The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-03-17 00:00:00

TIIE FOREIGN CORN MARKETS.

The state of the continental corn markets, as given in
Messrs. B"dy and Co.,s circular. does not appear to be
such as to warrant us in anticipating any material supply
or reduction of price from that quarter. The number of
grain laden vessels which pasled the Sound and Belt, for
England, from the 26th of February to the 3rd of March,
were three of wheat and one of barley. The markets ge-
nerally were quiet. with prices ranging a little above ours,
and little doing, although the navigation was rapidly open-
in... At Dautzic, good h'gh priced wheat was quoted at
54bs. to 555. per quarter for small parcels only, holders
being unwilling to sell at less than 2s. to 3s. advance.
At Elbing, Stettin, and Rostock, there was no disposi-
tion to give way in prices ; 611 b. to 62:b. red Uckermark
is held at 475. ; 621 b. to 631 b. Pomeranian at 48s. to 4.85.
6d. per quarter, free on board ; freight, 3s. 6d. to 3s. 9d.
per quarter to London.
The Hamburgh, Dutch, and Belgian markets were dull
—prices drooping.
Great activity was manifested at Odessa in the corn
trade. No purchases were made for England ; Italian and
Greek houses were the only buyers, and prices are one
rouble per Chet. higher. The good sorts of Polish wheat
cost 375. per quarter, free on board.
The prices of wheat in the Mediterranean ports are
much too high for England, and nothing can be imported
now through the Straits of Gibraltar from the countrie
eastward, without leaving a very heavy loss of from 10 to
15 per cent.; the prices advance at Odessa, in the face of
a serious decline quoted from England.

OUR TALK ON 'CHANGE.

(CONDENSED FROM A CONTEMPORARY.)

The talk during the past week has been considerably
about America and the Oregon question. The talk is
that Brother Jonathan will go to war with us for the whole
territory. The further talk is that he won't go to war at
all about that or any other matter. The general talk is
that he will do neither; and between the three different
talks the public are rather at a nonplus. The prevailing
opinion is that, before giving an opinion one way or the
other, we had better wait and see the event.
The talk in the early part of the week was that the
Lords would insist upon a fixed duty, and overthrow Sir
Robert Peel's measure. The further talk was that the
parties who inclined to such an opinion had the fact com-
municated to them direct from the Duke of Wellington
himself. The general talk, howver, was that the Duke
is not a likely man to tell tales out of school. The prayer
is that all this may be true.
There has been a great deal of talk about things in ge-
neral; but, as the weather is fine and the flags wide,
opinions have been very different and confli_tting. Under
the piazzas things were regarded with a much more com-
fortable feeling, whilst the north-west wind and a few
ahoy, era considerably damped the feeling in the area.
There was some talk, some further talk, and some
general talk, about Dock matters ; but we were unable
to gather what was the prevailing opinion, therefore
cannot record it.

The Rev. Chancellor Raikes has been pleased to ap-
point the liev. W. M. Falloon, Incumbent of St. John's,
in this town, a surrogate for the granting of marriage li-
censes, probate of wills, &c. &c.
PROTESTANT LECTURES.—The Rev. Wm. Pollock,
incumbent of St. Helens, will deliver this evening the
fifth of the course of lectures, going forward at the Con-
cert-hall, Lnrd Nelson-street. The important subject of
of Mr. Pollock's address is, " The vain pretensions of the
Church of Rome to infallibility, &c." The reverend
gentleman is well known as en eloquent and powerful de-
fender of Protestant truth. The lecture delivered by the
Rev. Henry Carpenter, on Tuesday lost, is considered to
be such an unanswerable exposure of the " Superstition of
the Church of Rome in the veneration of relics," that the
Committee of the Protestant Operative Association have
obtained Mr. Carpenter's permission to publish it at the
low charge of two pence, and we are happy to find that it
is being extensively 'circulated.
NEWSPAPER PUFFERY.—YANKEE versus THE OLD
COUNTRV.—What a wretchedly poor figure the newspaper
puffery of this country cuts when compared with that of
our lively Brother Jonathan. The Mrs. Caudle of Lord-
street, when she sits down to dilate upon her excessive
wisdom and unparallelled circulation, is but a puny dri-
veller compared with the Mrs. Coudles of the other con-
tinent, when they assume the boaa:ful vein. John Gordon
Bennett beats poor Mercury at his favourite weapons.
lle is as immeasurably greater than our contemporary in
the science of Bobedilism as the Rocky Mountains are
greater than the largest potato that ever was exhibited in
the Mercury's window. Take the best bit of boasting our
contemporary ever perpetrated—take any of his " paper
and a half for sispenny" brags ; and see how immeasurably
Bennett leaves him behind in the following racy bit of
bombast This unprecedented express was arranged
and run throughout by Mr. L. Bigelow, of the Boston,
Fitchburg, and Montreal Express line. It was the fastest
express ever run in the country, and cannot be beaten by
any live Yankee. The whole running time between the
two cities, was seven hours and five minutes—distance two
hundred and fifty miles." There is actually poetry in the
description. The feat of the New Yorker " cannot be
beaten by any live Yankee"—thereby suggesting the idea
that, if necessary, he could employ the disembodied spi-
rits of dead Yankees in carrying his expresses. Our con-
temporary at home is prosaic even in the inventive an-
nouncements which he makes of his extraordinary suc-
cesses. _

