The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-07-17 00:00:00

COMMUNICATION FROM THE CHAIRMAN

The SECRETARY stated, that he had received a letter,
dated the 15th instant, from the chairman of the committee
relative to the progress of the new dock bill. The letter
was then read, but from the inconvenient position of the
reporters table, and the low tone in which the secretary
pitched his voice, we do not profess to give it accurately.
The letter stated that the parliamentary committee had been
engaged in considering the clauses of the bill for some days
past, but they had proceeded slowly in consequence of the
opposition of its opponents. Many clauses had, however,
been passed, and some had been modified. The vestry clerk
yesterday had stated the case of his board, and the clerk of the
Highway Board for his as to the rating of the proposed new
warehouses, &c. The committee decided against them very
properly ; but the proportion of lighting and other expenses
was to be paid by the warehouses and the parish. Thus the
parish and highway boards had increased the expenses of
their unwarrantable opposition to the bill. The proposed
plause authorizing the measurement of steamers was rejected,
on the ground that a private bill could not alter a public
enactment. Yesterday and to-day the clauses authorizing
the purchase of land had been discussed; and the committee
decided that the purchase of land was optional, but that, if
bought, the dock committee ought to be compelled to build
warehouses. The clause authorizing them to borrow money
would be settled to-morrow. The next passage in the letter
related to the constitution of the committee, but it was ho-
possible to hear it correctly. The letter concluded by stating,
that the opponents of the bill contended that the expense of
the act ought to be equally born by the dock estate and the
warehouse opponents, but this proposition was speedily re-
jected, and consequently clause 97 stood unaltered with re-
gard to the payment of the expenses.
Mr. GLADSTONE said that, with regard to the letter just
read, he could not help thinking that the Chairman of the
Dock Committee would have acted a more prudent part if he
had abstained from expressions calculated to excite and
irritate those who were opposed to the bill. He for one, was
prepared to contend that the conduct of the parish' was
called for, and perfectly justifiable. It must be recollected
that those members of the committee of the House of Com-
mons, who were opposed to the views of the promoters of
the bill, had latterly, and, as he considered,. most inex-
cusably, absented themselves from the committee during the
past week, in consequence of which, what had been previ-
ously decided was, in their absence re-opened and reversed—
converting what was a majority into a minority. With re-
spect to the expressions in that letter of " promptly re-
fusing," and " speedily negativing," when it was known
what the attendance of the members of the committee was,
and how it was at that moment constituted, it was a farce to
make use of such. On a very late division, he believed the
numbers opposing were cut down to four, solely from the
circumstance of three or four members having left town.
He regretted that in the chairman's communication nothing
was said as to whether the bill could or could not be carried
through parliament this session. Those who were con-
sidered to be well informed, out of doors, were of opinion
that there was no probability whatever of its passing this
session. If that were the case, he should like to know upon
what grounds the bill was still persevered in ; and whether it
was yet known what amount of money had been expended
on it ? He understood that the expenses of the promoters
and the opposers amounted now to from £12,000 to £15,000 ;
and this sum was to be thrown away on a bill which, so far as
could be ascertained, would be lost ! He should be very
glad if the information as to the expense, 'which he had be-
fore asked for, could be furnished; perhaps the Secretary
could state it.
The SECRETARY replied that the Treasurer was absent ;
but he believed the expenses did not approach to anything
like the sum named by Mr. Gladstone. The last return was
£2,509, and the expenses since might have been £l,OOO
more..

Mr. GLADSTONE had still a desire to know whether any
communication had been made to the effect that it was im-
possible for the deputation representing the committee to get
the bill this session?

