The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-01-08 00:00:00

GENERAL INTELLIGENCE.

HOROURAELE.—A circular has been issued by Messrs
Carter and Co., the ship-owners, who suspended a year ago
under very honourable circumstances, announcing payment
in full to all the creditors, with five per cent. interest, on the
6th January. Their liabilities-amounted to £93,000.
POSTAL STAMPED PAPER;was issued by the Post-office
authorities on Friday. It is- of the value of 4d., 6d., And Is.
per sheet, and will pass for ithat amount of postage. The
impressions which will give;it postal value are embossed in
'red, purple, and green.
71"41a LICHFIELD BANH.--,On Wednesday, a fiat -in bank-
ruptcy was- issued 'in the Birmingham District Bankruptcy
Court, against Mr. Greene, of the firm of Palmer and Greene,
bankers, Lichfield. The nett meeting is appointed for Thurs-
day, the 31st inst.
:MARYLAND, the first -state •where the Roman Catholic
Church gained a footing, now contains 807 Protestant churches,
and only 65 Roman Catholiacongregations. In Florida the
.Catholics early made settlement. .Now, there are ,170 Pro-
testant, and only 5 Roman' Catholic churches ! Louisiana was
settled by the Roman Catholics, who have now 56 churches in
the state, while the Protestants have -247 congregations. In
Teams, the Roman Catholics sere the first sect in, point of
time ; they now have 13 churches, but the Protestants,report
;307 congregations in the state. The entire Protestant popula-
tion of the country, compared with that of the Catholic, is
about twelve to one.— Bosion-irranseript.

Ar a meeting of the Surrey magistrates, at Kingston, last
week, it having been reportedthat many of the prisoners in
thocounty gaol so misconducted themselves in chapel during
The responses by blasphemous-and obscene words, instead of
thet proper forms, the court resslved that, for the future, the
responses should not be given.by the prisoners. The Rev. Mr.
Jessup was appointed chaplain pro tern., till a successor
should be elected in the room of Mr. Rowedeceased. •It was
resolved, by a vote 22 to 21, •to expend a sum not exceeding
£125000 in altering the old,conaty gaol so as to admit,of
laetterclassification of prisoners.
BEIINES, the sculptor, has taken a cast of the head of
Mr. Rogers. The poet always-said that if a bust wereever
to be made of him, he should wish it to be by Mr. Behnes.
His em.pressed desire was, of ,course, law to his friend '-.-and
the sculptor has now taken his last memorial of the banker-
poet. dot addition to the numerous reminiscences of Mr.
Rogers 4; table-talk, we may look anxiously for a record,of this
delightful breakfast parties, from the pencil of Mr. _John
Doyle. That gentleman is understood to have bean long
preparing studies for such a picture ; and at the present
juncture, and from an aßsociate,:also of the poet, the result
would beadditionally valuable.—Atlenceum.
- -

THE tGoILONEES' RETuasra, which come in at the last week
of a, quarter, swell the number of deaths registered last week
in the metropolis to 1,485. The ,ordinary mortality is, how-
ever, slightly increased ; bronchitis.and pneumonia becoming
more fatahevery week. The former, Aisease caused 119, 119,
161 deaths in three preceding weeks; in the present return
the nember•bas risen to 204. Pneumonia has increased in the
last two weeks from 80 to 107. The ;births last week were
1,663. The mean temperature was 72 degrees above the aver-
age. A windsiblew from the S.W., which on Wednesday tra-
velled 326

