The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-03-01 00:00:00

The report from the committee concludes thus :

" The committee feel, in common with the whole body of
merchants, manufacturers, and shipowners engaged in the
trade with Spanish America, (comprising a commerce with
20,000,000 of people,) that the interruption thus suddenly
and violently given by the government of France to their
peaceful and legitimate pursuits, affords matter of the most
anxious reflection to all who feel an interest in the protection
of the commerce of Great Britain. Here is the current of
a large and increasing trade suddenly stopped. Ports of com-
merce are closed ; the highway of the seas is shut up ; confu-
sion, disorder, and embarrassment are brought upon unof-
fending parties ; and for what ? Not because France cannot
obtain satisfaction for a just demand, but because she refuses,
contrary to the practice of all civilized powers, to submit
that demand to the arbitration of any independent power.
She claims to include within herself the attributes of judge,
jury, and executioner; for, when under the evident pressure
of an overwhelming force, Mexico surrenders the full amount
of her pecuniary demand, she says, ' This is not enough ;
you mu *now pay the expense we have incurred in compell-
ing you to submit. True, you did propose an appeal to an
independent tribunal, whose decision would have been ob-
tained without cost of money, or the display of naval power.
But that did not suit us. We have conducted 27 ships to
your coast. We have shown how rapidly France can put
forth her naval strength when it is her pleasure to do so;
and, unless, in addition to our other demands, you pay the
cost of this splendid display, we bombard your coast.' "
We have now eleven ships of war on that station,
under the command of Admiral Douglas ; but we have
not heard that any remonstrance has been made against
the proceedings of the French government.

Since the above was written, we have heard that it
was currently reported on Monday, in the Metropolis,
that Lord Palmerston had followed the example of
Lord Glenelg, in leaving his friends to " shift" for
themselves ! We presume he must have lately read,
" He who fights and runs away,
Will live to fight another day."

OUR NAVY.—The discussion which took place in
the House of Lords, on Friday last, in reference to
this important subject, furnishes the country with ano-
ther specimen of the wisdom of our rulers. We
know not where, or when, these glorious specimens of
whig administration are to terminate ; but this we do
know, that our present exemption from foreign aggres-
sions on our shores, may be attributed to any thing,
rather than to our capability to resist attack, maintain
our rights, or defend our coast. The experience of
mankind justifies the truth of the vulgar adage—
" a stitch in time saves nine." But, things are
changed—the wisdom of former times is discarded as
obsolete—the schoolmaster is abroad—we are in the
march of intellect—and future, if not our own, times,
will tell, with whom sound wisdom now dwells—tem-
pus omnia revelat.
Lord Colchester opened the debate in the House of.
Lords, by observing that the Duke of Wellington had
said, on the 14th of August last, that "the navy had been
reduced too low, and was not sufficient for the protec-
tion of her Majesty's subjects." On that occasion the
noble viscount at the head of her Majesty's govern-
ment replied, " that if the navy is not adequate for the
public service, he must take some blame to himself."
Here issue is joined—let us try the merits of the case—
" Wellington v. Melbourne."
On the part of the noble impeacher the following
evidence was adduced by Lord Colchester :—First, two
gallant and distinguished officers, both supporters of
her Majesty's government, who, therefore, could not
be suspected of any partiality towards the noble duke.
One of these showed, in a letter addressed to the Se-
cretary of Foreign Affairs, that "he conceived the
present state of the navy very inefficient in comparison
of other countries ; that our ships of war were but few
in number, and very ill-manned ; and that the Rus-
sians had prepared so considerable a fleet, that they
could come over to our coast whenever they pleased,
destroy our arsenal, and sweep our fleet into the sea."
The other gallant officer attested that the manner in
which our ships were manned for the duties they had
to perform was indficient ; that our vessels were half-
manned, and half-armed .1 Here we have the opinions
of two disinterested, distinguished officers, friends of
the present government, whose testimony could not be
impeached.
It is quite unnecessary to go into further detail of the
evidence adduced against the present government.
Now let us attend to the defence.

