The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-02-05 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

LORD'S-DAY DEssoßATiox.--_We mentioned in .a previous
impression that the barbers of Stalybridge, Lancashire, had,
with two exceptions, determined to abandon the practice of
shaving their customers on the Sunday. One of the oppo-
sitionists, named Cook, was charged at the petty sessions with
exercising his ordinary calling on Sunday, the 13th ult. The
trade having, by friendly remonstrance with defendants, faiW
to induce theni to close their shops, had determined to take the
present proceedings. The defendant pleaded guilty, and Was
convicted in the usual penalty with costs. Deputations of the
trade were in attendance from the surrounding towns to hear
the decision.

CHIMNEY STRUT* BY LIGHTNING.--On Monday, last
week, during the brief thunder-storm, the chimney at Messrs.
Hill and Sons' chemical manufactory, Vauxhall-road, was
struck by lightning. This chimney is 310 feet high, and the
brick-work nearly a yard thick. The lightning first struck
it about twenty yards from the top, stripped off the outer layer
of bricks, something in the shape of the letter S, to a distance
of forty feet, then left a space of some eight or ten feet appa-
rently untouched, then struck the chimney again, carried with
it, in a similar shape, about thirty feet of brick, and then took
another direction. The workmen employed about the yard
were at dinner, so that the fall of the bricks did no further
damage than smash a couple of carts that were lying near.
The crash of the falling mass was heard some streets off, and
several pieces of brick were scattered to a considerable dis-
tance.

FALLING or A. Dale-street, opposite the Police-
offices, extending round into Preston-street, was a dead wall
surrounding the timber-yard of Messrs. Jones and Roberts.
It was about ten feet high, and appeared to be substantially
built. Against this wall huge stacks of timber were reclined,
without any suspicion of danger. On Thursday night, how-
ever, at a quarter-past seven o'clock, about four yards in width
of the wall in Preston-street was suddenly, and rather quietly,
borne down into the street by an immense quantity of timber
that was reared against it. The street was, to a considerable
extent, barricaded, Much alarm was created, but not a person
was injured by the sudden fall. The police immediately set
to work to clear away the timber and brick, to be sure that
no one was buried under the load. The accident is very similar
to the one that occurred .in South John-street some months
_back, and thaw after frost may tend to account for it.

ROBBERY ON SRIPBOA.RD.—Five seamen, named Hugh
M`Neile, John Brown, William Reed, Thomas Ashton, and
William Keitch, were brought up at the Birkenhead Police-
court, on Thursday, on remand, charged with stealing a quan-
tity of wearing apparel, belonging to John Johnson and some
other sailors, who formed part of the crew of the ship Inde-
pendence, lately wrecked in Drogheda Bay. The vessel went
into the Mersey on the 17th tilt., and remained at anchor until
the 21st, when she sailed for New. Orleans. Soon after the
prisoners were shipped, the prosecutors had their boxes broken
open and their bags rifled, and the missing apparel was
found to be in the possession of the accused men. Upon a
complaint being made, it was said that the captain intimated
that the matter should be investigated in America. The ship,
however, was stranded in Drogheda Bay, and a portion of the
crew returned to Liverpool on Saturday, when the prisoners
were given into custody. One of the Liverpool police force
found a portion of the stolen clothes in their possession.
M`Neile and Keitch were committed to gaol for 14 days, and
Brown, Reed, and Ashton for 21 days.
LAIINCR AT Aunnosseiv,—On Friday, Messrs. Barr and
Shearer, shipbuilders, Ardrossan, launched a fine timber ship
from their building-yard, in presence of a large number of
spectators, several of whom had arrived that forenoon from
Glasgow. The necessary preparations having been completed,
the ship took the water in fine style, after being gracefully
named the Victor Emmanuel, by Miss Mary Shearer. The
lines of the ship are very fine, and it was an opinion pretty
freely expressed by nautical men at the time of the launch, that
they would be disappointed if she did not prove a fast-sailing
craft. The Victor Emmanuel will be ship-rigged, her dimen-
sions being—Length, 194 feet 1-10th; internal breadth amid-
ships, 29 feet 1-10th ; depth amidships, 21 feet 6-10ths ; re-
gister tonnage, about 1,010 tons. Her poop is about 46 feet in
length, 22 feet 9-10ths in breadth amidships, with a height of
about 7 feet, and measures about 135 tons. The tonnage of
the hold is about 874 tons. She is owned by Melsrs. Henry
Moore and Co., of Liverpool, and is intended for the Liverpool
and East India trade. Captain Newlands, a gentleman well
known in the China and Eastern trade, is appointed com-
mander.

