The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1849-11-01 00:00:00

torai 4!Cws.

Amongst the hundred vessels at San Francisco are the
Antelope, Chrishna, and Zealous, of Liverpool.
HUNDRED OF WlRRAL.—Messrs. Amery and Williams,
the High Constables for this Hundred, have been re-ap-
pointed for the ensuing year.
The Courier says that Mr. John Holmes is to be op-
posed, on the 9th instant, when nominated to fill the civic
chair, on the ground of his being a Dissenter I
Mr. Alexander Lamb, of Kew, charges the prize es-
sayist of the National Confederation with piracy. He says
that that essay is but an echo of the arguments of a Mr.

Heathfield, ofLondon.
On Monday fortnight, Amelia Dennison, an infant ten
weeks old. was left near the fire when her clothes were
ignited it is supposed by a spark, and such injuries were
sustained as to cause her death on Tuesday.
THE LATE DR. BYHTH.—At the coroner's inquest the
jury returned a verdict of " Died by the visitation of
God." The lamented deceased has left only seven chil-
dren, and not nin', as we were informed. His immediate,
predecessor at Wallasey was the Rev. Mr. Law.
BANKRUPTCY COURT.—IN RE HUGH WILLIAMS.—
The bankrupt in this case is a builder, residing at Birken-
head. It was a dividend meeting. Additional proofs and
claims on the bankrupt's estate, amounting to £28,374
Os. 4d., were taken. It was ordered that a dividend of
3s. 3d. in the pound be paid, on account of a dividend of
4s. ld. in the pound, which was declared at a previous

meeting.
SHIPWRECK.—On Monday, during very thick weather,
the barque Repealer, of Halifax, 400 tons register, Capt.
Dorman, from Liverpool to Charleston, laden with salt
and coals, struck on the Long Bank, off this harbour.
The crew, assisted by some of our hardy fisherman, safely
escaped from th, wreck, which afterwards drifted on the
south shoals, where the hull has been dismantled.—

