The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-02-03 00:00:00

Feb. 3, 1846. Genera! liftisreiTant). The Leag ue f un d h as now reached £160,000. The rea Hon. E. L asce ll es, son o f L ord H arewoo d , h as Mme forward as the conservative candidate for Ripon. A very general anti-militia movement is getting up throughout the country. It is one as vain as it is un necessary. Lord Lincoln, having announced his intention to sup port the p rem i er, has been requested by his consti,uents to vacate his seat for South Nottinghamshire. „ is expected that Sir Robert Peel's measure will pass PIF Co mmons by a very small majority—under 30. If so, It is sure to be rejected by the Lords. It is stated that the Duke of Wellington has had a large 'lumbe r of the proxies which were withdrawn from him on the first blush of the ministerial business returned to him. by an e Young men were killed, on Friday, at Lambeth, xplosion of fi re - wor k s , an d th ree o th ers w ere dan gerously hurt ,., In the course of a case at the London Bankruptcy on Saturday, it came out that the insolvent, a Milkman, had paid £l7O for his walk. Lord R e d esdale has given up the post of whipper-in for t he government in the House of Lords, in consequence of the new measure. Mosbrook Wi snEcn.—There i s t o b e seen in the garden of Mr. Woodward, of the South Brink, Wisbech, gooseberry trees bearing fruit of this year's growth. z The amount of wheat in bond in this country on sth of t : l tlarY was 944,548 quarters of foreign, and 3,344 quer rs of colonial produce. till' testimony of the unwearied exertions on behalf of free church, Mr. Fox Maule has been presented with a large and beautifl drawing-room screen. There are more u prisoners in the Wakefield House of Corre ction at the p resen t ti me th an th er e has been for three years. It is said th a t L or d A s hl ey w ill vaca t e hi s sea t f or etshire prior to voting on the commercial propositions of the Premier, as they far exceed his expectations. „Yo Saturday night, a young woman, apparently be ;the Veil twenty and thirty years of age, threw herself off Hungerford Suspension Bridge, and was drowned. _ N° fewe r th an fifty-four thousand copies of the Times, containing the Pre m ie r ' s speech were printed on Wed nesday. ,On Thursday week, Mr. Thomas Wrigley, of Congle rti, committed suicide by taking laudanum, near Mat 'ot, whither he had gone for the benefit of his health. Ew mtk--Mr. Stuart, Q.C., was elected without r _ P P o sition, M.P. f or thi s b oroug h on T ues d a y l as t, i n the i lt r l a tn of the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone. f ' ATt n I FF.—It is said that Dr. Nicholl intends to retire ;Pin the will representation of Cardiff, and that Mr. Glad "'rs be his successor. ▪ -1 Sunday last, a female, name unknown, who had bist herself in to the rrived in London in a cab from Barnet, threw Thames, and was drowned. and girl w as f ound, a day or two b ac k , i n t h e Gl ouces t er .' Berk e l ey C ana l, un d er c i rcums t ances w hich lead to the belief that she has been murdered. liThe Gazelle s t eamer , on h er p ass age from London to in on Sunday week, when near the Dudgeon light, fell I !'ith a schooner of about 80 tons, coal laden ; and a collision took place which resulted in the schooner sinking. tet. female named Cooper, at Walsall, has been commit tbr 'n a charge of manslaughter, for having caused t her neg l ect t h e d eat h o f h er i n f an t child, which as literally starved. to °4 Friday fortnight, Mr. Thomas Wrigley, of Congle -1,41' C ommitted suicide at Matlock by taking laudanum. hie e deceased had failed in business, which so preyed upon mipd as to incite him to self destruction. . g o i itt ltog the Parliamentary recess, the massive official Prodchain of the Usher of the Black Rod has been taken Llta the drawer in which it was deposited. The drawer uad been forced open. sz•ii, gentleman stated, at the Clerkenwell Police-o ffi ce, on fin ur day, that he paid £1,600 a year for the dust of Is thegton parish, and that e c3lculated his loss, yearly, by Pilferage o fd ustmen h at between £4OO and £5OO. Te T i i n late and long-continued heavy rains have caused lands' to overflow its banks, inundating all the low depth fo r miles above and below Windsor-bridge, to the e l , h Pth e of several f ee t. that , Morning Herald, of Friday, expresses its belief 1 ,1 1 the rumours of ministerial resignations given else , ere are well founded, and adds, that they are likely to " f°llo d p ro by more. a re ,'ay s London papers contain a note from Lord de ✓ stating that no application had been made to him to ro Mr. Gladstone f Ripon, and consequently that ther e could have been n o refusal. that Ashley in his speech on Thursday night, hinted t he '` i le should 'not have another opportunity of addressing te t o" . "se of Commons. It is said that the noble lord in .; .s, after voting for Sir Robert Peel's measure, tore -11 his seat and appeal to his constituents for re-e lection. o u v i IiA RGP of MURDER.—At the Lambeth Police-court, teC"daY, Mr. Frederick Munton, a respectable master ibl , was c h arge d, on susp i c i on , w i t h w ilf u lly cu tti ng e tor hroat of his wife, with intent to murder her. lie gas reman de d. eir' r • E.B. Geary, of Chancery-lane, London, a soli of considerable standing, is in custody, charged with i,;,.g: t ig chancery certificate and a bank receipt for the t a k - "' of £2596 175., with intent to defraud the trustees of "e c , Rev. Ed war d ranks, a deceased lunatic, of the same. °PAOE HUSBANDRY.—This system of cultivation is phorning rife in the rural districts east of Knaresbrough. ;e experiment is said to have exceeded the most san- Aline expectations of its patrons, where it had been tried Last year. The radical press have represented Mr. Stuart, the new Pei:ober for Newark, as " a second-rate barrister." So iar f rom this being the case, however, Mr. S. is the lead g Counsel in the pr'ncipal Vice-Chancery Court, and in " °a sequence o f hi s a b sence a t N ewar k , i t was actua ll y he cea sarY to close the court for a day. FATAL ACCIDENT.—At a place called Milton Chapel, near Canterbury, a splendid viaduct, consisting of three exPansi ve arches, with the approaches on each side, se- Tred hur ,uY vari ous intersecting little arches, fell in last killed, and one of the workmen repairing it was Cr I3EPL ORABLE MISTAKE.—On the 10th instant, George dieV , Esq•, of the Yniscedwin Iron Works, Breconshire, terms Iconsequence of having taken,. by mistake, ao K Inpid ( composed of . canthari t d h e e s and gentleman _at?! mistake waa committed b 1,0_ 13,1 be lingered in dreadful agony for three days. t a Ct' n e Herald, of Friday, says that many resignations h of hoPterial offices , as well as of offices in the royal ouse roiLe n 'aY be exuected. They were expected before the de-rktsterial plan was promulgated, and when it was consi tad as likely to be less formidable than it has proved ; 4 1 ., °° Ny they must be realised, and realised in greater fluers than was thought probable, before Tuesday. Pre::,° ° TlNG.—On Friday and Saturday week, in the tra,Zres, ne ar L ow th er , th e E ar l o f Lo ns d a le g ave a So l "' abuotin g t rea t t o a num b er o f hi s s po r ti n g f r i e nds, ksaLgst whom w e r e the H o n. Col. Lowther, the Messrs. shot aril, &c. About 500 hares and other game were tens' W hich his lordship made presents of to his friends, e t rY, tradesmen, and workmen. Sto„"lt FAILURES.—The London papers announce the Sba a ge of anothe r b an k in Yorkshire—namely, the target '4 7- " Ie ld Retford Bank. At the time the Leeds and Riding Bank stopped payment last week it . held a thet a mount of ra il wa y deposits, which it had rem ved as anns' en ts of the Sheffield and Retford Bank, from per et Leeds and the neighbourhood. Ta AL QUARREL.