The Earl of Minto, one of the accused, conducted
the defence ; the substance of which was, " that there
never had been a day in which this country had seen
•
so many ships in commission, in the time of peace, as
the present."
Viscount Melbourne, a particeps criminis, be it ob-
served, attempted to extricate himself and his friends
out of the dilemma ; but, like the man and his horse
in the bog, the more they struggled, the deeper they
sunk, exhibiting the direful consequences of not heed-
ing the poet's adage, "ne sutor ultra crepidam."
Now granting full credit to the defence set up, we
ask is it any defence at all? A tyro in politics would
be ashamed of it. What ! because, forsooth, there
never was a time in peace when we had more vessels in
commission, therefore we are now justified in the num-
ber we have ! We take leave to ask, was there ever a
time in peace when Russia, France, and America had
so many vessels commission as they have now ?
True, they are our friends to-day ; but they may be
our enemies to-morrow. As for the friendly disposi-
tions expressed in their communications to our govern-
ment, every man of common sense knows well that
such are of no more value than the croaking of an Ame-
rican bull-frog, nor can any more reliance be placed in
such friendly axpressions than in the words of a har-
lot. And we are really astonished, if any act of im-
becility in the whig administration could astonish us,

that they should have ventured, in the presence of their
peers, and, we may say, in the presence of their coun-
try, to adduce as an excuse for the present inefficient
state of our navy, which inefficiency has now been
proved by incontrovertible evidence, " that her Ma-
jesty had received assurances of friendship from fo-
reign nations" ! It is the interest of those nations to
say so, to-day ; but it may be their interest to say the
very reverse, to-morrow. The best' way to preserve
peace, is to be ready for war. WI suppose our pre-
gent ministers are, like Lord Durhait attempting to
follow the example of their republican brethren at the
other side of the Atlantic. We wish they would also
learn a lesson from, not the majority=the rabble in
that country ; but from the minority 'from the wise,
the virtuous, the intelligent minority—and receive a
little good advice from those who have experienced, and
are now experiencing, the evil consequences of Uto-
pian schemes. They would hear that that nation,
while boasting of not having a standing army, is un-
able to govern her own people—has her institutions
trampled on—her laws laughed, at—her officers often-
times scoffed at—and her people ever exposed to the
tyranny of the mob !
But how stands the present case ? Facts, incontro-
vertible facts, have been adduced to substantiate the
allegation, that our navy is, now in an inefficient condi-
tion. These facts have been met only by a kind of
sophistry, that cannot be swallowed by any man of
common discernment. The question is reduceable into
a nut-shell, " are the facts stated true or false ?" If
they be true—and their truth has not been invalidated—
then our ministers stand convicted of having crimi-
nally neglected the WOODEN WALLS of Old Eng-
land—our nation's pride in time of peace, and her
BULWARKS in time of war. We find, by the London
Times of Tuesday, that one of those very vessels, the
Implacable, a line-of-battle ship, at Plymouth, which
ministers had the hardihood to state, in the House of
Lords, on the day of the above debate, as " one of the
fleet ready at the shortest notice," has just been taken
into dock; has had two sets of masts, both of which
have been found rotten or defective ; is now totally un-
fit for service ; and could not, on the most moderate
calculation, be put into an efficient state under a month
at least !

