The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-07-10 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD

' burgh, as a clerk, at a very small salary. In the exercise of
this calling, he contrived to acquire a knowledge of the German
and Italian languages, from refugees, as poor as he was himself,
teaching them in exchange such English as he had himself
acquired. In addition to these he made himself master of the
Classics, and so early as 1810 obtained employment as a Par-
liamentary Reporter on the Morning Chronicle. About this
time he translated some German and Italian treatises, on poli-
tical economy, and one or two other trifles. He became editor
of the journal named about 1819, and continued in that
responsible office till 1845, when he retired from public life.
As a political writer, he was much more remarkable for the
energy than for the elegance of his style ; but, full of carefully
acquired knowledge, he at all times brought that readily to
bear upon any topic he had under discussion. This gave him
no inconsiderable advantage in many points, and the facility
with which he could exercise it procured for him the violent
antipathy of COBBETT, whose vituperation of Mr. BLACK and
the Scotch feelosophers was not less virulent than it was ab-
surd. In private life he was a man of strict integrity, of
genial and kindly disposition, and was generally esteemed by
those who knew him. Mr. BIICKINGUAM'S career was more
chequered, and in many respects more marked than that of
Mr. BLACK. At an early period of his life, Mr. BErCKINGHAM
was involved in a literary squabble with some of the leading
officials of the East India Company, in India. which gave a
colour of dissatisfaction and an air of unrest to the whole of
his after life. Defeated as a journalist in India, he travelled
over a great portion of the Asiatic and American Continents,
and published voluminous journals of his travels. Subse-
quently he became connected with the English periodical
press, and assumed the position of a public lecturer. In 1832
he was elected M.P. for Sheffield, and sat for that borough till
1837. The House of Commons, however, was no field for his
erratic and egotistical oratory, and he made no figure there.
Latterly his name was but little before the public.

PE:YEFIT BUILDING SOCIETIES.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

SIF,—A =test in the House of Lords having recently taken
place in; respect of a measure inimically affecting the above-
named societies; and which was successfully opposed by the
Earl of Dtrby, Lord. Ravertsworth, Marquis of Salisbury, and
the Earl of Ellesmere; all of whom are connected with our
town, I beg bo. subjoin a• statement of the facts of the' case;
which will proye interestinw to, those of your readers who are-
connected with' such societies..

Mr. Wilson, of the Treasurz thought proper to make the
Benefit Building Societies the objects of his attack in- the
shape of a "proviso' to a.clause of the-Friendly Societies' Con-
solidation Bill, which subject is not in any way connected with
Building Societies, and which prcviso, if passed, would have
deprived such latter societies of tire' exemption from Stamp
cinUea, enjoyed by them' under the Benefit Building Society
Act- of 1836.

Immediately on learning of this- attack upon them, the
Liverpool Building Societies. joined. together, and formed a
Generals Committee, which by the promptitude and energy of
its proceedings, and the cordial co-operation of our member,
Thoutas4Bi Horsfall, Esq., and our local nobles; succeeded in
defeating;the measure in the-House of Lords on Tuesday last,
by 47.votetin our favour, to-43 votes against us. On which
occasion the'excellent and emotive speeches of Lord Ravens-
worth, our late' member, the Earl of Derby, Lord Monteagle,
and the Earl of Ellesmere, formerly our county member,
tended greatly to secure the victory for us.
In order that members of beret building societies- should
know who are their friends, I subjoin the list of those peers
"who voted in their favour
HOUSE o LottlM*, TUESDAY, Jirne 28th, 1855.—The follow-
ing composed the, majority in favour of Lord Ra7onsworth's
motion, that building societies should retain their present ex-
emption from stamp. duties :—The Duke of Northumberland,
Marquis of Bath, Marquis of Salisbury, Marquis of Drogheda,
Marquis' of Westininster, Marquis, of Winchester, Earl of
airby, Earl of Eglinton, Earl of Malitesbary, Earl of Strad-
broke, Earl of Elleriborough, Earl of Stanhope, Earl of Car-
narvon, Earl of Haddington, Earl of Kingeten, Earl of Shaftes-
bury. Earl' of Delawarr; Earl of Ellesmere,. Earl of Lucan, Earl
of FoWis, Earl of Talmo, Earl of Beauchatnp, Earl of Maccles-
field, Earl of Leitrim, Earl of Bantry, Earl of Bandon, Earl of
Harrington, Viscount Pingo?, Viscount Hawarien, the Bishop
of Exeter, Baron Wynford, Baron Colchester, Baron Dinevor,
Baron 'Lyndhurst, Baron, &aides, Baron I-Valsin. gham, Baron
Downeecßaron Colville of Culross, Baron Retlesdale, Baran'
Ravensworth, Baron Polrearth, Baron Phinket, Baron Vain;
Baron Monteagle, Baron Lilford, Baron IVharzeliffe, Baron
Berners.—" Paired off" in favour of building. societies :—Earl
of Orkney, Earl of St. Vincent, Lord Farnham, Lord Forester,
Lord Lanesborough, Lord Cardigan, Lord Bradford.
Your publication of the above will oblige our societies.—
Your's, &c:,, jOSIAH HOSKING;
Chairman of the General Committee of the
Liverpool Building Set3ietiez.
Brunswick-street; Liverpool; July 2, 1855.