—A lad named Robson was killed on vren - '"• Y night, by his uncle, named Routledge, at Swal- The VJorthamberland, where both the parties resided. .ariel e u , It appeared, was abusing his moher, when the tetr e , the mother's brother, came into he t house, and in- Oeph r ed, and after some quarrelling, the uncle struck his ti tt o it , thho e rci sudde n ly en the jugular vein, when the latter fell 1: and expired almost immediately. John Manners has addressed a letter to his con re i ; p el lts at Newark, in which be states that his opinion he vi e protection has undergone a change ; but that P ee e!s the proposal of free-trade measures by Sir lord hi▪ p states that he shall vote against the comprehen for ituleasure, unless his constituents desire him to vote 'oa s e i _Practice of th e B an k o f En g land with regard to the ha s undergone a no ther modification, in restricting atid --n rntaodations to fourteen days only ; but this is eanterstood to have reference only to the applications do v e c , t ed with the railway deposits, and has nothing to to then the n ew measures o f government. W it h regar d rho, t a few days only are now requited to re e all this weight from the money market. Itb il ß e E COURIERS.—The courier of the Morning Herald, Was .conveyin g the last India despatchesfromlMarseilles, Ni!Eilled by the overturning of his cabriole. The Ttmes tag e ` e r c , whose instructions are, to take no illiberal advan- Da4' a competitor, brought forward the Herald's des far then Roanne, where, however, the Herald courier vie -e next stage did not appear, so that . both despatches for:delivered to The Times Paris courier and brought crd to England. ot,°I`,sCIENCE.—A short time ago Mr. James Baker, th of Hereford,received a letter bearing the , Ina id 'a Post mark, and enclosing one dozen of postage nf Ps, which, it was stated, were forwarded as the value Yes r ,, t uall glass seal stolen out of Mr. Baker's shop seven the 1 ," , e .ga• It does not appear that Mr. B. ever missed the real worth of which was about sixpence, iZe tll re et s ': t iel . tb e' e repentant thief restored cent. per cent. for Pla cc Oo .3Etturday week, an explosion of gunpowder took . Pon the premises of Mr. Edward Garratt, grocer whi e h ru ggist at Arnold, four miles from butt ottngham, atter,dels t ruYed a large amount of property, was not sons is with the immediate loss of life. Several per. rats i s ere, however, seriously injured, and George Gar trneetill°t expected to re cove r. The injuries done to the "hole es are estimated at £350, and to the building, the ° s l which will have to be taken down, at £4OO. tbesron,atnurdaY week, at a late hour, a man named Bro teritler„ , a state of intoxication it is believed, went to a aroo s i:'an a house near Harrogate, for the purpose of dresse'Blg ,the servant, to whom be was paying his ad ° ut making an unusual noise, be was suspected oc thief, and, in the momentary fear and excitement, aria of e l',Pier of the house seized a gun, and, by his orders, ton , t , ,_‘ r ne servant men poured the contents into Brother blto east, who soon after expired. teedittar'PrlL Wednesday week, near l ived it ai , a, mr. Go ACCIDENT.—On kar g l, ll a Cattage n w e n a a ß srna h l f mer and butcher, who d m ar Church went in to the 4hootinelo_ll..the above day e w e ith a his gun, for , the purposeof are;' wild fowl. On returning home he was playfully ° dossg. "'s boy, a sweet child about three years of age, and b ' he unthinkingly set his gun down on the butt on the mu high, loaded and on cock, the father leaning up itoewr. To.nibse tweeo ,tnuzzle. , w t s sie t g h s i , s moment the child was playing be and unconsciously pulled the trig ent off, and the contents ' entered the tlt tt r Part -".• e t ur the bead, blowing the poor man s brains out Ina% ,': ° P of the skull. We need hardly add t..ha . t be was eulat e l .1 , a corpse, stretched at the feet of his innocent, ug happ boy. —Ipswich Express. The extraordinary mildness of the weather has led to results of a singular character as affects the vegetable kingdom. The shrubs have begun to put forth their foli age, and in some sheltered places the pear trees are in blossom. The cuckoo has been heard, and most of the birds are in full song. SIGNS OF THE TIMES.—It will be seen by an adver tisement that the Hon. W. H. Dawnay has withdrawn from the representation of the county of Rutland, on ac count (as he observes) of his being " unable to gainsay the startling details in Sir R. Peel's explanations," and yet being unwilling to act contrary to the principles upon which he was elected to the House of Commons. The belief,is that Viscount Campden will again offer himself for that county ; and it is even said that he will not be op posed. The Marquis of Exeter's eldest son (Lord Burgh ley) will not be of age till the 30th of April.—Stamford Mercury. It is said in the highest circles, that the most illustrious personage in the kingdom has, with her own fair hand, written a kind and condescending letter to a Whig noble man, expressive of regret that any objection had arisen to his :holding office, when on a late occasion the task of forming an administration had been confided to Lord John Russell. This gracious act must console the noble man in question for the repugnance of a certain noble earl to his appointment, and is very gratifying to his lord ship's friends.—Daily News.—[Office, or power and pelf, my lord, would have " Consoled " you much better than "a kind and condescending letter."] HYSTERICS INDUCED BY SYMPATHY. —At a recent inquest, a wife, giving evidence touching her husband's death, seemed about to faint, and the summoning officer and others hastened to her support. The coroner said she would be better if left to herself ; and his advice hav ing been followed, she gave her evidence without anything like overpowering emotion, until towards its conclusion, a juror expressing sympathy for her situation she became hysterical, and in that state was led out of the room. The coroner then said that sympathy invariably produced such an effect, whilst apparent harshness or indifference towards persons in the witness's situation seemed to string their nerves, and enable them to perform painful duties, for which commiseration would unfit them. TROTTING MATCH.—ATROCIOUS CRUELTY.—A few days ago, at Leeds, a wager was laid between Mr. John Hutchinson, pipe -maker, and Mr. Proctor Hall, solicitor, that Hutchinson's pony should trot 120 miles in 24 hours. Hutchinson staked £2O that he should : Mr. hall £lO that be could not. A butcher officiated as jockey. The start took place on the Skipton road, at nine o'clock on the Thursday morning, and the poor beast kept well up to his task until four o'clock the following afternoon, when he manifested symptoms of distress. Thirty miles, however, remained unaccomplished, and stimulants were administered, which so far re-animated the dying animal, that he again started, and completed the undertaking, but died on the Sunday afterwards. HORRIBLE AFFAIR.—At Greenwich police•office, last week, Anna Maria Richardson, daughter of the late as sistant to Professor Airy, of the Royal Observatory, at Greenwich, was brought up under the following circum stances. The father of the girl has a wife and nine chil dren, and formerly held a situation at a salary of £240 a year, but was discharged in consequence of some disgust ing circumstances which have come to light. Suffice it to say, that his daughter left home and occupied lodgings which had been engaged for her by her father, where she was delivered of a male child on the 15th of September, and which she says died on the 25th of the same month. After its death the father bought a coffin, in which he placed the body of the child, and buried it in a garden, where it was found by a labourer who was making a cess pool. The child is supposed to have been poisoned ; at any rate, there is sufficient evidence to show that Richard son, who has absconded, was a party concerned in con cealing the birth. The prisoner was remanded. EFFECTS OF THE HIGH TIDE.