THE ROYAL OZARTER.—The following letter has been ad-
dressed to The Times by the Rev. Dr. Scoresby :—*Sir,—ln a
paragraph in The Times of-this morning, on this splendid ship,
it is stated that my fears and the surgeon's concerning her
"assisted in inducing Captain Boyce to return." Will you'
allow me to correct this ( the only particular in the paragraph,
perhaps, likely to be mistaken) by stating that, ,while I did
certainly feel anxiety at the distressing condition of the pas-
sengers forward, I scrupulously avoided giving any opinion on
the question of perseverance or putting back until after the
captain had declared his determination, and had given orders
to put the ship round? I may be permitted to -add, that, as
to one of the difficulties we bad to contend with—that of the
deep draught of water of the ship—this is now in progress of
being remedied, the ship 'having been already lightened for-
ward, by the removal of ballast, between one and two feet ;
and, in a day or two, the trim of the vessel ( the defectiveness
of which had to do with every other inconvenience) will be
satisfactorilyadjusted. As to the staunchness of the ship, her
buoyancy, and other characteristics as a " sea-boat," in the
heaviest weather, nothingeould be more satisfactory or admir-
able.—l am, Sir, your very obedient servant, Wsl. SCORESBY.
—Royal Charter, Plymouth Sound, Jan. 29,
TICE LIVERPOOL DISPENSARIES.—The annual meeting of
the governors of the Liverpool dispensaries was "held on Thurs-
day, in the Philadelphia-chambers, Hackin's-hey. The Rev.
Rector Campbell, who had kindly consented to become presi-
dent, took the chair, and expressed his desire to promote at all
times the interests of the institutions. The Rev. Cyrus Mor-
rall then read the report for the past year, which expressed
the regret of the committee that the income still fell consider-
ably short of the expenditure, though, by the kind assistance
of liberal friends, the debt of the institution had been reduced
from £628 195..3d. to £l5l 9s. 7d. during the year. Notwith-
standing an addition of £64 4s. 6d. by new and increased sub-
scriptions, there was still, from various causes, a falling off in
others of about £B4. In order to meet the exigencies of their
position, the committee had had to realise a deck bond for.
£lOO, which would depreciate the income of the institution to
the extent of the income derived from that source, and thus
the diminution-of the debt of the institution was to the extent
of £lOO more apparent than real. The receipts of the past year
exceeded those of the previous year by £816125. ld., while
the decrease in the expenditure bad amounted to nearly £3O.
The numbers relieved by the dispensaries during the year
were 37,305. After appealing to the public for an increased
subscription list, the committee concluded by deeply lamenting,
in common with the whole community, the loss of the Vene-
rable Archdeacon Brooks, who for several years had-been the
president, and ever the warm friend of the institution. Mr.
F. Mill, the treasurer, then read his statement of the accounts,
and on the motion of Mr. W. F. Macgregor, seconded by Mr.
W. M. Moss, the report and treasurer's statement were re-
ceived, and ordered to be printed and circulated as usual.
Other resolutions, expressive of thanks to the committee, to
the honorary medical officers, the clergy, &c., were also adopted,
the proceedings terminating with a vote of thanks to the
chairman.
- - - - -

