The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-04-17 00:00:00

THE ANNUAL VESTRY.

Yesterday, at ten o'clock, the polling for overseers and
vestrymen, commenced at the Sessions House. The vot-
ing was kept up with great spirit throughout the day ;
and at the close of the poll, at four o'clock, the numbers
were as follows :

Churchwardens' Oppo.it'on
For List. Pers. Votes. For Lisr. Pers. Votes.
Mr, Thomas Smith ..629.... 1267 Mr. Thos. H. Satchel' .434.... 921
Wt liam Tay10r..63!,....1288 Richard Holmes ..422.... 894
Sam. Richardson.63l.... 1257 George Nicason .. 429.... 894
James Chesney ..631.... 1287 Edward Byford ...431.... Bgs
John M. Syers,.. 630.... 128 Edward Whittle .. 432.... sgi
Ed. Williams.... 630.... 1285 Thomas Smith.... 432 ... 89 i
After the numbers had been declared,the polling was
adjourned until this morning at ten o'clock.

PUBLIC MEETING.—On Tuesday night last, the usual
weekly meeting of the Birkenhead Total Abstinence
Society was held in the Argyle street School-room, which
we scarcely need add, was crowded. R E. French, Esq.,
occupied the chair, and, after a few preliminary remarxs,
introduced Mr. Junes, from Liverpool, who, in a felicitous
manner, amused the audience with a rich fund of
hamourous and sensible anecdote, concluding the whole
with a "heave" at the manufacturers of strong drinks, and
a powerful appealin favour of the great panacea for all the
evils of the drinking customs, viz., the Maine Law. At
the conclusion of the lecture a good many joined the
society.
ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY MEETING IN 1858.—For
four months past the inhabitants of Cheshire and Wales
have been exerting themselves to raise such an amount of
money as should induce the Royal Agricultural SocietT'a
Council to select Chester as the place for meeting in 1858
Lists were opened, and every person of influence com-
menced collecting subscriptions, until the amount now in
hand is no less than £4,500. On Monday morning a
meeting of the general committee was held, the Marquis of
Westminster in the chair, when £1,500 was set apart as a
guarantee fund to the Council ; X 1,500 for local prizes, in
addition to those given by the S minty ; and £1.500 as a
fund wherewith ta meet contingencies. Pr'zas for cheese,
to the amount of £4OO were drawn out, and the Chester
committee now await the decision of the Council on the 6th
of May next.

FINE ARTS. The coast of Belgium, like the country
itself, is classical and historical, and there is scarcely a❑
inch of the former that is not associated with some event
in European history—poets have celebrated it, and pain'ers
have made it immortal. In the latter point, many of the
Flemish and Dutch masters have surpassed all others.
There is a picture of this description at present to be seen
at Messrs. Caffe, Cort's buildings, that bas attracted unusual
attention of the best judges. It is cne of Illynheer Keil's
celebrated efforts at a storm, the scene being the coast of
West Flanders, and the moment you behold it, you are
struck with the wild and awful In ijesty of a hurricane,
lashing in howling delight the mighty world of waters, on
the heaving bo3om of which are seen many vessels, ready
for destruction amid the yawning billows. It is wonderrul
how nature can be transferred with such fidelity to canvass,
but the name of Keil is enough in that respect. The posi-
tion of the vessels—the combieation of the elements, which
can be almost Mt—the land and coast in the back ground,
and the safety harbour in view—all combine to render this
picture an exquisite masterpiece. Toe colouring bath of
sea and sky are natural, and blend harmoniously with the
whole prospect, so that one stands in admiration, and feels
almost inclined to worship the artist. It is well worth a
visit, and cannot fail to be regarded as a work of the highest
genius. _

Tsis PRINCESS ROYAL.—The New Liverpool steamer
Princess Royal, of 800 tons and 400 horse power, built
and engine.' by Messrs. Tod and Macgregor, came down the
river yesterday morning, aid proceeded to Gsreloch to
adjust compasses. On this being completed, she crossed
to Greenock, and took a number of gentlemen on board,
after which she made a trial trip between the Cloch and
Cumbrae Lights. She ran the distance (1.51 miles) at
slack water in 6t minutes, the engines making 20 revo-
lutions per minute under a pressure of 101b3 Her draught
of water, however,•was too light to insure a fair trial
of her speed, and it is confidently anticipated that when
she is fully loaded with goods and passengers she will
prove a very swift vessel. She is most substantially
built, has great breadth of beam, and will be an admirable
sea boat, and she is fitted at bath hatches with two of
the largest size of Taylor's patent steam winches for load-
ing and discharging cargo. Her cabin accommodation is
ample and handsomely fitted up. The saloon is panelled
with bird's eye maple and rosewood, and adorned with
beautiful glass paintings by Mr. Laurie of Glasgow, and
it is lighted by a fine cupola of stained glass. The
Princess Royal, which is commanded by Captain M'Chlery,
an experienced and courteous seaman, will be put on the
Liverpool station on Thursday first, and will, we have no
doubt, become as great a favourite as her predecessor of
the same name.—Greenock Advertiser of Tuesday.
THE JOBBER TARRETT—A passenger by this vessel,
arrived out at Melbourne, in a letter to a friend in Liverpool,
gives some interesting particulars of the voyage, He says :
I no.w inform you of oar safe arrival in Hobson's Bay, on
the 25th of January, after a fine passage of 70 days. The
Liverpool steam tug left us at 12 o'cloc on Friday night,
the wind rather scanty to keep with the Irish coast. We
did not see the Tuskar ; close hauled with our starboard
tacks on board, and blowing fresh, we cleared the Smalls
Lighthouse on Sunday afternoon at 4 p ist., seven miles
distant. Crossed the line in 21 days out, in heavy gales, long.
31 deg. Made the Brazils coast ; had to make two teen
to the eastward Made Pernambuco Lighthouse, fifteen
miles distance, at 8 p.m., 27 days out, and carried a fair
wind all the way. We had a spirited captain and tate to
carry sail to the breeze, carrying royals in a gale of wind,
the royals began to grin like Old Harry, and so took a fly
for the boundary of space ; studding sails and staysails
going after the royals, to see if they had found the boundary
of space, but have not returned to tell us. The captain
was compelled to put her under double reefed topsails,
mainsail, and cressjack. On Christmas day we were at it
all night ; the captain went below at 3in the morning.
I turned out at 3 45 a.m., and had not been on deck ten
minutes before a bran new mainsail went all to pieces, they
carried on so hard that the sea could not get on hoard.
ht was magniflci nt, grand, the sight, to see her going 13
and 14 knots clean off the reel. We passed every ship
we fell in with. We passed the Lord Warrisford from
London, 104 days out when we were only out 59 days.
The next ship we passed w 43 the Sunshine of Boston,
which ship left Liverpool 10 days before us, bound also to
'Melbourne. She is a clipper built ship, with six topsail
yards. We passed her about 1000 miles off Melbourne,
and got in two days before her. Had I not seen us pass
her, I weeild have bet £lO,OOO on her against us, but we
had the right sort of a captain and mates, all of one mind ;
the watchword was, "If she won't carry it she must drag
it." Many a heavy sea was kept off by forcing her
through it. We beat the steamer one day. We
anchored inside of Hobson's Bay Ileada on the 25th of
January, at 7 p.m,