THE iriarxiruaz PRINCE'S TACET.-=!The Mustapha Bey,
the beautiful yacht belonging to the Egyptian prince of that
name, is fast getting completed in the:-Southampton inner
dock. She is 18 ,feet long. Her engines are truck ones, and
fill a remarkably .small space. In the'state room a piano will
be placed, Mustaphs. Bey being a man of European tastes.
His yacht will c05t.410,000. He gave orders that everything
it should be good and substantial, but there were to be no
expensive and unnecessary ornaments about it. It will be
Able to ascend the river Nile for about SOO miles. The Mus-
tApha Bey yacht will be commanded by .a.eaptain in the
Egyptian navy, who will have an Arab Nile
,pilat under him.
English engineers will ;have charge of the steam machinery.
There is a very handsome state saloon and a < dining saloon,
with a number of cabins aft, and a saloon forithe prince's
suite forward.—Daily .IVetos.
PAIRR CummEncv.—A.nother, and, at that conjuncture, a
more ,effectual substitute for a metallic currency, owed its
existence to the ingenuity of Charles Montague. succeeded
in engrafting on Harley's Laud Bank bill, a clause,which em-
powered:the government to issue negotiable paper, bearing
interest at the rate of threepence a-day on a hundred younds.
In the midst of the general distress and confusion Ippeared
the first Exchequer-bills, drawn.for various amounts, from a
hundred pounds to five pounds. These instruments were
rapidly distributed over the kingdom by the post, and mere
everywhere welcome. The Jacobites talked loudly against
them in every eoffee-house, and wrote much detestable verse
against them-;but to little purpose. The success of the plan
was each, that the ministers at one ttime resolved to issue
twenty-shilling bills, and even fifteen-shilling, bills for pay-
ment of the troops. But it does not appear that this resolu-
tion was carried into effect. It is difficult to imagine how,
without the Exchequer-bills, the government of the country
could have been carried on during the year 1696, every source
of revenue having been affected by the state of currency.—
Macaulay's History of England.
TEE Globe announces that a general rednedon has taken
place in the prices of every description of provisions, with
the exception of bread, which continues to be sold at 90. to
10d. per 41bs. in the western districts, although the same
quality of that article may be obtained at the East-end, and
at Southwark, at prices varying from 80. to 90. per 41bs.
The prices of butcher's meat have declined considerably, and
mutton of excellent quality sells, by retail, at the following
prices, viz., breasts, 50. ; shoulders, 6d. to 60. ; and legs,
7d. per lb. Beef, roasting pieces, Bd. to B}d.; boiling and
Baiting ditto, 64d. to 70. ; and steaks off the leg of mutton
Piece, at Bd. per lb. Bacon and Berwick pork have declined
fully id. per lb. in value ; and the price of dairy-fed pork
is less by ltd. per lb. than it was sold previous to Christmas.
The poultry left in hand in Leadenhall and Nevrgate-markets,
is so abundant, that turkey poults, of good size, may be pur-
chased at 4a, each ; and turkeys, from 7s. 6d. to lbs. each.
Geese are so plentiful that the lesmen to effect a market
for them, are obliged to raffle them at 4d. to 6d. per member.
The retail grocers have reduced the price of sugar another
halfpenny ; inferior Brazil sells at sd. and West India at 50.
per lb. Good loaf can be had at 60. per lb.

DISTRESBIN4 SIIICIDS.—On Thursday evening, a melan-
choly case of suicide occurred at Southampton. The deceased
was engaged as clerk at the railway-office in the Southampton
Docks. Some time since, in consequence of presenting strong
symptoms of aberration of mind, he was compelled to relinquish
his situation, and was removed from his home in charge of a
person who could take proper care of him. After remaining
away for some time, and his health apparently improving, he
returned again to Southampton, and was reinstated in his si-
tuation, the duties of which he continued regularly to fulfil.
On Thursday night, upon returning home from the office, he
informed his wife he was going to wash his hands in one of
the hack offices of his house, 11, Terminus-terrace. Having
rio.ticed him wandering at intervals for some time past, Mrs.
Webb had prudently deemed it necessary to watch her hus-
band's actions, and finding him go into the back yard, she
followed him. Having ensconced himself in the water-closet
for a few minutes, his wife went to the door, which she thrust
open, and discovered her husband with his throat most dread-
fully cut. The gash extended nearly round the neck, and,
with the exception of the spinal connexion, the head ma be
said to have been severed from the body. Before medical as-
sistance could be obtained life was extinct. It appears that
prZTious to leaving the office the deceased was In conversation
with his fellow clerks respecting the execution oonf Abraham
Baker, which took place at Winchester on the following day,
gp
and among the various opinions expressed as to the easiest
the
edeee otfmtaiglihintgmliofreethspeeliegtunate man stated that he thought
be
rumitted by a well-sharpened
razor than by any other nWls. This opinion he seems
quickly to have acted upon.