Were ministers ignorant of these facts when they
entered upon their defence ? If they were, shame upon
them ! If they were not, a still greater shame, to at-
tempt to justify themselves by false evidence ! We
care not whether they were, or were not, ignorant of
the, rcumstance : in either case, it only adds another
facto the long catalogue of facts corroborative of
their adical unfitness for their office.
T,h testimony of a friend, against a friend, has al-
ways been considered the most unexceptionable kind
of evidence. Very powerful motives operate on the
mind of a witness in such cases, and influence him to
advance every thing he can in favour of his friend,
and to refrain from every kind of testimony that could
possibly implicate or militate against him.
The present ministry stand now 'convicted of inca-
pacity to manage the affairs of this kingdom, by ,the
evideAce of no less than three distinguished and
Nlta-
lented
peonages—all belonging, he it recollected, to
their ON party; and who, therefore, cannot be sus-
pected o any unfriendly feeling towards the present
ministers. We have already noticed, in our remarks
on the navy, two of them : the third is Lord Brougham,
who, on Monday last, testified, in the House of Lords,
1111 i
when speaking on the subject of the has , POOR
LAW AMENDMENT BILL, that "the last thi they
did last session was to pass the Irish Poor La Act,
and that the first thing they were called upon o do
this session, was to pass an act to amend that act. He
was satisfied that before the session closed they wo d
be called upon to amend this Amendment Act !"

The English Poor Law Amendment Act, since it
was enacted, in 1834, has been amended no less than
THREE TIMES ! What shall we call this ? Does it
deserve even the name of legislation ? We venture to
affirm, that more money is lost to the country by this
kind of child's play, than would be necessary for the
relief of the distress throughout the land.
If those who profess to be reformers would only
commence the reformation by reforming themselves,
and thus set the country a good example, we might be
induced to believe they were sincere ; but, till then,
we cannot help considering them mere pretenders,
making use of the word "reform" in order to obtain
popularity, and be able the more easily to gull the
multitude.

When we censure any of the proceedings under, or
effects of, the reform bill, we are constantly met with
the question, " are things not better now than they
were some years ago ?" For instance, when we com-
plain of the proceedings of our Town Council, persons
are very apt to answer us by directing our attention to
the bad things that were done before the passing of the
municipal reform bill. This kind of sophistry is not
without effect on the unthinking and shallow-minded.
But we aver there is no force whatever in it. Suppose a
medical man, at the present day, were censured for his
unskilfulness in the treatment of any particular disease,
would we think that his replying, he knew much more
'of his profession than men did twenty-five years ago,
a satisfactory answer ? Certainly not ! For his know-
ledge ought to be relative, not to times past, but to
times present.

When we now see ignorance, selfishness, arrogance,
or covetousness breaking forth in any of the members
of our public bodies, it is no excuse whatever for per-
sons to reply, "we are better than those in former
times !" Men must be judged now according to their
high pretensions for liberality and for disinterestedness,
according to what we now know of human nature and
of civil society.
Mankind has had its infancy, its youth, and its man-
hood : it is now in its old age. What would be natu-
ral or excusable in any one of the three first stages of
life, would not be excusable in the fourth. We have
had the advantage of the experience, the learning, and
the labours of all past ages, and, therefore, we ought
to profit by them. But, in endeavouring to avoid one
evil, we ought to take epecial care not to fall into a
greater—in shunning the rocks of Sylla, let us care-
fully avoid the whirlpool of Charybdis—and never for-
get the forcible language of the poet—

" Est modus in rebus; sunt certi denique fines,
Quos ultra citraque nequid consistere rectum."

We have been induced to make these remarks, by
the general' complaint which appears now prevalent
throughout the country, against the misdoings of town
councils. For the present, we shall content ourselves
with the following extract from the London Times of
Thursday :—" All the world knows that, prior to the
passing of the municipal reform bill, the old class of
close town councils did not stand remarkably high in
our estimation : but certainly, when contrasted with
the popularized bodies whereby they have been super-
seded, their general conduct must, in all fairness, en-
title them to a degree of respect which their reformed
successors (in many cases more exclusive and rotten
than they were) can lay no warrantable claim to. The
fact is, that amidst the universal excitement which pre -
vailed a few years ago, in regard to the amelioration of
public institutions, the bad odour into which some of
the unreformed town councils had fallen was indiscri-
minately attached to them all ; and consequeritly the
whole of our British municipal corporations, London
excepted, underwent a reorganization, the futility of
which is now daily becoming more apparent, by the
wretched working of the liberal juntos that supplied
them.

