The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-06-23 00:00:00

DOMESTIC.

A public dinner to celebrate the presentation of the
National Te,tinaonial to Mr. Rowland Hill, for his inde-
fatigable and successful exertions in the cause of " Penny
Postage," took place on Wednesday at the West India
Dock Tavern (Lovegrove's well-known establishment),
at Blackwall. Mr. Warburton, M.P. presided on the
occasion, and about seventy gentlemen were present.
The gross sum of £15,725 4s. 81d. has been subscribed,
and, after deducting exuenses, there has been paid over
to Mr. Hill the sum of .X 13,360 19s sd.
The danger of entrusting children with lucifer matches
has been forcibly illustrated in several instances within
the last two or three weeks by several ricks having been
destroyed, owing to their mischief on the part of children
playing with matches. Another instance occurred on
Wednesday, at Wittoh, near Droitwich, where three boys
between the ages of five and eight were amusing them-
selves by making bonfires under a rick of hay, which
closely adjoined another, and both of which are set on
fir'. And only saved from entire destruction by great ex-
ertion.

June 1.3, 1846:

PEEPr TVATING A NAME —A Roman cement manu-
facturer of Lerby, named Brookbouse, who died and was
buried last week, devised a singular mode of preserving
Lis memory. A thick I,.ycr of cement was spread at the
bottom of his grave, just before the coffin was lowered;
the sides and ends were then filled, and another layer of
the same material at the top completely hid the coffin
from view, and rendered it air-tight. Before it hardened,
which the cement d;d in a few minutes, to the consistency
of the hardest stone, the deceased's name was traced in
the yielding mass, so that if, at some future age, the de-
posit should be disturbed, the name of the occupier of the
interior may be read.

ALARMING EVENT.—On Tuesday night, as the mail-
train from the north was proceeding to London, one of
the leading carriages took tire at Kilshy Tunnel, about
four miles beyond Rugby, from the falling of a spark
emitted by the engine, which set fire to the luggage placed
at the top of the vehicle. Mr. Mason, Town Clerk
of Doncaster, and Mr. Vickers, of Sheffield, who were
seated in the carriage, were exposed to great personal
danger. The progress of the fire was so intense and rapid
that they were compelled to quit it and seek for safety by
standing on the wooden steps ; tbus exposing themselves
to a double danger. The train was stopped as speedily
as possible, and the fire extinguished by a supply of water
from the engine. The luggage of many of the passengers
was wholly destroyed or seriously injured. it is a very for-
tunste circumstance that these gentlemen, placed as they
were in this extremely perilous position, were enabled to
provide for their personal safety; as, in the course of a
few minutes, the roof, with the burning luggage, would
have fallen in upon them. The damaged carriage was
left at Wolverton ; and the train reached its destination
w;thout the occurrence of any other accident.—Doncaster
Gazette.

BIRMINGHAM MUSICAL FESTIVAL.—We are at length
able to announce the completion and arrival of Mendels-
sohn's new oratorio, " Elijah," a work that will form one
of the most prominent and attractive features of the ap-
proaching Birmingham Musical Festival. In the opinion
of the gifted composer himself, it is his chef d'auvre.
During the last year Mendelssohn's progress through the
German festivals—at each of which be has produced and
conducted some of his best compositions—has been one
series of successes ; but we expect that the forthcoming
performance of this, his new and favourite work, under
his immediate superintendence, will be his crowning tri-
umph. We are assured. by competent authority, that it
fully warrants the predilections formed in its favour by
the composer, and that full of melody, clear in vocal part
writing, and rich in instrumentation, it will justify the
most sanguine expectations of its success. We are much
pleased to find that the Festival Committee have nearly
completed their arrangements and selections both of per-
formances and performers, and that amongst other good
things promised to us Beethoven's Mass in D, probably
the greatest work of this sublime composer, and which,
from its requirements of space and size of choir and band,
has never before had a chance of being heard in this coun-
try in so complete a manner, will be produced, and that
its effects will be enhanced by the engagement of the
whole Philharmonic Orchestra. 'We may direct the at-
tentionlof our readers to the liat of principal singers en-
g ged, which will be found in another column.—Birming-
ham Herald.

