The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-10-16 00:00:00

CONSPIRACY AGAINST THE CORN LAWS.

( From the Morning Post.)
It is observable from the tone of the whig journals, both in
town and country, as well as from their selection of news,
that a scheme is on foot—nothing short of villatious—t he ob-
ject of which is to raise the price of bread corn far beyond
what existing circumstances justify. In the London papers,
to which we allude, there may be seen, not only exaggerated
accounts of a gloomy character, as respects the harvest, from
various parts of the kingdom, but also stetemen:s from the
continent, leading to the supposition that the supply is very
short there, and unequal to the satisfying of any extraordi-
nary demand from this country. in the provincial papers
we see leading articles devoted' to the express purpose of cre-
ating an alarm of scarcity, and yet, clumsily enough, di-
rectly recommending a course which must aggravate the
evil represented, if any such did exist, namely, that all
farmers who can afford to hold over their stocks of grain for
some months should do so, for the sake of the better prices
which their kind advisers tell them they will be sure then to
obtain.

This villainy has, no doubt, a double purpose. There is a
political object and a mercantile object. The landed interest
is to be injured by creating a state of circumstances which it
is conceived will bring the corn laws into popular odium;
and a knot of jobbing capitalists are to be served, who hope
to make enormous gains by forcing the people to pay a high
price for the immense stocks of corn which have been pur-
chased up on speculation. And here it is worthy of remark,
that these same speculators—most of them quakers—who are
now straining their immense money power to the utmost, for
the purpose of making corn dear, and filling their own
pockets at the expense of every family in the kingdom that
consumes bread—these speculators are almost all liberals in
politics, and exceedingly vociferous upon all public occasions
that popular privileges should be enlarged. Does not the
villainous misrepresentation which they have set on foot
throughout the country, for the purpose of plaguing and plun-
dering the people with an artificial scarcity, show very clearly
the real nature of the liberality of these men ? Does it not
show how little they care for the substantial good of the
people, even when they are clamouring in the people's name
for political changes ? Their sole object. is to serve them-
selves. They wish for political changes which will add to
their personal consequence; and as they can only hope to
obtain such changes by means of the people's voice, they re-
present that these changes will benefit the multitude, and
they pretend that for the sake of the multitude they ought to
be made. Again, they wish to make for themselves an enor-
mous profit upon their stocks of corn; and though this-can
only be obtaiaed out of the pockets of the people, who are
the consumers, they do not hesitate to resort to misrepresen-
tation and wicked counsel, to the end that the ordinary sup.
ply of the corn markets may be withheld, and that the bread
consumers may be made to pay dear fur the stores which
these designing liberals have accumulated!
We affirm again, as we have affirmed before, that there is
now as large a quantity of wheat in this country open to the
consumer, as there has been open on an average of years at
this time. The real difference is in the quantity under bond.
For some years past the stock of foreign wheat was not taken
out of bond, and, as far as market price was concerned,
might as well have been in Africa as in England. Granting
that there has been a slight deficiency in the supply from our
own fields, as compared with the average, it has been already
more than made up by the supply which has passed the Cus-
tom House. Allowing the sufficiency to be so much as seven
percent., or say one-fourteenth of the whole, this ought to be
balanced by an advance of rather less than three farthings
upon the average price of the four-pound loaf for the last
three years. If the people have to pay any more, it will be
either because they eat more, or because advantage is taken
of circumstances and exaggeration to make theirs pay into
the pockets of the holders of wheat a larger remuneration
than hitherto they have paid. Let it be borne in mind that
the principal part of the foreign supply has come in duty
free, or the next thing to it, namely, one shilling per quar-
ter. This arises from the carefulness of the law to prevent
an excessive price. If the people do not obtain the benefit
of this excellent law, they may thank their "liberal" friends,
the corn speculators.

