The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-06-03 00:00:00

TO SAMUEL HOLME, ESQ.

Sir,—Ever since I have known you by name, I
have at all times formed a very high opinion of you,
and have often defended you and your cause in
the back settlements of Liverpool. I say ever
since I have known you by name, because, in this
country, it is almost impossible for a poor man to
come within- arm's length of the rich, unless in a
police court. Pardon me, I am a little displeased at
the: remarks you were pleased to make in your place
in the Council Chamber, on Wednesday last, in
reference to Mr. M'Donald ; it is reported that you
stated that he passed his Sunday in bridewell.
Now, sir, as you thought proper to enlighten the
public on the case, why were you not honest
enough to inform them of all the facts connected
with the case. A man who does his utmost to
damage the position of a fallen man in the esti-
mation of his fellows, is unworthy the name of a
man ; be it distinctly understood, sir, Mr.
M'Donald passed his Sunday in bridewell, because
he protested against the conduct of two brutes, in
the garbs of police-officers, who were dragging a
poor fellow creature through the public: streets, as
if be had been a dead dog. If I was a magistrate,
I would be very careful and cautious in accepting,
as truth, the testimony of police-officers. God help
the poor who are under the protection of such men,
I would a thousand times rather be under the pro-
tection of Beelzebub; with all his faults, I think
he would be a little merciful. It is reported that
you also stated that Mr. M'Donald is a discarded
servant of the Corporation. Was he not discalded
because he spoke as he thought, 'as every man
ought to do ? So far, I have had no sympathy with
Opponents of the. Pike ; nevertheless, I love an
honest man. Fools love flattery, and wise men
don't despise it. Few situations of trust are
obtained in England through merit; I am
sorry most are obtained through interest and
flattery, and am satisfied that most of the talent
of England is got behind the scenes. Now, sir,
permit me to say a few words in reference to the
decision of the Birkenhead magistrate. I ask you
as
.a man professing christianity and a magistrate,
did Mr. M`Donald get justice and mercy at the
Birkenhead police court? If the presiding
magistrate, immediately on the liberation of Mr.
M'Donald, had been placed in the same filthy hole
and comp ailed to remain there ,for the same time
M'Donald had done, I venture to say that
he would have been brought to his proper state of
mind, and that his next decision would have been
more in accordance with justice and mercy. lam
sir, your obedient servant, A BRICK.

THE ANTIQUITIES IN SHAW'S BROW,

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN TIMES,

Sits,—A well-cooked piece of Plagiarism answers
now and then, as well as the original—until found
out? and then lace Mr. Mayer of Lord-street, has a
highly valuable and interesting Collection of Anti-
quities, and ergo, Mr. Mayer must be considered an
antiquarian. There is nothing, sir—and in this lam
not a plagiarist—" either good or bad, but thinking
makes it so;" but I am curious enough to ask,
how long a man may be engaged thinking, until he
becomes an antiquarian ? I ventured to send you
a short account of an ancient tomb stone, disco-
vered in Shaws-brow, and that very humble ac-
count appeared in your paper of Thursday week
last, and in Friday's Mercury (same week). I find
that Mr. Mayer has used the chief portions of that'
account, ;(without acknowledgement of -course),
mutilated other portions, and ventured opinions,
which I shall call your attention to just now. All
this the " learned antiquarian " did at a meeting of
the " Historic Society," on Thursday evening. Mr.
Mayer ought to be able to stand on his own
ground—or, if he borrows his antiquarian lore,,he
'ought to quote the source; but if all his hypo-
thesis, in reference to the ancient (?) articles which
he possesses, be as correct as that which he has set
forth on the present occasion, then farewell anti-
quarianism.
Mayer said, he had been to see a stone, found
during the pulling down of the houses in Shaw's brow, on
the site of which the Free Public Library was about to be
built.- He was of opinion that it was the remains of a
gravestone. Upon it was part of an inscription—"M.
WIFE OF lOHDOWS 1707." The stone had- been
broken, and on the other part the inscription was sd much
obliterated that:lole letters had no connection enabling
them to read. The chief letters being an "I. AG," and
the figures "1672;" also, in another part, "83." Probably
it was taken at some period from St. John's Churchyard,
which is situated on the opposite side of Shaw's—brow.

