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

THE QUEEN has approved of Mr. William Watson, as con-
sul in this town for the republic of Venezuela ; and of Don
Fernando Montoya, Marquis of Caballero,- as consul at St.
JOhn's,"Newfonndland, for the Queen of Spain.
ELIZABETH GRUNDY, fourteen years of age, has been com-
mitted for trial, on a charge of setting fire to the cotton-mill of
Mr. W. Seed, Derby-street, Preston.
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DUCHY OF LANCASTER, Jan. 30. The Queen • has been
pleased this day to appoint Robert Needham Phillips, Esq., of
the Park, Manchester, tole Sheriff of the County Palatine of
Lancaster for the year ensuing.
TROMA.B MOORE, tailor and draper, Ashton-under-Lyne,
has been committed for trial on a charge of wilfully setting
fire to his dwelling-house, with intent to defraud the Man-
chester Fire Assurance Company.
AUSTRALIAN MAlLS.—Messrs. James Baines and Co.'s
chartered mail clipper Joseph Tarratt, will sail with the
mails for Australia on Thursday next. The Post-office box
will close on that day at 8 a.m., with late fees at 9 a.m., and
on the Landing-stage at 10 a.m.
QUICK DESPATCH.—The new iron clipper ship Mary Stan-
house, from Akyab, and owned by Edward Bates, Esq., having
on board 22,511 bags of rice, was discharged and cargo ware-
housed in the transit shed No. 2, Prince's Dock, under the
usual regulations, in twenty-nine working hours.
THE magnificent Boston liner John Eliot Thayer, captain
Gaius Sampson, sailed from the Mersey on Sunday last, for her
destination, with another enormous cargo of upwards of 3,400
tons, the value of which cannot be computed at less than
£130,000.
-• • •

THE TRA.NSEORT SERVICE.—The Great Britain, at present
in the graving-dock, is announced to sail from Liverpool on
Saturday, with upwards of 1,000 troops, her destination being
Malta. The screw-steamer Sarah Sands is also being made
ready, at Liverpool, for the conveyance of troops to the seat
of war.
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AN OLD LADY, residing at Normanton, near Wakefield-
having determined on removing thence to Manchester, sold off
all her furniture the other day for £2OO. On her way to Man-
chester the money, which consisted of notes, was abstracted
from her pocket, and the poor woman has thus been rendered
penniless.
LADIES' COLLEGE IN LIVERPOOL.—We understand that
some of the clergy and laity of this town, including gentlemen
connected with the Collegiate Institution, have under their
consideration the propriety of establishing a ladies' college,
similar to those colleges for the instruction of young ladies
which have been so successful in London.
ROYAL INSTITUTION SCHOOL.—In the late degree- exami-
nation at Cambridge, Mr. W. Glen, formerly educated in the
above school, and son of G. Glen, Esq., of this town, obtained
the place of twenty-third among the wranglers, or first class
of the mathematical tripos. Mr. W. Rees, Canning scholar
of the Royal Institution School, lately gained the Hulsean
Prize Essay at the same University.
LIVERPOOL CHEMISTS' ASSOCIATION. —The fortnightly
meeting of this society took place on Thursday, at the Royal
Institution, Colquitt-street. J. Abraham, Esq., of Bold-street,
presided. Mr. Rowland exhibited and exnlained his apparatus
for taking micro-photographs. Mr. Mercer delivered a lec-
ture on the " Chemistry of Food." A brief discussion fol-
lowed; and, after a vote of thanks to the lecturer, the pro-
ceedings were brought to a close.
ROBBERY AT IHE BOROUGH BANK.—On Tuesday, a
rentleman named Kerr, whilst attending the Borough Bank
to deposit a sumof money, was robbed of £215 in notes, which
were taken away from the counter during the time he was
engaged in counting some gold. No clue has yet been obtained
to the missing notes. The attention of the gentleman was
distracted from his cash by a person at his elbow directing his
notice to the beauty of tha :new ceiling of the bank. The
gentleman admired it for a few moments, but in the meantime
his money had gone.
