The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-01-21 00:00:00

JUSTICE WILL BE DONE BY-AND-BY.

The proceedings of the House of Commons, in the
case of Stockdale versus Hansard, are by no means
calculated to reflect credit upon that august assembly.
They have (we speak of the majority) set themselves
in array against the law of the land, as well as against
those who are sworn to its due administration. The
conflict cannot be contemplated with any other feelings
than those of surprise, sorrow, and indignation. We
feel both surprise and sorrow that Sir Robert Peel,
and such a large body of the conservatives, should fol-
low in the wake of the tyrannical ultra-radicals, the
desperate wings, and the craven-hearted braggart
O'Connell. And when we look upon the conduct of
the majority collectively, our indignation is excited at
the bold assumption of privilege which has been urged
as the basis of the proceedings in which the house is
engaged. The privilege which the house has claimed,
is no less than that of asserting its right to contravene
and set aside those laws which it has passed concur-
rently with the other branches of the legislature. Di-
vested of its legal technicalities, this is the naked truth
of the matter. Is such a claim to be tolerated ? If so,
then farewell to the vaunted freedom of Englishmen !
What is henceforth to prevent the House of Commons
from exercising the right of imprisoning any member
of the community at its own caprice ?
In discussing this question, we leave out of consi-
deration the personal character of Stockdale, for that
has nothing to do with the abstract merits of the case.
The matter at issue is, whether the House of Com-
mons be at liberty to set aside the law of libel, and to
visit with its vengeance those who venture to dispute
its right to do so.
The inconsistency of the course which has been
adopted by the House of Commons will be abundantly
apparent, if we consider that the judges of the land are
bound upon oath to punish any infraction of the sta-
tute law. This duty has been clearly recognised by
the house itself in all its public acts. And yet the
judges are now told, that they are not to act in conso-
nance with their oaths when their decisions are at va-
riance with a self-assumed privilege of the house—a
privilege never conferred upon it by the constituent
body, and never ratified by the co-ordinate branch of
the legislature !

We shall again and again recur to this painful sub-
ject—painful to us because we only find one of the
representatives of this town on what we conceive to be
the right side of the question. Mr. Cresswell deserves
the thanks, not only of his constituents, but of every
British subject, for the noble stand which he has taken
in defence of the constitutional rights of Englishmen.
We trust that others of the conservatives, who have
voted with Lord John Russell and Daniel O'Connell,
will soon see the error which they have committed,
and forthwith do all in their power to atone for so
fatal a blunder.

The Earl of Derby sent up orders in the course of last week
to get the mansion in Grosvenor-square ready for his immedi-
ate reception. The noble lord's health, we are happy to hear,
is restored ; and we learn that he leaves Knowsley Park this
day for town, from whence he has been absent three years.—
London paper.

CASTLE-STREET WARD.-Mr. Pilcher has announced, by
placard on the walls, during the present week, his intention
of retiring from the council at the next annual election on the
Ist of Nov. On Wednesday evening a meeting of the Reform
Committee of the ward was held at the office in Clayton-square,
for the purpose of selecting a candidate to supply the vacancy
occasioned by Mr. Pilcher's retirement. Mr. James Aikin
was unanimously fixed upon for that purpose. On the fol-
lowing day a deputation from the committee waited upon Mr.
Aikin, and obtained his consent to offer himself as a candi-
date.

--COUNTY POLICE.—The magistrates have laid their first
rate of one farthing in the pound (amounting to rather less
than £2500) for defraying the expenses under the County
Constabulary Act. We understand, that in accordance with
the act of parliament and the opinion of the Attorney-Gene-
ral, the magistrates have decided to exempt the following
places from the rate, viz :—The boroughs of Preston, Lan-
caster, Bolton, Manchester, Liverpool, and Wigan ; the
towns of Oldham, Salford, Heaton Norris, and Warring-
ton ; and such parts of Spotland, Castleton, Wardleworth,
and Wuerdle-and-Wardle as are included in the Rochdale
police act ; and also such parts of the parishof Ashton-under-
Lyne as are included in the Ashton and Stalybridge police
acts.—Preston Pilot.

