The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-09-04 00:00:00

It is rumoured, but we trust without foundation, that the
various charities distributed by. his late Majesty and his pre-
decessors, to needy and deserving objects at Brighton, have t 4)
been withdrawn.—Morning Herald.
At the late Pembrokeshire assizes, a country girl, durin
her examination as a witness, being asked whether she barik..-,,
any relationship to one of the parties in the cause, she re-
plied.
" No, not at least for nine generations."
..oek
A Quebec correspondent of one of the papers here statturtiol •-•
that the Vice Queen, Countess Durham, held a levee there*
lately, and issued her orders that no gentlemen should-liewitc. UR,
permitted to appear at her balls in a black cravat.—New York
paper.

A dwarf cow was exhibited at the Strathbogie cattle show
as a curiosity. This animal is only thirty inches in height,
though four years old. She has a beautiful pair of horns,
and is exceedingly quiet.—Aberdeen Herald,

JACK BANNISTER'S WIT AT AN AUCTlON.—Bannister
being at an auction in the Strand, where the auctioneer, who '
it appeared was selling his own goo'ls, said, " ladies and
gentlemen, I am not selling goods, I am giving them away."
‘.
Then," said Bannister, " I will thank you for that tea-urn
you have in your hand."

An Irish comedian having appeared before a Dublin audi-
ence in an extremely dirty pair of white duck trousers, a
person in the gallery, who had beard the observations of those•
around him, at length bawled out, " I say Mr. would •
not your ducks be better for a swim ?"

Acting the play of Hamlet, with the part of Hamlet omitted,
has long been a •standing joke; but something of this kind
was realised last week at Chichester Theatre, when Othello
was really acted without a Desdemona.
LONGFORD.—We have good reason to believe that Colonel
Henry White has resolved. upon vacating his seat for Long-
ford. We trust that the conservatives will take the hint and
be upon the alert. It is probable that the gallant colonel will
accept the Chiltern Hundreds the first week of the ensuing
session.—Dublin Evening Packet.
A spirited competition now exists between the coaches
running between this town and Exeter, through Tiverton;
although the distance by that route is thirty-six miles, pas-
sengers are conveyed for 3s. only, and at a speed faster than
that of the snails. The journey is performed in three hours..,
and a half, stoppages included ! Taunton Conger.
During the last three days in which the banking accottnt
of the Court of Chancery was kept open for the payment:ofT:'
checks, the Bank of England paid upwards of £4011,000—n)
sum unprecedented in extent, for the limited neriodparned !
The amount the distributed among small and large claim-,
ants must find its way in various channels among the public,
and so far prove beneficial.—Standard, Saturday;

RAIN WITHOUT CLOUDS.—M. Arago has received a letter
from M. Wartmann, on the 31st of May last, at 7h. 2m. p,m.,
rain fell at Geneva for six minutes, though the sky was per-
fectly clear in the zenith, and no clouds in the immediate
neighbourhood of it. At first the drops were large and the
rain was thick, but both' became thinner towards the end: •
The rain was lukewarm, and the thermornenter just above •
tire ground stood at 18 deg. 15 cent. During the day there
had been frequent alternations of wet and dry.--gailway
Magazine.
•CRIAI. CON.—CLOSE V. PARKER.—In the Sheriff's Court;
at York, on Friday week, an action was tried, in. which the •
plaintiff, Mr. James Close, surgeon, Leeds, sought to recover
from Mr. John Beilby Parker, drysalter, late of the same
place, compensation in damages fur the seduction of the
plaintiff's wi.e, who eloped with the defendant, or rather fol-
lowed him to Sheffield, in July, 1834, but returned the same
evenint, before the 'plaintiff, who had pursued her. Sonre
time afterwards she left his house under pretence of going to
see her aunt, a Miss Phillips, but she went away with the
defendant, and from that day to this, though advertisements
had been inserted in the papers, the plaintiff had not been
able to trace the fugitives. Defendant had suffered judg
ment to go by default. Mr. Blanshard was counsel for the
plaintiff and Mr. Travis for the defendant. The damegi
were laid at £3,000, and the jury, after consulting for
nearly an hour, gave a verdict for the Plaintiff, Damages
£350.

