Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-12-04 00:00:00

THE DAY'S NEWS.

Parliament was opened yesterday, and the Queen
delivered her speech in person. The attendance
of .Peers and Commons was unusually large. The
Prince of Wales, Princess Royal, and Frederick
eeeninee I,f* •10,311.4,j.Jrit11Vi1ezaeen °ea
Riince Consort. The Siamese Ambassadors
were also present. The day was fine. The
Speech as delivered from the Throrni is rather
more satisfactory, with the exception of the refer-
ence to affairs in India, than wa3 expected. In it
there are hopes held . out that a new Reform Bill
will be introduced into Parliament this Session,
and a bill for the reform of the law of real property.
The present Commercial Crisis came in for a full
share of explanation, at least so far as a Queen's
speech ,can go. Her Majesty deeply deplored the
recent failures of certain Joint Stock .Banks, and
observes with great regret the disturbed state of
commercial transactions, and tbo unsatisfactory
condition of the manufacturing districts. A bill
for the indemnifieation of the Bank of England
for the recent suspension of the Act of 1841, will
be introduced, but her Majesty does not hold
out the hope that any further legislation in
the matter will be moved for by the
Ministry. As to India, papers will be placed
before both Houses, and as this subject
requires serious consideration. Her Majesty hopes
that they will give it their immediate attention.
Nothing,about a bid for the abolition of the East
India Company's Charter.
On the meeting of the House of Commons
at four o'clock, several notices of motion were
given. One by the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer, that to night (Friday), the House should
resolve itself into a committee to consider a bill
indemnifying the Bank of England; one by Mr
Headlane that unlimited liability, forced .upon
Joint-Stock Banks by the present law, creates a
dangerous species of credit ; and one by Lord
John Russell, that on Thursday next he should
move for a committee of the whole house to consi-
der the oaths taken by Jews entering the House of
Commons. Mr. Wykeham Martin moved the
address to the Crown on her Majesty's
speech, and in doing so entered into
full explanation of the working of the Bank Act,
passed on to Indian affairs, and concluded by
eulogising the conduct of Lord Palmerston in
each arid all of his recent doings. Mr. Arkroyd
seconded the address. Mr. Disraeli wanted more
inkenetion of the intentions of the Governrerent.
Were they prepared to introduce a new bill in lieu
of the Bank Act of 1311 ? Lord Palmerston could
give no information, but defended the recent sus-
pension of the act, and after some other remarks,
the address was unanimously adopted and the
House adjourned.

The 'Address was moved, in the House of Lords,
by Lord Portman, who contended that the step
taken by the Government respecting they Bank
Charter, was quite necessary ; for although the
Bank had done all in its power to avert any
calamitous results, yet that was not quite sufficient.
He Was glad that we should have a new Reforth
all. He hoped that great economy , would be
exercised in the estimates, and passed on to eulogise
the conduct of Lord Canning in India. Lord Derby
condemned Viscount Canning's policy in India, and
althoUgh be did not blame the Government for
their letter to the Bank of England, -yet, he
demanded to know their intentions respecting the
Bank :Charter. Earl Granville replied to the
Earl of ;Derby, but in answer to a question from
Lord Etlenborough, he said he wout,i not enter
into explanations just then, as to a remodelling of
the Government of India. Several other peers
,ruade a few,umarks, and the address to the Crown
was agreed to.
Several gentlemen are mentioned as likely to be
put in nomination to represent Ashton-under-Lyne,
in the place of Mr. gindley, deceased. Mr. Milner
Gibson, Mr. BoOth Mason, of Leamington, formerly
of the firm..of Messrs. Thomas Mason and Sons,
cotton manufacturers, and Mr. F.. D.. Maley, the
owner of the Dultinfi,,ld estate, has been named.
Mr. G.bson seems to be the favourite.
Yesterday; a further trial was made to, launch
the Great Eastern, but although she was moved
seven feet 'nearer the water, the launch was not
completed. During the process, same scaffolding
gave way, and five persons were severely injured.
At the Police Court, yesterday, the case of

