The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-12-31 00:00:00

sinking concern—paid for as an advertisement—may,
in the shape of a leading article or a letter, mislead and

mystify some gullible individuals who take all they
read for gospel.' But beyond this, and the periodical
statements. Of the different boards of direction, the
2* proprietors and those interested in railway stock have
no local organs to which they can look with confidence
foririformation, or through which they can appeal to
the public for support.
*The cOnSequence..of the want of such a source of
-information has bee; lamentably injurious to the suc-
cessful progress of he railway system generally.
Schemes have n neocted, the visionary character
of which; if laid bare to the public eye, would have
been scouted with derision; whilst others, of sterling
in the hands of men not possessed of the tact,
-plansibility, or-influence necessary to support them in
their feeble infancy, have expired of inanition, or been
sneeretrout of existence. The shares of some under-
takings have flourished for a time at extravagant pre-
miums, whilst others have languished at a discount,
Until a sudden change of opinion, or a shuttle of the
cards, or some other unaccountable circumstance,' has
`reversed the order of things entirely. A nod on
'Change, a shrug of the shoulders, or a mysterious
look from one of the initiated, has been sufficient either
*to raise or'depress the value of any undertaking; and
its sterling Merits, as 'an investment for capital, have
been treated as merely a secondary object ; its -value
being made to depend upon the-facility' with which its
shares canid be bandied about in the market. One
Soap bubble after another has 'burst in the hands
that grasped it ; and 'Men- 'who, in the innoconcc of
their hearts, have all along imagined that they were
embarked In; fair' anti legitimate 'speculation, find out,
at length, That they have been gambling fOr a stake as.
far beyond their dreaming as, in too'nrany instances,
it is beyond their phWer to pay.
Out of ail-4 ceaseless fluctuation by which share.
.....property has been rendered proVerbially insecure, and.
at times alrno-4* impossible' to realise, has arisen, on
the part of a• great portion 'of the sober and thinking
'portion of the community, a rooted disinclination to
invest even in the best undertakings; 'Holders of
many a sound and sterling concern have thrown away
for a few poundsthe gradnal accumulation Of years of
industry, and, disgusted with the fruits of.their own
rashness, have been led to abjure a system of which
the benefits to -mankind' are as yet hut very feebly
appreciated. The impedirnents which this feeling is
placing in the way of those who'wish honestly to carry
into execution the different works in which they are
engaged, and from which they haVe sure grounds of
hoping for ample returns, are almost beyond descrip-
tion-; and, unless a remedy 'be applied, (and what is
so efficacious a remedy for error as correct informa-
tion ?.) we fear that many useful undertakings must
stand still for want of those means which a just confi-
dence in their merits would at once furnish.
This information we purpose endeavouring to sup-
ply—at least as far as Liverpool and the adjacent dis-
tricts are concerned. It is well known how large a
portion of the capital now invested in railways has been
supplied by 'the' merchants and manufacturers of the
county of 'tancakter, and that Liverpool is the market
in which the bulk of this immense property is bought
and sold. A record' of the transactions of our Share-
Market we hiive always, in common with most of
,our
contemporaries; been able to furnish ; but we propose
to' extend our views, and: to' lay before our readers,
from time to time, the most correct information we can
gather from the best soirees, of the progress of those
undertakings in which we knolV them to be interested,
with such observations- on their Management* and ge-
neral merits as will, we trust, enable them to steer clear
of the evils of undue confidence on the 'one hand, or,
unfounded panic- On the oiler. In order to enable use
to render our efforts of real value, we beg respectfully
to request the co-operation of the various Boards of
Directors, and `the support of those parties whose in-
terest is our main object. At the same time, we take
the opportunity of • pledging ourselves, that whilst our
columns shall always he open for the dissemination of
ascertained truth, we shall neither lend ourselves to
Puff' up one undertaking, or to' decry another unde-
servedly.

