The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-05-14 00:00:00

THE NORTHERN TIMES.---LIVERPOOLI THURSDAV.

tude was substituted for t;transportation under
fourteen years.
Such have been the motives which induced
the Government to introduce the present measure.
It is, however, only a bill to place in the hands
of the Home Office an extension of power. With
the exception of sentences for a term of imprison-
ment not exceeding two years, he asks that
henceforth the one general punishment shall be
penal servitude, leaving to the Home Office the
discretionary power of deciding the time, the
manner, and the place of the said servitude. Such
a provision is but a slight alteration from the
system now in practice. We all know that a.
sentence of transportation is, as now carried out,
.only a nominal order of the Judge of Assize, and
that, in the great majority of instances, the con-
victs so ordered to be deported beyond the seas,
are detained at home, and kept to convict labour
on the public works. According to Sir GEORGE
GREY'S explanation of the measure, on Monday
night, it seems that he desires that there should
be placed in the hands of the Government, the
new and somewhat startling power, to deal with
convicts as it may deem best in each case, and
to order that the punishment be awarded, as to
time, manner, and place, according to the pecu-
liar circumstances of each case. In other words,
it implies that convicts ordered for transporta-
tion shall be kept at home, and employed on the
public works ; to send them abroad, and employ
them in public or private works in the colonies
or give them a ticket-of-leave at home, or one in
the colonies, just as the whim may choose to
operate upon the Secretary for the Home
Department. Now, this liberty and extension
of !power asked for by Sir GEORGE GREY, is
nothing more nor less than calling upon Parlia-
ment to surrender much of its influence and
power oven the future disposal and treatment of
the criminal population—the transference of an
enormous responsibility from the Legislature to
the Home Secretary. The principle is too
important to be lightly dealt ‘vith,

From a perusal of the Bill, as well as a
perusal of Sir GEORGE GREy's explanations of
principles, we deem the measurc defective,
because there is an uncertainty in the character,
degree, and duration of the punislLinent. One of
the greatest and most salutary effects of pun-
ishment is the certainty that it will be carried
ont with inflexibility. Besides, there is much
force in the idea put forth by Mr. ROEBUCK, who
attributed much of the prevalence of crime by
ticket-of-leave men to the fact of their being
unable to obtain employment. He is shunned
by every body. If he lives in a town, he is fol-
lowed from street to street by the police, and
should he be a resident in the country, every one
knows that he has been a convict. So si uated,
he must either "starve or steal." It is therefore
not so much what we will do with the convict
whilst undergoing his sentence; but how we
shall dispose of him after the expiration of that
sentence is the main question we have to settle ;
and although Sir JOHN PAKINGTON may, with a
good deal of reason, argue on the opposite side,
he must admit that is the main difficulty of the
subject. Nor can the honourable member for
Portsmouth, Mr. COLLIER, gainsay the fact,
although he endeavoured to deny it, that a man
once convicted as a felon, was tainted for life,
and could not find in . his' native country
the means of earning an honest living.
Metaphysical quibbles in such a matter
is not the way to discuss it. The fact of a con-
viction for felony should not, per se, subject a
liberated ' convict to insuperable difficulties in
obtaining employment. But it is so ; and glibly
though the honourable and learned member for
Portsmouth may talk upon the subject, we ven-
ture to assert he would not employ as his " clerk"
a returned ticket-of-leave man, if he could find
another to take his place who had never figured
in the felon's dock. As the Bill will have to go
through committee, and afterwards be subjected
to the scrutiny of the House of Lords, we have
hope that all its objectionable principles will be
amended, and the measure rendered such as will
meet the requirements of this most important
matter.