THE REV. DR. TATTERSHALL'S LECTURE ON
THE CANON OF HOLY SCRIPTURE, MAINTAINED
AGAINST UNITARIAN OBJECTIONS.—We have just
received a copy of this erudite production, published
by Mr. PERRIS, of Church-street. Only one day has
elapsed since its publication, and we find the copy be-
fore us is out of the SECOND THOUSAND.

We enjoyed the great satisfaction of having heard
this lecture delivered. We sat in the seat behind one
of the Unitarian ministers; and we fancied we could
perceive him writhe under the lashesiff eternal truth,
as they proceeded from the lips of the talented lec-
turer.
•
If these lectures do not cause thole nitarian
l.*mi-
nisters
who have rd or read them,.to Abandon, with
horror, their corns of Divine Truth, we can only
say, " their consci .
ices must be seared with a hot iron."

WESTERN AUStRALIA.—We have been favoured
with files of the Perth (Australia) Gazette to the 28th

of September. These papers contain much interesting
news. We make the following extracts, which will
serve to show the present state of this interesting
colony :
(From the Western Australian Journal of July 28, 1838.)
A passenger per Marinus, of the firm of Stewart and Co.,
of Penang, left twelve tons of rice, &c., to be sold, and the
proceeds to be invested in land. Mr. Steward, it is under-
stood, intends to try this climate for the benefit of Mrs.
Stewart's health, that of England not agreeing with her.
Captain M'Crea, R.N., of H.M.S. Zebra, who has gone to
England, has remitted a considerable amount of capital to
the Sound to purchase land, and has written to say he ex-
pects to arrive there with his family at the commencement
of the ensuing year.
Provisions being cheap and abundant, with the hopes of
new settlers, and sheep-farms doing well, especially the
flocks lately imported from Sydney, this settlement is de-
cidedly " looking up." It appears they only require, at
present, some public works to be commenced to infuse fresh
spirit into the labouring classes. Greater attention has been
paid to the gardens of this place this season than had been
the case before. Two American whalers the Samuel Wright,
and Delphos, and one French whaler, Harmonie, lying at
port Two People, will take off a quantity of vegetables ; the
industrious labourer has therefore every prospect of reaping
the benefit of his industry.

(From the Western Australian Journal, Sept. 15, 1838.)
For several years the abuse of this colony has been the
favourite theme of Mr. Edward Gibbon Wakefield. Accord-
ing to his account, it had failed entirely—it had completely
broken up ; the settlers were " ruined," " starved," " dy-
ing," " gone away," or " buried at the expense of the pa-
rish." Such babbling as this is matter of little importance ;
but, in addition to these statements, the South Australian
Association, comprising the names of fourteen members of
Parliament, have lent themselves to propagate accounts of
our failure, and have stated the particular cases which they
imagined had led to that failure ; and Mr. Joseph Hume
even went so far as to propose in the house, that the remnant
of starving settlers should be removed elsewhere, and the
plan of colonizing Western Australia should be abandoned.
We have ever believed it to be the duty of members of Par-
liament to promote useful enterprises, to speak at all times
the words of truth and soberness, and never to lend the use
of their names to promote one interest by the necessary de-
pression of another. How far these golden rules have been
observed or followed in the present instance, may be learnt
by comparing the statements heretofore referred to with the
following sketch of the rise, progress, and present condition
of the settlement, every allegation in which is capable of the
fullest proof.

