Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-06-23 00:00:00

FIRE AT A SPINDLE MANUFACTORY.

About eleven o'clock on Saturday night intelligence
reached the Leeds police-office that thP extensive spindle
works of Mr. Jonathan Hattersley, in the Armley-road,
were on fire. Water was plentiful, and the premises being
easy of access to the firemen, the conflagration was reduced
in a couple of hours. The engines continued to play upon
the burning ruins of the foundry until after two o'clocn
on Sunday morning. How the fire originated has not beek
ascertained. About a week ago the sparks from the molten
metal in the process of casting set the woodwork in this
same foundry on fire, and had not all the workmen beck]
on the spot the consequences might have been serious.
Whether the same cause may have led to the present con-
flagration we are unable to learn. The damage done was
principally confused to the casting-room and the engine
house, the former pace being unroofed, and the gearing
and shafting of the machinery very extensively injured.
The premises, which employ above 200 hands, are insured
in the Leeds and Yorkshire office.

NEUFCHATEL.—The royalist emigrants of all classes are
availing themselves of the decree of the Grand Council, and
returning in great numbers to Neufchatel.
THE SILK CROP IN ITALY.—The Milan Gazelle of the
10th states that the silk crop looks promising this year. in
the Lombardo-Venetian kingdem, but that the disease of
the silkworm is spreading in Frioul and Tyrol.
FOREIGN AND COLONIAL SPIRITS. —ln 1856 the quantity
of rum imported was 7,169,005 gi)l,-ins, of which 3,423,407
gallons were retained for home comunaption. The imports
of brandy, Geneva, and other spirit•, amounted to
2,858,237 gallons, the home consumption being 1,579,903
gallons.

