The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-02-01 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1853. OLD DON'T CARE. Old Don't Care is a murderer foul, And a murderer foul is he — He beareth a halter in his hand, And his staff is the gallows-tree; And slyly he follows his victim on, Through high degree and low, And strangles him there when least aware, And striketh the fatal blow — Hanging his victim high in the air, A villain strong is Old Don't Care. He looks on the babe at its mother's breast And blighteth that blossom fair, For its young buds wither, and fade, and die, 'Heath the gaze of Old Don't Care! And in place of these there springeth up Full many a poisonous weed, And their tendrils coil round the victim's heart, A lank and loathsome breed, Blighting the spirit young and fair— A villain strong is Old Don't Care! He meeteth old Manhood on his way, And wrestleth with him there, He falls a sure and easy prey To the strength of Old Don't Care Then he plants his foot on the victims breast, And shouteth with demon joy, And treadeth the life from the panting heart, And exulteth to destroy, Crushing bold Manhood everywhere— A villain strong is Old Don't Care. LITERATURE. J3ooKs FOR REVIEW, &c.—Books, New Prints, Mac. &c. intended for review, may be left at Mr. C. Mitchell's, Red lion-court, Fleet-street, London, addressed " to the Editor of the LIVERPOOL STANDARD," when they will be and receive attention e forwarded A Funeral Sermon, occasioned by the Death of Mr Hugh Bourne. London : Ward and Co. The pamphlet before us, which has been pub lished in a very neat form, is, as described on the title-page, the substance of the discourse which was preached in the Seamen's Church, Rathbone-street, Liverpool, and elsewhere, by Mr. William Autliff, of this town, in commemoration of the death to which it refers. Mr. Bourne was a founder of the Primitive Methodist Connexion, and the discourse enlarges on the many services which he rendered to the cause in which he was engaged, The Card-Player's Handbook of the Game of Forty fives. Liverpool: Howell. A neat little pamphlet, not only descriptive of the game of which it treats, but evidently the work of an enthusiastic admirer, who occasionally expresses himself in a quaintness of style which is really amu sing. It is, on the whole, a unique contribution to modern literature. The Art of Skating. , Glasgow : Thomas Murray and Son. We can fancy that many a devoted skater will look upon the title of the present work with rueful countenance, regarding the art of which it treats as thing of the past—gone for ever along with those jolly writers of the olden time, when Christmas came wreathed in snow and crested with icicles. But, we pray thee, votary of the skates, despond not. The frosty cycle will come round again for thy delectation; and, if not in thy lifetime, " Cyclos" has here penned a treatise which will at least re mind you of the enjoyments of bygone days, and may thus afford some measure of consolation for what has passed away. The author of this book is a member of the Glasgow Skating Club, whose remarkable evolutions on the ice we remember ;seeing some three years ago, at a great winter gathering on a west-country loch. Appropriately enough, the book is dedicated to that noble-hearted patron of Scottish sports, the Earl of Eglinton, whom we have before now seen on the same sheet of ice with sundry members of the Glasgow Ska ting Club, at times enjoying their clever perform ances, while in another part of the field he keenly contested, with a band of village curlers, some match, upon whose fate, perhaps, depended the payment of a boll of meal for the neighbouring poor. After a prefatory chapter on sports and pas times in general, (and " Cyclos" here shows that he has a style as merry and rollicking as his own genial heart,) the author proceeds to trace the his tory of skating, from its advent into this country, when, according to the historian Blaine, some people on the ice tied " bones to their feete, and under their heeles, and, shoving themselves by a little picked staffe," glided along " as swiftlie as a birde flyeth in the aire, or an arrow out of a cross bow." Then, in quick succession, comes a chapter descriptive of the skate, one containing instructions how to use it, and a fifth descriptive of the principal figures. The author has penned a treatise emi nently practical, yet pervaded by a fine poetical spirit; while his publishers have brought it out in an attractive form, the illustrations being very pret tily lithographed by Messrs. Maclure and Macdo nald, of this town. The Dublin Unirersity Mayazine. M`Glashan. Liverpool : Orr. Dublin We received this magazine at so short an inter val before going to press, that we are reluctantly compelled to confine our present notice to a brief mention of the principal contents, but next week we shall return to it at more length. It opens with "Another night with the Mystics," by Mr. Freke Slingsby, containing several amusing varieties. The description of " heroes, ancient and modern" is devoted to a comparison between Julius Cmsar and Napoleon Buonaparte, and is illustrated with diagrams of the battles of Pharsalia, and of Austerlitz. There is an interesting article on the 6 ' Flowers of February," a very entertaining review of some "recent travellers in the East." and also some account of "the Ducal houses of Urbino and Milan." The story of " Sir Jasper Carew" is con tinued. " Miscellanea Literati" comprises several interesting facts ; and the fifth round of " a flying shot at the United States" with which the magazine concludes, contains some excellent ob servations on Democracy and Republican institu tions. MYSTERIOUS TALE OF A CASTAWAY.* Is the city of Dublin there 'ives at the present moment a young and accomplished lady, over whose origin and early history there bangs a mysterious veil. In the De cember of 1836, Miss Hartley, an amiable and Christian woman, visited a charitable institution established in Dublin for the relief of unemployed labourers and the protection of destitute children. Her attention was at tracted by the appearance of a little girl, who sat shivering in the meagre shreds of a muslin dress, and who was evi dently of gentle birth. She was apparently not more than four or five years old, and, on inquiry, it was ascertained that she had been brought thither by a disreputable girl, named Biddy Kelly, who asserted that she was the child's sister. The coarse, bad features of Biddy, however, pre sented such a striking contrast to those of the little cast away, that her tale met with no credit; but, unfortunately, before a proper investigation could be made, the suspected girl had mysteriously disappeared, and gone no one knew whither. Of a delicate frame of body, and possessed of a keenly sensitive nature, poor little Bessie did not thrive among the coarse inmates of the Dublin institution ; and, had she not been taken home by Miss Hartley, and nursed with all the care of a mother, she must, in all probability, have perished before the expiry of many months. But, tended carefully by her foster mother, the parentless child recovered her native strength of body and mind, awakening gradually from the stupor into which she had been sunk by her early trials. Every little circumstance confirmed the idea that she had been born, and, for a time, brought up in polite society ; and, as the days passed, there came back to her memory the recollection of a solitary cottage, in the midst of corn-fields and blue mountains, owned by an elderly and careworn man called Nicholas Murphy, who at ev ening time mysteriously left his home to the care of its solitary infant occupant, who, within its bare grim walls, spent nights of terror and distress—her woes being not unfrequently aggravated by the pangs of hunger. That she subsequently exercised an intellect unimpaired, and a temper singularly sweet, shows that she must have originally possessed wonderful strength of mind. She bore no name while residing at the cottage ; the people merely called her the " Little One." She was not related to the Murphys, and, while they did not bestow affection on her, they invariably treated her with respect. The ima g e o f a p re tt y l a d y w h o loved her dwelt continually in her infant mind, and she looked daily for the arrival of one who would come and take her home. But day after day passed, and the lady came not ' • only the Dublin mail toiled up the hill, and carts from a neighbouring colliery went by. At length, o ne morning she saw the long looked for lady, and, transported with joy, she ran to meet her in the valley. Alas when she reached the highway the vision had fled. A: gazinggroan broke upon the stillness of that quiet morn, and through a hedge in the direction whence the sound cametlierw the loved f orm writhing in the agonies of