The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-11-30 00:00:00

DISTRICT COURT OF BANKRUPTCY.

CORRESPONDENCE.

-- •
RE RIGGINSON AND DEANE. TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STAND.IRD.'
On Friday the first meeting of creditors, on the bank- SlR,—Having seen this day, (23d instant,) in your va-
ruptcy of Messrs. Jonathan Higginson and R. Dein;se, luable journal, an article headed " Extraordinary inci-
took place at the Liverpool District Court of Bankruptcy, dents at St. Jude's Church;" I looked with anxious, but
The court was crowded. Mr. Lowndes appeared in sup- dkiippointed expectation, for ;nine remarks from you on
port of the fiat ; Mr. Bardswell for the Union Bank of the ` extraordinary " event, thinking that you would
London, and Mr. E. G. Deane for the bankrupts. throw some light upon the subject. In the absence of
Amongst the proofs handed in was one from the Union such information, and finding the " poor man" branded
Bank named for £35,672.
M The bank had r. Lowndes objected
bills from the West India to the proof being for so large a by your mercurial neighbour as a " maniac," my mind
sum seemed to inquire, is there anything in the machinery of
. Christianity to lead us to expect such results ? and I
Bank at Barbadoes to the amount of £50,000. Of these, thought I perceived sa
ns a natural connexion between the
bills to the amount of £35,872 were accepted or indorsed machinery of Christianity effectively worked and the ac-
by the bankrupts, and the remainder (£15,000) did not tual position of man, as led me to inquire why should It bear their names, but the bank had them as collateral result like the one under consideration be considered wor-
security. He contended that the £15,000 ought to be thy of being styled " extraordinary," or the subject of it a
deducted from the amount sought to be proved, and that ~ maniac ?,4 I have always been taught to look upon a the bank ought to prove for the balance only—namely maniac as one who from false premises arrives at right
£20,000. conclusions, or vice versa'. But how stood it in this case ?
Mr. Sergeant Ludlow said he would allow the proof to where were his wrong premises ? and if they were true,
go for the whole sum, for the bank could not get more where his false conclusions ? lie felt he was a sinner
than 20s. in the pound. (this is an undoubted fact) ; he felt that without mercy he Mr. Jonathan Higginson was then sworn and examined. must perish (this was one of his conclusions); and he had
He said he had several transactions with Lyon, Beim, learnt that Christ was exalted to show mercy, therefore he
and Co., Bahia, and the ships Lancaster, Alice, Vigilant, called out (not as your'
Lord-street neighbour would insi-
and Charlotte were theirs (the witnesses'.) Two of these nuate) to those around him, but as given in the Albion, ships were loaded at Bahia, and two at Rio. The Char- as transcribed by you, " Lord have mercy on me, Christ
lotte was loaded by Marlow and Co. of Charleston, and have mercy on me." I declare, if this man were a maniac,
we (witness and partners) received' the bills of lading. the wisest man this earth possesses could not have acted
The vessel arrived about the 18th of Oct. The bills of the sane one better. And in order to ascertain if my
lading were handed over to the shipper of the cargo, in opinion of the natural adaptation of the Christian system.
accordance with arrangements with him that they should to the producing of such results were correct, I considered
be held by us, in payment of the bills drawn against him. how it had made others thus mad, how it had produced
He did not remember ever having written to a Brazil results thus mania-like, when, on its first being brought to
house for cargo that " their bills would be protected." bear upon its legitimate objects, on the day of Pentecost,
The words generally were, "your bills will be honoured.' the multitude cried out, " Men and brethren, what shall With respect to the arrangement with the shipper of we do ?" The Philippian jailor acted very like a maniac,
the Lancaster
should not's cargo as " that the
used w bills of lading for when under the lashings of his conscience, being con-
cargoes be by us until the bills drawn vinced by the demonstration iven that he b been -
against them were paid." In reply to the question ning
against God, he cried ougt, W " hat must Ido tosin be whether he did not deal with the bills of lading without saved ?' And Saul acted very like a madman, when he, a
reference to Mr. Lyon he said, I think that when I mighty warrior (attended by his military staff, who perhaps
have met with him I have said, " your bills are so near were with him when he received his commission from the
paid that 1 will deal with the Brazilian cargoes." Most chief priests, when issuing from the Holy City, his armour
