The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-04-12 00:00:00

:1

winces. Her acquisitions from Persia are equal in
extent to England. Her acquisitions from Turkey in
Asia are nearly equal in dimensions to the whole of the
smaller states of Germany. Her acquisitions in Tar-
tary have an area not inferior to that of Turkey in
Europe, Greece, Italy, and Spain. In fine, the terri-
torial acquisitions she has made within the last sixty-
four years are equal in extent and importance to the
whole empire she had in Europe before that time.
Such is the gigantic empire whose aggressions in the
East are a cause of just alarm to Great Britain ! The
Russian frontier has been advanced towards Berlin,
Dresden, Munich, Vienna, and Paris, about 700 miles
—towards Constantinople, about 500 miles—towards
Stockholm, about 630—and towards Teheran, about
1000 miles.

We have given these brief statistical details as a pre-
liminary to more extended remarks illustrative of the
encroaching policy of Russia, especially in reference to
our East India possessions. The effects of this policy
are becoming daily more evident and striking. Russia
has her spies and emissaries in every country. The
province of these men, who are generally selected on
account of their astuteness and political sagacity, is, to
embroil other nations in war, that she may profit by
their quarrels. There can be very little doubt that the
rebellion in Canada, and the more recent disturbances
on the frontier of New Brunswick, have been instigated
and fomented by the autocrat, throUgh the agency of his
political missionaries. It is, therefore, necessary that
Englishmen should be on their guard against the ma-
chinations of this despotic power.

'By the packet-ship Westchester, which arrived here
on Wednesday, we have received New York papers to
the 15th ultimo. The most important extracts from
these tapers will be found in another column. It ap-
pears that Sir John Harvey was concentrating his
forces upon the frontier, and making the most exten-
sive and energetic preparations for a contest with
Maine. Sir John Colbourne had foi:warded despatches
to Sir John Harvey, placing five regiments of the line
at his disposal. The British forces were assembling at
Madawaska, and the Americans at the Aroostook, both
on the disputed territory. Sir John Harvey was about
to take possession of Mars Hill, and to erect fortifica-
tions there. This hill is situated at the north-west
angle of Nova Scotia.
Her Majesty's ship Crocodile, Captain Stewart, had
arrived at St. John's, N. 8., from Halifax, with 190
men of the 69th regiment, and 6 officers, under the
command of Major Brookes, who were to proceed to
Fredericton. The Numa, with the remainder of the
regiment, was daily expected to arrive there.
We learn that a strong feeling of excitement.pre-
vailed at Bangor and the neighbourhood, on receipt of
the official documents of Congress on the subject of
the boundary question ; but a correspondent of the
Courier and Inguit-er expresses his opinion that there
will be no blood shed, notwithstanding the preparations
on both sides. His opinion does not appear to be war-
ranted by the fact that large quantities of arms and
ammunition, as well as of provisions, continue to be
sent to the army from the arsenals of the United States.
Orders were received at Bangor to furnish a supply of
provisions for 5000 men, for three months ; so that it
appears that the government of Maine does not think
of any sudden disbandment of her troops.
The money market at New York was in a very ex-
cited and unsettled state, and influenced by the slightest
intelligence bearing on the state of matters in the east.
The Pennsylvania Savings' Bank, and the Southwark
Savings' Bank, of Philadelphia, are reported to have
stopped payment. The Detroit City Bank has given
notice that it will suspend specie payments for sixty
days. The Michigan State Bank has also come to the
same resolution. The tendency to decline in Stocks
appears to be on the increase at New York. The
United States Bank stock were made at 114.
The Westchester encountered very rough weather on
her homeward voyage. On the 24th, in lat. 43, long.
53, during very thick weather, she fell in with an ice-
berg, which carried away her bowsprit, and obliged
Captain Ferris to throw overboard 200 bales of cotton
and 500 chests of tea, in order to lighten her. Three
of the crew were killed by the masses of ice which fell
upon the vessel, and one was severely hurt. There
were 17 steerage and 3 cabin passengers, who a'l had
to work at the pumps day and night until the vessel
was relieved.