STEAM COMMUNICATION BETWEEN LIVERPOOL AND
RUNCORN.—We are glad to find that a very superior steamer,
to be called the " Egerton," has been taking in new boilers,
and undergoing considerable alterations, for the purpose of
conveying passengers between Liverpool and the Bridgewater
Canal Station, Runcorn. She will commence plying early
next month, and the owner, Mr. John Sothern, is fitting her
up in •a style of elegance and comfort not to be excelled.
She has a commodious cabin for ladies, with every requisite
convenience, and will be decidedly superior to any packet
that has hitherto been on that station. Particular care will
be taken that the master and crew are men of experience
and character. The Bridgewater tide-boats will run daily,
in connexion with the Egerton, to and from Liverpool and
Manchester, and intermediate places, commencing early in
the spring, due notice of which will be given ;—in the mean-
time passengers can be conveyed, as usual, between the
above places, when the tides serve, particulars of which may
be known at the Egerton packet-office, Nova Scotia, Liver-
pool ; and the Bridgewater Canal packet-office, Manchester.

FIRE IN BEN'S-GARDENS.—About a quarter-past one
on Saturday morning a fire was discovered to have broken out
in the small four-story warehouse, in Ben's-gardens, opposite
the chapel, belonging to Mr. Lightfoot, and occupied by
him, as a rice and drug mill, and coffee-roasting house,
&c. Two engines were promptly brought to the spot, and a
sufficient number of firemen and police-officers, under the
active superiutendance of Mr. Whitty. The fire appeared to
have originated near the roof, the wood-work of which, which
could not immediately be reached, blazed up for some time,
commingled with showers of sparks, over the high buildings
at the top of Redcross-street. The neighbourhood adjoining
is populous and confined, but abundance of water being pro-
cured, from the mains both in Ben's-gardens and in Red-
cross-street, and the engines being played with alacrity, and
the pipes carried to the roofs of the lower buildings on each
side, the whole was effectually extinguished in about an hour,
with the loss only of the roof of the warehouse, part of the
upper story, and some considerable damage to the articles
from the water. Some of the neighbouring inhabitants, par-
ticularly those in St. George's-court, close to the eastward,
were for a time much alarmed, and removed a part of their
furniture, but suffered no material loss. Great praise is due
to Mr. Whitty, and the whole of the firemen and officers
under him, for their prompt and active exertions. The pro-
perty was all, we lean, insured. The origin of the fire was
not ascertained.

WIGAN EXHIBITION OF PAINTINGS, SCULPTURE, FOS-
SILS, &c.—We are most happy to find that our good neigh-
bours of Wigan are about to have an annual exhibition of
pictures, fossils, &c. 1 lus is what has long been wanting in
that densely inhabited town, and sure we are that it will be
hailed by
weilv..ishers to the improvement of the rising
generation, as a sign of better things than the old demo-
ralising amusements that have hitherto been the characteris-
tic of the more
rural
it isportions of Lancashire. The rooms arc
now fitting up, andintended that in the evenings they,
together with a beautiful promenade, shall be brilliantly
lighted with the new " Bude light." There will be select
nights when the most interesting subjects will be treated on;
soirees will be given, when the more fashionable portion of
the town may enjoy, amuse, and instruct themselves in the
most delightful and unobjectionable manner; in short, no-
thing will be wanting to render the whole of the most
pleasing, useful, and instructive character. We quite agree
with the promoters of this truly excellent association, and
more particularly in that portion of their address, which
says :—" The times of brutal and degrading sports, such as
cock-fighting, bull-baiting, and the like, are gone. The
times for rational recreation and enjoyment are come. The
few opportunities. that there have been within the town of
Wigan have satisfied all discriminating minds that it will be
enough to open the path, and there will be plenty to pursue
it. The society
.desire the public good ; they know they can
achieve it. Their first attempts will not be futile. There
will be enough of value in the forthcoming exhibition to
command the best attention of both high and low, gentle
and simple. They feel that it will only be the precursor to
mightier results. The seed will be sown in a good soil.
From observation they have faith in that." We cordially
wish them that success which their labours merit, for we feel
certain that it is by means like these that the tone of society
becomes softened and improved—that a taste and thirst for
information is imbibed—and will be more so, as we are in-
formed that it is the intention of the committee to give lec-
tures on, and explanations of, all the articles exhibited.—
We trust that our townsmen, particularly the artists, will
lend them every assistance ; and when we inform them that
one of their body (the recently deceased Mr. Chas. Towne)
was a native of Wigan, and as we can assure them that there
will be the greatest care taken of their works, as well as every
expense defrayed, we have little doubt of their active and
immediate co-operation, and we feel certain that it could not
be more laudably employed.