the merchants of Nova Scotia to abandon a great propor tion of their vessels, and thus involve them in general Our Whig contemporaries never let an opportunity pass by of having a fling against the interests of the Church. A set of empty-headed coxcombs in the good town of Leicester, desirous, no doubt, of emu lating the conduct and achieving the fame of the in carcerated cobbler, John Thorogood, have, it appears, allowed their goods and chattels to be distrained for non-payment of a. church-rate; and the glee of the anti-church party is mightily, raised by the fact, that the sale was preyented by the riotous and disgraceful conduct of the pious people of Leicester. We are not ourselves at all disposed to find fault with our contemporaries for giving every possible publicity to the proceedings of the Leicester Liberals, which are a fair sample of the doings and sayings of .the anti-church party generally on such occasions. The public will have an opportunity of forming an es timate of the character, respectability, and feelings of that class of persons whose tender consciences prompt them to exhibit themselves before the world as common ruffians, rather than pay a legal demand, the application of which happens to be distasteful to them. The re fusal of voluntary obedience to the law is most appro priately followed by an attempt to impede its execution; and we dare say that if any of the very respectable per sons who figured in the demonstration at Leicester should hereafter be made to display their energies upon a treadmill—which would be only the proper re ward for their violent conduct—he or they would im mediately be raised by the faction to a distinguished position amongst the persecuted martyrs of sec tarianism. We quote from the Leicestershire .31ercury—a Whig- Radical journal--the following graphic description of the proceedings to which we have alluded, and upon which our contemporaries are so highly elated. An individual present at the auction had bought, it appears, a tea-kettle, and the ire of the assembled saints was so 'awfully manifested, that " the police-superintendent, 'Perceiving that Coltman"—the individual in qUestion was in imminent danger of the vengeance of those around him, attempted to pull him on the table on which he himself was standing ; but Coltman was forcibly held back. In this position, while clinging almost convulsively to the hand of the superintendent, the expression of his countenance was ludicrously wo ful. The attempt to save him, however, was in vain, for a rush was made to the place, and amidst the storm of hisses and yells, cries of take him out,' and the cracking of the table, this myrmidon of the high church faction was dragged away, and would doubtless have had summary punishment inflicted upon him, kit for the immediate aid of five policeman, who rescued him, though not without considerable resistance, and got him out of the hall ; the hind part of a long coat which he had on having been torn off just below the shoulders. The loss of the culprit, however, did not quiet the meeting, which was now one scene of general con fusion, varied by exclamations of Adjourn to Martin's Church ;' Robert Owen is coming ;" the Church is in danger ;" the Bishop's himself again;' Jack, give us a comic song;' Jump Jim Crow;' The Church will tumble ;" Hold your noise ; he's going to pay his poor-rates;' 'Where's the mitre for Bishop Bonner?' The tea-kettle will do to boil the sacramental wine in;' &c." These are the pious and saintly people whose consciences and principles are so delicate upon the sub ject of church-rates ! From this class of orderly and well-behaved persons are selected your anti-church-rate martyrs ►! We do know how easily. the world is gulled and misled; yet we cannot but think that if our con temporaries will be at sufficient pains to herald to the public, whenever they take place, such proceedings as the above, we shall arrive in time at a just notion of the motives and respectability of the party whose con duct presents such a contrast to their disgusting pre tences. We have endeavoured, and 'we trust with success, to expose to our readers the factious spirit which actuates the ministerial party in their opposition to the passing of Lord Stanley's Registration Bill. The usual wea pons of that party, " enormous lying" and misrepre• sentations of every kind, have been brought freely into requisition ; but we have never been met with an at tempt to discuss the question upon its merits. We have had declamation, abuse, and threats, but not one word directed against the leading principles upon which the bill is founded. It has never, until of late, been ascertained that there 1 was anything very excellent in the present system. We I know that in 1335 it was broadly denounced by the whig ministry, and by O'Connell himself, as corrupt and injurious. From whence has the new light sprung which renders the contemplation of its reform a thing so dreaded by wing-radicalism ? We ask in vain for an answer. The frothy declaimers who rant in public, and the venal pack who spurt their venom against its author and supporters in the columns of the press, will not or cannot frame a satisfactory reason for the shift ing of the thimbles. The bill of Lord Stanley pleases not the tyrant ruler of Lord Melbourne's ministry, and that, in the opinion of these gentlemen, is conclusive. We must, however, remind our readers of the fact, that the principles of the measure so furiously de nounced are precisely those which were contained in the measure of the Irish government of 1835, and further, that a great portion of the machinery of the measure is the same. There is scarcely a clause in Lord Stanley's bill which is not adopted word for word from some of those sham attempts at a reform of the system which have been from time to time made and abandoned by the members of the present whig administration. With what decency, then, can a House of Commons or a government refuse to commit a bill the preamble and the principle of which they have already admitted ? On what ground but that of reckless and unprincipled faction can parliament refuse to consider the details of such a measure ? We will endeavour to unravel this strange web of trickery, and lay bare the real motives which induce the desperate opposition of ministers and their cormorant hangers-on to the passing of the produce it; but we are really under no fear that a man possessed of a bona fide right to vote will not find per sons ready and willing to assist him in establishing such a right. We are told, however, that the furnishing of these little particulars will be excessively troublesome, and that the infliction of a penalty for making and failing to establish an unfounded claim is perfectly shocking. To the former objection we reply, that any thing of mere detail, which this is, can be amended in committee, and to the latter, that the infliction of the penalty is optional, and that the power is only intended to be used in cases of gross imposition. We wonder that it has never entered into the heads of those who have brought this feature of the bill so prominently forward, to inform the public that the same penalty is 9rovided for those who make a groundless objection to qw right of a voter. Perhaps that would be a delicate point for some of our liberal reforming gentlemen to touch upon. It may for a time suit the purposes of faction to en deavour, by clamour out of doors, by misrepresentation and scurrility, to defeat a measure which its opponents cannot meet with argument and with the truth. It may raise a little temporary excitement to declaim against such a measure as one intended to limit the franchise and destroy the liberties of Ireland; but the impression will he short-lived, and the public mind will at length be disabused. The position of the ministerial party is a false one, destructive of the little reputation which is left to them; and the greater the success with which they may be able for a time to maintain it the more decisive will be their final and certain fall. The people of England are not deceived, and will not be de ceived, upon this question. Misrepresentation, slander, and scurrility may answer for a while, but "THE TRUTH IS GREAT AND WILL PREVAIL." RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE. CHELTENHAM AND GREAT WESTERN UNION RAILWAY. Thursday se'nnight the half-yearly meeting of this com pany was held at Cirencester, W. H. Hyett, Esq., in the chair. The principal subjects of the report were the agree ment of the company with the Birmingham and Gloucester, relative to the part between Cheltenham and Gloucester. If the Cheltenham and Great Western Company finish this part by June 24, the Birmingham and Gloucester may have half its profits by payment of half the cost and interest. If the company fail to complete it by the time, the other com pany may do it; and a repayment of the half cost and inte rest, together with the completion of the entire line between Swindon and Gloucester. by June 1845, will put the Chelten ham and Great Western Union Company again in possession of their rights, as will also the failure of the Birmingham and Gloucester Company to complete within the same time the line between Birmingham and Cheltenham. The former company seem to think it best to allow the Birmingham and Gloucester to take on themselves to finish this part. With respect to leasing the line between Cirencester and Swindon, the report recommends the'proprietors to accept of the Great Western proposals, that is £17,000 a-year for seven years, as it would afford a certain income, and avoid a large outlay for carriages, locomotives, &c. Both the directors' and engineer's reports gave great satisfaction, and the meeting was anything but of the unpleasant character of the last. Mr. Price attributed their late difficulties to the money market, and deprecatEd any interference with the directors' arrange ment with the Great Western