How TO BUILD A CHURCH.—This is a secret worth
knowing, and we think the St. Simon's Building Com-
mittee have pelished it for the good of others. They ad-
vertised, " Subscribe on condition that a certain sum he
raised," or in other words, " Give me £3 if I can raise
£3000." Many did subscribe; the committee worked;
their motto was " a long pull, and a strong pull, and a
pall altogether;" and they have raised the sum they at
first required. They are now. as appears by their adver-
tisement in to. day's paper, calling for a fulfilment of all
prom.ses ; but we regret to see that they are labouring
under pecuniary embarrassment. The corporation of
Liverpool cannot make them a free grant of the site.
They expected this as the church is to be a poor man's
church; but alas the resolution which they received from the
Finance
Committee is neither more nor less than a bill
for £214. Again, the advanced price of labour. increases
their expenditure. They have taken several important
steps : they have purchased their ground ; they have se-
lectedtheir plans; they bare applied to the public so-
cieties ; the first stone, we hope, will shortly be laid, and
we are sure that the zeal and enthusiasm which marked
the commencement of the work, will not cool Instil the
flag of England will float upon the steeple and our excel-
lent bishop will dedicate It to the worship of Almighty
God.

THE MARCH SESSIONS.

The court for the trial of prisoners within this borough
was opened yesterday, before Gilbert Henderson, Esq.,
Recorder. The calendar contained the names of 106 pri-
soners for felony, and 10 for misdemeanours. 01 the
whole, according to that document, 45 could neither read
nor write ; 49 could read and write imperfectly ; 18 could
read imperfectly ; and 4 could read and write well.
The following gentlemen were sworn of the
GRAND JURY.
William Atherton, Dale-street, Merchant, Foreman.
Joseph Brereton, Jordan.street, Timber Merchant,
David Behrend, Cable-street, Shipbroker,
Edward Cox, Chapel-street, Broker,
Thomas Chaloncr, Queen's Dock, Shipbuilder,
John Dutton, Exchange Buildings, Broker,
William Henry Dobie, Queen Anne-street, Merchant,
Dan. Jones Fynne', Fenwick-.street, Corn Merchant,
George Langtord tosherry, Tithebarn-street, Merchant,
Thomas Britain Forwood, North John-street, Merchant,
Richd. Forshaw, jun., Dale-street, Stock and Sharebroker,
T. Forsyth, Exchange-street East, Stock and Sharebroker,
Edw. Glazebrook, Brunswick-street, Wine Merchant,
Edw. Humble, Blackburn-place, Hope-street, Gentleman,
Geo. Kendall, Rodney-street, Merchant,
H. Littledale, Exchange-buildings, Broker,
Edw. Moon, Tithebarn-street, Merchant,
Robert Mather, Mount Pleasant, Gentleman,
John Backhouse Neilson, High-street, Sharebroker,
William Nixon, Vernon-street, Rectifier.
The proclamation against vice and immorality having
been read,
The RECORDER addressed the jury as follows :—The
calendar at this, the present quarter session, contains the
names of 116 persons for trial, and bearing in mind that
this numb -r has occurred within the space of six weeks, I
cannot congratulate you on the present aspect of crime in
this borough. There seems to be no reason to question
the efficiency of the police, for you find from ihe list, that
in 26 of the cases which come before you, the police have
either detected the offenders, or rendered material service
in apprehending them. I notice, with satisfaction, six
cases in which pawnbrokers, by causing the apprehension
of parties giving in pledge stolen goods, have rendered
most essential service to the ends of justice, and have thus
reflected great credit, not only on themselves, but on the
profession towhich they belong. On looking at the depos.
tions !think there are not any requiring remark or direction
from me; and I shall leave the cases to you, satisfied that
your intelligence and general knowledge will enable you to
decide what portion require to be further investigated by the
petit jury. It is nearly three years since I first had the
honour to occupy the position which I now do, and
during that time I have observed, with some attention, the
statements of crime; and, in calling your attention to this
subject, I would rather refer to some official dccutnent.
than make any statement of my own. I would first call
your attention to a return which I find in a report recently
made by the Inspector:of Prisons in this district. In that
return I find the total number of persons convicted at the
Liverpool Borough Sessions, in each of the last five years,
to be as follows :

Year. Conviction.
1841
1842
1843
1844
1845
This return shows the number of persons tried and convicted
at the Sessions,—but it is no criterion of the number ofpersons
charged with felony and brought before the magistrates. I
shall, therefore, refer to another return made by the keeper of
the main bridewell, showing the number of persons charged
with felony during the last four years; they were
In 1842
1843
1844
1845
Now it would be a source of much gratification to notice in
each of these successive years that the number of felonies had
progresiively diminished, but that I must call your attention
to the fact that, during the same period the number of other
offences has progressively increased. •I read from the same re-
turn the number of persons in each of those last four years
brought before the magistrates charged with other offences
than felony. They are as follow.:

.1842
1843
1944,
1845
Thus you see the constantly progressive increase in the num-
ber of persons charged with other -offences. On this subject
the Inspector of Prisons of the Northern and Eastern District
of England has remarked, that this old and flourishing maritime
town is almost the only exception, in this extensive district,
where there has not been a diminution of committals to prison
during the last, year. Gentlemen, I am sorry to add,.the only
bright part of this picture is already beginning to be clouded.
Since October last, a marked increase has taken place in the
business of this court, the number of committals for felony,
according to the best calculations I can make, have exceeded,
by one-third, the number during the same period in each of the
two preceding years. Ido not now propose to inquire into the
source of this increase,—l wish simply to establish the fact, anti
to call your attention to the general magnitude of crime, in
order that you may feel the importance of using every pos-
sible means to check the progress of social disorder. You are
now met to render your assistance for that purpose ; when you
shall have performed your part, and when the Petty Jury shall
have performed theirs, we shall then have separated the guilty
from the innocent. But the main question will then remain,
how are the guilty to be disposed of ? There are two modes of
punishment which we are enabled to adopt with reference to
the public protection, which are within the discretion of this
court, transportation and imprisonment. Whau we reflect that
transportation is a punishment by which parties are removed to
the furthest quarters of the globe for many years, to be passed
in imprisonment and servitude, breaking asunder every social
tie, to say nothing of the expense to this country, and the horror
and disgust which must be entertained towards these unfortu-
nate victims by those resident abroad, it is clear that that is a
punishment which ought to be imposed in comparatively few
and serious cases. If it were otherwise, it would be effectual
as a punishment, and such undue severity would defeat its own
object. It is clear, in the majority of cases in this court, im-
prisonment is the most general that can be adopted. But the
far greater number of cases to which the same punishment
must apply are those disposed of by the magistrates when I tell
you that in the course of last year no fewer than 6235 different
individuals were committed to the borough prison, the largest
number probably that passed through any prison in the kingdom
in that statement will suggest to:you what a powerful instrument
a prison may be made for good or for evil. If you were to ask
me as to the result of my experience, and whether I consider
confinement in our Borough Gaol most calculated to produce
any good moral- effect, I am sorry to say I must answer—cer-
tainly not. Individual cases may exist. I know that some do
exist where confinement in that gaol have been productive of be-
nefit and effectual afterwards, but gentlemen that is not the ge-
neral effect and tendency of imprisonment in the gaol. Nay, I
am prepared to go further, and state that the general influence
ofimprisonment is decidedly unfavourable and injurious, and
ill calculated to influence the conduct of the parties in future
life. The number of re-commitments which take
.place are
strong evidence on this subject. If you were to inquire to-day,
or any day, of what class of persons the inmates of gaols are
composed, I venture to say you would find more than half were
persons who had been previously convicted. If you ask for
proof, I refer you to my calendar of last sessions, where out of
106 persons charged with felony, no fewer than 03 had been
committed previously. Here yon have evidence of the heft!.
ciency of the effect of imprisonment in a gaol. When I
have to impose a long term of imprisonment, and it is
an old offender, what can I expect but that he will be
while in prison an instrument of corrupting others. If the
culprit is a novice, what can I expect from the association to
which the punishment inflicted consigns him, but that his cha-
racter, instead of being improved, will be materially injured?
Yet this does not arise from any deficiency on the part of those
who have the charge of our prisons : officers more diligent and
zealous cannot be found, or more competent to manage, with
satisfaction to the public, a proper prison establishment. But
without a building of suitable plan and construction,—without
sufficient space and extent of accommodation, it is impossible ,
to enforce that strict and severe discipline which is so essential '
to produce a lasting anti salutary impression, or prevent the
association with bad characters which is so fatal to all that are
of a good disposition. During the last ten years the Govern-
ment of the country has paid the most laudable attention to the '
subject, and great light has been thrown onthe various matters
connected with prison management. Many prejudices have been
removed, and are every day being removed, and the result is
now well understood, that the separation of one prisoner from '
another is the great and leading feature in all prison estab'ish- '
meats. In the punishment of offenders the well-disposed have
no right to be subjected to the infliction of being contaminated by
being compelled to associate with bad characters. An improved
system of punishment has been adopted at Bath, Shrewsbury,
and partially at Preston, and in every instance with success.
Ever since I had the honour of a seat on this bench, I have
been led to expect a prison on such a principle as I mention
would have been provided for the borough. I have waited for
it, and have no hesitation in saying I have mitigated my sen-
tences with reference to the inadequacy of the prison establish-
ment; and if any person will examine the return to which I
have referred, drawn up by the Inspector of Prisons, he will
find what I mean. I have been compelled, owing to the imper-
fection of our prison establishment, to adopt such modification
in several cases ; and it is high time I should be relieved of that
difficulty. I care not so much for myself—that is nothing: it
' is on public grounds I ask it. That a total change is required,
is, I feel convinced, the opinion of every one. All I know who
have had any experience, and are conversant with the subject,
and capable of judging of it, entertain the same views. The
excellent chaplain of the gaol finds the utility of his labours
impaired and paralysed by the present state of things, and has
I made a strong representation on the subject. After stating
the evils of the system, he observes that the delay in the intro-
duction of a better and more practical system is an infliction
of little less than injustice, if not cruelty, on many who, in
the meantime, shall be committed to this prison. The report
was read before the magistrates
and they passed a resolution,
that they were deeply impressed with the importance of the
Chaplain's report, and expressed a hope that the evils to which
he had alluded would, at no distant period, be removed by the
erection of a new gaol. The Inspector of Prisons, who visited
the Gaol in October last, in his report to Parliament, after ad-
verting to some details, which plainly show how inadequate this
prison is to effect the great object of such an institution, says—
" The inconveniences resulting from the want of a suitable
penal establishment in the town of Liverpool, are becoming so
complicated and perplexing to those entrusted with the admi-
nistration
.of justice, and to the officers of the prison, and so
directly injurious to the interests of society, from the ineffi-
ciency of the present prison as a deterring agent, that I cannot
too strongly press upon the municipal authorities the urgency
that exists for providing a new gaol. The truly lamentable
number of re-committals show that imprisonment there has
little or no influence in checking crime or disorder, and this
remark more particularly applies in the case of women."
Again he says—
" I do not assume that the building of a new gaol will cure
this lamentable state of things, but it is the duty of the muni-
cipal authorities to employ every available means for its
check and discouragement. A new penal establishment,
drected upon an improved principle, will permit at least the
classification, separation, and supervision of prisoners, the ap-
plication of hard labour, and scales of diet proportionate to the
length of imprisonment, which cannot be said to exist in the
present prison. lam aware that legal difficulties have arisen
with respect to the transfer of the ground selected for the site
• of the new borough gaol, but the necessity for prompt measures
is so apparent that should they he not speedily terminated, it
seems worthy of consideration whether some other locality
might not be availed of for the imrpose."
To this testimony I take the liberty of adding my own. The
subject is one that will not brook delay, and for the sake of the
community at large it ought to be taken up with an energy and
despatch proportioned to the urgent importance of the subject.
The local government is now building courts of law on a most
comprehensive scale, and surely that noble design will never
be allowed to remain incomplete, by providing a place for trial
without an establishment where the sentences of the magis-
trates may be carried into effect. It should bestow some por-
tion which has been given to the halls of justice to the cells of
prisoners; when that is done, and not till then, we may hope to
see the laws for the suppression of crime administered here in
a proper and efficient manner.

•
CHRIST CHURCH SCHOOL.---At this excellent and well-
conducted school upwards of COO children receive a sound
Scriptural and useful education. In behalf of the funds for its
maintenance two Sermons will be preached on Sunday next,
and we need but add, in furtherance of the good cause, that
the Rev. Fielding Ould will preach in the forenoon, and the
Rev. Hugh M'Neile in the evening.
DEATH FROM STARVATION.--OR Saturday a man unknown
was found in a sinking state in Manchester-street. He ap-
peared like a skeleton. A surgeon was called who ordered him
mustard plasters, but he died while they were being applied—
in about an hour after he was received at the station.

TOTAL LOSS OF THE BARQUE 'e FRANCIS
SPAIGHT", OF THIS PORT, AND 21 ?ILSONS.

'I he ship England's Queen arrived in the Mersey yes-
terday afternooon, from Bombay and the Cape of Good
Hope, which latter port she left on the 19th of January.
This is the latest arrival from that quarter, and to Capt.
Sheddings, the commander of the "mei, we are indebted
for the Cape of Good Hope and Natal Shipping and
Mercantile Gazette of the 9th January, conveying the
following melancholy intelligence of the loss of the
Francis Spaizlit

. _
During the night between Tuesday and Wednesday last, it
blew a violent gale from the northward, and at 6 a.m. on Wed-
nesday the squalls were very severe.
At 8. 30, the wind came more to the westward in a hard
squall accompanied with torrents of rain, when the barque
Francis Spaight, of 366 tons, from Manila to London, was ob-
served driving towards the strand, and an attempt was unfor-
tunately made to set the mainsail, which brought the vessel's
broadside to the shore; and in this position, with the mainsail
aback, she continued to drive until she struck the ground near
the slave lodge, about a mile from the village of Papendorp,
when, in consequence of being broadside to the beach, she
rolled heavily, the sea occasionally breaking over her decks. A
whale boat and a serf boat were sent from Cape Town ; the
whale boat succeeded in getting alongside the barque, and a
line was thrown over the vessel by the rocket apparatus. The
moment the boat touched the side, the crew of the barque, who
appeared to have lost all presence of mind, rushed into her,
when she was filled and capsized, and sad to relate, the captain
and fourteen men of the crew were drowned, together with four
men of the boat's crew, named Thomas Williams, William
Taylor, John Jackson, and Charles Norton.
A surf boat and another boat were also sent from the North
Wharf by Messrs. T. and J. Sinclair; both boats capsized, and
two men, named Dollie and Peter, were drowned.
The following are the names of the crew saved, viz.: James
Robertson, carpenter, and John Mc. Leod, seaman.
Captain Patterson and the following men were drowned,
viz.: Thomas Ilaydon, mate, Magnus Smith, second mate,
Henry Hiate, steward, David Evans, Edward Mc. Donald,
George Hutchings, John Smith, of Leith, John Smith, of Edin-
burgh, and William Widder, seamen; William Rymes, cook,
John Mittin Thomas Beddoe, William Hall, and Richard Par-
ker, apprentices.
It is exactly twenty-five years since a northerly gale occurred
in Table Bay during the summer months ; and on reference to
the Government Gazette of the.year 1821, we find that on the
4th of January a northerly gale, therein designated a hurricane,
blew with great violence, when the Danish ship India Packet,
and the English ships Dorah and Emma, were stranded ; but
we believe no loss of life then occurred. Had the head-sails of
the Francis Spaight been•set, instead of the main-sail, and the
vessel run on the beach, stem on, and forced up by keeping the
head sails upon her, it is very probable that the whole of the
crew would have been saved.

The vessel is broken in midships and is a total wreck; and
very little of the cargo will be saved uninjured.
The manifest and mail have not yet been found, but so far as
it has been ascertained the cargo consisted of sugar, hemp,
tobacco, cigars, rattans, and sundry other articles.