The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-10-12 00:00:00

Thiaritt Rao.

Within the last twelve months above fifty miles of drains
have been cut on the Duke of Hamilton's estates near
Lancaster.

Too YOUNG.—At the Wigan parish church, during the
past week, four persons who presented themselves for
marriage were under the age of eighteen years.
On Monday, Mr. Hampton, the Irish aeronaut, made a
successful ascent from Vauxhall Gardens (better known as
Tinker's Gardcns), Collyhurst, Manchester, in his balloon,
the " Erin-go-Bragh."
In consequence of the short time or no time at many
of the mills in Blackburn, the next six months poor rate
is expected to be 2s. in the pound; a great increase from
6d. or Bd. as formerly.
Several additional mills were stopped last week in Pres-
ton. In Wigan most of the factories are working short
time, without much prospect of amendment. The moul-
ders in the latter town have been threatened with a re-
duction and there is a probability of a turn-out.

BURNLEY.—A local paper says it is currently reported
that short time is about to be commenced at nearly all
the cotton mills in Burnley. One firm is said to have
given notice to stop altogether, and several others are
about to run only three days in the week. It is also ru-
moured that a considerable reduction of wages is in con-
templation.
MELANCHOLY DEATH.—The Manchester Courier re-
cords the death (under mysterious circumstances) of Mr.
George Blake, for a number of years one of the masters of
the Manchester Free Grammar School. Three or four
weeks ago, he suddenly disappeared from the scene of his
useful labours, and painful apprehensions were entertained
as to his fate. He had previously complained of impaired
health, but refused to take the medicine prescribed for
him by his medical attendant. He was at the time re-
marked to be in low spirits. Nothing was seen or heard
of him until Thursday evening last, when his body was
found floating in the Irwell, near Barton Bridge. The
body was identified by Mr. Germon, a son of the Revd.
N. Germon, head master of the school. The jury returned
&verdict of "found drowned."

FEVER AT ORMSKIRIC.—This dreadful malady has again
become more prevalent in Ormskirk and the neighbour-
hood. The number of patients at present confined in the
fever sheds amounts to upwards of 50, nearly all of whom
are Irish.

ROBBERY AT GARSTON.—On Friday night last, some
thieves. entered a stable belonging to Mr. Greenup,
farmer, of Garston, and stole six geese, which, from ap-
pearances, they killed on the spot, two horse rugs, and a
lad's great coat. They had evidently used false keys to
obtain admission to the stable, as the door was found
locked in the morning, and there was no other way by
which entrance could be effected. This description of
robbery is, we are sorry to say, but too• common in the
neighbourhood of Garston, and demands increased vigi-
lence on the part of the police in detaining any suspicious
characters, who may be coming into town at an unseemly,
hour on a Saturday morning, with anything in their pos-
session.

