The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-01-08 00:00:00

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT

The January Sessions of the Central Criminal Court
were opened yesterday, with the usual formalities before
the Lord Mayor, the Recorder, and the usual civic autho-
rities. The Recorder, in charging the grand jury, ex-
pressed his regret that for several consecutive sessions
the calendar had contained charges of murder of the most
grave character, and that there were fire persons to be
tried for that crime at the present session. In one of the
man,. named Corrigan, was charged with the
cases, which was perhaps the most serious one, an un-
happy
murder of his wife, under very horrible circumstances ;
but the facts ',appeared to be so clear that he was afraid
they would feel that they had no alternative but to re-
turn the bill for wilful murder. There appeared to he
no doubt that at the time the act was committed, the
Prisoner was in a most excited state of mind from the
effects of drink, but it was his duty to tell them that this
afforded no justification or palliation in law for such a
crime, and that the total deprivation of reason could
alone be urged as an answer. After alluding to other
cases in the calendar, which contained the names of 65
prisoners, the learned judge remitted the grand jury to
the duties imposed upon them. No doubt was entertained
that a true bill would be returned against Corrigan, to
whose case, it will be seen, the Recorder drew- the espe-
cial attention of the grand jury. The trial, however,
cannot take place until the latter end (at the earliest) of
the present week.

General Bosquet has been summoned to Paris by the
Emperor, with a view, it is said, of taking part in the
proposed council of war.

On account of the overflowing of the rivers, 70 ships
are loading at Constantinople, with supplies and muni-
tions of war for Soukem Kale!).

The journals and correspondence from the Continent,
received yesterday, are again destitute of importance.
It is the news from St. Petersburg which is now ex..
petted, with the greatest interest, but several days will
most likely elapse before any intelligence arrives respect,
ing the mission ofCount Esterhazy.

The Vienna correspondent of the Constitutionnel d wells
strongly on the precedent afforded to Russia by the
neutralization of the American Lakes, as arranged
between Great Britain and the United States ; that
was settled without the intervention of other powers,
and in the same way the Russian Cabinet has proposed
that the question of the neutralization of the Black Sea
should be left to Russia and Turkey !
We have reason to believe that a contract has been
entered into with the goverment by Messrs. Napier, of
Glasgow, for the construction of the first of the great gun
batteries. It i 3 intended to be of 3,000 tons, and it is to be
delivered on the Thames on the 15th of April next, under
penalty of one thousand pounds per diem. It is antici.
pated that with the vast resources at the command of this
eminent house, this extraordinary undertaking will be
completed at the time appointed.-7'i Engineer,

Comm

THE LOSS OF THE SHIP BLACK WATCH

The shipwreck of this vessel, the property of Messrs.
Andrew Stewart and Co., of Greenock, and lately
launched at Pictou, Is thus graphically described in a
letter from her commander, Captain W. H. Menzies, who
had the misfortune to lose one of his children on the
occasion :