TILE proceedings in the Police Court at the
Mansion House, in London, on Monday last,
included a case remarkable not only for the
respectability of the parties engaged therein, but
for the decision pronounced by the presiding
magistrate. Mr. Alderman I-TALE. A lady, Mrs.
HART, of No. 11 Tavistock-square, attended to
prefer a charge against Mr. SPENCE, of the firm
of SPENCE and BUCHANAN, warehousemen, St.
Paul's Churchyard, for obtaining money under
false pretences. The complainant's story was
this :—She was passing through St. Paul's
Churchyard on Thursday afternoon, and her
attention was attracted to some silk dresses
marked at two guineas, in the window of Messrs.
SPENCE and BUCHANAN. She went in for the
purpose of making a purchase. She was con-
ducted to a room on the first floor, and some of
the dresses were submitted for her inspection,
the assistant intimating that they were not all
silk, as the body of the dress was cotton. These
she refused, not considering them good enough•
Something of a better quality and higher price
was handed down. She selected one of those
dresses, for which she paid 31. Ss. 6d. and took
it away with her. She did not examine it until
the following morning, when she found that the
silk of the body was of a totally different
colour and texture to the rest of the dress.
She took back the dress to Mr. SPENCE the day
she discovered the difference in .the quality and
texture of the silk, and wanted to have sufficient
of the same quality as the flounces, or to take it
back and return her the money. This was
refused ; whereupon Mrs. HART seeks redress
from the presiding Magistrate of the Mansion-
house police court. Mrs. HART swears posi-
tively that she bought the dress under the full
impression that the silk was, of course, all of one
quality ; and she further states—in reply to a
question by Mr. Alderman HALE—that it is the

general impression among ladies that a silk
dress should be only of one quality.

What -is the defence of Mr. SPENCE ? He
says he " offered to change the dress, but refused
to return the money." The magistrate dismissed
the case on the ground that Mrs. HART had
ample opportunities of examining the dress, and
that had she done so she would have perceived
that the boly and skirt were not of the same
quality as the rest of the dress Mrs. HART,
however, demolishes the Alderman's remedy
for the evil of which she complained,
by swearing that, believing she was in a
respectable shop, and not expecting imposition,
she considered she had no occasion to look at
the silk under the flounces. Had her impression
been otherwise, it seems that she could not have
" seen that the body and skirt were not of the
same quality as the rest of the dress, inasmuch
as the dress was tacked in folds, so that she
could not open it out."
Mr. Alderman HALE may have given a deci-
sion according to law, It was, however, not
according to justice. Mr. SPENCE could not
refute the main points of Mrs. HART'S testimony.
He does not say a single word as to the fact of
the dresses being so made up, arranged and
tacked together, as to render it impossible for
any person, the most prying and suspicious, to
'make a thorough examination of them, with
the view of detecting any attempted imposition.
He declares he offered to take back the dress,
but refused to return the money. Mrs. HART
completes the terms of the "offer" by stating
that she should take something at a higher price.
As a last resort at -vindicating conduct which
appears so very suspicious, Mr. SPENCE calls a
witness to prove not only the value of the article,
but the " custom of the trade." This personage
was an assistant in the silk department of Messrs.
COOK, SONS & Co., of St. Paul's Churchyard.
Nl.r. MILLS exonerates SPENCE, BUCHANAN and
Co., by swearing the dress was worth 3/. 13s 6d,
and that it was the custom of the trade to make
up flounced dresses of two qualities of silk—the
flounces being made by one manufacturer, and
the rest of the dress by another. Mrs: HART
here put an awkward question, which the magis-
trate cut short by stating it was not necessary,
as there was no case against Mr. SraNcE. Mrs.
HART said she would like to know if CooKE,
SONS and Company supplied Mr. SPENC3 with the
dresses of which she complained.

