Northern Times. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-09-21 00:00:00

NOR,TTFORN DAILY TIMES. altogether been misi n fiamed. H e appealed to the legi s l a t ure , an d t h ey sa id , at th e cos t o f sanded that she had twenty millions, they would free the slave and compen- mentioned these instances .in order to 'shsew the Very great ignorance which prevailed as-to %he- real position sate the slave owner . H e m i g ht go on t o men ti on m a ny similar things, Which were all said to be for the public mum y... The Rev: Dr. Atilt entered ipto ,a number of of the Chu -eh amongst a large portion of the, cora --A- public -meeting - was held yesterday evening, in the interesting statistical' statements, with" the o_bject of St. Saviour's .Schools, Canning-street, the ()deject of which good. ,He was taxed for a free library in Toxteth showing that the ministers a :the Church of England was, as stated in the placards, "To receive information park, fora cemetery,. and for baths and wash-houses, none of which he mtendi to use ; but as they were for on the subject of Church-rates." Mr, J. J. Rumen took the chair, and the meeting the people's peel, he would pay for . them cheerfully, were ministerially connected with about forty-three per opened with devotional exercises. and thank God he was able to do so. (Applause.) cent, of the cOmmuntity, who fotmed the Church- The Cnaiiiman said, they were assembled there for - If the Church of England, the . Church of their going portion of the population.. - lii addition to the purpose of hearing information on a subject that native land, the Church where they were christened,', this there were 25 per cent. of the Conimunity to had been very much distorted. It had :mused much dis- where their parents were married, and where their parents whom they might be considered as missionaries, this 25, per cent. being parties who attended no religious place cuesion in the community. Uore, iadeed, than any other ; were buried—the Church where the Gospel. of Christ was preaChed, was thought of in all its glory, he h a d esa oeworship ata'll. The rest of 'the- community attended flint' had come before their consideration. The subject doubt that a spark would arise from i that meeting in dissenting places of worship, extending to 294 per' cent:; of,Church-rates,only required to be understood, to dispel Liverpool that would ignite 'the wh , o.e country, and and n- par cent. frequented Roman Catholic places agreat portion of theprejudice that existed with regard of worship. The reverend doctor showed, from a - further to it. It was generally supposed that there was some- show that justice was on their side. (Applause.) The Rev. J OSEP H BAIIDSVEY 7 incumbent of St. Sil,ts"-s, statistical statement, that the most Roman Catholic town t :ing in connection with Church-rates that was compul-in England was Wigan, the most Church-going town' next came forward, and, in reference to. the 'question was Exeter, and- the most irreligious, .so - far aS the Wry on the inhabitants of the district. On the con under discussion by the meeting, he stated that it was attendance at places of worship was concerned, trary, Church-rates were voluntary, and it only required said the siim collected in Cleurch-rates was a small that to be understood by those who entertained a diffe amount, and that it was not worth the while of Church- was Southwark. He concluded by sioiving the paro men to retain them, but it amounted to no less cilia' character of the Church, as distinguished from rent view, to get rid of the objection that exists. That any - one - should go to Parliament for a settlement of the dissent, and expressed his opinion that the abolition of a soi n h :i £350,000. the interest of which was more , question, was altogether ridiculous. He had only to Church-rates' would undoubtedly interfere with the ofsi:e . ctioe , churches. But there was something more in late years been annually raised far the remark that any one- who -webt to parliament, went on than that was v t.av amount involved in the question, and advantageous position ot the-Church. a compulsory system to compel them to do what they or were we not, to have an . ' Rev. Dr, TAYLOR, incumbent of St. John's Church hallow the poorer of doing holuntarily . ; and to E lu s " tabliel " ; d w g e we, t , e hutch in this country. It was not really (who came into the room late), next addressed the eneet ing in an energetic speech, in the course Of which he compel them not to exercise_ -their own judgment. .h ques ion of Church-rates ; but the real object was to warmly advocated greater provision for the poorer Church-rates did not exist by any act of parlia _eeprive the Church of the whole of her revenues. went: The 'majority of persons in a district- had classes in our churches, and showed that the retention a right to frame bye-laws and of Chureh e rates would facilitate that object. - regulations for the maintenance of the Church. But some people objected'' There was a society which had recently been formed, , which eras to pay, because they did not use the Church. That was . called the "Liberation of Religion ,Society n . The , Rev. Mr. Warr next came forward, nod moved. not the fault of the Church. It was there, and the pro- and a pamphlet lately published by this society showed, the adoption of the annexed petition to both Houses of , Parliament : perty of all. The services were free and open to all, and that if they succeeded in obtaining the entire abolition . so was the churchyard_ He did not wish to detain them of Church-rates, they intended to follow it up bY Th l e n .r a egt; a 'o n n t, of o t f li t e he Ulltr r Signed, the Clergy, Cluwattrarclevs, 8, District, anal Members of the Congrega-' longer, as there were gentlemen present mtzh more an agitation against all religious endowments. tion of St. Srtiqour' competent to explain the matter than he was. This society proposed to take away all the property , HUM ELT SIT OWETIL, ' The Rev. letr. WARR rose and said that bills had been now held by the Church of England, and the th T e hat your petitioners have obse rve d w i t h surprise and alarm put mite calling a meeting . of those who resided within Presbyterian Church of Scotland, and_slevote it to raterse,t y nt w a=li t t a a s t h r e g n isla r t e ion is. on the d subject of Church the boundary of the district. He had met with those secular and general purposes apart from religion. There ever a large portion of the ?indpoouted° pi e e s p t e r r cy v at ef oiti i ce ie and fished Church, without any provision by way cif compe presentwith a good motive, and not with a motive that could be no mistake at all about the pamphlet to-which wasliostile tot he Dissenters in the district. For thirteen he referred. Supposing they admitted that the whole p arishes a nd idet i anl : e n of an th_e deliberate verdict of ninc-i , j ,- gl d, in which a rate had be years he had been working for God, he hoped, in that amount in Church-rates was not large, it was important 'needed. district, and he was happy to think that neither Dissenter that they should bear in mind that. they were for the nor Churchman could, say that he had been a bigot purpose of