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

THE " LIVERPOOL" STEAM SHIP.

The following gleanings relative to the voyage out and
home of this splendid vessel, and the reception of her offi-
cers by the authorities and others in the United States, may
be interesting to our readers.

AT SEA. -Nothing could exceed the good humour and
jovial disposition of passengers both in the outward and
homeward voyage. Every one of the gentlemen on board
appeared to be determined to be happy himself, and to.con-
tribute to the happiness and enjoyment of all around him,
and the presence of the ladies served to chasten and refine
the round of amusements that beguiled the tedium of the
passage. The fare was abundant, and of the choicest qua-
lity ; and the appetites of the guests, both in the saloon and
fore cabin, were by the sea air enabled to do ample jus-
tice to the viands, wines, &c. Refreshments indeed were so
constantly in requisition, that every day became a sort of
continuous feast, the intervals being filled up by reading.
" spinning yarns," smoking, and all the et ceteras of good
fellowship, to which the captain and officers, when not offici-
ally employed, contributed a liberal share. Music and poetry
lent their aid to promote the general hilarity. Singing was
frequent—and three songs were written, composed, and sung
in full chorus, in praise of the good ship Liverpool, and the
doings onboard while she bounded along on the wide Atlantic.
One gentleman, also, often enlivened the company by his
violin, which he played with taste and execution. The only
casualty that occurred, was the being run foul of by a ship
in the night, on the outward voyage, off Ireland, by which
the fort•part of the poop was damaged, but not to an extent
in any degree affecting the state of the vessel, or. rendering it
necessary to put back for repairs. On the return voyage
St. Patrick's day was kept up by the pasSengerS with as
much glee and conviviality as if they had all been natives of
the sister isle. Amongst them were the Hon: Capt. Augustus
Spencer, of the British (Canadian) army, son of Lord
Churchill; and Lieut. Hyde Parker, of the Royal Artillery,
both " choice spirits." The latter gentleman had been
taken prisoner by French Canadian revolters, who would not
believe, from the smallness of his stature, that he was an
officer, until they saw hini in military attire. They com-
pelled him to read all the English letters they, from time to
time, intercepted,—most- of which were mere epistles on
love or friendship. He, however, was enabled to resent this
indignity imposed uponhim while a captive, having not only
effected his escape, but was the means at the same time of
throwing the party who detained him into the hands of the
British. It was but natural that this gentleman should not
entertain any very favourable opinion of the American bor-
derers, and the following anecdote will serve to illustrate the
manly bearing of the English and the American " gentle-
man."
While the Liverpool lay at New York, an American gen-
tleman named Osborne, a fine-looking fellow, whose great-
grandfather had been the first governor of the state of New
York, and was a great favourite with all the officers of the
ship, was invited on board. While they were at tea, Lieu-
tenant Parker, recurring to his captivity amongst the Cana-
nian republicans, took occasion to allude to the character of
the Americans (who had sympathized with the revolters) in
no very gentle terms,—denouncing them generally to Mr.
Osborne as a heartless set, and so far from being brave or
warlike, that the whole of their forces on the bordeis, not-
withstanding their boasting, could be easily beaten by a
handful of British troops. One of the officers of the ship,
seeing the position in which the candid Lieutenant was placing
himself, and wishful to check the conversation, lest a duel
might be the consequence, interrupted the speaker, by in-
quiring of Mr. Osborne if he were an Englishman. " No,
Sir," was the reply—" lam an American." Lieutenant
Parker, who conceived he had been addressing a countryman,
instantly apologized for his rudeness, though in such a man-
ner as not to compromise his own honour, or to withdraw his
declared opinion of the American soldiery. " I was utterly
ignorant, Sir," said he, " that you were an American, other-
wise I would not have uttered a word that might wound your
feelings, as a gentleman, and, I doubt not, a lover of your own
country ; yet I cannot forego my opinion of the inferiority of
the American character generally as compared with the British,
and I should be ready, should occasion reqaire, to prove it
in the field." Mr. Osborne, with equal manhood, accepted
of this apology, admitting at the same time, with regret, that
the border Americans did not furnish the most favourable
opinions of his countrymen, and that he hoped the gallant
Lieutenant had, at least, found some gallant fellows and true
gentlemen in the United States. This Lieutenant Parker
readily admitted, and in illustration of the fact stated, that
while he was recently with his regiment on the borders, the
officers of the American army sent an handsome invitation to
the British officers to come over and spend a few days with
them at their station. They complied, were most hospitably
treated, and spent a few most agreeable days with their en-
tertainers, who were " gentlemen" every inch of them. The
result of this friendiy meeting was a mutual understanding,
that should hostilities arise between Canada and the States,
the officers taken prisoners on either side, should become
honorary members of each other's mess. The gentleman
who yesterday related to us this anecdote, remarked
that the Americans generally do more justice to Eng-
land and English character, than the English do to Ame-
rica and the general character of her inhabitants, amongst
whom, though they are generally boastful, he and his
messmates found many highly-talented, hospitable, and
generous individuals—many, indeed, who spoke of visiting
England as of " going home to the old country." It were
to be lamented two such nations, bearing such affinities in
language, laws, and refinement, should be driven into hosti-
lities, which, without being productive of any solid advantage
to either, would be destructive for a time of the mutually
beneficial intercourse that now exists between them.
OPINIONS IN AMERICA RELATIVE TO THE BOUNDARY
DISPUTE.—The general opinion appeared to be, that the
higher and better-informed classes in the States are inimical
to war with England ; but that the lower classes, who have
little or nothing to lose, and who entertain unfounded pre-
judices against the English, are " eager for the fray." The
two candidates for the next Presidency are Mr. Webster and
Mr. Clay. Webster heads the s" war party," and two days
before the sailing of the Liverpool, he said in Congress, that
if the English did not cede the whole territory in dispute, it
would become the duty of America to pour her troops into
it, and take it by force of arms. By thus administering to
the passions of the lower classes, he has attained an accession
of popularity, on which he hopes to secure his election' as
President. It may be remarked, that the Canadian question
excites very little interest in the Southern States. It was
generally thought, in well:informed circles in the United

