The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-11-23 00:00:00

DAILY TIMES.

other: Why should our public justiciaries be placed
in so unenviable and harassing a position ?
Capital punishment is a capital mistake. There
is no mistake about that: It cannot be justified
upon any pretence whatever. It had its origin in
the wild cry for " vengeance," which has charac-
terised barbarous men and barbarous times.
Traces of a similar policy may be found in the early
history of all civilized nations ; whilst where so-
ciety is either in a state of savageism, or without
organization, the same rampant spirit is percep-
tible. What the Indians call " vengeance"—the
colonists of Australia term " Lynch-law" —we
refine by 'using the smoother word, " Justice !''
which, in strict phraseology, means nothing more
or less than " an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a
tooth !" But why should such a diabolical statute-
law be suffered to go unrepealed ? What benefit
does it confer, that it should be permitted to re-
main in force ? None, certainly, that we know of.
It cannot atone for crime. Neither can it benefit
the criminal. And society, so far from being made
the better, is invariably made the worse. Instead
of having a salutary effect upon the viciously-dis-
posed, it tends the rather to excite their evil pro-
pensities; and many take their first lesson in
crime—which they sometimes expiate on the gal-
lows—in presence of the scaffold, the felon, and
the hangman ! A fearful reflection, this ! But
several have confessed as much just as the noose
was about to be placed round their necks, and
whilst rigorous Justice was panting for its victim.
The inviolability of human life is the specious
and flimsy pretext adduced by the supporters of
the nefarious doctrine of capital punishment.
But, assuredly, if human life be inviolable in one
instance it must be so in all. How can such a
claim be put forward as long as we wilfully violate
the very principle for which we contend- ? Mur-
der is murder all the world over—whether per-
petrated by a highwayman—a midnight assassin—
or an ermined judge. No legal enactment can justify
such a proceeding. And those who take upon
themselves to pronounce sentence of death upon
any man, assume an immense and truly awful
responsibility. The words of the unhappy culprit
who has just undergone the extreme penalty our
law awards, when gaunt Death and rigid Justice
were striving for the mastery, are well worthy of
serious reflection. They eminently serve to " point
a moral" :—" Why do they endeavour to make me
well, when it is only to hang me—why don't they
let me die now ?" How long is English civilization
to be impeded, and the glory of the English
nation tarnished, by such inhuman deeds ? What
ever alternative be adopted let us, in GOD'S name,
get rid of the black cap, the gallows, and the
hang-man !

Under the head " Bullion imports and exports,"
will be found in this day's paper, a letter from Mr. H.
C. LANGTON. This gentleman is a stock broker, and
anything coming from such a source on Monetary
matters is deserving of attention. Mr. LANGTON
commences by asking us to allow him " to point out
a serious mistake," into which he states we " and
other gentlemen of the Press are apt to fall."
Now, as all Editors of newspapers, according to
Nir. LANGTON'S notions, are given to making
" seriqus mistakes," the public will feel much more
disposed to pardon our blunders than they will
those of Mr.-LANGTON, considering he is by pro-
fession a Monetary man. After letting us into the
astounding secret that " large sums of the precious
metals are constantly going out, of which there is
no entry at the custom house or any other record,"
he goes on to say :

"In addition to the commercial indebtedness
of England to the nations with whom she is
trading, requiring Bullion to liquidate the balance,
there must always be a considerable amount of
coin going out in the pockets of emigrants ; and
there is certainly a not insignificant portion of
the precious metals bought as they arrive for
consumption in the arts and sciences. The de-
mand for this last named purpose is daily in-
creasing in this country, but more especially so in
France."