The publication of the affair cannot fail to do
good. It will be a warning not only to the
ladies of London. but Liverpool and all other
places, to be cautious in their purchases, but
also to bear in mind that articles bought under
circumstances similar to that of which Mrs.
HART'S formed the investigation on Monday,
must be kept. The existing law fails to give a
remedy. There is one way where such suspi-
cious traders can be caught. Failing to be able
to examine the quality of the article all through,
from its peculiar and attractive folds, tacked
together to avoid inspection, the question should
be put, if the article is all one quality ? Should
a reply be given in the affirmative, and that reply
after Wards turn out false, then the aggrieved
party has his or her remedy, either civilly or
criminally.
It is reilly too bad, that establishments with
pretensions to respectability should have recourse
to such mean and shabby tricks. The poor
huckster, who adds to the weight of his butter
yb *so making it up, as to contain a quantity of
water to increase its weight; the flesher, who
" blows " his veal or mutton to give it a rich and
prime appearance, and the thousand and one
other petty tradesmen, who resort to artful dodg-
ing to fleece their dupes, when " hauled up " at
the police court, are fined and confined for the
exercise of their fraudulent and deceptive
powers. What is sauce for the goose, should
be sauce for the gander," and, hence, the un-
reasonable dismissal of Mrs. HART'S complaint.
Silk mercers and drapers tricks are not only
common, but of a much more serious character
than the petty instances of false pretences alluded
to above. Besides, customers are less upon their
guard in shopping at such establishments. They
enter under the impression, as Mrs. HART swears
she was, that they are in .a respectable shop, and
did not expect any imposition. The love of
filthy lucre, suggests many an unjustifiable arti-
fice in order to drive a' roaring trade "—and that,
in almost every department of business. The
ambitious stationer will pompoUsly parade in
his window a certain quantity of paper for a
certain figure. When you take it home, it is
minus the requisite number of sheets, about one
fourth, and on taking it back, he then tells you
that it is " outsides," and you have got the full
count according to the " custom of the trade."
This is a common pratice in London. We have
never heard of it being resorted to in Liverpool
The boot and shoe manufacturer will sell you
what appears a splendid article, but when von
have worn it a little while, your showy patent
leather turns out to be nothing more than well
dressed sheepskin. Hatters and Tailors—the
very baker who supplies your bread—the grocer
who sell you tea, cAfte, and sugar—even public
companies—take gas and water, for instance—
either stint you in the quantity, or deteriorate
the quality of the articles which you take from
them, and consume. In these remarks, we have
no desire to make a sweeping charge against
tradesmen generally. No respectable, honest,
or well conducted house would desire to do busi-
ness, and maintain a position by means of
practices which could afford ground for sus.
picion.

But there are in every city and town tlii•ough-
out the United Kingdom parties who resort to
tricks such as that complained of by Mrs. HART
It is to caution our readers against such
concerns we now write. Competition in busi-
ness will suggest many and questionable schemes.
It is the duty of the journalist to denounce all
which savours of dishonesty and immorality.
We consider, therefore, that we do good to,
society by exposing and undoing the practices of

the silk warehousemen of St. Paul's Churchyard,
London, or those who may follow their example
here or elsewhere.

IN another column will be found a reply from
our reporter, to the attack made upon that
gentleman by Mr. STITT, on more than one
occasion. it is quite evident from the tone of
Mr. STITT'S letter, that he himself really knows
nothing whatever of the merits of the case—that
he is entirely at the mercy of his officials. What
a deplorable condition have we now arrived at, to
think that the interests of the servants of the
public should be antagonistic to that of those who
employ and pay them, on any question, but
more especially on the " Water Question." Yet
so it has been ever since the Corporation under-
took the responsibility of supplying the town
with water. Thq great object has been to exalt
the Pike and depreciate the wells.

Hence the struggle between the rate-payers
and the Water Committee—the one insisting
on the fact that the wells were capable of
yielding abundance of water for all the require-
ments of the town ; the other as stoutly assert-
ing, on official data, that the wells were totally
inadequate to furnish the necessary supply. The
Pikeists were wont to adduce the testimony of
their eminent Engineer, Mr. THOMAS HAWKSLEY,
supported by that equally eminent geologist and
chemist, Mr. SPENCER. It appears, however,
that these worthies, having probably obtained all
they wanted, have, in their hour of need, given
the cold shoulder to the Water Committee,
who now, in their extremes, are compelled to
fall back on that most faithful servant of theirs,
Mr. THOMAS DUNCAN. His plea for the filthy
bog-wash is the most puerile and sophistical we
have ever perused.

