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

a great comfort to me to be able to pray for " my enemies,
persecutors, and slanderers," and to feel towards several of
them that they are my brethren in Christ, who will in heaven
acknowledge the untruth and unkindness with which they
have assailed me. My dear brother, the Lord grant to you
grace to acknowledge the sin which you have committed
against me, and grace also to see that divine truth does not
need the weapon of misrepresentation.
In remembrance of many happy hours in which we have
spoken and prayed .together, in remembrance of a period of
united service, in which I was privileged to be in daily danger
of life for Christ's sake, and in the prospect of meeting you in
heaven, _

I remain,
Your injured brother in Christ,
JOSEPH BAYLEE.

St. Aidan's College, Jan. 25, 1856

IMPROVEMENTS IN LIVERPOOL.

ALTEIOUGH the progress of those new arrangements in
many of our streets known by the general name of " The
Town Improvements" are not making very obvious or
striking way towards a systematic completion, no small amount
of real improvement is being carried out by private enterprise,
while some stir is also being made in the same direction by
the corporation. Some time ago, the Town Council acquired
the premises in Dale-street, formerly occupied as the Sara,
cen's Head Inn, on which it has been determined to erect an
edifice for .the accommodation of the officers in the various
public departments, in lieu of the "Public Offices" in Corn-
wallis-street. Within the last few days workmen have been
engaged in the demolition of the old premises, preparatory to
the erection of the new buildings. The plans for these were
submitted to the Committee on Friday, and approved by them.
The plan is at once capacious and extensive ; and, from the
great magnitude of the area intended to be occupied, as well
as from the well-considered nature of the plans, the accommo-
dation for the transaction of business will be ample, while,
from the central position occupied by the building, it will be
easy of access. Architecturally considered, this edifice will add
much to the rising character of the town. The Dale-street
front is very long, stretching from Sir Thomas's-buildings on
the west, to Crosshall-street on the east, and from this circum-
stance affording fine scope for the, development of an imposing
street front.

Some time ago the Liverpool and London Fire and Life
Assurance Company purchased the large pile of buildings,
near- the Town-hall, bounded by High-street, Exchange-
street East, and Dale-street, which is to be pulled down, and
a magnificent erection substituted, in which, besides other
offices, will be comprised a building for earrying on the busi-
ness of the company. The sale of the old materials took place
last week; and already the work of demolition is in progress.
The pile was divided into four lots, and sold by auction, by
Messrs. Winstanley, in the old police-office. The several lots
were purchased by Mr. Williams, builder, of Crown-street, for
about £520, the lots thus averaging £l3O each. Mr. Williams
is tied down to have the buildings demolished, and the mate-
rials :cleared off' the ground, before the 20th of March. The
tenants, including sharebrokers, shipbrokers, insurance-
brokers, lawyers, shipowners, railway carriers, &c., have
" cleared out," with the exception of two—Mr. Lea, the news-
vendor, and Mr. Bird, druggist; whose terms of notice do
not expire until the. 30th of June next, and with whom, it
appears, the company have not yet been able to come to a
satisfactory settlement. The land is said to have Cost the pur-
chasers about £70,000. For some portion of it (the corner of
Dale-street and Exchange-street East) £7O per square-yard
was paid. The new building is to be from the design of Mr.
Cockerell, of London' Professor of Architecture to the Royal
Academy, the artist entrusted with the completion of St.
George's Hall, after the death of Mr. Elmes. It is to be com-
pleted as speedily as possible,• and will consist of offices only,
all the present shops being abolished in the new plan. With
regard to the two tenants who will not move, it is expected
that something similar will take place to what was witnessed
a few years ago, in the case of the Royal Insurance Company's
buildings, where a contumacious barber—who occupied a little
shop at the corner of North John-street and Dale-street—re-
fused to evacuate, until the roof was literally taken off above
his head, and an avalanche of bricks, mortar, and old flooring
drove him out of the premises.
In Water-street also, two extensive piles of old offices and
warehouse* are nearly completed in the progress of demolition,
for the purpose of being replaced by handsome structures, de-
voted to the accommodation of shipping and other mercantile
firms. In Oldhall-street also, an extensive area has been all
but cleared, for the erection of premises by. Messrs. Leyland
and Bullins ;: this latter area is rather more than an acre in
extent, and affords fine scope for the construction of a large
and beautiful pile of buildings.