A horse employed in the colliery at Johnston, belonging
to Messrs. Marycburch and Owen, Haverfordwestv was .a. , .
month ago missing, and no trace of him could be discovered.';,..
Last week, however, as some boys were cutting-some
at the brink of an old coalpit, about 12 feet deep,. they dire•
covered the lost animal at the bottom. Assistance beingim7,
mediately procured, the poor horse was released from. the
confinement which he had suffered fur three weeks without
food or water, and annoyed by flies, which had eat 4.. boles
into his fli sir, and, owing to careful treatment,be,has.now
nearly recovered his former condition. Thirst seemed to be,
the principal suffering endured by the horse, as iminediately
on his release he rushed to his old watering-place, and. was
with the greatest difficulty forced from it. Hunger had.'
compelled him to endeavour to eat some dry roots which
-
were at the bottom of the pit, but, proving too hard to masti-
cate, they were found stuck fast in his mouth.— Welshman.
LONDON AND SOUTHAMPTON RA ILWA Y.—The eighth
half-yearly meeting of the London and Southampton Rail-
way Company was held on Friday, at the City of London
Tavern, J. Easthope, Esq., M.P., in the Chair.. The report
stated that the traffic on the line, since the partial opening,
had exceeded the calculation, and was increasing weekly,
the receipts for the first four weeks being £3,085; fur the
second four weeks £3,755; and for tbe third four weeks
£4,218; and this for passengers only, no goods or.cattle --
having been carried up to the present time. The directors .
have fixed the 18th of this month for a further opening.
This opening will take the railway to Sbapley, which is within
a short distance of the great south-western road. The em-
bankments between that point and Basingstuke will be
finished before the close of the present year, and the rails
(which are already contracted for) will be laid so as to open
the line to that town, or further, very early in the spring.
The other parts of the line are also in a very advanced state.
After several speeches, the meeting separated, highly satisfied
with the state of their affairs:

POLITICAL DISSENTERS.—The political Dissenters, hope-
less of success in "the Church-rate" question, upon which
Ministers have left them in the lurch, now betake themselves
to alter the System of education pursued in the "national
schools," complaining more particularly of the use of the'
Church catachisin. It is, doubtless, a hardship, that children
cannot be instructed in religion except in words—that words
for general teaching must be cast into common form—and
that that form will be framed according to those doctrines of
which the State approves as best. All this is very hard, but
how can it be helped ? The sectaries will scarcly propose to
exclude religion from education, and it will puzzle them to
snd any vehicle for religious instruction but words, which' •
must, for uniform use, be cast into some form. These pious
and dissatisfied persons intimate, that as they wish to instruct
the children of their own sects in their own doctrines-, they
ought to have share in the public money: The wish on the
part of Dissenters to educate the young of their own sects in
their own opinions is natural and laudable; but where is con-
sistency when the clamourers for "the voluntary princple"
demand the public money for such a purpose ?--Qzforti.
Herald. •
During the last week an interesting spectacle has been
witnessed on the lawn opposite the Vicarage-house at Slur-
minster, where a young cuckoo is supported and maintained
by the industry and attention of a water-wagtail. This little
fellow is most careful and zealous in behalf of his. gigantic
protegis, and seems not a little proud of so promising a
yonth. If another wagtail approaches the cuckoo, he is.sure
to meet with very heavy blows. The cuckoo can fly quite
strong, but is still in leading-strings, and seems loth to re-
linquish the flattering attention of its little guardian. The
two birds constantly roost together.— Wilts Independent.

SOUTH EASTERN AND DOVER RA ILWA Y.—The extensive
aorta of this national undertaking, at the Shakspeare Cliff
and gallery, are progressing in a manner that must be highly
gratifying to their numerous well-wishers in Dover, and the
shareholders generally. A few months more, and this classic
height will be completely honeycombed by the tunnels; the
galleries and shafts are already formed, and the drift-ways
connecting the shafts have been commenced. Beyond the
Shakspeare, the benches on the face of the cliff are finished.;*
and it now only remains to cut out the angular mass bet•ieen
them, when the line will lie complete for three miles of the' •
most difficult, though we think the least expensive, part oftkie
undertaking.—Dover Chronicle. •