alleged murder on the high seas was again under
investigation. Several additional witnesses were
examined. One of them, Nicholas Lamput,
deposed to the fact that he had seen the captain
repeatedly maltreat the deceased, and had heard
the former use the most diabolical language whilst
engaged in the acts complained of. The deceased
had often complained of the ill treatment to
which 'ho was subject, and the witness had ex-
amined some very severe bruises, which it was
avered. had been caused by the brutal attacks of
the captain. Some time before his death the
deceased could not walk upright, consequent upon
the injury inflicted upon his spine, through the
captain using his foot, during one of his parox-
iseas of revenge for the breaking of the binnacle
lamp. Whilst Roderigo was in his bunk the
captain visited him several times, and on one .
such occasion severely beat him with " a rope as
thick as two thumbs." The deceased had also
I suffered from want of 'food, as he did not get his
regular 'quantity, and the crew were ordered not
to supply him with any. Deceased often com-
plained of being hungry. He often spit blood
and breathed with th© greatest difficulty. Other,
witnesses were examined, and the further investi-
gation -was adjourned until noon to-day.
The only case of importance at the Assizes
yesterday, was that of the attempt to murder at
Bladkburn. The prisoner cohabited with a woman
named Lakeland, sister of his deceased wife. For
some years they seemed to be on most comfortable
terms, but lately some quarrelling took place, and
Lakeland threatened to leave the prisoner. He
said if sho did he would follow her and take her
life. Some days afterwards he got some drink,
and before his companion made the attempt to
leave him he one morning cut her throat while she
was in bed, and the result is that her life is in
danger, The defence was that the prisoner was
insane at the time he committed the deed ; but
the jury found a verdict of guilty of attempt to
murder, and sentence of death was recorded against
him. He will in all probability be transported for
life.

At a Meeting of the Dock Committee, yesterday,
it was unanimously agreed that the Dock Trust
should make the same allowance as the, Town
Council—£loo a year—far the continuance of a
Liverpool office in London. The sum of X3O in
aid of the funds of the St. Anne's Dispensary was
also granted.
The Health of the Town continues very unsatis
factory. The deaths, last week were 260, or 32
more than the corrected average of the same week
for the preceeding nine years. Affections of
the lungs aro at present carrying off large
numbers.

At a meeting held at the Collegiate Institution
last night, the Rev; Dr. McNeile came out very
strongly in opposition to the recently adopted
rules for second class examinations at xford. A
full report of the proceedings will be found in
another column.

It was stated at the meeting of the Toxteth
Board of Guardians, yesterday afternoon, that the
Poor Law Beard bad intimated that they had
appointed Mr. Atkins, of York, to value the
property in the Union. Is there no professional
gentleman in Liverpool able to do this duty ? Are
we to send to York for a suitable person ?
There is but little news from• the Continent this
morning, and that little relates to the very unpro-
mising state of commercial affairs. At Hamburg,
as was to be expected. none of the means hitherto
adopted have succeeded in averting the gewral
crash, and it seems that now a three months indul-
gence to debtors unable to meet their liabilities is
seriously contemplated. This would be equivalent
to the whole city of Hamburg declaring itself bank-
rupt. The commercial community of the Swedish
capital seems to border on a similar state, chiAly
in consequence of the fall of the large houses in
London and Hamburg, connected with Sweden.
In Prussia the crisis has hitherto only Faceted
the seaports ; the large manufacturing cities in
the interior retain their position well, The same
cannot be said of Austria. The news that large
factories in Vienna and the provinces have discon
tinned work, is unhappily confirmed, and severe
suffering of the whole urban population is the
result. The issue of checks in lieu of notes, by
the General Credit Institution,.was talked of as a
measure or relief-.

The discontent expressed by Austria at the
incomplete exechtion, by Russia, of the article
in the Treaty of Paris referring to the fortification
on the coast of the B:ack Sea, has led to the
despatch .of a special Russian negociator to
Vienna.

Some interesting details by the West India and
Pacific Mails, will be found under its proper
head•

ROYAL speeches are seldom pithy. The State
formerly loved to make large parcels of its trifles.
This passion has departed. The perfection of
brevity adds positive enchantment to yesterday's
speech from the Throne. Never were the
interests of nations and fate of empires so
tightly compressed. The political mind is
shaping itself to suit telegraphic proportions.
The fact is stated in two words.' The reasoning
faculties of the hearer must do the rest. Query
the improvement. The style is happy. The
sense profoundly obscure. The politician is now
at home. His readiness to answer all inquiries
is proverbial. He can therefore deal in that
mysterious quantity—nothing. Who reads long
speeches ? What length of wire can carry them ?
Alas ! for language. We dare not deplore the
loss of tongues. The Better Sex would rise in
open revolt. Will they deign to follow the
Royal example ? If they do the Premier's popu-
larity will be the sacrifice. Lord PALMERSTON
will be the respected father of silence. The
success which awaits his offspring is matter for
speculation. For ourselves, we envy neither
parent nor child. Still there is much in the little
her Majesty says, Parliament was called
together expressly to consider the question of
panics. This is boldly stated, contrary to the
generally received impression. The Indian
catastrophe is kept in its place. As a matter of
secondary import, it occupies its proper position
iu the Royal mind. Trade is to us, at home, the
chief, if not sole, source of existence. The com.
mercial disasters of the last six weeks have
brought this home to the national understanding.
What Parliament thinks of l 0 per cent. discount
remains to be heard. Has usu"ry thrown nine-
tenths of our productive labour out of employ-
ment? The nation expects an honest verdict on
this subject.