In 1829, the western half of New Holland was unoccupied
and unclaimed. Its annexation to the British Crown took
place in June of that year, and a small body of colonists
were attracted to it by liberal inducements. They now oc-
cupy, on the coast and in the interior of a country as large
as Spain, the positions most favourable to their various in-
clinations. Extensive surveys have been effected, towns
founded, lands sufficient for the support of millions disco-
vered, new ports found and examined, the communications
opened between the western and southern coasts. Within
the last few years the whale fisheries have been established in
the bays ; a bank has been brought into operation, with a
balance of cash in hand of £7,000, and it has been hitherto
exempt from a dishonoured bill. Agriculture has been ex-
tended, providing for the subsistence of the people; grazing
successfully commenced ; vessels built from the timber of
our inexhaustible forests ; and experience gained in the soils,
climate, and products of this wide-spread region. The ad-
ministration of public business, civil, judicial, and ecclesias-
tical, has been put on a systematic footing ; education pro-
vided for ; industry established as the peculiar excellence of
the people ; and the aggregate wealth of the whole body has
been steadily progressive. The communication with India
has been opened, foreigners have begun to frequent our
coasts and ports, and of the few settlers who at any time
have left this settlement, the greater number have returned,
or are returning, to it.

For a more precise account of these matters, we refer to
the table subjoined :

1832. 1834. 1838.
Population 1,497 1,800 2,150
Local revenue for the year ending
March 31st.
Estimated value of exports . ..
Average number of acres assign-

ed to each man
of allotments.

2,022

.. _
Total value of improvements on ,
rural grants £20,000 .. £76,000
'— of ditto in towns £16,500 .. £100,400
Value of good waste land per acre 3d. 6d. Is. 6d.
Number of acres in cultivation 2OO 918 2,250
—of sheep.
of cattle.
of horses l6l 350
of goats .. , 492 2,000
of pigs
All this has been effected by a population comprising only
750 men, and their wives and children. Undoubtedly, they
have had their share of evils and hardships—they have not
found all things as they could have wished, and many of
these have seen their hopes and expectations disappointed ;
but they have been true to themselves and to each other, and
true to their national character ; they have felt, in the midst
of danger and difficulty, " their hopes awaken and their spi-
rits soar."

Now, after the statement of these undeniable facts,' how
stands the case between us and our traducers ? Has this
attempt at colonization failed ? So far from its having been
a failure, we are disposed to pronounce it the most zuccess-
ful effort ever made by England in this branch of enterprise.
Since its commencement, it has been constantly progressive.
It has not suffered from want, disease, depression, nor vio-
lence. Crime has been almost unknown. The natives have
not been oppressed, but, on the contrary, have been attach-
ed, and partially civilized. The whole outlay of private per-
sons, collectively considered, has been returned to them
fourfold, and the whole cost of this acquisition of territory
to the British Crown has been a trifle. The value of that
accession may be estimated directly as regards England, or
relatively as it might have affected her in the hands of France,
America, or Russia. Its position, its ports, its climate, and
its products, designate it as the proper centr&of communi-
cation and of power on this side of the Cape of Good Hope ;
and if, with a just appreciation of these advantages, her Ma-
jesty's advisers think fit to make it the bulwark of British
influence in the eastern seas, they will deserve well of after
times ; if they should think otherwise, let them take Mr.
Hume's advice, and abandon all further chat* of this coun-
try and its occupants. The American and French whalers
now are on our coasts ; and those amongst us who are not
disposed to go elsewhere, would furnish, before long, a prac-
tical illustration of Mr. Hume's foresight and political wis-
dom.

(From the Western Australian Journal, Sept. 22, 1838.)
The explorations effected and discoveries made by Lieute-
nants Grey and Lushington to the northward, which were
limited by an untoward accident, we learn with much satis-
faction, are about to be renewed by the former gentleman,
who arrived here with his party from the Mauritius on Tues-
day last. The country they examined is well adapted for the
growth of cotton, sugar-cane, coffee, &c., on a very extensive
scale. The representation of its capabilities has induced the
merchants and others at the Mauritius to think seriously of
forming establishments there for the culture of these valuable
commodities, and, from what we can learn, Mr. Grey's
further discoveries and reports will determine their line of
procedure. Their land, of course, can only be obtained by
purchase, either from the government or individuals ; if from
the former, the price is ss. per acre, but from the latter it
may be obtained at 2s. 6d., with right of selection in fee-
simple in any part of the colony. Many thousand acres can
be bought at the present time at this price. Lieut. Grey is
a young officer of considerable promise and enterprise. If
he should bring about the settlement of the northern portion
of this territory by the capitalists of the Mauritius, he will
deserve well of this country. His Excellency Sir James
Stirling strongly favours the views of Lieutenant Grey, and
will most probably despatch the Champion, on her return
from King George's Sound, to convey the party to the scene
of their further explorations. We shall endeavour to obtain
some further particulars of this interesting expedition.