Wexford Guardian.
BRUNSWICK HOTEL.—In directing attention to Mr.
Whiteman's advertisement, in another column, we can
very confidently recommend his establishment to all who
desire an excellent dist: of turtle, venison, or game. The
cooking is excellent, and the prices are most reasonable,
considerably under what are charged at other hotels In
this and other towns. The London oysters and tripe are
first-rate, universally approved by all who have had the
pleasure of tasting either. Whiteman deserves the fullest
encouragement.
FATAL ACCIDENT.—A dreadful accident occurred in
the immediate vicinity of our office on Tuesday, by which
a labouring man named Scott Mossman, thirty years of
age, lost his life. He was engaged about some premises
an course of erection in Cook-street, and on the day in
question was at work on a landing fourteen feet from the
ground. Suddenly his fellow-workmen observed him
stagger, foam at the mouth, and exhibit other indications
of being seized with a fit ; before assistance could be avail-
able. the poor fellow fell to the ground, pitching on his
head, and of course expiring immediately.
PRESENTATION.—On Saturday the Committee of the
Liverpool Humane Society presented a first-class silver
medal to the master of No. 1 Pilot-boat, bearing the fol-
lowing inscription round the edge :—" To Mr. William
Hughes, master pilot, for rescuing crew of sloop Eliza
beth. in a heavy gale, off Ormshead, 13th October, 1849."
Mr. Hughes has been honoured on former occasions for
his humanity and daring, and we may mention, that in
the year 1839 he received a presentation from the same
society, as well as a silver snuff-box, at a public dinner,
as a testimonial for his exertions in saving many lives
from the Pennsylvania, St. Andrew, and Lockwood,
during the great storm in that year.
The Rev. George Dover, A.M., has been unanimously
appointed by the trustees to the incumbency of tit. Bar-
nabas'. The trustees are the Archbishop of Canterbury,
the Rectors, Dr. .M'Neile, and the Rev. J. Jones. Mr.
Dover has for many years been the incumbent of St.
Bartholomew's Church, in this town, where lie has la-
boured with most painstaking and self-denying assiduity
to improve one of the poorest and most depraved districts
of the town ; and such of our readers as are aequainted
with its former and present condition, have often re-
marked, no doubt, the great improvement which has taken
place in its moral condition under the spiritual culture of
its beloved pastor. The poor of the parish especially will
mourn the removal of their minister and friend.
SOIREE MUSICALE. The Philharmonic Society is
about to give a performance of vocal and instrumental
music under this designation. The object is to afford
amateurs on the piano-forte an opportunity of hearing the
performance of compositions of various styles, both
ancient and modern, in those pieces which come under
the denomination of chamber music. The programme is
of the most recherche character. The practice at Willis's
rooms and other celebrated places of metropolitan esteem
has formed the basis of the arrangement for the impend-
ing soiree ; and whilst the instrument performers are
eminent for ability, several new compositions will be per-
formed, including a quatuor, by Mendelssohn, for the
piano-forte, violin, viola, and violoncello.
NEW CHURCH, LIMEKILN-LANE, TRANMERE.—We
are glad to learn that a more eligible site than that kindly
offered by Mr. Nlorecroft has been obtained for the above
new church. Mr. Orred, one of the largest landed pro-
prietors on the other side of the Mersey, has generously
dedicated a piece of his most valuable land to the service
and worship of the Almighty, which proves to be the very
spot where a church is most needed. It is exactly central
hetsapen the Tranmere Church and that of Rock Ferry.
The site we allude to is opposite to Shakeshaft's Hotel.
This munificent gift of Mr. Orred will enable the Rev.
Benedict A-thure, the respected incumbent of Tranmere,
to take such steps as to accomplish, without much more
delay, the desired object, viz., a new church in that part
of his extensive district.
ARRIVAL FROM CALIFORNIA.—Mr. Richd. Holmes,
late of this town, arrived from California by way of New
York, in the Canada steamer, on Sunday evening last.
Mr. Holmes was well known in this town as foreman to
Mr. Richard Crossly, hoot and shoe maker, South Castle-
street, and subsequently in business for himself in White-
chapel. A little more than two years ago his premises
were burnt down, and he lett this country for South
America. Not liking the country be started for California,
long before the gold fever set in, and he has resided there
altogether about eighteen months. He left San Fran-
cisco on the 2d September last. During a part of last
year, and at the beginning of this year, he was at work at
the mines, and has realised a very handsome sum, as he
brings home with him 501bs. weight of pure gold. He
favoured us with a call yesterday, and showed us some of
the gold dust, with several large pieces of the precious
metal, which he picked up from the beds of the river.
The largest piece of pure gold which he secured weighed
eight ounces and a half. He states that there is, no
doubt, a great deal of gold in the country, but, with that
exception, he added—" it is not worth a straw." For
three months last year he never slept under cover of any
kind, and the softest bed he could indulge in was a rock.
Everything was exorbitantly dear, and there is a great
scarcity of the fair sex. He left 220 sail of vessels at San
Francisco.
THE SPARKLING LIVERPOOL WATER.—A very intelli-
gent correspondent of a eontemporary demolishes utterly
the statements of Mr. Spencer. that our sandstone water
is had, because it is so bright and sparkling. That gentle-
man says that the " superior brig littie,s " of the Liver-
pool water is due to the "impurities chymically combined
with it, and which increase its powers of refraction." The
writer first alluded tn, proves the complete fallacy of this
as follows :—" Perhaps, by the terms ' bright' and
' spaleling.' Mr. Spencer mewls the amount of trans-
mitted light. If so, it, is equally untrue that ' bodies
are bright or sparkling in the degree of the power
they possess cf refracting light.' Chromate of lead—a
dark red mineral, not even transparent, hut only translu-
cent, and that generally only on the edges, and therefore
not ' bright' or ' searkting' in the second sense—
has twice the refractive power of the clearest rock
Misted. Bodies, then, are not ' bright' or ' sparkling'
in any sense, ' in the power they possess of refracting
light.' If, therefore, brightness is not dependent on
refractive power, which I tun e shown it is not, it
must be erroneous to affirm, as Mr. Spencer does,
that ' PURE Hotham-street' has ' its superior bright
caused by those very impurities which are chemically com-
bined with it, and which increase its powers of refraction.
Well, indeed, may ' PURE! !! Hotham-street' stand in
three-fold astonishment at the infliction of this paradoxi-
cal libel on its purity. Neither is the proposition correct
which states that. 'the density of our Liverpool water is
increased by those bodies it holds in solution, and thereby
its angle of refraction undergoes a corresponding degree if
increase." The angle of retraction' of a body bears no
known relation to its density. Carbonic acid has a density
twenty four timer as great as hydrogen, whilst its refrac-
tive power is only one-seventh of that of the latter body.
Alcohol has a considerably less density than water, hut a
greater refractive power. Sulphuric acid has a density
two and a quarter times that of oil of turpentine, with a
less refractive rower. in no form of matter, then—solid,
liquid, or acriforin—would increasing the density of a
body necessarily increase its refractive power. The con-
dition on which refractive power depends is not. known.
Sir Isaac Newton supposed it to he connected with com-
bustibility, and predicted the combustibility of a diamond
from is refractive power. This prediction was only a
lecky guess, and not a philosophical deduction, for the
feet of chromate of lead being wholly incombustible, and
vet ore of the most hie hly refracting; bodies known. shows
that refractive power flees not depend on combustibility."
SI-LECT VESTRY. -The usual perio ical meeting was
held on Tuesday : the Rev. Rector Campbell in the chair.
There were nineteen other member, present. In reply to
a question. Mr. Hart said the accounts of th t parish were
not yet completed, hut iv 'alit be published as soon as
ready.—Some conversation took place relative to the man-
lier in which the overseers sn‘N re emnponnilieg for the rates
with the owners of cottage property. Mr. Haile aeproved
of the plan, as a small loaf was better than none, and the
mass of the tenants would not pay. Same remarks were
made relative to certain charges of hardship to teaanta
against the collectors. It was coniplained of that the
Flouse Owners' Guardia :1 Satiety proceeded in a very ir-
regular and extra-judicial manner towards the collectors ;
and the Chairman said that the latter had a right
to he furnished with the particulsrs of every charge
brought against them, before they were called upon to
answer it.—The proceedings of the Industrial Schools'
Committee having been read, it was recommended to the
committee to purcliaae a printing press, for the purpose of
teaching the boys in the school the art of printing.—The
report of the Medical Relief Committee stated that the
cholera had, in Liverpool, ceased tr he epidemic. It
appeared that the house of refuge, in Queen Anne-street,
had in no one case been of any use.—Mr. 'Willmer
brought forward his motion that the correspondence be-
tween Mr. Cafferata and the Poor-law Commissioners
should be expunged from the minute-book. He thought.
this necessary to prevent. it from forming a precedent
hereafter. Mr. Cafferata had said that he wrote to the
commissioners as a private member of the board ; hut it
was so done as to identify the correspondence with the
acts of the enmrcissioners.—Mr. Gardner seconded the
motion.—Mr. Cafferata opposed it, on the ground that
any member hail a right to write to the commissioners for