Have the first mercantile houses in the world
fallen victims to the Bullionist's sham ? This is
another question to be answered in plain lan-
guage. What will the Legislature say to the
Bullionist having only eighteen•pence in the
pound to pay their contracts ? They will never
tell us that British commerce is to be fleeced of
its capital and profits by such daring insolvents !
England and Scotland are reduced to a perfect
.state of social disorganisation. There must be
some palpable cause for this. The magnitude
of its effects will admit of j trifling. The
failure of flop Provincial Banks will Apt
_account

for the commercial phenomena of 1857. Their
collective capital could not have exceeded
5,000,0001. The aggregate amount of their
deposits may have been 10,000,0001. These
two sums united would form but a shallow
excuse for the. merchants' losses. If there has
been any overtrading, these items constitute the
penalty. The capitalist cannot have lost more.
Here the question narrows into this. Does a
loss of 15,000,0001., assuming it to be all gone,
account for the present industrial and commercial
condition of Great Britain ? We say, emphati-
cally, in the name of the trading community,
No ! Scotland will re-echo our answer. And
if it has, so much the worse for the Bullionist.
It shows how frail his barque must be, when such
a trifle could upset it. That men who have only
eighteen-pence in the pound should risk their all
in a washing .tub, is natural enough. A great
commercial nation is, however, quite another
affair`. They have something more to lose. The
Bullionist is well to do, with 130 per cent. for
his actual cash in hand. He is not likely to
suffer while a spark of patriotism remains in the
land.

Men, who could write and talk their scheming
down, must be made to disregard the chaos
which would follow the sudden overthrow of
their design's. They must cut the ties which
bind intellect to national prosperity, before the
Bullionists fall at the feet of popular clamour.
The merchant and trader look to the Senate
for help. Be it so. The public morality
favours the solemn work of national ameliora-
tion. There are millions of starving people
in the British Isles, waiting peaceably for the
solution of the mystery which has plunged them
into destitution. " The Bank note has not been
depreciated by the crisis," we are told. " There
has been no run for gold." is the accompanying
assertion. Will bankers, merchants, and the
general public say as much ? If so, why was
Parliament called together ? Certainly not to
pass a Bill of Indemnity for the suspension of a
Bank Charter, which had no existence except in
the sufferance of Parliament. The distress and
unmitigated suffering of the country forced a
prompt meeting of the Legislature and the
Cabinet. We must wait, then, to see how they
propose to deal with this mighty and growing
difficulty. The position of affairs in India are,
no doubt, a source of extreme regret to Her
Majesty. It exhibits a state of things never
before witnessed in the British Empire. The
Royal silence with respect to the fall of Delhi is
considered strange. An allusion to an event
which occupies a prominent place in the episode
of the bloody Indian drama, was anxiously
looked for in the recital of the brilliant acchicve-
meats of our gallant Indian army. But it was
omitted in the Queen's Speech—for what reason,
will, doubtless, be explained at a future day.
Probably, no reliable official infoli;crariss
received by Her Majesty's Ministers on the sub-
ject. In the meantime, the country will be
rejoiced to.hear that we are in the enjoyment of
peace with all other nations, " which nothing
seems likely to disturb." This is, indeed, a most
merciful and fortunate circumstance, Yet, strange
to say, Continental Europe was never more ready
for war. Her military arrangements are com-
plete. She has not the means, probably, and
that is all we really know on this head.
Parliamentary Reform was not forgotten in the
Royal Address. Attention is to be called "to
the laws which regulate the representation of
the people in Parliament, with a view
to consider what amendments may be
safely and beneficially made therein."
The fulfilment of this promise must depend
on a variety of circumstances, over which Her
Majesty's good will has no control. Political
questions have but little vital importance at-
tached to them at this moment: We can afford
to wait for a Reformed Parliament. National
misery has stronger claims on our attention. This
is a source of universal disquietude which must
first be removed. The starvation of the indus-
try of Europe has to be appeased first of all.
Much as we desire to see the Legislature re-
formed, 'we feel constrained to say, let it wait
until industry and commerce are restored. The
question cannot be fairly discussed under ex-
isting circumstances. When the estimates are
prepared with a due regard to to the exigencies
of the publicAservice," and we see them, we shall
be better able to tell when the Bullionist's panic
will cease. For the present we would rather see
labour, and the trader's capital protected by a
stringent usury law. Gold requires to be re-
leased from prohibitive madness. It should be
as free as cotton, if the people are to be em-
ployed and fed by it. The amount of taxation
of each year, should be added. to.our circulation
in the form of legal tender. To carry these
measures, Parliamentary Reform may be neces-
sary. The present House of Commons may not
meet the views of the great
,bulk of the trading
community on this subject. In that case, a
sweeping measure of Reform will be imperatively
demanded, and easily carried.

