The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-01-02 00:00:00

234153 14 0

Total.

.£2712758 12 0

THE AEMY.—The four companies, including head-quarters
of the 10th regiment, just arrived from Corfu, have received
orders to move from Cork to Fermov, where the depot from
Wexford will joi❑ them in a few days:

SHOCKING CASE OF SUICIDE.—Ii, is with feelings of extreme
sorrow, that we have to record the death of Mr. George Wright,
bookseller, of Chinch-street, Oldham, an highly esteemed and
truly worthy man. He was discovered about one o'clock on
Friday last to have put an end to his existence, by having sus-
pended himself from the rail of a bed, in one of the sleeping-
rooms of his house, by a string; he had breathed his last when
the afflicting circumstance was discovered. He has recently
suffered from severe pain in the back and head, and it is very
probable the intensity of the pain in the head was such, that it
threw him into a state of temporary derangement at the time
he committed the lamentable act. Air. Wright was upwards of
fifty-three years of age, and was extensively known, and highly
respected for integrity of character and kindness of disposition.
On Tuesday, the melancholy affair was investigated by the co-
roner, 'l'. F. Dearden, Esq., and a respectable jury. at the Old-
ham Arms Hotel. The jury returned a verdict, " That the de-
ceased committed suicide while in a state of temporary derange-
ment"— Manchester Courier.

MIDLAND COUNTIES RAILWAY.—On Friday the 22d inst.,
the remaining portion of this undertaking, extending from
Leicester to the Trent, upwards of 22 miles, and including an
iron bridge over the river Trent, of three arches of 100 f,-et
span each, was let to highly respectable contractors. The
whole line is now under contract. This important railway, 57
miles in length, will connect the manufactui ing towns of Lei-
testes, Nottingham, Derby, and Loughborough, containing
together a population of nearly 200,000 persons, with each
other, and with London ; and by means of the North Midland
(with which it unites at Derby), the York and North Midland
and the great North Midland railway, will form a direct rail-
way communication between the metropolis, Leeds, Yolk, and
Newcastle; the route to these important towns being by- the
Midland Counties Railway about nine miles shorter than by
any other railway. The line between Nottingham and Derby
will be completed early in the spring of 1839. and the whole
railway in the spring of the following year. The portion ex-
tending from Leicester to Rugby, and which is taken by Mr.
Mackintosh, the eminent contractor, was commenced on the
26th instant, in a field about a mile south of Leicester.

FaumEss EcoNorev.—A poor but respectable woman, who
resided upwards of forty years in the village of Catrine, had, in
her younger days, been able to scrape together the sum of forty-
two shillings, which, with that spirit of honest independence so
characteristic of the Scottish peasantry, she deposited carefully
in the corner of her chest, in the shape of two one-guinea notes,
in the hope that she might perhaps therewith be able to assist
herself at sonic future time. One day last week she was obliged
to draw one of them from its hiding-place, and tendered it in
payment of some commodity she was about to purchase, when,
to her no small grief and dismay, she learned that the bank from
which it emanated had long since ceased to exist. Her suspicion
was thus very naturally awakened with regard to the value of
her other note; and she ventured to express a hope, that a better
fate awaited her with regard to it, as she "was sure it was not
of the same kind;" yet, strange as it may appear, it turned out
that though of a different bank, it had expired upwards of twenty
Years ago. The notes are of the late Falkirk and Kilmarnock
banks.—Ediaburgh Evening Post.

CUMMERCIA L ENTtißPßlSE.—British mercantile enterprise is
shown now-a-days in souse very realm kable forms. The court
of the queen-regent of Spain, and the flying camp of Don Car-
los, are alike, we believe, attended by emissaries from the chief
London newspapers, whose business it is to transmit regular ac-
counts of the respective transactions of the contending parties,
to be published at home. On a late trip to the continent. we'
encountered a gentleman-like young scan, who informed us that
be had been commissioned by a manufacturing house of the west
of England to travel at his leisure over Europe, keeping his
eyes about him, and picking up ideas which he thought likely
to be of service to his employers. ' Some of the annuals present
equally striking instances of our national, coMmercial, and
literary enterprise. For thepreparation of an annual ornamented
volume, issued to the commtinity it ass extremely moderate price,
but iu vast quantities, we find ass accompli,;ied man of letters,
and an equally accomplished aetist—touring it over the romantic
parts•of the earth, the one with pen and the other with pencil in
hand.