—The highest tide in the memory of any one was that in the Bristol Channel on Thursday, and did much damage. At Weston super Mare, the beautiful new esplanade, erected a few years since at great cost, and repaired only last season at a very large outlay, has been all but completely destroyed. It has been always considered safe from the encroachments of the sea, but the high tide of Thursday overtopped it, threw down its walls, and washed away a considerable portion of the embankment. It will cost some hundreds of pounds to repair it. The lower esplanade was more fortunate, and successfully resisted the power of the waves. A boat belonging to the place was washed on shore, and her bottom beaten in, and another vessel was injured. The surrounding neighbourhood is also much flooded. At Kingston Seymour, a wall which was erected to keep out the sea from overflowing the pasture lands was thrown down, and about 40 sheep destroyed. The Bristol arid Exeter Railway, near Highbridge, is under water for full two miles, and the first and second up trains were detained in consequence for a considera able time. It is said that below Bridgewater the damage has been even more considerable. BRITISH SAILORS ON BOARD OF AMERICAN SHIPS. —A correspondent of the London Times who signs him self " Sailor," remarks that it behoves brother Jonathan to be acquainted with the following fact :—That although Great Britain's hardy sons do now contribute some three fourths of the crews of the United States' navy—pro bably, also, of their merchant vessels—there is not one man amongst them who will be the traitor to his country to " trip an anchor " or " trim a sail," much less " light a match," on board that craft which shall dare to insult or attack his own glorious ensign. Nor can it be too ge nerally known that last year, when America agitated the same Oregon qu -stion, and the intelligence became ir culated in the east, several of her men-of-war, then at an chor at Singapore-roads t were unable to put, to sea in con sequence of the majority of their crews, who were En glishmen, going aft to a man, and demanding of the cap tains and officers an assurance that they should not be re quired, by word or deed, to work their vessels against their country. Upon this assurance, and this only, have those vessels ever been able to move from their untoward fix ; and they, as well as others, floating under the spang led-banner, will, most undoubtedly, become placed in the same unenviable position, should Mr. Polk and his friends dare to move their pioneers one inch upon the neutral ground of Oregon." ADVENTURE OF A HORSE.—Many of our readers will recollect of the story of the British sailor, who, falling from the topmast of a Dutch war vessel, happened to alight on the deck on his feet unhurt, and, turning the quid of tobacco in his mouth, and shrugging up his trou sers, looked coolly around him and asked the astonished foreigners " If any of them cou'd do the like of that ?" The following is a sort of parallel to it :—On Thursday, while a cart at Coal-hill, Leith, was about to be emptied of its contents into a vessel, and being backed for that purpose, the protecting chain gave way and cart and horse fell over the quay-side, a height of about fifteen feet to the vessel below. Being entangled, however, by the rigging in their progress they were for a time suspended ' in mid-air, until the horse was extricated and laid on the ship's deck. By this time a crowd had collected, and great was the laudable anxiety manifested to know how far the animal had been injured. For a long time he lay immoveable on the deck, and various were the surmises as to his fate. To the satisfaction of all, however, he at last got upon his feet and looked around him—as the sai lor did. As he could not be got upon the quay he was unceremoniously turned over the ship's side into the wa ter, where, being taken in tow by a boat, he swam up to the slip where the railway improvements are going on, and being there mounted by his driver, he shook his tail, and, to the amusement of the numerous on-lookers, pas sed along the stone bridge, like Tam o'Shanter's mare at a round gallop, as if nothing had happened !—Edinburgh Paper. THE HOUSE AND ITS AVENUES ON TUESDAY EVE NING.—No event has recently excited such intense and general interest in the metropolis, as the anticipated statement of Sir Robert Peel on Tuesday night, develop ing his measures for the abandonment of the " protective system." As early as one o'clock, " strangers" wbo had obtained orders of admission to the gallery of the House of Commons, began to assemble at the doors ; and, by two o'clock, there were four times as many ap plicants, holding members' orders, as could be accommo dated in the house. Long before four, the lobbies and passages leading to the House of Commons, as well as the street between Great George-street and Westminster Abbey, were crowded with well-dressed persons. Many of the members who were recognised, and known to be opponents of the Corn-laws, were warmly cheered; and the Duke of Wellington, in passing along Palace-yard, on his way to the House of Lords, came in for a full share of popular applause. On the doors being opened, a few minutes before four, there was a tremendous rush to the Strangers' Gallery, which was speedily filled. The interior of the house presented a spectacle widely differ ent from its usual dull and quiet appearance at so early an hour. The seats below the bar, to which strangers are admitted on the personal introduction of members, were crowded by peers and other distinguished individuals : and, on the front seat, immediately behind the Serjeant. at-Arms, sat Prince Albert, with the Duke of Cambridge and the Earl of Jersey. This was the first visit paid by his Royal Highness to the house during its sitting; and considerable speculation arose as to the motives of his presence—whether it was attributable to mere curiosity or to a desire, in an exalted quarter, to countenance the ministerial measure. The members continued arriving in rapid succession until half-past four o'clock, when the house presented a striking and exciting scene—not only the body of the house, but the side galleries also, being completely crowded. Indeed, there has not been so full an attendance of members for many years, even during the debates of Sir Robert Peel's Corn-law Bill, in 1842, or the no less important discussions on the tariff. Sir Robert rose at a quarter to five o'clock, and the hum of conversation which had resounded through the house was instantly hushed. The right hon. baronet spoke in his usual firm and manly tone : but his statement was re ceived with great coolness by the majority of members on his own side, and he was indebted, almost entirely, to the oppositionists for the cheers with which some of his sentiments and declarations were greeted. At the conclusion of Sir Robert's statement, many of the mem bers left the house; and those who remained relapsed into their usual indifference during the brief discussion, or conversation which subsequently took place.— Watch man. _ . _ NAVIGATION.