ON Wednesday we noticed in our Editorial
columns the progress which Currency Reform is
making
.amongst Financial Reformers ; and
to-day we are called pn to review the very
modest' and unsatisfactory way in which the
Liverpool Chamber of Conimerce deals with this
great mercantile question. The Council of the
Chamber appear to be employed in watching
our currency and banking laws, to see that the
nation is not declared bankrupt before they are
" suspended," which means in simple parlance ,

THE NORTHERN TIMES.---LIVERPOOLI FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1857

abolished for the time being ; while a large •
majority of its members stand by to endorse all
the anti-commercial cant of the day. The
former are ready with deputations to proceed to
London, to entreat the government to suspend
an Act of Parliament, directly effecting trade,
after it has ruined one-half of the traders of
England ; and they are content with its mere
suspension, and never wait to inquire whether
the terms on which that favour is granted do not
render its abrogation as inoperative, as a measure
of relief, as those laws themselves were before
they were interfered with. While the Council
are thus employed, a considerable number of
its ordinary members step forward to tell us that
we have been " over-trading," " over-specula-
ting," and " too buoyant " in our commercial
transactions. New, it is quite natural that men,
who do not condescend to think for themselves,
should allow their thoughts to stray into the
rodomontades of those who take extraordinary
pains to exercise their intellects for them ; but,
we are not a little surprised when we find
merchants, practically acquainted with the export
and import trades of the country, and who wish
the world to believe that they really know more
'than anybody else, standing up in public and
giving utterance to the childish ravings of the
Bullionist side of the London Press,

Mr. MACFIE, for instance, in accounting for
the contemptible failure of the Bank Charter
Act, and the Bill of 1519, says :—" No doubt,
" there had been over-trading," and Mr. AIKIN
assures us, with great solemnity, that "Panics
" have their origin in commercial imprudence,
"and not in legislative enactments."—Here we
have the most antiquated twaddle, dressed out
in " peg-top" trowsers. But, we tvill take the
leading articles of import, which tell most heavily
on our reserves of bullion—breadstuffs, cotton,
silk, wool, sugar, tea, coffee, indigo and other
dye-stuffs, and timber—and we would ask those
gentlemen if there has been any " over-trading "
in any one of those commodities within the last
three years ? If we are to judge from the prices
of produce, we are bound to believe that the
supply of the above articles of import fell short
of the demand, and; therefore, n "over-trading"
or " commercial imprudence " can be said to
have brought about the panic. The soundness
of the last two years' trade, is shown by the
facility with which usurious discounts, varying
from six to seven per cent., were paid. Had
those exhorbitant rates of interest never been
demanded, we should not have witnessed the
prevailing exhaustion of the legitimate means and
credit of our merchants. They have been openly
fleeced by every species of false pretence for two
years, and, now that they are engulphed in all the
dangers and losses of panic, they are coolly told
that it is all owing to their " over-trading " and
`commercial imprudence."