EVANGELISM IN GERMANY.—The fourth ecclesiastical
conference of the Evangelical Confession of all Germany
was opened on the 11th inst., in the Chapel of the
Wartburg. Delegates from the superior ecclesiastical
authorities of Austria, Prussia, Saxony, Hanover, Wur-
temburg, Baden, &c., were present. The Conference
caetinues.
OXFORD TOWN COUNCIL AND THE BALLOT.—The
Oxford Town Council has adopted the following resolu-
tion, which was carried by a majority of ten to eight, viz. :
That this council, feeling the importance of vote by
ballot to this constituency especially, request that the
mayor, on behalf of the council, write to the city members,
and request them to be in their places and support Mr.
Henry Berkeley's motion on the 30th." The motion was
supported by the mayor, the sheriff, Alderman Sadler,
Alderman Grubb, &c.
CHINA.—Some correspondence between the Foreign
Office and the Commercial Association at Manchester, in
the years 1846, 1847, and 1848, on the subject of outrages
committed on English subjects in China, has recently been
laid before the Houses of Parliament, in pursuance of an
address to the Queen. The Association had the misfor-
tune to differ from Lord Palmerston on c'rtain aoints, his
lordship attributing the murders which were perpetrated
at Canton in 1848 to the temerity of the British residents,
rather than to any want of foresight or precaution on the
part of her Majesty's representative on the station, and
the Association rather inclining to be dissatisfied with the
conduct of Sir J. Davis.
TERRIFIC STORM.—At half-past twelve o'clock On Friday
night a fearful storm took place in London and the suburbs,
the lightning lacing most vivid,"agrand, and awful ; the
thunder was constant, loud, and terrific; and the rain a
complete deluge, accompanied with hailstones, that broke
thousands of skylights, &c. The storm continued, without
the slightegt abatement, for one honr. The immense body
of rain which fell had the effect of surcharging the drains
and sewers. In Chancery-lane, nearly opposite the Law
Institution, the sewer gave way about herr o'clock, carrying
with it the water and gas mains, besides doing other injury.
The storm, we understand, has done considerable damage in
Surrey and Kent.
JUMPING OUT OF A RAILWAY CARRIAGE,—On Saturday
a lunatic named Chaplin was being conveyed by the
express train from Exeter, on the Bristol and Exeter
Railway, in charge of a keeper, who had been obliged to
fetter the poor demented man's legs and arms with gyves
and chains. When near Durston station be fell down on
his knees, apparently at prayer; but in an instant, and
before it was possible to prevent him, he sprang out of the
window of the carriage while the express train was at its
full speed. On arriving at Durston an engine was sent
back to Isok for the poor fellow, and he was found lying on
the line apparently uninjured. On being conveyed to the
Taunton Hospital, however, it was found that he had
sustained a dislocation of his collar-hone.
LORI) PALMERSTON'S GOOD OPINION OF THE CHINESE.
—I am directed by Viscount Palmerston to acknowledge
the receipt of your letter of the 9th instant, representing,
on behalf of the Manchester Commercial Association, of
which you are president, the insufficiency of the protection
afforded to British subjects at Canton. Lord Palmerston
directs me to state to you in reply, that if the association
hove been informed that the lower classes of Chinese at
Canton have manifested increased ill-feeling towards
British subjects since the successful and brilliant termina-
tion of the recent operations in the Canton river, the
information which has reached the association is exactly
the reverse of that which has been received by her Majesty's
Government from persons who have the most recent
knowledge of the facts, and on whose accuracy and c )r-
-rectness her Majesty's Government place entire reliance:—
Foreign Office Letter of July 14, 1847.
THE VALUE OF ETHER AS A DETECTIVE.—The appli-
cation of the process of etherisation has just been
resorted to in Belgium as a means of acquiring judicial
information. After a considerable robbery committed at
Brussels, in November last, two men named Lerch and
Daubner, were arrested and brought to trial. The former
was condemned to hard labour for life, but in consequence
of the latter pretending to be dumb and idiotic his trial
was postponed, in order that a medical investigation
should take place. It was found impossible to get even
a sign of intelligence from him. As it was, however,
known that he was not born dumb, and that he had spoken
when he said that he could speak no language but German,
he was etberised, and while labouring under the effect of
that application he spoke perfectly and in French. fie
was in consequence again brought up before the tribunal,
and condemned to ten years hard labour.
GIGANTIC PROJECT.--BRIDGE FROM NEW YORK TO
BROOKLYN —Mr.• J. J. Rink, a German architect of this
city, has shown us a plan for a bridge across the East
River, connecting Broad-street with Atlantic-street
Brooklyn. The length is to be 5,272 feet, width 300 feet.
There are to he six arches, and the height of the bridge,
aft)ve high water mark, is to be 140 feet. The arches are
to be constructed so that the invervening'spacea can be
used for storing military stores, while the south front of
the bridge will serve for a river fortification The two
abutwennts are to be pierced for a number of large
cannon. On the north front the piers are to be turned
into storehouses or hotels. The veul's of the interior are
to be used as swimming-baths, slaughter-houses, markets
&c. The foundations of the piers are to be constructed
upon a new and simple plan, involving but little expense.
The termini of the bridge are designed for a custom-
house, armoury, and a deeot of military stores, to be con-
nected with Governor's Island, by a submarine passage.—
New York Tribune.
HOW THE CHINESE ARGUE AGAINST OPIUM,--A parlia-
mentary paper containing documents on the opium trade
has a translated Chinese tract against the consumption of
this drug. Iho tract says :—" Formerly both the inner and
outer countries trading together exchanged their good with
mutual prrifit. England, America, France, and other
countries, brought their broad-cloths, eamlets, clocks,
watches, long-ells, piece goods, cotton, and cotton yarn,
&c.; China giving her tea, silks, satins, gauze, rhubarb,
and other articles in exchange, which increased our natio-
nal wealth and prosperity, and foreigners obtaining our
productions derived benefit from them. This legitimate
trade is in every way advantageous; the duties also are
sufficient, and the various branches of trade are in a pros-
perous state. But how is the increasing poverty of the
people, and the lowering price of goods to be explained?
It must be attributable to the extensive sale of opium. It
is evident, therefore, that native eilver is draining away,
and there being nothing to exchange for our commodities I
and copper cash, these are daily diminishing in value; and
since these are so cheap, the branches of expert and
port trade, merchants and tradesmen, all alike suffer loss." ,
A FAVOURITE FASHIONABLE Hener.—The " Old Cis,
a rt,
suburb" of Kensington has had a loss in the last few, (.1;
which will be regretted by some of our cl y
ub
4,1 ueatro- gossips.
"The King's Arms" has been to' ll
-ed b fire
It was the I ist phase in or about London rehjere thye , coffee-house style of society was still preserved, and where
members of the legislature, and a high
class of
were to met with in roams open to
the t)av entrY,
• rremely old fashione,i in its farrtiture .; n. 'lt was
rooms, with their wainscotting and r- and the tapper
_
back to the days co' Qum Anna dried fieery, took one
its
It gained its vogue from , having be 2.11 actively peb •
family at " Hollaul ..ronised for many years by the
alludes to it. In • -Arse," and Mi ore in his " Diary"
stammer time it was a favourite haunt of
members •
ge'atlemen of t:ne
most opposite tastes, and ccensionelly
B rookes's," the' Carlton," and other clubs,
were r.o be sen there engaged in animated talk with " the
Lo red knows who." Several very interesting " characters"
were amongst the frequenters of that quaint old hostelry.
Amongst them was " Vesey junior." (Lord Eldon's Law
Reporter), who preserved his forensic name to his eightieth
year. Flaxman, the sculptor, was fond of retiring thither,
and always dined in one of the small rooms overlooking
the gardens; and it was there, also, that "the Doctor"
(William Maginn) was to be found in his best conversa-
tional mood. lt was a pleasent summer lounge, where old
friends drank old wine, and thought and talked of " the
days that are no more."—Press,