111404,,,,,;,;GLA5G0W, PAISLEY, &e. RAILWAY.

~'

The first general meeting of the shareholders in the Gles-
goge, Paisley, Kilmarnock, and Ayr Railway Company was held .
ori'Wednesday.. the 15th December last at the Black Bull Inn,
in Glasgoat, When the repurtkf the Directors was read.
The Directors, after commenting, on the difficulties wi'h
which they had to. contend in getting the act passed for the in-
corporation of the company, called the attention of the share-
holders to three points. The first of thase was thearrangements
entered into with the Glasgow, Paisley, and Greenock com-
pany, by which one-half of the expense (estimated at £140,000.)
of forming the line between Glasgow and Paisley was to be paid
by each company, and the revenue for traffic between those two
towns to be equally divided, while each comnany. is to be al-
lowed to carry passengers and goods along, the joint line, on
paying, in proportion to ttfe amount, the expense of` maintaining
the line. The second point was, that art act of parliament had
been obtained by the shareholders of the Troon and Kilmar-
nock Railway Company, for increasing their capital. and re-
laying and straightening theit line, so as to render it fit for
locomotive engines, as, in the absence of any knowledge as t 6
the course of the line to England, it was deemed inexpedient to
resolve in executing the Branch to Kilmarnock, originally sug-
gested. The Directors had learned, that, when the line was
completed, improvements were to be made on the part of Ar-
drossan. The third point was, that an, obligation was imposed
by the act to expend equal sums at each end of the line. The
line from Ayr to Irvine, it was slated, might be finished within,
fifteen months, at an estimated expeuse of :£84,W0. The line
between Glasgow and Paisley would take ribont two years for,
its completion, at an estimated expense of £140,000.
The estimate of the cost of the whole railway, proved before
parliament, was £625,000. exclusiVe of engines, carriages, &c.
Tne revenue showed a return of 12 per cent. on this estimate.
The report staled the expenditure of the company to have
been £21,166. 3s. sd. and the funds remaining in hand..
£1,627. Bs. 11d. The utmost confidence was expressed as to'
the beneficial results which would flow from the execution of
the railway,

All officers on leave of absence from regiments at present
serving► in Canada have had their leave cancelled, and are'
ordered to proceed forthwith, via New York, to join their re-
spective corps.

THE ARMY.—The 93d Highlanders have received orders to
embark' immediately to Nova Scotia, for the purpose of there
replaCing one of the regiments sent on to Canada. It is gen-
erally supposed, that the 23d Fusileers and the 71st Light
Infantry will proceed to the same destination early in spring, or
sooner if requisite. The 93d are to be conveyed out by a ship
of war. • • '

Part of the oath of. a grand juryman is, that "his fellows'
counsel arid his 'owli he will keep secret," upon the principle
that e.c paile statements ought not to be divulged; yet the
chairman of the Middlesex sessions, in a ease on Saturday, is
represented to have said, "It was a pity the court had not a
person in the ~,randjury rooms to take down every word that was
said by prosecutors and witnesses."

The Bishop of Peterborough had a serious attack last week,
and his life was considered in danger • he still, remains very
Weak. His temporal dignity and earthly glory seem to be de-
parting "as a suiiimer cloud," and as" a tale that is told."—
Stamford Mercury. ' • '

It is said that on the'day of the arrival Of the news of the
Canadian rebellion, and the defeat of the Queen's troops, the
noble premier displayed at the royal table a more than usual,
flow of spirits. The Romani Emperor Nero is represented by
historians as exhibiting something of the same kind while
Rome was burning.

On Snndav week; Mr. R. Child's, of Bungay, ih a sup Posed
fit of teihnorary excitement, at about eleven o'clock in the fore-
noon, threw himself from an upstair window, about thirty feet
high, and is so severely injured, that there are no hopes of his
recovery.—Noifulk Chronicle.
. .
MORE ABSENCE op MIND.—The last " modern instance,"
recorded in the Yankee papers, is that of a Vermont waggoner
going to market, who lifted his hore into the waggon, and
tackled himself up in the traces. The veracious chronicler
adds that he did not discover his error until he undertook to
neigh !