Intelligence has been received from Vera Cruz, by
Her Majesty's ship Racehorse, to the 10th of March,
announcing that a treaty of peace had been concluded,
through the mediation of Mr. Pakenham, between
France and Mexico. It is stated that the terms are
highly honourable to Mexico, and that there remains
little doubt that they will be approved of by congress.
Mexico is to pay 600,000 dollars, in three drafts on the
Custom-house, at two, four, and six months, and the
expressions under this head, that caused so much
offence at Jalapa, are omitted. France does not insist
on the retail trade. The restitution of the prizes made
by France, and indemnifications for losses during the
war on both sides, are left to the arbitration of England.
The Mexicans are at liberty to make a treaty of com-
merce with France. whenever they think fit, and no
terms are stipulated for it. The castle, with its artillery,
(less 12 guns taken from the French by the Spaniards
many years since,) is to be delivered up immediately
upon the agreement being ratified by the congress. The
French will be allowed to raturn, and to enjoy the pri-
vileges of the most favoured nation. An armistice for
fifteen days, (twelve being allowed for the ratification
by congress,) will allow vessels to discharge their cargos
immediately, which they will commence doing as soon
as the custom-house is properly re-established. These
"are the principal conditions introduced into the treaty.
Immediately on receipt of the ratification from congress,
the French are to evacuate the fort San Juan de Ulloa,
and withdraw all their forces. It is to be hoped that
the honour of Great Britain has not been in any degree
compromised by the negociations which have taken
place.
From the preceding terms it appears that France has
accepted much much less than she originally demanded.
The right of retail trade, a stipulation of a very oppess-
ive character, has been entirely abandoned. Thus has
terminated this silly quarrel. It might, however, have
been much sooner settled, if our government had,
months ago, sent out an accredited minister, with a
sufficient naval force, to add weight to his mediation.
We are glad that this frivolous impediment to British
commerce has, at length, been removed.

We have been favoured with copies of the St. Chris-
topher Gazette to the Bth of February inclusive. One
of these papers contains a letter from an intelligent
" West India Planter," in which there are several re-
marks, illustrative of the present condition and future
prospects of the West Indies, which are deserving of
attention. He states that he is paying taxes to the
amount of £2OO a-year for an estate, whereon no labour
has been performed for several months, although it is
Within three miles from the sea-beach, now considered
a favourable locality. Among various • suggestions
which he offers, he states that it would be advantage-
ous to have a steamer plying between the West Indies
and New York, to convey letters to England in the
least possible time. We very much question whether
any time would be gained by this plan ; though it
certainly would be highly desirable to have a line of
steam-packets plying directly from England to the
West Indies. The voyage both ways might be accom-
plished at an average of eighteen or twenty days. In-
stances are on record of her Majesty's packets accom-
plishing the distance from St. Thomas to Falmouth in
twenty-six days.
The writer of the letter to which we have alluded
strongly insists upon the policy of reducing the duty
on sugar to 16s. per cwt., and that on rum to ss. per
gallon—a recommendation which, we venture to say, it
would be no more than an act of bare justice to com-
ply with. He says, in conclusion, that it has often
occurred to him that a limited number of convicts
from England might, with advantage, be sent out .to
the West Indies, especially to Jamaica, to make good
roads, to drain all the marshy grounds, and open the
dense masses of forests in low grounds, where un-
healthy vapours are generated, and thus in time make
Jamaica, and the other West India Islands, as healthy
as any part of the world.
A correspondent of the St. Christopher Advertiser
states that " he expresses the opinion of every respect-
able inhabitant of the Virgin Islands, when he says
that the present peaceful and happy state of affairs in
Tortola, is more to be attributed to the patient, endu-

ring, and well-meant exertions of the Wesleyan mis-
sionaries, than to any administration of the govern-
ment"—a tribute which, we ate confident, is well
merited by that exemplary body of Christians.