'States, that no war would ensue, and that the boundary
would be finally fixed by negociation. The stubborn dispo-
sition of the inhabitants of Maine alone stood in the way of
an adjustment.
HOSPITABLE ENTERTAINMENT OF THE OFFICERS OF
THE LIVERPOOL.—Nothing could exceed the hospitable re=
ception of the captain and officers of the ship by the New
Yorkers, who pulled them about from feast to feast, and from
ball to ball, till they were fairly fatigued with the good cheer
and variety. of amusements. They were invited to all the
theatres; had free admission to the museums and public in-
stitutions ; and even when they rode out into the country,
it was enough that they belonged to the " Liverpool," and
" mine host' everywhere welcomed them, and refused pay-
ment for their refreshrnents or the fodder for their horses.
On the Ist of, March (instant) they were all invited to a
grand ball given by the natives of Scotland in the city, to
their friends, in the Tammany Hall. The company con-
sisted of 1500 persons, and presented a most splendid assem-
blage of beauty and fashion. The ladies, many of whom
(though Americans) had adopted the Highland costume, were
all elegantly attired, and looked most enchanting. Many of
the gentlemen wore also the Scotch kilt and bonnet. Besides
modern fashionable dances, Scotch reels were frequent
throughout the evening, and Captain Fayrer and his " merry
men" tripped it. gaily on the light fantastic toe with the fair
daughters of America. In a room beiow the dancing-room,
which is a splendid apartment, refreshments were served ;
and here the committee and others congregated to partake
of refreshments, sing songS, play cards, and otherwise amuse
themselves. Mr. Wilson, from the National Theatre, sung,
as appropriate to the occasion, " John Anderson my jo',"
in a most pathetic and delightful manner. A Scotch gentle-
man also sang admirably. And to complete the nationality
of the entertainment there were, besides the band, two bag-
pipes in the dancing-room,
" Wha screwed their pipes and gart them skirl,
Till roof and rafters a' did dirl."
The company, amongst whom was the Honourable the Mayor
of the city and other distinguished individuals, were highly
delighted with the entertainment, and did not separate till
" the crowing of the cock.", One of the ladies, we arc told,-
made so low a curtsey to her partner that she was found in
the refreshment room below. This, we presume, is the latest
Jonathan imported.
FETE ON BOARD THE " VELOCE" FRENCH STEAM