Mn. LAYARD has another work on Assyrian antiquities in
,he press.

SERIEINI MILLER, of the Midland Circuit, has been ap-
pointed Judge of the County Court District of Leicestershire
and Rutland.

THE plinth and the foundation of one of the buttresses of
;he Blackfriars Church, built in 1282, has been found beneath
;he Times-office.

THE EIRE or ERNE has invested something like £105,000
in the construction of the Dundalk and Enniskillen line of
railway. Of this amount £75,000 was cash down.
"UPWARDS of two thousand bushels of sprats were caught
in Cowes roads on Sunday night. Scores of bushels were
thrown overboard by the fishermen to prevent theii vessels
from being overladen.

IN consequence of the enormous rise in the price of all the
necessaries of life in Austria, the lower classes of government
clerks are in such extreme distress that the Emperor has
directed they shall either receive temporary assistance, or have
their salaries augmented.

WE ( Globe) hear that the title to be taken by Baron Parke,
on his accession to the peerage, will be that of Lord Wensley-
dale, of Wensleydale, Yorkshire. The learned baron, on
Saturday, formally resigned his judgeship. Mr. Bramwell,
Q.C., has been appointed his successor.
On Saturday morning a terrible accident occurred at the
White Hart Inn, Windsor. The chambermaid, who had long
been in, service in the house,' was coming down stairs with
a basin in her hands, when she made a false step, and slipped
down stairs, the basin broke, and the young woman fell upon
the pieces. One of the pieces entered her neck and cut the
jugular vein. She died on the spot.
EASTERN COUNTIES RAILWAY.—The government inspector
has made an unfavourable report on the bridges, permanent
way, of the line between London and Norwich. The con-
dition of the bridges is such as to cause serious apprehensions,
and, until every one has undergone a careful overhauling, the
public cannot travel without incurring serious risk. The
sleepers are in a bad state ; but a greatly reduced speed would
meet the danger from that source.
CARDWELL AT OXFORD.—On New Year's-day, the
Right Hon. E. Cardwell, M.P., attended a festive meeting of
the Druids, at Oxford, at which he delivered a long address,
reviewing the progress and present position of the war—the
prospects of peace —and the great and beneficial advance of
our vast commercial relations. In conclusion he said, " the
issue of the great question appears to rest at the present mo-
ment with the decision of the Czar in Russia, but, whatever
may be the case, I do not think it is in the power of hostile
countries to disturb us in our career of domestic progress."

A RUMOUR was current in Paris, a few days ago, that an
infernal machine had been laid down in a gutter, with the
view of assassinating the Princes Jerome and Napoleon
Bonaparte on their return from the Tuilleries. It originated
in the occurrence, on New Year's Day, of a violent explosion
of gas, in the Place du Palais Royal. Some of the railings
near the principal entrance were twisted by the concussion,
and a man had his trousers singed.

MITUDEIL OF LADY ELLENBOROUGIL—The Morning Post's
Paris corresponden: writes—" I have this day received com-
munications from Constantinople, which say that the unfor-
tunate Lady Ellenborough, whose romantic adventures are
too familiar to the public, was lately assassinated in Arabia,
by (says my informant), 'Le hareme d'un Cheik Arabe.' I
am only able to add, that the deed is supposed to have been
committed at the suggestion of some women who were jealous
of her ladyship."
TAE RIIGELEY POISONING CASE.—The sale of Mr. Win.
Palmer's furniture and other effeets took place on Thursday,
Friday, and Saturday. Some of the articles, owing, probably,
to the interest the late owner of them has excited, fetched
prices far beyond their intrinsic value. About the close of the
sale on Friday, a private drawer in a piece of furniture was
discovered by one of the bailiffs in possession, and it was found
to contain a bundle of papers and an old diary of very con-
siderable importance, which were at once handed over to the
care of Inspector Crisp.
SPECIE.—The movements of the precious metals this
week have been important. The arrivals amount to
about £696,020, which comprise £631,260 from the Pacific,
&e., by the steamer Tyne ; £61,630 from New York, per
America ; £3,130 from the Peninsula, per the Sultan. The
ascertained exports have been to the extent of about £727,850:
which includes £416,000, per Donald M`Kay, for the Bank of
France, £277,307, per Pera, for India and China ; and about
£50,000 by private hands for the Continent; 100 ounces of
gold, and 600 ounces of silver, for the Continent, through the
, London Custom-house.—Observer. _ _

