The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-08-14 00:00:00

CLOSING THE MARKETS ON SATURDAY

NIGHT.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY TIMES.

SlR,—The Press is as famous for fairplay, as it is
powerful; and in that spirit of fairplay I ask space for
a few remarks relative to the important public question
of closing the markets at 10 o'clock on Saturday night,
instead of 11 o'clock, as heretofore. You are an advo-
cate for early closing ; so am I ; but the question of the
markets has no more to do with the " early closing
movement" of private shops and large mercantile
establishments, than I have with the domestic economy
of the Ashantees. The early closing, movement has been
seized on as a lever of popularity, to cloak and mystify
the real question, which, with your permission I shall
demonstrate, has no relation to the closing of the
markets on Saturday night. It will be admitted on all
hands that markets are very different from any other
class of shops in the town, and that the great mass of
people who visit the markets on Saturday evening, never
visit, the shops of other tradesmen except in the day
time; so that here; at once, may be separated the ques-
tion Of the markets, from that of the early closing for
ever. The proceedings of the Council, on Wednesday
last, shows that the arguments of the shop-keepers
of the markets have had due weight on the mem-
bers, with the exception of Mr. Robertson Glad-
stone. This gentleman has no necessity to go to
market on Saturday evenings ; and, although
some of the tenants have not left the markets, yet, if
the hour be not changed, it will be soon discovered
whether theywill or not. He, too, insinuates that the
rents ought to be higher than at present. If his sug-
gestions be carried out, he will soon find the tenants
leaving ; and perhaps he has an eye to the augmentation
of property in which he is interested, and which perhaps
he calculates letting to some of the aforesaid tenants.
On this point I shall have something to say hereafter.
The real question, however, lies in a narrow space. Is
it beneficial to the great mass of the people, and is it
conducive to public morals to close the markets at ten
instead of eleven o'clock on. Saturday ,evenings ? I
shall prove the negative. SeVenty or eighty per cent.
of the people who visit the'markets on Saturday even-
ings, do not obtain the means of doing so before a late
hour; and until it becomes universal to pay mechanics
and other working men either on Friday evening, or
early on Saturday morning, there must be some place
where such people must find shops open on Saturday
night, up to at least eleven o'clock, to supply them with
meat and other provisions ; and if the markets are
closed, where the customer can procure every thing
required, then, of necessity, shops must be opened
outside, and the markets will soon become empty
of tenants. This will ,be an inevitable consequence,
and what is more, it will cause shops to be kept open
up to at least twelve o'clock, for there is no law
to prevent that, and thus the people will have an
additional hour to supply their wants. Without at
present entering into the question of loss that IS entailed
upon the vendor, who is obliged. to hold over perishable
goods for nearly forty hours—which by the way is a
loss to the purchaser also—see what effect the above
will have on corporate property. I Shall close this
letter by asking attention to two great facts, observable
since the closing of the markets at ten. I can refer to
the columns of your own paper for one, and to the police
statistics for tho other. The first is that I find more
butchers and fish dealers summoned now before the
magistrates in one day, by the market inspectors, for
exposing meat and fish for sale, not fit for human food,
than used to be charged in a month under the old system.
This is the consequence of the change. Under the old
system the articles (then good and wholesome) would
have been disposed of at 11 o'clock, at lower prices, and
thus the consumer would be benefitted, and the vendor
saved from positive loss. The next fact is, that since the
change, the number of persons charged with drunken-
ness, from about the markets, has nearly doubled, and
is on the increase. The reason is obvious—the people
employed about the markets, have now more leisure, and
spend their time in the public-house, instead of at
business. The whole question, therefore, is one of great
public importance. But as I fear I hale encroached
on your valuable space, I must crave the favour of the
insertion of another letter or two, knowing your love of
fairplay, and fully aware that you are not in any way
accountable for the opinions expressed by your corres-
pondents,—l am, sir, your obedient servant,

NIAGARA FALLS.—The Niagara Falls Gazette says,
that a day or two ago a drayman threw his dog into
the rapids near Goat Island-bridge, and immediately
afterwards went to the foot of the ferry stairs, and found
him but, little injured by the tremendous leap. The
cruel experiment was tried to convince some incredulous
persons.

KN@WLEDGE.—Pour in knowledge gently. Plato
observed that the minds of children were like bottles
with very narrow mouths—if you attempted to fill them
too rapidly, much knowledge was wasted and little
received; whereas with a small stream they were easily
filled. Those who would make young children prodi-
gies act as wisely as if they would pour a pail of water
into a pint measure.
Hopley, the convict schoolmaster, was removed on
Thursday morning from the county prison at Lewes,
where he has been confined since his conviction, to the
convict prison at Millbank. Mrs. Ropley, who has ex-
hibited the most devoted affection for her unhappy part-
ner, left Lewes by the same train, and thus had the
opportunity of accompanying him through the journey.
Hopley appeared to be in good health, and • not cast
down by his position.
A FACT FOR ORN.ITROLOGITS.7--.A., CireßmstaßCO,
Worthy of the attention of ornithologists has been com-
municated to' Its by ,a trustworthy correspondent.'
Head-constable Harkins, of the Rosbercon Conttebn-
lary, recently was made a present of a lark by a police
man of the Glanmore station, who had kept the,bird .in
a cage in his room. The head-constable, some days
after, bringing the lark home, opened the Cagelle; allow
it to fly about the room, when to his great disappoint-
meet it contrived to.escape.,through a broken, window.
He expected never to see the bird again, but to his no
small astonishment he learned next day that it had
flown directly to GlaninOre, a distance of five Miles,' and
sought refuge again in the cage of its old master, where
it has since remained.—Kilkenny Moderator.
COMMISSION YRIVS curious-looking
watch, formerly the property of the famous Chinese
Commiisioner Yeb, and now iii the pessesiien of Major-
General Meade, of 'Belmont, was sent to ' Mr. Hawkes-
worth, Grand Parade, Cork, last
week, to be cleaned.
Its size is not what could be termed in the ptesnt day:
" elegant," it being more than twice that of the largest.
old-fashiOned Enlish Watches, and it is rather gamily in
the style of ornament; but, taking altogether; and
considering that his Excellency is a:barbarian,, be•cer-
tainly displayed a creditable amount of taste. in ,his
watch. It is a duplex watch, with compensation bal.aire,
and patent step-vfork, and the works are e.lneict.roce-gilt,
and very nicely•carved. 7ltis a splendid .t k
being a little short of a chronometer in -thatfoto
Eerensgplicsit),
The dial is of a white enamel, thOse.P... ,
which, takes
watches, but with a very large seoif:ont.hl-hdainadl
in its circle.
• in nearly the full circumferenceei
The back is also. • ornamented kith coloured enamel,
in • the centre- of
representing a.cluster of
doves; around the edges,
which is a, nest containing
back and front, are two rows oo,f pearls., and" 'the -outer
gold, in each of
of the watch; between these, is dividedinto squares,
toita
rim
enamelled it blue, white, green and
dmi:ceorleoliisre'dtt,tabelluedt
which is a Chinese character.
piece of silk work, now much •
plenti-
fully ornamented, like the' watch itself, with pearls.
with it is a bag for the watch, composed of blue silk
lined with pink, and handsomely embroidered. The
watch . itself is
.of Bwiss•,manufactute, as the words
Bovet Fleurrier" engraved on it indicate, and is cer-
tainly a handsome article, and must have cost the Com-
missioner a-large sum, though it would be most unsui-
table for the fob of g modem Swope= gagman,