Surely, Mr. STITT must, indeed, have been
driven into a corner, when he appealed to his
own servant to defend him—we might say, to
mystify him ; his defence is very similar
to " lying like truth." Mr. DUNCAN indirectly
admits all, may, more than our reporter ever
advanced, namely, that there is a vast quantity
of sewage water running into the goit—but he
says it is " stopped by a dim here." Caught in
a trap there—and buried in an underground pipe
somewhere, And he boldly contends, that tha
filthy stuff is so catched "—that not one drop
of it ever enters the Anglezark reservoir. What
next ?

THE FESTIVAL CHORAL SOCIETY —By reference to another
c)lumn it will be seen that the fifty-seventh public p r-
formance of this society will conp, off at St. George's Hall,
on Wedre thy, the 3rd of June next, oa which occasion
Mrs. Sunderland will make her fist appearance f.t the
concerts of the Soc:ety. The oratorio of " Judas Mac-
caheus" is the one chosen for performance.

SWEARING-1N OF THE CHURCIIWARDENi.—The annual
visitation Cr the ;vrearirig-in of the churchwardens, i,nd
other parish officers, was held yesterday in St. Peter's
Church, by the Venerable Archdeacon Janes, acting on
behalf of the Lord Bishop of the Dioces. There was a
very numerous attendance of churchwardens and others,
In his charge the Archdeacon briefly referred to the contest
in regard to church rates, and expressed a hope that that
unseemly contention would soon be allayed, and that
money would 'oe found fortheJrning for the maintenance of
the church, and the officers connected with it. For the
rest, the discourse was of the usual formal character.

THE NECROP, Lts.—The subject of the future manage-
ment of the Nee. opolis cemetery will, ws have reason to
believe be brought before Mr. 'Holland, Government In-
spector undrr the G,neral Board of Health in London,
to-morrow, when that gentleman will sit in the Vice-Chan-
cellor's Court, St. George's Hall, to inquire into the mode
of interment, the event of the ground, &c., of
J.imeh's c.metery. Yesterday Mr. Holl tnd, accompani?d
by Mr. M‘Gowan, inspected the cLmetery attached to the
Roman Catholic chapel of St Anne's Edge,hiil. That
burial ground is now quite filled, and an order will be at
once issued for its entire closing.
LIST OF PASSENGERS PER KS. CITY OF WASHINGTON.—
Governor Stratton and lady, Mr. Hugh Campbell and lady,
Mr. A. Kerchoff, Mr. F. E. Wellington, Mr. Tydeman,
Mr. Saver, Mr. Marks, Rev. R. Boise, and three children,
Miss Goodyear, Mr. Alfred Major, lady, and two children,
Mrs E. Hamilton, Mrs. Longman, Miss A. Longman, Miss
Priscilla Longman, Mr. G. Longman, Mrs. Wells and
infant, Mr. Martin, lady, and child, Mess Taten, Mrs.
Sewall, Miss Kohnes, Miss Helen Kohnes, Mr. Patrick
Raleigh, Mr. Richard Raleigh, lady, and child, Mr. J.
Holman, Miss M. Martin, Mrs. Grocock and son, Mr.
Bali, Miss S. Ball, M. Hesterman, lady, and child, Mrs.
Ho-rabin, Mr. J. C. Barton, Mr. J. G. Wright, lady, and
child, Mr. Oberman, lady, and child, Mr. Nason and lady,
Miss Collins, Mr. Newton and lady, Mr. Ellis and lady,
Mr. G. Stelk and lady, Mr. Lamb and lady, Mrs. Ber-
nard, Mrs. Ramsey, Mis Kyle, Mrs. Fanny, Mrs. Petter-
bridge, Rev. S. Brazalio, Mr, G. Hafferman, Mr. Davis.
Mr. Bird, Mr. Lodgg, Mr. Alexander, Mr. Kenan, Mr.
Fournie and two children, Mr. C. Men Mr. Parety, Mr.
Knight, Mr. Copeman, Mr. Cornwall, dr. J. Feeling, Mr.
D. Leverett, and brother, Dr. Merritt, Mr. Wolff, Mr.
Moore, Mr Gazagos, Mr. 31ussatt, Mr. J. Geoman, Mr.
Fernandes, Mr.. H. Lichtenstein, Mr. G. B. Titus—all
first cabin passengers.