"It is my painful duty to announce to you the total
loss of the Black Watch on the night of the 24th November
(Saturday), during a severe snowstorm from S.E., in
which the ship was thrown on her beam ends, nearly half
fiilling her with water, and soon after was driven ashore
in Bear St. Lawrence, Cape North, Breton island. I left
Pictou on Friday morning, the 23rd instant. We had a
fine strong breeze from th westward ; I therefore steered
for the Gut of Canso. On reacting the light at the north
entrance at 5.30 p.m., it fell calm (the Sebastopol, M'Ken-
zie, new ship, in company), we both came to anchor and
furled all sail. At 8 a.m. it sprung up a breeze from S.S.W.,
and being anxious to get on our way, I determined to get
under weigh again and go round Cape North. The breeze
gradually freshened to a gale, and at 2 a.m. on Saturday
we were running under double reefs, nand 10 knots.
About 7 a.m., it moderated, but the sympiesometer kept
very low (29 1 inches), notwithstanding which the weather
kept fine all day. I shook out all reefs at 8-30 a.m.,
and was preparing to send aloft the maintop-halyard.
In the afternoon had the lifts, braces, and sheets roved,
when I observed, on taking the sun at 3 p.m. to prove my
chronometer, that the glass was still further and unusually
depressed, standing at 28.4 inches. I called the hands
from aloft, made fast the topgallant yard on deck again,
and close reefed the fore and Wizen topsails, double reef-
ing the main one, and having the main course handed.
By this time (4 p.m.) it began to thicken up cloudy in the
north-west and northward, but little or no wind. At five
o'clock it came on to snow, in which the land was obscured
Cape North bearing east half east nearly. The wind then
about south-west by west, very light ; the Cape distant
fifteen or sixteen miles by cross bearings. I steered
north-east on purpose to gain as much offing as possible,
but the wind being very light, we made no progress. At
six p.m. it burst on us in a perfect tempest. Had to close
reef the maintopsail and furl the foresail, the ship lay
over so much, the wind also hauling to the north-east
by north. About a quarter to seven I wore ship to
the north-west, fearing I could not weather Cape
North, standing back into the Gulf again, the wind
and sea increasing rapidly, with heavy snow. B'tween
nine and ten p.m., the ship lurching to leeward heavily,
and lying over very much, caused, I suppose, the ring
bolts to give way on the weather side, when long-boat
spars, water-casks, &c., went over to leeward with a tre-
mendous crash, laying the ship over nearly on her beam
ends, the water on deck up to the hatches, and tearing away
the lee quarter-boat, davits and all. Called all hands to try
and clear away the wreck and man the pumps, as I found
there was a great quantity of water in the ship, the covering
board or stanchions having been started. Shortly afterwards,
I saw the land to leeward through the snow • tried to wear
ship, but she would not answer her helm. Let go the main
and mizen topsail sheets. She payed off a little, but then
hung again. I saw that inevitable destruction was before
me. Tried to clear away the anchors, but before we could
get that done (the ship was lying over so much) she struck
heavily on the rocks, starting the decks up the first
thump, the sea running tremendously, and now breaking
clear over from forward aft, the ship driving higher and
higher on the cliffs every sea, and lying over with her deck
to seaward. It was not long before the whole starboard
side of the poop was washed away, and with it all I had,
my berth being on that side. I had entrusted one of my
children to one of the men, who with her was washed away.
To save himself, he let my child go, and never said a word
about it. My wife, myself, and our other two chil Iren,
escaped to the highest side with difficulty, where
we passed a most miserable night, expecting every
mement the ship to go to pieces from the violent
thumping, the sea washing over us countinually. Wet and
freezing, I saw the whole starboard side of her begin to
give way ; the rudder gone. At daybreak some of the
people ashore saw us. About eight o'clock we got a line of
communication floated through the surf ashore to them by
one of the life buoys, and saw the crew one by one landed,
till they were all on shore save three, and my wife and self,
when the line broke. I thought then we were not going to
get ashore, not having another buoy; however, I got an
empty chest, and they finally succeeded in getting hold of
it, one of the crew ashore going into the surf av:th a line
fast round him for it. We then all got ashore through
the surf half frozen, and had to be carried up the cliffs after
we came out of the water, being so much exhausted We
could not stand. The people whose house we were taken
to were very kind, and showed us every attention they
could. On Monday, the 26th, it moderated, so that we
could go off to her. I then employed a lot of men to save
as much of ;her as possible. We got a good deal ashore of
the stores, tic. ; but at 4 p.m. the wind began to rise again,
and the wreck of the masts and spars knocking about
alongside, rendered it impossible to get off to her after that.
On the morning of the 27th it blew hard again, and there
was a great deal of her planking, Bfe., coming ashore on the
beach. I found that she would soon go to pieces, and called
a survey on her."—Greenock Advertiser.

LITERARY AND PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY,

Last night the usual monthly meeting of this society was
held at seven o'clock, in the Royal Institution, Colquitt-street,,
Mr. McAndrew, president, in the chair.

THE LATE JOSErg BROOKS YATES, ESQ.
Before the general proceedings of the meeting were entered on
The Chairman brought under the notice of the society, in
conformity with a resolution of the council, the loss which the
society had :sustained in the death of Mr. Joseph Brooks
Yates, and tho propriety of recording the sense of that loss,
and of considering an address of condolence to the bereaved
family. In suggesting this course, the Chairman, said that
Mr. Yates would be sensibly regretted by many of the chari-
table institutions in the town, and his memory long cherished
in the society, as one of its most accomplished and zealous
its
interests during a period of years, and as one who had
interests most at heart.

