Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-06-02 00:00:00

the advisability of

ach man finding his own• clothing,_ a
i? purchased with the subscriptions received,

each man havin,gilie option of purchasing his arms outright,
or of using those belonging to the corps. The district
committees are to report upon this proposal at, an adjourned
meeting on Monday next. During the discussion upon the
question of subscriptions, the chairman said that he would
give a £lOO towards the general expenses of the corps, and,
if necessary, another £lOO to the Birkenhead company.

BOUDOIR SEWING MACHINE.—Messrs. Newton, Wilson
and Co., of London, are at present exhibiting in the Grand
Jury-room, St. George's Hall, several specimens of their
boudoir sewing machine, an article differing from the ordi-
nary sewing machine of recent introduction, mainly in the
fact that it is so small as to be capable of use upon a lady's
wortc=tam-e-:---ruc =melon or Mese usetni little machines
I will ottrnof nrnhablv

attract:

still more when when the fact becomes more• generally
known in Liverpool. From ten to twelve o'clock each day
is devoted by the exhibitors to the gratuitous instruction of
purchasers. The ordinary sewing machines are in use in
some of the large linen drapery and mercery establishments
in Liverpool, and are found, we, believe, • to work
with advantage in every respect. It need hardly
be said that the vulgar notion which connects a diminution

of the'emploYment and the wages of labour with the intro.-
duction of machinery, is just as unfavourable in this, as in
every similar instance. In the houses where this machine
is used, more workwomen are employed, than before, and
higher wages are paid to those who guide each machine,
than they could have earned by manual work before its
introduction. The boudoir machine accomplishes from
500 to 1,500 stitches per minute, and can stitch with equal
ease upon cotton, linen, silk, woollen, or flannel. Its con-
struction is so simple that any person of ordinary intelligence
can easily acquire a perfect knowledge of the management of
; and the character of the work is neater than

the mac

that of the most expert seamstress, while, at the same time,
much stronger than any mortal fingers could produce. The
public are well accustomed to the work of the sewing-
machine in ordinary trade purposes ; but, its adoption to

family use, or a means of quickening and facilitating the
labours of a housekeeper, is a novelty which well merits

attention

RIOTOUS PROCEEDINGS AT BIRKENHEAD.—The cemetery
question led to very serious riotous proceedings in the town-
ship on Tuesday. Early in the morning, 3,000 or 4,000
people, consisting principally of dock labourers, congregated
in front of the Town Hall, and fears were entertained that
a breach of the peace would ensue. The shops in Hamilton-
street and Market-street were closed, and all business in that
locality was suspended. The operations at the dock and
other works were. also brought to a complete standstill,
nearly the whole of the workmen having absented themselves
to take part in the polling proceedings. At ten o'clock
about 1,000 navvies, armed with heavy bludgeons and other
weapons, marched in two or three bodies to the front of the
Town-hall, shouting and yelling in a furious manner.
These men were opposed to the proposition of Mr. Laird to
place the cemetery under the control of the commissioners.
The police, however, succeeded in maintaining tranquillity.
The Revs. Canon Chapman, G. B. Clegg, and Joseph Daly
(of the Catholic Chapel, Grange-lane), with Mr. Edward
Bretherton, solicitor, also used every exertion to prevent an
outbreak, and ultimately succeeded in disarming the mob of
their cudgels, a portion of which were taken to the police-
' nearly a cartload were removed to the Catholic
At one time the state of things appeared so
tua,,, it was under contemplation to send to Chester
for the military, but this was subsequently abandoned. A
company of marines, belonging to her Majesty'S ship Liffey,
who had been ashore exercising, were communicated with,
and they marched through Hamilton-square, with bayonets
pointed. This had the effect of dispersing a large number
of those who were riotously disposed. In the course of the
day, the navvies broke the windows of Mr. Laird's works,
'1 entered the yard, but they were promptly repulsed by
In the evening, when the few remaining

[lice, whils-

chapel-hou:

the workmen

at, u WUrKS- turnea out, it was _
there would be another fight; but the disturbance was con-
fined to a few drunken navvies chasing art occasional
passer-by. For the protection of Mr. Laird's premises,
where there is some important 'Work in hand Mt' the
Gsvernment, a party of marines were sent from the
Hastings about seven o'clock in the evening, and
they were to remain on duty all night. Yesterday, there was
an entire absence of .the disorder of the previous evening.
Nevertheless, the military, numbering 65, which had been
obtained. from Chester Castle, were kept in readiness for arty
emergency. A great deal of drunkenness was perceptible
in the north-,end of the town, in the vicinity of the Dock
Cottages, but no breach of the peace occurred. Mr. Craven
has issued an _ address to the ratepayers in relation to the
withdrawal of his motion. In it he says: "Mr. Laird has
issued an address stating that I had withdrawn my, motion;
and thanking his supporters. I think he ought to have told
the whole truth, that my motion was withdrawn at the
earnest solicitation of the magistrates, and to prevent a
riot. It was not because there were no voters, for not one
half the ratepayers had polled, and there were hundreds at
the door ready to do so, and had the chairman not positively
decided to close the poll that day, the motion might not
probably have been withdrawn. I dout thank any; of you
for voting for the motion, for. in doino• so I consider you
were voting for your own interest, and° not for me." . The
five men _who .w.ere_arrested_. and let out on bail, will be
brought up before a full bench of magistrates this (Wednes-,
day) Morning.

:eared that