. _
FRIGATE.—During the stay of the Liverpool at New York,
her officers were politely invited on board of the Veloce, a
French government steam frigate of peculiar and magnificent
construction. She is nearly as large as the Liverpool, and
calculated to steam against adverse winds, and to sail with
fair winds. She has two engines of 110 horse power, and
steams at the rate of 9 to 10 knots an hour. Her paddle
floats can be unshipped in 20 minutes, and her fires put out,
so that she becomes at once a sailing ship Her rigging is
heavy, and in lieu of cordage the whole is of chain. When
going head to wind, her yards which are jointed in the middle,
can be lowered to a perpendicular position, (like the arms of
a telegraph) so that they hang in front of the mast and pre-
sent little resistance to the breeze. She carries four guns,
thirty-two pounders. This vessel has been cruizing, and had
been (from France) at Havana, and afterwards at Baltimore.
All her officers were engineers, and understood the working
of the engine, and all the sailors were required, to act in turn
as firemen, so that there was no necessity for having two dis-
tinct crews, as in our English steam-ships. Capt. Berenge,
the commander of this ship, and his officers, entertained our
countrymen in a most hospitable manner, treating them to
claret, and showing them the ship and her engines—the
latter manufactured by Messrs. Fawcett and Co. of this town.
Her third lieutenant spoke English well, and numerous were
the compliments exchanged (far better tnan shot) between
the parties, who spent a delightful afternoon together. As a
matter of course an invitation was given to these French
gentlemen to come on board the Liverpool, and as readily ac-
cepted. They went on board in a fine boat decorated with
the English, French, and American flags ; expressed their
high satisfaction with the vessel, and her officers, who treated
them to every delicacy on board, not forgetting abundance of
champagne in return for their claret.
(We arc indebted for the above few particulars of the last
trip of the Liverpool, to Mr. Christie the first officer, Mr.
Langdon the purser, and Mr. Crawford the surgeon, whose
intelligence and conversational powers contribute in no small
degree to the pleasures of a transatlantic voyage by the vessel
to which they belong.)

NATIONAL EDUCATION.—We beg to call the attention of
our readers to a very important meeting, advertised in this
day's paper, on the subject of national education and church
extension, the purpose of which is to petition the Commons
for grants of money ; and as the ladies unfortunately have
not yet acquired the right of petitioning, it will only be in
the power of the committee of management to reserve the
gallery for such of them as may think it worth their while to
attend.

LIVER THEATRE.—Master W. Grossmith, (a boy about
10 years old) of whose precoscious theatrical abilities, report
speaks in the highest terms of praise, will open this delight-
ful little theate, with his " novel entertainment," consisting
of the representation of a great many characters, on Monday
next. That our readers may form an idea of his merits, we
extract the following from the Windsor Herald :—Our talent-
ed friends, " The Grossmiths'," gave their promised treat on
Wednesday last. The hall was literally crowded from end to
end with a fasionable. and admiring audience, nearly fourteen
hundred in number. The oldest present does not remember
it so densely filled before ; and the affectionate feeling which
prevailed throughout the evening was unprecedented. Want
of time and space prevents our going into detail or doing them
justice. Three entirely new pieces were produced and they
promise to be eminently successful. They consist of that
variety and rapid succession of changes which characterised
the author's former productions, and the heroes are person-
ated in the same talented manner as before by the juvenile
actors. The cleverness of the younger, who from his age, it
might be imagined, could possess but a faint conception of the
nice points which discriminate the various characters, is really
astonishing : he has'all the tact of an old stage veteran, and
hits off the peculiarities of each personage as if by instinct.
He is as true to nature in a venerable caracter as in the
personation of those more consistent with his youthful bearing,
and even was the critic inclined to be severe, his excellent
acting would set him at defiance. He was ably supported by
his brother, W. R. Grossmith. They have advanced much,
having gained those principles, imbibed from study, which
combined with inherent talent, will surely increase their fame;
both are destined to receive a large share of public attention,
and its loudest praise.
Her Majesty, it is understood, will give a series of three
state balls at Buckingham Palace, after the Easter recess.
The first, it is expected, will take place the third week in
April.