Now, when Mr. LANGTON couples the vast sub-
ject of England's commercial indeT)tedness with
trifles in emigrants' pockets, and the paltry amount of
gold which is required for " the arts and sciences,"
he must be much at a loss to know how to estab-
lish the " serious mistake" into which, he says, we
have fallen. In the article to which Mr. LANGTON
refers, we showed very clearly that a certain
amount of gold had been imported into England,
and exported again within a given time,
and that a large amount of the gold im-
ported, had not reached the Bank of Eng-
land, and that therefore, the weekly returns
published by that institution, was no guide as the
actual monetary condition of the country. And
having found a large deficiency in the returns, as
compared with the imports, we simply asked what
had become of the sum which had not reached the
Bank ? By the way of answering our inquiry Mr
LANGTON reminds us of the commercial indebted-
ness of England, as if the commercial debts due
by England to other countries, could be or were
discharged in any other way except through our
banks. As, all merchants use their bankers in the
course of their foreign, as well as their domestic
trade, all sums leaving the country in the ordinary
course of trade, would be traceable either in the
increase or decrease in the bullion and other
returns of the banks. With regard to money taken
away in the pockets of emigrants, _Mr. LANGTON
seems to think that it has never formed a portion
of the actual circulation of the country, and,
therefore, could not have formed a portion of the
bullion reserves held by the banks. This is not
a " serious mistake" of Mr. LANGTON'S, but.it is a
very absurd idea, as any of our bankers can prove.
Our correspondent would also lead his readers to
infer that when bullion is assigned to merchants,
or is brought by private hand to this country, that
the consignee or private owner carries it about to
dispose df it to persons connected with " the arts
and sciences," and that it consequently never
reaches the banks, to increase or decrease their
stock of bullion. This is really a " serious mis-
take" of Mr. LANGTON'S, but such mistakes are like
all other evils, they " never come alone." And our
critic is no less unfortunate in directing our atten-
tion to the course of exchange, and the recently
published returns of our exports and imports.
Before we enter at any length on the subject of
the course of exchange, we should like to know
if Mr. LANGTON has based his calculations on the
average market value of gold in any of the large
producing countries with which we trade, or whe-
ther he rules the relative value of money between
England and the continent, America, Australia,
or India, by the mint price of 3/. 17s. 101 d, the
ounce, which is a standard that does not exist ex-
cept in a certain Act of Parliament. We regret
we cannot deal satisfactorily with Mr. LANGTON on
this subject as he leaves us in the dark as to the
bases from which he draws his notions of the
course of exchange. On the next and last heavy
consideration touched upon, Mr. LANGTON shall
speak for himself :—" I have attempted to estimate
the value of our imports as furnished by the Board
of Trade, for the last nine months ; the result of
my estimate is, that our imports amount to about
thirty millions sterling over and above the same for
the corresponding period last year. Now our exports

of manufactures, as you are aware, are said to have
amounted to twelve millions over and above the ex-
ports of last year, but if our imports are thirty
more, it is. quite clear that there is a balance of
eighteen millions to be provided for in some way,
before the account can be squared. This one
great fact will at once explain how it is that the
balance of trade should be so much against Eng-
land, and that the course of exchange should be
so adverse."

Here Mr. LANGTON appears not to be aware
of the fact that the system of hypothesis pur-
sued by this country, a surplus of 18,000,000/. in
our imports over our exports, leaves a large balance
of produce still due to the capitalists of England.
The amount employed in making advances against
produce in our colonies and foreign countries is
variously estimated at 30,000,0001. to 50,000,0001.
Let Mr. LANGTON add the smallest .of these sums
to the total of exports for the present year, and
the result will be the balance of trade between
England and all the world. Mr. LANGTON'S letter
taken in its entirety, is scarcely an average pro-
duction, considering it comes from one of " The
Monetary Circles."