Company. Mr. James Bowly had bben a dissentient from the course of the directors, but now admitted they were right. Mr. Brown did not think the £17,000 a-year enough; but to save the outlay, he con curred in the proposition. Mr. Warner would not oppose the leasing, but he expected it would have produced 7 per cent. instead of 41. Mr. Sutton complained of having been proceeded against for his arrears of calls ; but on the expla nation of Mr. Cripps and others, the meeting thought he had no ground of complaint. Mr. Bright proposed the re-elec tion of the retiring directors, which was afterwards carried unanimously, and said the late discussion had done good, as it had brought to light the excellence of the directo r s' management. Mr. Richard 'Mullings, in seconding the re solution, observed, that he was sorry for his warmth against the directors at the last meeting, and was now quite wilting to leave the management in their hands. This meeting was one of a highly gratifying nature; good will and harmony prevailed throughout, to which we might not inaptly apply the old latin adage : `• Amantium irve amoris integratio est." The further opening of the Midland Counties' railway from Nottingham and Derby to Leicester took place on Tuesday last. From Leicester to the point of junction with the Lon don and Birmingham line at Rugby, the works are proceeding with great vigour, and will be completed early in the summer. The stock of the company, which some time ago was greatly depressed, now approaches par.—. Railway Times. Upon no railway has the progressive increase of traffic been more noticeable than upon the London and Birmingham line. It will be seen from our " Returns " thatthe traffic last week produced upwards of £15,000, which is an increase of nearly 40 per cent. upon the receipts for the corresponding week of last year. Of course the partial opening of the North Mid land line which takes place on Monday, and its opening throughout, which will not be long delyed, must add mate rially to this company's revenue. Oue day this week no fewer than SG carriages reached the Euston station in four successive trains, and such are the admirable arrangements of the company, that in ten minutes . from the coming up of the heaviest of these, the arrival platform was as clear of pas sengers and luggage as if no train had reached the station that day.—Railway Times. 'RN OF riz the Raii P:assen- I gers. Birmingham Grand Junction Liverp. and Manch Great Western South Western., 15236 8005 4527 4228 3123 Newcast. & Carlisle Greenwich Biring. & Derby Manchester &Leeds Croydon York & N. Midland Midland Counties Glasgow & Ayr Eastern Counties 30421 13646 12666 2441 4034 3120 6857 1074 973 786 780 507 354 1351 821 146 1181 53i• 282 25? -f X. 191 12 21 17 i 4. -3 4346 1806 1952 349 576 520 980 INQUEST.—Oa Saturday, an inquisition was held before Mr. Currie, regarding the death of Richard Davies, ajoiner, in the employment of Messrs. Holme, of Seel-street. The de ceased and several other workmen were employed in altering the front part of a house in Great Charlotte-street, on Wednesday last, in order to make it into a shop. A solid iron pillar had to he placed upright in the window to support the wooden cross-beam, and while it was being taken out of a cart by deceased and others, the deceased slipped and fell, and the pillar fell upon his chest. He was so much injured that though he received every possible assistance, he died on the following morning. Verdict—" Accidental Death." THEATRE ROYAL.—Mrs. Honey, the popular actress, commenced an engagement at the Theatre Royal last even. ing ; and, from the announcements in the sdvertisements, we perceive that, during the progress of the season, a host of the very first talent of the day will appear. This is very cre ditable to the spirit and taste of the management, and we hope the public will not tail to apkeciate the efforts thus made for their amusement. NEW GLOVES FOR OLD ONEs!—Those ladies and gen gentlemen who may wish to make such an advantageous ex change, are recommended to call upon Mrs. B. Lomax, the agent for Messrs. L. Rateau and Co.—See Advt. MECHANICS' INSTITUTION.—We are informed that the Earl of Sefton and Sir Robert Peel have most kindly con sented to lend some valuable paintings for the exhibition, which is to be held in this institution during the next Mid summer holydays. By the advertisement in another column, it appears that tradesmen may send articles on sale to the exhibition. CHESTER THEATRE.—We understand that Mr. Alexander Lee and Mrs. Waylett have taken the theatre at Chester for a term of three years. They have had overflowing houses during the race week. It is not always the clearest looking water that is the purest. This should be remembered ; and there cannot be a greater safeguard than the use, in all cases, of one of Robins's Filters, thus preventing the possibility of any earthy or metallic deposit.—See advt. THE WARRINGTON REGATTA.—This event is appointed to come off on Monday, the first of June, and a prize, con sisting of a silver cup, value £lO, is to be contended for, by gentlemen amateurs of the town of Warrington, in four oar wherries. To this have been added two prizes for sailing boats, and four others of a minor description. If the wea ther proves fine, a good day's sport and harmless recreation may be anticipated. THE WEATHER. — After an unusual length of dry and warm weather, season, for the a change took place in this n eighbourhood on Saturday, and several showers fell in the afternoon. On Sunday it rained rather heavily throughout the day ; but such was the previous drought that all was welcome. The weather yesterday was cloudy, portending further downfall, which would still be beneficial. The tem perature meantime is cool, and all that can now be desired is occasional sunshine. The country never presented a more beautiful Or more promising appearance. The flush of vegetation is altogether unusual at so early a period of the year ; all is verdure in the fields and woods, and blossoms in the gardens. The crops are in a most healthy condition; the grass luxuriant, and the general promise is that of an abundant reward to the husbandman and the horticulturist. The effect of the fine weather has already been felt, it will be found in our corn market. CAUTION TO THE BENEVOLENT.—SeveraI of the pa- id ith i s i p e d ea i thetic offamily impostors are "on the town" at present. w n a i a rp v y y a rhcoaeri lrof p Africandebauched r e s o a disfigured i t ies afi s t u guu r r g re e es o d, n ! a wr One them is a little ferrety-eyed man, representing him prktr speaks prod u ts c l c e eo s c a a h s s v s d e o i l r u f t e y a h s i e .e r d a s Cockney dialect. Another fellow disguised as a sailor—blue jacket, brown trousers. mad cunning-looking black whiskers, and who looks out of the sides of his eyes—is another " man about town." He professes to take the rising generation of cigar-smoking young men in. It is a thousand pities if , some spirited young men whom this fellow accosts do not purchase something of the knave, and thereafter hand him over to the m oralising influence of the police. Such fellows trade on the fals e feeling of gentlemen who virtually encou rage swindling, by a disinclination to appear against petty rascals. NOVEL SIGN.—The following is a beer-house sign at Limpley Stoke :—" John Allen, Licensed to sell Beer by Retail, and Tobacco to be drunk on the premises." When is a man thinner than a lath .? When he is a-shaving. PRINCE ALBERT. —In the lull of political hubbub, it is pleasant to hear daily proofs of the excellent taste displayed by the Queen in her choice of a husband. The good heart and kind disposition of Prince Albert are spoken of by every body. A late instance has come to my knowledge. The maid of honour in waiting w as en g a ge d lately in reading to her majesty, after breakfast, according, to the established custom. The young lady, in conformity with the etiquette of the court, remained standing while she read, and some time before she had finished, Prince Albert entered the room. His royal highness did not take a seat, and on bein g asked by the Queen to do so, he replied that he could not think of sitting while a lady was standing ; and actually declined to take a chair till the maid of honour had finished her duty and retired. This sort of amiable and gentlemanlike feeling de. serves to be made public.—Correspondent of the Glasgow Constitutional. measure. In the first place, O'Connell and the ministry are aware that the proposed bill is in honest hands, has been drawn up for an honest purpose, and is calculated to effect the object which it professes to have in view. On these very grounds it was denounced by the agi tator himself before its introduction, and when no knowledge could exist of any of those details, the al leged oppressive and harassing nature of which have called forth so much vituperation. Lord Stanley, as the faction well knew, is thoroughly acquainted with the working of the present system, its gross fraud and reckless perjuries; and hence arises the soreness with which they regard his lordship personally, and their reluctance to entrust to his hands the construction of a measure to reform it. Under the watchful care of his lordship, they will not be able to smuggle into such a bill provisions fatal to its principle and inju rious to its working; they will not be able to make the correction worse than the original evil. The main ground of the opposition to Lord Stan ley's bill is the honesty which it bears on the face of it. A further ground, however, is the absence of a clause contained in the bill of 1835, by which the franchise established by the Reform Bill was-sought to be tam pered with. The measure brought in by Mr. Sergeant O'Loghlen contained a declaratory clause, explaining the beneficial interest necessary to create a vote, in direct contradiction to the law as laid down by the judges. By that clause