death „...TsiaY. a tall Irish vagrant, who was familiar with the Murphys, leaning his victim. After this event the cottage was burned over she was carried off by a strange woman to Dublin' and an deposited in the miserable dwelling occupied by Tor n Kelly, the father of Biddy, whose wife received the little stranger without an emotion of pity or a solitary gleam of love. In a few weeks she was sent away in the arms of Biddy, having been previously told by Mrs. Kelly to say that her name was Bessy Kelly. From the institution the was subsequently received by Miss Hartley, as we have already related. At an early age she exhibited the first fruits of a meek and pious spirit, and her guardian bad her baptised at the parish church, under the name of Lucy Melville, the child not knowing her real name, and h av ing most decided objections to retaining the hated one of Kelly. Though little able to undertake such a burden, Miss Hartley remained firm to her determination of never abandoning the child whom a wise and merciful Provi dence had committed to her. She continued meanwhile to make persevering exertions for the discovery of Lucy'e relations. Hundreds of weary miles were travelled, but •THE UNCLAIMED DAVOtITXR ) • a Mystery of our olTu Day. Nth : /Mans and Opodnia. in vain. Dublin was explored, but no Tom Kelly could be discovered. Clergymen and police superintendents, mayors and magistrates, were written to, but not one could afford a clue to the mystery. In 1850, Tom Kelly appeared to haunt Miss Hartley's house, though with what purpose it is difficult to say. She consulted Sir Duncan M'Gregor, the head magistrate of police in Dub lin, on Lucy's affairs, and told him of Tom Kelly, but he did not think there were grounds enough on which to base hn information against that person, of whom Miss Hartley and Lucy have now lost all trace..ln 1851, while visiting the Great Exhibition, Miss Hartley and her charge were overtaken on more occasions than one by a military officer, who, on horseback, followed their carriage through the streets, stealing long and earnest glances at its occu pants. But, if he was connected by the ties of relatioe ship with the beautiful young lady, no friendly hand was nigh to lift the veil and restore long-lost friends. Since May, 1851, Lucy Melville and her pious and benevolent foster mother have paid a visit to Paris, and sojourned for a season in Bath. They are once more, we pres ume , residingin Dublin, both reposing their trust in a merciful Providence, and cheerfully leaving it to Him to direct the future. This narrative we have gleaned from the work whose title stands at the foot of the present notice. It is edited by the accomplished author of "The Curate of Linwood," " Amy Harrington," and other books of a kindred cha racter. Not only is it dedicated, by permission, to the Countess of Clarendon, but numerous testimonials are printed in confirmation of the tale. Among the authors of these letters we observe the names of Sir Philip Cramp ton, of Dublin, Bart., M.D., F.R.S. ; John Cottle, secre tary to the Mendicity Institution ; Colonel Knox Gore, Ballina, county Mayo ; the Dean of Lcighlin ; the Rev. W. S. Guinness ; the Governor of the Mendicity Insti tution ; and others of undoubted veracity. We believe the editor has undertaken the duty of laying the facts of the strange eventful history of the young lady before the public, in the hope that such a course might lead to the discovery of the forsaken child's parents or kindred, and unravel the secret of. her birth, That the publication of the book may achieve this end must be the earnest desire of every one who peruses its exciting pages. But whether Lucy Melville is destined yet to see and know her parents or not, the story of her life, as it is here written, cannot fail to be powerfully instrumental for good. It is the plain chronicle of a spirit's progress in the midst of trials and temptations of no ordinary kind ; and as such, it affords a good example for the young. It is an exhibition of God's goodness and power, inasmuch as we here see a mere infant, by His all-sustaining arm, preserved to a pure and useful womanhood, in spite of cruelties against which it might be well supposed that the human mind could hardly stand unshattered. It is, besides, an admi rable incitement to the Christian to practise works of God-like beneficence, helping those in distress, not with the chary hand of earthly prudence, but with that noble liberality justified in the conscience of every one who believes in an all-sufficient Over-ruler. THE AMERICAN MINISTER AND THE MAYOR OF LIVEPOOL. The following correspondence has passed between his Excellency the American Minister and the Mayor of Liverpool : "45, Portland-place, London, Jan. 18, 1853. " MY DEAR SIR,-If I have delayed too long to offer you my acknowledgment, I trust that you will not impute to me any want of gratitude. The kindness you did me the honour to extend to me during my late visit to Liver pool has my liveliest recollection, and I beg that you will receive for it my warmest thanks. The princely edifices of the town are worthy of the noble feelings of the inhabitants. Enterprise and liberality are conspicuous in the arrangements for business and the fruits of charity. The accommodation for shipping and all the details and wants of commerce are of the widest extent and most thorough convenience. No expense appears to have been spared, and no effort of taste or skill is wanting. The munificence of your hospitality is equalled only by the grace with which it is administered. The home of com merce is the abode of taste and refinement. Believe me to be, my dear Sir, most faithfully yours, _ " J. R. INGERSOLL. " The Worshipful the Mayor of Liverpool." "Town-hall, Liverpool, Jan. 20, 1853. "MY DEAR SIR,—I have to acknowiedge the receipt of your obliging communication of the 18th instant. It will always be to me a source of gratification that I had not only an opportunity of offering to your excellency such attention as lay in my power, but that I had the privilege of testifying my sincere regard for your personal worth any attainments, and also for your diplomatic ability. " As the representative of a great country, indissolubly bound up with England in the peaceful march of com merce and civilization, and in the protection of true freedom, the people of Liverpool offered to your excel lency the tribute of their esteem; and I fervently hope that no event will ever occur to mar the good understand ing which ought always to exist between such kindred nations, but that the flag of the United States will ever be welcomed in the Mersey, and that those whom you so ably represent will reciprocate the feeling by giving a similar welcome to the British standard in the harbour of New York. " I have the honour to remain, my dear Sir, yours, very faithfully, " SAMUEL HOLME. " His Excellency the Hon. J. R. Ingersoll." LIVERPOOL SAILORS' HOME. The annual meeting of this institution was held on Saturday afternoon, in the Board-room. There were present Messrs. James Aikin, (chairman,) VT. Ratllbone, Tomlinson, Crosby, Jno. Aikin, Rankin, James Tyrer, T. D. Anderson, Graves, Cotesworth, Watson and Kent. Mr. JoHN AIKIN read the report, from which we give the following extracts : " All seamen visiting this port have now not only the great advantages, hitherto presented to them under the temporary arrangements of the institution for the last seven years, of recording a good character, of depositing their money in safety, and of having it transmitted to any quarter they may desire, but they have now the oppor tunity afforded them of enjoying in this spacious and splendid establishment a degree of substantial comfort and security to which they have heretofore been strangers. The ball is well supplied with newspapers ; and a com mencement has been made in the formation of a library, towards which contributions of suitable books will be very acceptable. The charge for board and lodging is 14s. per week for men, and 10s. per week for boys. The appro priation of a part of the building and the arrangements for the Local Marine Board, under Government, to carry out the provisions of the Mercantile Marine Act—embracing the examinations of masters and mates, and the shipping and paying off of crews, &c., which, it is necessary to ob serve, is altogether distinct from, and non-interfering with, the working of the Sailor's Home—have been com pleted on satisfactory terms, and in a manner calculated, it is to be hoped, whilst preserving the separate and in dependent action of each, to conduce to the successful accomplishment of the aims of both, of the Government on the one hand, and of the supporters of the Home by voluntary effort on the other hand." " The Savings' Bank has been used to an increasing extent ; the payments into it during the past year amounted to £3,302 3s. sd. ; and the balance remaining in the bank, which was ;£2,221 9s. Ild. on the Ist Jan uary, 1852, was £2,438 15s. 3d., on the Ist January, 1853, after having been, some months ago, as much as £2,700, about £3OO having been since drawn out and taken with them by seamen emigrating to Australia, &c." Several formal resolutions were carried. A very feeling allusion to the death of Mr. James Bold, who had been a most efficient member of the committee, was made by Mr. Rathbone, and cordially concurred in by Mr. Tomlinson and the whole of the gentlemen present. The CHAIRMAN" said he bad always been of opinion that it would be conducive to the interests of the institu tion to elect a chairman annually. Ile had retained his present position, at the request of the committee, up to the time when the Sailors' Home was in full operation ; and he now thought the period had arrived when he should lie released from the duties, and when they should elect a gentleman in his place. It had been said that he had attempted to infringe upon that rule of the institution which referred to the religious instruction of the sailors. That was a grave misrepresentation. He had never attempted to do ought which would interfere with the religious instruction of the seamen ; hut, on the contrary, he had ever been anxious that the Scotch Presbyterian, Wesleyans, and religionists of all classes should have the opportunity of going to their various places of worship, rather than that there should be one church to which all were to go. When the subject was broached in the com mittee, he found himself in a considerable minority. Ho regretted that he had reluctantly been compelled to make this statement, in order that he might stand before the public absolved from the charge that he bad either opposed the giving of religious instruction to the sailors, or had led people to subscribe to the funds under false pretences. . . . Mr. RATIMONE said he thought it was right that the person selected to read prayers and perform service in the place should be a clergyman of the Church of England ; but he did not think justice would be done to those sub scribers who, perhaps unfortunately for themselves, were out of the pale of the Church, if their money were applied to an object which they had not contemplated. He con cluded by moving a vote of thanks to those gentlemen who bad conducted the affairs of the institution during the past year. TYRER drew Mr. Rathbone's attention to the following rule, which had been in existence from the first :—" 6. The committee shall form regulations, not inconsistent with these fundamental l aw s, f or the general management of the institution. They shall appoint the chaplain, who shall always be a clergyman of the Estab lished Church, and have the charge of the re li g i ous instruction of the inmates," &c. Mr. WATSON seconded the resolution, which was carried unanimously. Mr. T. D. ANDERSON expressed a hope that Mr. Aikin would continue his services as chairman. They had still some important arrangements to make with government with respect to the Local Marine Board ; and he was sure thetheir committee w pr o e u s l i d den b t e fogrlaadnoitfhehreyewaroualtdleareetta.in his position ashis w unanimouswillingness es s feeling to o o m f pl the y m wi e T t e h i tl i n s t . g , " 11 ,p l e r a . r A in i g kin to si b g enifitielde The meeting then separated. study, and a lady, pretending to knit, is . affectionate with her questions.—Lady (in sty A le F ) A: mMlLaYdeSachElNel—reActl gentleman p ele ßaking, man the drawling s a dentist? engaged y ed hi i ni n Gentleman (short, wdeheapvtleyrip . . derived from dent, French for teeth. Dentist is a man who pulls teeth out. Lady (after knitting once round, in sharp, a y nd rather cross): Dentist is order to give the gentleman time to become immersed in his book again) : Ma deah I you said this morning that Professor Musty was a great linguist. Is not linguist de rived from the Latin li ngua, a tongue ? Gentleman (tartly) : Yes. Lady : Well, then, is a linguist a man who pulls tongues out? Gentlem an (very decidedly) : No, madam ; but I wish to heaven lis did I—E:it lady, in a huff. VARIETIES. A FAST MAN is like a glass of champagne—directly he begins to settle he gets flat. WHY are deaf persons like real Cashmere shawls ? Because you can't make them here (hear). GARDENING FOR MANCHESTER..—YOU must get in your cotton crop before you can begin your spinnage. I" MOTHER," said a little fellow at Camden, " I'm tired of this pug nose ! It's a growing pugger and pugger every day !" FRANCE has been accustomed to set copies to Europe; but she will hardly be able to do so now—with no pen, but only a ruler. "JACK," shouted a Cotgrove drover the other day to his pal, " these sheep vont move in this weather, lend us a bark of your dog." DELICATE WORICS.—Women are a great deal like French watches—very pretty to look at, but very difficult to regulate when they once take to going wrong. WE KNOW A RISIBLE GENTLEMAN Who cannot shave himself ; for the moment he looks in the glass he is con vulsed with laughter at his ridiculous appearance. A MAN IN TEXAS has just invented a strengthening plaster which will enable any one to " take up" anything, from a three months' bill to a hogshead of sugar. A CORRESPONDENT to the Nashville Gazette, who signs herself " Sophia," says that woman is twice as good as man, and proves it thus by the very orthography —W-0-M-A-N—double you, 0, man ! DELICATE ATTENTIONS.—In the 10th century, to eat out of the same plate and drink out of the same cup was considered a mark of gallantry, and the best possible un derstanding between a lady and gentleman. OLD KYSERLY says that he is the last man in the world that will ever force a daughter's affection. So long as she marries the man that he chooses for her, he is quite indifferent whether she loves anybody or not. STEEPLE-CHASING is to proper bold riding what fool hardiness is to courage; it proves nothing except that the chaser is in want of a sensation, and that he has brains not so much worth taking care of as those of other men. A LAWYER was once pleading a case that brought tears into the jurors' eyes, and every one gave up the case as gone for the plaintiff. But the opposing counsel arose and said—" May it please the Court : I do not propose in this case to bore for water, but—" Here the tears were suddenly dried, laughter ensued, the ridiculousness of the case was exposed, and the defendant got clear. A KENTUCKY LAWYER'S APPEAL.—The thunder roared, the moon rolled, the stars winked, the sky was a complete web—gentlemen of the jury —of darkling dark ness on that night ; and yet this 'ere man did, with ma lice aforethought, steal forth into the quiet shades of a lonely farmer's house, and then maliciously pizened his brindle yaller dog. Convict him, and the prayers of a nation are yours." A CELEBRATED COMEDIAN arranged with his green grocer—one Berry —to pay him quarterly ; but the green grocer sent in his account long before the quarter was due. The comedian, in great wrath, called upon the greengrocer, and labouring under the impression that his credit was doubted, said—" 1 say, here's a pretty mul, Berry; you have sent in your bill, Berry, before it is due, Berry ; your father, the elder Berry, would not have been such a goose, Berry. But you need not look black, Berry,—for I don't care a straw, Berry—and shan't pay you till Christmas, Berry. AN OXFORD CASE.-Dr. Eveleigh, who, with his family, was some years ago at Weymouth, gave occasion to old Lee. the last punster of the old school, and the master of Baliol College for more than half a century, to make his dying pun ! Dr. E. had recovered from some consumptive disorders by the use of egg diet, and soon after married. Wetheral, the master of University Col lege, went to Dr. Lee, then sick in bed, resolved to dis charge a pun he had made. " Well, sir," said he, " Dr. E. has been egg'd on to mat imony." " Has he?" said Lee, " why then, I hope the yoke will sit easy." In a few hours afterwards Dr. Lee died ; the yoke did sit easy on Eveleigh, for he had a most amiable wife. CORRESPONDENCE. Letters addressed to the Editor should be accompanied by the real name and address of the writer, not for publication, but as a guarantee of good faith; this is indispensably requisite in any statement of facts. The Editor wishes it to be understood that he does not hold himself responsible for the opinions or statements of his correspondents. TENANT RIGHT FOR ENGLAND.