his owe guidance, and no decision of the board would '
prevent him from doing so again.—Mr. Wylie moved an
amendment—that the correspondence be allowed to remain
in the book, with the understanding that it would be not
admitted as a precedent; and this was seconded.—Mr.
Woodruff reprehended the conduct of Mr. Cafferata in
writing to the Commissioners, when he knew at the time
that the views and wishes of the board were altogether
against him. Ho said the correspondence would never
have been entered in the books if the chairman of the
workhouse committee (Mr. Cafferata) bad not refused to
nut an amendment to the committee on these letters.
He (Mr. Woodruff) had in consequence resigned, being a
member of the committee. Shortly after several gentle-
men of the board pressed him to come forward again, and
when he was proposed, Mr. Cafferata moved the appoint-
ment of another gentleman against him, though that gen-
tleman was not known to Mr. Cafferata. He also com-
plained that Mr. Cafferata, during his absence, had said
that he (Mr. Woodruff) had come back " like a spoiled
child," and wished to be re-elected. Mr. Woodruff then
entered into an explanation of the reasons which caused
him again to become a member of the vestry, from which
it appeared he was strongly solicited, and at length reluct-
antly promised to serve again. Mr. Woodruff, in con-
clusion, said,—l ask the chairman of the Workhouse Com-
mittee how he dared to make use of xnv name in the way
in which he did. and call me " a spoiled child." (Hear,
hear, and loud laughter.) I tell him to his far•, that. it
he would do his duty to the board instead of mixing him-
self up with underhand and factious attacks upon indivi-
duals, it would be much more to his credit and honour.
I think that in this case his conduct has been most unwar-
rantable, and I do not hesitate to tell him that it is un-
worthy of a member of this vestry to impute to others
improper motives in the manner he has done.—Mr. Earle
said that since he had heard Mr. Cafferata's letter read,
he had changed his opinion, as he thought the letter offi-
cious, if not official. He thought nothing ought to be in
the books which had not been sanctioned by the com-
mittee. As to members writing to the commissioners for
their own guidance, that was a different thing After a
few words from Mr. Abraham, in support of Mr. Cafferata,
Mr. Willmer consented to withdraw his motion in favour
of Mr. Wylie's amendment, and the latter was carried.