a beneficial interest of ten pounds a-year was to be ascertained by the claimant swearing that his mud hovel, shop, or other tenement, was worth to him ten pounds a-year more than he paid for it; whereas the legal construction of the Reform Bill requires that such an interest, in order to consti tute a qualification, should he a bona fide value of ten pounds a-year more than the rent, estimated by the amount which a solvent tenant would give for it. That a bill containing such a clause—which, in fact, would establish in Ireland something very nearly approaching to universal suffrage--would be eagerly accepted by government, we need not doubt; and the recollection that such a clause was contained in the bill of 1835, and forms no part of Lord Stanley's bill, furnishes sufficient explanation of the virulence with which the latter is attacked. Since the measure by which this fraudulent attemp was made to reduce the franchise in Ireland has been shelved, the ministry and their mendicant taskmaster have discovered that the same result can be achieved, and the creation of fictitious votes facilitated, without an express enactment, by the discreet selection of re vising barristers from amongst the members of their own faction ; and hence arises the sudden affection for the present system. From the report of the Fictitious Votes Committee for Ireland, which has been recently published, we find that one of these gentlemen, Mr. Gibson, has registered, without scruple, every claimant whose elaStie conscience would allow him to swear that his holding was worth to him ten pounds per annum, and expressly refused to allow objecting parties to in spect the lease upon which the claim was founded, al though the power of doing so is provided by the Re form Bill itself. Mr. Gibson's construction of the beneficial interest required to constitute the right of voting is in the teeth of a decision of the judicial bench, which circumstance may account fdr the disin clination manifested towards that tribunal as a court of appeal from the decision of any revising barrister who may not be so pliant in his principles, and so accommodating ,in the construction which he puts upon an act of parliament, as this same Mr. Gibson. The naked fact then is this. The ministry of Lord Melbourne would have permitted the principle of Lord Stanley's bill to be introduced into the Irish system of registration, accompanied with a clause to reduce the qualification established by the Reform Bill, and make the increase of the numbers o f Whig vot er s coextensive with the increase of perjury ! But they will not sup port a measure.which effects what they th emse l ves only IlrVasendoudgoaie * wil-i th o e e f fect. But have they th e h ones ty to l.ie true nature of their objection ? They have not. On the contrary, it is studiously con cealed, and the declaratory clause itself is not even at tempted to be defended or its principle advocated. On what grounds then is the measure of Lord Stanley denounced, except on the ground that it is introduced by a party who is hostile to the policy of the present government ? Oh, the details of the measure are an noying ! The forth of notice is perplexing ! We grant that the details are very annoying to those who wish to!perpetrate a fraud upon the constitution, by claiming a privilege which they have no legal right to enjoy. The form of notice, • too; may be a little per , plexing.7 It will, we dare say, be a little puzzling to a man who, has no real qualification to describe the "whereabouts" of that mysterious thing; for a man with no lease at all to describe it, and harder still to WEEKLY RETU (Prot NAME. TRAF lway Cash. ?IC 0? ragazint pr.wk.l MAYS Passeng. per day. RAI Ip. day.! THE SLEEPY MERCURY. The Mercury saw, with sorrow deep, His readers nearly all asleep ; So potent was the weekly dose Of his dull, soporific prose. Quoth he, " Some means we quick must take To keep our drowsy friends awake : Cork collars we would fain retrim, Were 't not, just yet, too cold to swim ; Puns, riddles, rhymes, all void of reason, At Christmas only are in season ; In politics our powers, too, fail— ' Dan' s threadbare worn, and all his • tail ;' And ministers so long we've slaver'd, The folks no more will be palaver'd ; For poor as well as rich man feels They are but keep-place imbeciles. With what can we our readers humour? Of foreign war there 's scarce a rumour : No frightful storms have we to tell of; No dreadful fires our sheet to sell off; And when to neighbour's print we take, We little find to quote or ' fake.' Alas ! though now our muse is soaring, Our readers—sad mishap !—are snoring !! "We have it ! Without rhyme or stricture, We 'll rouse them with—a PENNY PICTURE! Such as will show, to great and small, That we 're both loy'l and liberal. Bright thought ! Our enemies shall feel The powerful influence of our' steel;' And 't will be very hard indeed, If we make not the natives bleed. Prince Albert and our youthful Queen In loving converse shall be seen. • True, portraits have been given gratis, Till every town has cried out, Satis But, though the subject 's rather trite, We care not—if the fishes bite. We 'll of a handsome present boast, Yet fix a ` penny' as the cost ; And twenty thousand sold, we say, Will, with our papers, amply pay. We 'll puff it rarely : placard, bill, Shall every wall and window fill. The thing will after all be cheap, And rouse our readers from their sleep." 'T was fixed : with head and graver busy, The artist worked till he was dizzy ; The softened steel his power confessed, And from it quickly he impressed A print, to every eye a feast — A PENNY FARTHING'S worth at least ! Pleased with the work, the Mercury then Resumed his pond'rous " leaden pen ;" And with strong ink, of poppy juice, Bestowed upon it puffs profus'e. " Such picture of the moon' called honey,' Is worth a crown,' or much more money ; But though we 're weeks beyond the fair, Our friends sha'nt yet our bounty share; They each must sixpence pay—advance, Ere of a picture they 'ye a chance : This will a long impression sell, And much our circulation swell. (The man who had grindstones and cheese, Got rid of both with sim'lar ease : None wanted stones—all wanted t' other ; He very quickly stopped their bother — He 'd not sell one without the other.) But we must not come out too soon ; We 'll play our bait till 19th June. We 'll show it them—we hate a quibble— But not till then allow a nibble : We must the gudgeons keep in play Until that glorious harvest-day." Thus Merc'ry wrote, and then again, Well pleased, threw down his " leaden pen ;" And, taking his nocturnal cap, He joined his readers in a nap. QUIZ. SKETCHES OF LIVERPOOL AND ITS VICINITY No. V. (Written for the Liverpool Standard.) EASTHAM. I had passed the greater part of the forenoon in showing a friend from the country several of what are termed the " lions" of the town, particularly the public buildings; and having taken leave of him as he threw himself into an omnibus to proceed on his destination southward, by rail way, I felt wearied, for a time at least, of the din and bustle around me, 1 could not help reverting to the lines of my poetical acynaintance, on a similar occasion, as expressive of my own feelings : " The village church that tops the wooded hill, Far from the town delights me more than these ; Where swells the music of the mountain rill, The song of birds, the hum of wheeling bees ; Where lifted by the summer gales chat fill The air with balm, are heard the rustling trees ; And streams, and hills, and woods, responsive raise One general note of happiness and praise." The day was not very bright, yet the opposite shore, the nearest and most accessible affording rural scenery, was rather inviting, and I took my seat on board of an Eastham packet, in which there was a considerable number of pas. sengers of all classes, most of them on their way to Chester and various parts of Wales. The passage up was pleasint , and diversified. We passed the Rock Ferry and the quaran• tine hulks, and finally the entrance to Brombro' pool, a re). mantic valley or dell, in which the spring -tides rise a consi. derable way into the interior, westwu - rd, in the bed of a brook. Above this the shore near Easth;im becomes more and more interesting. The margin is composed of free stone rock, shelving and precipitous, but not very high. On the top are small oak and other trees, which twine their fan tastic round the banks and stone below. Behind are fields, and extensive lawns, with clumps of trees, sloping gently to wards the water, and backed in the distance by woods, deep ening in thickness and verdure, and rising in height towards the Ferry-house, at the southern extremity of this rocky shore. The stranger, in place of finding the river contract as he sails up, is agreeably surprised to find it widen, and on either side, as well as on the lee shore on the south, the shores are thickly wooded. EASTHAM EERILY HOUSE. This is one of the oldest ferries on the Cheshire coast, and from its peculiar position, and its surrounding scenery, is deservedly popular. It is about six miles, by water, from Liverpool, and ten, by land, from Chester ; so that passen gers who go by it enjoy a considerable sail, as well as a ride. The premises are extensive, having been enlarged from year to year to meet the increasing intercourse with Chester and Wales by coaches, in which department a considerable esta blishment is kept up. The whole are whitewashed and look well in contrast with the woods. The grounds or gardens behind are well laid out, and are the favourite resort of par ties and families. There are numerous arbours and rustic seats, covered with ivy and other shrubs, and flitted up for the reception of visitors in quest of invigorating air and ex hilirating refreshment. The dense woods are close behind, and impart a pleaing perception of coolness, shelter, and re tirement. The view of the river, in front, is