The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-12-22 00:00:00

DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE

STRANGE, IF TRUE.—Godalming, in Surrey, on Saturday
evening was visited by an extraordinary flight of wild fowl.
The evening was very dark, when, about seven o'clock, the
air was filled with the cries of wild ducks, widgeon, curlews,
and everything else, to the surprise of all the men folks, and
to the extreme terror of the women and children. The flight
seemed to be driving towards the south, and continued to
pass till half-past eight or nine o'clock. The number must
have been very extraordinary, for overhead and on every side
they were heard to the furthest stretch of the ear.—Sun.
DEATH OF LORD BRUCE.—His lordship died, after a
lengthened illness, on Tuesday se'nnight, at Talaten, Devon,
where he had been residing for the benefit of his health. The
deceased, George Charles Constantine, Lord Bruce, who was
eldest son of the Earl of Elgin, by his first marriage with
Miss Nisbet, which marriage was dissolved by act of Parlia-
ment in 1808, was born the sth of April, 1800, and was bro-
ther of Lady Mary Christopher, the lady of Mr. R. A. Chi-
chester, M.P., Lady Matilda Maxwell, and Lady Lucy Grant.
The Hon. James Bruce, the noble earl's eldest son by his
second marriage, born July 20, 1816, is now heir to the fa-
mily honours.—Times.
The liberals have been looking for a candidate to represent
the city of Lincoln in Parliament with Sir E. L. Bulwer,
but up to the present time without success. Mr. Charles
Seely and Mr. S. E. Bristow, of Beesthorpe, Notts, have
each been invited to stand, but declined.—Boston Herald.
A respectably-dressed woman got out of one of the Mile-
end omnibusses, near Witechapel Church, London, leaving
a fine little child in charge of a gentleman passenger, stating
she would return in an instant, but she never returned, and
the poor child was taken to the workhouse.
It is a fact highly creditable to the inhabitants of the coast
of Gower, where the city of Bristol steamer was wrecked,
that although every part of the bay was strewed with frag-
ments, and continued so far for six days and nights, many of
the people being poor, and fuel scarce and dear, not the
smallest particle was taken.

The unusual occurrence of forbidding the bans of marriage
took place in Bromyard Church on Sunday week, the father
of the young woman protesting against the union on account
of the minority of his daughter. The intended bridegroom
is a master chimney-sweeper.—Worcester Journal.
Six persons are in custody at Bacup, or the charge of hav-
ing intentionally lighted a fire in a coal-mine, with the view
of annoying the men in the next pit, several of whom suffered
very materially from the smoke, one of them being entirely
suflbcated. It seems that, for some past there have been
disputes as to the boundaries and working of the two adjoin-
ing pins.
The Duke of Norfolk has intimated an intention, through
his steward, Michael Ellison, Esq., to appropriate fifty acres
of ground in the vicinity of Sheffield, and to have it laid out
in a park-like way for the use of the inhabitants of that popu-
lous borough, after the manner of Mr. Strutt's arboretum at
Derby.

The claim of Irish vessels to pay one penny tonnage for
passing the Skerries Lighthouse has been decided in the ne-
gative, in the case of the Mercury steamer, from Cork to
Dublin, whose compass was seized for non-payment on her
arrival. A jury of the Queen's Bench has decided against
this demand, which imposed £lO,OOO a-yer.r on the shipping.
TEN THOUSAND PLEDGES.—It i 4 astonishing, but not
more astonishing than true, that Mr. Hargreaves, pawn-
broker, Barnsley, has at the present time in his establish-
ment upwards of ten thousand distinct pledges. This is a
great number, considering that the Pop-ulation of the town
is not more than from thirteen to fourteen thousand.—Leeds
heelligencer.