CAUTION -TO LETTER CARRIERS.—At the Police-court, on
Wednesday, Thomas Stephenson, late a letter-carrier in the
Post-office, pleaded guilty to the charge of having, on New
Year's-day, neglected to use proper care and diligence in the
delivery of letters entrusted to him for that purpose, for which
offence he had rendered himself liable to a penalty of £2O. it
appeared that he had already been dismissed from his situa-
tion ; and under these circumstances, Mr. Mansfield thought
a fine of 40s. and costs would serve the purpose intended.
CHRISTIANITY IN NENV ZEALAND.—On Wednesday, the
members of the Everton branch of the Church Missionary
Society held a. meeting at the Everton and Kirkdale School-
room, for the purpose of hearing an address from the Rev.
Richard Taylor, a missionary from that colony, detailing the
progress the gospel had made there, and affording interesting
information in connection therewith. He was attended by
" Hepango," a New Zealand chief. A similar meeting was
held on Friday, at Hope-hall.
RAISING THE Ws/in.—John Fisher, a boy about eleven
years of age, was charged at the Police-court, on Friday, with
stealing six pairs of bellows from the shop of Mr. Fraser, St.
Anne-street. The prisoner has been charged before the
magistrates with thefts no less than seven times, on two of
which he has been convicted and punished, and five times dis-
charged through his ingenious defences. He was, however,
on the present occasion, sent to gaol for three months, with a
few cautioning words froni the magistrates as to his future
prospects by leading such a wicked life.
DESTRUCTION OF A COTTON MlLL.—Shortly after mid-
night, on Tuesday, a messenger arrived at Preston with in-
telligence that the cotton-mill of Messrs. J. W. Dale and
Sons, at Samlesbury, was on fire. These premises are situate
at Roach, seven or eight miles from Preston. After the mes-
senger had arrived with the news, about an hour and a half
elapsed before horses could be procured to convey the engines
to the spot; so that at least three hours must have passed
before the engines arrived at the burning mill. The building
and all it contained were utterly destroyed ; the loss amounting,
as we have been informed, to £14,000. The proprietors are
partly insured.
SHERIFFS FOR 1856. Cumberland : Sir Henry Ralph
Vane, of Hutton-hall and Armathwaite, Bart. ,Cheshire :
Richard Christopher Naylor, .of Hooton-hall, Esq. Derby-
shire : Alfred Miller Mundy, of Shipley-hall, Esq. Shrop-
shire : Edward Lloyd Gatacre, of Gatacre, Esq. Staffordshire :
Richard Dyott, of Freeford, Esq. Yorkshire : Harry Stephen
Thompson, of Kirby-hall, Esq. Anglesey : John Jacob, of
Llanfawr, Esq. Carnarvonshire : Lieutenant-Colonel John
M`Donald, of Plas-ucha-Dwygyfylchwy. Denbighshire : John
Jesse, of Llanbedr-hall, Ruthin, Esq. Flintshire :.Frederick
Phillips, of Rhual, Esq. Merionethshire : John Priestley, of
Hafodygregoge, Esq.
SABBATH DEFENCE MEETING.--A meeting of the Working
Men's Reformation Society was was held on Friday, at the
School-room, Lower Beau-street, to promote the Sabbath
Defence movement. The chair was taken by Mr. Ball. Re-
solutions were proposed and carried to bind the meeting to
defend the Sabbath, and expressing their gratitude to their
Creator for having prescribed its observance. A petition was
also passed, calling on the Mayor to repress Sunday trading in
the sale of provisions—the driving of cattle through the
streets—the opening of newsvendors' shops, and the vending
of spirituous liquors. The Speakers were—Messrs. Flannigan,
Johnson, Eaton, and Sefton. The attendance was very limited.
BLUE-COAT BROTHERLY Socsam—On Thursday, the
members of this society celebrated their seventeenth anniver-
sary by dining together at the Royal Hotel, Dale-street. The
society is composed of those who have received their educa-
tion in the Blue-coat Hospital, and who are associated toge-
ther to carry out several excellent objects specified in the
annual report. The chair was occupied by Mr. T. Wood, the
president of the society, and the vice-chair by Mr. T. Down-
ward. Several of the speakers called attention to the objects
of the society, and the large amount of good it had been in-
strumental in accomplishing in numerous eases which came
within the sphere of its benevolent operations. All present
were highly gratified, and the evening was spent in the most
agreeable manner.