HoW are the mighty fallen ! Four years ago a pub-
lic dinner was given by the leading reformers of Liver-
pool, in the area of the Corn Market, which was hired
for the occasion, at an expence, we believe, of £5O.
These worthy and patriotic individuals invited Mr.
Daniel O'Connell as the guest to whom they wished,
by this splendid repast, to pay every honour. 'rickets
were plentifully given away, in order to swell the num-
bers of those who were to pay court to the great agitator.
Accordingly, about a thousand attended, some to laugh
at the absurdities of the " distinguished guest," and
others to ltsten with admiration to his treasonable
harangues. If .our memory be not treacherous, we
think that the great feed in the Corn Market was given
at a period when the Whig ministers had brought
things to a crisis similar to the present. At all events,
we know that the tickets for the dinner were rated at a
guinea each—that the viands were excellent—the wines
choice—and that the company had some slight preten-
sions to respectability. The principal table was graced
by a sprinkling of members of parliament, and by the
members of the secret conclave at the Angel Hotel.
Our friend Joshua was there, delighting the motley
audience with his flowery rhetoric ; and, if we are not
deceived, the mendicant agitator was honoured for once
with a seat in the carriage of our friend the late mayor
on his way to the dinner. O'Connell boasted that this
" great dinner" afforded a powerful demonstration in
favour of his allies, the Whig ministers, on the part of
the opulent town of Liverpool.
But how are the tables changed ! On Saturday next
O'Connell dines, by invitation of the Liverpool Pre-
cursors, at the Queen's Theatre—a place capable of
holding some three hundred persons, if properly
crammed.- But it may, perhaps, be said that the com-
pany will be more select than on the former occasion.
This is not very probable when we reflect that the tickets
may be obtained for four shillings. Oh ! what a falling off
is here ! Dropping at once from the Corn Market, with
its Whig aristocracy, to the Queen's Theatre, with its
strong odour of plebeian filthiness—from a guinea with
seed-cake and champagne, to four shillings with a crust
of bread and small beer ! Reformers of Liverpool !
call ye this backing your friend—the very best friend
you have in the world ? Is this a proper tribute of re-
spect to the man on whose breath the very existence of
the Whig ministry depends ?
But to be serious. We heartily rejoice that O'Con-
nell is to be exclusively feasted by the " Precursors
of Liverpool." " Birds of a feather flock together," is
an adage not more trite than true. It is meet that re-
bels should invite a rebel to partake of their hospitality.
But who are the " Precursors of Liverpool ?" We
protest that we never heard of such a body before. We
fancied that Liverpool was too loyal a place to harbour
such traitors. We shall, therefore, narrowly scrutinize
the names of those who may be present at the Queen's
Theatre on Saturday. It is right that our fellow-towns-
men shbuld know who these " Precursors" are, that
they may avoid them as dangerous conspirators—as
enemies to the throne—as intolerant persecutors of the
Protestant faith and its professors.
We can form a tolerably shrewd guess as to the class
of persons composing the " Precursors' Society." Our
readers will remember the blood-thirsty ruffians who
attacked the conservative voters at the last election, and
in many cases endangered their lives. • Their yells and
imprecations will not he soon forgotten, especially when
echoed, as they will be, by those who will grace the
tables at the Queen's Theatre.

We rejoice •to find, from the half-yearly report of
the Chester and Birkenhead Railway, which will be
found in another column, that this undertaking is
rapidly and successfully proceeding towards comple-
tion, and that there is a prospect of having the whole
line opened early in 1840. This line of railway pro-
mises to be one of the most profitable in the kingdom.
The traffic and travelling between this town and Ches-
ter is very considerable, and greatly on the increase.
This is evident from the fact, alluded to in the course
of our report, that the tolls between the Ferries and
Chester have been let for £5OO more this year than
they were last year; whilst those from Chester to
Wrexham have let for £2OO more.