—To the inhabitants of a " sea girt isle," like unto Great Britain, and indeed to every other mari time nation, every instance of valor or skill evinced by those devoted to navigation is justly and honourably es teemed. The deed of Grace Darling was one of heroism and benevolence ; and recently the affair of the schooner " Whim," which has been navigated four thousand miles by Captain Kerridge and only one man, all the hands on board having died, with the exception of one other, who was incapacitated. No such other instance of naval skill and indefatigable exertion is known in the records of naval history ; from their continued exposure to the atmosphere, they were in hourly danger of an attack of Rheum a tism, which, had it occurred , their fate, and that of the ship and cargo, would have been sealed. To guard against such a calamity, we would recommend that all persons should be provided with Blair's Gout and Rheumatic Pills, which may be taken at any time without restraint of employment. THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD. THE RAILWAYS NORTH AND SOUTH OF THE FRITH OF FORTH. SKETCH SHEWINO THE EDINBURGH AND NORTHERN RAILWAY IN FITESHIRE, AND ITS CONNEXION WITH THE NORTHERN RAILWAYS, AND THE GREAT PIER AT BURNTISLAND. Ni * I ,c * ..b , . c / • 4c`• '. oc> > / ~'' i. /. I V I'V'lll v. ,, te°' '4 l 4.4 .0 d • Yorie• , •It , x:•° - 3,1 , v "'s's / I e--°' SKETCH Of the EDINBURGH, NEWHAVEN, LEITH, & GRANTON RAILWAY, chewing its connexion with Bur titisland Purnt• islaDd FIR T II 0 4 , ) 4, ca °.1.412t0„ .I).e 64 I. II ll I_, • r--- i elth Dock ~o ..4> z> h'. LEITH 1M Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway '7 _ ___, ......1 wt.. •••••••n maw.. a.ra sr.. •••••• 1•••• ••••=. Station 4 , 4 , .: *''' •"/ "e! We give above two sketches—not very elaborate affairs, having been hastily got up, but still, we trust, sufficiently accurate to serve the purpose of the few observations which we wish to make upon them. The first shows the direction of the four lines north of the Forth, viz. : The Edinburgh and Northern, the Scottish Central, the Scottish Midland, and the Dundee and Perth. The second shows the direction of the four companies south of the Forth, centering in Edinburgh, viz. :—The Edinburgh and Glasgow, the North British. the Caledo nian. and the Edinburgh, Leith, and Granton. Our object in offering to our readers the plans in question, and the remarks which we propose making upon them, we shall briefly explain. It is a well-known fact, that a large amount of the capi tal invested in Scottish railways has been furnished by parties in England ; and, we believe, we may safely affirm, that of the lines south of the Forth, particularly the Edin burgh and Glasgow and the Edinburgh, Leith, and Gran ton, above one-half, at least, of the shares are held in Li verpool, Manchester, and London—the bulk in the two former localities. Hence the judicious and impartial management of these companies becomes an object to secure which we are necessarily deeply solicitous. Share holders at a distance, who have no local interests to serve —no local or personal jealousies or piques to gratify— nothing, in short, to influence them beyond the natural desire to see the most made of their investments—look with a keen eye upon anything in the management of con cerns in which they are interested, which affords even the shadow of a suspicion that such concerns are not carried on with an immediate view to their permanent interests, but that these are postponed to the advancement of some other objects with which they have neither sympathy nor connexion. _ _ _ _ North British t?.2174., A \ op t° , s oe4) For some time we have known that a strong feeling of dissatisfaction has existed among the shareholders in Lan cashire with the management of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway—an undertaking capable of vast devel opment and, by judicious handling, of becoming second in importance to no railway north or south of the Tweed. The shareholders have never been able to fathom at what precise object the directors and their chairman were dri ving. It was apparent to all the world, and admitted by the Edinburgh and Glasgow Board themselves, that it was of the first importance to their railway to secure an effi cient communication with the sea, for their inland and export and coastwise traffic ; and also to get the best pos sible station in the centre of the town of Edinburgh. Both these objects the shareholders conceived might have been gained by the Edinburgh and Glasgow Board coming to an k r ,reement, based on equitable terms to both parties, with the Edinburgh, Leith, and Granton Board. The latter had a station at the North-bridge of Edinburgh, than which a better or more central for the traffic of all the companies south of the Forth was impossible to be projected. They had also a connexion with the docks of Leith, and the splendid new piers of Granton and New haven, impossible to be excelled in convenience, and which it is very unlikely that parliamect will ever allow to be interfered with by any competing lines. The English shareholders of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway naturally expected to see the board 3f directors of that line, at once and without equivocation, avail them selves of the vast advantages which it held forth to their property. They expected to see an amalgamation, on equitable terms, between the two companies ; and we can unhesitatingly affirm that they estimated the advantages which the Edinburgh, Leith, and Granton Company could confer upon their line—holding, as they did, the keys of the city and of the sea—at quite as high, or a higher, value than any which their line could confer upon the Edinburgh, Leith, and Granon. Their jealousy and suspicion of want of judgment, or some other impelling cause, was unequivocally entertained when they saw the Edinburgh and Glasgow Company playing a fast and loose game of negotiation with a company whose friend ship was so much to be desired, and ultimately lending their co-operation to competing lines—atmospheric and others—which they saw it to be manifestly impossible that the legislalure could ever sanction. An amalgama tion, they conceived, was for the mutual advantage of both companies; and such a course they are prepared at the present moment to advocate almost to a man. We, of course, are not behind the scenes. We cannot tell what feeling it is which induces the Chairman of the Edinburgh and Glasgow to throw impediments in the way of the realization of the wishes of the bulk of the shareholders, and of the advancement of the real interests of the line, at whose management he is the head. We can assure him, however, that the time is not far distant when, if the present policy is persevered in, they will take into theirl own hands a little more of the direction of their own affairs, than they at present possess. And with respect to the shareholders of the Edinburgh, Leith, and Granton, we can tell him that they are becoming so far apprized of their unassailable strength, that they will not long allow their line to be purchaseable at the fair rate of equality, at which it has been hitherto offered. Already it will be seen that they have taken the first step towards the assertion of their own independance, by an amalgamation, on equitable terms, with the Edinburgh and Northern, by which they secure the whole of the Northern Traffic from Burntisland pier'across the Forth to Granton pier. The former pier we suspect is already in treaty to be purchased by them, and it is not improba ble the purchase of the latter may be effected, by which advantages to both lines will be secured, the extent of which it is impossible to appreciate, and of a participation in which the Edinburgh and Glasgow board are by their conduct depriving themselves. 