THE LATE HEAD CONSTABLE.—The remains of the late
Mr. Dowlin will be interred this morning.
CABINET COUNCIL.--A Cabinet Council was held yester-
day, at the Foreign office ; and a Privy Council will be held
at Windsor on Friday.
ANALYTIC SYSTEM OF WRITING}.—Last evening, a lecture
was. delivered at the Charitable Institution, Slater-street, by
Mr. Jos :ph Clarke, late of the Norwich grammar-school,
on his Analytical System of Writing.
EMBEZZLEMENT AT THE RAILWAY STATION.—It is ru-
moured thde some serious defalcations have been discovered
in the goods department of the Louden and North Western
Railway here, and that one of the officials has absconded
with a large sum of money.
A poor rate of ls. 6d. in the pound for the township of
Everton, which was obtained on the 14th inst., has been
objected to by several of the most influential ratepayers, on
the ground that so large a rate is uncalled for to meet the
expenditure.
PHILHARMONIC HALL.—The Oratorio of Sampson was
performed last evening. in this magnificent hall. The
principal vocalists were Mdlle. Viardot Garcia, Miss Holt,
Mr. Lockey, and Mr. Weiss. The orchestra was full and
effective, and the oratorio was admirably rendered. Mdlle.
Garcia sang delightfully, and was encored in several of the
airs.

DINNER TO W. EARLE, ESQ.—A public dinner will be
given to W. Earle, Esq., ou Tuesday evening next, at the
house of Mr. Craig, in Mulberry-street, to celebrate his re-
turn to the Town Council for Abercromby Ward. George
Maxwell, Esq., will preside, and a numerous and highly
respectable company will be present.
DEATH FROM A FALL.—On Monday last, Charles Shaw,
a sailor on board the steamship "Niagara," which arrived
in this port on the previous day, fell from the main-yard,
while adjusting some portion of the rigging, by which he
received such severe injuries, that he died shortly after being
admitted to the Northern Hospital. An inquest was subse-
quently held upon the body, when, the facts having been
proved in evidence, a verdict of " accidental death" was re-
turned.

A NONDESCRIPT IN WANT OF A MATE.—The following
odd advertisement appears in a contemporary of yester-
day :—" A married man, of middle age, professing no par-
ticular creed, either in politics or in theology, having re-
cently come to Liverpool from the country to commence busi-
ness, and having no society,. would be glad to meet with a
well-informed party, of similar position and habits, for the
sake of society. The advertiser is a middle-class man in
point of circumstances, and has received a tolerable educa-
tion, but has never been accustomed to what is termed good
society."
EDUCATION AND CRIME IN MANCHESTER.—At the Man-
chester intermediate sessions, which commenced yesterday,
the recorder, in his charge to the grand jury, stated that
the commitments during the last 18 days exceeded anything
of the kind he had ever known. The total number of per-
sons charged with felony was 72, and three were charged
with misdemeanour. In all there were 77 cases, and out of
that number there were only three that had received such
an education as they might reasonably suppose would have
produced a beneficial effect upon their character and conduct.
GAROTTE ROBBERY.—Last night, as a sailor named Wil-
liam Moxon, who had just returned from a voyage, was
passing along Simpson-street, he was surrounded by a num-
ber of idle characters, and before he could effect an escape,
one of them took from his pocket ls. 4d. They evidently
expected a much larger booty, as some of the parties knew
him, and said, " well, Bill, so you are home." Moxon was
quite sober at the time. The police were on the spot im-
mediately after the robbery., and several para.)s wore
ry appre-
hended ; but the robbe having dexterously exterously effecteu,
Moron could not identify any of the offenders.