'Pita T.:u.vne,•l
however, be well aware, that the high rates of
interest alluded to, deterred merchants from
sending out orders for the leading articles of
daily consumption, and that this rendered our
stocks short, and prices unnaturally high. Cor-
porate politicians are very apt to go astray in
mercantile matters ; but merchants know better,
and ought to be moderately guarded in what
they say in the presence of a great mercantile
community, such as we are entitled to boast of
having in Liverpool. • Mr. AIKIN" contends that
our money laws were meant to secure the " con-
vertibility" of our notes into gold. In this lies
thesgreat popular delusion which the Bullionist
is so anxious to perpetuate, notwithstanding that
the public see the object in view cannot be
attained except by suspending the very laws
which are said to secure it. But our currency
enactments were to do something more than Mr.
AIKIN alleges. They were to give us an abun-
dant supply of gold at a low fixed price. We
were to have cheap gold, for high priced mantl-
fitctures. The world's simplicity was to be the
main source of our commercial prosperity, and
national agrandisement. They promised all this
and something more still. We were to have
cheap money, as witnessed by the length of time
the usury laws were allowed to remain unmo-
lested. The banks were to have gold enough at
all times, as far as the people were led to believe,
to meet all. their notes, and discharge all their
liabilities whenever called en. These were the
shams which secured a monopoly to the Bank of
England, and the principal banks of issue then in
existence. How these liberal promises have been
fulfilled, is shown in the manner in which the
monopoly has worked.
Mr. AIKIN seems to forget that all these fair
assurances are embodied in the doctrine of " con-
vertibility," which implies, as a matter of course,
a power to convert deposits, as well as notes,-
into gold on demand. But we question if Mr.
AIKIN would venture to endorse the Paper of the
Bank of England, if the public were to insist on
its recognition, and a mercantile test of the
validity and actual existence of any such power
in our banking' system. Why, then, does Mr.
AIKIN cling to such a palpable hoax, and throw
the grave national responsibilities of legislative
recklessness on the assumed existence of " com-
mercial imprudence ?" Mr. IIoRsTALL, we are
glad to find, sees these things in a more rational,
and, consequently, in a very different light ; and
if our Borough member gives utterance to
the opinions of his party, it requires no very
great gift of foresight to see what the result will
be when the currency question is fairly brought be-
fore Parliament. The dry political inference drawn
from the pledges given to the Legislature was,
that with cheap gold we should find no difficulty

in paying taxation in that metal. When this
dream is to come to pass, we will leave those who
must ask us for 80,000,000/, of revenue within

the next twelve months to answer, and in some-
thing like intelligible language. It is quite cer-
tain that the bullion reserves of the coming year,
which are already bespoken in trade, will not
meet the demands of the Exchequer ; and we
only require a statesman with sufficient manliness
to expose the Bullionists' imposture, to advocate
the adoption of taxation as the basis of our
paper currency and the release of the commercial
capital of the realm, and the money of universal
commerce from all direct fiscal obligations—to
unite the commercial intelligence of the country
and earnestness of the working classes, as that of
man, in carrying forward the great work of
solid commercial and industrial amelioriation.
If the Whigs do not take the hint, the Tories
will, with the sanction of the masses of the
people, profit by exorbitant usury, and the un-
pardonable suspension of all employment for
labour. Whatever may happen to other coun-
tries, Great Britain must never again be left
without some rational money-means to fall back
upon, and our vast Empire brought within twelve
hours of the incalculable dangers of national
bankruptcy. An evil spirit •has crept into our
social organisation, and of this triumph of legis-
lative reason we hope ere long to be able to say—
Obstupescent posteri triumphos audientes tuos.

TUE DECIMAL SYSTEM OF MEASURES, WEIGHTS, AND
COINS.—A meeting of this body was held on Wednesday
evening at the house of Dr. Hodgkin, Bedford-square,
London. Lord Ebrington in the chair. Mr. James
Yates, F.R.S., read a paper on the best unit of length to
be adopted in securing such a system of measures as would
suit the exigencies of the various nations of the world.
After a lengthened discussion, in which several gentlemen
took part, the following resolutions, among others, were
adopted :—" That in the opinion of this meeting it is not
desirable to invent a new unit of length, nor to adopt any
which has never been supported except by the recommen-
dation of its inventor, or by the authority of a very small
number of individuals, but that it is preferable to select
from the units already in use that which shall appear to
be best adapted to promote the general reception, and
permanent establishment, of a uniform decimal and inter-
national system of measures, weights, and coins. That it
appears eminently desirable that the unit of length should
be of such a length as may be adapted to measure the
greatest variety of objects that occur in daily life—that it
should be easily carried about and manipulated ; and that
it appears for these purposes an inch or a foot would be
much too short and a fathom much too long, but that the
required conditions will be best fulfilled by any measures
about the same length as the ell, metre, the second's
pendulum, or the yard." The proceedings concluded with
a vote of thanks to Mr. Yates for his able paper.