111 ... tbepr r esent position of railway matters, a Parliament can obviously sanction no more competing lines, unless it can be shewn that some great public benefit will accrue ; and we are certain that, on this very ground, Mr. Lear mouth's pet schemes are mere moonshine, and the Edinburgh, Leith and Granton is, and will remain, impregnable. We invite our readers to turn to the maps, with which we furnish them, and to say if anything better, in the shape of accommodation, can possibly be devised than that which the Edinburgh, Leith and Granton affords for the city traffic, and for a connection with the sea to all the railways centreing in Edinburgh. And, moreover, we ask them if it is likely that, with such a line already formed, the valuable property in the City of Edinburgh and near the docks of Leith will be permitted by the Legislature to be invaded, without some pressing emer gency to render it inevitable. The unhesitating answer will be—No ! And now for the Northern plan. A few months ago it was the wish of the Northern Railway to secure a Central Station near the Harbour of Perth. Difficulties, how ever, intervened in the companies coming to an amicable conclusion, which two government engineers, Captains Goddington and Cleather, were dispatched to Scotland to solve; and their inquiries and negotiations have termi nated in the arrangement of all questions in dispute, and the recommendation to form the admirable central station at Perth, as marked in our plan. We hold out this exam ple to the companies south of the Forth, as worthy of their imitation ; and if they continue to meet with obstacles in the obstinacy of members of their respective boards, let the shareholders, at the approaching half-yearly meetings take their affairs into their own hands. Really valuable undertakings ought not to he allowed to be shipwrecked for the want of firmness in their proprietors to repress the want of forethought of those in whose hands they have placed the management of such great interests. 4,...0....................) FerrY-Por t •Abirnethy f °C) • k st. t ,„arews* , % se • , si\ z . )fire nny . . e rai, '`...... 7 —/ l'argo,---__/ - " ------- -----" • Dysart e • Kirkalcly wall. OF FO RTH Burntisland o • VieTil LOCAL NEWS LIVERPOOL TRADE.—The number of vessels which passed through the Rock Channel was, in 1844, 9226; in 1845, 7910. There passed through the Victoria Chan nel, in 1845, 28,861, and in 1844, 26,760. HIGHWAY BOARD, THURSDAY.—There were 14 mem bers present—Mr. J. Holmes in the chair. The business generally was of but minor importance. On the bill being read relative to the water carts, Mr. Procter observed that these vehicles were miserably horsed.—Mr. Higgins com plained that no report had yet been brought up by the Water Committee appointed to watch the progress of the works. A large sum had been paid, and no notice had been taken of it. He urged that a report should be pre sented by the commitee that day fortnight. Mr. Kaye said that Mr. Simpson could supply as much information as the committee by a formal report.—Mr. Gladstone called attention to the dangerous state of Dale Street, by parties not driving on the right side.—Mr. Lawrence said the bye-law would be printed and enforced.—Mr. Walthew hoped they would also enforce a penalty on persons throwing orange peel on the footwalks.—lt was agreed that the report handed in by Mr. Walthew, relative to the the streets and sanitary condition of West Derby, should be printed. WEST DERBY UrsiioN.—The usual weekly meeting of this body took place on Tuesday. It appeared that there was in the treasurer's hands a balance in favour of the union of £378 ss. 3d. The sum of £1233 2s. 9d. was ordered to be paid to the county treasurer for county rates, on or before the 22rd of February. A note from the bailiff of the coroner of the borough, addressed to the chief assistant overseer of West Derby, was read by that officer to the board, stating that, on Thursday, 22nd instant, the bodies of two newly born female infants were found within that township. In the first case a verdict of wilful murder had been returned against some person or persons unknown, but in the second nothing could be affirmed as to the cause of death. The report of the visiting committee of the workhouse was read by the chairman, from which it appeared that every department of the establishment was in a very satisfactory condition. On the motion of Mr. Smith, the clerk read the minutes of the proceedings, and report of the committee of the board on the subject of the two schemes proposed by the Poor Law Comilassioners for the administration of relief to out-door poor throughout the union. These schemes proposed to divide the union into three several districts, to each of which is to be appointed a relieving officer. The committee, which was of the whole Board, after a lengthened discussion, resolved in favour of the schemes generally, proposing only to unite the two less populous districts, and to place the relief of them under their expe rienced officer, Mr. Tristram, heretofore the sole relieving officer of the whole union. Some discussion ensued, but it was ultimately decided to adopt the scheme as it was proposed by the commissioners, without alteration. About ten o'clock, on Thursday night, Capt. M'Cor rigan, of the ship Thistle, lying in the Queen's Dock, fell into the dock, and, notwithstanding he was got out in a short time, life was extinct. STEALING FROM AN EMPLOYER.—On Saturday Henry Haugh, a boy about fifteen years of age, was committed for trial for having stolen notes, bills, and gold to the amount of 480 lOs., entrusted to him by his employer, Mr. John Leslie, provision -dealer, Cleveland-square. to convey to the Liverpool Bank. The prisoner. instead of taking the money to the bank, absconded with it, but was apprehended by Constable Toole at the railway-station, Todinorden. On being searched, £4O was found upon him, also a bundle of new clothes, and new clothes on his person, purchased, no doubt, out of the proceeds of his dishonesty. This is the second case against the prisoner. BIRKENHEAD COMMISSIONERS.—At a special meet ing of the board, on Friday, the petition for the improve ment bill was signed, and the joint Committees of Im provement and Finance were appointed a Parliamentary Committee for Mr. Mallaby to communicate with during the time their bill was before Parliament. Mr. Cole stated that the Health Committee would not be prepared to make any report before the 9th of February, to which period it was deferred; and Mr. Mallaby said he would make such arrangements as would enable them to make, in com mittee, such additions to the bill as might be thought desi rable. Before the meeting was over, Mr. Laird requested permission to say a few words on the subject of the Dock Committee and the Birkenhead Commissioners. He thought it necessary, and be was sorry Mr. Jack son was not present, that the Commissioners, as a body, should disavow the expressions of confidence in the DoCk Committee, made use of by the chairman at the last meeting. Such an expression of a confidence (which he was sure they did not feel) might seriously damage them before a committee of the House after all that had passed. He had had a letter from Mr. Aikin, in which that gentle man expressed his surprise that the chairman s h ou ld de clare that he felt such confidencein the Dock Trustees. Mr. Laird read the answer be had sent to that letter, in which it was stated that Mr. Aikin was wrong in sup posing that their contemplated landing plac e i n Li ver p oo l was abandoned from any feeling of confidence in what had been proposed by the Dock Committee. He then contrasted the speeches 'made by Mr. Jackson at the last two meetings. In the first the Co mm i ss i oners were re presented as " dubious" of the professions of the Dock Trustees, and in the other as having confidence in them. In the latter case he would have disavowed any coincidence in such confidence, but that he thought Mr. Jackson was only expressing his own sentiments to Mr. Wood, and not those of the Commissioners collectively. For his own part, he had sufficiently shown in the trouble he had taken that he was anxious to have a friendly feel ing with the other side of the water, but be was also anxious they should not, in Parliament, be put in a false position by any premature declaration of confidence. ACCIDENT TO LIEUT. WEBBER SMITH.