CIVIL SERVICE PETITION TO PARLIAMENT.—This pe-
tition from the civil servants who entered since 1829—about
11,000 in number—praying to be put upon an equality with
their fellow-servants who entered before that year, as regards
the scale of pension and the abolition of the oppressive tax of
five per cent. upon their salaries, two-thirds of which do not
exceed £B6, has been signed by 9,105 Government employes.
As it is fully expected that the ultimate number of signatures
will not fall short of 10,000, the petition may be considered as
embodying the almost unanimous opinion of those interested.
THE CONVICT ABRAHAM BAKER.—The execution of this
young man, for the murder of Naomi Kingswell at South-
ampton, has been postponed until this (Tuesday) morning.
It was to have taken place on Saturday morning, but a pre-
vious engagement made by Calcraft, the executioner, prevented
his attendance. Baker attended Divine service at the prison
chapel on the Sunday after Christmas-day, when what is
called the " condemned sermon" was preached by the chaplain.
The wretched man eats his meals regularly, and sleeps
sound.—Hants Independent.
MANCHESTER, SHEFFIELD. AND LINCOLNSHIRE RAILWAY.
—The half-year's accounts of this company are in process of
balance and audit, and will be sent out to the shareholders on
the 15th inst., the meeting of the company being on the 23rd
inst. In the meantime the directors state that, after payment
of working expenses and other outgoings, they expect to have
a balance of net profit, including £7,679 received from the
Post-office, which will enable them to pay debenture interest,
canal annuities, and preference dividends in full, leaving
about £17,000 available for dividend on the ordinary stock of
the company.
REMARKABLE INCIDENT.—At a medical board held on
Friday, at .Brornpton, London, among the number passed as
unfit for further service was Robert Evans, 13th Light Dra-
goons, a youth who has been in hospital nearly twelve months,
and received his injury in an extraordinary manner. In the
charge of Balaklava a shell entered the chest of his horse,
which rolled completely over, falling upon Evans, when the
shell burst inside the animal, tearing it open from the shoul-
der to the hind-quarters, the weight of the horse nearly causing
suffocation, while its death-struggles inflicted severe contu-
sions on the legs of Evans, who would soon have expired had
not a man of his own troop and two lancers released him.
Her Majesty evinced great sympathy for this youth, and his
photograph likeness was taken by her special command.
A MISER.—Mr. Jesse Briggs, druggist, of Loughborough,
a bachelor of very eccentric and penurious habits, has been
found dead in his bedroom. He took strong out-door exercise
allay, in all weathers, and was never known to wear an over-
4-coat. The surgeon who was called in was of opinion that
..death was caused by the combined effects of serous apoplexy
:and severe cold, induced by his not taking sufficient food, and
the jury returned a verdict accordingly. Deceased was in his
,e9th year. In turning over his effects, £3OO in gold, of which
iiteis said his relatives were entirely ignorant, was discovered.
_Deceased's sister had been receiving relief from the parish for
some time before his death, and he always professed to be too
goer to render her any aseistanee.
FATAL GUN ACCIDENT ON THE BRAES OF LOCHABER..—
Mr. James Macdonald, farmer, Mucomer, parish of Kill-
monivaig, went out, on Tuesday last, to shoot hares, accom-
panied by the keeper, Duncan Macpherson, and his own ser-
vant, Archibald Macintyre. As the party were returning
home, in the evening, Macintyre who was a few paces in front
of his master, started a hare, whereupon the latter pointed his
gun ate the running hare, when, unfortunately, at that moment
his foot slipped on the frosty surface, the shot went off, and,
sad lo.say, entered the body of poor Macintyre, who within five
minutes thereafter was stretched a lifeless corpse. Macintyre
lug left-seven helpless orphans, all under twelve years of age,
and a widow, a delicate wonan, in an advanced state of preg-
nancy, to deplore his loss.