The. CHAI .M—A7 knew nothing of what might be passing
out of door ; but the deputation believed that the expecta-
tion of obtaining the bill was not altogether hopeless. There
had been many delays certainly, but none on the part of the
promoters of the bill.
Mr. YATES complained that the course adopted to pro-
cure the bill was one calculated to irritate the great body of
merchants and shipowners.
Mr. HORSFALL said this was not the time to discuss the
merits of the bill. If a day were set apart for that. purpose
he should have no objection to meet Mr. Yates upon some of
the points he had raised.
Mr. YATES should be most happy to discuss the bill with
Mr. Horsfall at any time.
The' CH A IRM AN.—We cannot do it at present.
Mr: Y ATES.—I am sorry for that, because the more you
go into it the worse you will come out of it.

- The discussion then terminated, and the committee ad-
journed.

PHILOSOPHY OF STORMS

Mr. Espy, of Philadelphia, delivered the third lecture of
his course on this subject in the Music-hall, Bold-street, on
the evening of Wednesday. The attendance. although by no

means so numerous as to offer any great encouragement to

previous occasions,' notwithstanding the attractions,of the
principal race day. In the absency of the Mayor, Mr. J. B.
Yates was called to the chair.
The Chairman expressed his regret to see so small an at-
tendance upon a subject so interesting and important to this
port, and to the welfare of the seaman. It was true that
the best portions of Mr. Esny's lectures nr.tnirrpd in n

week devoted to conviviality arid amusement, and that un-
questionably had some effect in preventing many from at-
tending; but it must not be forgotten that there were other
races to be run, of equal importance to those at Aintree,
thn.. msnrs fl,. f.r.7 • --

Lue sea. (ufteers.) Every one inter-
ested in the prosperity of the country, he contended, should
consider how these marine races might be run with the great-
est advantage, and with the greatest safety to our brave ma-
riners. (Hear, hear.) Mr. Espy, in the present lecture,
would develope some interesting circumstances, shewing how
this object might be partly accomplished. and t.- -
man) had no doubt filo

ROMANCE OF REAL LIFE-.ESCAPE INNSI
A LOCK-UP.

An occurrence which has caused a good deal of conversa-
tion in this town took place last Saturday morninhibthe
particulars of which, we believe, to be pretty early s follows :—On Thursday last a lady and gentlemann in a very
smart gig, drawn by a capital grey horse, drove
rend Mr. West's, the Brownlow Arms, in Clitheroe. They ined
there all night, and next morning, when the bill ought to have
been paid, it was found that the gentleman was in the unen-
viable situation of being without cash. As credit was not to
be had. he left the

..uy, as a pledge and a hostage,
while he mounted the horse and rode over to Blackburn,
putting up at Mr. Rothwell's, the Dun Horse Inn, Market-
street Lane. Here he bargained for the sale of the horse,
and gig and harness, which the buyer was to take on the
seller's description, and the stun he was to receive for the
whole was £l5. One sovereign was given to him to seal the
bargain, which done he exchanged- his horse for a pony of
Mr. Rothwell's and hastened back to Clitheroe to release
his wife and the gig by the payment of Mr. West's bill.
With these he returned to Blackburn, the latter being deli-
vered to its new owner, and the purchase-nionev hariflpri

to our traveller. Thus matters stood on the evening of Fri
- ...,...,..uz y wont(' aerive high gratifica- day, when the suspicions of our active and intelligent
tion from those explanations.
Superintendent of Police, Mr. Burke, were awakened on
Mr. Espy was then introduced, and received with much the fact of this extraordinarily cheap bargain coming to his
applause. He commenced by demonstrating the fact, that knowledge. He accordingly made it his business to inquire
by condensing the air it was much heated, and that by rani- into the affair, and being in plain clothes he had no difficulty
fying it it was cooled. Ile next glanced at the progress made in getting into conversation with the gentleman and lady,
in the preceding lectures in ascertaining the cause of storms, at the Dun Horse, the result of which was that he was con-
and said, if he had proved that air went up in currents under vinced the horse and gig were stolen. The parties were
forming clouds, clouds would form, and all their phenomena immediately taken into custody, and the male prisoner, being
take place. A great many storms had been investigated since of highly respectable appearance, was granted the privilege
the report of the joint committee upon their origin. In of a room up staits in the police office, apart from the herd
that report, it would be recollected, the committee stated, of common offenders, drunkards, and the like until the case
that in all the storms which they had investigated, nine in could be heard before a magistrate. He was placed in a room
number, it was found that the air rushed in from all sides of on the third story in the building, the window of which was
the circumference towards a centre: But them. .....-....- -,-- - - ' •
. . . .