—From letter, dated " Camp, Poona, Nov. 16," it appears that this gentleman, who was a native of this town, unfortu nately lost his life by drowning. He was senior lieutenant of her Majesty's 22nd regiment, and had gone with an ensign and some others on a shooting excursion to a large tank ten miles distant. The lieutenant shot a duck, and a native jumped into the water to fetch it out; but, get ting entangled in the rushes, he was drowning, when the gallant officer mounted a horse which was near, and plunged into the water to his rescue. The native imme diately clung to him, and the horse becoming entangled in the rushes, they were all drowned together. NEW GAS AND COKE COMPANY.—The half-yearly meeting of this company was held, on Wednesday, at the Clarendon-rooms. The report stated that the Act of Parliament, passed in the session of 1844, limited the business now to be transacted, but the committee could not omit availing themselves of that opportunity to remove fron the minds of the gas consumers any erroneous im pression, formed with respect to the balance of the accounts of the company filed to the 30th of June last, or that a further reduction in the price of gas would be made. From the balance then apparent of £9143 14s. 5d., the dividend of five per cent. for the half-year, amounting to £6762 10s„ ordered in due course by the proprietors at their general meeting, was paid, leaving in hand the sum of £2381 4s. 5d.; but taking into consideration the de crease in the price of gas to 4s. 6d. per 1000 cubic feet, and the consequent diminution of rental, (which was already showing itself,) though the usual dividend might be sustained, it must be very doubtful whether any sur plus would remain at the end of the year. The committee recommended a dividend to be ordered by the meeting of £5 on each share of £lOO, and £1 ss. on each share of £25, being at the rate of five per cent. for the half-year, payable on the 6th February next, subject to the deduc tion of the property tax. The report was adopted; and the proposed dividend ordered to be paid. Messrs. Fos berry, Barton, Muncaster, and Mather were re-elected directors without opposition DOCK COMMITTEE.—At the meeting on Thursday, the marine surveyor reported that the south pier of George's basin was the most eligible site for the telegraph station. Plans for the proposed new offices at the Albert Dock warehouses were submitted, and allowed to lie on the table for a week. The marine surveyor reported that, in 1845, 4,709 gallons of oil and 10,607 wicks had been consumed at the lighthouses and lightvessels ; in 1844, the number f wicks was 10,640, and 4,778 gallons of oil. Uniforms for the dock-gatemen, with an anchor and L D. on the coat collar, were ordered to be advertised for. An alter ation, proposed by Mr. Cubitt, in the new landing stage, was agreed to. The contract between the Steam Tug Company and the trust (or towing out the life-boats was renewed for a year. A memorial from timber merchants and brokers, requesting that a sub-committee would con fer with tbem as to the regulations for discharging and removing timber in the Brunswick Dock was read, and the harbour masters' sub-sommittee, with the addition of Messrs. Houghton and Rankin, were appointed to confer with the memorialists. Two letters having been read complaining that priority had been given to certain vessels in docking, an order was passed directing the harbour masters to dock all vessels in their regular turn. A me morial was read from a number of merchants, requesting that the valuable speech of the Chairman of the Dock Committee delivered in Council, in proposing the new dock works, should be printed in the pamphlet form ; and on the motion of Mr. Nicol, seconded by Mr, Bold, it was ordered to be done, the chairman, at the request of the applicants, undertaking to revise and correct it. A lengthened conversation then took place as to the commit tee and the commissioners of Birkenhead. Mr. Aikin explained ; and the whole affair appeared to have origi nated in a misunderstanding, the chairman stating that he had never refused to meet any one, friend or foe. EDINBURGH CHESTER AND BIRKENHEAD RAILWAY An adjourned meeting of the shareholders in this com pany was held on Thursday last, at the Clarendon-rooms. W. Jackson, Esq., the Chairman of the Board of Direc tors, occupied the chair, and opened the business of the meeting by observing that they were met for the purpose of receiving the report of the directors, and obtaining the sanction of the shareholders to the measures about to be brought before them in the shape of extension. The report stated that there bad been a great increase in the traffic since the last statement was made. In 1815 the receipts were £18,637 9s. Id., and in 1844 £15,109 17s. Bd., being an increase of £3,527 Ils. sd. ; the total receipts, inclu&ng rent, interest, &c., amounted to £19,877 ss. 7d.. and the working expenses to £8,977 3,., leaving £10,900 2s. 4d., to which may be added the ba lance from the last year of £260 ls. 7d., making a total surplus of £11,160 3s. l ld. The balance would enable the directors to declare a dividend of 13s. per share of £5O, (ls. 6d. per new £5O share being deducted from it for interest or unpaid calls,) Gs, 6d. per £25 share, and Bd. per £2O share. They recommended such dividend to he declared accordingly, payable on the 17th instant. They had intended to declare a dividend of 145., but on account of making additions to their working stock, and more adequate provision for depreciation than has hitherto been made, they considered the small dividend as the more prudent course. Arrangements were being made which would increase the goods traffic, and render it more profitable. The directors had caused surveys to be made as to the measures intimated in the report made to the special meeting of proprietors on the 16th October last, but owing to the monetary condition of the country, and the immense outlay entailed on the execution of the pro posed branches, and the insufficiency of traffic to justify them, they resolved to abandon them at all events for the session, and in doing so they felt that great benefit had resulted. They had proceeded with the necessary steps to complete the extension from Grange-lane to the new docks, as upon the construction of that line would depend the traffic which would assuredly follow all along that railway, not merely from and to the manufacturing and commercial districts, but to the metropolis. Mr. MALLABY then read the report of Mr. Rendell, the engineer, on which the extension line to the new docks had been recommended. Mr. MACGREGOR LAIRD wished an answer from the Chairman as to certain reports which were abroad in No vember last, about his having purchased a parcel of laud after it had been determined by the directors to make a tunnel to the docks, and afterwards sold it to the com pany at £4 a yard ; he also wished to know the date of the resolution authorising the law-clerk to go to parlia ment for the extension line. The CHAIRMAN could not see what that had to do with the sale of his land to the railway company. _ . Mr. MALLABY said they went to parliament for powers on the 23d September, 1844. The CHAIRMAN said if he had known Mr. Laird was about to bring the matter forward, he would have been prepared with the required information. Sir JOSHUA WALMSLEY stated that the chairman, when the sale of land took place, feeling the position in whi h he was placed, had agreed, in case of the land being wanted, to leave the matter to a jury. Mr. MACGREGOR LAIRD said the land was bought OD the