generally I have alluded to the subject. glittering in the rays of a cloudless sun, he, amidst the
He would not say that he had dealt with any of the benedictions of the teeming thousands of Jerusalem, en-
cargoes without reference to Mr. Lyon. He thought tered upon an expedition which promised so much, to
not. He had generally alluded to it. The bills of lading add fresh laurels to his brow) is found prostrate on the
of the Lancaster were delivered up after the stoppage of ground, exclaiming, " Lord, what wilt thou have me to
the Royal Bank, w
Thishen it was found that Mr. Lyon must ground, and indeed he was afterwards told by a very polite,
pr himself. must have been after an interview
with him. He received a letter the other day from Mr, learned, and influential person, that he was " beside "
himself which was equal to calling him a " poor man"
Lyon. It merely alluded to the ship being stopped by the and a "maniac." To my mind, it is a serious reflection,
Royal Bank, and then by the official assignee. Under that Christianity should have been in the world more than
the advice of his solicitor, Mr. E. G. Deane, this note 1800 years, and that even now, in Liverpool, the modern
was handed to Mr. Lovvndes, who read it over. The bills Tyre—in politeness, literature, and architecture, promis-
of lading of the Alice and Vigilant were delivered over ing to be a modern Athens—a man convinced of sin, and
on receipt to Mr. Lyon. These vessels arrived after the seeking mercy through an exalted Saviour, should be
stoppage of the Royal Bank. Witness's house stopped branded as a maniac.—Yours, &c.
payment on the 23d of October. These bills of lading
were handed over on the day the Vigilant arrived, or soon A LOVER OF CONSISTENCY.
after—several days after we stopped payment. Mr. Lyon [We have received a number of communications on this
was satisfied that Mr. James Higginson, as a third party, subject, and insert the above at particular request. We
should hold them for his security. I made a mistake
in saving that they were all handed to Mr. Lyon. They have given no opinion of our own, because we consider it
were handed over to my brother as a third party, for Mr, a case of that kind which is better left to the judgment
Lyon's protection. and conscience of each individual reader.]
How was that ? By arrangement made with him.
How many months ago ? When our payments were
irregular ; when he saw danger he required a third party.
Witness could not exactly tell when he (Mr. Lyon)
applied, but he seemed uneasy early in October. Believed
the arrangement was made that Mr. James Higginson
should hold the bills of lading, the week previous to the
stoppage of the Royal Bank,—ten days at least. Was
not aware that any paper was signed by Mr. James Hig-
ginson, stating the terms on which he was to hold these
bills of lading. Some of them were indorsed by witness,
and some not. None of these were specially indorsed to
Mr. J. Higginson. Witness had never seen the bills of
lading of the Charlotte. No arrangement was made with
Mr. Menlow in writing ; witness's house and he were on
intimate terms of friendship. There were some bills on
Mr. Menlow's house that would be upon open account,
and could not be attached to the bills of lading. Witness
did not know of any of the bills relating to the Charlotte
being of that character.
This closed the examination of Mr. Higginson, and
Mr. Sergeant Ludlow inquired whether there were any
other creditors ready to prove their debts ? Mr. Lowndes
replied in the negative.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD,.
SlR,—The cabin passengers by the New World, packet..
ship, Capt. Knight, beg leave, through you, to call atten-
tion to the evils that may result from the absence of pilots
at the appointed station off the port of Liverpool.
The ship sailed from New York on the 10th November,
and reached Point Lynas at 9 a.m, on the 27th, but lay
there for nearly twelve hours, unable to procure a pilot
till after nightfall.
What avail the skill and seamanship of the ablest cap-
tain in bringing his ship across in sixteen days, if she
must be kept lying twenty-four hours, in the end of No-
vember, with the barometer below 29, off a coast, where
sudden and disastrous changes of wind so often occur.
Let those concerned in the safety of this splendid new
ship and valuable cargo, look to this.
I am, Sir,
Your obedient servant,
A CABIN PASSENGER.
[The writer of this letter is a highly respectable gentle
man, but we feel convinced that the apparent neglect is
capable of explanation, as our pilots are so well known as
a hard-working body of men—ever at their posts. J

The appointment of trade assignees was then proceeded
with, and the choice fell upon Josias Booker, Francis
Shand, George Booker, and Walter Imrie, Esqrs., who
severally accepted the office.
It was stated that the debts proved amounted to £135,000.
The proceedings then terminated for the present.