LIVERPOOL TowN Couscsp.—A special meeting of the
council was held on Wednesday, John Stewart, Esq., the
mayor, presiding. The meeting was held for the purpose of
taking into consideration the provisions of a bill about to be
introduced into Parliament, "for carrying into effect certain
provisions of the Birkenhead Dock Act, 1855 ; for providing
for the construction, completion, and management of the
Birkenhead Docks ; and for other purposes. The council
having, on the motion of Mr. Hornby, resolved itself into a
committee, the town clerk read the provisions of the bill,
clause by clause. After considerable discussion on the 12th
clause, on which Mr. Hodson moved, as an amendment, " that
it be an instruction to the special committee to avoid, as far
as possible, the large present outlay required in so limited a
period of time ;" but which he did not press to a decision.
Ultimately the whole of the clauses, 123 in number, were
agreed to, and the bill was referred to the special committee
on the Birkenhead Dock affairs, to take all the necessary steps
for its prosecution. There was no other business before the
council, and the meeting separated shortly before two o'clock.
DARBY V. DIRBY.—This was a suit in the Vice-Chancellor's
Court, on Tuesday, before Sir Richard Kindersley, by the
widow of Mr. Alfred Darby, to administer his estate, but the
only point which was argued was whether certain estates in
the neighbourhood of Liverpool, purchased by Mr. Alfred
Darby and his brother, Mr. Abraham Darby, were to be con-
sidered in equity us converted into personalty, or whether they
descended to the infant heir-at-law as realty. It appeared
that Messrs. Abraham and Alfred Darby purchased the estates
in question out of money borrowed by them of the Colebrook-
dale Company, of which they were partners. Their intention
appeared to be to prepare the lands for building, and to sell
them for a profit, but no part of them ever was sold. Mr.
Alfred Darby died intestate in 1852, and it was contended on
the part of the plaintiffs, his widow and younger children, that
the whole transaction was to be considered as a partnership
business, and that the estates were merely merchandise, and
as such were merely personalty. The heir contended, on the
other hand, that it was not such a partnership transaction as
that the court could hold that the estates had been converted.
—His Honour reserved his judgment.
THE RAGGED SCHOOL UNION.—The annual meeting of the
subscribers and friends of this institution was held on Thurs-
day, at the Charitable Institution-house, Slater-street. Mr.
Edward Heath was called to the chair. Amongst the gentle-
men present were Mr. S. Martin, Mr. G. Duncan; the Rev.
R. W. Wolseley, &c., &c. The chairman intimated that it had
been considered undesirable to hold their public meeting as on
former occasions, but to meet as they were then doing, and
rather make the public acquainted with the institution through
the medium of the report.—The report, which was read by
Mr. Burt, the honorary secretary, stated that, in consequence
of the multiplying claims on the benevolent, and other causes,
the society had, in common with many others, not made much
progress in a pecuniary sense. The income of the society for
1854 was £2lB, and this year the applications had been more
numerous, and it was the first time the committee had been
unable to comply with all. The statistics of the schools showed
that in 27 week-day, evening, and Sabbath-schools there were
on the books 4,706 children, the average attendance being
3,455. Of these, there were 2,144 able to read and write,
and 162 who had obtained situations during the year. The
number of teachers was 341. There were five infant schools,
and the number of children on the books 596, average attend-
ance 508 ; of these the number that could read was 218 ;
teachers, 11. In the two industrial schools there were on the
books 216; average attendance 203, of whom 132 could read ;
and 57 had obtained situations. As compared with last year,
there was an increase of 454 in the average attendance, and of
these there were able to read 403. But of those there were
many who attended other schools, leaving the real increase in
the average attendance 284, and of those able to read, 253. It
appeared that of the 341. teachers all were voluntary except 10,
and that the total number of children educated was 3,455. The
financial statement showed a balance in hand of £l5, and there
were already more applications than could be met with the
present proceeds of the society. The report was adopted
unanimously. Besides the chairman, the meeting was ad-
dressed by Mr. Martin, Major Greig, Mr. G. Duncan, the Rev.
Mr. Wolseley, and other gentlemen. The committee for the
ensuing year having been appointed, the proceedings termi-
nated with the usual compliment to the chairman.