varied and ex tensive, and is bounded by the distant hills of Lancashire and Cheshire. Passing the north side of the premises, where a number of coaches are generally standing, the pedestrian may enjoy a delightful walk through the wood (keeping to the right,) and thence westward across an extensive lawn, in front of the seat of - Mainwaring, Esq., to the high road to Liverpool, near the hamlet of Brombro'. I preferred, on this occasion, the more circuitous route by Eastham village, about three-quarters of a mile further on the Chester road. The walk up the hill is highly pleasing, and, after the arrival of a steamer, be;omes in fine weather, a general promenade. It is for some distance overshadowed by trees, with cottages and other dwellings on the left. The direction is diagonal from the river, so that the distance be tween it and the traveller continues to increase. On emerging from the wood, near the top of the hill, an extensive view is obtained. The ground between the road and the river is un dulated, is chiefly in meadow, and is enriched by a variety of trees and enclosures. Here, near the road, stands a beau tiful thatched cottage, with a circular veranda, the pillars of which are covered with ivy. The whole is surrounded by shrubs and flowers. This is a delightful rural retreat. A little further on, while looking over a gate, my attention was caught by a rustling under a thick bush in the field. Under it, and within a yard of where I stood, I saw a large partridge, He regarded me with apparently but slight alarm, but soon flew off on whirring wing. The road throughout to Eastham village is cheerful, and there are some trees of large growth on either side. EASTHAM VILLAGE. Thillage, or rather hamlet, though small and unobstru, sive r Weents to the lovers of rural quiet no small attraction It has its antique church, its winding lanes, its little shops, its inn, and its ale-house. I had almost omitted its smithy, which is of rather classical construction, being under the same roof with the postoffice, and having a stone portico, with lonic columns ! The building appears to have been intended for a lodge, —a gateway leading to Hooton Park, the seat of Sir Thomas Stanley, Baronet, being close to it. On entering the hamlet, from the ferry , the first house on the left is that of the Venerable Archdeacon Clarke, a quiet and comfortable domicile. Further on, on the same side, stands a beaUtiful villa, with a pavillion roof, and a rotunda to the road. There is a little lawn in front, bounded by shrubberies and woods, and the whole is in the most beau tiful order. The village is principally composed of small detached houses and cottages, most of which are raised afoot or two from the ground, on the red freestone forming the foundation. The doors and porches of several of them are covered with ivy and honeysuckle ; the flower plots in front are redolent of sweets, and the whole has an air of English neatness, cleanliness, and comfort. • The high-road from Chester to Liverpool passes through the village. The church is worthy of a visit. It has an antique spire, of that substantial sort which our forefathers delighted to construct, not slightly tapering and becoming " beautifully less," but one of those dread-nought, pyramidal structures, which defy the storm of ages, and stand as a lasting land mark for the navigator. The lower story of the spire, just above the tower, is rendered venerable by a coating of ivy, now in full verdure, and it would seem wonderful whence it derives its nourishment. The church has apparently been enlarged, or doubled, by one building being placed parallel with another, each with its steep, sloping roof. The win dows are Gothic ; those at the east end, or gables, differ from each other in the shape and the mullions. There are strong buttresses at the corners of the tower, and between the win dows on each side the church. The interior is roomy, with pointed arches down the aisles, over each of which a text or ♦erse is inscribed within an oval. The pews are neatly painted in oak. In the church-yard there is a very venerable hollow yew tree,. several yards in circumference, and forming a sort of alcove. I here sheltered from a shower; and the grassy mounds and humble headstones around me recalled the re miniscence, that here " The rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep." At the east end of the church a stone is erected to the me mory of " John Linford," who, it is stated, " was a servant of the Stanley Family for upwards of 80 years," and who " died in August, 1831, aged 93." While I was ruminating on the transitory joys of this life, amidst these mementos of mortality, a beautiful little cottage girl, of about five years of age, " just let loose from school," and neatly dressed in a red cloak and hood, came running and laughing towards me. I never saw a more engaging picture of innocence and joy : she was " little red riding hood" herself. Seeing I was a stranger, she was off again like a little fairy, running and bounding among the tombs ! Here was food for the re flective mind. There are several gardens and orchards in the hamlet, and these, together with flowering shrubs and trees give the whole a pleasing appearance. The weather being now cloudy with showers, I returned home by the high road. BROMBROW, A. short distance to the north of Eastharn is a pretty hamlet of considerable antiquity. At the south end is the gateway and lodge, leading to the seat of Mr. Wainwaring. There are here several old English mansions, with their orchards, gardens, and shrubberies. The apple-trees were in full blossom, and flowering shrubs were numerous. There is here what was doubtless originally a market-place or square, with a cross or rather dial, raised on dilapidated steps in the centre. At the north end, within a shrubbery or garden, stands the chapel, a comparatively modern erection of a small size, built on the site of a church of, it is said, gre a t antiquity. The road thence to Rock Ferry, about two miles and a half, is not so interesting to the pedestrian, from its being nearly straight throughout the whole distance, and the views presenting nothing very striking. H a d i t b een other wise, the rain had now somewhat cooled my rambling ardour, and I hastened by the first boat to the town. This short sketch, which is little more than statistical, will merely serve as a link to my future notices, of places less known, or more generally interesting. POLICE INTELLIGENCE.-FRIDAY. STEALING A WATCH. A. disorderly female was placed at the bar on a charge of stealing a watch. Inspector Poole said that he had heard of the robbery on the preceding night, about nine o'clock, and lost no time in tracing the prisoner to her lodgings, where he found her in bed, pretending to be asleep. He took her into custody, and on her way to Bridewell, she voluntarily made some statements which confirmed his belief that she had committed the felony. The owner of the watch here pre sented himself, a portly-looking personage, somewhat " de clined into the vale of years," and stated that he went into a beer-house in Duncan-street, St. James's, to get some bread and cheese. There he met with the prisoner, who evinced a disposition to be very familiar with him, and ulti mately got possession of his watch. He charged her with having robbed him, which she stoutly denied. The prisoner, he said, when he persisted in the charge, pulled out a knife and attempted to stab him. She was committed. A DISORDERLY PAUPER. A female pauper was placed before the sitting magistrate, Mr. R. E. Harvey, on the following charge : Mr. Parkinson, the Bridewell-keeper, stated that on the preceding evening, about half-past six, the prisoner was brought from the workhouse to bridewell on a charge of being drunk and disorderly. She was in a state of great excite ment at the time, and continued so during the night. About half-past nine she became more violent, and broke four panes of glass. So noisy and outrageous did she continue, that none of the inmates could possibly sleep.—The pri soner was asked the cause of her conduct by the magistrate ; she replied, " What business had they to lick me ? I was licked shameful by that squinting constable."—Mr. Parkin son here said that the prisoner was not right—she was in sane.—Prisoner : " Oh, I'm right enough, only I wouldn't let that squinting constable • lick me !" The magistrate suggested the propriety of having her insanity tested by a medical man. Prisoner : " Well, you may do as you like, but it's no use ; if you examine me by fifty doctors, you'll find I'm all right." Mr. Parkinson stated that the prisoner was a perfect nuisance in the workhouse, and continually creating disturbance. She bad got an idea intoher head that she would be better off in prison. Prisoner : " Yes, I would ; I would get better meat in prison, and I would rather go to prison at once."