The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-08-03 00:00:00

BE UPENED AT SEVEN.
UNPRECEDENTED COMBINATION' OF FIRST-
RATE DRAUATIC TALENT.
PAST TWO IN THE MORNING
Having been received, last night, with shouts of laughter and
applause, wili be repeated on THURSDAY.
Second Week of MADAME VEST RIS, Mr. CHARLES
MATHEWS, Mr. WILLIAM FARREN, Mr. HAR-
LEY, and Mr. F. MATTHEWS, of the Theatre-Royal,
Covent-Garden. The last Night of the popular new CO-
medy, performed with the greatest attraction upwards of
one hundred nights last season, at the Theatre-Royal,
Covent-Garden, called LONDON ASSURANCE, which
has been received by brilliant and overflowing audience
with the most rapturous applause, on each representation,
at this Theatre.
rpms present TUEDSAY, August 3, will be performed,
.1 for the seventh time here, with New Scenery constructed
by Mr. Wilmore, and painted exoressly for the occasion by
Mr. Johnstone, the last New Comedy, written b D. J.
Bourcicault, Esq., called
LONDON ASSURANC
With the following cast of ch rs :
Lady Gay Spanker..
Sir Harcourt Courtly'..
Dazzle
Mark Meddle .
Ma,. Hark away . Mr. F. Matthews,
Of the Theatre-Royal, Covent-Garden.
Charles Courtly Mr. H. Holt.
Mr. Adolphus Spanker
Grace Harkaway Mrs. W. H. Bland.
Pert Mrs. Clarke.
At the end of the Play,
A NEW MAZOUIiKA, by Miss C. Webster,
And a PAS SEUL, by Master Webster.
To conclude with, for the first time here, a new Farce,
written by Mr. Charles Matthews, called the
RINGDOVES.
harry Ringdove ..... Mr. Charles Matthews.
Sir Harry Ringdove.... Mr. F. Matthews,'
As originally performed by them in London.
Mooney .... Mr. Baker.
Miss Longclackit.. Mrs. Clarke I Cecilia.. Miss E. Honner.
On WEDNESDAY, for the BENEFIT of Mr. WM.
FARREN, Sheridan's Comedy of the SCHOOL FOR
SCANDAL, with the following Cast of the Principal Cha-
racters

.
Slr Poter Teazle Mr. William Farren.
Charles Surface.. Mr. Charles Mathews.
Sir Benjamin Backbite Mr. Harley.
Crabtree Mr. F. Matthews.
Lady Teazle . Madame Vestris.
As performed by them at the Theatre-Royal, Covent-Garden,
Joseph Surface.. Mr. Stuatt I Oliver Surface.. Mr. Baker.
Mrs. Candour Mrs. Clarke.
Maria.... (on this occasion).... Mrs. W. H. Bland.
At the end of the Play. Mr. WILLIAM FARIiEN will sing
THE OLD ENGLISH GENTLEMAN.
After which, the petit DraMa of
JOHN JONES.

Guy Goodluck, Esq. (his original character) Mr. W. Farren

To conclude with the Musical Farce of
WHY DON'T YOU MARRY ?
Lisette .... Madame Vestris,
As originally performed by her in London.
On THURSDAY FAVOURITE ENTERTAINMENTS,
in which Madame VESTRIS, Mr. CHARLES MATHEWS, Mr.
WILLIAM FARREN, Mr. HARLEY, and Mr. F. MATTHEWS
Will perform
On FRIDAY

-Mr. CHARLES MATHEWS' BENEFIT

TO CORRESPONDENTS

INCIVILITY OF SHOPKEEPERS.—We cannot but regret that
"...A Stranger" should have experienced such uncourteous
conduct as described. We believe that the circumstance is
not the only one that has occurred in the same shop.

Ibt Ziberpoot Otanbart.