maintaining the fabric of the Church in amongst them; and he felt himself that his motives had this country. He thought, with Mr. Warr, that we been from the purest love, and of the deepest interest should look upon the Dissenters as two bodies of men— for their spiritual and temporal welfare. (Applause.) The some of them who wished to overthrow the Church, subject, as had been announced to them by their chai r - and others who did not. H e urge d th a t Ch urc h -rates man, on which he was to speak, was that of Church- having been in existence from time immeniorial, and the rates, and he woulel address himself to the popular Period when they were originated being undefinable, it objections against levying a rate for the maintenance of was nothing less than spoliation and robbery now to a church in this country. And here he would say, that deprive the Church of them. When a,person purchased those who conscientiously separated themselves from the a piece-of land, he did so with the knowledge that it. Church, had a perfect right to do so in a free country. was subject to Church-rates, and on that ground he But, : because they did not belong to the Church of obtained it for less money than he would do if the rate England, they urged that as a reason why they should did not exist ; and he would therefore ask what they not pay Church-rates. There were those who had a intended to do with the money if the tax should now be very sincere and very warm affection for the Church got rid of. Assuredly it did Rot belong to the public, of England, and he could not believe but that the for they had it on the authority of no less a man than the late Sir Robert Peel, th a t th e £350,000 o f piety of the Nonconformists w as ow i n g t o th e influence of the clergy or the bishops on their fathe r s whe n Church-rates bel o nged solely and exc l us i ve ly t o the Church. But there was also another and a mos t they were in the Church. He h a d on ly t o name John Wesley, who was a clergyman importait question to be taken i n t o cons id erat i on in the Church - , in discussing the s ubje c t, an d th a t was t h e port i on during his life and at his death. He believed that a very large majority of the Dissenters were not hostile of this £350,000 which wa s c o n t r ib u t e d b y Di ssenters . country to the Church, and yet, strange to say, they took their It had been clearly pro ve d th a t no t M ore t h an one-tenth l place _among objectionists to Church-rates. They of the whole am oun t w as p a id b y Di ssenters, and that said religion ought to be so spiritual and so the great balk of the whole, amounting to nine -tenths, completely depending on God, that it should cease to was contributed by members of the Church of hold connexion with such things. It was only a matte r o f • England. Yet, in the face of this fa c t, th e a d vocates enema= two er three hundred thousand pounds in the year, an d for the abolition - of Church-rates boldly stated that the e s closed so the Church ought to give it up; that before they went on friends of the Church should be deprived of the .nine- , with the matter, they ought to ventilate the question tenths which they paid, in order. that they—the Dissen- _,ee sold That reminded him that by the same mode of ters—might get rid of the small portion which they at Is. " ,ament a man might curie to him and tell him that paid. (Hear, hear.) It was altog e th er a mos t un - .peer ee' ,e attic of .his house wanted light an d ven til a ti on , reasonable proposal. H e cou ld, t o some ex t ent , i mag i ne ..,11's P ad ask liberty to take off a few slates to remedy the reasonableness of a Dissenter saying, "Let me be . a bs she de'fticts. But he said to the man that if he relieved of the amount which I pay in Church-rates," but is l' gave him light and ventilation by such a process, he he could not understand the reasonableness of a man .at e' gave him rain also, which might naturally injure his when he insisted that the Church should be deprived of .or house. It was simply taking slates off the Church this the whole amount raised in Church-rates, merely because ao question of ventilation. A number of Disse n t ers h a d Dissenters wished to be relieved of that portion o f th em ' formed themselves into a eorporated body, not for send- which they contributed. Mr. Warr had told them a ing out, missionaries, not to open their own chapels and that two-thirds of a parish could legally impose a rate make them fire places of worship, but for the purpose of for the purposes of a public library ; but the difference teaching them that they ought to do Without Church- was this, that whereas a majority of two-thirds_might so rates, that they should surrender two o r th r ee hund re d raise a rate for such a p ur p ose ; Ch urc h- ra t es h a d thousand a year. He would separate thein into two dis- been in existence frora time immemorial, and it tinct classes. He acknowledged that there might be a was not in the power of any majority to refuse' t considetable amount of enlargement of con sc i ence among them legally. In the case of a Church- ra t e , it was no t some who, either from birth, or from their fathers, or only that a minority might impose it, but the majority from education, might have separated from the Chu r ch ; had no right to refuse it. It belonged to the Church of but on the other hand, he believed there existed a cer- England, and, no matter what the majority might be, they had no _power to withhold it. In th e even t o f thin clique among the Dissenters, who from' no such religious scruples were determined to rob the Church. Church-rates ceasing, the Church of En g l an d wou ld The Church only claimed her- right in justice and be reduced to a level with Dissenters, and then what equity. The Church-rate question had been so far would be the result ? Why, let ,them inquire into the misrepresented by those who had advocated its - dis- condition of the lower parts of Liverpool, and they . . T continuance, that many people who were favourable,. might picture to themselves — 1 ' t''' " PUBLIC MEETING LAST NIGHT ON CHURCH RATES. That, whilst fully admitting the rights of cot petitioners cannot be, indifferent to the higi Justice. #4That , Ae . Churches of heEstablishmeni--:h, bf:nefit Of all the peep/e--oxighl, idthe Opinion of your p tioners, to be held by the Government of the country sacred trust; and they implore your honourable how , sanction any bill that may be brought before r' which does not contain a clause for fair compenst serious a loss as the total abolition of Church-ra involve, or which would prevent the inhabitants of agreeing together for a purpose so holy as that of the sanctuaries and perpetuating the system of the reformen faith of England. - your petitioners also play that, should it be deemed expe dient to pass any measure for the redistribution of Church,. rates, due regard be paid to the necessities of nets districts in populous places; so that the advantages of the' parochial system may be extended to all classes of the community. And your petitioners will ever pray, &c. Mr. BAKER, of the Liverpool Mail, seconded, the motion in a lengthened and appropriate speech.. He said that had it not been for one statement made by Dr. Hume, he shOuld have contented himself with simply seconding the resolution. .He Stated that the city of Exeter was the most church-going city in tho Mr. Baker explained that in the parish churches generally in Exeter, such a, thing as pew rents was unknown, and that might be the reason why there was so good an attendance at Church there. He concluded his observations with a vote of thanks to the which haVing been carried, the proceedings closed about ten o'clock. atlon for, sa atcs would ' any. parish HousExEErEns.