I Lord Brougham has returned to town in excellent health.
Following the instructions of his medical advisers, his lord-
ship has been in the West of England, refraining equally from
, excititing society and severe study. His lordship, however,
is advised not to abandon in town those habits that were
found to be so beneficial in the country.—Sint.
A few days since, a letter, which had been posted at Car-
lisle, arrived at the postoflice in this town, bearing the fol-
lowing address, verbatim et literatim:—" For Mr. Hugh
Bladney, 50 fathoms under the ground at the coal pit care of
my brother in law John daly labourer 7 miles beyond ayr on
the post road makes drains and for Scotland.--Ayr paper.
FAILURES IN SCOTLAND.—We regret to have to announce
two other failures in this neigbourhood. The one is an ex-
tensive shipping house in Greenock ; the other is a Glasgow
house, in a different line of business, and has been brought
down by a large accommodation paper transactions with a
West India house, which we noticed as having failed this
day week.—Glasgow Herald.

BRANDY AND SALT.—We have been requested to insert
the following wonderful cure by the use of this compound :
John Beecher, son of Captain Beecher, Catherine-square,
Mason-street, Hull, was afflicted with scrofula for seven
years ; he had gone on crutches for the last two years, had
wounds all over his body, and had been given up as incura-
ble by several medical men. He did not begin to use the
brandy and salt till the 28th of April last (1840). He took
one table-spoonful of the remedy in the morning, and ano-
ther in the afternoon • and rubbed himself also with it. His
wounds were so bad that he had recourse to a little sperma-
ceti ointment to soften the hardened skin, which he washed
off before applying the brandy and salt. He was cured in
three months, and he is now in good health.—Yorkshire
Gazette.

SKYLARKS.—Yesterday (Thursday) prodigious flocks of
these birds were to be observed throughout the day flying
over the villages of Totteridge and Finchley, in a southerly
direction, wending their course, no doubt, to the sea-coasts
in quest of food and shelter. Skylarks invariably roost on
the ground, and are never known to perch or settle on trees,
so that when the snow lies deep on the earth, they are una-
ble to obtain a roosting-place in the fields, which, with the
inability of procuring food, compels them to shift their
quarters. The migration of these birds has ever been re-
garded as a sure and infallible prognostic of a Siberian win-
ter, for they are never known to quit their accustomed stub-
bles, and seek another latitude, but when instinctively con-
scious of the absolute necessity of migrating.—Correspondent
of the Times.

MR. OASTLER.—We are concerned to state that this gen-
tleman is now an inmate of the Fleet Prison, at the suit of
Mr. Thornhill. What Mr. T. can gain by this incarcera-
tion, we confess ourselves at a loss even to conjecture.
noney Mr. Oastler has none, and we think we know his
disposition too well to suppose that he will make any appli-
cation to his friends ; and, indeed, were such an application
to be made from any other quarter, we much question if
Mr. 0. would lay himself under the obligation of accepting
his liberation by such means. We would not wish to say
anything reflecting upon Mr. Thornhill ; nevertheless, we do
think the imprisoning of Mr. Oastler, at this inclement sea-
son, to be a harsh, if not an unnecessary proceeding. To
assist Mr. Oastler in prison, his Huddersfield friends are
now endeavouring to devise the best means in their power,
and we trust that every town and village in Yorkshire, as
well as in other counties, will follow in their steps.--Leeds
Intelligencer.

Friday, the 18th instant, completed the fourth century
ince the invention of printing, A.D. 1440.

Last 'Wednesday the conservatives of Mayo held a meet-
ing, which was presided over by a catholic magistrate, Peter
Bourke, Esq.

Captain Wemyss, member for Fife, will be appointed lord
lieutenant of the county, in the room of R. Ferguson, Esq.,
deceased.

The Dublin physicians have commenced giving profes-
sional visits in that city at a fee of 65., and outside Dublin
at half-a-guinea.

Two countrymen, from the Derbyshire-hills, were looking
at a piece of coral ; at last, one of them concluded it must be
a petrified cauliflower.
Blagrove. Lindley, Hobbs, Miss Birch, and Mrs. Fiddes
(late Miss Cawse), have been giving concerts with great suc-
cess in Scotland.
The Observer states that the ensuing year will bring for-
ward a most prolific crop of propositions to British and
other capitalists, for the contract of foreign loans.
WORTHY OF IMITATION.-At the audit of the Rev.
George Marwood, of Busby Hall, held at Northallerton on
Wednesday last, a return of 10 per cent. was made to all
the tenantry according to their respective rentals.
The Marchioness of Londonderry, who was recently pre-
sented to the Sultan, is the only foreign lady, with the ex-
ception of the Countess Woronzow, upon whom the honour
was ever conferred.