THE WARSAW-VIENNA RAILWAY.—III our ad-
vertising columns will be found the prospectus of a pro-
jected railway from Warsaw to the Austrian Frontier,
to which we beg to invite the special attention of our
readers. As a general rule we would by no means re-
commend the transmission of capital to foreign shores,
when so many opportunities present themselves for its
profitable employment at home ; but the advantages to
the subscribers are so self-evident, that we should feel
inclined on these grounds alone to give our voice in
favour of the scheme. But viewed in another light,
the projected undertaking presents still stronger claims
to our notice; for on the successful issue of this work
it must in a great measure depend whether the railway
system shall forthwith extend its influence over a large
and important tract of country, which England has at
all times felt so strong a desire to promote and uphold,
or whether it shall be crippled and cramped in its
progress from the failure of this commendable attempt.
And as we doubt very much whether the project call
be matured without foreign assistance, we think the
case worthy of the notice of English capitalists, who
may thus combine the certainty of a suitable return to
themselves with the accomplishment of a public good.
Our readers will observe, doubtless with admiration,
and: probably with some surprise, the conduct of the
Russian Emperor in offering so many facilities for the
construction of this great national work. Not only is
an interest of 4 per cent. guaranteed upon his autho-
rity, but no indemnity will be claimed for any domain
of the state which may be required for the purposes of
the railway.

We have the satisfaction further to state, from
authority, that a very considerable portion of this
stock has been taken up in England, by persons of
the highest respectability. Under these circumstances,
we strongly recommend this valuable concern to the
attention of the monied men in Liverpool.

SCHWEPPES' SODA WATER AND LEMONAD '
Since the increased facility of communication with the ited
States by steam-ships, Schweppes superior manufa ire has
been exported to a considerable extent, as their ers keep
in the finest condition, and are known to retain • eir original
flavour and purity in every climate ; they poss; - highly salu-
tary and medicinal properties, so much este- • d and particu-
larly recommended by the most erninen of the faculty.
Schweppes' continue to make large • ents to the East
and West Indies, where their Waters 14: held in the highest
estimation for their peculiarly ritfres rg qualities, and are
justly appreciated by the Natives and uropeans in tropical
climates, who are so well calculated to discriminate the true
quality of these beverages. Schweppes' Lemonade proves a
most efficacious remedy for Sea-sickness, and is considered an
indispensible requisite in ships' stores, from its superiority to
any hitherto manufactured. Theirs is the only house, which
(by virtue of a special appointment) has the honour regularly
to supply the Royal Palaces in London and Windsor, as well
as the principal Nobility and Gentry in the United Kingdoms.
To meet the increasing wants' of their friends residing in the
provinces, as well as merchants and exporters, they have
branches of their house at Liverpool, Bristol, and Derby,
conducted on the same terms as the Parent, Establishfnent in
London.

CORN-LAW PETITIONS.—We find that several townships
in the hundred of Wirrall are petitioning Parliament that no
alteration take place in the corn laws.
Messrs. Parry, jun., E. W. Thomas, the celebrated violin-
ist, Holden, of Liverpool, &c., have been making a tour of
the Principality. On Saturday evening last, they gave a
concert at the Wynnstay Arms Assembly Rooms, Oswestry,
but which was not so well attended as we could have wished.
—Salopian Journal.