ACCIDENTS.—On Monday a number of men were working
on a stage in Mr. Laird's iron shipbuilding yard, when the
stage gave way and fell upon two men, named John Red-
mond and Henry Williams. The former sustained a frac-
ture of the right leg, a fracture of the left arm, and disloca-
tion of the ribs of the left side. The latter concussion of
the brain. Richard Jones, living in Crumb-street, was
kicked by a horse in Mill-street, and sustained a severe con-
tusion of the side. James Hyde, residing in Prince William-
street, whilst coming home from his work, his foot slipped,
and he fell off the parapet producing a sever contusion of the
ankle. The above cases were received at the Southern Hos-
pital.
SINGULAR CASE OF CHILD DESERTION.—Last evening,
shortly before six o'clock, officer No. 449, found a male child
comfortably clothed, and apparently about seven weeks old,
on the steps of the house No. 6, Daulby-street, occupied
by a gentleman named Melville. Attached to the childs's
clothes was a printed declaration purported to have been
made before the Lord Mayor of Dublin, by a female named
Catherine Sly, stating that the said Catherine Sly, had on
the 25th of December last, been seduced in Dublin, by a
person named John Melville, who was the father of the
child. The police officer conveyed the child to the work-
house, Brownlow-hill. Mr. Melville resided for some time
in Dublin.
Two MEN MORTALLY STABBED BY SPANIARDS. Yes-
terday morning two men named John Sullivan and Thomas
Breslam were stabbed near the Deptford Dock yard by
Spaniards. The Spaniards were abusing a respectable fe-
male, when the poor men went to her assistance, on which
John Sullivan received a very deep wound on the lower part
of the stomach, near the groin, besides other injuries.
Thomas Breslam is severely stabbed under the region of the
heart, the nature of which precludes the slightest hopes of
his recovery.
ACCIDENTS. Yesterday, a carpenter, named Daniel
M'Laughton, living at No. 9, Great Richmond-street, fell
into the. Sandon graving-dock, by which he was so severely
injured that he was conveyed to the Northern Hospital,
where he at present remains under surgical treatment.
Yesterday
_evening, a man named James Dargen, being
somewhat intoxicated, was knocked down by an omnibus in
Bold-street, and had his leg broken. In the afternoon,
Robert James, a sailor on board the steamship " City of
Manchester," just arrived from Philadelphia, fell from the
gaff-topsail, and severely injured himself in various parts of
the body. He was conveyed to the Northern Hospital.
William Logan, while engaged in his employment on board
the steamship " Braziliera," now in the Sandon graving-
dock, fell to the bottom of the dock, and was much injured
by the concussion.
PLEASING TESTIMONIAL.—There is at present exhibitingin
the window of Mr. Jones, of Castle-street, silversmith, a
very handsome and elaborately chased tea and coffee service,
which bears the following inscription :—This tea service is
presented to Captain R. G. Wilson, of the British ship
Philanthropist, by the owners of the American ship Continent,
for the gallant and humane conduct manifested by him when
falling in with that ship at sea, in a disabled state, on the
2ist of August, 1853." It will be remembered that the
Continent had suffered from a severe hurricane, and was in
a sinking state; when Captain Wilson fell in with her, and
remained by her for some days, eventually taking off all who
chose to avail themselves of what then seemed to be the
only chance of escape from a watery grave. The Continent,
through the skill of her Commander, subsequently reached
this port, where she is at present being repaired. This
testimonial is a well deserved one, and the feeling which
pfompted its presentation is alike creditable to the owners
of the Continent, Messrs. W. Tapscott, and Co.

DESTRUCTIVE FlRE.—Last night, about eight o'clock,
an alarm of fire was given that the St. George's Bazaar, ex-
tending from Queen's-square to St. John's-lane, was on fire.
Immediately after the alarm was given, Mr. Hewett, with
an engine belonging to the company, and a section of the
fire-brigade, was in attendance, but unfortunately, the
owners of the property were too anxious to save their own,
and by their anxiety lost all they had, having previously to
the arrrival of the fire-brigade, opened each door, which
caused a thorough draft, and consequently aided the flames.
As soon as the engines were brought into play, the fire was
extinguished, thus saving the building, although the entire
contents, consisting of some useful and fancy articles, all of
a combustible nature, were totally destroyed. Fortunately,
by the exertions of the fire-brigade, the building, which is
contiguous to most valuable property was, by the timely ex-
ertions, aided by a plentiful supply of water, saved. After
the fire had been extinguished it was a painful sight to wit-
ness the owners of the property—most of whom had lost all
they had to depend upon for subsistence, visiting their stalls.
We believe that none of the contents of the building were
insured, the stall-keepers being generally too needy to have
the means of taking that precaution, therefore the loss will
fall upon themselves. No cause for the fire can at present
be assigned. Apparently the building was left perfectly safe
when locked up, just prior to the alarm of fire being given.
The person entrusted with the care of the building states he
left all safe, but one of the owners of a stall states that a
person threw away a portion of a lighted cigar as he was
passing through, a short time before the bazaar was closed.