The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1852-11-09 00:00:00

APPEALS.—At the Kirkdal
.awford. of the Tavisto(

:k Hotel

s. on Friday, Mrs
street

appealed against the decision of tl
who had, at their last licensing session, refused her license
on the grounds that she had been repeatedly fined. It
was now contended on her behalf that the house had been
well conducted ; and that she had been guilty of no act
which called for so severe a punishment as the withdrawal
of her license.—On Saturday, William Clarke, publican,
of School-lane, appealed against the decision of the magis-
trates, who suspended his license on the last'annual licens-
ing day, for permitting Sunday trading in one instance,
and also for having his house fitted up for the purposes of
prostitution, and allowing it to take place in his house.
The conviction for Sunday trading having been proved,
Inspector O'Brien and Inspector Carnes, of the detective
force, were called. The latter stated that, in several in.
stances, when visiting Clarke's house, in pursuit of a
woman for a robbery of a large amount of notes, he found
parties there which left no doubt that the latter part of
the charge was fully borne out. The appeal was dismissed.
LONDON AND NORTH-WESTERN AND GREAT WES-
TERN RAILWAYS.—A railway journal publishes the
following in reference to the views entertained by the
directors of the above companies on the subject of the
Shrewsbury contest. The committee alluded to is the
one that was appointed at Liverpool for the purpose of
accomplishing a settlement of the differences existing
between Euston-square and Paddington :—" THE
LIVERPOOL MOVEMENT.--The committee has had a
second interview with each of the boards, and is now
finally instructed as to the views of each. The London
and North-Western is, at the eleventh hour, prepared to
recognise and treat with the broad gauge so far north as
Wolverhampton, but no further ; it is willing that the
Court of Chancery should decide on the validity of the
Great Western agreements with the Shrewsburvs, but
prefers that parliament should determine the necessity of
a second route to the Mersey. The Great Western, on
the other hand, is desirous that equal rates should at once
be established at all places where the companies compete,
its sole condition being that existing agreements with the

two Shrewsburys are recognise. at tne same time it is
perfectly willing that the London and North-Wcstern
should possess and exercise the most ample running
powers to Birkenhead, either on the existing or future
gauge. Should this ultimatum be accepted, the Great
Western is prepared to pledge itself to resign all further
pretensions to the north, to yield possession even of the
Lancashire branch of the Birkenhead, and, in short, to
content itself with merely carrying out its imperative legal

an account

.sbury route by

THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

QUARTERLY MEETING

The quarterly meeting of the members of the Chamber
of Commerce was held yesterday, in the Cotton Sales.
room, for the usual business; and also to hear an address
from Mr. Hastings, barrister-at-law, a deputation of the
London committee for the assimilation of the bankruptcy
and commercial laws of England, Ireland, and Scotland.
The chair was occupied by Mr. IleGil HORNET, who,
in opening the business of the meeting, said it had not
been considered advisable by the council of the chamber,
on the present occasion, to bring before the members the
usual report of their proceedings during the last quarter,
inasmuch as the principal object of that meeting was to
take into consideration the contemplated reformation of
the commercial code of the country. lie should there-
fore merely advert, briefly, to some of the principal objects
which had occupied the attention of the council. The
reforms which the council recommended in the customs
regulations had been generally approved of, with the
exception of the praposal to extend the bouts in the out-
door department. This had been strongly objected to by
the Custom 'louse officers themselves, and also by some
of the commercial bodies. They had had an interview
with them on the subject, and the result was the adoption
of a modified plan, which, whilst it would give increased
advantages to commerce, would be free from the objec-
tions which had been raised. A measure was to be passed
during the present session of parliament on this subject,
which he trusted would be beneficial to commerce gene-
rally, and particularly to the port of Liverpool. (Hear,
hear.) The next subject was that of a decimal coinage,
and on this subject a report bad hoen printed and circu-
lated amongst the members. This was are important
question, and had begun to attract more general attention
than it had hitherto done ; and, when the public mind
was fully prepared for it, he had no doubt the change
would be effected with very great facility. A very slight
alteration in our sit— would be sufficient to carry

out the plan pr

transac

present

er coma 6
Ised, and the

secured to commerce by the saving of time in calculations
and making up of
_accounts would be very considerable.