THE NEW INDIANIAN, OTAIIA.—On passing along the
Princes-dock yesterday, we were attracted by a crowd,
who were intentiy gazing on a ship, and although not of
the largest dimensions, she was well worthy of observa-
tion. She is a new Indiatnan, named the Otaha, and sails
this day for Calcutta, with a valuable cargo of general
goods. She has only just arrived here Lora America,
where she was built, and her whole appearance is such as
naval architects must admire. The fitting up of this fine
vessel, alth tugh .not carrying passengers, is deserving of
more than ordinary attention. The state and officers
cabins, with alt the woodwork generally of the ship, so far
as the habitaWe portion is concerned, has been pea-
formed by Mr John Taylor, whose abilities as a ship's
j iner, and successful fabricator and decorator of passenger
and, other ships, for some year; past, has been remarkable
and duly appreciated—as we have had frequent occasion
to mention. In the case of the yes el before us, there is
nothing to be desired—the designs are beautiful, and
carried out by Mr. Taylor in the best style of art, and
when it is stated that within the last six months, Mr.
Taylor has fittei out many ships in the Australian,
American, and Indian trades, and that all have given the
utmost satisfaction. it is enough t.) say, that the Otaha
licks nothing in his, or any other line. This very pretty
ship has made a rapid voyage here, and as she is now
fitted up in the best manner, b ,th for sailing and other-
wise, it may ba fairly calculated she will do her work in
pod earnest. ller captain is 111*. Ferguson (pert owner)
a respected and valued Indian commander, and no doubt
this vessel will add much to our celebrated Indian fleet.

The annual return of the increase and diminution in
the public offices is printed to day for the year 1856.
The increase of persons employed is 47 departments
enumerated is 816, and the decrease 5,555. In salaries the
increase is £264,000, and the diminution £141,000.
There has been for some days a rumour, which we have
heard with much regret, as there seems to be some
foundation for it, to the effect that Col. Oliphant is about
to retire from the direction of the East India Company.—
Smith, Elder and Co.'s Overland Mail.

A petition to the House of Commons for a reform of the
existing superannuation system in the civil service, is in
course of signature among the principal London merchants.
A similar document has proceeded from Liverpool, signed
by almost every leading merchant, broker, and shipowner.
It is rumoured that the King of Prussia intends to go to
Rome in the autumn, as he is desirous of having some
private and confidential conversation with his Holiness
the Pope. His Majesty is said to have scruples of con-
science on matters of religion, and his enemies insinuate
that he fancies no one can so effectually remove them as
the head of the Roman Catholic church. A learned Ger-
man, when speaking in English of his Prussian Majesty,
observed that a man of such a romantic character, and
with such " mediaeval'' tendencies, was even capable of
abdicating and embracing the RomaulsCatholic faith.—
Letecr from Berlin.

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

By British and Irish Miignetie Telegraph.

THE MISSION TO CHINA.

Via Paris we learn that Lord Elgin proceeded
without delay from Alexandria to Suez, where A.o.
found. the steamer AVa placod at his disposal, witii
orders to convey his lordship to Singapore, where
,he would await the French Imperial Commissioner.