The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-03-23 00:00:00

I - LATEST FOREIGN AND COLONIAL.

. SPAIN 'AND PORTUGAL.
(From the Times.)
By accounts from Madrid of the 14th instant, report's
of a ministerial crisis were again in circulation. ;,,The Ca-.
binet, on receipt of despatches from Navarre, had re.
solved to send General Serrano to that province, with the
title and powers of Captain-General. A decree was ac-
cordingly prepared and submitted to the approbation of
the Queen, who asked for time to consider.
From Madrid journals and correspondence of the 15th
instant, we learn that the Queen riot having signed the
decree appointing General Serrano Captain-General of
Navarre, the Ministry had appointed him to inspect the
troops stationed in Naverre and the Basque provinces,
and enjoined him to proceed to his destination on the
14th. The General having refused to obey the order, an
extraordinary Council was held to deliberate on the mat-
ter. It was attended by all the Cabinet, by General
Narvaez, Messrs. -Martinez de la Rosa, Mon, Fidel, Do-
noso Cortes, Castro y Orozoo, Gonzales Bravo, the
Marquis de Viluma, and other distinguished members
of the Moderado party. The Council unanimously.
resolved that General Serrano should be tried for dis-
obeying the order of his superiors. At three o'clock on
the 15th' all the Ministers repaired to .the Senate, and
communicated to that assembly the official decrees, nomi-
nating Generals Serrano, Espeleta, and Fernandez, in-
spectors of the troops in the provinces. A document,
drawn up by General Serrano, was next read, in which he
stated what had passed between him and the Cabinet dur-
ing the two previous days, and asked if he ought to quit
Madrid pursuant to the orders of the Cabinet, or Continue
to sit in the Senate. The Duke de Sotomayor next rose,
,and after explaining the circumstances referred to, de-
clared that the Cabinet bad determined to bring the
General to trial for disobedience and. insubordination.
M. Luzurriaga urged the assembly not to adopt any hasty.
decision in a matter of so delicate a nature ; but the Mi-
nister of Justice insisting on the necessity of a prompt
and decisive resolution, a committee was chosen to report
on the affair in the course of the day.
We have Lisbon news to the 15th inst. An extraordi-
nary apathy was pervading all classes, civil and military,
in the country. Saldanah had not yet proceeded to in-
vest Oporto, but the junction of a portion of his forces
with those of Casal had at last been effected.

The monied difficulty still subsisted, and the probabi-
lity remained unchanged that the Queen would be obliged
to accept British mediation.
A number of inconsiderable skirmishes had taken
place, in which the advantage was said to be on the
Queen's side, but with little tendency to bring the civil
war to a conclusion. Some serious desertions, however,
had taken place from the Junta to Saldanhn.
The Government had adopted further measures with $
view to the reduction of the discount upon Bank of Lis-
bon notes (including, the emission of 2,400 contos of new
inscriptions of the internal debt, the produce to be ap-
plied in cancelling the notes), but so far without success.

THE WEST INDIA MAILS.
The royal mail company's steamer Forth, C. M. Chap-
man, commander, arrived at Southampton on Saturday
afternoon at 5 p. In., bringing mails of the followine dates,
in charge of Lieutenant Brown,b Admiralty agent ;—Puerto
Cabello, 18th February ; St. Jago de Cuba, 23rd February ;
Jamaica, February, 25th ; Puerto Rico, February 27th ;
Demerara, 18th February ; Tobago, 19th February; Tri-
nidad, 26th February; Larbadoes, 24th February; Gro,
nada,. 26th February ; St. Vincent, 26th February; St.
Lucia, 26th February ; Martinique, 27th February ; Do-
minique, 27th February ; Guadalope, 27th February;
Antigua, 28th February ; Montserrat, 26th February;
Nevis, 28th February ; St. Kitts, 28th February; Tortola,
Ist March ; St. Thomas, Ist March. Her freight consists
of 225 ounces 16dwts. of gold ; 1681 ounces old silver,
and £lO5 silver bullion: 74 tierces, 2 casks, and 14 bar-
rels of coffee ; 6 serons of indigo, and packages of sundries;
1 tierce and 1 cask of beeswax ; 35 packages of arrowroot;
•46 packages of succades ; 3 casks of tortoise-shell, &c., and
51 passengers, including General "Middlemore and family.
The Forth brings little intelligence of interest. The crops
are in a satisfactory state throughout the island.

THE COMET.
TO forwardOß OF 'THE TIMES.
Sir,—l beg toto you some results relative to
the comet discovered here on February 6, which will, per-
haps, interest your astronomical readers. During the
last ten days this object has been distinctly visible to the
naked eye in the constellation Andromeda, shining as a
star of the forth magnitude, with a tail extending (at
present) about four degress from the nucleus.
The perihelion passage will take place about six o'clock
on the evening of March 30, when the distance of the
comet from the sun's surface will be little more than four
times the real diameter of that luminary, or about
3,500,000 miles; consequently, the intensity of light will
be 100 times stronger than at present, or once stronger
than that of a star of the fourth magnitude. Very few
comets have approached so near the sun as this.
My object in writing now is to suggest the possibility of
our seeing the comet in broad daylight on March 30.
The great comet of 1843 was distinctly observed at noon-
day over the whole continent of America, and likewise in
the south of Europe ; and on comparing the intensity of
light ofihe two comets given by theory, there is no suf-
ficient difference to render the visibility of the present
comet in daylight impossible, though we are of course un-
able to jude how physical circumstances may affect the
degree of brilliancy. At noon on March 30, according
to my corrected elements, the comet will be distant front
the run four • times his apparent diameter, and nearly
south-south-west of his centre. Towards sunset, or about
perihelion, the distance will be somewhat less.
The diameter of the co netic-nebulosity is about 65,000
miles, and that of the more condensed central part 8,000
miles; the tail extends more than 5,000,000 miles from
the head. At the beginning of April this appendage
(judging from analogy) will no doubt reach a muck „
greater length, and wiil probably be seen in the western
heavens soon after sunset, though the nucleus may be lost
in the twilight early in the month.
It is alm,ist unnecessary for me to remark, that obser-
vations made about the time of perihelion would be ex-
tremely valuable for the determination of the elements.
I remain, Sir, yours very respectfully,
J. H. .
Mr. Bishop's Observatory, Reyent's-park, MarchHlND
20.
0