—The magistrate said the discipline was rather more rigid in prison than when she was there before, as she would find on her return. Ultimately she was re manded for medical examination, and left the bar, vowing vengeance against the object of her ire—" the squinting con stable." SATURDAY. SHOPLIFTING. Elizabeth Sherlock was brought up charged with having stolen a piece of print, the property of Messrs. Aaron and Edmund Lewis, linen-drapers, Ranelagh-street. It appeared, that, about six o'clock on Friday evening, the prisoner went into Messrs, Lewis's shop, and asked to look at some prints. Mr. Lewis showed her some prints, three or four pieces at a time. She laid two pieces aside, saying, that she lived at the Waterloo Hotel, whither the pieces might be sent. She expressed a wish to see some better prints. Mr. Lewis went to the window to get some better prints. On his return to the counter, he missed one of the pieces which the prisoner had laid aside. He asked her what she had done with it. She told him that he had taken it away. He got over the counter and accused her of having stolen it. She denied the charge. She was requested to move, which she declined doing for some time, and when she at length complied, she did it so awkwardly and with so much constraint that Mr. Lewis and his brother were convinced she had something under her petticoats. At length, she was prevailed upon to put out her leg, when the piece of print fell from beneath her clothes. The above evidence was corroborated by the testi mony of a gentleman who was in the shop. The prisoner was given into the custody of police-officer Downing. She denied the charge, and was committed for trial. EFFECTS OF JEALOUSY. Margaret Farrell appeared to complain against Sarah Gar ner, for having assaulted her. Both the complainant and de fendant are very pretty girls, though it was the opinion of those who consider themselves good judges, who sat in the court, that Sarah is rather inferior in personal attractions to Margaret. Both pal ties were neatly dressed. Miss Farrell stated, that Miss Garner had been in the habit of insulting her for the last twelve months, and she was quite at a loss to imagine for what reason. On Sunday evening last she was passing along the street, when she saw Miss Garner standing in the footwalk. She attempted to pass her, and, as she did do, she was saluted by the defendant with a violent blow on her face, for which she did not give the slightest provocation. Miss Garner replied as follows : " Well, gentlemen, I saw her coming along the street, and when she came up to me, she called me a bastard. This insult provoked me, and I struck her. She had very strong feelings against me, and I know the reason, though she says she does'nt. The truth is, gentlemen, she's jealous ! She's vexed because I've taken her sweetheart from her." Miss Farrell : "I ? Oh dear ! Now, you know, ma'am, I would'nt speak to him if he were to speak to me." Miss Garner : "No ; perhaps you would'nt now, Miss, but you would twelve m on th s ago ." Mr. Harvey : " You acted very improperly in striking her. That is con duct which we cannot allow." Miss Garner : " Oh, but she called me a bastard, and that was the reason why I struck her. I have a witness." A young woman was called, who corroborated Miss Garner's statement. The Magistrates fined the defendant 2s. 6d. and costs. CHEAP HERRINGS. Richard Morgan was charged with having assaulted Ellen Higgins. Both complainant and defendant are natives of Erin. Mrs. Higgins, who is a fair one of large dimensions, told a very long story of her wrongs with extreme glibness and volubility, introducing much extraneous matter which we need not recapitulate. She said, " I was desired by my neighbour, Misthresh Honnesey, to go to purchiz a three farthin' herring for our dinner. I tuck dhe pinney an' wint to Miss Morgan's, an' I purchized dhe herrin. I was re markin' dhat her herrins was terrible little skinny things for three farthin' herrins, an' dhat they were not fit for ha' penny herrins, lit aloan three farthin ones, when Miss Morgan came out. Wheres dhim two herrins,' siz she, dhat you've tuck?' What herrins?' siz I ; shure I've none but dhis wan herrin in me possesshun.' You tuck two herrins from me 'chap,' siz she—' you were seen doin' of it.' Verry well,' siz I, Iv I did I'm here to dhe fore to answer for dhat saam ; ' so I follow'd her back into dhe ship. ' Here,' siz she, `go and fitch me broder Richard.' Soa her broder Richard came, au' widhout waitin' to hear me say dhis or dhat, siz he, ' What's dhis you're doin ? Is'nt it a shaam for yer to be frightanin' an taxin a poor dissolute or phint like me sistliur in dhis shacken way ? ' Wid dhat he struck me, and ra-sthruck me wid all dhe violence dhat he had in him." The defendant, a good-looking lad, stated, that when he went into the shop, he found the complainant assaulting his sister furiously with a scoop, and calling her all manner of evil names. When he remonstrated with her on her violent conduct, she fell upon him and struck him also. The defendant called his sister as a witness. She stated, dhat she was " givin' a lady two farthin' candles whin Misthress Higgins, who had just bought a three-far thin' herrin', took two other herrin's off dhe hape an' put dhim under her apron. I wint out to her and raymon stherated wid her, but she denied dhe fact, and came back into dire shap and attacked her wid dhe scoop. It was thin dhat I called. for me broder Richard to come an' patrict me. When Richard arrived, You thunderhe rich a thing,' siz she, and hot him wid dhe scoop. It was 'dhin dhat he struck her, and she ammageately sid she would bring law to him." The Magistrates dismissed the case. A WARNING TO BAD HUSBANDS. Robert Stock was brought up by the parish authorities, having been apprehended at the instance of Mr. Evans, for neglecting to support his wife and family. Mr. Evans stated, the prisoner had left his wife and family chargeable to the parish. By the evidence adduced, the following charges were substantiated against the prisoner. About a year ago, the parish authorities, finding that he had left his wife and family unprovided tor, caused him to be apprehended at St. Helens, where he was keeping .a woman and child. He was taken before Mr. Hall, the then stipendiary magistrate in this bo rough. He complained that was out of work, and unable even to support himself. The magistrate discharged him on his promise to pay for the support of his family when he got employment. Through the parochial authorities, a situation with a salary of.a guinea a week was procured for him, which he would not accept. Shortly afterwards he returned to St. Helens, were he remained a short time, and then brought the woman and child t Liverpool. He was taken into custody on Friday morning. He has been three times committed for neglect of his family. The magistrates ordered him to be imprisoned for three months. MONDAY. Mary Ann Dawber was placed at the bar on a charge of having stolen two petticoats from the Borough gaol. Bromiley, a turnkey, stated that the prisoner was corn mi,tted to the Borough gaol on the 12th of February last, for illegally pawning. Her term of imprisonment expired this morning, (Monday,) but before leaving she was, according to the usual practice, searched, when the two petticoats were found upon her person. • The prisoner said that one of the nurses had given her one of the petticoats, and that the other had been exchanged for one of her own. The turnkey contradicted this statement, and added that the nurse spoken of was herself a prisoner, and had no right to give the petticoat to any one. The prisoner was remanded till to-morrow for the produc tion of the nurse. LIVERPOOL GORDOVIGION ROYAL EISTEDDVOD — It is known to the natives of Cambria inhabiting this town, that the next Eisteddvod, or Congress of Bards, will be held in Liverpool. The approach of this meeting excites an intense interest, which is indicated by the numerous compositions, in prose and verse, which have been transmitted to the sec retaries for adjudication. These are said to be, in general, of the first order in point of merit, and fully qualified to sustain the expectations formed by the liberal patrons of these national celebrations. To the lovers of ancient har mony a rich treat is anticipated, in consequence of the at tendance of the most skilful performers upon the harp from all parts of Wales. A preparatory meeting of the friends and promoters of this Eisteddvod was held, on Friday week, at Holywell. It had been previously arranged, that the Hon. E. L. Lloyd Mostyn, the president of the forthcoming festival, with several gentlemen of the principality, should meet a deputation from this town, consisting of Dr. Hughes, of St. Ann-street, Mr. Hughes, chairman of the managing committee of the Eisteddvodd, Mr. Jones, vice-chairman; and Mr. Morris, the secretary, for the purpose of arranging the proceedings of the bardic meeting, selecting able judges to adjudicate on the various performances, and to consider the best method of carrying out, in the most effectual man ner, the object of the subscribers to this great national fes tival. During the early part of this preliminary meeting, the Hon. E. M. Lloyd Mostyn was unable to attend, and in his absence, Mr. Hughes, was unanimously called to the chair. The festival will begin on Wednesday, the 17th of Jung, with a grand procession of the officers and friends of the Eisteddvod, who will call upon and escort the president (who, it is expected, will be attended by a host of Cambrian gen tlemen) from his hotel to the field, to make the usual pro clamation. They will then return in the same order to the Amphitheatre, and there repeat their proclamation; and this will be followed by several performances or the harp. Twelve of the pieces will be disposed of the first day, be sides several suitable addresses by speakers from the princi bseoupti elnoyiin Wales. th singingg princi pality, interspersed with music an d s i ng i ng. The second and third days will exhibit equal var i ety ; on the latter, how ever, besides the grand competiti on f or " The Gwent and Morganwg Harp," one of th e sp l endid gifts of Sir Charles Morgan, Sir Benjamin H a ll, an d Si r J. J. Guest, there will n y st first-rate tooe ntt hdh that td different toa performersnh numerous e eapr oepurpublic obrl company from r performances mipcnaennNs dinner r r moe t and n h afiyxt behdee nplriinteige ; is tickets b last s a t d m a induced to partake of this national feast. It has been de termined, that under no circumstances whatever should any of the tickets be given away. SPOTS ON THE SUN.