The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-12-29 00:00:00

kartymt

THEATRE ROYAL.
Williamson-square.
THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS.
Taxa Evacuro (Thursday), 29th instant, the Performance will
commence with TIME TRIES ALL. To be followed by the
Grand Comic CHRISTMAS PANTOMIME! entitled
THE BUTTERFLY'S BALL and THE GRASSHOPPER'S
YEAST; or, HARLEQUIN AND THE GENIUS OF SPRING !
rounded on the Popular Poem by Mr. Roscoe, of Liverpool.—
Harlequin...... Signor Lauri. Pantaloon.. Signor C. Lauri.
Columbine.. Madame Masotti. I Clown .... Signor F. Lauri.
Admission—Dress Boxes, 45.; Upper Boxes, 35.; Pit, 25.;
Gallery, Is. The Box-office is open from Ten to Three o'clock
daily, for securing Seats and taking Private Boxes, under the
direction of Mr. T. Shuttleworth. Children in arms will not be
admitted. Doors open at half-past Six, the performance to com-
mence at Seven o'clock precisely.

ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE.
HOLIDAY NOTICE.

Tats
EVENING (Thursday), 29th inst., and following Evenines,
the Entertainments will commence with, for the Fourth Time in
England, R 0 B R 0 Y I produced by Mr. Pablo Fanque as an
EQUESTRIAN SPECTACLE! with new Scenes and Incidents
introduced from the Novel. In order to pronuce the Celebrated
Drama in Its new form in the most creditable manner possible, Mr.
Pablo Fanque has engaged, at a considerable expense, the valuable
services of MR. GOURLAY, the Acknowledged Successor of
MR. MACKAY, for the representation of Scotch Character, and who
will make his Fourth appearance In Liverpool, This Evening, in
the arduous character of BAILIE NICOL JA llVlE.—Several of the
most popular members of the Metropolitan Theatres are engaged,
among whom will be found Mr. Rayner, Mr. T. Kirk, Mr. Birken.
heft; Mr. Cooper, Mrs. Raymond, Miss Hodson, the popular vocalist,
and ►arious others. Rob Roy has been pronounced by the Press of,
Edinburgh and Glasgow never to have been correctly produced
until brought forth by Mr. Pablo Fanque with his celebrated horses.
—To-morrow (Friday), the 30th instant, there will be • Gran I
DAY PERFORMANCE. Doors open at Oone, commence at Two.
In consequence of the extreme length of the Evening Performances,
the Doors will Open at a quarter past Six, and commence at Seven.
Admission : Dress Circle, 3s. ; Side Boxes, 2s. 6d. ; Pit, Is. 6d. ;
Gallery, tid. Second Price—Dress Circle, 25.; Side Boxes, Is.;
Pit, Is. ; no second price to Gallery; second price to Boxes and Pit

ROYAL ADELPHI THEATRE,
Christian Street, Islington.
Tuts EvsntNo (Thursday), the 29th instant, the Performances
to commence with Mr. Courtney's celebrated Drama, entitled
THE HEART TEST! Principal characters by Messrs. Hill,
Hastings, Jackson, Mesdames Oliver, Peel, &c. To conclude with the
gorgeous new Comic Pantomime of THE VALE OF GEMS; or,
HARLEQUIN AND SINBAD THE SAILOR, AND Tntt FAIRY
or CORAL GROT (written expressly for this Establishment, by Mr.
John Courtney, author of " Time Tries All," " Tricks and 'trials,"
&c., &c.,) which has been in preparation for the last three menthe,
with new and magnificent scenery, costumes, and appointments.
Sinbad the Sailor, Miss Carre, from the Theatre Royal, Haymarket.
Nautila. Miss M. A. Egan. Harlequin, Mr. C. Brown. Pantaloon, Mr.
Jackson. Columbine, Miss E. Gibbs. Clown, Herr Teesale. Sprite,
Signor SylrauL—Dress Boxes, 21.; Side Boxes, Is. 6d,; Stalls, Is,
Pit 6d.; Gallery, 3d.

ROYAL PARK THEATRE.
Parliament-Street, near St. James's Market.