THE EARL OF ELLESMERE AND THE WESLEYANS.—
The school now building by the Wesleyans, in Church-
fields, Runcorn, on the educational principle, is finished
externally all but the roof. It contains ten windows in
front, three feet by eight, and ten at the back, and is
two stories high. When Mr. Rippon,. the late agent,
wrote to the Earl of Ellesmere, to ask him for the grant
of the ground it is now built upon, with the out-premises
belonging to it, the rent of which would be about eight
guineas per year, his lordship answered that he must refuse
the request, as it would interfere with the accounts of the
trustees, but, at the same time, he begged the Wesleyans
to accept of ten pounds per- annum, as a free gift, to be
paid out of his lordship's personal property.
SINGULAR DEATH—A CHILD SUFFOC A.TED IN DOUGH.
—On Monday, the wife of a man named William Walsh,
residing at 32, Hewitt-street, Manchester, placed her
infant son, aged two years and five months, in a chair
before the fire, near a vessel full of bread dough. The
child complaining of being unwell, she left him alone in
this situation for about five minutes, whilst she went out
to procure a recommendation for him to the Children's
Dispensary. On her return, she found that the child had
fallen into the paste, and that his face was completely
covered. She immediately took him out, and, with the
assistance of some. neighbours, put him in a warm bath
a medical man was also promptly in attendance. All
their efforts, however, were unavailing—life was extinct.
FIRST MEETING OF THE ROYAL NORTH LANCASHIRE
AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.—The great experiment, so
deeply interesting to us all, of merging certain of our
Lancashire agricultural societies in one large and compre-
hensive association, has been tried, and we rejoice to say
—so far as we may judge from the eclat of a first meeting
—fulfilled the most sanguine hopes of its promoters.
Tuesday last was the day fixed for the inauguration meet-
ing of the newly-formed society in the county town. By
good time in the day, strangers began to arrive, and each
succeeding train brought an addition to the influx. The
show took place at the back of the Prince William Henry,
and the scene there presented was most animated. It is
estimated that upwards of 2000 persons visited the exhi-
bition. The show of stock was most admirable, of every
kind, The bulls were especially fine, and next to these
the enormous swine seemed to draw much attention.
There were some truly noble horses shown. The show of
implements was truly wonderful. It was wonderful to
behold, in the endless variety of things displayed, the ex-
tent to which the ingenuity of man can be carried. From
all sides, we heard the most gratifying expressions with
regard to the exhibition generally, everybody seeming
quite satisfied that a most successful experiment had been
made. Lord Stanley presided at the dinner.
SERIOUS CHARGE AGAINST A MANCHESTER SHOP-
KEEPER.—Mr. James Howard, silversmith, Manchester,
has been-charged at Chester and Knutsford with having
feloniously received a large quantity of silver plate from
two persons since convicted of felony, and now undergo-
inc, punishment in Chester Castle and Knutsford House
oeCorrection. The plate was stolen at Stockport, and
the thieves said that they sold it to Mr. Howard at the
rate of about 4d. an ounce. Mr. Sadler, superintendent of
the Stockport police, deposed that on the 22nd September
he went with Mr. Beswick, chief constable of Manches-
ter, to the defendant's shop, and charged him with pur-
chasing the stolen property under the circumstances above
described, from Ann Higson. Howard said, " I know the
party you mean ; she called on me some time ago, and I
bought some spoons of her at 4s, 6d. an ounce ; she gave
the name of Surr, and stated that she resided in Spinning
Field, Deansgate, and that her husband was ill, and had
been so some time, and they were obliged to sell the plate
to subsist upon. I afterwards went to Spinning Field,
and could find no person of the name of Surr. She
brought a dirty piece of paper. I made no inquiries of the
neighbours as to a person named Surr. I never bought
any other plate." Mr. Sadler said " I took possession of
the books in his shop, marked 1,2, 3,4, 5,6, 7,8, and 9.
I have examined them, and find no entry in any of them
of a sale of plate by any person named Surr.". None of
the missing plate has been found in Howard's shop. Mr.
Monk, barrister-at-law, who appeared on behalf of the
defendant, ti.en addressed the court at considerable length
against a committal, on the ground of the suspicious cha-
racter of the evidence, and afterwards called several wit-
nesses, who gave the defendant an excellent character as
an honest and upright man. The court thought there was
sufficient evidence as the case stood to justify the commit-
tal of the defendant to Chester Castle. Bail was subse-