But the most gratifying circumstance in connexion
with the proceedings at the meeting on Wednesday
last was, the announcement that a company is in course
of formation for constructing an " Extension Railway
from Chester to Rhuabon." We feel quite confident,
from our knowledge of the country through which this
railway will pass, and of the vast resources which it pos-
sesses,, that this extension will most materially increase
the traffic, and, therefore, enhance the value of the
Birkenhead and Chester line. From the statements
made by Mr. Stephenson, we understand that the cost
of constructing the Chester and Rhuabon Extension
Railway will be about the same as that of the Birken-
head and Chester, which is considerably below the
average cost of the railways already completed.
Among the advantages to be derived from the con-
struction of the Chester and Rhuabon Railway, we
would primarily dwell upon the facilities which it will
offer for bringing the mineral produce of that part of
Wales through which it passes to the Liverpool mar-
ket. The district surrounding the proposed terminus
of this railway (about two or three miles beyond Rhu-
abon) abounds with coal of the very best quality—
the best that can be obtained for the purpose of mak-
ing coke. This coal, of which there is an exhaustless
supply, might be delivered on the banks of the Mersey
for less than l ls. per ton—a price which is consider-
ably less than tbat of any other coal, of the same qua-
lity, now introduced for consumption into Liverpool.
It may be added that this coal, owing to its superior
quality, will be in great demand for steam-fuel. But
coal is not the only article in which this part of Wales
abounds. There are excellent slate quarries in the vi-
cinity of Llandegle, which are now scarcely worth
working, owing to the great expense of land carriage,
but which would be immediately rendered of great
value by the proximity of a railway. But the most
important commodity which would be brought by this
railway is the iron, which is manufactured in large
quantities in the neighbourhood of Brymbo, Minera,
and Rhosllanerchrugog. The present cost of carriage
of the article, per canal to Chester, is Bs. per ton. Mr.
Stephenson calculates that it might be brought by
railway to Chester at a cost of about 2s. 6d. per ton,
which will appear reasonable when we state that the
canal is 56 miles in length, and that the proposed rail-
way will be only 15 miles.
It is right also to mention, that the opening of the
line of railway from Birkenhead to Rhuabon. would
bring an immense quantity of agricultural produce, as
well as of live stock, to the Liverpool and Manchester
markets. The horticultural produce would also con-
stitute no mean item in the calculation of goods to be
conveyed by this line.
But, perhaps, the most profitable department on this
line would be that of the passengers. The proposed
extension would convey passengers into one of the
most romantic districts of Wales in less than three
hours. This inducement would cause an amazing in-
flux of strangers into the Principality, which would, of
course, prove a source of great profit to the two corn-
panies.

LIVER THEATRE.—Master B. Grossmith takes his bene-
fit on Monday evening next. From the extraordinary suc-
cess he has met with in Liverpool, and the delight which he
has afforded to the many hundreds who have visited the Li-
ver since his arrival, we predict the house will be crowded
to the roof. In addition to his numerous new attractions
for the night, a young lady, of standard celebrity in the mu-
sical world as a pianist, has volunteered her professional as-
sistance. A treat of the first order may therefore be antici-
pated.

RHEUMATISM. —We feel pleasure and satisfaction in
referring to a pill, prepared by Dr. Barker of this city, for
the cure of this most 'extraordinary disease—Rheumatism.
It is consistent with our own knowledge, that several per-
sons with whom we are acquainted have been cured after all
other remedies had failed. This is a truth, " and why should
not a useful truth be told ?" Nor is this notice inserted at
the request of the respectable gentleman who made this most
important discovery in medicine, or of the vendors of these
pills, but of our own accord. We refer to our paper of last
week for a certificate from a highly respectable gentleman, a
landed proprietor in Stirlingshire, as to their virtue in re-
moving gout, and we have recorded in another column a
convincing case from a gentleman in England. Those
afflicted with either maladies should at least give them a
" fair trial."—Edinburgh Weekly Journal, June, 1838.
A CANDID ADMISSION.—The Sun of Monday has the
following significant statement. We cannot but admire, in
this instance at least, the candour of the editor in making
such a declaration. "We have been a little struck at
perusing the lucubrations of some of contemporaries, to
find some elaborate calculations -of what the toties will gain
by turning out the whigs, while not one word is said of what
the country will gain. We, however, pretend to be of the
party of the country."