—The opinion suggested by Sir William Herschell, that the spots on the sun might possibly diminish the temperature of the air, by preventing the passage of heat from that part of its disc occupied by them, has not been confirmed during the present spring; for it is well known to those persons who are in the practice of looking at the sun with telescopes, that there have been very many spots ob served on its disc f or s o m e time past, yet the temperature of the air h as b een hi g h er t h an f or many years at this period . _ The spots during the last two weeks have been numerous and nd some of them of considerable magnitude, occupyinga portion fore look for other causes to account f or the hi g h temperature rt of space man y times larger than the earth. We must there fore which has lately prevailed , and p erha p s n one will furnish a d f rom the sky. We under the frequent absence of h I better explanation than the great pressure of atmosphere and t e during two months past than journal kept by Dr. Dalton, that thest an b d a i r t o appears, rhas f stoodrom time for upwards of 50 years, and that the the same length of last t higher 1 3 in the months of April, 1798 the mean temperature of the month has only been equalled since the year 79 , and 1830. PETITION AGAINST LORD STANLEY'S REGIS- TRATION BILL. TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD. SlR,—The barefaced manner in which the petition of the Roman Catholics, Unitarians, Independents, &c., &c., has been signed by children, and is now attempted to be passed off as emanating from the majority of the rate-payers and respectable inhabitants of this large town, is too well known to require many remarks—it, in reality, comes from a very small portion thereof, nearly nine-tenths of the persons who signed it not being rate-payers, but consisting of children and Irish porters, as will appear from the number of ;01 's ; for, independently of the petition being taken to the various schools that are under the control of the Roman Catholic priests and radicals, the writer hereof, in passing through the Goree last week, saw a number of boys, of from 10'to 13 years of age, surrounding a table whereon the petition was lying, who were not satisfied with affixing one name thereto, but each of them added several others. Such proceedings are, however, so common with the party, that they excite no surprise. I trust the conservatives, in petitioning in favour of the bill, will each append to • his signature, his residence, and profession.—l am, Sir, your respectfully, S. Liverpool, 11th May, 1840. Readers of newspapers often find light amusement in what is called cross-readings. The following may be called sign readings ; in the front of two adjoining houses in New York, we literally read this brief history of a duel; James Shot — and—Jonathan Fell. SELECT EXTRACTS. TUE USE OF BEECH IN FLOORING.—It has often sur prised me to observe how ignorant the inhabitants of almost every county appear to be of the most useful practices and discoveries of the shires adjoining them, particularly in all that relates to agriculture and domestic improvements. My attention was lately directed to this point by seeing, in Buckinghamshire, beech substituted for oak in the formation of barn floors, and on inquiring of an experienced carpenter there, I found that, if laid on oak sleepers raised from the ground by a foot of walling, the beech floors generally last half as long again as the very expensive floors of oak, and the expense being about a third, there is little risk in making the experiment. As oak is becoming every day dearer, it is ne cessary to find some substitute for it, and where such as one has been in use for nearly a century, in the county of Bucks, it is surprising that in Dorsetshire and Wiltshire, where oak is very,scarce, the use of beech timber for such purposes has not been introduced. The plank ought to be 21 feet, and if charred, or coal-tarred, it would last as long as oak, in all probability. The practice of charring or burning the surface of posts is now so general, that it is surprising it has hot been adopted in Dorsetshire, not even in the public works ; when it is a fact, established beyond all doubt, that there is scarcely a limit to the duration of charcoal, and so convinced are the first engineers of its yalue,that all the public works in the dockyards are so treated. It should be observed, however, that the beech-plank used for floors, in Bucks, is neither charred.nor tarred, and yet lasts a long time.—Salis bury Herald. A GUATEMALIAN BRIDGE.—We now came to where the stream, which we had thus far followed, poured its copious tribute into the river Polochic. In passing this river, we went over a bridge so novel and primitive in its construction, that it was decidedly the greatest curiosity I had yet seen, It was composed of the pendant branches of a tree, which, like those of -the bannian tree in the East Indies, grow down wards till they reach the ground, and, taking root. grow up again. Of these branches, which, properly speaking, are only strong flexible fibres, called in America bejucos, a great number had been woven together, so as to form a cable of considerable strength and durability. This was stretched across the river, and formed the floor of the bridge ; while on either side of it, and about three feet higher, two parallel cables of smaller size, about the same distance apart, formed the banister or railing. The space between the upper cables and the main one was defended by a net work of bejucos of a smaller size. Some idea of this invention may be formed by comparing it to a long narrow book, half open. In pass ing it, we seemed to be playing the part of rope-dancers; only that, instead of a balance-poll, we had the side cables to aid us in keening 'an equilibrium. We passed one at a time ; and at every step we took, the bridge trembled from one end to the other.—llionigoinery's Journey to Guate mala. A HINT TOUCHING LOVE LETTERS.—The French have completely of late excelled themselves in the extreme beauty of their note paper, and the tender and appropriate mottos by which it is embellished ; but there is a description of pimer, of which, I believe, they know the secret, which think far more desirable for love letters . than the most ex quisite of their brightly-tinted sheets embellished with laced borders or painted wreaths. A gentleman of distinction in France once received a letter, warning him of some injuries intended towards him and his family ; he placed it in his writing-desk, and the day after wished to recur to it, when, to his great astonishment, he found it crumpled to atoms. The paper had been steeped in some chemicsl preparation that, in a few hours, had corroded and destroyed it. Now if love letters were always written on this paper, how much time would be saved ! for young ladies must perforce com press their studies of these precious productions into a very short space of time—how many reputations would be saved, for destroyed letters, like dead men, can tell no•tales—how many lawyers' fees would be saved, for the most skilful counsellors could never torture a heap of ashes into what they call " documents,"—how much patience would be saved, for although it is very delightful to read love letters addressed to one's self, it is a painful effort of friendship to be obliged to listen to those addressed to other people—how unnecessary too would be the postcript, which is never at tended to, " Burn this as soon as you have read it"—the " chemist's magic art" would make the request equal to a command stare to be obeyed.—Metropolitan Magazine. • THE SKYLARK.—I have found it of infinite use, in the course of my observations on the habits and manners of animals, never to lose sight of the principle, which I hold to be an invariable one, that every created being is formed in the best possible manner, with reference to its peculiar habits, either for self-preservation, or for procuring its food ; and that nothing is given to it but what is intended to answer some good and useful purpose, however unable we may be to account for what may appear to us so ill contrived and unnecessary. With this contrived and unnecessary. With this conviction I have been, for some time past, endeavouring to assign a use for the remarkable, and, indeed, what ap pears the disproportionate length of the claws of the skylark ; and it lately afforded me. no small satisfaction, to think that I had discovered the purposes for which they were furnished them. That they were not intended to enable the bird to search the earth for food, or to fia itself more securely on the branches of trees, is evident, as they neither search the ground, nor roost on trees. The lark makes its nest generally In grass fields, where it is liable to be injured either by cattle grazing over it, or by the mower. In case of alarm from either these or other causes, the parent birds, by means of their long claws, remove their eggs to a place of greater security ; and this transportation I have observed to be effected in a very short space of time. By placing a lark's egg (which is rather large in proportion to the size of the bird) in the foot, and then drawing the claws over it, you will perceive that they are of sufficient length to secure the egg firmly ; and by this means the bird is enabled to convey its egg to another place, where she can sit upon and hatch them. When one of the mowers first told me of this fact, I was somewhat disinclined to credit it; but I have since ascer tained it beyond a doubt, and a friend informs me that, when he was recently in Scotland, a shepherd mentioned having witnessed the same circumstance. It is another strong proof in the economy of Nature, by means of which this affectionate bird is enabled to secure its forthcoming offspring ; I call it affectionate, because few birds show a stronger attachment to their young.—Jese's Gleanings. SEA SCENE IN THE PACIFIC.