Any one reading and comparing my account of
what, in the opinion of the learned gentleman,
" was the remains of a gravestone," must be at once
struck with what ingenuity he quotes and mutilates
the account from your paper. The last sentance of
the paragraph, however, exhibits a degree of his-
torical research and knowledge rarely to be met
with in antiquarians, namely ;—" Probably it was
taken at some period from Saint John's Church-
yard, which is situate on the opposite side of
Shaw's Brow." I find by the annals of Liverpool,
that Saint John's Church was built in 1784, and
the presumption is, that no "Church-yard " existed
there before the erection of the Church. The last
date on the "old tomb stone" is 1707, so that in
•case it had been taken from St. John's Church yard,
it must have been removed just seventy-seven years
before St. John's Church-yard had an existence
" amongst the tombs." Mr. Mayer is in. error
also, when he says the stone was found during the
pulling down of the houses in Shaw's Brow. The
stone was not near a house, but beside a wall upon
the site of which no house was ever known to
stand—at least that most respected person, " the
oldest inhabitant," is not aware of such. Did Mr.
Mayer ever hear that there was a Hebrew cemetery
about this place ? I have heard so ; I can't say
how truly. If the stone pointed to the remains of
any one of that singular and interesting people, its
position is quite orthodox in that respect. I trust
this notice will elicit further information on the
point, but, before I close, permit me to add, that I
am sorry the learned society has gone into the
" long vacation " ; but, when the members again
assemble in solemn conclave, to wonder over relies
of the past, I intend to exhibit an article that all
must admit to be the oldest thing at present
known in the whole world, and therefore a corres-
ponding amount of interest must be attached to it
I may as well tell what it is, namely, a PAVING
STONE, that I picked up the other day in the
street, and I have kept it with due veneration since
1 became its fortunate possessor. There is no
doubt at all that it was -made at the creation of
the world, as is apparent from its shape; but it
may have been at one time larger than at present,
and probably was of a somewhat different form,
as there are clear marks of an antideluvian chisel
on its north-west corner ; but that it is part• and
parcel of the original stone, made " about the tina'.=
Adam was born !" the most sceptical will admit
I contemplate showing it privately for a couple of
months, at the small charge of three-pence a head,
and I think it will fully equal the celebrated szone
(not yet found), called the " philosopher's stone."
This is a matter, however, that no oue is to be the
wiser of, because if it once gets wind, a couple of
thousand rivals will start up, and exhibit stones a
couple of million years older than mine,—l am,
&e , Lux.

COmmuIIiDA.TION BETWEEN HOLYHEAD AND KINGSTOWN.—
An arrangement has been made for an improved day com-
munication between England and Ireland, via Holyhead.
On the Ist of June an additional special express steamer
will leave Holyhead at half-past 9 a.m., returning from
Kingstown at I,.....jtpast 4 p.m., so that the sea passage both
ways may be made in daylight, enabling passengers to
avail themselves of the option of breaking the jeurney, and
continuing it on the following morning after a night's rest
at Holyhead. This arrangement will be carried out every
day until further notice, except Sunday and Monday. The
s_peeial boat will arrive at Kingstown two hours before the
departure of the forenoon n
trains,. enabling travellers to
i
reach places in the n!eor of Ireland the same
evening. There are four through trains each way daily,
Sunday excepted, by which passengers can travel between
Ruston station, London, and Holyhead without change of
carriage. In anticipation of this arrangement the Tele-
graph steamer left Holyhead on a trial trip at nine
o'clock yesterday morning, and reached Kingstown some-
what under four hours. A numberof the directors and
officers of the railway companies were on board.—
Ft eeman's Journal.