DR. WARREN.—It is understood that the Bishop of Ches.
ter has promised ordination to the above gentleman, who was
for a time considered as the head of a party who, some two
years since, seceded from the Wesleyan Methodists. From
his party, hOwever, he seceded about twelve mouths ago, on
the alleged ground that the constitution or body of laws, by
which it was aoverued, were too democratic. The rev. gen.
tleman is now taking tbose preliminary steps essential to his
formal recognition as a minister of the established church.
Sir Oswald Mosley, the lord of the manor of Manchester has
generously given a site in Every-street, Ancoats, in which it
is intended to erect a church, of which Dr. Warren is to be
the minister, £l5OO has been promised by the Lancashire
Church Building Society, and when this sum is made up to
£2t(lo by donations, of which no doubt exists, (two gentle-
men having given ElOO each, and another £5O) application
is toi
ibeiso aa T. tier Majesty's Church Commissioners for a
sins. r s dr thp million grant of 1824, and which is
Ztentsgi t 6 ice etipS.e2. „,
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LIVERPOOL MECHANICS' INSTITUTION.

LECTURES ON CHEMISTRY AS APPLIED TO THE ARTS.

On Wednesday evening Dr. Kane delivered the fifth of
his interesting lectures upon the products of the distillation
of organic substances.
On the Continent and in America, where timber is plenti-
ful and coals scarce, the inhabitants obtain their supply of
carbon for the purposes of smelting and other processes in
the arts from the burning of wood, which, as the charcoal is
merely required, they ignite in large conical masses covered
with earth. In this country, however, where the contrary is
the case and coke can readily be obtained, we seldom ignite

wood except for the purpose of obtaining the pyroligneous
liquors which it contains. The charcoal is to us the least
valuable of the
_products. Every one is familiar with the
appearance wood- chareoal,. which ha's thiiMeTnlirepaired:'
It is soft or hard according to the quality of the wood and
the temperature to which it has been submitted. 'rhe char-
coal made in the preparation of vinegar is not well burned,
on account of which it gives out disagreeable acrid fumes when
burned. If we take any organic sustances and leave them
to the action of the air and of moisture, they become carbon.
This goes on with great rapidity in districts which are sup-
plied with abundant quantities of water, where mossy vege-
tables exist closely linked together, and hence the origin of
peat. If we suppose that owing to accidental circumstances
these masses are confined-by clay, we shall have an idea of
the mode in which coal has been formed in this country. This
action which is now going on in the hogs and morasses is the
same which went on in former times, so as to present us
with our present supply of coals. We have other sources of
carbon, but amongst these there is only one which specially
requires our notice. It is the pluinbago or black lead which
is used in the manufacture of black lead pencils. This is
frequently formed artificially, and it sometimes happens
when cast iron has been exposed to the action of the atmos-
phere and water for a considerable time, that the iron is com—
pletely removed from the mass, and a complete cinder re-
mains behind, giving us remarkably pure black lead. It
was for a long time supposed that plumbago was a compound
of carbon and iron, but it has been discovered that the iron
is only mechanically mixed, and that plumbago in a state of
purity is pure carbon. Carbon has an affinity for oxygen,
which upon uniting with it forms a compound called carbonic
acid gas ; and this, combined with. lime, generates the
various species of carbonate of lime, such as chalk, marble,
&c. so abundantly met with in nature. The presence of
carbonic acid is readily shewn by lime water which it renders
completely turbid, carbonate of lime being formed. By ad-
ding to the mixture a small quantity of any acid, an effer-
vescence takes place and the whiteness disappears.
When an organic substance is exposed to heat, its elements,
which are generally carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, are ex-
posed to a new set of circumstances: new effects are called
into play. At low temperatures, carbon has a very slight affi-
nity for oxygen ; but at high temperature, it has a very power-
ful affinity for it. In this way the hydrogen is separated, one
portion of which combines with the oxygen to form water, and
another with the carbon. Organic substances generally con-
tain carbon to great excess. In some instances, besides one