---The Coffee sold- by. Thompson Brothers, 5, Elliott-Street, at Is. 4d., is better than you pay is. Bd. for at any other establishment. d THE LORD MAYOR'S SALAny.—LThe Lord Mayor has an allowance of about £7,900: it is generally cited as £B,OOO, but is barely so much. It is variable, even to the extent of £l,OOO a year, more or less, owing to a portion of it being de r i v ed from dues on fruit. household at the Mansion-house eonsiso Its of twenty gentlemen, and he has a good retinue of servants. has to provide his own horses, and has to find a carriage and horses for the Lady Mayoress. The expenses of tb mayoralty usually exceed the allowance by about —City Press. £5,000 A MAN ARRESTED FOR AN ALLEGED MURDER ELEVEN YEARS AGO.—A few days since, William Edwards, of Raymond, was arrested for the alleged murder of a female named Sarah J. Verrill, about eleven years ago. The accused, at that time, resided in Port land. The girl, who is said to have been a low character, also resided in that town, and Edwards is said to have been familiar with her. One morning both of them were missing. Edwards was seen with the girl on the previous evening. He ret 1. to his family in about four weeks, but denied all knowledge of the girl, and she has never been heard of since. The other week, Joshua Edwards, a brother of the accused, made a confession, stating that he and William mur. dered the girl by tying or chaining her on to a pile of brush, then setting fire to it, and burning her alive. Upon this confession William was arrested.—Portland Argus.' questioned the propriety of having Church-rates., The Church of England had been dedicated for ever to God, and, could never be used for anything profane or secular. • The Church was open to all, and there was no distinction. The cottager had the liberty to come with the'lind of the manor to the same sanctuary, to worship the'same God, in the same building. The Church was the property of the nation for the spiritual benefit of the peopre. In the Church there was the chancel, where the communion was administered, where the ten . com mandments were, and that In the incumbent of'the parish, 'The other pat - nave, wag tho property of the people or nation, and there was no such thing as pew-rent, but it was free to all classes. He wished them to look at the contrast between the chapel system and the Church. He did not speak isrez-;„;;;4'2,l)ecause he (lid not feel so; but, there was marked distinction between the erection of a chapel, and the dedication of a church. In Paradise-Street there was a large building used as a public exhibition of a questionable character, and where a large drinking trade was carried on. That building was for years a Dissenting meeting hotise, and it was now used as he yes what woulG Je the result. Diisenters were continually removing their schools 'and chapels from these localities—they had not by any mean s so many as belonged to the Church; and, in the event of the abolition of Qhurch-rates, there would be the same danger to the schools hi connection with the establish ment which now existed in those poor localities. Could Dissenters deny, if there were any present, that there were very few schools or chapels in what might be called the lower parts of the town ? Dr. Hume had published a statistical statement which , conclusively showed that there were very few of these schools in the localities to irilkh- he (Mr. Bardsley) referred, and that statement had never been contradicted, If this robbery, if this plunder, if this spoliation be accomplished, the result would be, that the parochial character of the Church would be shaken, if not altogether destroyed. (Hear, hear.) The rev. gentleman, in continuation, addr - , e d number of instances amongst the leading members of Di;isenters themselves, in proof of his statement that Chureh-rates were legally the property of the Church, and that it would be nothing less than robbery to take them' away. Amongst these he named Baxter, Chalmers, Owen, and others, and to these he might add no less an authority than Dr.,Pye Smith ; who, in an appendix to a s'ermon published by him in February, 1854, declared that to apply the pro perty of the Church to any other but Church uses, would be nothing less than direct plunder. It was important that Dissenters should reflect upon such a statement as that, coming from a man full of piety, and so much looked up to as Dr. Pye Smith undoubtedly was by the dissentin g t , portion of the c ommun it y . Th ey were asked what the Church of England was doing for the Church-rates which they at present received ? His answer was, that 'they were educating three-fourths of the children which were at present educated in our schools. And the Church had done more, for she had given to Dissenters the translation of the Scriptures. The clergy of the Church of England were doing many things in return for Church-rates, which Dissenters did not do, and which they they had not the power of doing. They did not ask for the retention of Church-rates as a favour,—they claimed them as the Church's right, and they said that the Dis senters were not justified in asking the legislature_to take them away. He believed that the more the question of Church-rates was ventilated and understood by the public, the sooner would it be admitted that church rates were legal and correct in principle ; and he be lieved that the question would be settled, not by the abolition of church-rates, but by their modification. 7 rifE LATE JAMES STEPHEN, K. C. 8.--Wa announced yesterday the death, on Wednesday last, at Coblentz, in 71st year, of the Right Hon. Sir James Stephen, K.C.8.; Professor .of Modern History at the University of Cambridge, and formerly. Under-Secretary • J of State (or the COlonies; The decea;ed was the Mr. James Stephen, Master of Chancery (well known for his writings and exertions between 1815 and 1830 on the subject of colonial slavery), and was born about the year 1790. " He was educated," s ir a biographical sketch in the ,English Colopredia, "at Trinity-hall, . Cambridge, 'where he graduated 1.1. ix 1812. Having chosen the legal profession, . he was called to the bar at Lincoln's-inn. He had hardly begun practice as a Chancery barrister when, in 1 - 812 or 1813, he became connected officially' with the' public service as counsel of the Colonial department. For eleven , years he was at once counsel for this department, and a Chancery barrister in extensive practice, - Ile then retired from the liar, and became 'at the same time both counsel to the Colonial Departinent and counsel to the Board of Trade: He held these offices jointly for ten years • after which, during the