A new method had [won adopted for testing the com-
parative degrees of properties in the precious metals which
was found to be an immense saving of time. The subject
of the dirty E4ate of our dock quays had also engaged the
attention of the Council. He might observe on this sub-
ject, that so far back as the month of March last, the

1 J
committee made a report suggesting a remedy for the evil,
and more recently the Council had directed attention to
' the fact. It was a question of considerable importance,
for such was the cheapness of transit now from one part
of the country to another, that if this is allowed to con-
tinue it would have the effect of abstracting a considerable
portion of trade from the port. A very important report
had been drawn up on the subject of law reform. That
report had been presented only a few days previous to
the last meeting, and it had not then been adopted. It
had been since adopted, and printed and circulated
throughout the kingdom. After alluding to the confer-
ence about to take place in London, of deputations from
the various mercantile bodies, he said the Council, on the
invitation of Lord Harrowby, were about to send a portion
of their body who would urge upon them the necessity
of such an alteration in the law as would enable them to
decide commercial questions without being subject to the
present expensive process. The Chairman said, before in-
troducing the main object of the meeting, that very great
thanks were due to their borough member Mr. Turner,
to Mr. Brown, and to Mr. Horsfall, for the valuable
assistance they had given to the Council. The Chamber
had nothing whatever to do with politics, but it was a
subject of congratulation that three of their most eminent
members now formed part of the legislature of the
country. (Cheers.) He, therefore, moved, that the
thanks of the Chamber be presented to Messrs. Turner,
Brown, and Horsfall, for the assistance they have afforded
to it

The motion was unanimously adopted.
Mr. MALCOLNISON said the chairman was under some
mistake as to the mercantile bodies being opposed to the
extension of the working hours of the Custom-house
officers during the summer months. So far as the Ame-
rican Chamber of Commerce was concerned, he would say
they were decidedly in favour of the measure.
The CHAIRMAN said, on that subject he thought a deci-
sion had been arrived at, but he found he had made a
mistake. He might, therefore, alter what he hail said,
and say he hoped a satisfactory conclusion would be
come to.
Mr. MALcoLstsoN said it ought not to go forth that the
body, who were the most extensive in using the docks,
were opposed to the extension of the hours of working,
when it was not so.
The CHAIRMAN then introduced to the meeting George
Woodyatt Hastings, Esq., one of the London committee
of merchants and others associated for the improvement
of the commercial and bankrupt laws of Scotland, and the
assimilation of those laws in England and Scotland.
Mr. HASTINGS said the committee which he had the
honour to represent would be very much gratified at a
meeting being called to consider a report which they had
addressed to the different mercantile bodies, and to find
that the subject had engaged the attention of the mercan-
tile community of the greatest port in the world, and
more particularly one so greatly interested in the trade of
cotton. The origin of the committee which he repre-
sented, and the report which he held in his hand, was in
consequence of the failure of a large house in Glasgow in
September, 1851. A very large portion of the creditors
were English, and they became dissatisfied with the way
in which the estate was being wound up, the sum of £5OO
being charged by the trustee for getting in goods to the
amount of £lO,OOO. They accordingly instructed their
London solicitor to resist the demand ; but it was found
that the accounts had been docketed, and the time was
gone by for any appeal to be made, so that the money
was obliged to be paid. In the spring of this year, in

consequence of this and similar abuses existing, rt com-
mittee of London merchants and others was formed. Tn
addressing themselves to the subject they had before
them, the committee turned their attention to a very
wide sphere of operation—the modification of the whole
mercantile code ; but though they were of opinion
that this was a subject deserving of grave consideration,
'" "

yet they came to the conclusion that there was no
reason why they should not turn their attention to
subjects of a more practical nature. For this purpose
they commenced their operations on the subject, which
was divided under five different heads. The first was—
The losses and hardships suffered by Scotch and English
houses, creditors in Scotch sequestrations, resulting from
defects in the Scotch Bankrupt Act, 2 and 3 Vic.. c. 41,
and from the abuses which have grown up under the ope-
.

caaas• • •
ration of that statute. The speaker then proceeded to
explain the nature of the laws affecting bankruptcy and
insolvency in this country and in Scotland, and the evils
which prevailed in the latter country. As a remedy, he
said, it was not the intention of the Ccmmittee to take
the English Bankruptcy Consolidation Act, and thrust it
as a whole down the throats of the Scotch people. They
were perfectly well aware of the defects of that system,
more especially as regards the administration of small

estates. They hoped to
chiefly on the English B

a bill base(
lidation Act

but as far as possible avoiding *the effects of that sysL
tem. Tf it was adopted, they would then be able
to ascertain, by its_ working, how far it remedied