—On approaching the land. we found that the barrier-reef which encircles it afforded but one narrow entrance ; and even this was occupied by power ful and rapid rollers, which were any thing but inviting. A canoe, fishing in the offing, enabled us to obtain a pilot; when, taking advantage of a tranquil interval, we pushed through the swell, and passed by an abrubt transition into the vast expanse of lagoon water that intervenes between the reef and the main land. It is impossible to imagine a scene more perfectly beautiful than the one presented to our view as we glided through this placid sea, and towards the land, which rose towering, rocky, and isolated, at the distance of about three miles a-head of us. On every side a broad sheet of water, mapped out in various hues corresponding with its depth, contrasted 'strongly with the turbulence of the ocean outside the reef ; while the bosom of the lagoon was strewn with many coral islets, level, circular, and often of great extent ; their shores girded by a sandy beach of dazzling whiteness, and their soil covered with cocoa-nut palms, Pandanus and Casuarina trees, as well as with a short and verdant pasturage unincumbered by any other underwood than a few bushes of Cape jessamine. Here and there a so litary hut appeared amidst the foliage of these motus ; and some small goats (probably left here by a ship) ceased to browse on our approach, and followed the boats on our ap proach, and followed the boats along the beach, bleating forth a plaintive recognition. The serenity of the morning, and the sweet odour of Pandanus flowers, combined to in crease the attractions of this enchaating spot, and to convey to us an impression on which memory yet dwells with ex treme pleasure.—Bennett's Whaling voyage. A I% ITTY DAMSEL.—"Ah, Eliza ! " said a puritan preach er to a young lady, who had just been making her hair into beautiful ringlets. Ah, Eliza ! had God intended your locks to be curled, he would have curled them for you." " When I was an infant," returned the damsel, " he did ; but now I am grown up, he thinks I am able to do it myself." An M.D. once reproached a learned counsel with what Mr. Bentham would call the " uncognoscibility " of the technical terms of law. " Now, for example," said he, " I never could comprehend what you meant by docking an entail." "My dear doctor." replied the barrister, " 1 don't wonder at that, bet I will soon explain the meaning of the phrase ; it is doing what your profession never consent to 2 --su f fering a recovery." THE EMPEROR CoNiousfnun." You teach," said the Emperor Trajan, to Rabbi Joshua, " that your God is every where, and boast he resides among your nation. I should like to see him." " God's presence is indeed everywhere," replied Joshua, " but he cannot be seen; no mortal eve can behold his glory." The Emperor insisted. " Well,' said Joshua, " suppose we try to look at one of his ambassadors." The Emperor consented. The Rabbi took him into the open air of noon-day, and bade him look on the sun, in its meridian splendour. "I cannot," said Trajan, "the light daz zles me." " Thou art unable," said Joshua, "to endure the light of one of his creatures, and canst thou expect to behold th e resp l en d en t glory Of the Creator? Would not such a light annihilate thee ?" RECIPE FOR PREVENTING SEA-SlCKNESS.—Notwith standing the sea had lulled, it blew a stiff breeze still, and the Crusader rolled and tossed upon the huge topling waves of the Atlantic in such a way that I was again sick ; but, hav ing some little experience of what genuine sea-sickness really is, since crossing the Bay of Biscay, I managed to avoid much of the unpleasantness I then suffered, principally by the following means, which I would strongly recommend to all landsmen. If you feel sickish, or know by experience that you will be sick, go to bed, close your eyes, and remain lying on your hack, if possible without motion ; abstain from food, but not altogether; I would 'rather say, eat sparingly, and of something solid, such as a little broiled meat, or bis cuit, as I have known most alarming effects arise from ". total abstinence," to say nothing of the violent straining and fruitless retching it occasions. Drink sparingly of cold water, or brandy and water in sips, but taste no hot liquid of any kind. In keeping the eyes shut, I would remark, that the effect of vision and its sympathy with the stomach are not en ough attended to ; for though at rest in the berth, the sw i ng i n s backwards and forwards, and 'motion of the vessel and things around, are often sufficient to produce what we wish to avoid. There is, however, one point at which emesis becomes inevitable—it is when the mouth fills with saliva, and then the sooner it takes place the better.—Wild's Nar ratiVe. THE ANCIENT YEOMANRY OF ENGLAND.—The follow ing passage, which is one of Hugh Latimer's discourses, preached before Edward VI., shows a just picture of the ancient yeomanry, and likewise the value of land at that period !—" My father was a yeoman, and had landes of his owne ; onlye he had a farme of three or four pound by yere at the uttermost, and hereupon he tilled so much as kepte halfe a dozen men. He had walke for a hundred sheeps, and my mother mylked thirty kyne. He was able, and did find the King a harnesse, with himself and hys horse, while he came to the place that he should receyve the Kynge's wages. I can remember that I buckled hys harnes, when he went into Blackheate Felde. He kepte me to schole, _or elles I had not b een a bl e t o h ave preac h e d b e f ore the Kynge Ma jestie now. He marryed my sisters with five poundes, or twenty nobles a piece ; so that he brought them up in God liness and fear of GOD. He kept hospitalitie for his pore neighbours, and same almess he gave to poore, and all thys dyd he of the sayd farme."—King Edward VI. began his reign in 1547, and died in 1553. FASHIONS FOR MAY. (From the " London and Paris Ladies' Magazine of Fashion.") Our more recent communications from Paris inform us that the materials in fashion are likely to be of great variety this season ; silks, glacees and shot, mostly of light colours, muslins, pekins, satins, mousselines de laine, &c. &c. ; with respect to the make, there appears to exist some degree of rivalry between tight sleev es an d Louffante ones, but it is probable the latter will triumph ; the present tight •sleeves differ from those worn two years since—they resemble habit sleeves, having two seams and elbows, and four small but tons on the bottom. The lull sleeves are moderate in size, and some are made without any trimming on the top, and ra ther short, with a band which buttons, and from it issues a sleeve of clear or embroidered muslin, also terminating with a narrow band, to which a cuff is sewed, falling on the hand. Spencers continue in favour : those of velvet, with straight sleeves, without any fulness, almost tight, no wristband. Some very pretty spring dresses appeared at Longchamps, with biais at the bottom of the skirts, and on the sleeves ; the bodies open en coeur, with biais laid on, which met those on the sleeves ; some were with bouillons, others with flounces lisered with another colour ; embroidery in silks is very fashionable, both for shawls and dresses. Lace is also much used on dresses, both black and white ; as a general observation, it may be said, that the folds on dresses may either cross over each other or not ; that points are suitable to married ladies, but for young ladies the point is not so deep, and the body higher, and the fulness on the top of the sleeves is confined very low on the arm. Coloured tulles will be fashionable for light evening dresses, with corsage drape, trimmed with bouillons. Bonnets are made rather straight, short in front, Ind not quite so low at the ears as those of the last year ; the shape is round in front, and very small; the crown quite low and very little ornamented. The bonnets at Longchamps were white, with marabouts. glacees silks, poult de soie covered with bouillons of crape mixed with violets : pink bonnets with veils, reps covered with crape, which was bouillonne at the edge, but in folds under and on the crown. Capotes of gauze or crape, with a ficu of lace or gauze on them ; the favourite flowers were bunches of hearts-ease, roses, violets, lilacs, and lilies of the valley. Ribbons are but little used on bonnets ; the favourite ones are apricot, puce, green, violet, grey, pink, and chocolate ; but before this came the Scotch plaids of ribbon, velvet, plain, Os epingle, checked, plain ground, or:varied by a showy flower. A satin or watered ribbon of an inch wide, tied in a rosette with long ends, forms a pretty ornament for the throat. Fringes are likely to remain in favour this summer • they will be worn on the ends o f s ilk scar f s , an d roun d cashmire and Barige shawls, the latter materials again appearing ; very large silk scarfs will be worn at the commencement of the season, without being trimmed with fringe; but as soon as they become common, it is expected lace will be again re sorted to. A great many square cachmires are worn just now, green or blue, with large pines on a plain ground, fas tened in front by a brooch for which purpose coral is very fashionable. GREAT COUNTER-AGITATION MEETING IN BELFAST. (From the Dublin Evening Mail.) Since the great meeting at Hillsborough, there has been nothing in Ireland equal in present importance, and in future promise, to the magnificent assemblage brought together in the Music-hall of Belfast, on Saturday last, and of which we this day extract a highly satisfactory report from two of our northern cotemporaries. The anti-Stanleyite meeting a few days before in the Theatre of the same town was, we admit, to a certain extent a respectable assembly ; hut it was no more in comparison with this grand demonstration, than the paltry meeting called " the Leinster aggregate" was in com parison with it, itself. Lord Gosford was in the chair at the theatre meeting, and letters were read from Lords Belfast, Cremorne, Lurgan, Templetown, and Rossmore. In the Music-hall meeting the Marquis of Donegal, Londonderry, and Hertford; from Earl O'Neil, and from the Earls of En niskillen, Antrim, Clanwilliam, and Hillsborough, and from Viscount Castlereagh. At the Theatre meeting were present