Whig Government whieh succeeded the Reform Bill, he left the - Board of Trade ) and beCame Assistant Under-Seciety for the Colonies. had stated. - No chu;ch could be used for such purposes. The moment the bishop's signature was affixed to the - deed, it remained sacred from all profane and secular purposes. There was also a great difference between the clergy of -the Chureh of England and the Dissenting ministers. The clergy of the Church were the responsible - pastors of the whole. of the parishio ners. God forbid that he should boast what he had done but he would say that he had visited Roman Catholics and others on beds Of sickness and distress, when called upon to do so - ; and the reason was simply that certain streets were within the ecclesiastical boundary of the district. It would be at his peril, in the eye of the law, and in the eye of his bishop, if he refused to visit a sick man's bed, to reject a child that was brought for baptism, or, to administer the cony. munion to any one who desired. They were not to exercise an undue authority, but to discharge their duty as pastors to the people. With all respect, it could not be said that any Dissenter was called upon to do such alp. The ques tion before them did not altogether relate to large towns. lie had nothing to do with the Church rates in Liverpool. The loss or gain - did - riot affect him in any way. But he was only one of a body, and, as the Scriptures said, that one member should 'suffer with a'iother, he felt it his duty, as a member of the church, to take Isis place in connection with the subject. In the diocese of Chester there were 365 Churches. About 65 of these were situate in' large towns, as was his own. The remaining 300 were in small parishes, in poor hamlets, and in districts where it would be almost impossible to collect voluntary rates ; and were the Churches possessing means to allow the doors of these 300 Churches to be closed against the poor members of the flock of Christ ? (Applause.) The question came before them in the light of justice, and that was the word be loved most of all. Ile was willing to try the question of Church-rates by that word justice, and 'he had no doubt it would come out of the ordeal perfectly free fr9m stain. Was it a just thing to propose that nine-tenths of the parishes in England should be prevented from mending t'aeir own churches if they would ? The chairman had said that every parish might decide but no, it was to be considered illegal, to put the question, whether there should be a Church-rate or not. If there was a parish willing to maintain its church, was it a crime to main tain that church which their fathers before them had maintained ? , Suppose a bill having such an effect were to pass, would that.be a just thing ? But then it wa s said, that for the sake 'of £200,000 or £300,000 a-year, it was not worththe Chiirch!s while to contend for. He thought if it were worth the while of others to attack, it was worth the ChUrch's while to defend. He did not believe . that the voluntary principle was equal to the work which God had given the Church. of England to do; and even. America, with all the boast, had done nothing by volun tary movement for the evangalisation of the people. It had done a great deal in getting up buildings ;• - but the people were perishing in ignorance and darkness. If justice was only asked for, it wouldbe had. They had examples enough in the emancipation of slavery. Common justice t Dr. Hum next came forward, and commenced his observation by remarking;that his speeches were m9re frequently ;made in connection with literary: subjects than upon anything having the slightest reference to politics. Indeed, he could venture to say what, per haps, few men could say—that he never, on any occa sion, took part in a political meeting ; but he might say that he had long ago arrived at the conviction that there was a great misunderstanding in the minds of many persons, as to the position and character of our Established Church. •He remembered, some time ago, seeing a statement in the newspapers to the effect that the late BishOp of London had consecrated a certain number of churches, and received £5O for the consecration of every church, and that, consequently, his income, i n that respect, amounted to a very considerable amount. Thisand c rement went the round of all the n ews p apers, no one thought it worth his while to contradict it ; butat curate in Wales wrote to his lordship for length a thepur . pose of ascertaining the truth of the statement, and received in reply an answer to the effect that h e had seen statement, which, by its very absurdity, h a d caused him the m uch amusement. His lordship added that h e h a d conse crated the number of churches named, but that of course he had never received a farthing on any one occasion. H o might name another instance. There was a lady with whom he (Dr. Hume) had come in contact, and she could not be persuaded that any clergyman in the Church received less than £3OO a year. He could not persuade her to the contrary. In another case a person, in a conversation with him as to the number of marriages in the diocese of Chester, said it was a great shame that the Bishop of Chster should receive £4 for every marriage that took place. She could not be per- THE COMPOSES OF THE GREAT EASTERN GRATIFATT PRPENTATIOIkr . TP:lifft:,tißAt OF LIVERPOOL, It will doubtless be in the recollection of most of our readers, that the compasses for the Great Eaaern were supplied by our townsman, Mr. John Gray, of Strand street. Mr. Gray wiis'on board the noble ship from the time she left the Thames until her arrival in the Wey mouth Roads, and returned to Liverpool on Thursday last. It is hiS intention again to join the vessel when she leaves Portland, and remain on 'board until her arrival in Holyhead, for the purpose of Seeing that the compasses are satisfactorily adjusted. On Monday evening, a most gratifying testimonial was made to Mr. Gray by his workmen, who had invited their employer to a dinner at the house of Mrs. Grosken, in Strand-street: About twenty-five sat down to dinner. consisting exclusively of the artisans in Mr. Gray's employ. Mr: LETTUVRE, the foreman, presided, and dinner being over, the chairman, in an appropriate speech, presented the testimonial, which consisted of a splendid silver goblet, bearing the following. inscription " Presented to John Gray, Esq., by the workmen in his employ, as a sma ll co n gr atulatory token, on the occasion of his scientific achievement, in making and' adjusting the compasses of the Great,Eastern. Septem— ber, 1859." On the reverse side of the goblet, there is a beauti fully executed engraving of the Great Eastern, and on the other parts it is richly enchased. The goblet was supplied by Mr. Mayor, of Lord-street. , Ir. GRAY, in acknowledging the compliment. which had been paid to him,' said thatife was entirely taken by surprise. He assured them that h& valued it, as coming from his own workmpn, in a ten-fold degree, to that which it would have possessed had it come from the general public; because it showed the kind feeling which existed between himself and thoSe in his 'employ ment. lie then alluded, in feeling terms, to the anxiety he had felt, •and the immense responsibility which he new he had incurred, in aPf—p' —ccpting toe commission to supply the, compasses for the Great EaStern, And added that he had felt it his duty to remain at his post, on board the shin. u n til h e hnearmi t;.A..