TUESDAY MORNING,

AUGUST 3, 1841

One of our much esteemed representatives, Lord
Sandon, observed at the first anniversary dinner of
the Liverpool Shipmasters' Association, that " he had

seen bodies of men associated together for all useful

purposes, but perhaps there was none which promised

more extensive usefulness, although yet in its infancy,
than the association which he saw before him." His

lordship then assigned his reasons for this opinion, and

they were such as could not fail to make a deep itn-

pression oh all who had the opportunity of hearing or
reading his fdrcible and eloquent enumeration. The

association is not one of mere conviviality; it is an
association for self-improvement—an association whose

first tendency is to elevate the tone and character of a

profession which all admit to be a most important

one, but which, from the various interests with which
it is connected, must tend in no remote degree to pro-

duce consequences of the highest value in a social and
national point of view. " The situation of master of
a ship," says M'Cullock, " is so very important, that
in some countries no one can be appointed to it who
has not submitted to an examination by competent
persons to ascertain his fitness for properly discharging
its duties ; but in this country the owners are left to
their own discretion as to the skill and honesty of the
master." Whether this be a defect or otherwise in
our laws, we do not stop to inquire ; but it follows ob-
viously, as a consequence from our open system, 'that
every voluntary means of improving the profession,
and of establishing a high standard of excellence
among its members, ought to be promoted and encou-
raged. The Shimasters' Association is a means to this
end ; it is an addition to a man's responsibities ; it
aims at diffusing information among its members, and
seeks to convey to their minds a just impression of
those consequences which must result both to them-
selves and others from men acting in their capacity ful-
filling their engagements in a spirit of enlightened phi-

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lanthropy. The society, at the expiration of its first
year, had enrolled the large number of nine hundred
and forty -members on its books—a fact which shows
how greatly the want of such an institution must have
been fat, and speaks most creditably for the mind and
disposition of the shipmasters towards its objects.
The subject has, we fear, been a neglected one, al-
though there is every conceivable reason why it should
have been otherwise. It is one in which all shipowners
are primarily interested ; it is their interest to have as
large and as well-instructed, as experienced and as
moral a body of men from whom to select persons to
command their vessels as possible. They should not
rest satisfied with being able to procure men who could
merely navigate their ships from one port to another—
men of little education, and of no information or
knowledge beyond what they have acquired by per-
sonal experience. This indeed, would make commerce
a grovelling, selfish pursuit, which cared for nothing
but sordid gain, wholly irrespective of the means by
which it was attained ; and it would moreover in this
respect be shortsighted ; for how often does it happen
that far greater responsibilities than the mere trans-
sport of a ship and her cargo, however valuable, de-
volve upon the master ? There is no more absolute
monarch in the world than the captain of a ship at
sea. The law recognises and confirms his authority,
and it is the common covenant in the articles of every
seaman, that " each and every lawful command which
the said master shall think necessary to issue for the
effectual government of the said vessel, suppressing
vice and immorality of all kinds, be strictly complied
with, under the penalty of the person disobeying for-
feiting his whole hire, together with everything belong-
ing to him on board the vessel." How much then of
the happiness of others becomes immediately depend-
ent upon him?
.No enlightened, no commonly humane, man could
be indifferent on this subject. "Commerce," says an
American writer, "is a noble calling. It mediates
between distant nations, and makes men's wants, not,
as formerly,' stimulants to war, but bonds of peace.
The universal activity of the age is due in no small
degree to commerce, which spreads the thoughts, in-
ventions, and writings of great men over the earth,
and gathers scientific and literary men everywhere into
an intellectual republic. So it carries abroad the Mis-
sionary, the Bible, the Cross, and is giving universa-
lity to true religion. Let our merchants carry on their
calling with these generous views. Let them not pur-
sue it for themselves alone. Let them rejoice to spread
improvements far and wide, and to unite men in more
friendly ties. Let their voyages be missions of huma-
nity, useful arts, science, and religion. It is a painful
thought that commerce, instead of enlightening and
purifying less privileged communities, has too often
made the name of Christian hateful to them—has car-
ried to the savage, not our useful arts and mild faith,
but weapoils of war and the intoxicating draught."
This is all very true ; but unless merchants, however
philanthropic or enlightened, or however disposed to
make commerce subservient to noble ends, can procure
men like themselves to take charge of their vessels, all
their good intentions or good wishes will be of no
avail. Hence the importance of the association under
consideration, and indeed of every other means which
could be made available to give to the masters of ves-
sels that deep sense of their great responsibilities
which would stimulate them in the discharge of their
arduous duties, and at the same time, by giving them
a consciousness of the large space they occupy in the
public mind,
encourage them to its performance.
But if the shipowner is interested in this subject,
much more is the seaman. It is sometimes the Eras-