The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-03-29 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

Sir,—ln The Times of Thursday last appeared a propo-
sition for the settlement of the boundary dispute between
Great Britain and the United States, of so extraordinary a
character as to demand a few observations. It is proposed
that Great Britain shall cede to the United States that por-
tion of New Brunswick west of the city of St. John, along
the shore of the Bay of Fundy, until it meets the frontier of
Maine at the River St. Croix, including the whole of
" Charlotte County," extending north to the military port
on the St. John River, and thence to follow that line along
the highlands from Mars-hill, which we claim to be the true
one. This, it is said, would be better for both parties, be-
cauze it would secure to England the whole of the disputed
territory, and keep unbroken the communication between
Frederickton and Quebec, while Maine would acquire a fine
country, to which she has never yet dreamed of putting forth
a pretension. Certainly, Maine, grasping as she is, and
ready to acquire territory by any means, never has dared to
ask so much ; she would be well aware that such a proposal
would be too monstrous to be listened to for one moment.
In the first place, all the harbours on the Bay of Fundy
would be yielded to Maine, and possession of the islands of
Campo Bello and Grand Marian would not only give her the
entire of the fisheries but complete command of the coast.
It so happens that all the villages on the St. John are on the
west side of the river, as well as Fredericton, the seat of go-
vernment. It would be ridiculous to yield Frederickton,
with all the public buildings and extensive barracks, to the
Americans, for the purpose of *securing a road from it to
Quebec. The great road from St. John to Fredericton is
also on the west side of the river. The distance between
these places is 65 'miles by land and 84 by water, and there
are such physical obstacles on the east. side a. will for ever
prevent a road being established there, independently of the
increased distance. _ _

The portion of New Brunswick proposed to be given away
contains a very respectable proportion of the whole popula-
tion of the province. Charlotte County alone numbered in
1834 no less than 15,852 inhabitants, That county manufac-
tures more lumber than any other in the province. The
amount sawed in 1835 was estimated at £124,343. and it has
much increased since.

St. Andrew's is the capital of Charlotte County, and owns
about 15,000 tons of shipping. To the inquirer into compa-
rative national statistics it may be observed, that the imports
of St. Andrew's in 1834 fell little short of those imported into
all England in 1534, the latter being only £117,000, and the
former £llO,OOO. Besides St. Andrew's, there are also the
ports of St. Stephen and St. George, in Charlotte County,
each owning shipping, among which there are a number of
whalers.

A very considerable part of the city of St. John would be
given up, including several batteries, and the complete com-
mand of the harbour, while a population of not less than
40,000 as loyal subjects as breathe under the British flag
would be coolly handed over to the tender'mercies of their
Yankee neighbours, in return for the relinquishment of an
unrighteous claim to a few hundred square miles of the unin-
habited wilderness.

Much more could be said, but I think there is enough. In
short, making the St. John the boundary between New
Brunswick and Maine would be precisely similar, and have a
very similar effect to making the River Thames the boundary
between England and France.
A NEW BRUNSWICKER IN LONDON.

On Tuesday, the coroner for Derbyshire held two inquests
at Ilkerston, on the infants of labouring people, both
of whom had been killed by the improper use of lau-
danum, which had been administered by their mothers in
order to keep them asleep whilst they went out to their work.
In both cases verdict of Accidental death" were returned.
—Derby Mercury.

STATEMENT IN VINDICATION OF LADY

FLORA HASTINGS.

