The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-05-24 00:00:00

DEATH OF ALBERT SMITH.

We regret to have to announce that Albert Smith
expired yesterday morning at his house at Fulham.
The cause of his death was a most sudden and severe
attack of bronchitis.
Albert Smith was one of the best known and most
popular of our public men; and nothing in his whole
career has done anything like so much to make him so,
as his most entertaining lectures at the Egyptian-hall,
in London.

Albert Smith was born May 24, 1816, at Chertsey,
educated at Merchant Taylors', and studied Medicine
at the Middlesex Hospital, becoming a member of the
College of Surgeons in 1838; after which he continued
his studies at the H3tel Dieu and Clamart, in Paris, and
then practised with his father at Chertsey. He found
that his pen brought him in much more money than his
lancet, and after writing for the Medical Times some
clever and characteristic papers, entitled "Jasper Buddle,
or Confessions of a Dissecting-room Porter," he came up
to town in 1841, and began in earnest his literary career
by writing for the magazines. His first book was " The
Wassail Bowl," a collection of tales and sketches. Since
he has written " The Adventures of Mr. Ledbury,"
" The Scattergood Family," " The Marchioness of
Brinvilliers," " Christopher Tadpole," " The Pottleton
Legacy ;" and innumerable dramas, farces, sketches,
and stories. He has also contributed extensively
to magazines, newspapers, and other periodicals,
articles the enumeration of which would occupy
too considerable a space in these columns. He went to
the East in 1849, and brought out his interesting volume,
" A Month at Constantinople." On his return he estab-
lished the entertainment called " The Overland Mail,"
which came out May 26, 1850. He ascended Mont
Blanc August 12, 1851, and his entertainment founded
thereon was produced at the Egyptian-hall, March 15
1352. So remarkable was the popularity of this illus-
trated lecture, that it attracted the Queen to the Hall in
July, 1854, and Albert Smith repeated it to her Majesty's
private family circle at Osborne in the following August,
During the run of this entertainment, Albert Smith
had given up literary pursuits, after publishing the
work popularly considered his best—" The Story
of Mont Blanc," in 1853. In the midst of
his successful career at the Egyptian-hall, he
made one or two more visits to Mont Blanc.
and even extended his foreign tour on one occasion as
far as China ! Here he picked up materials for another
and still more novel entertainment, in which some of
the more particular features of the Celestial Empire and
its extraordinary people, were described in his happiest
vein. This entertainment like the other became
immensely popular. That of Mont Blanc had lately
been resumed, and retained its popularity to its very
last representation, not many days ago. Albert Smith,
it will be remembered, had an alarming apopletic
attack some weeks ago, from which, however, it was
understood, that he had entirely recovered. The malady
under which he has at length sunk is said to have been
of a different character from the former—Bronchitis--
but one which from the first excited the anxious appre-
hensions of his friends, though they had no idea, pro-
bably, of its being so near a fatal termination. Our
readers are no doubt aware that last year, Albert Smith
was married to Miss Keeley, the accomplished daughter
of those popular comedians Mr. and Mrs. Keeley. A
portrait of Albert Smith appeared in the Liceipool
Weekly Times of Saturday, May 12.

BENEFIT BUILDING SOCIETIES.

(Frin the _London City Press.)

At the Guildhall Coffee-house, on Thursday, an
important meeting was held for the reception of the
report of a deputation which had been appointed to wait
on the Chancellor of the Exchequer, to induce him to
withdraw his proposal to deprive building societies, the
members of which number nearly a quarter of a million,
of exemption from stamp duties. W. Connell, Esq.,
C.C., occupied the chair ; and stated that, in conse-
quence of the representations made to him, Mr. Glad-
stone had promised not to press the objectionable
proposition.

Mr. Stewart, C.C., on the part of the deputation,
narrated their proceedings in conjunction with Mr.
,Tosiah Hoskiug, of Liverpool, and Mr. James Taylor, of
Birmingham. He stated that Mr. Higham, Mr. Hos-
king, and Mr. Taylor, representing the building societies
of Loudon, Liverpool, and Birmingham respectively,
had a special interview with certain members of the
Government, at which interview they were accompanied
by Mr. Horsfall, M.P., and Mr. Scholefield, M.P., when
the objects of these excellent institutions, their beneficial
influence among the working classes, and the injury
which would accrue if the proposition to withdraw the
exemptions were carried, were fully discussed. He
described subsequent proceedings, and the efforts made
by the friends of these societies, ultimately ending in
success.