The Rev, H. H. Higgins moved the following resolution :
" That this society, having received from the president the
account of the death of Joseph Brooks Yates, Esq , desire
that an expression of their profound sorrow be recorded on
their minutes, and conveyed to the bereaved family. As one
of its founders the deceased claimed the respect of the society;
and this became the priTate feeling of the members from those
qualities which eminently distinguished him. To an untiring
zeal was added the mature experienle of ripsned years, which
led the society to receive his councils with attention ; while his
extensive knowledge of balks lettras, and the fine arts, enabled
him frequently to lay the fruits of his researches before the
society. Thus did he doubly earn the devottorrof the society
which now mourn his loss." In moving the 6s-olution the rev.
gentleman said that he was glad to have the opportunity of
being present, though the duty which he was called on to
perform was a melancholy one, They had last one who had
been the chief support of the society, and whose
extensive stores of Lmowledge had made themselves felt in
nearly every discussion at' their meetings, and added greatly
to the interest of their proceedings. He believed that many of
the society would mourn ha him not only one whom
they had been delighted to meet as a member of their society,
but also as a private friend : as one whose hospitality had been
remarkable, and whose benevolence bad made him the bene-
factor of many of the charitable Institutions of the town.
There had been much centered in Mr. Fates that shonld make
all who knew him deeply feel his loss, and in moving the
resolution which he now placed before the society, he (the Rev.
Mr. Higgins) was sure that it would meet with an unanimous
accord.

Mr. Salt seconded the resolution, briefly observing that from
a long acquaintance with Mr. Yates, he could truthfully re-
echo all that had peen so well expressed by the mover,
The resolution was unanimously adopted,
The general business of the meeting was then proceeded
with.

At an extraordinary meeting held previously, it was resoled,
that the period during which members may compound for life
membership, at £5 55., exclusive of entrance fee, be extended
to the end of the present session, for members admitted prior
to the end of January, 1856,

The Rev. Mr. FisChall was eletecd a member of the council.
Mr. Bess, of the firm of Yates and Hess,, was introduced a
member of the society, and Mr. 0. E. Rawlins, junior, was
elected a member
Mr. T. C

Archer submitted a drawing of the microscopic
appearance of the siliceous spicules of the new species of
(belonging to the genus Geodea) found by the President,
Robert Mae Andrew, Esq , in deep water off the coast of Nor-
way; and also an unusually large cluster of the palm oil palm.

The Rev. Mr. Higgins exhibited an extraordinary specimen
,f vegetable substance, thrown up in a lake near Ellesmere, in
Shropshire (closely resembling a pile of felt in the shape of a
hussar's cap), called, in the neighbourhood, a " Mere"s (lake's)
egg." It belongs to Mr. Elljon, chemist and druzz4st.

Mr. Blocam called the attention of the society to an
alleged important discovery by a Belgian lady, of a process by
means of which liquified ivory is employed to take the impres-
sion of bas reliefs, and sculpture of the largest dimensions.
Reduced to a paste, the ivory is run into a mould, without any
pressure, and when it has returned to a solid state, it renders
the models in the most perfect exactness, even in the most
delicate detail. Having no knowledge of the
large size, in a
rooess
confounded at seeing bas relief: , ,one was
of a very p
single piece of ivory, The sculptured sides of the choir of
Notre Dame, in Paris, have just beep reproduced by this new
method.

An interesting conversation took place on this electro-type
plating, and other cognate discoveries in the arts:
The subject of the evening's discussion, was a discourse by
Mr, J. T. Towson, "On the Instruments used in their obser-
vations by the Liverpool Compass Committee."
Mr. RtrAdell, one of the members of the committee, also
gave some interesting details in connection with the series of
A...--ations now being conducted by the Liverpool Compass
ittee.

It was rumoured yes►erday that the assistant barrister-
ship of Wexford, vacant by the appointment of Mr. Sausse,
Q. C.. to a seat on the Bombay bench, has been given to
coleman (Yl4oghlon, Bartq

TRADE REPORT.---MONDAY.

COTTON : The Cotton market has been dull to day; the
demand has been moderate, the supply greatly in excess of
present requirements, and prices e 1 per lh lower than on
Friday last. The sales—including 200 Pernambuco, OP
to 61-d ; 200 Bahia, s'd to 6d ; 200 Maranham, to 6d
200 _Egyptian, 64d to 81d; 1000 Surat, 3ad to 4/d—are
reported 6000 bales, of which 1000 are on speculation and
for export.
A RGOLS

About 60 casks and cases have been sold, at
prices not to transpire. The quotations now, are—Perupas
and Bolognas 82s 6d: red Oporto's, 43s to 445.
ANNArro : Small sales at 11d.

ASHES

BRIMSTONE

for best seconds,