Sir,—Many false and contradictory reports of the deplora-
ble insult which has been lately offered to my niece, Lady
Flora Hastings, at Buckingham Palace, having appeared in
the public papers, I, as her ladyship's nearest connexion,
feel it my duty to request of yohto publish the following ac-
count of the transaction, for the correctness of which I vouch.
An imperfect knowledge of the details of this odious affair
has produced various false conclusiong. In well informed
circles, where the Lady Flora is known, the idea of her guilt
was never entertained for a moment ; but in other quarters,
where, inthe absence of positive information; a judgment
is formed by what oozes out in the public papers, I find that
an injurious idea exists, " that she has been spared, or let off
easy." The facts are these :—Lady Flora arrived some weeks
since, from Scotland, very unwell. She immediately con-
sulted Sir James Clarke, the physician to both her Majesty
and the Duchess of Kent. One sympton of her complaint
was a swelling of the stomach. By dint of exercise and medi-
cal treatment she was getting better, the swelling had con-
siderably subsided, and she had every hope of a speedy re-
covery, when, on or about the lst of March, Sir James Clarke
went to her room and announced to her the conviction of the
ladies of the Palace, that she was pregnant. In an-
swer to all his exhortations to confession, "as the only
means of saving her character," Lady Flora returned an
indignant but steady denial, that there was anything to con-
fess. Upon which Sir James Clarke told her, " that nothing
but her submitting to a medical examination would ever
satisfy them, or remove the stigma from her name." Lady
Flora found that the subject had been before the Queen's
notice, and that all this had been discussed, arranged, and
announced to her without one word having been said on the
subject to her own mistress, the Duchess of Kent, who had
no suspicion of what was going on, and whose sanction was
not sought for the humiliating proposition which had been
made to Lady Flora. On leaving Lady Flora's room, Sir
James Clarke went to the Duchess of Kent, and announced,
his conviction that Lady Flora was with child ; and was fol-
lowed by Lady Portman, who conveyed a message from her
Majesty to her mother to say, that the Queen would not per-
mit Lady Flora to appear till the examination had taken place.
Lady Portman (who with Lady Tavistock are those whose
names are mentioned as most active against Lady Flora) ex-
pressed to the Duchess of Kent her conviction of Lady Flora's
guilt. -" Her beloved mistress" never for a moment doubted
Lady Flora's innocence. She said that she knew her, her
principles, and her family too well to listen to such a charge.
However, the edict was given ; and the next day, Lady Flora
having obtained the Duchess of Kent's very reluctant consent
—" for her Royal Highness could not bear the idea of her
being exposed to such a humiliation"—but Lady Flora,
" feeling it her duty to her Royal Highness, to her family,
and to herself, that a point-blank refutation should be
instantly given to the lie," submitted herself to the most
rigid examination ; and now possesses a certificate, signed by
Sir James Clarke, and also by Sir Charles Clarke, stating, is
strongly as language can state it, that "there are no grounds
for believing that pregnancy does exist, or ever has existed."
Lord Hastings, though at the time very ill from influenza.
went to London instantly, and demanded and obtained from
LOrd Melbourne a distinct disavowal of his participation in
the affair, and demanded and obtained an audience of her
Majesty, in which, while he disclaimed all idea that the Queen
had any wish to injure his sister, he plainly, though respect-
fully, stated his opinion of those who had counselled her, and
his resolution to find out the originator of the slander, and
bring him or her to punishment. Lady Flora is convinced,
that the Queen was surprised into the order which was given,
and that her Majesty (lid not understand what she was be-
trayed into—for ever since the horrid event her Majesty has
showed her regret by the most gracious kindness to Lady
Flora, and " expressed it warmly with tears in her eyes." The
Duchess of Kent's conduct was perfect ; " a mother could
not have been kinder." " She immediately dismissed Sir
James Clarke from her service, and refused to see Lady Port-
man ;" and has crowned her goodness by most beautiful
letter she has written to the Dowager Lady Hastings, from
whom the accounts were kept till all hope of avoiding pub-
licity were impossible.—l am, Sir, your very obedient ser-
vant, HAMILTON FITZ GERALD.
March 21.

THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF JAMAICA

On Saturday, a numerous meeting of proprietors, mer-
chants, and others, connected with the colony of Jamaica,
was held in the West India Committee-rooms, 60, St. James'-
street, London, for the purpose of taking into consideration
the measure about to be submitted to parliament by govern-
ment for suspending, for a limited period, the Legislative As-
sembly of Jamaica. Viscount St. Vincent was unanimously
called to the chair. The noble chairman having stated the
purposes for which the meeting had assembled, a gentleman
proposed the following resolutions
1. That this meeting earnestly deprecates and protests
against the adoption of the proposed measure, which deprives
the great colony of Jamaica of the functions of its assembly,
and thus suspends a constitution contemporaneous with the
first settlement of that colony, which has been uninterrupt-
edly enjoyed, and which is based on the fundamental princi-
ples of the law and constitution of Great Britain.
" 2. That, in the opinion of this meeting, tine suspension
of the functions of the Assembly will be injurious to the in-
terests of Jamaica land-holders, and the community in gene-
ral, and is calculated, in the present critical state of the colony,
to place in still greater jeopardy its property and welfare, and
the successful issue of the great measure of emancipation."
The resolutions having been seconded, a gentleman rose to
oppose them. An animated, and, in some respects violent,
discussion, which lasted nearly four hours, ensued. The
meeting at length divided, when the numbers were—for the
resolutions, 64 •, against them, 7 ; making a majority for the
resolutions of 57. It was also agreed that a copy of the re-
solutions should be transmitted to Lord Melbourne and the
Marquis of Normanby, accompanied with a request that they
should appoint an early day for an interview with a deputation
on the subject. The following gentlemen were appointed a
deputation for the purpose—namely, Sir W. Wyndham Wil-
ing, Mr. Phillphots, Mr. Taylor, and Mr. Byng. Thanks
having been voted to Lord St. Vincent for his conduct in the
chair, the meeting separated.

SAILING OF THE GREAT WESTERN STEAMER

It is again our duty to report the sailing of this vessel.
She left the buoy in King's Road a few minutes after ,one
o'clock a.m., of Saturday. The departuie was somewhat de-
layed in consequence of the absence of a portion of the
crew ; otherwise she would have left at an early hour yester-
day. We were on board in the'morning of yesterday and
everything was apparently ready for} an immediate start ;
kV, Me' PPeriuirirZeS4=kannCel7silteal such an early
hour of the day. There was again great competition for
berths, every nook being occupied, and several passengers
gladly availed themselves even of sofa accommodatio.ns,
rather than lose the opportunity of going in her. The num-
ber of passengers was 110, among whom were Lord F.
Paulett, Hon. J. Lunard, Lieut. Colonel Oldfield, Captain
John Forbes, and Mr. Kaye (charged with government
despatches) ; also Judge Halliburton, of Nova Scotia, the
reputed writer of Sam Slick's sayings and drollery. We
were honoured with an introduction to this gentleman, who
possesses, without doubt, an immense fund, not only of
witticisms, but of the soundest views relative to the policy
which Great Britain should pursue towards her American
colonies.

The time occupied by the Great Western in the perform-
ance of her several out and homeward passages having been
much misrepresented, we have great pleasure in laying before
the readers of the Standard a statement of the number of
days and hours on each trip, and as our information is de-
rived from her log book, its correctness may be depended
upon. _ _ • _ _ _

On the first voyage from Bristol to New York, exactly 15
days and 6 hours elapsed from the hour of leaving her moor-
ings in the King's Road, Bristol, to that of being secured to
the quay at New York. From land to land she was 14 days
and 12 hours only, viz., from Lundy Island, in the Bristol
Channel, until they obtained sight of the high lands off New
York.