„PENING or THE PORT OF BIRKENHEAD.—Next Mon-
day week, the sth April, Easter Monday, will be a great
this
its
increasing
existence
es a
pport.
day in Birkenhead, for from that day the inhabitants of
communityOnnultyhadtaray thethe
Ccoemeisnscieemeeernstof ,
Dock, the Birkenhead Dock Company's Warehouses, the
Chester and Birkenhead Extension Line of Railway to the
docks, end the .Birkcnhead Park, will be opened, Lord
Morpeth, the chief commissioner of woods and forests,
taking the chief part in the several ceremonies. The oc-
casion will be observed in Birkenhead as a gala, and every
arrangement will be made for making the day one of ge-
neral enjoyment to the inhabitants. There will be a
grand ile:jenn‘in one of the spacious rooms at the dock
warehouses, and a ball at the same place in the evening.
Special trains will he provided for the purpose of convey.
ing the distinguished visitors from the metropolis and
other places, and numerous cheap trains will be despatched
from various parts, in order to give the inhabitants of dis-
tant districts an opportunity of att 'nding the fete.
Amongst the distinguished visitors expected are Lord
Lincoln, Lord Adcriland, Lord John Hay, Sir Thomas
Fremantle, Hon. Mr. Gore, Mr. Pemberton, Mr. Ward,
and the county members.
INQUEST—MEDICAL CASE.—Yesterday, an inquest
was held betilre 'Mr. Curry on view of the body of Mary
Ann Knox, the wife of Thomas Knox, and who lived at
No. 29, Richmond-row. It appeared that the deceased
was in the family way. Mr. Bullock, surgeon, was em-
ployed to attend her—he had before lodged in the house.
On Friday deceased was ill and the doctor was sent for.
She, observed to a witness on that day (before he was
calla!), though she appeared to be quite well, that a great
change had taken place in her condition within a short
time. She said she had discharged great clots of blood
of the size of eggs. Subsequently the doctor attended
her in her confinement, and it appeared that, after resort-
ing to the usual measures in cross birth, he delivered de-
ceased of a dead female child. He had previously admi-
nistered medicine to the deceased. It appeared from
some of the evidence, that the surgeon was slightly affected
Iby liquor on his first visit. One witness left deceased for
I about an hour, and on her return found the surgeon in a
state of intoxication, and unable toyanswer any question.
Deceased at' this time was much worse than previously,
and died about eight o'clock the same night. A accord
.witness stated that she did not think that the doctor paid
deceased that attention which was requisite. The case
was adjourned, for further evidence, until Thursday. It
appeared from the evidence of Mr. Woods, surgeon, thst
the cause of death was flooding, or haemorrhage, scarcely
a drop of blood being left in the body.
MISS EMMELINE MONTAGUE'S BENI:MT.—This de-
serving and Hented young lady takes a benefit to-night ;
the pieces selected, ” The Wife," in which she will sus-
tain the part. of Mariana " A Husband at Sight," and
"The Ladies' Club." We need not say how deserving
Miss Montague is of the support of the play-going public.
BENEFIT OFMR.G.G. COOKE, BOX-KEEPER, THEATRE
ROYAL.-;--On Thursday next, it will be perceived by the
Advertisement in another column, that Mr. G. G. Cooke,
the indefatigable and polite box-keeper of the Theatre
Royal, takes his benefit. Few playgoers who have ex-
perienced the attention of Mr. Cooke, will doubt that his
friends will rally round him on this occasion, and we
sincerely trust that a fashionable and crowded house will
reward his efforts.

THE COR-NT;DE.—The arrival of spring removes not
the gloom that lowers over almost every branch of com-
mercial enterprise, but we trust, nay we prognosticate,
that the apathy evinced by purchasers, which has clogged
the railway-like speculations in cotton and corn, may pro-
duce a re-action alike beneficial to all classes. The ex-
horbitant prices of grain led to the forwarding of unlimited
orders to purchase to all supplying ports, cresting, of
course, in foreign markets an unexpected demand, and
causing an unprecedented advance in value; but, the per-
chases that have been made to supply the English..market
are so great, and almost all on speculation, that even with
inereasmg prices in America, we have au important decline
here. The fact is that the flour to arrive is now antici-
pated to be more than will supply the wants of the com-
munity. Speculators having been led under the hies of a
scarcity in America to buy too extensively. This is borne
out by the news by the Cambria, the papers by whichc
quote flour at pares, when freight is considered, wih!
are greatly above its value in the English markets. B• t
every manoeuvre is being tried by speculators -to • • hew a
decTease in stocks in hand and to arrive. Last week no
le!,,s than 4COO barrels of flour paid dock and town dues
for shipment to France. 11,7 e know, however, that there
are articles occasionally paSsed which arc never intended
to be exported, but merely to show a decreased stock,
and which a return of dues are applied for some days
efrer the Ailing of the vessel "as short shipped..,_
.Liverpool Telegraph. )

c