CASE OF MANSLAUGHTER.
♦
STRANGE AND FATAL CATASTROPHE

On Tuesday an inquest was commenced at the Coroner's
Court, on the body of a child, named Thomas, whose
parents reside at No. 2, Portwood-street, Upper Parlia-
ment-street, and who was drowned under the following
strange circumstances :—About half-past one o'clock on
Sunday afternoon week, the servant and the child were in
the cellar kitchen, where they had just dined, and whilst
removing some eislies she heard a somewhat strange
sound, and on turning round she observed the flags of
the kitchen had given way, and the child and the chair in
which it was sitting at the table had disappeared beneath
the surface. She immediately raised an alarm, and tailed
in a neighbour, named Edward Lowe, who examined the
place, and, on lifting the flags, he discovered the un-
fortunate child had fallen into a well, ten feet in depth,
RC gonertisiifon,
the adjourned
surveyor the in
and with four feet of water in it. As quickly as possible
he rescued the deceased, and despatched the servant for
Dr. Nottage, who pronounced life to be extinct. --
requested
ves t
for the corporation,
al
ld
to in
the matter, to draw up a report, and ascertain v

owners were

The case was resumed on Friday, when Mr. Richton,
who had surveyed the premises, care in his report thereon,
which he did most minutely, reflecting no credit upon the
parties who executed the flagging of the kitchen.—George
Power, surveyor, was also examined, and corroborated
the statement of Mr. Rishton.—A person named Hughes,
and another party, the latter person being in some part of

America at present, were the persons who performed the
113g,;ing of the kitchen and the construction of the well.
The Coroner took great pains in sitting all particulars that
would lead to a satisfactory conclusion, and deemed it
necessary to again postpone the case until yest
(Monday), to have Hughes brought before the court
Yesterday, at half past eleven o'clock, the inquE
rcf,nmerl

Hughes, the party above alluded to, was in attendance,
accompanied by his solicitor, Mr. Evans.

The first witness called was Richard liradtm
wright, who stated that at the time the wellwasco
_ _

the property

.s for Mr

the ow

The house was damp, and in t

instance a pump was put down, but it di,
remedy the evil, owing to the pump not
cieutiv. Mr. Hughes owned and lived in

door but one to that in

he said would drain the property effectually, but witness
could not say that Hushes said it would drain his own

house also.

Witness saw tl.

course of its

clnstruction, end also Paw Hughes at work at it. Ho
spoke to Hughes about it not being lined round with brick
inside, and Hughes said it would drain the water off
better, and large pieces of wood would be placed under the
flags as bearers, and then there would be no danger. The
work was done in 1846 or 1847.
Mrs. Hanmer was also called, and she stated that when
she spoke to Hughes of the house being dame, he said he
knew a man who had cured some houses in West Derby,
and would make a good job of it for her. She was after-
wards waited upon by the person, whose name was Jones,
and it was agreed that he should do the work for
Hughes undertaking to pay £1 of that sum. She only
saw the work once whilst it was going on, and never
thought it would be unsafe, as she trusted to Hughes
seeing that it was properly done.
Hughes was then examined by the Court.—He deposed

•
to some of the particulars as related by the former wit-

nesses, but in several instances positively contradicted
their statements. lie said that he knew nothing what-
ever of the construction of wells, having never made one

in his life. The party named Jones had informed him
that he was acquainted with such work, that he had con-
structed such wells at Bangor and other places, and would
do the work effectually. In consequence of this he sent
him to Mrs. Hanmer, but what bargain was wade
with her he never knew, and positively denied that he
paid anything towards the expense, or even agreed to do
so, for he was of opinion that to drain his own house it
would have been of no use whatever. lie also added

that he worked as labourer for Jones, who was now, he
believed, in some part of America, having gone to that
country two years ago, and who was to pay him 33. per
day. His wages were £l. 10s., but, in consequence of

,knes saying it was a losing job, he only took 20's. Mrs
Hamner paid him 7s. for laying the flags in the kitchen.

Mr. Evans addressed the jury at considerable length,
contending that his client, Hughes, was in no respect re-
sponsible for the work, and would not therefore legally be
liable for the consequences.

The Coroner summed up the evidence, going over the
whole of it, and stating the nature of the law affecting the
subject, and pointing out its application to the evidence
adduced. He said there could be no doubt whatever but
there had been gross and culpable negligence in the con-
struction of the well by some one. If the jury were of
opinion that Hughes and Jones jointly undertook to do
the work, and had done it so carelessly as to render it
unsafe, both were guilty of manslaughter. If they were
of opinion that only one of them undertook to do it, and
that he bad been guilty of negligence in its construction,
then their verdict must be that of manslaughter against
such party; hut, considering the conflicting nature of the
evidence against Hughes, and also taking into considera-
tion the length of time which had elapsed since the work
was done, he (the Coroner) thought it would hardly be
safe to return a verdict of manslaughter against him.
The Jury retired, and, after being out of court a quarter
of an hour, found a verdict of manslaughter against John
Jones, the foreman saying that they wtre of opinion that
the court should reprimand Richard Hughes for recom-

mendinz a man to Mrs. Hanrner of whose ability he could

personally know nothing

Tne Coroner said the jury must bear in mind that
Hughes had said if he had had a well to wake in his own