The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-12-03 00:00:00

and philanthropy; and that whilst such incon-
ceivable poverty, wretchedness, crime, and prac-
tical heathenism exist everywhere around us, our
efforts should be concentrated and combined to
imprq,ve our home condition, ere we went there
and back again' in search of objects,whereupon to
exercise our abundant charity." And are we not
correct ? Does not Christianity herself inculcate
the precept? Then how can our correspondent
characterise the sentiment as a " fallacy," or as
"hollow?" He says "it is founded on the assump-
tion that if the funds now devoted to missions
abroad were withdrawn, they would all flow into
streams of charity at home." But he observes
such is " contrary to reason," &c., and, in order to
proVe his position, adopts that very conclusive and
ingenious mode of argument known as the
argunzentztm ad absurdam :—" To reason, because
the principle of benevolence is strengthened not
weakened by exercise ; and the more we help
our fellow-creatures in distant lands, the
more we are inclined to alleviate the wants of our
fellow-countrymen !" Really, 'this out-Wheatley's
WHEATLEY, who succeeded in proving the non-
existence of the Emperor NAPOLEON ! We can
only palliate the absurdity, by taking the writer at
his word, that he was labouring at the time under
" obscuration."

But we positively never gave scope for such an
assertion as our correspondent makes. We never
advocated the withdrawal of the funds devoted to
foreign missions, laying the " flattering unction to
our souls," that such would flow into golden rivers
of charity at home. We believe no such thing.
We advocated strenuous and laborious efforts for
the elevation and moralisation of millions of our
population, who are morally and physically de-
praved ; and whose condition calls more loudly for
amelioration and sympathy than that of the inhabi-
tants of the South Sea Islands, or Timbuctoo, who
have much more physical comfort, and are not less
civilised, than those of "happy England." Our
correspondent fancies that our charity is running
over, and that we are fairly " overdone" with it.
And yet, as we before observed, the CHAPLAIN of
our Borough gaol complains that for the want of
funds he is unable to redeem young criminals, who
have completed their terms of imprisonment, from
a course of crime which must be fatal to society in
the long run, and fearfully increase the moral
turpitude of the unhappy but neglected victims of
crime. We have much charity, but it is misplaced
and misdirected—many hospitals for the sick, but all
who have visited such institutions on the Conti
nent, must know how infinitely preferable it is to
see a delicate Sister of Charity performing kind
offices for prostrate humanity, than the uncouth
and unsympathising nurses, hardened • by their vo-
cation, who are frequently to be found at home.
Our charity is more prodigious than efficacious ;
and foreign States are well managed at half the
cost required for keeping up our 'magnificent hos-
pitals and palace-like workhouses, where the poor
are pauperised and degraded, and where teeming
poverty is nestled, as in a hot-bed, to germinate
abundantly, and afterwards desolate the land.

At the southern hospital this week, fifteen patients were
entered, and seventeen discharged cured. There remains
under treatment sixty-three.

Yesterday the children of the Blue-coat school were kindly
permitted by the proprietor to view the panorama of the
Mississipi, Bold-street, free of charge.

GRAND MASONIC BALL.—The annual masonic ball, in aid
of the funds of the West Lancashire institution, for the edu-
cation and advancement in life of children of distressed free-
masons, will be held on Thursday, the 7th February next.

THE AUSTRALIAN MAIL.—The clipper ship a Matilda
Wattenbach," Captain J. C. Clare, will sail to-morrow
about mid-day with the mails for Australia. She is now
lying in the river, with a full complement of goods and
passengers. The bags arriving here to-day will be put on
board to-morrow morning. Letters will be received at the
post-office until this evening.
LAUNCH or A STEAMER, TO-DAY.-At high-water this
morning, Mesrrs Thomas Vernon and Son, of Brunswick-
dock, will launch the steamer Enniskillen. The Enniskillen
is a finely modelled paddle boat, of about 750 tons measure-
ment, and will be propelled by side lever engines, of 320
horse-power, made by Messrs. Fawcett, Preston, and Co.
Sho is intended to ply between this port and Londonderry.
in place of the screw steamer Victory.
MORE HASTE THAN SPEED.—A young man, named Leon
Thomas, decamped yesterday C 73111 London, taking with him
£l5O, the property of his father. A telegraphic dispatch
was received at the Liverpool police-office, at half-past nine
o'clock last night, stating that Thomas was on his way to Li.
verpool ; and at 11 o'clock he was in the custody of Loyd,
one of the night officers, at the detective office. All the
money was found upon him.
TESTIMONIAL TO MR. WATKIN OP THE LONDON AND
NORTH-WESTERN RAILWAY.—We learn that at a meeting
of the officers of the company, held at Euston-square, on
Tuesday, and presided over by the general manager Capt.
Huish, resolved to present to Mr. Watkin who leaves
the company's service, to become the general manager of the
Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway, a testimo-
nial of the regard and esteem which they (his brother
officers) entertain towards him. Mr. Watkin, we believe,
goes to the Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Com-
pany under an engagement for five years, at 12001. per
annum.