PxTTY LARCENY NOT KNOWN IN LAW BOOKS.—A.
gentleman in the neighbourhood of Inverness, who rejoices
in a beautiful garden, and has a passion for flowers, re-
ceived lately from the south a rich assortment of seeds,
the germs of various floral treasures, new or unknown in
our northern region. The seeds were committed to the
earth, each being distinguished by the tally-stick and
written label containing the name of the plant. To the
surprise and dismay of the owner however, the whole of
those labels were one day missing. The "tallies" re-
mained, apparently untouched, in their respective posi-
tions, but not one of the labels could be discovered. The
whole number, amounting to twenty.seven, had been
withdrawn from the separate notches, and so dexterously
was the feat accomplished, that not a foot-print or trace
of violence was visible. Here was irreparable loss and
endless confusion 1 How could the names of the flowers
he ascertained—what motive could have prompted the
theft? After a careful scrutiny the mystery was unra-
velled. In a pear-tree, close to the flower-beds, was
found a bird's nest, partly formed and compacted of the
lost treasures. During the quiet of the Sabbath morning
a pair of busy and felonious blackbirds had abstracted the
learned lines, and very ingeniously interwoven them with
the moss, roots, and other materials of their nest, plaster-
ing over the Latin polysyllables with a careless bat barity
worthy of the Goths or any other destroyers of learning.
The evil was without remedy, for the florist knew not
how to put back the labels in their proper places. Accor-
dingly the flowers are left to spring unnamed, and the
birds retain possession of their spoil.—Jrrerness Courier.
AMUSING OCCURRENCE.—During Ibrahim Pacha's
visit to Birmingham his highness was informed that the
skin of a whale was to be exhibited, and his highness im-
mediately ordered a car to convey him to the exhibition.
The proprietor, who had been previously apprised of his
highness's intention to honour him with a visit,imme-
diately determined on making the most of his distinguished
visitor. In a short time, the Pacha and his attendants
arrived, as they thought, quite privately, and were imme-
diately conducted into the exhibition-booth. The pro-
prietor then made his appearance on the outer platform,
and with a stentorian voice announced that he had then
for exhibition the monstrous whale, with which he judi-
ciously contrived to couple the name of the Pacha, so as
to constitute him a part and parcel of the exhibition. It
is needless to say the announcement was successful, and
of the
all the
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spectators.sthi
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Money-takers
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Pacha
having
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ns: withntiv
of the benefit which his visit had conferred upon the show-
man, good humouredly enjoyed the amusement, and while
the crowds were rushing in through the front entrance,
he took his departure from the rear of the erection, leav-
ing the proprietor to settle with the company for the non-
appearance of one portion of the exhibition which he had
ingeniously announced. On his return to the hotel the
adventure constituted some good jokes for the evening,
which were not lessened by another application from Mr.
Showman, for the Pacha to visit him again. A guinea,
however, was given as a substitute for his highness's at-
tendance, and the intended honour was declined.
THE WHOLESALE MATRIMONIAL SPECULATOR.—At
the New Court, London, before the Recorder, Joseph
Mortimer, aged 83, described as a labourer, was indicted
for feloniously intermarrying Caroline Wright, on the 7th
of June, 1845, his wife, Josephine Langbourne, being
then alive. No counsel was engaged for the prosecution;
and the prisoner, who was undefended, pleaded not guilty.
As soon as the indictment had been read, the prisoner put
in a written paper, requesting his trial might be postponed
until the ensuing session, in order that he might engage
and instruct counsel for his defence, and also that be
might be enabled to have certain documents brouzlit for-
ward that would prove him to be a citizen of the United
States, a circumstance that led him to infer the Court, on
that ground, had not the power to convict him of an of-
fence committed in this country ; and again, that he should
have a complete answer to the charge from this circum-
stance, that an agreement was drawn up in New York
between him and Josephine Langbourne, that neither
party should be at liberty to marry again. whit h, by the
laws of United States, is equivalent to a divorce. The Re-
corder said, that assuming all contained in the paper put
in to the Court, it would be no answer, or would b# ofno
service to the prisoner, as he was proved to be a British
subject, and owing allegiance to her Majesty ; and even
could he prove himself to have been naturaligtd, and be-
come a citizen of the United States, that would not clear
him of an offence committed against the laws of this coun-
try, where the offence did net have any reference to the
international laws of the two countries. The certificates
and
oafry. proved,usnue 1844 , at St.
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joy. A witness, named Isabella Cave, who was present
at the marrine, deposed to the prisoner being the man
and the jury. returned a verdict of guilty. Tne prisoner was
tmponhrfeaei:rnwsoreineisenaedrdiriittetog:peNieditrhifesotchrLtel apparel, the property of Al Lo yer. The
said the things had partly been given him by prosecutrige
and part he had bought of her. The jury found him
guilty. '1 he Recorder in passing sentence, characterised
the offence as one of the basest nature, and said, that com-
ment to a man so degraded as the prisoner would F.e use-
less. For the larceny he should trail, port him for seven
years, and reserve his judgment on the other indictments
until a future day. The prisoner left the dock quite un-
concerned.