Fifteen men have been committed for the late savage
murder on the Glasgow and Edinburgh railway, and ten
more in custody. A reward of £lOO has been offered for the
apprehension of another.
The Glasgow Presbytery have instructed their committee
to take the most vigorous measures in the way of petition
and remonstrance against the running of the mails on Sun-
days, and railway Sabbath excursions.
DEATH OF THE HON. JAMES STUART.—The above gen-
tleman, the eldest son of the Earl of Moray, by his second
Countess, daughter of Sir Philip Ainslie and the Hon.
Elizabeth Gray, died on Saturday week. He was born
January 17, 1804, and was captain in the 85th regiment.
A patent preparation, entitled " the concentrated essence
of malt and hops," is announced, by which individuals are
enabled to produce beer and porter without the process of
brewing, only allowing the liquid to pass through the fer-
menting stage.
Mr. M`Donnell, of the Cork Theatre, has seized Bochsa's
splendid double action harp, to satisfy the costs of suit is
the late record against that eminent music master, for not
completing his engapement in Cork.--Limerick Chronicle.
It was on Wednesday discovered that, in the course of the
previous night, some evil-disposed person had cut and
seriously injured many of the young trees in Kensington
Gardens, and had, it is believed, made an attempt to fire one
of the keepers' cottages.
It is generally rumoured in the clubs, that amongst the
honours and promotions which her Majesty will be advised
to grant after the approaching settlement of the Eastern
affairs, Visconnt Palmerston will be raised to the dignity of a
Marquis.

A Mousa BY Posr.—ln the course of the week, Mr. R.
M. Davies, druggist, of King-street, in this town, received a
live dormouse through the medium of the post. The animal
was, doubtless, much astonished at its transit, but is now
" as well as can be expected."—Carmarthen Journal.
INCREASE OF SMALL LIVINGS.—We are given to under-
stand that all the small livings in this and some other adjoin-
ing parishes, where the population is 2,000 or upwards and
the cleryyman's stipend less than £l5O a-year, will shortly
be augmented to that sum, out of the funds at the disposal
of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners.—Wigan Gazette.
THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND AND THE SULTAN.—The sul-
tan has, we understand, directed that a splendid brilliant
necklace, to be composed entirely of diamonds of the first
water, he.immediately prepared as a present to her majesty
Queen Victoria. It is intended to be a token of his esteem
for our beloved sovereign, who has been his highness's best
friend in the hour of need.—Smyrna Observer, Nov. 28.
We understand that the determination of the present French
cabinet to maintain the " Paia- armee," gives great offence
to Great Britain, Austria, and Prussia. Representations of
a decided character on this subject are being made, and un-
less France lowers her tone, the settlement of the Egyptian
question will not produce the beneficial effect in Europe that
was expected.—Morning Herald of Friday. •
" SUPPORTING THE PRESS."—Having dinners through.
out the country. •Putting the proprietors of all the papers
within thirty miles distance, to the expense of sending re-
porters, to make speeches out of the materials presented on
the occasion. Giving as the last toast on the list—" The
Conservative Press, the guardian of our National Liberties,"
having just before taken care to make the Reporter pay even
for his admission ticket.—Lincoln Journal.
A PRACTITIONER.—We have been credibly informed that
our respected fellow-townsman, S. Nevitt Bennett, Esq.,
surgeon, in the course of a practice of upwards of thirty years,
has been the means of introducing to the world between six
and seven thousand children ! averaging, as regards the pro-
portion of sexes, about four per cent. in favour of males ; a
number exceeding in amount one-fourth of the population of
the whole city.—Chester paper.
INTEGRITY.—Friday, the 4th instant, a travellerfor a New.
castle house lost his pocketbook, containing £3OO, between
Hexham and Alston, and on missing it he returned in the
hope that it might be recovered. On the road he met a per-
son named Baty, and inquired if he had seen the pocketbook.
Baty replied in the affirmative, and produced it, with the
money safe ; £5 having been offered to him for its restora-
tion, he inquired if the traveller were a principal in the firm,
arid finding that he was not, he refused to accept the offer.—
Tyne Herald.