Ist of November, 184-1, and he wished to know the date of the resolution authorising the purchase by the company. After an angry discussion, during which several share holders thought the business of the meeting ought to be proceeded with, Mr. M. LAIRD moved for a committee of inquiry into the circumstances attending the purchase of land for the extension to the docks, and that they should afterwards report on the subject. It was considered by some of the shareholders that this would involve a charge against the directors, and it was, after considerable contention, during which there were cries of " Order," and " Chair, chair," put to the meet ing, and negatived. The CHAIRMAN said he had still no obiection to fur nish the information required by Mr. M. Laird • he courted inquiry. He then commented at some length on the proceedings which had taken place on various occa sions in the board of directors in regard to certain nego tiations with other companies, including the Chester and Holyhead and the Chester Junction; he disapproved of the lease to the Holyhead Company for seven years, com mencing with five per cent. and ending at eight, as not being advantageous to the Chester and Birkenhead Com pany. He considered it better that they should be an in dependent line, as their prospects were favourable ; in 1843 the receipts were £24,000 ; in 1814, 28,000; and in 1845, £34,000, thus showing a regular and progressive increase in each year ; and in the first twenty-eight days of Janu ary, in the present year, the receipts were £5OB, while at the same period in 1845, they were £272, thus showing it was going on in a greater ratio; they were now about to derive a good and satisfactory indome from the receipts of the railway, and he had no doubt from calculations he had made in connexion with Mr. Wilcox, that in seven years they would be in a position to receive a gross revenue of nearly £BO,OOO. Ile objected- to the carrying out of the extensive line at the dock,at present, and thought it would be desirable to wait until the docks and warehouses were completed, when they would contribute to the welfare of the railway, besides, it was not certain that the Cheshire Junction would receive the sanction of Parliament this year. He also considered it better that the works at the Monks Ferry should not be proceeded with, as the Wood side Ferry was adequate at present to every purpose that was required. He concluded by stating that he had acted for the interests of the company to the best of ability, and should leave his conduct to be judged of by the proprie tors. It was the last time he should have an opportunity of addressing them as chairman, his health having suffered, and he could only say that on his retirement he should enjoy what he had not done for some months, and that was peace of mind. Some remarks were then made by Mr. W. Potter and Mr. J. Laird in reference to the conduct of Mr. William Jackson. as Chairman of the Board of Directors, which they conceived bad been somewhat overbearing, and it was difficult to act with him. The CHAIRMAN said he felt sorry that any thing he might have said had given offence, and he did not wish to stand in the way of the company's affairs being carried on advantageously. He begged to say, however, that he could show the course be had taken was necessary, but he would not then enter upon it. Mr. COCHRANE was desirous that something should be done to produce something like union amongst the direc tors, otherwise they could never carry on with advantage. He proposed, for the sake of peace, that a committes be appointed, consisting of Mr. Paxton, Mr. Burt. and Mr. W. Potter, with three proprieto rs , who were to consider the peculiar position of the Company, and report to an adjourned meeting on the 17th instant. After some remarks made by the CHAIRMAN, in which Mr. MALLABY stated at some length the reasons why he had sent in his resignation to the company, which were, that it had been alleged his connexion with the Cheshire Junction could not be advantageotis to the interests of the Birkenhead undertaking, the motion of Mr. Cochrane was seconded, and carried without opposition. The meeting then adjourned, and it vas understood the report was to stand over until the meeting in February. The proceedings occupied upwards of three hours. CORR hSPONDENCE. TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD, SlE,—Will you oblige me by giving insertion to the accompanying letter in your next paper? The truth loving Mercury will doubtless be thankful to you for such a service in the cause of truth, and it may tend to neutralise the false witness of those who would " accuse a servant to his master." I am, Sir, your obedient servant, CHAS. RITCHIE Crown-street, 31st January, 1846 TO THE EDIIHR OF THE LIVERPOOL MERCURY Sir,—My connection with " Crown-street Station" entitles me to join you in calling on" Veritas" to produce " reasons fir reliance" on his statements ; and also on you for the statements themselves ; for although you do not say what tho se s t a t emen t s are , y e t your m a n ner of noticing them certainly implies that he had given infor mation very discreditable to the " railway servants " there. So far as the railway works here are concerned, I challenge him, whoe ver h e ma y b e , t o s h ew th a t an y one's politics or religion is interfered with ; and unless " Veritas" shall produce his reasons and real name, I shall be entitled to say, in the words of " the Prince of Peace," that it is " because his deeds are evil." In the meantime, the simple rule, " Do as you would be done to," ought to have kept you back from giving publicity to such insinuations. until you were satisfied that they were well founded. What is said by you about " Orange parsons" is discreditable to you, and unworthy of any notice from me, further than that it is inapplicable to the railway works here. The man that will say that any Orange parson interferes here, is Mendax, not " Ve ritas." Is your correspondent ashamed of his name ? Possibly he has need : he is the best judge of that. But I can tell him that I am not ashamec of mine, nor yet afraid to challenge him from his dark lair. I also beg to remind certain one-sided religionists, that " the Prince of Peace" is also " the faithful Witness" r and his sub jects and followers may well ask, " What hast thou to do with peace so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jeze bel and her witcbcrafts are so many ?" Peace indeed ! For shame, Mr. Editor ! You talk of peace, and what the Prince of Peace has done, while you are lending your helping hand to the " accuser of the brethren," and sow ing tares broadcast? You, sir, will one day find that the " Prince of Peace" is " He that in righteousness doth judge and make war." Let those who have " the mark of the beast" then glory in their having " spoken lies in hypocrisy." I wish, however, in conclusion, to return to your so called " Veritas," and entreat him to uncoil himself from the brushwood where he has hid himself, that we may admire his glittering scales and slimy trail. There is no fear of his breaking my bones : his forte lies rather in besmearing the grass, and " biting the horses' heels." CHARLES RITCHIE Railway Works, Crown-street, 30th January, 1846. P.S —I could " unfold a tale" of many radical attempts to get up grievances against me here, by parties whose great grievance was, that they could find none ; and had I not been too fond of peace I should long since have ex posed their conduct. C. R. TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD. Sra.,—From the bottom of Shaw's-brow (except St. Stephen's) to St. Mary's, Kirkdale, there is not a place of worship for a member of the Established Church in all that distance. Of course, Christ Church and St. Bar tholomew's are filled