On the first voyage, from New York to Bristol, the time
occupied from the quay at New York to King's Road was 14
days 14 hours, or 13 days 20 hours from sight of high lands
oft New York, called Never Sink, to sight of Lundy Island.
2d Voyage.-15 days 4 hours from King's Road to the quay
at New York; or exactly 14 days 10 hours from land to land.
On this homeward voyage she was 12 days and 12 hours from
New York quay to King's Road, or 11 days and 20 hours
only from land to land.
3d Voyage.-14 days 18 hours from King's Road to New
York quay ; exactly 14 days from land to land. On the
homeward voyage, 13 days 2 hours from quay at New York
to King's Road, and 12 days 10 hours from land to land.
4th Voyage.-16 days 9 hours from King's Road to quay
at New York, and 15 (lays 16 hours from land to land. On
the homeward voyage, 12 days 10 hours from quay at New
York to King's Road, and 11 days 18 hours from land to
land. From Sandy Hook to the longitude of Cape Clear,
was this voyage run in the extraordinarily short space of 10
days and 22 hours.
sth Voyage.-18 days 18 hours from King's Road to quay
at New York ; 18 days from land to land. On the home-
ward voyage, 14 days 11 hours from New York quay to
King's Road ; and 13 days 16 hours from land to land.
6th Voyage.-19 days 6 hours from her moorings in the
river Avon to quay at New York ; 18 days 12 hours from
land to land. On the homeward voyage 14 days 17 hours
from quay at New York to King's Road ; and exactly
14 days from land to land.
In the course of these voyages the vessel had steamed
nearly 38,000 miles. The engines were stopped for the pur-
pose of speaking vessels, tightening screws of the machinery,
&c., for a time not amounting to more than 10 hours, five of
which were during the first voyage homeward, when a large
brass was twice broken. On one passage the engines never
ceased working during the whole time occupied in its per-
formance ; and during another voyage only for a few minutes,
on the banks of Newfoundland, for the purpose of getting
fish from a vessel occupied in the fishery.
The above statements, compiled with accuracy, show an
average rate of speed unattained by any other vessel. The
iron vessel now in course of building by the spirited owners
of the Great Western, is confidently expected to attain even
a greater speed. We observe that some discontented radical
has been endeavouring to prejudice the shareholders against
the management of the company : but setting aside the in-
accuracy of the statements advanced by him, it turns out that
the party is intimately interested in sailing vessels employed
on the same line, and consequently speculatively opposed to
the steam ship company. However, it is for the citizens of
Bristol to decide, whether motives of this kind shall be
allowed to operate in a manner detrimental to their interests.
—Standard

It is utterly untrue that any troops have been ordered into
the manufacturing districts. The only movement has been
of the usual routine description at this season of the year.—
Globe.

COMMON INFORMERS.—In a case heard at Hatton-garden
on Saturday, on an information preferred by Stowell, Mr.
Greenwood, the magistrate, said to the informers, " Your
race is nearly run ; the legislature is about to take away from
the informers the moiety of the fines." The men looked
aghast at this information.
MURDER.—Ann Burton, a married woman, separated from
her husband, had been for some time cohabiting with a man
named Leddington, by whom she was in the family way ; the
fellow neglected her when he found the expense that her con-
dition would entail upon him, and on Thursday morning he
gave her sixpence, advising her to buy two pennyworth of
arsenic,, as it would destroy the child, and she would be able
to go to service in May next. Impressed with this idea the
miserable woman bought the poison at a chemist's at Clifton,
and took the whole of it at the house of a friend at Park
Horn, near Bromyard, after which she went to her breakfast.
Shortly after taking the arsenic, all the symptoms of suffer-
ing incidental to mineral poison manifested themselves. Ann
Burton was very reluctant to implicate her paramour, but
when she was informed she was dying, she stated on her oath
that Leddington had induced her to take the poison, assuring
her that the effect of it would be to destroy the child alone,
and that no harm could come to her, and that she would not
have taken it if she had known that her own life would have
been endangered by doing so. Soon after giving this evidence
she expired in dreadful agony, and a coroner's inquest was
held on Monday. The above evidence was given before the
jury, and the coroner, in summing up the case, explained
that if they believed the depositions of the deceased, Led-
dington was plainly guilty of murder, as accessary before the
fact. The jury returned a verdict of wilful murder against
Joseph Leddington, who was committed to Worcester gaol
upon the coroner's warrant on that charge. Leddington
most solemnly declared that the whole of the statement of the
deceased as to the affair was false, and denied either giving
her the money or the advice.— Worcester Journal.

CAPTURE OF THE PASHA'S HAREM