-1 A„ L - pa,.?Livit 11.141.10 ue partment which he had undertaken was fully tested, and equal to the Krvicas for which the compasses were designed on a vessel in Which the nation. at large vas taking so deep an interest. He concluded by thanking the men in his employ for the kind manifestation of regard which the presentation evinced. • Several other toasts and sentiments Were subsequently proposed and drunk, and the proceedings, which.through out were of the most interesting character, were kept up to a late hour: - It is worthy of remark, that the chairman, and several of the other.. men present, have been' in Mr. Gray's employment for periods varyiLg bqtween twenty and thirty years. SELECT VESTRY -YESTERDAY. . . The usual fortnightly meeting of this body was held yesterday morning, at the Parish-offices, Bfownlow hill. The Rev. Rector Campbell presided ; and the other members• - present were—MessrS: Owen, Scott, Satchell, Peck,. Bairstow, Denton, Ambrose Byford, Edward Byford, Cropper, Turner, Whitby, Whitty, Smith, Williams,- and Critchley, . . , . Mr. DENTON' said he had rea d i n the papers an ob servation made by Mr. Whitty at the last meeting, that a saviv.g of hundreds of pounds might be made by an alteration in the time of contracts for parish - supplies.. He thought it was only justice to tradesmen to say, that the amount of contracts was regulated by the markets ;- and if they had lately made their contracts for six months instead of three, the parish would have been a gainer rather than a loser. , - Mr. SmlTH—His remarks were perfectly true. Mr. DENTON—Certainty not. One of the contrac tors furnished flour at 20s. a pack under what he paid for it ; and thus the parish was a gainer, as he was under contract for six months. Mir. Ow EN said it was but justice to Mr. Whitty, in his absence, to say that his meaning was, in consequence of persons being allowed to tender for three months, a new man had come in, by whose tender they had saved £4OO, and if it were for six months, they might not have saved one, The new s yst em o f three months' con tracts brought in a greater number of competitors. Mr. BAIRSTOW thought that Mr. Denton had dis tinctly proved the case. He had showed that one gen tleman ha. lost mosey by his contract. Had it been for only three months, he should probably hive lost none. The subject then dropped. The proceedings of the Workhouse Committee were then read and confirmed. Mr. CROPPER moved the appointment of William Wilson and his wife as master and matron of the vagrant sheds, at a salary of £5O a-year, with rations. Mr. BAIRSTONV asked for information as to one'of the minutes. It appeared that old persons were stopped from going out of the house, and this was a great hard ship to those above sixty years of age. The CHAlkoiart said they were stopped for irregu larities. Mr. CROPPER said the present practice was, that any pauper might get out once a mouth ; but when th e y ca m e back drunk, they were not allowed •to go out again. They knew that any pauper wishing to leave the house, V 93114 demand his'discharge, and then apply for adinis- sion again The'promedings of the Industrial Schools' Committee and of the Finance Committee were then read and con firmed. In the former there was the following . singular entry :—" Read-a letter from John Roan, a prisoner in Kirkdale Williams,l, requesting that the religious designation of Jane W" a girl in the Industrial Schools; whom he claims as his legitimate child, may be changed from Roman Catholic to Protestant. It appearing that applicant is now undergoing, punishment for a criminal assault upon the child, and that there are doubts as to his having been married to the child% mother,—resolved, that the further consideration hereof be deferred, pending the production of a certificate of the marriage of the child's parents." The Vestry then proceeded to open tenders for the supply of goods to the parish, ,when the following were accepted, and they shortly, afterwards adjourned :—Ale, porter, and barm, Isaac and James Glover, 75 and 77, Fontenoy-street ; beef and mutton,' James Hall and Son, 76, James'-street, and 2, Preeson's-row ; boots and shoes, John Quilliam, 107, Park-lane ; brushes, John Robinson, 58, Berry-street ; butter and cheese, John Rea and Co., 28, Old Haymarket ; candles and soap, Henry Pearson, 1 and 3, Mount-pleasant ; clog soles, William Owens, 50, Scotland road • coals, William Harding, Whitley- street ; coffins, Cooper, 15, Sugnall-street,; drugs,. Messrs. Clay, Dod, and Case, 52, St. Anne-street; drysalterv, J. & J. Johnson, 7, Church-street ; flour, wheat, and oatmeal, Radford & Sons, Forrest-street; , groceries, Henry Pearson; 1 and 3, Mount-pleasant; hay and straw, James Ratliff, Bold, near Warrington; ironmongery , James R. Cooper, London-road; leather, Thomas Fisher, 137, Dale-street; linendrapery, Robt. Adamson, 23 and 24, Old Haymarket; milk and butter, James Ratliff, Bold, near Warrington; ditto, Sim Musker, Windle ; ditto, Joseph Ledson; Stand-park, Sefton ; ditto, Edward Rogerson, Fa zakerley ; ditto, Hugh Bullen, Kirby, near Prescot ; ditto, John Tyrer, Huyton-hey ; ditto, Thomas Birch, Netherton ; ditto, Henry Clayton Aintree ; ditto, Thomas Rimmer, Huyton-hey . ; ditto, John - Breeze Roberts, 11, Gill-street ; peas, Bryan Ren shaw, Ranelagh-street ; potatoes, Jas. Ratliff, Bold, near Warrington ; printing and stationery, R. H. Fraser, 9, Cable-street; salt, William Smith, Upper Dawson-street; smallwares, Joseph Bingham, 14i, Brownlow-hill ; straw bonnets, Margaret Robinson, 40, Prince Edwin-street ; tinware, Benj. Holmes, 107, Islington; tobacco and snuff, Willliam M'Millan. Surrey-street; wines and spirits, George Bennett and Sons, 13, Fenwick-street ;' woollen drapery, Robert Adamson, 23 and 24, Old Haymarket. The contracts for beef and mutton, linen and woollen drapery, flour, wheat, oatmeal, .and groceries, are for three months, the remainder for six months each. COMMERCIAL AFFAIRS IN FRANCE.