A DRE-141 FULPILLED.—On the 31st ult., an inquest was
held at Abbats Roothing, on the body of John Judd, a
labourer, who had been living at Matching-green, and was
found in a pond in Abbotts Roothing, on Saturday morning.
He had spent the greater part of the previous Wednesday at
the public-house, and left in the afternoon, between four and
five, to go home.te Matching-green. The pond in which he
was found is by ,the side of the footpath there, and it is sup-
posed he accidentally slipped in. There was no appearance of
violence about him, and his pockets had not been touched. He
was not seen alive after Wednesday afternoon, and on Satur-
' day morning his brother dreamt that he was drowned in this
particular pond, and when he got up went to his master, and
then to the police-constable, and told them his dream. They
at once went to the pond and found deceased. Verdict,
*" Found dead."—Chelmsford Chronicle.
ANOTMBR STORM IN THE BLACK- SEA.—REPORTED Loss
Op SIXTY VESSELE.—Accounts were on Saturday posted at
Lloyd's from Constantinople, of another fearful hurricane
having visited the Black Sea on the 19th ultimo ; and it is
reported (although it is hoped that the numbers of fatal losses
will net be confirmed) that 50 or .60 ships foundered during
the height of the storm, off the month of the Sulina. Lloyd's
agent at Galatz states that in 23 instances the vessels went
down with all hands, as also 52 lighters, which were off the
coast at the time. Not a soul belonging to them is supposed
to have escaped. Most of the vessels were laden with corn.
Three ships (one from England, called the Caledonia) were
driven ashore near the harbourof Sebastopotand were wrecked,
the crew of the Caledonia perishing in the vessel. The Tala-
vera, English transport ship No. 98 (belonging to Mr. Duncan
Dunbar, at Limehouse), is, among other vessels, reported to
be lost on the east coast of Marmora, and that Her Majesty's
ship Oberon had been despatched from Constantinople to the
spot to render assistance. A distressing shipwreck was also
reported by the agent at Calcutta. An English ship, with
300 emigrants (Coolies), from Singapore, had struck on the
south end of the Alguada Reef, on the 24th of last October,
and, with the exception of' eleven, all had met with a watery
grave.
MYSTERIOUS SUICIDE OF A YOUNG LADY.—On
Thurs-
day, Mr. S. F. Langham, deputy coroner for Westminster,
was occupied several hours in investigating the circumstances
connected with the death of Miss Caroline Ann Redman, aged
17, who was found poisoned on Tuesday last, near the Maga-
zine Barracks, Hyde-park, London. James Meenan, a labourer,
deposed that on Tuesday last, about half-past eleven o'clock
in the morning, he saw the deceased lying on the grass near
the Magazine Barracks, Hyde-park. He immediately went
up to her, and found that she was breathing with difficulty,
and appeared in great agony. Imagining that she was in a
fit, he took off her hat (one of the modern hats worn byladies),
and, seeing some females going along, he called on them to
get assistance. Mr. D. N. Frampton, surgeon, deposed that
he was passing through Hyde-park, when he was told that a
young lady was taken very ill under some trees near the bar-
racks. He went to the spot, and found. the deceased in a
dying condition. He partially raised her, but she expired
almost instantly. Understanding that she had poisoned her-
self, he looked round on the grass, and found a bottle, which
had evidently, but very recently, contained prussic acid. He
made a post mortem examination of the body, and discovered
a quantity of that poison in the stomach. Mrs. Caroline
Greiffield, of Chepstow-place, Westbourne-grove, Pimlico,
stated that the deceased had lived with her almost since her
birth. She was a most accomplished young woman. Witness
being aged, and in very ill health, told her she must soon die,
when deceased said that if that occurred she would not live an
hour afterwards. The coroner endeavoured to ascertain by
what means the deceased obtained the prussic acid ; but no
evidence being given to that effect,"the jury returned a verdict
of " temporary insanity."