—No. IL To the EDITOR of the LIVERPOOL STANDARD. SIR,—I resume the subject upon which I addressed you last week, by referring to the importance of agricultural improve ments. A most important step—the absolute necessity of which in a great proportion of the country cannot be disputed—is the extension of thorough draining. This is the first practical step to increased fertility. The most active manures may be applied, the most energetic industry exercised, and the most scientific course of cultivation adopted, but all will be in vain, if, from want of an efficient outlet, the soil retains a cold and stagnant moisture, which renders nugatory all attempts to produce fertility. The necessity of draining is admitted, and some progress has been made in its extension by loans from the Government; but, at the most, it is only partial ; in nume rous instances the landowners have been either unable or unwilling to have it applied, and the tenant who is convinced of its importance, is absolutely prevented from doing it, should he possess the means, because the right to the improved value would vest in the owner of the soil. The destructive moisture, therefore_ remains in the land, and the public is deprived of the additional supply of food which it might be made capable of producing. Should this difficulty be got over, which has not yet been done to any extent commensurate with national requirements, it will be found that others remain, of an equally injurious tendency upon increased productiveness. If it be admitted that the most approved system of profitable agricul ture is an alternation of green and grain crops, by which the land is made not only to yield the largest amount of food, but also to increase in fertility, it will be found that there are means to be supplied which, though a landlord's duty, is too often neglected by him, and the obligation thrown upon the tenant either to provide them at the risk of forfeiture, or do without them. A farmer, by the aid of artificial manures, may produce abundant crops of turnips, and other descriptions of food for cattle ; but to render them of real advantage, lie must have a sufficiency of farm buildings, by which he may not only Produce a supply of animal food, but also of manure, to render more productive his future crops of grain. It will be in vain that his successful industry has added many tons to his stock of roots, if the want of sufficient shelter for the requisite stock to consume them has deprived them of half their value to the farm. The owner of the estate has the legal property in the buildings, and if he is unable or unwilling to provide the addi tions rendered necessary by agricultural improvements, the tenant must submit to the inevitable loss, or provide the neces sary erections, with the full conviction that he has expended his wealth in adding to that of another. This cannot be ex pected ; and the consequence is, that he is absolutely prevented from carrying out a system of farming which he is firmly con vinced would prove of the greatest advantage. If, on the other hand, as in the case of manufacturers, the law gave to the tenant farmer a right of removal of such buildings as he had himself erected, some encouragement would be afforded for his doing so, and thereby availing himself of the advantages which would arise from increasing his growth of green crops, and his number of live stock. Were this difficulty removed, there arises the question respecting the right to the value of unexbausted manures, of which the value would arise in future crops. While in justice, and even in equity, the land is entitled to receive the advantage of all manure which may be produced upon it, the obligation ceases at this point. But experience has shown the great and increased advantages which may be derived from the use of artificial manures, either imported from foreign countries or manufactured by chemical skill. They not only add to the supply of green and root crops, and the consequent increased supply of animals for the food of man, but, by the larger production of farmyard manure, pro vide for a greater yield of grain, and considerably improve the productive powers of the soil. In the application of these aids the tenant has a direct and immediate interest, which may have some inducement upon his use of them ; but there is also a prospective advantage in which he has no legal property, and this want of security tells with fearful effect against the adop tion of any beneficial system. In the case of tenants-at-will, who comprise a great proportion of the farmers of this country, the sole reliance of the tenant is upon the honour of his landlord; and, however great this confidence may be, it is subject to various contingencies—encumbered property, which may forbid voluntary compensation, differences on political opinions, the uncertainty of human life, a spendthrift heir, trustees fettered by legal obligations, and others. In the most favourable circumstances, it is hardly possible to expect that the dictates of ordinary prudence would allow any man to expend that wealth which he designs for the future maintenance of his family upon so uncertain a security as that which is involved in the good-will of another, without any law to which he can appeal for redress. It is not only contrary to all ideas of justice, but opposed to the common feelings of human nature. In the case of short leases, which form the general exception to a tenure terminable from year to year, the evil is not removed or its effects obviated, it is only briefly postponed. It has been truly observed that, with a seven years' lease, the tenant employs the first four years of his term in getting his land into good condition, and the last three years in racking it out, so that he performs the strict legal obligation of leaving his land in the same condition in which he found it, and no way improved ; because, if he contemplated a renewal of his lease, any increased value, which would have boon made at his own expense, would tend to increase his rent, by which he would be paying, instead of receiving, the interest on his own capital ; or it would add to the number of competitors for his farm, who would overbid him in their offers of rent, and pay the landowner, who contributed nothing, the value which was created at the former tenant's expense. It is useless to con tend that a tenant in racking out the increased fertility which he had himself created, would be doing so to his own injury equally with that of his landlord ; the strong objection which nearly all men entertain to add to another's wealth at the expense of their own, operates to their mutual disrdvantage, and the consequence is fatally evident in the fact that improve ments, fully admitted to be such, are confined to a few isolated instances. The growing demand for an additional supply of food, to satisfy the wants of a fast-increasing population, ren ders it inevitably necessary that a greater progress should be made in carrying out improved systems of culture, by the use of artificial manures, the feeding of more live stock, and growth of more productive crops of grain. To effect this, it is abso lutely indispensable that such encouragement should be given to the tenant farmer as shall operate to produce the consum mation desired. It is upon his exertions, upon his industry, upon bis skill, and ❑pon the judicious outlay of his capital, that the nation must depend for those resources, and for that prosperity, without which all other means are unavailable. Our manufactures may command all the markets of the world, our scientific skill may transcend almost thepowers of belief, and the valour of our soldiers and sailors may win fer us new con quests,or defend our ancient posFessions,but all will be ineffectual in maintaining our national greatness, if Agriculture, the main trunk of our national tree, is suffered to languish and decay. It is not sufficient for the purpose that the owners of the soil may be able, and even willing, to do all which may be required of them ; but the tenant farmer must be secured, by a legal right, to the enjoyment of that property which he has himself created, and by doing which lie has added to the actual wealth of the community.