The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-05-16 00:00:00

by Mr. GIBSON, from the Makers-up Society, Manchester ;
from the Stonemasons Society, Salfordthe Royal
British Free Lodge of Odd Fellows, Manchester ; from
the Victoria Lodge of Odd Fellows, Manchester ; from the
Lancasterian Burial Sot meeting from the Failsworth Friendly
Society ; from a public held at the Corn Exchange,
Manchester ; and from delegates appointed by 750,000
members of burial clubs, chiefly in Lancaster, Cheshire,
Yorkshire, and Derbyshire ; by Mr. KERSHAW, from the
boroughs of Stockport, of Cheadle, Handforth, Wilmslow,
and Hazel Grove, in the county of Chester; from the
Stockport district of United Free Gardeners ; from the
Preston district of United Free Gardeners ; and by Mr.
HEYWOOD, from the Sick Societies of Barrowford,
Lancashire.
Petitions against the sale of intoxicating liquors on
Sundays were presented by Mr. TOLLEMA.CHE, from
Birkenhead, Winsford, and Over, in the county of Chester ;
by Mr. LIDDELL, from the congregation of the district
of Christ Church, Liverpool
Petitions were also presented by Mr. HINDLEY, from
the Mayor, aldermen, and burgesses of Ashton, un
Mrder.
corporate seal, in favour of decimal coinage and by .
HousFALL, from the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, in
favour of the bill to enable execution to issue in any part
of the kingdom under a judgment obtained in any court
in England, Scotland, or Ireland, and to amend the law
as to serving of process in the united kingdom.
FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.—On the order for going into
committee on the Friendly Societies Bill, an amendment
was moved to refer it to a select committee, and after a
long discussion the amendment was adopted.
ELECTION EXPENSES.—Mr. HUME moved the second
reading of the Hustings Expenses Bill, the principle of
which was to relieve candidates from these expenses.—
Several members opposed the bill, and on a division it
was thrown out by a majority of 156 to 59.
MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS.—'The order for going into
committee on the Medical Practitioners (No. 2) Bill was
opposed by several members, and on a division the bill was
thrown out by 120 to 71.
THE SUGAR DUTIES.— haves house having
WILSON,
resolved
itself into a Committee of Ways and Means, r.
in moving certain resolutions regarding molasses and
sugar, explained the distinctions proposed to be made in
the scale of duties on sugar, with relation to the standard
of quality, so, as to adjust the duties in proportion to the
quantity of saccharine matter. The resolution regarding
molasses, after discussion.. was slightly modified, and was
then, with a resolution relating to sugar used in breweries,
agreed to.--The house adjourned at half-past five o'clock.
-

THURSDAY, MAY 11.
HIGRWATS.—Mr. FREWEN moved the second reading
of the Highways (District Surveyors) Bill, briefly explain-
ing its object and provisions.—Mr. MILES objected to 'the
farther progress of the bill, and moved to defer the se-
cond reading for six months.—ln the short discussionhe
which followed, the necessity of legislating upon t
sttbjeet of highways was insisted upon and pressed upon
the government.—The amendment was agreed to, and
the bill was consequently thrown out.
The Gaming-house Bill was read a second time, and the
Witnesses Bill went through committee.
'UNIVERSITY REFORM.—The house went again into co_/nittee upon the Oxford University Bill, beginning wth
the 11th clause, which fixed the date of election of the
'Hebdomadal Council ron the first day of Michaelmas
Term, 1854.—0 n the 18th clause, which enacted of at
persons the Congregation should be composed,
fIEATHCOTE moved, for " tutors of callers and halls,
masters of private halls, and residents, with certain
'qualifications, ' to substitute " all residents." —This pro-
positionro gave rise to a long debate, and, upon a
138 ,
Sir W. Heatheote.'is amendment was carried, by to
'lO4, against the government.—The 19th-dame, as to the
promulgation of statutes in Congregation, having been
agreed to, after another division, the chairman was or-
dered to reportlprogress.