portion uniting with the hydrogen to form olefiant gas, ano-
ther portion of it unites with the oxygen to form carbonic
oxide. Olefiant gas was discovered by some Dutch chemists,
who, towards the latter end of the last century, had associated
themselves for the purpose of research. The mode iu which
it is prepared is very simple. If I take a quantity of spirits
of wine, and pour upon it some vitriol, there is a great heat
evolved. The wine becomes hot, and on applying heat ole-
fiant gas is given off. Oil of vitriol is characterized by its
powerful affinity for water, which it takes from the spirits of
wine, and olefiant gas is set free. It is called olefiant gas
from its singular property of making oil. Spirits of wine
consists of 4 atoms of carbon, 6 of hydrogen, and 2 of oxy-
gen. By the action of sulphuric acid there are formed two
portions of water (2 hydrogen and 2 oxygen), and 4 of hydro-
gen and 4of carbon unite to form olefiant gas. By the ac-
tion of heat upon wood, olefiant gas is produced. Although,
in the process of the formation of coal from the wood, a great
deal of its hydrogen was lost, still it contains a great deal of
hydrogen. The average of coal contains 80 per cent. of car-
bon, 8 to 9 of hydrogen, and the remainder is made up of
oxygen, with a small quantity of nitrogen. The result is, that
when we heat coal, a small proportion of the hydrogen com-
bines with the oxygen to form water; but the great mass of
it is separated as hydrogen: therefore coal is made use of fur
the purposes of procuring flame. Olefiant gas burns with a
remarkably bright light. It is lighter than atmospheric air,
being nine-tenths of its weight. The consequence of this is,
that it can be applied as a means of elevating balloons, al-
though the size of the balloon must be moth larger than if
we employed pure hydrogen. The ordinary coal gas is bet-
ter adapted for elevating balloons than pure olefiant gas,
which is only lighter than atmospheric air in the proportion
of 9to 10, whilst coal gas is only as 60r7 to 10. Chlorine
and olefiant gas unite and form a yellow compound. When
the mixed gases are set fire to, the result is singular, as we
shall find that the chlorine will unite with the hydrogen,
and the carbon is completely separated. Oletiant gas pre-
sents a very singular property. When set fire to, it will
burn with remarkable brilliancy. It is one of those bo-
dies which gives the greatest quantity of heat. Where
it passes over a red hot surface, it is decomposed, and in
place of 4 carbon and 4 hydrogen, we have a new gas
generated which consists of 2 of carbon and 4 of hydrogen,
2 of the carbon being set free. The consequence of this is, that
if olefiant gas is passed through a red-hot tube, it will deposit
one-half of its carbon in the state of lamp black. In the flame
of olefiant gas there is separated a large quantity of carbon,
and it is this quantity of carbon upon which the luminous
properties of the flame depend. We can easily analys,e
olefiant gas. If we lay wire gauze on the flame of the gas
lamp, tiOe flame cannot pass through, but a great quantity of
black smoke passes through unconsumed, the wire gauze
preventing it from burning, by cooling the flame. When a
small quantity of gas is inflamed it burns blue, because it is
supplied with a large quantity of oxygen, and there is very
little solid matter to be inflamed. If we allow the flame a

larger supply of gas, it will burn with a bright light, in con-
sequence of a sufficient quantity of carbon being evolved
and burned, but if the flame is supplied with gas beyond a
certain point, the gas-light will smoke, in consequence of

there not being a sufficient quantity of oxygen to supply the
flame.
In order to manufacture coal gas, coal is taken which
contains the greatest quantity of hydro-gen. The coal which
is made use of in this theatre is the cannel coal, which is re-
markable for containing the largest quantity of hydrogen of
any coal with which we are acquainted. The manufacture of