COLOSSAL STATUE AT GOLSPIE.—The gigantic statue in „
progress to the memory of the late Duke of Sutherland,
which is to crown the summit of the monument at Ben-
wraggie, is now nearly finished. The artist, Mr..Theak-
stone, has succeeded in funning an admirable likeness °Ethel.
lamented nobleman, and when all the parts of the statue are
put together, its colossal dimensions (30 feet), its elevated
situation, and its imposing attitude, will render. it a conspi-
cuous landmark, as well as an oinament to that country
which the duke did so much cultivate and adorn. Temporary
huts have been constructed on the top of the mountain for
the workmen engaged in placing the statue, and in about a
month the whole will be fixed and completed.:4nverness
Courier.
AN UNWELCOME Vtstiou.—On Thursday week, in. the
course of the afternoon, a fat cow, purchased by Mr. Lexam,
butcher, at Lancaster, was brought there fur the purpose of
being slaughtered, and the poor animal being fatigued with
travelling, (having come some distance from the country)
in passing through St. Leonard-gate, she walked into the
house of ,Jr. Ivison, hoiser, and coolly marched, up.staire
into the best bed-room. This unwelcome visitor alarnied.
some of the inmates, and created considerable sensation in
the neighbourhood for some time. The good man of the house
laughed heartily at the circumstance, whilst Mrs. 168011
vowed vengeance upon the harmless beast and its luckless
owner. However, alter some difficulty, the inoffensive, crew"
Lure was dislodged per force from its place of rendezvous,
amid the unrestrained laughter and mirth. of many of the
spectators.—Preston Pilot.

STRONG FACTS IN REGARD TO HORSE•RACING.•—A writer
in the Louisville City Gazette, thus tersely presents this mat-
ter:—" Races, it is said, improve the breed of • horse,'
And what if they did, if they degrade the breed -of men t
But I doubt the truth of the position-. Sonic fesss_stattliag,
or stubborn facts are on the other side.' I-• never heard 01
races in Arabia, yet the best horses.and ihe best blodd in !be,
world are there. The great racing stock of England tt""
America came from the blood of the Godolphin Arabian:
There are no races in New England, vet the New-
horses are worth in- this country Item vet
a.huridied per
cent. mote than southern horses. The horses for the ploueihd
dray, saddle, stage coach, or gig, in New England, yiou• •
bring, under the hammer, far higher prices in racing section.,
Englao°
of the country than their own horses. Racing only irapiovf.6
the breed of race horses. I was told iu byl"-
stage dtivers, that their best horses were brought from were
mont and New Hampshire—the Green Mountain horses and
the best in the country for symmetry, strength, fleetness, a"
endurance ; yet there is no racing in New England. Racing,
then, is surely not essential to making good horses:"
INTERESTING EXPERIMENT.—It way. be known to s°ure
of our scientific readers, that Professor Airy has fur ,°!'"),,
time past, been engaged in a series of experiments, ltay."1„;
for their object to supply some means by which the varia,t,ttie
of the compass, on board steamers, might be rectified• irle,al
experiments were undertaken at the request of the
Steam Navigation Company, and their fine ship, the 8,41/7e
bow, has been placed, for the purpose, at the disposal
Professor. 'there having been good reason for believio,t
that the plan suggested has been so far matured as to a frf ex-
fair prospect of practical success, the Company made au_ in
cursion, on Wednesday, down the river, in tho Raioboivibis
order to ascertain the workings of the new system. • 'Fyori
purpose, four compasses, besides those 'ordinarily aPPritonug
ated to the ship's use, were placed on frames, erected
the middle of the deck, and below each, at adept') ariiiio-
according to circumstances, was a shallow deal case, col
es of
ing.a magnet, placed parallel to, and at different der the
radiation from, the line of the keel. By these me,a`e' has
magnetic influence of the metal of the ship and engt"..fified,
not only been ascertained in its precise extent, but re, This
so that tit's, true bearing is seen with perfect accuracy:..„D Of
was, on Wednesday, proved to the entire satisfayt%we
Professor Fat adav, and other scientific gentlemen, t!,,1'..70g to
on board; and the discovery was evidently as grat ?..'ees ott
them as it cannot fail to be important in its conseqcoical'or
steam navigation, whether undertaken for commenr
tional objects. The General Steam Navigatio
.irs."e;ic or
intend to despatch the Rainbow, in the course 010, b:
two, on her voyage to Antwerp; and, if her ratecx,,,tited
in any way answerable to the capabilities she
,_encluan keey
Wednesday, they must be very fast, indeed' wund do" t•uthe
vel°!",;ifracted reu
her in sight. In the course of her progress up ,reed w.
river, the opportunity was affirded of trying her
and the result
several of the fastest of the Gravesend boats, one ,
re-
was perfectly conclusive as to her superior
markable characteristic of the Rainbow, which . . it°
ud vlhr4
neral notice, was the entire absence of inotioatt. tos
from the working of the engines. In the ci•dbitvs
with whvttl
altogether imperceptible, and, but for the raPsel t't!b!
the vat ions objects in view were passed, the difficult to
which she glided along would have rendered It
rdittary degrbey
believe, that she was moving with any extrao..„..o
of speed. The Rainbow, it wilt be recOllected,
Mr. Laird, of Forth Biaceabead.