-It iS asserted that the position of commercial affairs is becoming worse. There is nothing to indicate that there is any improvement at hand. Speculators appear to be wait ing till all political differences are arranged on a basis more in harmony with the general interests of the coun try. In the neighbourhood of Paris, in Normanby, and some other ,provinces, it will require 10 to 15 per cent. more wheat to be ground in order to produce the same quantity of flour as last year • and, including the whole of France, it may safely be taken that the wheat crop is one-fifth less :productive than that of last year. The vintage promises to beflarger, and of a better quality than was expected. The vintage will be abundant throughout Germany, Hungary, and Switzerland. THE EXPLOSION ON BOARD THE GREAT - EASTERN. The adjourned inquest upon the bodies of the unfor tunate men who'weie killed in the regent explosion on board the. Great Eastern Steam-skip was resumed on . Monday morning, at the Town-hall, Weymouth, before Mr. H. Locke, coroner. Captain Robertson, of the Board of Trade ; Mr. Scott Russell; Mr. leverson, ;solicitor to the company ; Mr. Newman, solicitor to Mr. Russell ; and Mr. LaN;rson, solicitor to the shareholders' • committee, were again in attendance.. Before the proceedings commenced, - - - The Foreman of the Jury said he was requested by the jury to state the,ir objection to the course which the inquiry was taking. , It oppeared toithem to be drifting into a lawsuit, and matters were introduced respecting contracts and other matters which were tntirely irrele vant. " - The Coroner said he was very anxious that•the time of the jury_ should not be unnecessarily occapied, but it was essentially necessarily to ascertain not only what was the cause 'of the. accident, but who was the cause of it. Mr. Jackson, M.P., was then called. In reply to the coroner, he said he was deputy-chairman, and one of the managing directors of the Great Eastern Company. As deputy-chairman, he gave certain directions, in con junction'with Mr.-Campbell, in reference to the sailing of the vessel. - Previous to the sailing, no arrangement was come twas to the engines ; but it was always un derstood that those 'who had constructed the engines would take their manwr i' ement on the trial trip. Mr. Campbell, on behalf of the company, was to attend to. their interests on beard . the vessel, and witness was to' manage matters of finance, &c., on shore. He was, therefore, unable to say what arran gemen t was come to between Mr. F.cott Russell and Mr. Campbell. He un derstood, however, that Mr. Scott Russell would appoint men to the engines. He certainly understood that the management of the engines for the trip was in the hands of Mr. Scott Russell, and. Messrs: Bolton' and Watt ; and that opinion was confirmed by seeing Mr. Russell on the bridge. As, to some extent, a trustee of the public, he never would, have. dreamt of taking over the machinery until it hadbeen fairly tried and proved. The steam was got up for four trials, but he' never con sidered the third, at, which Mr. Brunel was present, as a conclusive trial. Witness's own impression was, that Mr. Russell was distinctly in charge of the engines and vessel. Mr. Ruisell had.several times stated to witness that the vessel was complete, and witness said he thought it was not. On the Monday. before the sailing, Mr. Russell attended a meeting of the board with regard to the payment of money. Witnessnccotnpanied the ves -sel to Purfleet, and understood that the ship and engines were in the charge of Mr. Russell. Mr. Newman said Mr. Russell had acted throughout on the strongest legal'advice and he had the best opin ion that the contra c t was completed. Captain Robertson—And the directors say that it was not. I believe we have ascertained the cause of the inquiry, and • the only matter remaining is to ascertain who was in charge of the machinery, at the time of the explosion. Mr. John Arnett was then called, and having been cautioned against criminating himself, was examined. He said he was chief engineer on board the Great Eas tern, under Mr.' M‘Lennon; in charge of the paddle engines.. He considered Mr. M‘Lennan his chief engi neer, but had been in the eniploy of Mr. itussell before joining the ship. Was one of the engineers selected by Mr. Russell to join the ship. On the day of the explo sion witness was in charge of the paddle-wheel engines. Was aware there was a cock on the syphon attached to the pipes in the water casings. Mr. Patrick acted under his orders in the engine-room. Was never in the boiler room all day. It was not his duty, as engineer in charge of the engines, to look after the boilers. The other engineer's looked after them in their different watchei. Did not recollect Mr. Patrick having told him at two o'clock on the day of the explosidn, that at twelve o'clock he had shut off the feed from the two water casinos. If he had done so, knowing that - there were cocks on the syphons, he should have felt it his duty to see whether the steam was escaping in the stoke-hole, Was not aware, up to the time of the explosion, that the feed was shut off. Received no instructions from Mr. Dixon on board relative to the working of the engines, nor from Mr, M'Lennan. Wit ness s t arte d them , assisted by Mr. Dixon. By the Jury—At the time the ship left Deptford, the cocks were opened. He went round himself, and escer tained that fact before the vessel started. He went round himself, and ascertained that fact before the ves sel started. He went round with Duncan M'Farlano on the Tuesday before the Great Eastern left the river, shortly after breakfast. Witness opened the door, lead ing to the cock, himself. Duncan M'Farlane set the cocks right on the Monday. Witness went round with him on Tuesday, because he understood 'that he was to go with the ship, and he wished to see that every thing was right. Did not examine the cocks on the Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, nor direct any of the men employed under him to go 4,nd examine them. Mr. Patrick, Mr. Marshall, and ) , Ir. Jerrard acted under: witness's directions in the engine-room. He gave Mr. Patrick no directions about skutting off the feed. Patrick front time to time made no-particular report beyond the remark that everything was going on pretty fair. Never at any time received any information from Mr. Patrick, or any one else, that the feed was shut off. Did not consider himself in charge of the boilers as well - as the machinery. He could not attend both to the engines and the boilers. It would take a minute and a half to go from the engine-I%lom to theboiler-room. The boiler room was out of sight of the engine-room. Had no 'means of ascertaining in the engine-room the state of the boilers. If there had been anything wrong 'in the engine-room, he should have reported to Mr. M'Lennan. Duncan M'Farlane was the, next witness. He said he was chief engineer of the auxiliary engine. On Tues day before the vessel started, he accompanied Mr. Arnott round the machinery, and showed him the return and feed cocks. At that time they were open. Of that he' would take his oath. The door in the easing was locked, but he , opened it and examined the cocks. It was his duty to attend to the cocks of paddle-wheel boiler ' rooms, including the two syphon pipes on deck. ,Had no charge of them after leaving the Nore, but previously he was quite certain they were all right and in good work ing order, as he saw both the steam and the water escaping. Captain Harrison was the next witness. In answer to Captain Robertson, he said—l am in command of the Great Eastern, and commanded her froin the time she' left Deptford until she, arrived at Portland. During the trial-trip Mr. Russell was in charge of the paddle, engines,- and gave the orders from the bridge. The orders for:the screw engines were signalled. I saw Mr. Russell . give orders and- pass the word down, to the people in charge of his own engines. The directors gave me no information as to who was in charge of the engines before starting. I. did not consider, however, that they were delivered. Mr. Brunel told me he should not certify