FIRE IN LONDON.—On Friday afternoon, the neigh-
bourhood of Wood-street, Cheapside, London, presented a
scene of confusion in consequence of the sudden outbreak of a
fire on the premises belonging to Mr. Stephen Bridge, lace
warehouseman. The premises, which were exceedingly old,
extended some considerable distance down Huggin-lane, and
were within ten or twelve feet of St. Michael's Church, Wood-
street, while sundry lofty warehouses were in such proximity
to the one in which the disaster occurred, that at one time it
was feared many of the surrounding premises, as well as the
parish church, would have been destroyed. The engines were,
however, quickly set to work, and, in less than an hour, suc-
ceeded in overcoming the conflagration.

ACCIDENT ON THE RUGBY AND LEAMINGTON RAILWAY.—
An alarming accident, which threatened serious consequences,
occurred on this line of railway on Tuesday. It appears that
the train which leaves Rugby at 1 30 p.m. was run into at Bur-
bury station by a coal train that was following it. The pas-
senger train had just left the station, when the coal train,
running at full speed, dashed into it, smashing the guard's
luggage van to atoms. The guard fortunately had presence
of mind enough to jump out, thereby sustaining little injury,
the luggage contained in the van flying about in all directions.
The stoker of the coal train received severe injuries ; the driver
jumped off and escaped uninjured. Most of the passengers
were severely shaken, and several sustained injuries.

VERY EXPENSIVE RAILWAY TRATELLING.—W. Corbet
Caldicott, of Milton, near Shipton, was charged before the
magistrates of Chipping-Norton with travelling from Oxford
to Ascot in a train on the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolver-
hampton railway without having taken a ticket. From the
evidence it appeared that the defendant rode from Oxford to
Handborough in a second-class carriage, and then got into

a third-class, rode to Ascot, where he Alighted, and told the
station-master that he had come from Charlbury only, which
was a distance of 3- miles, whereas he had travelled 174.
Upon this representation he paid 34d. as his fare. He was
convicted of the offence, and fined £2, including costs.—
Banbury Guardian.
GRAND COUNCIL OP WAR IN PARIS.—The Post says, in
the course of a few days, the general Council of War is to be
held at Paris, at which England will be represented by his
Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, Sir Richard Airey,
and Sir Harry Jones, together with Admirals Sir Edmund
Lyons and Dundas. The object of this council is to collect,
to interchange, and to consider all possible information with
respect to the war. But it will not be in the province of the
council to plan campaigns, or to decide in the beginning of
January what is to be done in April. The council having de-
liberated fully on the important objects which will suggest
themselves, will communicate the result of their labours to
their respective Governments, who will discuss the questions
which may be raised, and having decided them, will give the
orders necessary to secure the objects they may have in con-
templation.
A GIGANTIC HOTEL SCHEME.—The draught of an act of
parliament has just been deposited at the Private Bill-office
for the establishment of the Imperial Hotel Company, who
propose to occupy the site of the National Gallery, in Trafal-
gar-square. It is extremely concise, and is the first bill of
the kind deposited embodying the Limited Liability Act with
the power to take lands. The capital proposed to be raised is
£1,000,000, in shares of £lO each, and the entire extent of
ground to be occupied is three and a half acres. The projec-
tors assume that the acknowledged deficiency with respect to
such establishments in London, as compared with other great

cities, will secure the favour of parliament, and that, althOugh
their enterprise is likely to lead to the formation of several
undertakings of a similar kind, the fact of the proposed situ-
ation being the finest and most appropriate that could be
selected, " will always render it the first sought for, and place
it beyond competition."—Times.
COUNTERFEIT COIN.—The licensed victuallers, generally
much imposed upon by utterers of base coin, are now being
plundered to a great extent with some peculiarly well-made
base half-crowns and florins, which, being electro-plated upon
hard metal, present all the appearance of silver, and will
withstand the usually-relied-upon test of bending in the de-
tector. The spurious coins are not (as stated in a paragraph
which went the round of the press some few weeks back)
made of iron ; and therefore the test of the magnet, then
recommended, would, if used, only tend to mislead. These
base coins are struck with a die out of German silver, then
plated with silver, and can only be detected by an examina-
tion, when they will be found in many small particulars to
differ from genuine coin, there being a general blunt coarse-
ness of appearance about the impression. The features of the
Queen, the letters of the inscription upon both sides, the en-
grailing or spots within the outer edge, will at-once show that
they are not genuine. The ring is also very dull, but, being so
well electro-plated with silver, they are at first sight well cal-
culated to pass with nothing more than a cursory inspection.
There is also in circulation a very ingeniously-arranged base
sixpence. This'also is struck in German silver, representing a
coinage of some years past. After being struck it is rubbed
away upon both sides, to give the appearance of wear, and then
electro-plated, thereby conveying the idea of it being silver
right through. As in the case of the other coins alluded to,
an inspection and the ring will expose the fraud.