The Church Building Acts Amendment Bill went
through committee.
The Manning the Navy Bill and th J
Navy Pay, &c,
Bill, were read a second time, after Sir . Galulm had
given a brief exposition of their nature and objects.
RaiLway MaarAGEMENT.—The consideration of the
amendments made in committee on the Railway and Canal
Traffic Regulation Bill gave rise to a conversation, in which
some members characterised the measure as a practic
nullity, and others denounced its provisions as arbitrary.—
Mr. CARDWIILL defended the bill, repeating the descrip-
tion• he had already given more than once of its objects
and provisions.
The house adjourned at twenty minutes past one o'clock.

FRIDAY, MAY in.
Petitions against the sale of intoxicating liquors on the
Sunday were presented by Mr. HORSFALL, from Islington
Presbyterian Church, and the • districtsßarnabas,
St. Stephen-s, St. Bartholomew, and St. Andrew's, Liver-
pool; by Mr. GREENE, from the guardians of the Lancas-
ter Union; by Mr. HEYWOOD, from the board of guardians
of Ilaslingden, Lancashire; and by Mr. CIIEETHAM, from
Southport, Halsall, Hesketh, and Formby, in the -county
of Lancaster.
Petitions were also presented by the Marquis of GRANBY
from inhabitants of Manchester and Salford, against
the Friendly Societies' Act.
RUMOURED CAPTURE OF CRONSTA:DT.—In reply to a
question, Sir J..GxtAtiam said, he had received no account
whatever, by telegraph or otherwise, -that Sir C. Napier
had attacked and taken Cronstadt, andshe had no doubt,
from letters he had received that morning from Sir
Charles, that there must be an error in the report. The
account of the capture of twelve Russian transports (with-
out troops), near the island of Serpenti, was correct.
EDUCATION IN SCOTLAND.—On the order for the second
reading of the Education (Scotland) Bill, Mr. STIRLING
moved to defer the second reading for six months.—The
amendment was seconded by the Earl of DALKEITII, and,
after a long discussion, which occupied nearly all the sit-
ting, the house divided, when the numbers were—for the
second reading, 184; against it, 193: majority against
the government, 9. The bill was accordingly rejected.
The Canal and railway Traffic Regolation Bill was
read a third time and passed, after two Factions for ad-
journment had been .4:ideated.
The Registration of :Births (Scotland) Bill was read a
Amid time.
The Witnesses' Biltwas
two o'clock
third time and passed.
The house adjourned. at two o'clock.

PROTESTANT ASSOCIA-TION.--Con Wednesday, the
annual meeting of this association was held in-the
in larg
the
e
room of Exeter-hall—Lord Viscount Bernard, 1112.,
,chair. The chairman, in the' course of his address,
informed the meeting that he looked forward to the speedy
destruction-,of Mayo
at
as would be.proved
:before the Royal Commission, at present inquiring into
cab management of that eblishment, that it was edu-
cating priests, not only fort he Roman Catholics of Ire-
land, but also 'for those of England, Scotland, anti the
colonies. There would, too, he said, be such an exposure
made in the House of Lords of atational education in Ire-
land as that system copld never survive, and that -
mately the British public wouLd :insist on an act for the
inspection of nunneries. The report, after mentioning
that-the association had been founded on the principles of
the Reformation, and on those emebodied
in in the Bill
ation of
Rights for the purpose of stopping a growg
to unpeotestantise both the Church and the constitution,
proceeded to detail the various modes in which tits acted,
and its operations for the last year. They had, i tated,
petitioned parliament against the endowment of May-
nooth, against the Oaths Bill, against paying Romish
chaplains in government prisons, and in favour of the
inspection of nunneriefe. They had also held public meet-
ings, delivered lectures, and distributed publications to
counteract Popery, the present aspect of which called for
great and continued efforts against it. The income of the
association had been £Bl2 hand., and the expenditure
£826 10s. 10d.,,leaving in a balance of £l5 10s. ld.
