The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1852-06-08 00:00:00

Yiticrpa,ol

A disreputable attempt was afterwards made to deprive.
the present gas and water company of their privileges,
and place the power, by purchase, in the hands of the com-
missioners, although the promoters of the scheme could
not be ignorant of the fact that a debt of nearly half-a-
-m

TO JOHN BRIGHT, ESQ., M.F.

TUESDAY 31ORNING, JUNE 8, 1852.

ion was upon the shoulders of the township, the in-
west of which for several years, or the greater portion
of it, had been paid by further loans. In this way
thousands were squandered, and the attempt, as all
reasoning men anticipated, proved abortive. This
was not, however, the only mischief. Birkenhead lost
the confidence of the public, along with its par-
liamentary influence. The town was divided into two
parties, and, to a considerable extent, this division still
exists, ono party being denominated the blue and the
other the red party. Shortly after this division a now
party appeared on the stage. A Mr. Craven assumed to
himself the right of being a prominent man in parochial
affairs, although we understand he bad little or no inte-
rest in the property of the town. His son became an
estate agent, and after vainly attempting, as agent for the
Anti-Corn-law League, to swamp the parliamentary re-
gister, father and son presumed to dictate who should
be the governing body, and although professing liberal
principles, " drove to the poll, like a flock of sheep," the
son's horde of cottage tenantry, and to a great extent
swamped the free expression of the respectable ratepayers.
The manner in which the township rates were laid con-
tributed materially to assist this reprehensible practice.
As the law exists in Birkenhead, there is no need of a re-
gister of voters, and none can vote unless he be rated
under the local acts, and those rates paid. The rates
were laid on the eve of the election, and, as on the last
occasion, a number of persons, mere squatters for a day
or two, were placed upon the rate-books the evening be-
fore the poll. The red party, several of whom profess to
be Tories, availed themselves of the service of the Craven
influence, and were obliged thus to put themselves in a
most humiliating position, by joining, or rather placing
themselves under the dictation of men whose public
conduct they could not approve. To such extent did
dictation go, that at the fifty-one election Mr. Craven,
junior, said to one of the blue party, "had I known you
would have run us so close. I would have put fifty more
upon the rate book." This system could not be permit-
ted to continue. Last year a praiseworthy attempt was
made by Mr. Hughes to postpone making the rate until
after the election, but after the resolution was passed, it
was reversed by means of a trick. This year, thanks to
the perseverance of Messrs. Bailiff, Green, Rae, Gough,
and others, the rate was postponed, and so effectually, as
completely to destroy the corrupt practice. This, of
course, raised the ire of the Cravens, particularly against
Mr. Bailiff and Mr. Gough, and the elder dictator was
heard to declare that they should not again be commis-
sioners. The ratepayers have proved that they would not
submit to such presumption. They have returned men,
who will, no doubt, irrespective of party feeling, honestly
serve the township, protect its interests, and put down the
jobbing which has prevailed too long.
The above will enable our readers to form an opinion of
the state of parties in Birkenhead. We now proceed to
briefly describe the election. The blue party were first in
the field. They issued the following list of candidates :
For three y ears—Messrs. Ravenscroft, Rae, Bailiff, Gough,
Fox, Furniss, and Henderson. For two years, (to supply
vacancies) Mr. Storey, and for one year, Messrs. Bradley
and Curry. After several meetings a red list appeared,
but to so great necessity had the party been reduced
that they were obliged to adopt some of the names on the
blue list. The following are the names :—Messrs. Bryans,
Furniss, Hinson, Holme, Rae, Stevenson, and Henderson,
for three years. Mr. H. Cole, for two years; and Messrs.
Curry and Thos. Fry for one year. The polling was
spirited throughout the day, and the result was most tri-
umphant for the blue list, all being returned except two,
Mr. Fry (a gentleman far too honourable to be the tool
of any party) in place of Mr. Bradley, and Mr. Holme in
place of Mr. Fox. Of the latter gentlemen we believe all
parties would have rejoiced to see both elected had it
been possible—both being benefactors to the township
by advancing its trade and commerce. The following is
he list of those elected :
FOR THREE YEARS.
Holme,
Furniss,
Henderson.