secured

by a row of iron bars, and in this situation was visited
/. I

purKe ninisett, we understand, saw his prisoner a little be-
fore one o'clock on Saturday morning. However, soon after
that hour the fellow very ingeniously and dexterously con-
trived to make his escape. First he removed one of the iron
bars which secured the window, by what means does not
clearly appear; after which, having torn his shirt into strips
and made a sort of rope thereof, he attached it to a remaining
filar nriri 1., 11,-- --Ir , .

wILIMUL cuscovery by any of the inmates of the police-office.
When the escape was discovered by the means of descent
hanging from the window, a hue and cry w;is and men

were aespatched in pursuit in all directions, but the runaway
evaded his pursuers and has not since been heard of.
the. statement made by the woman it appears that that. na.
swindler's name is Charles Hodson : he is said to have been
in business in Kendal for ten years as a brush manufacturer,
and having failed he is understood to have been afteruards
engaged as a commercial traveller. Ile was married to the
unfortunate woman who accompanied him at Manchester, on
the 10th of Marcia laSt, though We hear that he has a former
wife living, by whom he has three children. The horse and
gig, worth probably not less than fifty guineas, (for the gig is
a very handsome one, and apparently new,) are supposed to
belong to Mr. S. Daxon, Griffin Inn, George-street, Halifax,
from whose house the woman confesses that they were taken
several days before the eclaircisseinent.—Blackburn Stand.

OPENING OF THE GLASGOW
RAILWAY.

AND PAISLEY

(From the Glasgow Courier of Tuesday.)
Yesterday a most successful opening was made of the above
line of railway. The directors of the Glasgow, Paisley, Kil-
marnock, and Ayr, and Greenock Railway Companies, and
the friends whom they invited, making a party of upwards of
three hundred ladies and gentlemen, assembled about one
o!clock at the station in Tradeston, where a train of nineteen
carriages was in readiness to make their first trip aloeg the
line to Paisley. Among the gentlemen present, we observed
the Lord Provost, the Magistrates of Glasgow, Paisley, and

urc~uvt w,
onerin Campbell, besides a number of county
gentle Men, military officers, &c. &c. The band of th
Royal Dragoons was in attendance, and enlivened the scene
by some of the most inspiriting overtures of the best com-
posers. The streets in the neighbourhood of the station
were crowded by admiring spectators, and the windows and
eminences from which a view might be obtained, were
similarly occupied. The permanent station-house in Bridge-
street not being completed, the party were admitted to
the line through a temporary and substantially-built
wooden booth covered with lead, which is to be used
for giving out tickets until the permanent building is
completed. The procession of carriages was drawn up
opposite this erection, over the roof of which, and also over
the tops of the carriages, and other appropriate places
around, banners were displayed, adding to the gaiety of the
scene. Signal guns were fired announcing that " the steam
was up," when all in waiting for the trip took their places,
and exactly at lh. sm. and 38sec. the procession left the sta-
tion-house. The line takes a beautiful curve, commencing
at the south end of the Glasgow Bridge, and extending be-
tween Bridge-street and Commerce-street, away round be-
hind the west end of Tradeston and Kingston. The passen-
gers, as they were sweeping round this tine bend, at a mode-
rate pace, had an opportunity of admiring the plain and sub-
stantial but not inelegant bridges, four in number, over the
streets in Tradeston. The first over King street, built en-
tirely of stone, is finished to the raising of the parapets ; those
over Neilson-street, Wallace-street, and Cook-street, are
completed. They are formed of iron beams, laid upon sub-
stantial stone abutments, and instead of parapet walls, they
are fenced with iron railing, which gives them a light and or-
namental appearance, rather thin that of obstructions, as
might have been supposed, in the localities where they are
placed. We cannot at present wait to describe the beauti-
fully diversified scenery through which we passed. We were
cheered on our way at every turning, and not less enthusias-
tically at any place than at Craighton, the mansion of the
Lord Provost. When we reached Paisley, it seemed as it'
the inhabitants had determined on snaking a gala day on the
occasion. The bells were singing, guns were firing, flags
were displayed from every eminence, and it seemed as if the
whole town were turned out. The streets in the neighbour..
hood were crowded, every window filled, and the house tops
and even the roof of the jail, were covered with spectators.
The party, on leaving the carriages, were kindly treated to
sandwiches, champagne, and claret, in abundance, at the
depot, and shortly after returned to Glasgow. The following
is the rate at which the carriages travelled :
From Glasgow to Paisley.