A DOMESTIC CALAMITY.—An occurrence of an amusing,
but at the same time rather an alarming character, took place
on Friday afternoon last, at the residence of Mr. W. Carter,
builder, Reading. On that day, Mrs. Carter had made 13
plum-puddings as a provision for the festivities of Christmas.
After tying them carefully up in basins, she put them into
the copper, intending to give them a good boiling. In the
evening something rendered it necessary for her to leave
home, and the management of the puddings was confided to
the servant, with directions to keep a slow fire under the
copper. The girl, however, thinking probably the more
the water boiled the sooner the puddings would be done,
made up a brisk fire, without keeping up a supply of water,
which in a short space of time evaporated. Of course, it was
not long before the copper got red hot, and on Mr. Carter
(who had been absent all day) returning home, and going
into the washhouse to see how matters were progressing, he
was much alarmed at finding the lid of the copper in a blaze.
To seize a bucketful of water and dash it on the fire was the
work of a few seconds, but it was attended with a result little
expected. The copper burst with a tremendous noise, forcing
the brickwork in which it was set completely out, and Mr.
Carter himself was hurled some feet backwards by the concus-
sion. He quickly recovered his presence of mind, and, there
being a plentiful supply of water, the fire was got under
without doing any further damage. An investigation into the
condition of the puddings was then commenced, and, sad to,
tell, nothing could be found of them ; some cracked and broken
basins and half-burnt pieces of pudding-cloths were all that
I could be identified as having a few hours before formed part
of the contents of the copper. The puddings themselves
were, in fact, completely annihilated, doubtless to the no small
disappointment of many expectant stomachs.—Reading
Mercury.
IMPORTANT TO CIIAMPAGNE DRINRERS.—A case of
some interest to wine drinkers was on Saturday submitted to
the Imperial Court. M. Ferrand, a wine merchant of Parfs;'
entered into a contract on the Ist of February, 1854, with MM.
Jacquinet and Co., of Avize, to receive from them all the
Champagne wine he might require during three years, subject
to the conditions that it should be similar in quality to the
species called Verzenay, Bouzy, and Grand Cordon Imperial,
of which they had given him samples—that the bottles and
corks should bear his name, and that the price of each bottle
delivered at the barrier of Paris should not exceed 2f. 10c.
In March, 1855, M. Jacquinet died, and a M. Coursol was
charged to carry on his affairs until they could be wound up.
This person refused to fulfil the contract with Ferrand, on the
ground that it was of a fraudulent character, inasmuch as the
wines supplied him were not, and were not meant to be, really
of the growths of Bouzy, Verzenay, and Cordon Imperial ;
and that, as he did not possess an inch of a vineyard in
Champagne, he had no right to have his name put on the
bottles and corks. M. Ferrand brought an action before the
tribunal of Commerce of Eperuay against M. Coursol, to have
his contract fulfilled, but the tribunal declared that for the
reasons alleged by Coursol it must be considered fraudulent,
and put an end to. The matter was brought before the Im-
perial Court on Saturday, by M. Ferrand, on appeal against
this decision. He contended that there was no fraud in the
contract, inasmuch as it is a well-known fact that scarcely
any Champagne wine sold is entirely of the vineyard the name
of which it bears—not even the well known Ai ; and as to the
employment of his name on the bottles and corks, instead of
that of Jacquinet, it took place by that person's consent, and
could not, therefore, be considered a violation of the law rela-
tive to the use of illicit marks and designations. The Court
decided that this view was the correct one, and accordingly
quashed the judgment of the Tribunal of Epernay, declared that