A man popping his head through a tailor's shop window, ex-
claimed—' What o'clock is it by your lapboard r —upon which
the tailor lifted up his lapboard and struck him a blow on the
head, answering, • it has just struck one,'

A SCENE IN NASHVILLE TENNESSEE.—EIbow room has
been quite scarce during the past week. Such scrouging, goug-
ing, twisting, turning in and turning out, has seldom before
been witnessed. Instance the following :—Traveller dismounts
at a tavern. H illoa, landlord—can I get lodgings here to-night ?"
Landlord.—" No, Sir; every room in the house is engaged."
Traveller.—"Can't you even give me a blanket, and a bunch
of shavings for a pillow, io your bar-room r Landlord.—" No.
sir; there's not a square foot of space unoccupied any where in
the house." Traveller.—Then I'll thank you, sir, to shove a'
pole, well secured, out of your second story window, and I'll
roost on that."

SINGULAR SAGACITY OF A WASP.—A wasp bad caught a'
fly almost as big as herself, with which she attempted in vain
to rise in the air. Concluding that the weight of her prey was.
the impediment, she alighted and sawed off the head and tail,
before she again took to flight. The weight was now no obsta-
cle to her progress, but she had not calculated upon the wind
catching, the wings of her victim, and .thus retarding her;
which,
,however, she no sooner observed to be the case, than
she again alighted, and, having deliberately removed first one
wing and then the other, carried it off triumphantly to her
nest I—Bushrian's Philosophy of Instinct and Reason.

DISCOVERY OF CANADA.—Canada was discovered'in 1496 by
John Cabot, a citizen of Bristol, and colonized by the French.
in 1608, during the reign of Henry IV., of France, and James
1., of England. The French held possession of the country
till 1626, when it was conquered by the English, but restored.
about 6 years afterwards. Quebec, the capital, was taken by
the English in 1759, after a battle memorable for the deaths of
Wolfe and Moutcalm, the Generals of the respective armies ;
and the entire country was ceded to the English, and confirmed
to them by the peace of 1763. In 1791, during the commotions
caused by the French revolution, it received a constitution, and.
was divided into two provinces, which contained, some years
ago, a population of 829,000. The population now probably
amounts to a million.

DREADFUL CONFLAGRATION.—OD Thursday morning last,
about half-past Seven, one of the most destructive conflagrations
that bas occurred in London for a number of years, broke out
in the extensive wharfs of Messrs. Davis and Curling, in Pot-
ter's-fields, Hursleydown. The are exactly opposite the Tower,
and the wharf and store warehouses, occupying six or seven.
acres of ground, were in one mass of flames. They contained
contained upwards of 6000 barrels of turpentine, 400 tuns of
oil, and 500 tons of bark, besides an immense quantity of pitch,
tar, and other combustibles. Four vessels lying along side the
wharf were burnt, and the fire had extended to the adjoining
premises. At three o'clock it was got'under. The loss of pro-
perty is immense.

PIRACY.—The Thomas Crisp, schooner, J. Crisp, master,
arrived at Bristol on Sunday last, after a most disastrous voy-
age. Sne left Cardiff, laden with iron, on the 20th of May last,
bound to Constantinople, and on the 29th June, brought up in
the Dardanelles. about two miles from the village of Yene-chea,
set the watch, and went to bed without the feast apprehension of
danger; about 10 30 p.in. the watch was alarmed by seeing a
boat under the bow filled with armed men, who immediately
jumped on deck, ant pursued the man aft; the skylight was off,
for the purpose of giving air, and the man jumped down into
the cabin ; but while in the act of doing so, one of the ruffians
struck him a blow with a cutlass, which nearly severed his arm
from his body. The captain was awoke by the cries of a
wounded man, who rushed into the state ro.,m, crying "Pirates!
pirates, captain ! get your gun—they are aboard, sir—l am
wounded—they have nearly cut my arm off." The captain in-
stantly seized the gun, and made towards the door, which was
burst open by the pirates, who seized the captain by the throat,
and demanded his money, shouting " Danarie ! danarte!"
There was no alternative—defence was impossible; he made
them understand that he would comply, and proceeded to get
down a box, containing a number of dollars, which they imme-
diately seized, and demanded more; his watch was next deli-
vered to them. The captain's wife, who had gone oat for the
benefit of her health, was all this time standing trembling, and
nearly up to her ancles in the blood of the unfortunate man
they had so barbarously wounded : they then took her cabinet,
containing a considerable quantity of money and jewels; but
they were not satisfied—loud and vociferous were their demands
with pointed blades, for more money. While this horrible
scene was being enacted in the cabin, others of the pit atical
party had seized the fire-arms, and had pinioned the mate and
all others of the crew who came in their way; they then
brought the cabin-boy into the cabin, and after passing a knife
round his throat, ie order to make him confess if there was any
more money, but to no purpose, they decamped, The man who
had been so severely wounded was left in the country; and
about a week before the vessel made the land, on her passage
home, one of the crew fell front the yard-arm on the deck, and
was killed on the spot.