•
*,,* EXTRAORDINARY CHRISTMAS ATTRACTION.
Tilts EYZNING (Thursday), 29th instant, the Performances will
commence with the favorite Drama of THE SAILOR'S
RETURN; or, THE PARTING GIFT! inwhlch
Miss Marriott, and the whole strength of the company will appear,
To conclude with (fourth time) the New Magniloquently Grand,
Comical, Local, Operatical, Cabalistical, and Anachronismatical
CHRISTMAS PANTOMIME, entitled, ORMsHEAD THE
GREAT; or, HARLEQUIN & JENNY JONES, AND THE
FLOWER OF SNOWDON. Written expressly for this theatre
by the author of " Ye Siege of Leverpole,"&c., with new and beauti-
ful scenery, by Mr. John Wright, from her Majesty's Theatre, Mr.
Liver, and assistalits; properties by Mr. frames; Music, composed
by Mr. Hope ; Machinery, by Mr. Jackson ; dresses by Mr.
West and assistants; and the whole produced under the immediate
superintendence of the Lessee, Mr. R. Edgar. Snowdrop, the Fair
Flower of Snowdon, with a few "airs " which the author has thrust
upon her, Miss Marriott; Lushisne, a doubtful specimen of a Fairy,
afterwards Clown, Mr. J. Appleby ; Davydd Jones, an ancient Briton,
Mr. Wilmore, afterwards Pantaloon, Mr. P. Anderson, from the
Theatre Royal, Drury-lane; Edward Morgan, with a" terrific com-
bat," Mr. 2. Lennox, afterwards Harlequin, Signor Guarrino, from
her Majesty's Theatre; Jenny Jones, the Flower of North Wales,
Mrs. J. Appleby, afterwards Columbine. Mad'lle Rose, from the
Theatre Royal, Edinburgh; Sprite, Signor Vilderini, the wonderful
contortionist from the Theatre Royal, Drury-lane. The remainder
of the characters by the entire Dramatic and Pantomimic artistes
attached to the establishment, forming the most complete and
Powerful cast ever submitted to a Liverpool public. The
antomime will be preceded by a grave Episode, in which the
shades of Joe Miller and the Author will have very lively representa.
tives. Doors open at half-past six. to commence at seven o'clock pre-
cisely. Prices of admission.—Dress Boxes, 35.; Front Boxes, 2s.
Pit, Is.; Gallery, Ed. Half-price to the Boxes at Nine o'clock.
Books of the Pantomime may be obtained at the Theatre.

GAME PIES! GAME PIES !—The Celebrated
Yorkshire Game Pies !—The greatest Treat of the
season for Christmas Parties. Suitable for Ladies, as well as
ffpieures, and everybody else. Made only by W. LAWTON,
Bin HOTEL, Queen-square—who contracts for Public Balls,
Suppers, and other large Entertainments—where will be
found ood Beds, Good Viands, Good Wines, &c .

THE NEW YEAR!
A BARON OF BEEF WILL BE ROASTED
AT THE MANSION-HOUSE HOTEL,
11, DRURY-LANE,
ON THE 2ND OF JANUARY.

HIGH WATER IN THE MERSEY.
Tins DAY—Morning, 10h. 8m .... Afternoon, 10h. 34m.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1853.

RECENTLY we called attention to the s übject o
Female Prostitution—a social evil difficult to treat
of, owing to the false delicacy and absurd notions
which obtain respecting it in the public mind, and
which have in great part been occasioned either by
the unwillingness or intentional silence of jour-
nalists and religious teachers to express themselves
upon a topic of such vital importance. It is pusil-
lanimity, nay, it is injustice to be conscious of an
evil and to refrain from speaking of it. No good
end can be served by this means, but rather the
reverse. We should not suffer our kindly feelings
and our generous impulses to take the places of
reason and judgment. The sense of duty should
outweigh all other considerations and rise superior
to all other influences. If a loved and valued friend
be labouring under a disease which we know must
ultimately prove fatal if not immediately checked,
it would be extremely improper and morally wrong
not to render him sensible of his danger, and urge
him to seek the needful aid. Our feelings certainly
might dispose us otherwise ; but these are not
always to be studied. Duty must in no wise
become subservient to expediency. So with regard
to the body politic. If we perceive rank disorders
or chronic. distempers existing within our social
system; threatening to exhaust its energy, poison
its sourcos of life, and finally destroy its vitality, he

would be a bad citizen and a worse patriot who
would smother his emotions, conceal his thoughts,
or refuse manfully to expose the mischievous
calamities which are the precursors of such doleful
events. In discussing social evils we act not from
impulse but conviction—not from vanity but Duty,
which WORDSWORTH admirably characterises as
" the daughter of the voice of GoD." And although
in our late articles on Prostitution we may have
wounded the virtuous susceptibilities of a few, we
know that we have likewise called forth the
commendations of the majority_ of our fellow-
townsmen.