The report also stated that several local assoeiations bad
been formed during the past year in different parts of the
kingdom—an evidence of a Protestant spirit pervading the
country, and proceeded to state that the press was, in the
present day, one of the most important engines for good
or evil ;and that the emissaries of the Church of Rome,
aware of its power, had worked and managed it but too
successfully for their own interests, whence it had hap-
pened that Protestantism had suffered, not only from tine
attacks of journals avowedly Roman Catholic and Prae-
torian, but from those also where, though Popery had not
been openly avowed, a secret influence had been at work
to keep Pi otestantisna ita the background, discourage its
advocates, and repress their efforts. On the motion of Mr.
W. H. Peters, seconded by the Rev. Mr. Miller, the report
was adopted. The meeting was subsequently addressed by
Rev. H. Stowell, Rev. C. Priest, Rev. J. Minton, and other
gentlemen, and concluded with a vote of thanks to the
chairman.
THE GREAT BRIT.A Ilf.-Tlais fine vessel is now in the
Sandon Graving-dock, undergoing the repair
s n
which
sur her
late accident has rendered necessary. Se has bee-
veyed, and the amount of damage she has sustained has
been found to be but trifling, and will not require much
time to have it repaired. The. Great Britain left Liverpool
on the 29th April, and the same night, when off the WOE t
of Anglesea, about eight miles from the Skerries, and in
twenty-six fathoms (156 feet) depth of water, a shock was
felt on board, attended with a loud noise ; the engines
stopped for, an instant, and then resumed working. It was
soon discovered that the vessel was making water, and that
the leak proceeded from that part of the stern post through
which the shaft of the screw works, and, unable at the
time to account for the leak, it was supposed that the shaft
had swelled with the heat, and had forced the bush, the
cittle of metal in which the shaft works, out of position.
The captain very properly returned to port, though with
no very enviable feelings, for so unfortunate a beginning to
his first voyage as commander was very dispiriting. The
cause of the accident was not discovered till Thursday,
when, after careful examination on the part of the surveyors,
it was found that she bad been in contract with a snnken
wreck, aed the screw must have become, for an instant,
entangled with part of the wreck, which accounts for the
shock and stoppage of the engines. The keel and side o
the vessel, as well as one of the fans of the screw, bear
evident marks of the collision, but the injury to the hull
is, fortunately, of little consequence, only a few rivets
being started, and . she will be ready to proceed
on her voyage as soon as there is sufficient waterof
to liberate her from dock. Subjoined a copy
the surveyor's report, which was exhibited in the
Underwriters' Rooms —"" The undersigned
thedarninghav
been requested to survey and report on
done to the screw-steamship Great Britain, J. Gray,
master, bound hence to Melbourne, having returned to
order,
this
port on account of the stern-bush getting out of
and the ship making a deal of water in consequence. On
the 11th May, 1854, attended the vessel, lying dry in the
Sandon Graving-dock, and found on the port side evident
signs of the vessel having been in contact withnces, a some
hard substance under water, and, from appeara
sunken wreck, for, on examination, found the port side
scraped, grazed, and slightly gouged in various places
from forefoot to the fan, which bad a piece knocked off the
edge ; thewoodkeel from the foremast forward more or
less bruised ; several of the bolts fastening the keel started
and leaking ; the keel aft from the fan about ten feet for-
ward bruised, and several of the bolts started; and under
the port counter one plate indented and one rivet out,
reported to have been done
be attathe same
time. Recom-
the
mended the stern-bush to examine
shaft; the started bolts replaced with new, and the keel
repaired; and the hush-shaft and iron work to be replaced
or repaired under the directions of the engineers. Signed,
W. ALERAFDEIL, W. C. MITCHELL, Surveyor§ for the
LiverPo9) Underwriters Association.