THE WEEK.
TIIE canvass has been, of course, the great busi-
ness of the week, an account of which will be found
in another part of our paper. 111essrs. MAcKEN-
ZIE and TURNER have visited every ward in the
town, besides spending a considerable portion of
time in making personal calls upon the constituency.
Wherever they have gone, their reception has been
most flattering ; and they may with justice be con-
sidered the popular candidates. Amongst the mer-
cantile portion of the community they are undoubt-
edly the favourites, as was shewn on Wednesday
by the scenes on 'Change, which occurred when
the Liberal candidates presented themselves there.
Air. CARDWELL'S attempt to convince the public
that his friends were the majority of those present on
that occasion, and that he was only hindered
from speaking by " a noisy and not numerous
body," is one of those stories which, it is said,
ought not to be told to sailors. The hon. gentle-
man will, perhaps, excuse us for reminding him
that he failed to muster up his courage to face that
tribunal on the occasion of his last visit to Liver-
pool, finding the atmosphere of his solicitor's office,
or Mr. HOLT'S counting-house, more congenial to
his feelings. On Saturday afternoon it was re-
ported that he would attempt the experiment again ;
and several of his leading supporters were observed
to be dodging about the Exchange flags, as if with
a view to try the ground. The report, however,
we presume, was unfavourable ; and the hon. gen-
tleman accordingly used the better part of valour,
and stayed away. Thus far he has addressed his
supporters only at the head-quarters of his com-
mittee—the Royal Hotel ; and on one of these
occasions in private, his own organs even not being
allowed to report the proceedings; and at Low-hill.
The public have manifested some curiosity to learn
whether at that snug meeting any explanations were
given of the peculiar nature of Mr. CARDWELL'S
claims upon the Roman Catholic portion of the
electors of Liverpool, upon which thus far the hon.
gentleman has not ventured to remark in public.
As he proposes, however, to remain amongst us
until the close of the election, it is to be hoped
that some explanation upon that point will be
extracted from him.