Hours.
Left Sation House, Glascow
Ciossed COOk-street, 100 yards farther on- 1 - 6
Passed through Two-mile House Tunnel 1 13
Entered Arkleston Tunnel
Reached South Croft-street, Paisley,
(steam off) . 1 24
Arrived at Station House

Min. Sec

Total time from Cook-street, Glasgow, to
South Croft-street. Paisley, or until the
steam was taken off at Croft-street ..
Including the tune of starting after the
steam was taken off until arriving at the
station .

0 18

Prom Paisley to Glasgow

Left the Depot
Left the Tunnel
Left Two-mile House Tunnel

Hours. Min. Sec.
2 11 0
2 16 0
2 24 0

Steam off at Wallace-street, Glasgow

0 17

LIVERPOOL RACES.-THURSDAY

The KNOWSLEY DINNER STAKES of 100 sovs. each, h ft,
for three yrs old ; colts Bst 61b, fillies Bst 21b. Once
round.
Lord Westminster's The Shah, by Abbas Mirza (Nat) w. o.
MATCH. 50 sovs each, hf ft. Half-a-mile.
Col. Anson's hlk fby Lamplighter (Nat) I
Lord Stanley's De Clifford (M. Jones) 2
The STANLEY STAKES, of 15 sovs each, 10 ft, with 30 sovs
added. For two and three yrs old. T.Y.C. Two yrs
old 6st 121 b, three 9st 21b. Geldings allowed 21b. The
second horse to save his stake.
Mr. Billington's b c Snoozer, 3 yrs
Mr. Palmer's br c Priamus, 3 yrs (Marsden) 2
The LivEnPoot ST. LEGER of 50 sovs each, 20 ft with 50
added, for 3 yrs old ; colts Bst 81b, fillies Bst 31b. On(
mile and three quarters.
Lord Eglinton's b c Dr. Caius
Lord Westminster's The Shah
Mr. Parkins' b c Naworth .......
3 The GROSVENOR STAKES of 15 sovs each, 5 ft, with 50 sovs
added, for three and four yrs old. One mile and three-
_ quarters.

(Cartwright) 1

Major Yarburgh's br c Charles XII. 4 yrs (Lye) 1
Lord Westminster's b c Maroon, 3 yrs
(N 2 The STAND Cur, value 100 sovs, in specie, addedat )
to a
Handicap Sweepstakes of 15 sovs each, 10 ft. Once round
and a distance.
Mr. Bowes' ch f Mickleton Maid, 4 yrs
Duke of Cleveland's b c Sampson
•,
Lord George Bentinck's Naworth, 3 yrs
.)
The SELLING STAKES, a Sweepstakes of 5 sovs each, with
70 soya added. Three yrs old ist, four Bst 41b, five Bst Mb,
six and aged 9st. The winner to be sold for 150 sovs. if
demanded in the usual way.
Mr. Loy's b c Ararat, 4 yrs
Mr. Goodman's b g Pickwick, aged

(Nat) I
(Lye) 2

0 1 1
0