—l am, Sir, yours, AGItICOLA. ➢IR. COBDEN AND HIS PEACE HUMBUG To the EDITOR of the LIVERPOOL STANDARD, Ste,—Mr. Cobden has within the last week forced himself and his peace twaddle prominently before the public, but were it not that at the Manchester gathering he intimated that he should send agitators round the country to enforce his ridiculous nostrums and self-opinionated ideas, I should not have trespassed on your valuable columns. I shall pass on to a review of his Manchester lucubrations, delivered at the Pence Meeting held in that town on Thursday last. Mr. Cobden is attempting to prove that England was the cause of the late war With France, and that this country is nosy (from interested mo tives on the part of our aristocracy,) endeavouring to pick another quarrel, but that he, by divulging his nostrums, can avert the latter, and the possibility of an invasion. With regard to the latter war, it is a matter of history, and few who read it, carefully, will doubt but that it was a just principle of self pre servation with this country to put the usurper, Napoleonßuona parte, down. As respects the cause and probability of a coming war, Mr.Cobden had the audacity to remind his auditory that the same cry of war and alarm had existed for some years, even so far back as Louis Philippe's time, without coming to pass; but who does not remember that Thiers recommended war with England within the last ten years; that it would have been inevitable, had not Louis Philippe changed his adviser; and that about the same period, Prince de Joinville, commander of the French Navy, published a pamphlet, which was distributed throughout France, and particularly amongst the navy, show ing how easily England could be invaded, and our arsenals destroyed; and more recently,LouisPhilippe,when a fugitive and exile in this country, just prior to his death, stated that several of his generals had volunteered to invade this country. Mr. Cob den must have a despicable opinion of the intellect of his hear ers, or a most exalted opinion of himself. He goes on to say that this country is placing itself in the light of an insolent, impu dent bully. Now, this is presuming rather too far on the gul libility of Englishmen. What are the facts ? Is not this country comparatively happy and contented ? Are we not averse to war, except our shores be invaded, or our honour impugned ? But, on the other hand, how stands the position of France ? Has she not an army of 450,000 men, with com paratively no colonies—whilst ours does not exceed 120,000, with innumerable colonies to defend in every part of the globe? Is she not increasing her navy to an unprecedented extent, and far exceeding any peaceful intentions ? Is France not governed by a mere adventurer, who, five years since, was an outlaw, and comparatively a pauper 7 Is he not a fatalist ? And has he not very lately let slip that he believes he is born to avenge the disgrace of Waterloo ? And did he not, the other day, when addressing his naval commanders, state that he would never rest till he had carried oat the grand idea of his uncle--of making the Mediterranean a French Lake ? Has he not his foot on Italy, his hand on Africa ? Is he not at this moment intriguing in Turkey and Spain ? Who can say when it will suit him to come out more prominently, and yet there is an Englishman (and one who pretends to be a states man) who dares to say to his countrymen that they are a pack of bullies ; that Louis Napoleon means peace, and nothing but peace. Has not Louis Napoleon broken every oath lie ever took ? Is he not trying to raise an immense merchant steam navy under the protection of the government, and has he not fixed upon Cherbourg as the port of embarkation and rendez vous,. being the nearest and strongest fortified position to this Country, although it is well known it hes nothing like the ad vantages of several of the other seaports? It is, however, satisfactory to know that Mr. Cobden stands almost alone in his ridiculous notions that is, with intelligent persons ; for it is a very easy matter to get a number of folks together to cheer any mountebank. If proof of this assertion be wanted, look to his own town, Manchester ; read the Guardian, a well written, Whig• Radical paper, and refer to the last meeting of the Chamber of Commerce of that town, and there you will see Mr. Cobden and his notions repudiated.—Yours, AN ENGLIEHMAN. NOTES FROM THE BENDIGO DIGGINGS. The following particulars are extracted from a letter received by a gentleman in Liverpool, from a spirited young Scotsman, who left Ayrshire for the diggings up wards of a year ago, and who is tow prosperously pursuinz the career of a storekeeper, in Peg Leg Gully, Bendigo Diggings : " I believe it is a common custom for ' folks about to emigrate' to promise letters to whole hosts of their friends and acquaintances left behind ; and I dare say 'tis quite as common a practice to leave such promises unfulfilled. Probably, my dear friend, you may have put me down as one of the forgetful, and not without cause for doing so either, seeing that it is now on the borders of ten months since I last took pen in hand to address you. But I have been so completely taken up, day and night, with busi ness, these four months gone, that I could scarcely get time to eat my own victuals, far less write letters. The past week, however, has been very wet and stormy, which has caused a slackness in trade, so that I have been ena bled to devote an occasional hour to my old chums ; and now, my dear W., you are to come in for your share. I will take it for granted that you have heard of my pros perity in the wonderful land of gold. The date of this will show you that I sin still in the diggings, and there, too, have I every chance to remain for a year or two lon ger, by the end of which time I hope to be in a position to return to the " dear auld town." Up till the present time I have been most fortunate in my new business—store keeping—having cleared for my own share something to the tune of ten or twelve hundred pounds, so you see I have no reason to regret leaving home, but rather the contrary. My partner is a Mr. T., belonging to Camp beltown, who came out in the same ship as myself—a fine steady lad he is too. We have now two stores. He at tends one, and I the other ; and in these we sell all sorts of goods, as you may guess, at rather handsome profits. Not altogether clear of the hat trade either we sell lots of these Jim Crow ones, only here get 10s. for one that at No. 27, High-street, would hardly have brought two bob ! " Certainly it is wonderful to see so much gold lioukit oot o'the grun' , more like what we read of in story-books when we were boys, than a substantial reality. To think that a man has only to sink a hole some te❑ or fifteen feet deep, out of which he might get fifty pounds' weight of gold. I know some `claims' that have produced upwards of one hundred pounds' weight in a few days, and that perhaps taken out by a couple of men, who were never possessed of a five-pound note in their lifetimes before. Of course many are unsuccessful, but the generality of those who are industrious, can't fail to earn from £5OO to £l,OOO per year at digging. The quantity of gold that has been dug out of this district during the past eleven months —something like 70 to SO tons' weight—is a proof of the correctness of my statement, because at no time has there been more men actually at work in the mines than 40,000. To be sure there are thousands of others who keep stores and bankers' stalls, also women and children who swell the number ten thousand more—but, to go to the outside, say 50,000 diggers. Reckon 70 tons of gold at £3 per oz., and see the average that each man must have earned. Verily, there never were such chances for the labour ing man. I expect that every poor o'erlaboured Wight' in the old country, will make a struggle to come out here, and so they ought too, because there is room enough for all. Man money here is as plentiful as blackberries on the barrick hills in har vest time. No grinding of soul and body for a scanty sub sistence ! Let artisans of all classes come in thousands ; they will find plenty to do, apart from digging, and be well paid for doing it. The profession of a compositor pays well, something to the tune of Is. 6d. per thousand. But there is as yet little encouragement given to real literary talent. What horrid trash of papers are the Mel bourne ones ! and yet the circulation is enormous, and the profits for one season must be very great indeed." * * * " Nothing so sure as changes. These have been rung wonderfully well since I left home. Many in the dear old land of Burns are dead, and some are wed, both classes comprising a few that I held in much esteem. Well, well ! 