The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-05-03 00:00:00

TRUE HEROISM.—During the voyage of the John
Melhuish, emigrant vessel, from London for Port Philip,
when in 39 deg. 11 min., south latitude, and 19 deg. 57
min. east longitude, the first mate went stealthily into
the hold, and tapped a brandy cask. The light which he
held in his hand came in contact with the liquor, and the
hold was speedily in flames. An alarm was raised, and a
passenger, named Hayward, thrust his finger into the
hole from which the brandy was flowing ; and, notwith-
standing the blue flame enveloped his arm, he held it
there until the fire was subdued. He was afterwards
presented by the rest of the passengers with a gold watch
and chain, as an acknowledgment of his heroic conduct.
The first mate was placed under arrest.

FATAL COAL PIT EXPLOSION.—On Tuesday another
of these frightful casualties occurred at the Old Park
Colliery, Dudley, belonging to Lord Ward, which re-
sulted in the death of six men and three boys, and the
severe injury of three or four others. At the inquest,
Mr. Wynne, the Government inspector, said that the
explosion must have been caused by the fouling or accu-
mulation of carburetted hydrogen in the east level, pro
duced by the lowering of the temperature of the upcast
shaft, by the leakage of the air, or by the skirting at the
end of the south air course being left open, or, by what
was not improbable, all these circumstances combined.
The jury returned a verdict of accidental death.

MERCANTILE LAW.—At the monthly meeting of the
members of the Society for promoting the Amendment
of the Law, on Monday, Mr. Stuart, Q.C., in the chair,
a report was presented from a committee an the com-
mercial laws, which expressed it to be the opinion of the
committee that it was not expedient to establish tribunals
of commerce similar to those existing on the continent;
that, nevertheless, increased facilities were required for
the settlement of disputes arising on commercial ques-
tions, and that it would be desirable to refer such ques-
tions to arbitration, and give the country and common
law courts the power of carrying out the awards. After
a long discussion, the consideration of the report was ad.
journed to the next meeting.

LORD'S DAY DESECRATION.—In answer to a depute-
' tion of working men opposed to the opening of the
Crystal Palace on Sundays, who waited upon Lord Pal-
merston on Monday, his lordship said :—For himself, he
could not be brought to see how the opening of this
' pleasure-ground could be productive of the amount of
evil which had been described. He could not see the
harm of an individual, who devoted a portion of the
seventh day to the worship of his God, going afterwards-
to view these pleasure grounds ; but he was only stating~
his private opinions. He should not object to a measure
for closing public-houses and beer-shops on Sundays,
but he thought opening the Crystal Palace would draw
people away from such places. He certainly objected to
the desecration of the Sabbath, but was not unfavourable
to harmless and innocent recreation after divine service.
THE NEWSPAPER IN THE FAMILY. ---, IS IT AN
EDUCATOR ?—A schoolmaster, writing in a recent number-
of the Ogdensburg (U. S.) Sentinel, says :—I have
found it to be a universal fact, without exception, that
those scholars of bcth sexes, and of all ages, who have
had access to newspapers at home, when compared with
those who have not, are-1. Better readers, excelling in
pronunciation and emphasis, and consequently recd more
understandingly.-2. They are better spellers, and define
words vbith greater ease and with more accuracy.-3. They
obtain a practical knowledge of geography in almost half
the time it requires others, as the newspapers have made
them familiar with the location of the important places,
nations, their governments, and doings on the glohe.-4.
Theyare better grammarians, forhaving become so familiar
with every variety of style, in the newspaper, from the
common-place advertisement, to the finished and classical
oration of the statesman, they more readily comprehend
the meaning of the text, and consequently analyze its
construction with accuracy.-5. They write Letter corn.
positions, using better language, containing more thoughts
more clearly and connectedly expressed.-6. Those young
men who ;lave for years been readers of the newspapers,
are always taking the lead in the debating society, exhibit-
ing a more extensive knowledge upon a greater variety of
subjects and expressing their views with greater fluency,
clearness and correctness in their use of languages.
THE SEIZURE OF ROCKETS AT ROTHERHITHE.—The
proceedings in this rase were resumed at the Bow-street
police-court, London, on Thursday, and Mr. Henry, the
magistrate, gave his decision upon the first summons,
which charged Messrs. Hale with being in possession of a
greater quantity of gunpowder than that permitted by act
of parliament, to the effect that the powder, found on
Messrs. Hale's premises, was gunpowder within the mean-
ing of the act. He, therefore, adjudged that all the
I powder seized beyond the allowed quantity should be
forfeited, and the defendant should pay 2s. per lb. penalty.
William Hale, Robert Hale, and James Boylin, were then
charged with having made, in contravention of the pro-
visions of the act 9th and 10th 'Wm. 111. chap 7, large
quantities of rockets. For the prosecution, it was stated
that from October last there were a great many workmen
in employ, some of whom were foreign refugees, and the
whole of their proceedings were evidently carried on in
the greatest possible secrecy. Police officers gave evi-
dence respecting the seizure of the rockets. Auguste
Usener, the next witness, said that he had been an officer
of Prussian artillery, and had served in the Hungarian
army during the war. He was employed by the Messrs.
em beforeb by
Hale, in making rockets at Rotherhithe, about the close
of September last year, and worked for them to the begin-
ningi]
e went of
to November.be
employed. li e knew
H e nwoatsh
the subject
last
M. Kossuth. He first saw M. Kossuth.
the elder Hale in the company
middle of September he saw introducedin gof
t he Hales
to tll
latter, and -
at the house of the was then
last summer, on his return from America. About the
of M. Kossuth,
recommended.d by
his. M. Kossuth to Mr. lisle's employ. M.
wages should be 18s. per week, and
recommended him to keep the affair quite secret. The
witness then described the manner in which he was em-
ployed in making the rockets, said that secrecy had been
machine for the rockets had been tried at a house in
Kossuth. A Ger-
dinhebtlyileiatip:
by M. Kos
man named Gerlach, who had also worked in t'
,:e factory,
galPsolacseal
enjoined upon him
reebseHeenancl Hales,
o, f
recommendedal\nid . added that a firing
surf', to the Hales, was afterwards • -
examtned. Mr. Henry
intimated that, he should not deal summarily with the
aPnidckwerhion
case, but should send it for '
trial at the sessions, and th
prisoners refusing to put in h •
ail were removed to Horse-
monger Lane Gaol.

BLAIR'S GOUT AND RHEUMATIC PlLLS.—Extract of a
letter, written by John Molard Wheeler, Esq., Collector
of Customs, Jamaica, having been banded by his brother,
at Swindon, to Mr. Prout, for publication :—" I know
you have never had occasion to take Blair's Pills, but let
rheumatic gout, lumbago, sciatica, rheu-
me emphatically tell you, in mercy to any friend who may
suffer from gout,
matism, or any branch of that widely-allied family, to
recommend their using them. In this country they are
of wonderful efficacy ; not only am I personally aware of
their powers, but I see my friends and acquaintances re-
ceiving unfailing benefit from their use. I would not be
without them on any account. If taken in the early stage
of disease they dissipate it altogether: if in a later, they
alleviate pain, and effect a much speedier cure than by any
other means within my knowledge." Sold-by Thomas
Prout, 229, Strand, London ; and by all respectable Me-
dicine Vendors throughout the kingdom.