With regard to the issue of the contest, we are
confidently informed that there can be little doubt.
The Whig-Radical party vapour largely, it is true,
of the majority which will be given to them by
their eleven hundred Roman Catholic " men in
buckram," and anticipate much from the cheap
loaf cry. It is to be borne in mind, however, that
the Irish Romanist electors of Liverpool always
supported Whig• Radical candidates ; and the bulk
of the Protestant working men of the town have
manifested no disposition to be gulled either by Mr.
CA.RDWELL'S statistics or the appeal made to their
stomachs by the advocates of cheapness, rather too
many of them having had of late experience of the
fact that it is constant employment which is the
great desideratum in their condition. It is tolerably
certain, too, that M essrs.CARDWELL and EWART'S
canvassers have not made the necessary allowance for
changed opinions amongst the constituency ; and
taken it too readily for granted that the votes given
for the former gentleman and Sir Tilos. BIRCH at
the last election will be repeated at the approaching
one. We can assure them from our own observa-
tion during the canvass of the conservative candi-
dates last week, that a very great number, who are
probably calculated upon, will fail them in their
need. The criterion by which we prefer to be guided
are the returns of the conservative canvassers;
and therefore to those among the whig-radical
party, who crow so loudly at present, we would
reply by the adapted quotation made by Mr.
EDWARD LAWRENCE, on Saturday evening at
the Toxteth meeting,
"False prophets avaunt ! we have marshalled our clan ;
Their votes are six thousand, their bosoms are one."
The advent of Mr. CARDWELL to Liverpool is
invariably heralded by some fresh contortions of
arithmetic ; and the organs, whom the honourable
M.P. honours with his confidence and his sugges-
tions, become unusually statistical. On Thursday
last the Liverpool Times was the exponent of a
wonderful discovery, respecting the progress made
by British shipping in American ports, as compared
with that made by the shipping of other countries.
The account purports to be an " official statement ;"
and is headed " The national character of the ships
which entered into and cleared outward from the
United States in the year ending the 30th of June,
1851." The result shown is, that of 3,868,626 tons
of vessels, not American, entered inwards and out-
wards at American ports in the year ended 30th
June, 1851, 3,112,039 tons were British. There is
very little to surprise us in this fact, when we know
that this country is the great consumer of cotton
and other American products. The Times pro-
ceeds to inform us that:
" The amount of British tonnage employed in the
American trade appears scarcely less striking when it is
compared with the American tonnage employed in the
same trade. In the year 1851 the whole amount of the
American tonnage which entered and cleared out of the
ports of the United States was 6,254,869 tons ; the whole
amount of British tonnage which entered and cleared out
of those ports was 3,112,039 tons, or more than one-third
of the whole."
May we inquire of our contemporary what he
infers from the fact above stated, if fact it is ? Has
British tonnage in the ports of America increased,
as compared with American tonnage, since the re-
peal of the Navigation Laws ? Has it increased in
Consequence of such repeal ? Are freights from
American ports more remunerative than they were
five or ten years ago ? The Times will have some
difficulty in substantiating the affirmative of any of '
these questions. The known fact, however, is that
the "official statement," from which our contem-
porary quotes, is altogether delusive. It excludes
the bulk of the Californian and other coasting
voyages of the shipping of the United States, such
shipping not requiring to be either entered or
cleared, unless carrying cargoes, or portions of car-
goes, the produce of foreign countries.
But a still greater error is contained in our con-
temnorary's reading of this return. We are told of
535 British ships, of an aggregate of 107,459 tons,
which have been permitted to import cargoes into
the United States from foreign countries since the
repeal of the Navigation Laws. It is said—
" Every week the British and North American Royal
Mail Steam Company send a large and powerful steamer
to Havre, to collect French goods, for their line from
Liverpool to New York. Not one ton of all the cargoes
of goods which these steamers bring into Liverpool could
have been forwarded in a British ship, previous to the
repeal of the Navigation Laws. Every year this port is
becoming more and more a depdt for foreign goods,
brought from the continent, and sent to America, Asia ;
and for cotton, wool, palm oil, sugar, and other articles,
brought from America, Asia, and Australia, for the use
of the continent."
We know that this is done to a limited extent,in
articles of luxury, and that a transit trade may be
expected to spring up for goods carried by these
steamers. But the idea of this country becoming
" a depot" for foreign produce required ultimately
for consumption in the United States, is absurd, so
long as the American government insist upon their
present policy. Let a British merchant attempt to
send from his warehouse in this country a cargo of
tea, sugar, palm oil, or any other foreign produce
in a British ship, he will find that, on entering
any American port, he will have to pay a differential
duty of 20 per cent. Is there any reciprocity here ?
Certainly not.
The fact is, however, that the public are weary
of the stale arithmetical clap-traps of Mr. CARDWELL
and his friends ! They cannot persuade a ship-
owner that he is prospering, when the profit and loss
account in his ledger assures him that he is losing
upon every voyage made by his ships. They can-
not, by any official returns, convince a shopkeeper
or tradesman that a foreign vessel, whose crew feeds
upon cabbage and tallow, is a more profitable visitor
to a British port than a ship whose crew have
British tastes and British habits. Mr. JOSEPH
EWART, as an Income Tax Commissioner, ought to
know something respecting the profits derived by
the shipowners of Liverpool. Is that description
of property assessed as highly now as it was a few
years ago ? If it is, the possessors of it are scan-
dalously victimised. It it is not, we ought to hear
less of the arithmetical humbug in which he and
his friends indulge.

HORTICULTURE.

Messrs. Rae,
Ravenscroft,
Bailiff,
Gough,

FOR TWO YEARS.
Mr. Storey.
FOR ONE YEAR.
Messrs. Curry and Fry.
The first meeting of the board takes place this day,
when the chairman and committees will be elected.

PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY.
MR. HORSLEY'S ORATORIO OF " JOSEPH."