BUSINESS-IV THE ClTY.—ittppears, from a statement made
by Mr. Hankey,. M.P., at a meeting of the Society for the Pro-
pagation of the Gospel,. held in. London, on Friday, that the
returns under the income tax act of the profits. derived from
business alone in the City amount to £13,000,000 a. year.
PiltA.GuarniVhave been going.• the round of the press, to
tbe effect that Admiral Sir Charles Napier,end: the "lAlwv of
Rear-Admiral Rimer, had sustained enormous losses by the
failure of Messrs: Stralaan's bank, and in connection with
Messrs. Halfordund Co. We need hardly tell ourrprofeseional
fglaids that the -reports -have ns foundation in fact.—United
Service Gazette:'

IL A YOUNG WC MALIC was tried on Wednesday in the• Central
Criminal Court on a charge of the-wilful murder of-her
It appeared that the infant had: died from want of nourish-
ment, and that the defendant had refused to give it ettek.
The jury returned. a verdict of "Manslaughter," and she was
Zenteneed to twelvemonths' imprisonment.
TEE AMENDED-BILL ON LUZ/MED LIABILIT7-has teen
printed. Its difference consists in an additional provision, by
which any joint stack company (except insurance offices) con- .
stititted under arty, Act of Parliament,. and having- a nominal
capital 0f£20,000, may obtain a certificate of limited liability
from the registrar of- joint stock companies, upon satisfying
tile-Board of Trade-that• 75 per cent. of their capital is paid up.
&wine Aeee.e..—On the night or Sunday last,. a. man
named William Ewerseliving at Gravesend, was engaged in a
dispute with a woman, and being at- high.words enpressed a
wish "that• God would strike, him dumb" if he vras•noterYr-
rect. At that moment his speech failed him, and up to the
present time he has- .not been enabled .to speakea word.
Beyond the loss of speech he is in no way affected, either by
paralysis or epilepsy, so that there appears no physical cause
this the impediment Woolwich hickpencleat.
TIEN MIWFOITIfDLAND FISHER: —The following...is, an ex-
tract from a letter dated King's- Cove, 3rd June.:—" The
fishery in this ma the neighbouring harbours at this early
season far exceeds -anything of the kind for 30 years -past.
Tliegreat misfortune was that but few were in or: to catch
it. Some boats in .Bonavista on, last. Friday brought in. 26
quintals • some boats here and in keels have now from 50 to
quintals.. Herring was so plenty that they took-them with
east nets."—Ste JO/Ws Times, June 16.
In the Court of Queen's Bench„on Monday,. Rosins Fray,
bite lady's-maid to Lady Zetland„sued Sarah Potter, house-
keeper in the same- establishment, for slander, in imputing to
her-improper conduct with one of the, mea.earvants, and
stating .that she .was .the author .of an anonymous _letter in
which the housekeeper, on the other hand, was. charged with
similar 'improper• conduct. The.jary found the -housekeeper
guilty ofhavingeinepeted to the plaintiff the authorshipof the
anonymous letter and awarded :£lOO dameges. The lady's-
maid had been elaraies' ed in misalliance of the affair, and was
unable to get another place.
AGEICELTVFLA.L. STATIST:e& OF SCOTFa.2ID,--The report
of the Highland Society to the Board of Teaderjust published,
shows that under the head of Scottish hoklings_rented at less
' than 21Q,, there are 16,144 occupiers, 77,702earable acres,
26.,698-cattle, 4,273 horses, 7,871 sheep,. and 8,198 swine.
Under the, laead of holding* rented at less .than £2O, the
number of occupants amounts to 26,086 i the number of
arable acne. to 160,438, the cattle to 103,771, the horses to
24735 e the sheep to 141,561, and, the swine to 17,481. The
total gives .a list of 42,229eoccnpiers of all. holdings, 238,170
arableaores, 129,469 cattle, 29,008-horses, 149,432 sheep, and