their delivery until he could get a better rate of speed out of them. I think the conversation occurred on the Saturday or Monday before the start, and after the last trial of the engines. I gave Mr. M'Lennan, our engineer, directions not to interfere in any way with the working of the engines, but to hand over his staff partly to Mr. Dixon and partly to Messrs. Bolton and Watt. At the present moment I consider 'that the engines are in the charge of Mr. Russell. If anything had gone wrong with reference to the engines, I should have communicated with Mr. Ruisell, if he had been present, and with Mr. Blake. I did not hear Mr. Dixon give any . orders. I told Mr. M'Lennan to tell the men the engines were in charge of Mr. Dixon; and that they were to obey his instructions, and he told me he bad done so. No objection was made by Mr. Russell,-or Messrs. Bolton and Watt, with regard to starting at the time we did. I had the navigation of the vessel under the pilot. Of course I had .charge of the discipline of the vessel. Sometimes he asked me to pass the word along, and sometimes he did so himself through Mr. Russell on the bridge. One of the reasons which induced me to consider Mr. Russell in charge of the engines, was the fact of his giving the orders from the bridge. Of coarse Mr. Russell would naturally be anxious for the proper working of his own engines. Daring the passage, the pilot wished to go astern with u t the rpeadd,ld sayinge s and aheade would o w u i l t d h the rat screw. her go Mr.ea ahead Russellwlth thede paddles and astern with the screw. Mr. Russell was ap hliave Mr. gv ß e u n ss t e h l e l to work h pl a i d ect o o t , bheecaeuusoeuhethweashotindgth: Ibrhdogoe.d order myself. Mr. Russell was on the bridge working the telegraph to both engines. If Mr. Russell had not the telegraphs. If the steam from the stand-pipes had sleepings e l was overflowed, it might have found its way through -.the t in y m to o r ffi . theeeusrs been there, I Ib sh uh o ta : c d obui h ee a dn v n e ot had h a informedtvweo gt o oh f ta m czainbeinse.asinlf. From the Assistant Under-Seeretaryaiip he w subse- ...Secretary, . . quently promoted to the permanent Und ship, spending fourteen years in the two offices to c , He was thus connected with the civil service 35 years in all, during the whole of which time his relations were mainly with the Colonial Department: His impres sions of the state of our government offices, and of the Colonial-office in particular, derived froth this long experience, were published, with other opinions on the same subject, in a Blue-book in 1855. wh of the reorganisation of the civil service, by. the adop .tion of the system of *ointments by competitive ex amination, instead of by patronage, was first agitated. The opinion there expressed on the condition of the pub lic service, as regards the intellectual capacity and cul ture of the majority of those comprising it, is by-no means favourable, but the waiter speaks of splendid ex ceptions. Of these exceptions,. the writer himself was certainly one. •'While in the Colonial-office, he was one of the' ablest and most efficient public servants the State possessed, and his final rear( eraent from the ColoniL Under-Secretaryship in 1847 was a great loss to that department. He then received the honour of knighthood. It was not only,. however, as a public official that he had up to that time distin guished himself. A man of general thought and cul ture, he had all along employed his leisure in studies ranging beyond the topics that interested, him as an official; and he had latterly contributed extensively to the Edinburg4 Review on subjects relating to the history of the Church and the develcipement of re limious opinions. A collection of these articles, already widely known and appreciated in their scattered shape, was published in two volumes in 1849, under the title of Essays in4Emlesiastical Biography.' In the same William Sir James Stephen was appointed to succeed William Smyth, M.A., as Regius Professor of Modern History in the University of Cambridge. In 1851 he published two volumes, Lectures on the History of France.' This work is now in a third edition, and there have been several editiots of its predecessor. The two together have give.). the author a high and peculiar place in our graver contem porary literature. Among other slighter things which Sir Jameshas published, are one or two lectures delivered to popular institutions. One of Sir James's sons, who has followed the legal profession, is likewise known by various writings. His brother, Sir George Stephen, is also known as the author of Adventures of a Gentleman in Search of a Horse," Adventures of an Att orney, ' The Juryman' s ' Guide,' `The- Clerk,' and 'The Go verness,' in C. Knight's series of Guides to Trad e ;' of a novel entitled, The Jesuit at Cambridge,' and of a pamphlet on The Niger Trade and the American Blockade,' as csnnected with the slave trade, a subject in which he has always taken much interest." ~~'_." SEPTEMBER 21, 1859. RI merely a volunteer, le :4glis_assistance for the benefit ,of the company, I would' not have allowed him or any other person, excepting my own - officers, to occupy the position he did. At the conclusion of the above evidence, the court adjourned for a short space of time. On the re assembling, of the jury, th e case was f ur th er p r oceeded: with, and r il telegraph we have received the following VERDICT: _" We find the deceased came to their deaths from injuries received from steam, hot air, and water, in con sequence - of the -bursting of th e j ac k e t attached to the foremcst ' funnel of the Great Eastern st eamer , and that; the said bursting was caused by the closing of a tag connected with the syphon attached to the said jacket, in conjunction with the shutting off the feed from the water-casing to the boiler, but there is no evidence before the jury to show by what person or persons the: said tap was shut off; and the jury further express their opinion that taps are highly dangerous when placed is such positions, and that sufficient caution was not oed. by the engineer; the ju r y, h owever , re t urn a ver di c t or Accidental death.' " LIVERPOOL POLICE COURT.-YESTERDAY- • [Before Mr. MANSFIELD.] - DISTURBANCE IN A DANCING SALOON.—Daniel France, the proprietor of a dancing saloon, the " Blue Anchor," in Hood-street, was charged with having: committed a violent, assault, on Monday night, upon a Spanish sailor, named Valentine. From the evidence, it would appear that the' prosecutor was in the dancing, 'saloon- belonging, t o F rance . Whil e , t h ere, the sa i lor and ; a musician quarrelled, and maintained a great amount of disturbance, but no bliws were struck in the house. The Spaniard went out into the street, and was followed by the musician. France also came out,. as he' was afraid there would be a row between:- them. He separated them, and having (lone so, it was alleged that France assaulted the . Spaniard, k - nocked him down and kicked him about the head and face, doing him serious injury. The evidence of Julia John.: ston, a prostitute, was to the above effect. James Hen nesey, steward of a ship, said that he was in the saloon about twelve. o'clock on Monday night, and heard a noise in the parlour. He went to see what was going on. Ile-found the :Spaniard and the musician engaged in an altercation. • They went out, and France followed them. He (France) separated them, and the musician went away. Mr. France seemed afraid that thtr Spaniard was about to use his knife, and certainly struck him, but the Spaniard did not fall, neither was he- kicked.