Yesterday evening week this work was performed, for
the first time, before a large audience, the principal vocal-
ists being Miss Williams, Miss Birch, Mr. Lockey, and
Herr Carl Formes. The composer conducted.
It is only necessary to remark, on the subject of the
oratorio, that it is the life of Joseph, and that the words
selected embrace the principal, though not the whole of
the events in his career. The devotional words not other-
wise connected with the history are selected with some
judgment, and form a considerable part of the work.
The defects of Mr. Horsley's previous work ("David"),
and the fact of his producing another so soon, raised public
curiosity as to whether he would, in " Joseph," avoid the
rocks and shoals on which " David" was wrecked. That
he has, to a considerable extent, succeeded in doing so
must at once be admitted. " David" was interminably
long ; " Joseph" is within more reasonable compass.
" David" was rendered tedious by continual repetitions,
which not only lengthened the work unnecessarily, but
wearied the listener. " Joseph" has far less of this.
" David" was, throughout, a notorious imitation of Men-
delssohn. " Joseph" is less of an imitation, and more of
an original. But though these improvements are at once
conceded, and though it may be admitted that " Joseph"
is a vast improvement on " David," we are driven to the
conclusion that neither, as a whole, comes up to the
standard by which the public will inevitably try a work of
this character. The requirements for the composition of
a sacred oratorio are great. Mere musician-like, clever
writing is insufficient. The composer must have the
power of conveying, through his music, impressions of
vastness and grandeur, and must succeed not only in
blinding the audience to the specialities around them, but
in fixing their earnest attention, not on the mere per-
formers, but on those whom they personate, and the
events which they endeavour to represent. Tried by this
standard, the oratorios of Handel and Mendelssohn exist,
are admired, and handed down to posterity. Tried V
this standard " Joseph" falls lamentably short. In it
there is abundance of clever writing—it is commendable
as a work in which instrumental scoring is carried to con-
siderable perfection—but it is not a great work.
We have said that " Joseph" is an improvement on
" David." This arises, in a great measure, from the
composer having relied more upon his own individuality,
and less upon that of others. He has expressed that
which he himself felt, instead of copying the result of the
thoughts of others. But even after this admission is
made, there is much that is wanting in the work. It is
excellent in its harmonies, but sadly deficient in its
melodies. This is perceptible in almost every part of it,
and the defect is so great as to cause a general feeling of
weariness during the performance. Another great defect
is the excessive use of modulation. The composer flies
from key to key, with little or no regard to the effect on
the ear, which becomes dissatisfied with changes that lead
to no tangible result, no fine contrast, and is heartily glad
when it can fix upon some morsel of melody—some piece
of simple writing which will relieve it from the tedium of
over-elaboration.
Our opinion, then, of " Joseph" is, that it is not a
great work ; it will never be a popular one ; but it is clever,
exceedingly so. The composer has made a step forward
since he last came before the public ; and though the step
has been a hasty one, and though he has not allowed him-
self sufficient time to compose the work with that con-
sideration and re-consideration which a sacred oratorio so
imperatively demands, it exhibits a minute acquaintance
with the resources of the orchestra, and a great talent in
instrumental writing. In writing for the voices and in-
struments jointly, Mr. Horsley is not equally happy.
The accompaniments to his choruses are almost invariably
so frittered away as to cause a loss of effect ; and the
choruses themselves are so deficient in melody generally
that they leave no characteristic trait on the mind. In
fact they want individuality; and until this and the other
defects we have pointed out are removed, by close appli-
cation and cultivation, we see no chance of his producing
a really great work in the direction in which his desires
seem to lead him.
Having given a candid opinion on the defects of Joseph,
let us now glance at some of its excellencies. In the
overture the slow movement was very commendable.. The
symphony to the solo by Joseph " Hear now, I pray you,"
was beautiful, and we do not think we ever heard a more
lovely piece of orchestral writing. It was decidedly the
gem of the work. The recitative by Jacob—" It is my
son's coat ;—an evil beast hath devoured him ;—Joseph is
doubtless rent to pieces," was fine, and the general effect
was much heightened by Herr Carl Formes' admirable
rendering. The chorus " The sacrifice of God is a troubled
spirit," forms one of the very few exceptions to our re-
marks above : it had a definite theme, well worked out,
and was pleasing. Its conclusion, " They that sow in
tears shall reap in joy," was particularly good. The
whole of it was encored. In the aria which followed :
" The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble," the accom-
paniments were light and very pretty. The next chorus
" Save, Lord, and hear us," deserves mention for its earnest-
ness and energy. It and the previous chores were parti-
cularly well sung. The quartet " The Lord knoweth the
way of the righteous," we thought scarcely deserving of
the encore which it obtained. The recitative rendered by
Miss Williams "And in the seven plenteous years" was
good, as was also the aria " I had fainted, had I not be-
lieved the goodness of God," and that sung by Herr
Formes, " Why look ye one upon another." The solo
which followed, "Ye are spies," was particularly com-
mendable. The concluding chorus of the first part
" Hest thou utterly rejected Judah" cannot have any
praise awarded it ; it was one mass of:confusion from be-
ginning to end.
In the second part, the solo by Herr Formes " Take
your brother and arise," received a deserved encore, as
did also the fine chorus which followed it " Lord God of
Heaven," the concluding part of which —" Deliver
Israel" we liked very much. From this part to the con.
elusion there was nothing calling for especial remark.
It is but justice to say, that the whole of the per-
formers, principals, chorus, and band, did their utmost
for the successful presentation of the oratorio, and the
composer is much indebted for their close attention. To
the chorus especially Mr. Horsley is under great obliga-
tion. The audience, if rather undiscriminating as to the
merit of the piece, was hearty in its reception of the com-
poser, who, we trust, will not attach undue importance to
the, plaudits which greeted him.