1 only wish that neither yourself nor I may know such changes for a long time to come. 1 like this country very well ; the people it would be difficult to respect much — they are all so selfish. Probably I would not be so fa vourably impressed even with the land, but for the suc cess 1 have met with in it. Home, to go home and spend the winter of my days, is my leading star—a fixed one I may call it. Yet I would not think of returning but with a competency. This is the land for making money ; home is the place to spend it. lam as happy as ever I was, and why shouldn't I, blessed with health, and in the way of having something to rhyme with it !" FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF MELBOURNE. We (The Times) make the following extracts from an Australian letter which has been sent us for publication. The writer, evidently a man of good education and accus tomed to the ease and luxury of English town life, went out to Melbourne in autumn last with his wife, and evi dently without any positive idea of what he was to do when he got to the antipodes. He arrived at Melbourne late on the night of the 11th of November. His letter, which is written on the 12th, not altogether 12 hours after his landing, must be taken as containing the opinions of a man whose feelings are .acute and whose experience is small : " I am sorry to say the place is in such a state that it is impossible for me to take my wife on shore even—at least, it is no place for her ; and from what I have seen to-day, I have made up my mind to go to Sydney, and, if I cannot get on as I wish there, I shall push on for New Zealand. * * * The state of things here is indescrib able. One-half of the people are living in tents all round the town. The scene at the banks to-day was extraordi nary, men in blue woollen frocks and corduroys, with a fagged and wretched appearance, getting their small bags of gold (a few ounces generally speaking) changed into cash. One fellow rubbed his face as we stood by, and, as he had been previously putting his hand into the gold dust, one side of his face appeared perfectly gilt. " The diggers give such different accounts of the state of things at the diggings that it is hard to arrive at the truth ; but this is about it—viz., that about one out of 30 succeed ; the rest fail. The only men I should recom mend to come out (as matters are now) to Melbourne are either young, strong, hardy fellows, eight in a body, with a tent capable of containing the whole party, fully prepared (with clothing and boots, and nothing else in the shape of luggage) to encamp at once on landing, and move on to the diggings at once ; or else men who have been in a counting-house, and are not overburdened with conscience. A smart fellow, just a bit of a merchant, with a stock of billiard-tables, cards, dice, and Colt's (or Deane and Adam's) revolver pistols, ready-made men's and women's clothes, boots and shoes, and biscuits, would make 200 per cent. and over that on every one of his things. Possibly the expected arrival of corn may bring down bread, but the other things will be in demand as long as the diggings continue fruitful ; and now one in every 30, as I have before said, make a splendid fortune. I saw the P—'s. He has £3OO per annum in a savings bank here, and it is with the utmost difficulty they manage to live. They have a very small house, consisting of one hole fur a sitting-room, ditto for a bed-room, and a thing they style a kitchen, for which they pay £3 per week. His wife does all the work herself. Her servant, whom she brought out, left her, and married a lucky digger, who got £BOO of nuggets and dust, and now makes £4 10s. per week by doing carriers' work between Mel bourne and the diggings. The common sailors in the little steam-tugs here get £lB per month, and the boys £l6. The common policemen get 10s. per day and their house, or rather lodgings. The mounted police, the ranks of which are filled with gentlemen's sons, as are also the mounted gold escort, get 10s. per day, food and lodging, and three suits of uniform a year. Water is sold for drinking at ss. per gallon ; the four pound loaf of bread costs 2s. 6d. ; eggs are sd. a piece ; mutton and beef 6d. and 7d. a pound ' • and porters and men to do any drudgery are not to be had except at prices ridiculously exorbitant. Beer is 6d. per small tumbler ' • potatoes, 10d. per pound ; cabbages, 15s. per dozen ; a boat to go about half a mile, £3 ; and ls. a piece for washing for every article. Wo men's dress stuffs are cheap, for the market was over stocked. Men's clothing, made and unmade, sells at an awful price. " Land anywhere within two miles of the town is at £2,000 per acre, and £5O to £BO per acre within 20 or 30 miles. So you see land is dear, near town enormous, the necessaries of life enormous, and house-rent the dearest of all. I was asked £4 per week for two rooms unfur nished, and £8 per week for a four-roomed house partly furnished. Nothing like a horse can be bought under £lOO. In short, to describe this place properly, it is a regular hell upon earth. If you are out after nine p.m. you are sure to be robbed. A man was hanged here for shooting another fellow last week, and human life is not cared for ; and, so far has the gold excitement taken hold of every mind, that they did not care whether the Gre it Britain arrived or not. Five of our crew have run away. The passage to Sydney costs £l2 12s. each, but we can not stay here. It is, as I said before, a very hell upon earth ; but money, money, money is flying like slates. I was offered £26 each for my pistols, which cost me nine guineas in Liverpool, and I bad that price offered by a gunsmith." HORTICULTURE. A week of tolerably dry weather has allowed the out-of door operations to be commenced in some gardens. The most advisable beginning this season will be to raise the soil of the flower beds deeply but lightly with the fork so as to facilitate evaporation. Many of our spring favourites are pushing forth much earlier than usual ; even in this cold and bleak locality snowdrops are in full bloom, roses open from time to time, crocuses are spewing their flowers, the Winter Aconite has done flowering, and the various primulas are opening their buds, violets are in full flower, and the beautiful hardy shrub Pittosporum tobirum, which ought to be in every garden, is covered with its exquisitely fragrant blossoms, but our plant houses, owing to the want of sun and the excessive damp ness, are much duller than usual at this season. This is a good opportunity for giving a supply of manure to roses ; it should be old and well mixed with well rotted turf and loam. Our readers will be glad of the following valuable suggestion respecting one of our most favourite winter plants : .Evphorbia Jacquiniflora.—Allow me to offer a few re marks upon this valuable winter-flowering stove plant, which, if well-managed, in my estimation, stands un rivalled. Nevertheless, ono scarcely ever meets with a well-grown plant; they are generally very tall and de ficient of good foliage; the only point left to recom mend them is their long wreath of orange scarlet blos soms near the ends of the shoots—certainly an object worthy of admiration, but how much more would the plant be admired if it formed a well-grown bush, display ing its fine dark green pencilled foliage along with its beautiful flowers. How easily m i g ht such a plant be pro duced by merely stopping the . points of the shoots when young. lam aware that anany consider it wrong to stop this plant, or Begonia fuchsioides; but as I have tried both ways, I certainly 'give the preference to stopping. I have at the present time plants grown on both plans, so that I am well able to fudge Awilich of the two is the better.--E. Bennett, Perdiewell. SCRIPTURAL EDUCATION IN THE NEW PARISH OF ST. SIMON'S. A tea meeting was held on Thursday evening last, at• six o'clock, in the Concert Hall, Lord Nelson•street, with the express object of promoting the cause of scriptural education in the above parish by the erection of schools. The meeting was very largely attended. Not St. Simon's congregation only, but numbers of persons from the surrounding districts testified by their presence the interest which they felt in the proceedings and object of the meeting. On the platform were some ladies, who kindly undertook to preside at the speakers' table, and the Revds. J. R. Conor (incumbent of St. Simon's,) in the chair, Dr. Hume, Messrs. Higgins, Powell, S. Sutton, Bardsley, Butler, T. Sutton, Marland, Ellison, Albany Lloyd, and It. Sayers. The room was most appropriately and tastefully decorated with paintings, banners, mottoes, and emblems. The platform was profusely ornamented with evergreens and flowers beautifully arranged in arches, surmounte • by the Bible and the crown. In the gallery, immediately above the speakers, were large paintings representing the Martyrdom of Cranmer, the burning of the bones of Wickliffe, and William of Orange at the Boyne. Round the room the eye rested upon flags encircled also with wreaths of flowers and evergreens, and bearing such inscriptions as " Search the Scriptures," " Keep thy heart with all diligence," " Success to St. Simon's Schools," &c. Not the least interesting object, how ever•, was a number of the poorer children of the congre gation, who were placed in the gallery over the platform, and sang, during the intervals between the speeches, a selection of simple hymns, anthems, &c., which they have learned in the temporary schools connected with the parish. The apparent enthusiasm, with which the eloquent appeal of their hoping and happy faces, and sweet though artless voices was received by the assembly, led those most deeply interested to form expectations which were not realized. After tea, which was preceded and followed by graces sung by the children, the more important business of the was commenced by prayer. The