the contract of Ferrand was valid, and must be executed, and
ordered Coursol to pay Ferrand 500 f. as damages for the
injury inflicted on this latter by his (Coursol's) refusal to
carry out the arrangement agreed to by Jacquinet.
PRESERVATION OF LIFE FROM SHIPWRECK.—A meeting
of the Royal National Life-Boat Institution was held on Thurs-
day, at its house in John-street, Adelphi, London. Thomas
Chapman, Esq., F.R.S., in the chair.—The silver medal of the
institution was voted to Dennis Donovan, chief boatman of
the Kilmore coast-guard station, in testimony of his gallant
conduct in putting off in a boat with three of his crew (who
had received £lO for their services), to the rescue of five out
of six of the crew of the brigantine Isabella, from Newport.
which during a heavy gale strnck on the rocks off that station
on the night of the 18th ult.—The thanks of the institution
were also voted to Mr. Byford, R.N. chief officer of Cumber
coast-guard station, and a reward of to be divided between
his crew of two men and the master and crew of the Rye
Harbour Commissioners' steam tug Erin, for their laudable
services to the crew of six hands of the Eliza Lomer, of
Sunderland, which became a total wreck during a gale of wind,
near the above station, on Sunday week.—The silver
medal of the institution was voted to Lieut. Jesse, R.N.,
chief officer of the Tenby coast-guard station, and a reward
of £l6 10s. to his crew of 11 men, in testimony of
their gallant services in putting off in the life-boat of the
Institution, stationed at Tenby, for rescuing, on the afternoon
and in the evening of the 20th ult., the crews of the schooner
Agenora, of Bideford, and of the French schooner Alexandre,
of Havre, on the 18th ult.—The sum of £9 was likewise voted
to the crew of the life-boat of the Institution, stationed at 31
Martello Tower, Kent, for putting off in the life-boat to the
rescue of the crew of 12 men of the Danish barque William,-
which was wrecked in thick and squally weather, near that
place, on the 27th ult.—The silver medal of the Institution was
also granted to Mr. John Roberts, of Clogwyn, in testimony of
his noble conduct in rushing into the surf to the rescue of
four, out of eight of the crew of the French brig Charlotte,
which, in a gale of wind, was stranded near Harlech, on the
24th ultimo.—A reward of £9 was also voted to the crew of the
Gorleston life-boat, for rescuing the crew of eight men of the
brig Eliza, of Montrose, which, in a heavy gale of wind, drove
from her anchors and struck on the outer bank, near Yarmouth.
—The silver medal of the Institution, and its thanks, inscribed
on vellum, were likewise presented o Mr. Joseph Hodgson,
carver, of Sunderland, in testimony of his extraordinary exer-
tions, extending over a period of 12 years, in saving life. He
lied personally rescued ten persons from drowning, and had
assisted, in life-boats and other boats, in saving about 17
others. He had always declined any pecuniary consideration
for his services, but he was very solicitous to possess the
medal of this old and valuable institution, and it was with
applause voted to the gallant man.—A reward of £7 was
voted to the crew of a boat for their valuable assistance to
two out of six men who were, during a strong breeze, capsized
from their fishing-boat, near Rue Point, Culdaff, on the coast
of Donegal.—The thanks of the committee, inscribed on vel-
lum, and £l, were voted to Mr. G. Rosser, master of the
steam-tug Beaufort, and £2 to his crew, in consideration of
their valuable services in putting off in the steamer to the
rescue of the crew of the brig Anna Catherine, of Sunder-
land, which was wrecked in a gale of wind near the Green
Grounds, Swansea.—A reward of £9 was also voted to the
crew, consisting of nine men, of the lugger Eclipse, of Mar-
gate, in testimony of their praiseworthy conduct in saving
the crew of the Dutch schoooer Jantje Meier, from Newcastle
to Genoa, which was wrecked in thick weather on the Long
Sand Head.