the gas consists in heating co'al in a series of iron retorts to
redness, the mouths of which are connected with the gas-
meter yrc eons of pipes. The retorts are capable of con-
taining from 6to 7 cwt. of coal each. By this process we
get not only the luminous gas•and carbonic oxide. but a quan-
tity of gas, containing only one haif of the carbon, in conse-
quence of a portion of gas being decomposed by coming
into contact with tha red hot sides of the retort. The proto-
carurbet of hydrogen thus formed is very light, and by ming-
ling with the luminous gas, renders it still lighter than it
otherwise would be, but, at the same time, less capable

of affording light. If we consider the circumstances un-
der which coal has been formed, we shall find that
wherever basalt or any rocks of an igneous character have
come into contact with coal, the same result has taken place
as that which we find in the retort of the manufacturer, and
that a large quantity of coke has been formed. The conse-
quence of this is, that a large quantity of the proto-carburet
of hydrogen is set free, which is in tact the "fire damp" of
the miners. In order to show the effect of the union of the
proto-carburet of hydrogen with oxygen. I have here a small
bladder, in which they are mixed in proper proportion, and
we shall find that upon coming into contact with flame, the
explosion will be as violent as that of oxygen and hydrogen.
[The explosion was awfully violent, and shook the building
to the foundation.]—The result of this explosion is the for-
mation of carbonic acid and water. We can readily imagine
the destruction which results from the formation of such
mixtures in the galleries of mines. We owe to Davy one of
the most remarkable discoveries in science which has been
made, and likewise the most remarkable application of it to
the benefit of humanity. Davy discovered that flame cannot
pass through a metallic tissue, and consequently, though a
metallic tissue may explode on one side in a quantity of gas,
this inflammation cannot be made to pass through it. He
cousequently proposed that the lamps of miners should be
completely surrounded with an impenetrable cylinder of
wire gauze, so that if the lamp, when properly arranged, was
carried into an inflammable mixture, we should find that
although the portion of the mixture in the cylinder should
be ignited by the flame of the lamp, yet in consequence of
the intervention of the gauze, the flame could not pass
through; and so the miner might walk through the most
explosive atmosphere in those galleries, without fear of an
explosion. These lamps, like eve)), thing human, will not
in all cases answer their intention; for when a current of air
passes along the galleries, the flame of the lamp is liable to
be urged against the gauze opposed to it, whereby the atruo-
sphei e surrounding the lamp has exploded. ft has been
proposed to guard against this by surrounding the gauze
with a glass cylinder, so as to prevent the action of currents. i
Coal snot by any means a pure substance. The majority
of vegetable substances contain nitrogen. The iesearches
of several continental philosophers have proved that the
proportion of nutrition in vegetable substances depends upon
the quantity of nitrogen which the substance contains, so
that in fact was agricultural chemistry better understood than
it is, upon any foreign substance being introduced it would
be only necessary to submit the separate parts of the plant to
analysis, to determine the quantity of nitrogen which they
contained, in order to discover the relation which they bear
to the plants of our own country. This ¶ mention as one of
the best examples of the use of analytical chemistry in the
arts and manufactures. Coal contains a quantity of
azote, but not much, as it seldom exceeds 4 to 5 parts in 100,
but it is never less than I in 100. This azote causes a very
remarkable alteration of the way in which coal is decom-
posed, and we have two new substances formed. Nitrogen
has a powerful affinity for hydrogen, and also for carbon. It
has also for oxygen, but at a high temperature this is over-
come. One portion of the nitrogen unites with the hydrogen
and forms au alkali used in the arts, called ammonia, and the
remaining portion of it unites with the carbon, and forms a
substance which in a pure state is of no practical import- '
ance, vet which forms some compounds of the greatest in-
terest. Thus by the introduction of nitrogen into coal, even
in small quantities. we have the formation of two substances,
ammonia and cyanogen. The destruction of coal now pro-