g

THE AUTHOR OF DR. SYNTAX'S TOUR IN SEARCH OF THE'
PICTURESQUE.—WiIIiam Combe was born of parents in good
circumstances, which placed him at Eton School, and in due
time afterwards sent him to Oxford. His uncle, a Mr. Alex-
ander, an alderman, left him sixteen thousand pounds, on which
he determined to study the law. With this view he left the
University, entered him/elf at the Temple, and was called to
the bar. His handsom person and mental accomplishments,
however, soon led him into circles of society and 'a course of ex-
penditure far beyond his means, and ultimately involved him in
the very depths of distress. In his days of prosperity; the splen-
dour of his dress, and menaga in general, together with his
highly aristocratic deportment, had gained him the appellation
of Duke Combe. His emergencies at length drove him to en-
list as a soldier, and at Wolverhampton be was recognised by
on old acquaintance, crawling through the streets after a long
march, dusty and lame, in quest of his quarters. His friend
exclaimed, " Is it possible, that I behold you, Combo, and bear-
ing a knapsack." "Pooh!" said the fallen hero; a' philoso-
pher ought to bear anything." At the pnblic-house at which he
was billeted, his literary acquirements excited such astonish-
inent, that the house was nightly filled with customers, who
came to wonder at the soldier, who knew Greek. Roger Kem-
ble was then at the same town with his strolling company, and
gave him a benefit, which furnished the means of obtaining his
discharge. On this occasion he spoke an address; in which it
was intimated he would solve the mystery of his extraordinary
situation. After noticing the various rumours respecting him.,
he concluded it thus Now, ladies and gentlemen, I am
going to tell you what I am. I am, ladies and gentle Men your
most humble and grateful servant." So
disap-
peared. Soon after this, an old college acquaintance found him
officiating as under waiter at a tavern at a Welsh watering
place. He subsequently entered the French atmy ; and at
another period, his exigencies imparted such charms to the soup.
pots of a French monastery, Iliac he waS abortt to assume the
cowl. While the monks were effecting his conversion, and du-
ring the requisite probation, however, he grew in good case, and
other prospects opening to him, he came to London again.
Here he obtained employment amongst booksellers, and at-
tached himself to literary pursuits altogether.— New Editut of
Dr. Syntax.

. -
THE Evil s or POVERTY.—The poverty oflite poor man is'
the least part of his misery. In all the storms of fortune be is
the first that must stand tha shock of extremity. Poor men are
perpetual sentinels, watching in the depths ofnight against the
incessant assaults of want ; while the rich lie stoved in secure
repose and compassed with a large abundance. If the land be
visited with a bloodless famine, are not the poor the first that
sacrifice their lives to hunger? If war'thunders in the tremb-
ling country's lap, are not the poor those that are exposed to
thy enemy's sword and outrage ? If the plague? like a loaded
sponge, tiles sprinkling poison through a whole, ingdom, the
poor are the fruit that are shaken from the burdeded tree; while
the rich, fusnished with the aids of fortune, have Means to wind
not themselr.s, and turn those sad endurances on the poor that
cannot avoid them. Like salt marshes that lie low, they are
sure, whenever the sea of this world 'ages, to be first under, and
embarrened with .a fretting, care. Who, like the poor, are
harroned with oppression, ever snbject to the imperious taxes'
and the gripes' of magistrates ? Continual care checks the
spirit, continual labour checks the body, and continualinsul
tation both. The poor man is like one rolled in a vessel fulls
of spikes, which way snever he turns, he something finds that
pricks bias.— Owen &idiot%