The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-05-18 00:00:00

FIRE IN WATER-STREET.

About half-past seven o'clock last Right a fire broke
out in the office of Messrs. Melly, Forget, and Co., which
is situated in the second storey of the building adjoining
the prmises of the Lancashire Fire Insurance Company.
The fire is supposed to have commenced at the time we
have mentioned, but it was not discovered until a few
minutes before eight o'clock, when flames issued tkom
the Castle-street windows of the office. In a few
moments the window frames were completely burnt, and
the whole of the interior was seen to be in flames.• Mr.
Fenning, of the Royal Insurance Company, was imme-
diately on the spot, as was also Mr. Hewitt and his
energetic brigade. By Mr. Hewitt's direction a hose
was introduced through the back of the front room, and
from this point the water was directed upon the flames.
The fire-was soon subdued, and comparatively but little
injury has been sustained by the property. Some
valuable goods which were in an adjoining room were
slightly injured, but we believe they were fully insured
in the Northern Insurance Company. By order of Major
Greig the books and papers were removed to the Liver-
pool Bank. The proximity of the fire to the latter
building might have been productive of serious results,
but the exertions of the firemen completely extinguished
the conflagration in about fifteen minutes.

CONFLICT BETWEEN THE TWO HOUSES

OF PARLIAMENT.

The Times draws attention to, the very serious conse-
quences which might ensue from a conflict between the
two Houses of Parliament on the bill for the repeal of
%he paper duty, and observes that whether the Lords
are prepared to buy the rejection of this bill at such a
price is for their consideration ; if they are, the Times
does not see how it is to be i:oevented. Strict:formal
right is on the side of the peers ; but the exercise of
that right might be more pernicious than the commis-
sion of an ordinary wrong. The couuter more of the
Comm Obs 'would be to vote every tax for only a limited
period. Let us once add a quarrel between the two
houses to the French Treaty, the paper duties, the
Bankruptcy Bill, and the Reform Bill, and we shall
arrive precisely at that dead lock in the burlesque play
wkeve r.othing but the Queen's command in the shape
of a dissolution will induce all parties to throw clown
their swords and daggers.

NAVIGATION OF THE DANUBE.—The French Com-
pany for navigating the Danube, says a letter from
Marseilles, is about to be at last definitively organised.
It has purchased at Lyons six steamers, which are to
descend the Rhone to the Mediterranean, and are then
to proceed to Constantinople and Galatz, where they are
to ascend the Danube. To this company Prince Milosch
of Servia has granted great privileges.
SHOOTING AT SIGHT.—The shooting of John O'Neil,
by Rooker, in D.enver city, is thus accounted for and
,described in newspapers in that place. O'Neil had used
slanderous language about Rooker, who accordingly
challenged him. O'Neil chose bowie knives :as weapons,
and a dark room for the place. These Roo'4e; 7.,-ejected,
whereupon O'Neil sent word that they would shoot on
sight. With this arrange sent of the matter, Rooker
stationed himself in the door of the Western Saloon,
armed with a shot-gun loaded with buckshot. O'Neil
had occasion to pass by, and as he did so, when Rooker
saw him he cried out with an oath, " I've got you now,"
and immediately shot him. O'Neil, who had turned to
go away, fell with his revolver cocked in his hand,
simply uttering the words, " Rooker has killed me,"
and expired in ten minutes. The death of O'Neil was
regarded more as an abatement of a nuisance than any-
thing else, and upon a sham trial Rooker was acquitted.
—New York Paper.

THE PUNISHMENT OF DEATH IN HANOVER.—A
royal order, recently issued, will effect a change in the
mode of carrying the punishment of death into execu-
tion. The condemned is to be executed in an enclosed
space, in the presence of two officers of the Crown, a
registrar, who is to draw up a report of the details, a
surgeon, and one or more ministers of the faith to which
the criminal may belong. The crown deputy is to take
care that twelve inhabitants of the neighbourhood shall
attend to witness the execution ; and the defender of the
accused, as well as his nearer relations, are to be per-
mitted to be present. If the space will permit, the
Crown deputy can also grant admission to other discreet
persons of the male sex, according to his judgment.
The execution of the sentence is also to be made knOwn
in the journal of the place wherein the court which
passed the sentence sat ; and an account of the pro-
ceedings is to be publicly read by an official at some
place in the neighbourhood as soon as possible after the
official decree has been carried into effect.—Moritig
Post.

THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS.—The trees have
everywhere shot out into luxuriant foliage ; the pastures
have put on a bright green, and the grass is now rapidly
growing. From all quarters we receive the same
account, and our correspondents speak of the growth
of vegetation as being so great that one can "almost
see the grass grow." The change has come none too
soon, for vegetation of all kinds was most backward,
and the scarcity of keep for stock had reached a point
that was really most serious in its effect upon agricul-
turists. Now, however, all is once more hopeful, and
nature bids fair to compensate for past backwardness
by an extrordinarily rapid growth. The crops are every-
where showing the beneficial effects of the recent
moisture and warmth ; the wheats are fast recovering a
vigorous appearance, while beans and peas, barley and
oats have' already' derived immense advantage from the
change. RePorts from the hop distriCts speak of great
and rapid improvement, and in many places the poling
will scarcely be completed before the tyers' services are
required. Rarely has so extraordinary a change in all
vegetation been witnessed in so extremely brief a peripd.
—Sussex Advertiser.
WHAT CAN BE DONE IN NEW ZEALAND ?-I have
a brother with his wife and family in the Canterbury
settlement : he is one who can turn his hand almost to
anything. I received a letter from him last November,
in which he states that he worked at smithing the,firi!t
" day. Then he forth.r ..:•-
five months at "e
soon became a first-rate shoer. The pike for shoeing a
horse is 10s. Then he bought four acres of town land,
situate beside the park, a very valuable property, and
commenced business for himself in .rakerriaking. Hay
rakes, 6s. per rake ; drag rakes,' £l3. per rake. He
further
says i
The land s very rich, so that crops
are very stout. I have two stacks of wheat in very
good order.
some of the corn is spoiledonwettheinsttaheakts
but set mine op a rick, as at home; no
instead of 4s. per bushel, mine is worth 10s. So
you see that a rick pays the first year. Tell all my
starving friends to come here. Here is constant work
for them all, with good wages—from es. to 83 day,
if they are la/our4r4 , tradezmen's wage fo•ofm.b per
feieps.
to
12s. per day, at this time. here is plenty
d
meat of all sorts, at a 'reasonable price,* from 4d. to a9Pd.
per 11?."--4 c97'reepti4ent of .111""4) Z
' • ' "14014

lONIAN ISLANDS.
CoRFT (via Trieste), May 14.
The Lord High Commissioner has warned the
:nhabitants of the island against disquieting
;11149146.,