The causes which contribute to female demorali.
sation are manifold, and may be regarded as moral,
social, and physical. Although it is not possible
to step all the avenues to this vice, or neutralise
all the combined agencies at work to effect it,
nevertheless much might, could, and should be
done to stay its rapid and rabid course, and render
its consequences less pernicious both to the unfor-
tunate individuals themselves who are the subjects
of it, as well as to the entire community, who are
either directly or indirectly affected thereby. As
medical science has not distinguished itself in this
country of late years, what a field of investigation
does this matter open up ?—one eminently worthy
of patient industry, and equally calculated to re.

ward genius, and adorn its brow with an unfading
garland. But this suggestion we make en passant.
Every four or five years our towns swarm with a
fresh influx of poor fallen girls, who in a short time
will also disappear to give place to others as Young,
as thoughtless, and as unhappy as themselves.
The mortality amongst this class of the. community
is frightfully great—more so than is generally
known, or scarcely would be accredited. It is a
melancholy fact that out of the thousands of young
gay, flaunting, reckless women who are now run-
ning their giddy round of pleasure, the majority
will, within the next half-dozen years, have passed
into that—

"Undiscover'd country from whose bourne
No traveller returns."

'Tis an excellent work to endeavour to restore
the erring and reclaim the lost Whatever lifts
Humanity towards GOD is praiseworthy. But it is
a far more excellent work, and a more essential
and easier duty to employ preventive, than correc•
tive measures. The one may not prove successful;
the other must.

We are of opinion that the social causes of female
demoralisation are more potent than those of a moral
or physical character. Nor do we believe, as long
as those causes exist, that any amount of moral
training would be effectual in preventing the spread
of so dire an evil. Want of occupation or ineffi-
cient remuneration, if employed, and positive des_
titution, force numberless women to adopt a life of
infamy. We want such men as THOMAS HOOD to
sing other songs beside the Song of a Shirt, in
order to elicit human sympathy for overworked,
ill-paid, and destitute woman! Distress forces
many a poor, weak, wavering girl to enter upon a
course of life which otherwise she would shrink
from, and against which all her womanly instincts
would revolt. The other evening we happened to
meet with a miserable young creature--rather good- '
looking and interesting—at the corner of Lord-
street, who solicited our charity, even lo the ex-
tent of a half-penny! Upon her own testimony she
is but sixteen years of age, and has neither father
nor mother. She really looked 'a most miserable
and destitute object, and we have little reason to
doubt the veracity of her statements. Upon inter-
rogating her as to her position, &c., she unhesi-
tatingly and ingenuously answered to the best of
leer avinby, ktua (mller gave us ner address, if we
wished to become satisfi,xl as to her representa-
tions. She would gladly enter into service, if she
could but procure an engagement—but that is ab-
solutely impossible, owing to her inability to ap
pear in decent clothing. Now, this girl might be
virtuous. She is so for aught we know ; nay, more,
she looks so. But if such be the case to-day, what
guarantee have we that such will be the case to-
morrow ? We would gladly have taken the trouble
to inquire after her did our other duties permit.

Such, however, not being the case, we shall be glad
to furnish her address to any benevolent indivi-
dual who may wish to rescue so young a fellow-
creature from ruin—which otherwise must even-
tually overtake her.

We confess it is difficult to meet every case ; per-
haps it is impossible. We cannot, however, re-
frain from observing that the establishment of
Refuges for homeless or destitute young women,

servants out of place, and such, like, would tend
materially to stem the tide of prostitution, which

at this moment threatens to inundate the land.
We are confident that for the one fallen woman
which a Magdalene Asylum may reclaim, . such

Refuges would save a thousand from falling. And
every moralist knows that it is far more easy to
preserve virtue than to restore it when lOst. But

a woman's virtue is a phoenix that can expire bui

once, and from whose ashes there is no resurrec•

THE Free-Trade propositions of the United States
Government have excited the attention of the
American Press ; and every paragraph in the
Secretary of the Treasury's report has been re-
viewed with the utmost jealousy and care. Inte-
rests never before heard of, and which appear to
be but very imperfectly understood, have been
brought forward either in support or in direct
opposition to some one of the proposed conces-
sions. From the New York Times we learn that a
Mr. JOHN FARELL, of the firm of HIGGINS AND CO.,
of New York, had recently had an interview with
_several members of the Cabinet relative to the free
admission into the United States of Irish sewed
-inuslins. Mr. GUTHRIE, the Secretary of the Trea-
sury, is said to have promised to take the matter
into consideration,
.and to have expressed his.
regret that the facts brought forward by Mr.
FARR= were not submitted to his notice before
he had made his report to Congress.
In commenting on this subject, our American
contemporaries ran into an endless variety of mis-
takes. They tell us first, that the sewed muslin,
which is a Scotch trade and one that is far from
remunerative to the Irish people, is a branch of
industry which requires the encouragement of the
American Legislature ; while they inform us that
the linen trade of Ireland is in the hands of Eng-
glish capitalists ; and as its benefits are confined
to a few localities only, the free admission of linen
into. the Union should be dealt with in the most
cautious manner, considering also that there are
various interests in Ohio and other Western States,
which would be materially injured by the proposed
measure.