TIER MANCHESTER POISONING CASE.—On Monday, the
wholesale exhumations in St. Wilfred's Roman Catholic chapel
yard, Manchester, in search of the body of John Monaghan,
who is alleged to have been poisoned by the administration of
acetate of lead, by his son and two accomplices, were re-com-
menced, and during the course of the afternoon the searchers
came upon the coffin. On the following day, the city coroner,
Mr. Herford, proceeded to hold an inquest. Mr. Thomas
Timperley, the undertaker, was examined, and proved the
order given for the coffin. On Wednesday, the examination
was resumed. Before the ease against Monaghan and Barry
was proceeded with, two men, named Terence M`Laughlin
alias Mulroney, a commission agent, and James Keefe, a shoe-
maker, were charged with forgery and perjury in relation to an
alleged will of the deceased John Monaghan. This case was
remanded until yesterday. James Monaghan and George Barry
were then placed in the dock. The first witness was Thomas
Holland, surgeon, who stated that he became acquainted with
Edward Dunn, one of the accomplices, in May last, and with
James Monaghan about three months previous to his father's
death. He further stated that James Monaghan was intro-
duced to him by Dunn, and that on the night of the introduc-
tion Dunn, his wife, and her mother,-,James Monaghan, and
Mary Monaghan, along with himself, went to a public-house,
and each had a glass of porter. Dunn then stated something
about an insurance on James Monaghan's father's life, and
James Monaghan admitted that they had a policy. Holland
never saw Barry till after the old man's death, when Dunn,.
Monaghan, Barry, and himself, had some conversation about
old Monaghan, and they stated that £3OO would be divided
amongst them, when they received it. Some time after that, it
was mentioned that sugar of lead had been given to the
deceased, and James Monaghan was present at the conversa-
tion. Francis King, son-in-law of the deceased, deposed that
James Monaghan had given his father a noggin of whisky,
although it was contrary to the doctor's orders. The deceased
was ill about six weeks, and was, up to the time of his death,
purged violently. He was in the habit of taking sugar of lead
during his illness. William Monaghan, son of the deceased,
corroborated the foregoing evidence, and • the case was
adjourned till to-day.
LivEnroor, SAILORS' HOB/R.—The annual meeting of the
governors of this institution was held on Thursday, Mr. James
Aikin in the chair. The report for the yeaalBss, presented on
the occasion, showed that during the past year 2623 men and
428 apprentices had boarded in the house, against 2991 in the
preceding year. Of this number 400 had been resident twice or
thrice before. This progress the committee deemed most sa-
tisfactory, considering the active agencies which were in ope-
ration out of doors, to withdraw sailors from the influence and
benefits of the institution. The facts with regard to the savings'
bank were highly encouraging, for, whilst the receipts of 1854
amounted to £12,632, and the balance of the deposits at the close
of the year to £4,369 17s. ld., the receipts of 1855 had been
£21,989, and the balance to seamen's credit in the bank £9,011
19s. 3d. Thus the transactions in this department had more
than doubled in twelve months. Irrespective of these sums
£13,912 had passed through the cashier's hands, a large propor-
tion of which had been transmitted to sailors' families. The
report further stated that the library was much appreciated,
and the school, under the direction of the Board of Trade,
successful. The Chairman, drawing a distinction between the
operations of the Local Marine Board (to which one portion of
the institution building is devoted) said that, as a home, ,the
institution had progressed satisfactorily, the number of
boarders at present being more than 200. There was accom-
modation, however, for double this number ; but in conse-
quence of the misapprehensions which existed with regard to the
Home, and the efforts made by those who preyed upon sailors'
earnings, large, numbers of men were prevented from availing
themselves of the benefits of the institution. Those who had
so availed themselves, however, comprise the best seamen fre-
quenting the port. The weekly board charge of 14s. had
during the last year been found too small to be self-sustaining ;
but it was hoped that, with the return of peace, the cheapen-
ing of provisions, and increase of inmates, it would be so next
year. The promoters of the Home had endeavoured to act as
harmoniously as possible with the Local Marine Board, and to
give every accommodation which was in their power to
their operations ; and it was satisfactory to know that
their efforts in this respect were appreciated. There was
one matter, however, in which neither the Home nor the
Board had been altogether successful, namely, in checking
crimpage, which still prevailed to a great extent. It was not
generally known that not only the crimps themselves, but
those who employed them, were subject to heavy penalties,
whether they were shipowners, overlookers, or in any other
capacity. But the best way of curing this evil was for the
owners to instruct all those who engaged sailors not to employ
crimps at all, but to come to the Sailors' Home, which in time
would thus become, what it ought to be, the most complete
and safe mart for sailors' labour in, the port. The report wag
adopted, and the usual appointments filled up.