Votes of thanks were passed to those members of
Parliament who assisted in inducing the Chancellor of
the Exchequer to abandon his project, and more
especially to Messrs. Horsfall, Scholefield, Bright, and
Bristow. Votes of thanks were also passed to the
deputation and to Mr. Josiah Hosking, who was con-
sidered the chief of the opposition on the part of these
societies, and to Mr. James Taylor, whose assistance
was of much service.

Messrs. J. Higham, C. W. Davies, F. Toole, J. Jones,
and others addressed the meeting, which closed with a
hearty vote of thanks to the chairman.

DISCOVERY OF OLD ENGLISH COINS,
THROUGH A DREAM.

An illustration of the adage that " Truth is stranger
than fiction," has occurred, within a few days, in the vil-
age of Chorlton-cum-Hardy, in this county. A young
man, named Thomas Denson, a labourer in the village,
dreamed that a lady appeared to him, and told him
that, by digging at a spot, which she pointed out, in
the garden of John Coppock, close by, " a treasure "
in
money would be found. The young man related his
dream next day to Coppock, and the two agreed to
test the matter early on the following morning. At
the specified time, however, Coppock proved too
drowsy to keep his appointment, and Denson com-
menced digging alone. At a depth of 15 inches his spade
struck against a hard substance, which proved to be
an earthen jar which really contained "treasure."
Denson was so overcome at the fulfilment of his dream,
that he quite staggered with the excitement, and two
villagers who had been watching him from an adjoining
garden, quickly carried the jar to a convenient place, so
as to ascertain its contents. Denson was some minutes
in following, and he was shown by the two men, who
are named John Cookson and John Warburton, a pile
of silver coins, numbering upwards of 1,000, chiefly of
the Elizabethan era, and in excellent preservation. Den-
son, whom the sequel would show not to have been very
sharp witted, was led to believe that each of the three
had an equal right to the prize, and they immediately
set off to Manchester to dispose of the coins. They
went to the shop of Messrs. Olivant and Botsford, in
Exchange-street, where the weight of the silver
as
ascertained to exceed 141 b., but as the account they
gave of their possession of it was not deemed satisfac-
tory, the silver was not purchased. The three then
commenced " spreeing ;" the coins were equally shared,
and, in the end, Denson was induced to give up the
whole of his portion to the man in whose garden the
coins were found. The circumstance has, of course,
created considerable excitement in the village, and a
great deal of ill feeling has been engendered as to the
disposition of the property. The popular belief is, that
" nothing is freer than a find."
In the meantime, where are the coins ? Conn,ot ;wine
competent numismatist or antiquary get to see at least
some of tiler-, so as to let it be known what the coins
really are ?

SPORTING AND POLITICAL PARALLELS.

Yesterday being the Derby Day, the Dias had a string
of sporting and political analogies, and it specially recom-
mended both sportsmen and politicians to, uoid an
unlucky man, instancing the case. cl Mr. bright. As
soon as he backs a horse, the chances' of the animal
dwindle down to zero. To be sure, when he first came
into the ring, he had a small burst of luck. That was
the famous year of the great 'race between the noted
mare Protection, and the celebrated hOrse Free
Trade. Free Trade won in a canter. But, who
trained the horse ? Not Mr. Bright. A sharp
yoUng Corinthian Charles Villiers took the
horse in hand 'as a colt, and brought him into
form. Then the famous Sussex trainer Richard Cobden
took the horse up, and`worked him into a long. stride,
Mr. Bright, no doubt; fell upon his ;set that ; but
what has beep' the Stay (.14 his
own account TIOV was the 'Aare Reouomy, which
idac.ed 4ntil Mc. Bright backed her, when she
was ber4eil by e, horse called Extravagance. Peace was
John Bright's next venture ; but this little calculation
was smashed to pieces by that fiery horse Crimea. The
Reform was taken out of the stable, and now the odds are
barely taken against Mr. Bright's favourite. Next, he
would ride the well-known horse Paper Duty h*,self,
but could not keep his temper, One 6,ig with his spur,
one cut with his whip, and the hoi•se was' throWu out
of his stride, and the 'Old "Earl 'beat him "hellOW.

The Bulgarians have forwarded a monster p.6iticui to
Constantinople, in which the forte is requested entirely
to toeparate them from the Orthodox (Russian) Church.