EARL OF GIFFORD, M.P., ON TILE AFFAIRS OF INDIA...—.
On Taesday night Mr. Mills and Earl Gifford addressed
their constituents in the Guildhall, Totnes, on public
affairs. Mr. Mills spoke in favour of the Ballot and a
comprelionsive Reform Bill. Earl Gifford also spoke in
favour of a new Reform Bill in the ensuing session, and
said he would not object to placing the Bank of England
on the same footing as it was from 1819 to 1844, but he
repudiated the Birmingham currency theories. Adverting
4... 1...110, tho ...ad We Loma Loon told that we
have been ashamed of our religion, and participated in
heathen ceremonies. Now, gentlemen, in the four years
I spent in various parts of India I never saw anything that
could justify such an accusation as that. The first object,
on the contrary, that you see on landing is the cathedral
at Calcutta—there are three bishops and 129 chaplains of
the Church of England scattered over India, besides two
chaplains of the Church of Scotland—in the two presiden-
cies. The only true policy is for the Government to
abstain from interference with the religion of the natives,
and to leave it to civilisation and education to produce
their effects, anti in the meantime to place every facility
in the hands of missionary labourers. (liar, hear.)

PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS.

MISS REYNOLD'S BENEFIT, AT TIIE AMPHITHEATRE.

As the benefit of this singularly versatile and gifted
actress is to take place this evening, we would strongly
urge upon the Liverpool public to evince the appreciation
of her merits, in the best way open to prove it, by an over-
flowing house. Few performers who hive appeared in our
town for many years, deserve more fully the cordial
admiration of al who love fresh, genuine, and natural
comedy, in its best sense, than Miss Reynolds. Every part
she has assumed but evidenced more clearly the truthful-
ness and force, as well as the variety of her artistic
capacities. The pieces selected for to-night Are " London
Assurance," in which Miss Reynolds will appear as Lady
Gay Spanker, and the new comedy of " The B dance of
Comfort," with Miss Reynolds as Mrs. Torrington. It
must ba added, that, this is the last night but one of Miss
Reynolds's engagement.

KATE SAXON AT THE CONCERT HALL.

This lady and Mr. Malone Raymond terminate a very
Euccessfal visit to Liverpool this evening, and from the
great applause bestowed upon the " Reading" of a
lady who has gained for herself a name amongst our
Yankee cousins, and the high appreciation in which she is
evidently hold by the people of the " good old town," we
doubt not of the being finale a bumper. Mr. Raymond
earned fJr himself a name years since in Liverpool, and
retains the good opinion of all.

THE KING OF I)n:du—Just added to Alsop's Royal
Wax Work Exhibition, Lime-street, Liverpool, modelled
from a sketch taken in the City of DAbi.
LEWIS AND COMPANY'S NEW ESTABLISHMENT FOR BOY S'
CLOTHING.—Number of boys clothed for the week ending
Saturday, November 28th, 694; corresponding week last
year, 410 ; increase, 284.
STANLEY VILLAGE LECTURES, ST. ANNE'S NATIONAL
3CHOOL BOWL—The usual weekly lecture was delivered on
Tuesday evening last, by Mr. Thomas Cooke, on " Ancient
Liverpool." The subject being of a local character, and
therefore particularly interesting, attracted a very full
attendance. Various points touched upon, regarding the
great and rapid progress in the to s'n and port, were highly
apprecia'ed—the account of numerous obsolete customs
causing much amusement. At the close of the lecture, the
Rev. Mr. Gardner introduced some of the first newspapers
published in Liverpool, and read several most curious and
interesting extracts. The lecture next week will be on tho
"Physical Evils of Intemperance," by Mr. Glazebrook.
THE LATE MURDER ON THE HIGH SEAS.—A few days
since, a most ridiculous and absurd rumour was circulated
about the town, and one which it is scarcely to be credited
that, any person, with a grain of common sense, would have
believed—but so it was. The report was to the effect, that
the two mates, Seymour and Miles, who were found guilty,
wilt Captain Rogers, of the wilful murder of the poor
fellow Rose, but whose sentence of death was commuted to ,
transportation for life, had been liberated, and set free from
Kirkdale Gaol. How such a tale could be fabricated, is
something extraordinary, except it was done to "
some dealer and retailer of extraordinary and miracul ,us
wonders. If su,l was the fact, it had the desired effect,
and no doubt caused the originator much amusement, to
see how industriously the report was circulated. How-
ever, we can state that there was not the slightest foundation
for the report, as the two mates were shortly since conveyed
from Kirkdale Gaol to Wakefield, where they are at
present undergoing a term of imprisonment, previous to
being transported for life, p. punishment they so richly
merited for their brutality.