vides us with the ammonia of commerce • but before we were
provided with this means, we used to obtain it by the distil.
lation of animal matters, and its salt was called salts of
hartshorn, and its solution spirits of hartshorn. The smell
of ammonia characterises it in a very remarkable manner.
The materials for generating pure ammonia, are sal ammo-
niac and lime. Sal ammoniac is a combination of muriatic
acid and spirits of ammonia. When the lime i 3 put into
combination with sal ammoniac, the lime having a powerful
affinity for mnriatic acid, unites with it, and the ammonia is
set free in the form of a colourless gas. Sogreat is its
affinity for Dater, that we cannot collect it by that means, but
for the purposes of ordinary experiment we may collect it
under a tall bell glass, as in consequence of its levity it will
rise to the top and displace the air which the vessel contains.
Ammonia has only one-half of the specific gravity of com-
mon air. Ammonia is absorbed by water with great rapidity,
and the solution thus obtained is well known under tha name
of water of ammonia. The bleaching of ammonia is fugitive,
whereas that of potash is permanent, for a few drops of acid
will instantly restore the colour which ammonia may have
discharged. I f ammoniacal gas and muriatic acid gas be
mixed together, a white powder ensues, which is sal ammoniac.
Sal ammoniac is prepared from the impure liquor which the
gas manufactures supply. The manufacturer of it adds to
gas liquor a quantity of muriatic acid, and then evaporates
the mixture, and crystallizes the muriate of ammonia. By
re-dissolving and re-crystallizing it, he gets it nearly pure,
and muriate of ammonia being volatile, be sublimes it in
large iron vessels, and the result is, the fomation of perfectly
pure sal ammoniac. A product of the destructive distilla-
tion of coal which is of importance in several ways, is the
sulphuretted hydrogen. Almost all coal contains a quantity
of sulphuret of iron. There is consequently sulphuretted
hydrogen manufactured; and the greatest difficulty in the
manufacture of coal gas is to separate it from this product.
The presence of sulphuretted hydrogen is indicated by its
very disagreeable smell, resembling that caused by rotten
eggs. We can easily see, therefore, that if such a smell
accompanied coal gas into our apartments, they would be
rendered uninhabitable. Sulphuretted hydrogen arises from a
combination of sulphur with hydrogen. If we take a solution
of copper, and add to it a solution of this "as in water, we
get a dark-coloured precipitate. If we take a solution con-
taining quicksilver, and add to it a little of the solution of
sulphuretted hydrogen, we have again a dark coloured pre-
cipitate; in fact sulphuretted hydrogen is the most delicate
test for the presence of a metal which we possess. It is not
only used to detect the presence of any metal, but of a parti-
cular one; for it' we take a little of the solution, and add to it
the metal antimony instead of a dark-coloured precipitate,
we obtain one of an orange colour, so that sulphuretted
hydrogen constitutes one-of the most important tests we pos-
sess for indicating the presence of antimony. If we take the.
ammoniacal liquor of the gas works and add to it a little of
the solution containing quicksilver we have a dark liquor

formed, showing the presence of sulphuretted hydrogen. In
order to get rid of the sulphuretted hydrogen in gas manufac-
tolies, the gas is made to pass over trays containing lime, in
order to induce the union of the sulphur with the lime. Pure
carburetted hydrogen ought to give no smell when it is burnt.
Cyanogen, the other product of the distillation of coal, is
made use of in the arts for a variety cf processes, as it enters
into the composition of Prussian Blue, Prussiate of Potash,
and other interesting compounds, which we shall have to
examine at a future period. Dr. Kane then described the
construction of the gas meter, which he illustrated with sec-
tions and models, which had been kindly lent him for that
purpose by Messrs. King and Edwards, but as with the aid
of these illustrations we were scarcely able to comprehend the
mechanical details, we despair of communicating them in a
verbal manner. In the next lecture, which' will he delivered
to-morrow evening, Dr. Kane will describe the manufacture
Orraii7gircrtre a ppl Ica tichillirtV-I;OrtiTrfli'e'
will also communicate some interesting facts connected with
the manufacture of glass and porcelain, which want of time
precluded him from giviniz in a former lecture.