well; but except those, and Trinity and fit. Ann's Churches, there is no other to the right, and St. Mathew's, in Key-street, and St. Mathias's, in Love-lane there is no other Protestant church in all that great portion of this town. Now, as there is an immense number of inhabitants in the north, and a great propor tion of them Protestants, how is it that there is no inte rest displayed in obtaining for them church accommoda tion. The fact of the matter is, Popery and Poseyism have got so great and firm a footing with many that other wise would befriend the cause, that if some other assist ance, do not appear soon, all the population of the north pa , t of the town will be compelled to go either to St. Martin's or to St. Anthony's, and those in the west of this quarter to St. Paul's, or to St. Mary's, in Edmund street. Now, sir, to obviate this, there is a small building dis engaged in Scotland-road, called St. Peter's Scottish Church, cannot this be obtained for Protestant worship, or can any of your friends point out any plan by which a church can be obtained in the required neighbourhood ? If it can be fairly stated how the building is to be ob tained, and sufficient encouragement given, there is no doubt but the end can be accomplished.—Your obedient servant, J. C. Livorpoal, 29th January, 1816. THE MERCURY'S CRITIQUE ON M. MICHE- LET'S WORK TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD, SlR,—Referring to your polite notice of my last com munication, I may observe that it was not my intention to impute to yourself the authorship of the objections inti mated by the writer in the Record. The considerations involved in such an objection do not, however, bear ex clusively or chiefly upon the projected " Evangelical Al ' liance." They have a higher importance and a wider ap plication, in general connexion with the pursuit of reli gious controversy, and also with the interchange of Chris tian courtesy and regard. 1 should scarcely have troubled you with this note, ex cept as it affords me an opportunity of saying a word on another subject. In the Mercury of this morning, I per ceive a critique on Michelet's work, " Priests, omen, and Families ;" some extracts from the translation of which have recently appeared in your journal. How is it, that the Mercury, which so publicly and repeatedly proclaims its professions of fair dealing with all parties, should invariably allow its observations on subjects affect ing the Romish Church to be dictated by those who are themselves members of that body? This is as evidently the case, in the brief but characteristic article on Miche let, as in the comment on Itonge's proceedings, which ap peared in the same paper a few weeks since. What is there in the Church of Rome, that renders it needful, in the opinion of some of our countrymen, for none but her adherents to be allowed to bear witness, when her autho rity or reputation are called in question ? Is there no im partiality to be met with, except among such as are inte rested in her defence ? and can none be trusted to speak of her but those whose faculties have been trained by her self, and who are accountable to her authority in their exercise? Michelet employs high colouring; but his outlines are as indisputably correct as his statements are vividly im pressive. They are confirmed by the observation of liv ing men, as well as by the testimony of history. The naked and appalling facts of priestly profligacy cannot be veiled by such flimsy disguises as the drapery of mere words. Were we, for the sake of argument, to admit that Mi chelet and some of his fellow-labourers in the emancipa tion of the French mind, are tainted with infidel or ratio nalistic principles, what would be the obvious inference, but that which experience has recorded in the invariable reaction of an enslaving superstition ? Rome has so ma nacled her subjects, that when they attain their liberty they are unfitted by their training for orderly and healthy action. The wild waywardness of French scepticism is like that of some untamed animal, whose early discipline is imprisonment, whose youthful development a con strained obedience, and whose freedom, when attained by force, is asserted by a violent and fearful retaliation.- 1 am, sir, &c. ANGLICANUS. West Derby, Jan. 30, 1845. THE EAST INDIA AND CHINA ASSOCIATION DUTY ON TEA A special meeting of this body was held on Thursday, Charles Turner, Esq., in the chair. The CHAIRMAN said that no doubt the members felt great disappointment that Sir R. Peel had not, in his fi nancial propositions, at all alluded to tea, the increased consumption of which would increase the export of ma nufactures. The meeting had been called to consider whether they could induce the minister to re-consider the question. Mr. Nicol, said they had already strongly represented to the treasury the great advantages of a reduction of the duty on tea, which would greatly increase our exports to China, and extend the consumption of the article itself; but their representation had been passed over without no tice, and Sir IL Peel had introduced reductions on a num ber of paltry things which would do more harm than good. China had reduced the duty on British manufac tures, which did not now exceed five per cent., yet still the duties were left on the productions of China; lie no ticed seven of the items in the proposed new tariff—such as the reduced duty on French bo As, shoes, and hats, brandy, and gin, &c., which be thought was impolitic, He thought the people should be encouraged to drink tea rather than spirits. The 'whole reductions were paltry with the exception of that on the corn duty. It was on national grounds that the association Fought a reduction of the tea duty : on such grounds Air. Cobden us ged the abrogation of the cora-laws, but the minister did nothing in that respect until a quarter of a million was subscribed to swamp the:county registration ! He (Mr. N.) would rather that the duties were retained on brandy and tal low, and taken off tea. He suggested that they should call en their representatives to take up the matter, and that they should communicate with Glasgow, Hull, &c., by deputation on the subject. Mr. RATUBONE did not altogether concur with Mr. Nicol, and was favourable to all reductions of duty that might be proposed. They should take ' all they could get. lie thought it advisable to memorialize Sir R. Peel as to tea, reminding him of the now admitted principle that in most articles the lower the duty the higher the revenue. He thought the reduction on French hats, shoes, &c., would benefit the poorer classes. The reduc tion of the duty oh tea would benefit the West Indies, as it would increase the consumption of sugar. It would also increase our trade with China. He suggested a me morial to that effect. WINCH thought the proper course would be to pe tition both houses of Parliament. China, by largely re ducing the duties on imports, was entitled to a response at our hands. Mr. POTTER thought an application for a reduction of the duty on tea of Bd. would be more successful than the reduction formerly proposed of Is. Mr. BRODRIBB showed that the present high rate of duty - acted as a prohibition to the consumption of the lower and higher qualities of tea. After a short conversation, Messrs. Potter. Winch, Scott, Rawson, Nicol, and Steains were appointed . a com mittee to propose a memorial, to appoint a deputat ion, and to take the necessary steps to bring the subject befo re Parliament. t: lk S PAPE R jut* deft F the a re' g th e o the icut ateP' stint cot' peen ac' kets' L ;il3% o del ,e no 0 14 . per rake ►ez' ye r end' nue hare the thel let 0 6 - 0 Yell' ave.' 'fir t° ' (i t ot b. Feb' D - s ,ri ci ,r 10- A tau - Par 6, .e 010. 0 9 . whet r o t t .„00:4 ilf) , e tvi e e e, ralte ied_.oll for` t o v , e sco l