chairman, the Rev. Mr. CONOR, then delivered an address, describing the end for which the meeting was convened, viz., the• erection of new and permanent schools in St. Simon's parish, the great and urgent necessity for such schools, the efforts hitherto made in the cause, and those still necessary before the work can be commenced. He stated that St. Simon's parish contains a very poor population of 6,134, of whom 2,416 'are children, that it abounds in gin-shops and houses of a still worse character, that the scenes which are consequently presented daily in the streets have a fearful tendency to familiarize with the grossest sins the minds of the children of his flock, to harden and demoralize them, and lead them in the path of the destroyer. He stated that the schools at present in operation are conducted in a hired house, the lease of which will expire in June next, when there will cease to be a public school of any kind in the parish, and when the children now attending the Sunday, Day, and Ragged Schools, in all about 500, must be scattered. Allusion was then made to the extreme poverty of the parishioners,. who are utterly unable, even were they inclined, to build. schools, and to the very inadequate efforts of the con gregation of the church, who, with all their desire, do not possess the means to accomplish, unassisted, the• work in view. It was calculated that the amount required would be, as in the case of several other schools already erected in Liverpool, about £3,000. Of this sum the speaker stated he hoped to obtain a third from govern ment, and a third from the merchants and tradesmen of the town, so that, consequently, there remained only £l,OOO to be raised by the exertions of the members and more immediate friends of St. Simon's Church. To half of this amount they had already pledged themselves, and Mr. Conor concluded by calling upon the meeting to come to their aid and his own, by allowing to be dis tributed among them 500 collecting cards for a pound each, which, if properly used, would complete the necessary sum. _ Interesting and eloquent appeals then followed from the Rev. Dr. Hume, Rev. Messrs. Higgins, Sutton, Powell, Bardsley, and Butler, the children singing at intervals, and the young men of the congregation, who appeared to take a lively interest in the work in hand, proceeding through the meeting, and offering collecting cards to the acceptance of those present; a collection was also made after the Rev. Mr. Sutton's address. It is to be lamented, however, that, notwithstanding so much of hope and promise at the onset, and the exertions of the clergymen who kindly undertook to advocate the cause of the poor children of St. Simon's, the meeting c altogetherrdsonly 8 failed 2 of werea effecting tke n, andth the end thus, i n desired. the Of the 500 a mysterious providence of God, a check is for the present given to a good cause, and those who feel the disappointment most bitterly must only continue to hope and pray that in His own good time He will "raise up His power and come among them," by sending the friends of religion and virtue to assist in the accomplishment of a work so dear to their hearts. A blessing was pronounced by the chairman at half-pass ten o'clock, and the meeting separated. MORALITY IN THE GOLD MINES. SOME of our readers may possibly have perused the story of the Lincolnshire shepherd, whose proceedings at one of the most flourishing Australian mines have gained for him honourable mention in the recent intelligence from the Gold-Land. Not as a fortunate candidate in the feverish race after riches, has the name of this humble emigrant been borne across the waters. Not as the discoverer of the perishable riches abounding on the hills and in the valleys of that great continent, has his story been told to ! excite human envy and cupidity. The work to which he devoted himself among a mammon-serving multitude, undertaken in love and fulfilled at first with many fears, ► was a more exalted one than the zealous ore-hunting to which thousands have dedicated themselves. He was the keeper of a flock of sheep, whose run led him daily past a " at which an eager band of gold-diggers were busily at work. Enjoying himself, on that great pasture field, the privilege of daily perusing the Bible, he sor rowed deeply at the lost condition of the miners, on many of whom the debasing lust of wealth had set its seal, while all of them, apparently, were oblivious of every interest,. save that of acquiring the coveted metal. His long thought-of purpose at length became fixed, and the shep herd went every day among the diggers to read a portion of the Word of God to them. At first they received him rudely, and endeavoured to repulse him with taunts, and even curses. But he patiently kept his ground, till, at length, the wicked oath was replaced by the kindly word of welcome. A glow of pleasure now overspread the coun tenances of the gold-hunters, as the shepherd was seen approaching their camp ; and, while they willingly laid down their implements to listen to the voice of the Eternal, and to join in the prayers of this meek and lowly messenger, morality and good - feeling were diffused throughout the hamlet. At the present moment there are thousands of emi grants on the Australian wilds pursuing a career vitiated by every evil passion which a total devotion to the ac quirement of gold can engender. And, unfortunately, large as the field is, the labourers are few. Many flocks are gorging themselves with gold in those lone valleys,- who are altogether destitute of a good shepherd. We have before us a letter, recently received from the Ben digo diggings, by a gentleman in Liverpool. The writer is an intelligent Scotsman ; and, in delineating life in Australia, he thus alludes to the state of religion and morality : ccioe : r i n T ya l i rere is here a fi e ld, a w id e fi e ld , f or th e l a b ours o f the Christian pasto r . Oh ! what a w i cked people. The . i e s filled rn w o i i t l l . l the o veriest s s C t u a m k c o f p l t a h c e e e a e r v t e h ry hour .lVlur: Gambling is a favourite pastime, and drink is the great curse of the land. Thank God there are a few good men amongst the bad, and praise Him also I that the mother country is now sending forth others than her criminals , so that by and by this beautiful land may rise in the scale of religion and morality. Before winter came on, and the roads from Melbourne to this place became almost. impassable, we used to have sermons on Sunday from Episcopalian and Roman Catholic clergymen. But now tinetoluar that, oinrui form re o rrir f to p a r fi o e br a se r ii e i never (ppurree sl h yb e y a ft r oe d rr . i a n 1) h o a n v t e h n e e d v i e g r g h in e: s r l want of a clergyman to undertake the duty. Pity, too, that it should be so, as there are very many Scotchmen on the gold fields who would be glad to attend regularly, and to subscribe hand somely for the payment of a minister. In fact, with the exception of our own stores, I do not think any others refrain from doing business on Sunday. 1 know that we were the first to begin the system of doing none on that day, for which we personally received the thanks of the Bishop of Victoria." Here the letter breaks off, and is resumed thus : "Oh ! horrible. I have just been interrupted by a fearful row about a hundred yards below my store,—a re gular Donnybrook scene of fighting. A mob of wild Irishmen attacked some ten or tweive men they had quarrelled with relative to a hole this morning. Two of them have been mortally wounded with pistol shot—one shot right through the body ! What a sight, to see him lying bathed in blood. I have been busy dressing some fearful rashes in the head of another ! About a dozen are wounded. I feel half sick now with looking at the fright ful gashes that some of them have got. Awful state of things, this ! I never venture out without my pistols, but fortunately as yet I have had no occasion to use them. I see from the latest home papers that government are going to send soldiers out here ; but what would be the use of the whole army in a place like this, where there are so many old convict ruffians, who ca re ne ith er f or lif e nor death—heaven nor hell ! " While the commercial world respond to the cry for material help from that vast colony, shall the Church. neglect her more momentous mission ? There are al— ready not a few excellent and devoted ministers labouring in that land, but a vast addition must be made to the number of the Evangelists ere a branch of the Church can , be planted in every gold hamlet, and a rising country, of vast extent, and with a rapidly increasing population, se— cured for the Church of Christ. MR. MECHI'S BALANCE SHEET AGAIN.