What these interests really are it would be diffi-
cult indeed to discover. The States have no flax
trade, and do not cultivate flax for any other pur-
pose beyond producing flax seed, and under a
more perfect and just system of trade, Ireland
would become one of Ohio's best customers for her
seed both for sowing and crushing purposes. The
New York seed, as it is called, is becoming more
popular every year in Ireland, and if it were
shipped at the proper season, it would displace
three-fourths of the. Riga and Dutch seeds now
imported. . .

As for the flax fibre the Americans cannot dress it

at a cost which would enable them to compete with
the Irish, Belgian, or Egyptian growers. And we
are not at all certain that the fibre itself is of a
quality sufficiently good to hold out any. hopes of
success in this branch of the flax trade. It
would be difficult, therefore, for our contempo-
raiies to adduce any really solid grounds to
support these allegations. And we may here
observe that while the Irish people are always
ready to acknowledge benevolence, come from

whatever _quarter it may, and while they esteem
philanthropy, they still have a more profound regard
for that most godly attribute—justice ; and when
our American cotemporanes applatid the proposal
of their Government on the score of philanthropy
towards Ireland, we beg to remind them that the
free admission of American cotton into the ports of
the United Kingdom was a measure which mainly
sustained the American Union, while it took from
Ireland the trade best suited to her soil, and the
wants and habits of her people. To restore a frag-
ment of that element of Ireland's past comfort and
prosperity, we therefore hold it to be an act of
justice rather than a mere effort of philanthropy.
As for the spinning and weaving of flax we are also
inclined to believe that the American manufacturer
cannot compete with Ireland. Taking the standard
of wages in the two countries, the yard of Irish
linen sold at ls. could not be produced under 4s.
in America, and the cultivation of an acre of flax

which costs little over ten pounds in Ireland would
cost forty pounds in the States. Where, then, has
America a real interest in flax. The object of the
propOsed reform is to remove glaring anomalies in
the economic system of America, and to bring
within the reach of her. citizens at the lowest cost
all those articles which they cannot produce for
themselves at a profit, or with a positive appearance
of success. And to attempt to stdltify the views
of the Government by an array of erroneous state-
ments is not very philanthropic.
The linen and flax trade of Ireland is one, how_
ever, which not at all understood on the other
side of the Atlantic, and in order that its importance
to America may not be underrated, we need
only state that Ireland produces more linen and.
linen yarn than all the rest of Europe put together.
And the American papers are wrong when they
state that the Irish linen trade is in the hands of
Englishnapitalists, and that the cultivation of flax
is confined to a few counties, and that therefore,
the admission of linens, duty free, would be of no
service to the people of Ireland. To answer this
latter point, we need only refer to the government
statistics on the isubject, where we find that no
less than 137,008 acres of flax were grown in Ire;
land in 1852, and that the cultivation of this valu-
able plant had been extended to every county in
Ireland. The number of scutch mills employed
in dressing the fibre, are as follows :—Leinster, •
nineteen ; Munster, fifteen ; Connaught,
six; and
Ulster, nine hundred and sixteen. Total, nine
hundred and fifty-six. With this large • number of
mills, only one-half of the flax grow ers wants are
supplied.

With regard to the spinning mills
.being in the
hands of the capitalists of England, we can posi_
tively affirm that the only English firmin Ireland
is that of Messrs. Chadwick, Blundel, and Co., of
Drogheda, and these gentlemen produce the finest
mill spun flax yarn in Europe, while the firm of
Murray and Co., of WaringstoWn, have worked up
the produce of one acre of flax, to the value of
nearly 40001. These important results have been
attained by the outlay of an enormous amount of
capital in labor, and the most untiring application
of vast practical knowledge ; and we are at a loss to
conceive why these two great elements of commer-
cial success should be singled out as unworthy of
encouragement from the American Legislature.
The proposed modification of the States tariff,
must have been designed for the general benefit of
the American people, and unless their parliament
be prepared `to lower the standard of wages to a
level which shall. enable them to compete with the
European cultivators of flax, and manufacturers of

nen, the continuance of the present duty of
venty-five per cent. on linen, will be unjust towards
le Irish, and oppressive towards the American