We perceive by the; Newcastle Journal that_ a large
and influential meeting of shipowners and -others had
taken place at South Shields, not only to take into
serious consideration the ciate of our foreigi-, policy
and colonial possessions,'but, what is better, to lay the
foundation of 'a Chamber of Commerce, that merchants
of all parties inly join in protecting the vital interests
of the country; and may brink their combined weight
and-influence' to 'bear on any question affecting the
'ArianufaCtirres an l' the commercial relations of the
i.lt'iSveriMly clear to us, that unless a speedy
'change -takes-plate both in our public men and in our
public measures, we shall cease to stand in the fore-
' most rank, and' England; with her boasted commercial
' superiority,- will sink into a second-rate power, and be
obliged. to submit to the insults and aggressions of
Russia and France, to the decay of our manufactures,
the destruction of our colonies, and the insecurity of
Our mercantile trade. When we really consider that
the interests of such a mighty empire as this are in
the hands of battered beaux, frivolous roues, and ta-
lentless Whigs, who steer for no fixed point, who are
guided by no fixed principle, but who are at sea on
every subject affecting the vitality of the country, we
are amazed that any mercantile men can support such
a worthless crew, who rush on to take the management
of such mighty interests, regardless of the misery and
suffering to thousands which their fatal policy natu-
rally produces. We have no wish to see our country
involved in war—far otherwise ; but unless our Go-
vernment adopts Conservative principles, and brings
to the helm men Of acknowledged ability, who can
make foreigners respect the acts of their Council as
well as the thunder of their artillery, the time is not
far distant when we must fight for our colonial pos-
sessions, if not for our national existence. Men laugh
at Russia, and at Russian influence : they underrate
her resources : they scoff at her power. But they will
not do so in a few years. They know not the wiles
and the treachery, the actual power and the inigley
minds we have to deal with,—a power that has added
tuore to her territory since the peace of 1815 than half
•Xurope—who has risen to influence all but paramount
in every part of the world—who has laid Poland, Tor-
key, Persia, at her feet—whose surface swarms with
the hardiest population in the world—who in her youth
withstood the whole of .Europe, led on by the genius
Napoleon—who looks at our Indian possessions as
already within her grasp—whose Councils are directed
by men well skilled in diplomacy, and 'who pursue one
grand object. Such' a nation will sooner or later
humble Great Britain, if the latter is much longer to
rain under Whig rule, and our foreign policy to be
left in the hands of a Palmerston. We should be glad
see all our associations joining-together to form one
grand Chamber of Commerce in Liverpool. We, and
not such a place as South Shields, ought to take the
e4d in these matters. The united influence of' our
merchants ought to be brought to bear on our unprin-
cipled and voluptuous Government; and they should
either be compelled to uphold British interests, or be
indignantly driven from the occupation of that power
which, they wield for the diAionour and destruction,
nd not for the integrity and benefit, of the nation at
large.

We are glad to find that Mr. Schomburgk, the tra-
veller, from whose account of British Guiana we latel
furnished y
our readers with several extracts, has an-
t! °tinted for publication a series of twelve views in that
Interesting and magnificent colony. These views will
afford us some idea of the gorgeous scenery of that
:untrY, the value of which will be most materially
I
-11"anced by the descriptive letter-press. As the
-Prospectus very justly remarks, " the botanist and
'1:g1 e°l°glst will be alike interested in a series of drawings
b
10,:cli will exhibit many striking wonders in the geo-
:Y and botany of Guiana—a colony enriched by the
4,4 extraordinary vegetation; as an example of which
/I's "1Y neceesary to mention the gigantic VICTORIA
,six"fl, an aquatic plant, of which the leaf measures
4.0 eet and a half in length." This work will, no
.nteubt, be
appreciated by all who take any degree of
rest in the prosperity of our c We trus
atthat the list of subscribers will be ruched s
to compen-
t
e the talented author for his persevering exertions.
The

last progress of Hartlepool as a seaport town during the
only four Years is truly extraordinary. In 1835 there were
vessels
three sloops registered in the port ; there are now 90
easels, averaging about 245 tons each, and they represent a
capital 'of X 208,800.