—A corres pondent of the Morning Herald, adverting to a lecture recently delivered by Mr. Mechi on agriculture, says :-- " With reference to your article on Mr. Mechi's lecture, allow me to ask through your columns why he has not published his Michaelmas balance-sheet ? That of the previous year showed a deficiency or loss of upwards of X 6 .00, but which Mr. Mechi, in a note appended to it, in timated that he should recover the following year. It Is not just to the farmers, over whom he has set himself as a tutor, that h e s h ou ld w ithh o ld ouc h an i mi t r uctive document." THE CALORIC SHIP ERICSSON. This new American Caloric Steam-ship, which uses heated air instead of steam, as a motive power, and thereby saves, it is said, 80 per cent. in the consumption of coals, will make her first trip across the Atlantic to London, instead of to Liverpool, as originally expected. The following is a description of the invention, by a French engineer : The great principle which serves as its base of operation, namely, that of the return of the caloric, has demanded from the inventor twenty years' reflections to be embodied in a machine. It consists in availing himself constantly of the same heat to heat the air which is introduced into the cylinders. The instrument by means of which this principle is applied is called a regenerator, and a clear idea of it may be had by supposing a man with his mouth filled by hot metallic sponge. If he draw breath, the outer air, in traversing the pores of the warm sponge, will be heated, and will arrive in the lungs warm, whilst the sponge having yielded its caloric, will become cold. If he make a respiration of this hot air, it, in passing again through the sponge, will heat the latter, and will arrive at the other side cold again. If, instead of the individual producing these movements by the contractions of the muscles of his breast, a common bellows be fitted to his mouth to produce the action of breathing and res piring, we have almost Erlcsson's machine. This machine is composed of two vertical cylinders, one Placed over the other. The lower one is the working cylinder—the upper one is a pump, which compresses the air into a reservoir placed over it. This reservoir and cy linder are united by a tube which passes through the re generator, and is provided with ordinary valves to open or close the communication. Under the cylinder there is a fire-place. The fire being lighted, the first operation for setting the machine to work is by an outer means to compress the air into a reservoir. That done, the communication with the cylinder is opened—the air being precipitated into it, driving the piston upward ; and as this piston is connected by iron trucks with that of the pump, the lat ter immediately compresses into the reservoir the quan tity of air which has left it. The surface of the mover being almost double that of the pump, the air has taken by contact with the bottom of the cylinder the quantity of heat necessary to double its volume in conserving its pres sure. Half of the force contained in this compressed air is employed by the pump to compress cold air ; the other half constitutes the power of the machine. When the piston reaches the top of its course, the valves are worked in such a manner as to close the reser voir of cold air, and to let the hot air escape from the cy linder through the regenerator. This air is cooled in it before reaching the atmosphere, and leaves its heat in store. The weight of the piston is sufficient to produce this result, and to draw it itself to the bottom of the cy linder. The valves being restored to their proper posi tion, the piston ascends again ; but from that moment the air, which passes from the reservoir to the cylinder, be coming heated in passing through the regenerator, the hot bottom of the cylinder has no longer aught to do save to supply the small quantity of heat of which it has been deprived by the air driven off, and that lost by radiation from the hot surface. The construction of the Ericsson is not a commercial enterprise—it is an experiment in science upon a gigantic scale. The hull of the ship, remarkable for the perfection of its model, is 250 feet in length, 40 feet breadth of beam, and 27 feet depth of hold. Over the deck rise four funnels, 30 inches in diameter, and only 12 feet in height. Two of them serve as chimneys—the other two serve to let out the air which leaves the regenerators. The wheels are 32 feet in diameter, and 10 feet in breadth. Cylinder and Piston.—The cylinders are fourteen feet in diameter, and the piston has six feet stroke. Hardly a year since, the largest cylinders that had ever been cast were eight feet in diameter, and the possibility of casting larger ones without defects was doubted. Another diffi culty, declared by many persons to be insurmountable, was that of preventing the pistons from becoming hot, a circumstance which would destroy the gear by preventing its being greased. The pistons are hollow boxes, flat on top and concave beneath ; their size at the top is six feet, hut the gear only occupies the upper portion. The inte rior of the pistons is filled with plaster and coal bodies, which are bad conductors of heat. This arrangement has succeeded so well that the heat of the apparatus is hardly great enough to melt fat. The Fires and Bottoms of the Cylinders.—The bottom of the cylinders is a convex surfa:T above, and formed in such a manner as to be exactly inclosed in the piston when it descends. This bottom is an inch and a-half in thick ness, and is heated by means of the fire of anthracite or coke, placed five feet lower. This distance has been adopted so that the bottom would not redden, and it has answered so well the purpose expected from it, that it is already supposed that the bottoms will be able, though in contact with the air, to endure longer than four years, the average duration of steam boilers in the United States. Regenerator.—This part of the apparatus, undoubtedly the most remarkable, is that which has been the first in vented, and has since given the least embarrassment to the inventor. The regenerator is composed of a series of metallic nets, placed parallel to each other in a box six feet in breadth by four in height. Each of the nets con tain, therefore, twenty-four square feet ; there are 200 of them for each cylinder, that is, almost 20,000 square feet, The number of meshes is computed at a hundred million ; the threads of the nets are about the sixteenth of an inch in diameter. Pressure and Te?nperature.—The pressure which has been found the most advantageous, is that of 12Ibs. to the square inch—that is to say, a little more than an at mosphere. The highest temperature to which the air is elevated in the interior of the cylinder is 384 deg. Faren heit. To double its volume it would be necessary that it should attain to 450 deg. ; but this degree of temperature would cause inconveniences which it is desirable to avoid. When the air, after having done the work assigned to it in the machine, is expelled from the vessel, its heat is only 30 deg. greater than the outer temperature. When the machine gives fifteen strokes per minute, the quantity of air used by the machinery is equal to seventy-five tons an hour. With that datum the quantity of heat carried away by the rejected air may be calculated by recollecting that the calorific capacity of the element is only one fourth part that of water. The Stop.—An essential, though not apparent arrange ment, is that of the apparatus of the stop, which, in closing the valve before the end of the stroke, permits the employment of the air's power of expansion. In the pump, the air taken by the exterior pressure does not attain to the pressure of 12 lbs. until the piston has traversed thirty inches of its course. In the cylinder, the pressure is 12 lbs. per inch during the two-thirds of its course : the valve is then closed, and the last third is worked by the expansive power of the air. But to get 12 lbs. of real pressure, as there is on one side of the piston 15 lbs. of atmospheric pressure, there is from within 27 lbs. of pressure ; this, detained in the proportion of two to three, leaves at the end of the course 18 lbs. This is only 3 lbs. per inch over the ordinary pressure. The other parts of the new machine present no disposi tion thatappears deservingof being particularlym en ti one d. Mr. Ericsson states that his ship will only consume six tons of charcoal in the twenty-four hours in the produc tion of a 600 horse power. The exactitude of these calcu lation must yet receive the einctieti of experiesee. CHI THE N Infirmary CHESTE Runcorn,] 'Z LA toplace evening. THE Mo count Cot attack of 1 THE TH took Place Woodside TRE . CL, present lee rooms, Gr( THE POl have been bedding, a dent gentr AloNuoi have been pound, ma out of the THE f bachelors furnished t ment last i Royal Roc THE W E Lower Trai brought iv; re-opened the Rev. 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