26,899 swine. A separate return for Orkney gives the total
number of imperial acres, at 41,8441,. of- which about 13,517
are •he tillage, (only fit under wheat, crop,) and about 17,058.
in grass, including 5;865 acres of sheep walks. The stock
ins des, 1,424 horses,_ 2,078 milli cows, 2,696 other cattle,
1,891 calves, 5,612 ewes, gimmers, and ewe hogs ; 2,125-tups,
wethers, and wether. hogs ; and 1,396 swine. The gross pro-
dnce of Orkney is 1854, was. 180 •bushels of wheat, 5i727- of
barley, 238,728 of oats, 108,168-of here, 210 of beans, 132 of
peas, 39,230 tons. of turnips, and 6,632 tons of potatoes. The
average produce-of wheat par acre is 24 bushels, of barley 39,
and of oats 36 bushels. Owing to the number of petty occupiers
to be dealt with, almost equalling that of the tenantry of the
county, and the difficulty of finding the proper persons from
whom to obtain information, the preparation of these returns.
has entailed a great amount of time and labour ; but it is.
stated by Mr. Maxwell (who reports on the part of the High-
land Society) that the public lies under a great obligation, not
only to the farmers officially engaged in conducting the in-
quiry, but to the many proprietors, agents, factors, poor
inspectors, and others, through whose assistance the returns
hare been compiled. Every precaution has been taken to
wake them as accurate as possible.
LONDON oN SUNDAY.—The Rev, Thomas Hugo, senior
curate of St. Botoiph, Bishopsgate, in a letter to The Times,
draws tha following picture of a Sunday in Houndsditch
"In the heart of London, on every successive Sunday in the
year, in various streets, alleys, and courts to the north of
Houndsditch, and therefore in my own immediate neighbour-
hood, are congregated upwards of 15,000 persons, engaged in
traffic of various kinds, and constituting what is called the
City Exchange Fair.' The trade is carried on principally in
Cutler-street, Phil's-buildings, City Exchange, Exhibition-
mart, Harrow Alley, and Petticoat-lane, places notorious in
the annals of crime for outrages and abominations of all
descriptions. The articles offered for sale consist for the most
part of wearing apparel and jewellery, and the fair lasts for
the greater portion of the day. I speak from personal obser-
vation, and inspection, and hesitate not to characterise the
place as one of the very foulest sinks of profligacy and crime to
be found within the length and breadth of London. Of the
15,000 individuals there assembled some are Jews of the
lowest grade, but the great majority are nominally Christians,
uniting together in forming a multitude of the most ignorant,
lawless, brutal, and degraded ruffians that the metropolis can
furnish. In this vile haunt crimesetre both plotted and per-
petrated; for, in a spot at the entrance to Harrow-alley, I was
myself informed on the occasion of one of my visits, by one of
our excellent police, that of all the males there congregated, of
various ages, and to the number of several hundreds, every
individual had been a convicted felon. Stolen property is here
disposed of to any extent, 'and no questions asked;' and an
inducement is thereby held to thieves from every quarter to
bring hither the results of their crimes, assured of their imme-
diate and safe disposal. I could furnish you with many details
of this den of horrors : but I will content myself with affirming
that if there be an epithet in the English tongue more descrip-
tive than another of a place reeking with blasphemy, clamour,
and obscenity, and of a loathsome assemblage stained with
every vice named or nameless, that I would select and apply
it to this foulest of foul scenes and filthiest of filthy multi-
tudes. No man can possibly imagine it who has not visited
the place and seen it with his own eyes,"