Deputy-Lieutenants two, at the Music-hall meeting eleven. At the Theatre meeting were present High Sheriffs none, at the Music-hall meeting two. At the Theatre meeting, Mem bers of Parliament none, at the Music-hall meeting two. At the Theatre meeting, Justices of the Peace seventeen ; at the Music-hall meeting, FIFTY. And, what is infinitely better and more cheering than all is the fact, that the assembly at the Theatre was made up of two discordant parties, who were, with difficulty, got to act for a short time together ; whereas the meeting at the Music-hall was composed of men who have always acted together hitherto, and whom nothing now can disunite. The tone of the meeting throughout was temperate, gentlemanly, and marked by a moral elevation to which the advocates of perjury and personation have never ventured to aspire. Nothing could be more happily timed or better conceived than the speech of the Marquis of Down , shire : calm, fair, elm, and convincing, it expressed the feelings of an honest man, willing to live and let live, to give and to take, anxious oily that all parties should have the fair enjoyment of the franchise upon equal terms ; that the vote of the honest man, no matter of what party, should not be overborne by that of the perjurer es the personator; and that the voice of the man of substance be he of what religion or party he might, should not be drowned in the claim of the pauper. The meeting will, we are confident, exercise a very salutary influence in England. THE TURF IN FRkNCE. — Major F has betted Lord S- 500 Louis that he will ride on horseback 25 times round the Bois de Boulogne_ in a day for three consecutive days. The distance is aboiit 75 leagues or 180 miles. The day for the match is not yet fixed definitively. EXTRAORDINARY MENIORY.— There is in Brampton 'Wesleyan Sunday School a little girl, under eight years of age, who can commit to memory, with a few hours ; notice, any chapter iu the Old and New Testament. Last week she said to one of the teachers the whole book of Hebrews, and the 11th chapter of St. John, together containing 350 verses. She completed the whole within an hour and 20 minutes.— Derbyshire Courier. NEW POST OFFICE ATROCITY.—As if the effigy of the Queen on the " glutinous wash" aEir were not sufficiently libellous on her Majesty, the authorites have added to the affront, in practice, by stamping the Royal head with a sprawling red arabasque. Of course it was quite right to take proper precautions against frauduletaly using the badge a second time, but really Mr. Rowland 11111 has no business to tattoo the Majesty of England into the resemblance of the Queen of the Cannibal Islands.—Morning Post. BRIDGE BUILDING.—The Revue d' Architecture et des Travaux Publics contains an account of a new system of bridge building, invented by an architect of New York, Mr. Town—as exhibited in a bridge constructed over James River, at Richmond, in Virginia. This system, stated to be " the _ most curious of all inventions which the art of carpentry owes to the Americans, who are in the first rank of its pro fessors," entirely differs from all previous practice in bridge building, is applicable to arches of any span, and peculiarly useful in its adaptation on railroads. Mr. Town uses only planks, so thin as to be readily carried on a man's shoulder. No iron enters into Vie composition ; the planks are united by rivets of wood. These bridges, it is said, will bear any amount or rapidity of traffic, are extremely economic in their construction, and so simple that a village carpenter might superintend their erection. AN APPARITION.—Some time ago, an industrious family went to Derby, from Wirksworth, to procure employment, which they obtained. The occupant of the house they se lected for their residence had just departed this life. Tte room in which he died was contiguous to the one where the family eat their meals, and which opened into it. One night, the mother of the family while sitting at tea remarked, that she should not feel right unless the room in which tie dead man had lain was cleaned and whitewashed ; scarcely had she spoken, when the latch of the door of the room al luded to was shaken as if by some supernatural agency. Be fore the horror-struck family could muster courage to enable them to examine into the cause of so unusual an occurrence, again the latch commenced shaking with still greater vio lence, the door slowly opening. This was too much fin• the nerves of the party ; and, greatly alarmed, rushed forth the mistress of the house, carrying her child, uttering load cries, and protesting she would never again enter the haunted dwel ling. Her brother, a stout athletic man, seized the poker, and with all his might closed the door, holding it fast shut to prevent the egress of any one from within. The neigh bours flocked round, when one of them explained that their departed neighbour had a cat, which could open the latch of the door, which no doubt had been the cause of their alarm. A search took place, when poor puss was found, half famished and concealed, and had no doubt been driven by hunger to exercise her ingenuity for the purpose of introducing herself to the new occupants of her master's dwelling.—Derbyshire Chronicle. PARLIAMETAILY REPOnTING t —By a petition which has been presented to to the House of Commons and ordered to be printed with the votes, Feb. 24, 1840, it appears that Mr. Gurney enjoys a most odious monopoly as a short-hand writer, to the exclusion of others equally deserving, and of equal talent. lie was appointed short-hand writer to the House of Commons in 1803, for the purpose of taking down the evidence taken before election committees, along Nv - itti three pthers, namely, his father, Mr. Blanchard, and Mr. Ramsay. The three latter having died, Mr. Gurney became sole short-hand writer, and exercises his privilege with no sparing hand ; no other short-hand writer being allowed to take the speelies of counsel on a private bill conunittee ex cept as Mr. Gurney's deputy. He is also short-hand writer to the House of Lords, where he exercises the same exclu sive privileges ; to the Privy Council, where he claims the right to take minutes of the evidence in patent cases for the Council-office, at the expense of the parties ; to all the Government-offices, namely, Treasury, India Board, War office, Admiralty, Customs, Excise, Stamps, Woods an d Fo rests, &c, and he further claims to he short-hand writer to all ecclesiastical, goverment, and specialcommissions, besides having a large and lucrative private commission. The peti tion states that Mr. Gurney has been paid no less a sum than £56,528 for the mere short-hand writing of the two Houses of Parliament within the last four years. His establishment consists of himself, two sons, and an assistant, so that his pickings from his monopoly must be something considerable. W e quite agree with the writer of the article, that " the whole subject of this monopoly demands a n i mme di ate and rigid i nv estigation." . CHRISTIAN AND SAEACEN.—The contest in which the French are at present engaged in Africa, is reproducing some of the picturesque effects of the chivalric times, and recalling the deeds done on the fields of Palestine, or of Spain. The brilliant defence of M azagran has aroused the emulation of all the soldiers of France ; and the feat of arms performed at Misserghine, where 800 men held the field for seven hours against 6,000 Arabs, and finally remained masters of it, is a worthy rival to the former war-passage, and has probably , attracted the notice of most of our readers. But private let ters bring particulars from the field of action, filled with de tails of the character to which we have alluded. One of these incidents, carrying us back into the very regions of ro mance, we will quote—" The affair," says the letter, " was warm and brilliant. Lieutenant Lepic was calm and intrepid in the midst of danger. At a moment when his cavalry was compelled to give way before numbers, our brave Lieutenant, surrounded by a host of warriors who sought his life, and menaced him with their yathagans, retained sufficient presence of mind to face his foes, driving his sword right through the body of the nearest, and wounding many. The Arabs looked on in amazement. One of these thrusts of his took effect on no mean foe ; and, next day, Lieutenant Lepic received a letter from the chief of the Angads :—` I shall know thee, Christian !' said the missive. " Wherever I meet thee, I will challenge thee by name ;—and, if thou darest measure thyself singly against me, take my defiance !'—The Christian, as you may suppose, has not suffered the challenge of the Mussulman to fall to the ground, and we are all looking for ward impatiently for the day of this chivalric combat. The two armies, in presence of each other, shall be, as of old be fore Jerusalem, the judges of the tourney." ON THE MANAGEMENT OF THE ORCHARD.—Tn the first place, you must wash the ball and principal branches of the tree with hot lime, which not only destroys all the insects, but gives the tree a fine healthy appearance, and, when wash ed with the rain, benefits the roots. If you find the soil be coming dry previous to the opening of the bloom, give each full grown tree ten or twelve gallons of water at the roots just before the bloom expands. If you have a sufficiency of manure water, apply that ; but otherwise, soft pouch, or rain water, or, in preference to either, soa p suds, if you can -pro cure them. By the application of this at the time directed, you will find that the fruit always sets a great deal better than if it were omitted, as it very materially contributes to the production of perfect stamina and formation. Without watering, in many cases they would be defective, particularly apple trees; also, in dry seasons, generally the greater part which is caused by the deficiency of of the bloom drops off, nourishment to strengthen it at the roots. N