quently tendered and accepted, the defendant in £5OO and
two sureties in £250 each, to take his trial at the next as-
sizes for this county.
AN EXAMPLE FOR DISSENTERS.—Mr. Samuel Fletcher,
of Manchester, who is the leading dissenter in that town,
lately addressed a letter to the Manchester Guardian
on the subject of -the recent proceedings of the " Anti-
State Church Society." In the course of his letter he
says, "in one of these ' reasons (given by the society
as a justification of their clamour), there was a futile
attempt to exhibit as a grievance the appointment of a
bishop for Manchester; but surely the church has a right
to appoint as many bishops as it may think needful, with-
out asking leave of the dissenters, when it provides for
their maintenance out of its own funds. Just as reason-
able would it be for some churchman, more zealous than
wise, to raise an agitation in Salford, against Dr. Massie,
for appointing an additional deacon in his church." Again
he says, " I confess I have no sympathy with the Anti-
State Church Society," considering it an impertinent
intermeddling with a question which, as dissenters, we
ought to have nothing to do. If the severance of the
church from the state be ever accomplished, the work
must be wrought out by its own members, unimpeded by
our interference ; but whenever it does take place, it will,
in my judgment, prove "a heavy blow and great. dis-
couragement " to the very form of dissent. The strength
of nonconformity, I conceive, lies in its quiet, wise, and
efficient prosecution of the work of Christian evangelisa-
tion. Whether the declamatory meetings which have
been held among us so frequently of late years have added
to our strength and efficiency as a body, and tended to
promote the internal peace of our churches, is a grave
question, which may profitably occupy the prayerful con-
sideration of our ministers. Godliness and contentment
are not to be produced by the excitement of demi-political
associations. " The fruit of righteousness is sown in
peace." We want " wisdom, and £50,000," writes Dr.
Massie, " Wisdom, and £50,000 " echoes the editor of
the Patriot; but with equal success may they set them-
selves to " call spirits from the vasty deep." Wisdom,"
we are told by the unerring Word, " dwells with pru-
dence;" and £50,000 will not be forthcoming to carry
out the vague generalities set forth in the " Appeal."
A CLEVER SWINDLER.-During thf last week a fellow
calling himself " The Honourable Charles Walter Fitz-
clarence" has been before the Manchester borough magis-
trates, on a charge of attempting to swindle two trades-
men in the city. His first step on arriving at Manchester
was to proceed from the Albion Hotel to the Hulme Ca-
valry Barracks, where he stated that he was a lieutenant
in the Ist Royal Dragoons, stationed at Portsmouth, and
that he was in search of his servant, who had absconded
and entered either thellth Hussars (then in the barracks),
or the 69th Foot. He was then shewn some recruits, but
could not identify any one of them as the man. He then
said he would write a description of him at his hotel, and
the officer on duty sent a sergeant to the inn for it. The
prisoner gave the sergeant a glass of wine, and wrote out
the description. He then went out, taking the sergeant
with him, and went into Mr. Syddell's, haberdasher, when
he ordered shirts (to be made), and also an outfit, of the
value of £lOO. He here too bought a purse, which he
took with him, as his representations, the hussar
sergeant being with him, were believed, he himself stating
that he should want it, as he had to get a cheque cashed
for £lOOO at one of the banks. He next went into Mr.
Hamilton's, saddler, and obtained a gold mounted whip
(worth £4), and a pair of spurs. Mr. Hamilton after-
wards suspected him, not finding in the Army List a
lieutenant of the 11th Hussars ; and he went to the ho-
tel, and got back the whip by a ruse, but the impostor
kept the spurs. Mr. Syddall also suspected him, and sent
a man to tell him that he could not have the goods ordered
without payment. Fitzclarence said he would, if he (the
man) would find change for £lOO note. The man pro-
cured the change, when the prisoner took him into a bed-
room, and wanted him to hire a coach, and convey him
(Fitzclarence) and some trunks (which by the way were
not his) to the Hulme barracks, when he should be paid.
His alleged reason for this request was, that his troop-
sergeant had got the keys of his trunks. The man de-
clined, gave information to the police, and the prisoner
was apprehended. No property of any value was found
upon him. It was finally ascertained that he was a deser-
ter from her Majesty's ship Victory, at Chatham, and also
from the 76th Regt. ; and that at Chatham he had ob-
tained, by false pretences, money and goods to the amount
of upwards of £lOO. He was committed for trial at the
sessions.