THE SHIP "GUIDING STAR."--At the meeting of the
Board of Guardians of Belfast, on Thursday,. the mayor
stated that all the cholera patients remaining in the house
from the "Guiding Star" were now pronounced completely
out of danger, and might leave the hospital at any time.
He had got a list of those wishing to go to Liverpool, and
those intending to go home ; and, so far as the former were
concerned, the guardians had been met in the most liberal
manner by the steam-packet companies, who had offered to
take them to Liverpool free of expense. So many as twenty
of the people wished to go to Limerick, and some to Cavan,
and others to Kerry, but he (the mayor) thought little diffi-
culty would be experienced in having the wishes of these
poor people carried out. A subscription was entered into to
send these poor people home.
LECIVRE ON HERALDRY.—Last evening the Rev. Dr.
Hume, delivered a most highly and amusing lecture on
Heraldry, at the Collegiate Institution, to a very numerous
audience. The theatre of the institution, in which the lecture
was delivered, was decorated with numerous heraldic de-
vices and emblazoned escutcheonary, to which the lecturer
in the course of his remarks directed attention. Having
pointed out the desirability of persons being somewhat
acquainted with the rudiments of heraldry, he proceeded to
show its bearings upon history, biography, and archaeology,
and gave various extracts from the works of Sir W. Scott,
Shakspere, and a very old poem written on the battle of
Flodden-field, to show that the science of heraldry was
sometimes connected with literature. The lecturer expressed
a regret 'that more attention was not paid in public schools
to heraldry, seeing its connexion with history, and all that
related to the pedigree of those various families whose names
were recorded in the history of the country and the gazettes.
The lecturer was repeatedly applauded, and much instruc-
tive matter was gained from his remarks.
THE STEAMER GOLDEN AGE.—We understand that this
magnificent steamer will start for Australia on Monday
morning. Since her detention in port she has .had an addi-
tion of about 20 more passengers, and letters are still being
received on board. Yesterday, Captain Porter received a
very gratifying testimonial in the shape of an address, from
the passengers, expressing their entire confidence in the
cababilities of the ship and her machinery, and compliment-
ing her commander for the coolness he displayed at the time
of the unfortunate accident sustained by her on Monday last.
An impression having got abroad that her single engine was
not able to bring her up promptly, and was liable to "hang"
in going over the centre, her chief engineer has denied
that it ever stopped reversing till after the vessel struck the
wall, and states that there are upwards of 200 steamers ply-
ing to and from New York with similar engines, which never
fail in bringing up.
The following is a copy of the testimonial presented to
Captain Porter :—" Liverpool, December 2nd, 1853.—T0
Captain D. D. Porter, U. S. N., commander of the " Golden
Age."—Sir,—We the undersigned passengers in the "Golden
Age," beg to express our sympathy with you on the occasion
of our departure having been delayed by an accident to the
vessel ; for, although the collision took place while the con-
trol of the vessel was in other hands, we cannot but feel
that so untoward an event at the commencement of a voyage
—which might otherwise have proved one of the most
speedy on record— must be peculiarly distressing to you.
Nor can we refrain from expressing our admiration of the
coolness and command of temper you displayed on the occa-
sion, which have afforded us a highly favourable presage of
your capabilities for command. In conclusion, we beg to
assure you that this accident has not impaired our confidence
in the vessel or machinery; and, trusting that we may soon be
enabled to renew the voyage under more favourable auspices,
we beg to subscribe ourselves your most obedient servants,
&C., &c. [Here follow the names of all the cabin passen-
gers.]