`.-Mr. Wall, sUrgeon of the Northern Hospital, said that the prosecutor had received". severe blow on the left cheek, probably with a blunt instrument. It might have been done by a kick, es- even , a violent blow, with the closed fist would have caused similar injuries. —Mr. Bluck addressed the.bench on behalf of the defendant, who, he said, only acted' in self-defence, and did not knock the prosecutor down nor kick him.—Mr. Mansfield said he was of opinion that Mr. France had used unnecessary violence. The pro secutor was certainly not-without blaine ; still, France had gone too far. He was perfectly right to endeavour to prevent a disturbance, yet he was not at lilierty tQ use the unnecessary violence which he had evidently done on this occasion. He ordered the defendant to pay a fine of 40s. and costs. - BRUTAL ASSAULT ON A WOMAN.--=A ruffianl-looking fellow, about twenty-fi ve years o f age, named _Francis O'Brien, was charged with committing a most violent assault upon an unfortunate female, named Bridget Fox. A policeman who was on duty in Union-street, about two o'clock in the morning, Beard screams. He met a man running down the street, who fell into his arms. The woman came up immediately, and told the officer that the prisoner had struck and knocked her down, in Lancelot's-hey, without the slightest provocation. The man was taken to Bridewell, and the woman to the Northern Hospital, where she was found to have lost. eight other teeth, and her upper lip was cut through. It was evident it must have been a very violent blow indeed, which inflicted such injuries as she had sustained. —His worship fined the prisoner 40s. and costs, with the alternative of two months' imprisonment. USING A FORGED CERTIFICATE. Edward Barr/ was brought up on remand, charged with using a forgS certificate, purporting t o b e th a t o f a seaman . lag pleaded guilty; and, as Mr. Tyndall had received instruc tions to press for a summary conviction Mr. Mansfield inflicted a p ena lt y o f £5 an d costs. His Worship s aid that he was very glad to see that offences of this nature were decreasing very much. ROBBERY OF A QUANTITY OF JEWELLERY.—Christian Voize. a German Jew, was charged with stealing a box containing a quantity of jewellery, watches, and other property, to the value of about £lOO. JaMes Brown, a police-officer from Glaso.ow, said that, in consequence of information he received from Liverpool, he appre hended the prisoner, and in his possession found a box of jewellery, also a pawnbroker's certificate. He brought the prisoner to Liverpool. The owner of the Hproperty, Maurice Rischestinne, said that- he came to Liverpool on Friday evening, and went to lodge at 21, Leandere-street. He went to bed about eleven o'clock, and on awaking the following morning, discovered that his box was missing. The prisoner, who had been lodging in the same houso, was also missing. He gave information to the police, and the prisoner was appre hended in Glasgow, with the box in his possession. He had also a number of paWn-tickets for articles he had pledged ui Manchester on the Satnrday following. On the interpreter stating the evidence to the prisoner, the latter said, " Yes, I went up stairs and stopped for about ten minutes ; I then put on my coat and walked off with the box." This statement could not be received as evidence against hiinself. He was 'remanded' for the present, preparatory to being sent to the 'sessions. THE KNIFE AGAlN.—James Wilding was charged having stabbed one J o h n B an k s , in a house in Bolton 7 street, Scotland-road, on the evening of Monday week. On that evening, the prosecutor and some friends - were in the house of the prisoner. As it was getting late, the prisoner wished them to go home, and desired them to do so. The p . rosecutonalleged that he at once went out of the room in which he was, and when he ki - ot to the bottom of the stairs, the prisoner struck him with some sharp instrument in the region of the abdomen.- - Mr. Bluc.k, who apreared for the prisoner, contended that there was no evidence to show that he had . used a knife, or anything of the kind, in regard to the prosecu tor ; but his worship sent the case to the sessionsier trial. [Before Messrs. CASTELLAIN and CHALLONER.] AN ILL-ASSORTED COUPLE.—A woman named At kinson -summoned her husband for ill-treatment, and made a lengthened statement of the Wrongs she had sustained at his hands. In the course of a cross-examin -- •ation by Mr. Smith, who appeared on behalf of the defendant, she said that she had been in the habit of taking his clothes to pawn every week, but he knew of it. She could not say that he was exactly a drunken man, but he would come home in an evening' and . lie down on the floor all night like a beast, and still be able to go to work the next morning. Mr. Smith—Did you not on one _ occasion throw a pint of ale in his face, after its being sent for his dinner ? Complainant—No, I threw- it on his bank, because be called me a filthy name. Mr. Smith—Have you not' been quarrelling day by day ? Complainant—No, net day by day. We quarrel very often, but we are not always quarrelling. (Laughter.) He has often come , into the house and abused me and my children, and the' other day he brought in a halfpenny roll, a penny her, — ring,, aaa a pennyworth of cheese, and he ate it ,all 7 without allowing any one of us to have a taste. Sli t went on at great length for some time. On the part steady the defendant, it was alleged that he was a very ste aa) man, and had been seven years in his present empl o y' He endeavoured to do his best to support his family , b' but wife was continually running into debt, and getting him into difficulties. Although he had given her twenty shillings a-week, she had pawned his clothes withoilt his knowledge, and was regularly in the habit of deal — ing with Scotchmen against his wishes.—lt ultimately agr eed between • them that the defendae!. should allow the complainant 78. 6d. p er wee k, and tha; they should for the future be separated. de A sir N ou A s m o n f ni e C xp AN res li sin O g ßSE th F ei O r ß Hospital, Nottingham, for the entertainment -The Duke of Newcastle has presented to the Lunatic of the patients, a harmonium, of the value of £6O. A number of Irish gentlemen who reside in this city-, M a hal M‘Mahon, of the army of France, in some way t" would be likely to prove most acceptable to him, ha v° decided upon sending him a fine specimen of an _Ameri can horse; They have been quietly collecting tr ; _ we over money necessary for the purpose during the past u and now, it is said; they have in hand something 4 n ob one thousand dollars for that purpose. They. have ~.___ yet decided upon what particular horse they will send New York Times. a 3 cl l :ira li ti A on 317 r Allfila°rsl: