The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-03-30 00:00:00

a to sit down at home and calculate the cost of

the success of their injurious agitation
One of the most confid(

Lt iv-asserted of their

doctrines was, that a free trade in corn would have
a beneficial effect upon the currency, and would
not produce any drain for specie. Our supplies of
foreign grain were to be paid for in manufactured
goods and British produce exclusively. This dream
of dotage or of folly has, however, been dissipated
by that best of all tests-

nd, strangest

thing of all, a league organ has been brought to
confess the fact that, whenever Great Britain im-
ports largely of the rich stores of food, by which
she was to be made so prosperous, she may prepare
herself for a monetary crisis. The following is a
portion of the admission in question, contained in
a leading article in the Manchester Examiner,
paper, of which it is strongly asserted that Mr.
John Bright, M,P., or one of the Brights, is the
proprietor, and which is at all events his recognized
organ in Manchester :

We have," remarks the Examiner, , " from time to
time, since ecember last, when the drain of gold on the
Bank of England commenced, brought this important
subject before our readers, and, at the risk of being con-
sidered alarmists, we have not hesitated candidly to state
our views, and to warn the public of the unavoidable
difficulties in prospect, arising from the disturbance in
the currency caused by the demand for bullion for e.rpor-
tation in payment of 0127 -
that the

reports

We are convinced

discussions, entered upon in a proper spirit,
and with the sole view to elicit truth, have been attended
with the most beneficial results, and that the caution in-
duced by the warnings of the public press has had the
effect of mitigating a calamity which could not altogether
be avoided. We make no apology. therefore, for again
submitting our reasonsfor the views we entertain.
The circumstance which has recently tended most to
give an improved tone to the money market, has been the
seasonable relief afforded to the Bank of France by the
sale of stock to the Russian Government, to the amount

of about £2,000,000 sterling. This transaction will, no
doubt, have, ultimately, a favourable effect, on our market;
but we do not yet see any alteration in the state of the
foreign exchanges with this country, which indicates pros-
pects of a decline in the demand for specie for exporta-
tion. Corn, and other kinds of produce, are arriving in
great quantities from all parts of the world, for which
payment will shortly be required either in manifacturea
or bullion. Our exports are far from corresponding with
the value of our imports,,and there does not appear at
present any prospect of such an increase as will be suffi-
cient to cover them ; the difference must, therefore, be
made up by a continued export of bullion, and in the ex-
isting state of the Bank of England, a continued drain of
gold must result in increased pressure on the money
market."

Of course, all the world knew that this drain for
bullion would inevitably follow a largely-increased
importation of foreign-grown food, or of any fo-
reign product. Nothing short of idiotcy could
have failed to perceive a fact so obvious. It is as
clear as that, if you put a pound weight in one
scale, and only half a pound in the other, the latter
will kick the beam.

We were to have had, moreover, steady prices as
the result of free trade. Merchants were to be re-
lieved from the temptation to gamble in corn, which
the sliding scale was said to induce. Has it shown
itself thus far likely to effect either of these

desirable results ? •We have had more speculation
in corn since the passing of the corn law bill than
at any period within remembrance. Scarcely a
nt can be found in this great port who has

I mercha

plan; nothing more calculated to ensure from loss
both the party paying and receiving. Our stamp
act, however, operates as a material hindrance to
its • adoption. It operates, in fact, to perpetuate
insecurity in all mercantile transactions, and at the
same time defeats its own object, so far as the
raising of revenue is concerned. Could the legis-
lature be persuaded to substitute for the present
pro rata tax on receipts a uniform penny stampage,
we feel convinced that the adoption of Mr. Burn's
form of duplicate receipt would be universal, and
that, whilst defalcations by parties entrusted with
the collection of money would be checked, the
revenue would be a material gainer. It is scarcely
fair to the inventor of the plan in question to give
a description of it here.. We shall, however, bring
it under the notice of the Guardian Society, who
will do good service to the public by exercising
their influence to procure such an alteration of the
Stamp Duties as will render it universally available.

THE Anti-Education mania, of which Mr. Ed-
ward Baines, Jun., of Leeds, is a kind of stereotyped
promoter, continues to progress. Meetings are
being held in every town in Yorkshire, to which
the gentleman in question, or his adherents, have
access ; and the Legislature and Government are
beset with deputations and petitions, got up in the
ordinary dissenting fashion, that is—manufactured.
It is gratifying to observe that, amidst this well
got up storm, the Premier is firm. Lord John
Russell is not disposed to succumb to the dictation
of the ultra voluntaries, and thereby to condemn
the rising generation to remain in their present
state of educational deficiency, until Sectarian
efforts overtake the march of increasing population
and ignorance.
One circumstance, connected with this retarding
movement, we cannot but deplore. We refer to the
support announced to be given to its originators
by the Wesleyans of Great Britain. Few religion-
ists have hitherto been more zealous than the fol-
lowers of John Wesley in the cause of education ;

and it is sad to see them now drawn into the
adoption of a course which is only stimulated by
hatred to the Established Church to which, if
really entertaining the principles of their great
founder, they ought at least not to be bitterly
inimical. A very little reflection would show them
that they are allying themselves with a set of men
who are their bitterest enemies, and the bitterest
enemies of the cause of which they profess them-
selves to be strenuous supporters.