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD, TUESDAY, JUNE 8, 1852.'

MR. JOHN BRIGHT'S MISSTATEMENTS.

SIR,—In a speech of yours recently delivered at Man-
chester, and reported in the Times of last Friday, you
have honoured me with a little scurrility and misrepre-
sentation combined. On the former I make no comment—
you shall have it all to yourself ; but a word on the mis-
representation.
You treated your auditors not only to your version of
what I said, but also to a description of how I said it.
Your words as reported are these, referring to a speech of
mine, which you said you recollected to have read :—" In
that speech he made this observation, and with an exul-
tation that I confess made me shudder, for it seemed to
me almost the height of blasphemy; when speaking of
the reduction in the number of Catholics in Ireland by
the famine, he said, God has thinned those millions."
(Sensation.)
On the occasion to which you refer, I was speaking of
the number of priests required for the Roman Catholic
population of Ireland, and showing that the number, 250,
educated at Maynooth (together with the available sup-
plies from other quarters) previous to 1845, was sufficient.
I said the additional number, 270, introduced into that
college since 1845, would in due time become available not
for Ireland only, but for Great Britain also, and the colo-
nies. In connexion with this, I alleged that the Roman
Catholic population of Ireland was diminished, instead of
being increased, since the large endowment of the college
of Maynooth. My words were :—" By various means, in
His inscrutable wisdom—by famine in 1846, by cholera in
1847, by enlarged and enlarging emigration every year
since, and by the wonderful success of the Irish Church
missions, God has thinned the millions so long and loudly
boasted of."
From this you quote, " God has thinned those mil-
lions," and hold up the saying to the horror and indigna-
tion of your hearers.
Famine and pestilence, whence come they ? Allow me
to ask, if you intended to express, and to teach the mul-
titude who heard von, the infidelity, the atheism, that
famine comes from chance, and not from God, so that it
is dreadful, so dreadful as to produce quite a sensation, to
say that God sent it ?
If such be your sentiments, the sooner the fact is pub-
licly known the better. If you repudiate such sentiments,
then you agree with me; and why then reprobate my
saying ?
But you will perhaps answer, No, it was not my saying,
but my manner of saving it, that you condemn. It was
the exultation with which it was said, an exultation which
you confess made you shudder.
Indeed ! Were you present ? Did you see my manner
at the moment, or hear my tone of voice ? Not so. You
say you recollect reading the speech. Did the reporter
describe my manner ? No such thing. Alas for the
exultation ! It had no place in me. lt is the fiction of
your imagination, the interlineation of your charity !
Retaliation were easy ; but my object is not chastisement
of another, but vindication of myself ; therefore I say no
more.—l am, Sir, your obedient servant,
Liverpool, June 2, 1852. HUGH M'NEILE.