APPOINTMENT OF A STIPENDIARY SOLICITOR
TO THE DOCK ESTATE.

We should in all probability have passed without notice
an article in the columns of our contemporary, the Jour-
nal, under this head, could we have imagined it to have
emanated from the pen of the editor of that paper. Our
t' half-brother " of Saturday, as the Mercury would say,
is rather fond of mares' nests—and the world knows it.
He does not, however, ordinarily trouble himself to make
very minute inquiries as to the facts upon which his con-
clusions are based ; and as we happen to know that another
gentleman has been making rather particular inquiries as
to the salaries of former officers of the Dock Committee,
and other matters, the Journal must excuse us if we
address ourselves to the gentleman in question rather
than to himself, and at the same time congratulate him
upon the valuable aid which he is acquiring from his
volunteer contributor. _ .

The complaint of the writer of the article in question
is that the Dock Committee are liberal in the matter of
salaries beyond the measure of times gone by. In parti-
cular, the remuneration of the respected secretary of the
Dock Estate is complained of ; and the fixed salary offered
to the able solicitor is roundly charged as a job. Mr.
Mason, it is stated, received as a subordinate £2OO per
annum ; was advanced, when made chief secretary, to
£350 per annum and has since been advanced by degrees
to £lOOO per annum, his present salary.
Undoubtedly such advance appears great ; but we never
yet knew that deserving servants of the public were to
be debarred from the chance of improving their position
along with their increased claims on the score of desert
and additional work. We have no doubt that the Dock
Secretary earns his present salary quite as well as he has
ever earned the reduced one, for which our contemporary
says " the committee in power in 1841" (including Mr.
Alderman Evans) "is responsible."
With respect to the Dock Solicitor's new footing--a
permanent salary instead of variable bills of costs—it is a
little surprising that the objection should come from such
a quarter. Had we nothing-of the kind when municipal
reform was the new broom which was to sweep away all
abuses ? We rather fancy that no objection was made by
" liberalism " to a Town-clerk's appointment at a large
salary, even although an able man had to be pensioned on
the corporate estate, on the sole ground of his politics.
In the case of the Solicitor to the Dock Trust, the change
made is perfectly justifiable upon economical grounds.
The Dock Solicitor's business--parliamentary matters
apart—has increased, and is increasing. The Wapping
property is in course of purchase, and requires the hourly
attention of the Solicitor. The Dock Committee, since
their possession of warehouse property, have constant call
upon them for the services of a solicitor; and on every
account we conceive that they have acted wisely in pre •
ferring to pay henceforth a stated sum for such services,
rather than have heavy bills and costs, as they must
otherwise inevitably be called upon to pay.

THE LIVERPOOL STANDAfiD.

CROWN COURT,--YusTERDAy

=2!A,M

Baron Alderson resumed the business of the court yes-
terday morning'at ten o'clock, when the learned JUDGE
proceeded to pass sentence on the following prisoners:—
John Ingham Bond, who was convicted Of arson, by
setting fire to a warehouse in Manchester, in order to con-
ceal a robbery which he had committed on the premises.
15 years transportation.
Ann Brunt and John Howard, pleaded guilty to a
charge of bigamy.—Three mouths imprisonment with
hard labour.

Ann Williams, for making a false declaration before
Mr. Rushton regarding a pawn-"ticket.--To be imprisoned
and kept to hard labour for 6 months.
Thomas Hough,. for an assault on the person of David
Buckley.—To be imprisoned for one year and kept to hard
labour.

Thomas Fothergill, for assaulting his wife
prisoned and kept to hard labour for -one year
Ann Monks, for burglary. The prisoner had pleaded
guilty.—To be imprisoned and kept to hard labour for
one year.

To be im-

John Wilson, for forging an,order, and for obtaining
money under false pretences.—To be imprisoned and kept
to hard labour six months.

John Frogarth, Timothy Kelly, John Wooley, Thomas
Lund, Thomas Lewis, Thomas Greaves, and Catherine
Evans, all for bigamy.—Each to be imprisoned and kept
to hard labour for nine months, with the tbllowing excep-
tions : Lund, whose sentence was commuted to 6 mouths,
Greaves one month ; Catherine Evans, it appeared, mar-
ried her last husband under the impression that her for-
mer husband was dead. In consideration of this she was
sentenced to only one fortnight's imprisonment.