The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-02-21 00:00:00

HEALTH OF THE Towm.—The medical officer reports
that the deaths registered in the borough, diming the week
before last, were 225, being 16 more thansin the previous
week, but not more than the average of' the same week in
former years, after correcting for the increase of popula-
tion. In the parish the deaths were 159, and' in the oat-
townships 66. Of the total deaths, 87 were from, diseile
of the lungs, including consumption, and 55. from diseases
of the zymotic class, including, from hooping cough, 17 ;
typhus, 11; diarrhoea, 10 ; measles, 4 ; scarlatina, 4 ;
syphillis, 2; mumps, 1. The deaths of children were-149,
and of adults, 106.

HIBERNIAN Solo°Ls.—The forty-second annual meet-
ing was held on Thursday, Wm. Rathbone, Esq., in the
chair. The report referred to the continued efficiency of
the institution, and the high estimation in which it is held
by the class for whose benefit it is specially intended, as
shown in the large number of children that are sent with-
out solicitation to the several schools. At the end of 1853
there was on the books a total of 496 children, namely :
Upper school, boys 126, girls 52, total 178 ; middle, boys,
85, girls 58, total 143 ; infant, boys, 94, girls 81, total 175;
grand total, 496. hanks were voted to S. R. Groves,
Esq., for his services as president, and J. P. G. Smith, Esq.,
was appointed president for the ensuing year.
NOVEL RESULT OF THE MOUSTACHE MOVEMENT.—A
correspondent of the Lancaster Gazette, speaking of the
decrease of crime in that borough, says that it is attri-
butable to the ferocious and formidable appearance pre-
sented by some of the police force, who have adopted that
facial ornament, that hirsute appendage, the moustache,
and which has such an effect that the moment a police-
man is named, the evil doers skulk into their holes as if
they were dreading the fraternal hug of a Russian bear.
LIVERPOOL ROYAL LUNATIC ASYLUM--From the an-
nual report issued, it appears that, during the year 1853,
38 patients were admitted, of whom 15 have been dis-
charged cured, 3 were relieved, 2 died, and 18 remain in
the house, several of them in a state of convalescence. Of
the 58 patients in the institution at the commencement of
the year, 43 still remain, 6 have been discharged cured, 6
relieved, 1 not improved, and 2 have died. The report of
the commissioners in lunacy, after their annual visit, as to
the condition of the house, and the mode of treatment
adopted, was most satisfactory. It is stated that tea
patries, birthday fetes, walking excursions, and other
amusements, are increasingly common, and are found to
be productive of the best effects amongst the patients.
FAILURES.—The highly respectable firm of John Burd
and Sons, calico printers, have found it necessary to sus-
pend payment. The liabilities are about £30,000 in trade
debts, and something like an equal sum in legacies, left by
the late Mr. Burd to the members of his family. A meet-
ing of credi tors has been summoned, and we understand
that the only remaining principal entertains a sanguine
expectation that the state of his affairs will warrant the
carrying on of business. Two failures in the Manchester
and Glasgow trades in London are reported.—Manchester
Guardian.

LIVERPOOL AND LONDON INSURANCE COMPANY.—
The annual meeting was held on Thursday, at the com-
pany's offices, Castle-street, for the purpose of receiving a
report and statement of the affairs, and to elect directors
in place of those retiring. There was a large attendance
of shareholders. The chair was occupied by the chairman
of the board of directors, Mr. Thos. Brocklebank. The re-
port exhibited a most prosperous result of the operations
of the company during the past year. It recommended a
dividend of 10s. per share (less intone tax), and 6 per cent.
on the uncalled capital in the case of those shares on
which £2 10s. have not been received. The report and
dividend were severally adopted ;, the retiring directors
were re-elected; and the usual routine motions duly
passed. Mr. Boult, the secretary, then gave some account
of his visit to the Australian colonies, to make the neces-
sary arangements consequent upon the assumption by this
company of the business lately carried on by the Austra:
lasian, Colonial, and General Life Assurance and Annuity
Company. Mr. Boult succeeded in forming an efficient
board at Sidney, consisting of six members; and Sir
Charles Nicholson, Speaker of the Legislative Council,
has been appointed Chairman.
PRESTON OPERATIVES.—MEETING IN LIVERPOOL.—
On Wednesday evening, a meeting of the working-classes,
convened by the Trades' Guardian Society, was held at
the Concert-hall, for the purpose of hearing a statement
from a deputation of the Preston and Wigan " lock outs,"
as to the progress of the " ten per cent." movement of the
operatives in those towns. Mr. John Allen, president of
the Liverpool Trades' Guardian Association, was chair-
man ; and the delegates were —Mr. George Cowell, Mr.
Richardson, and Mr. Huntington, from Preston, and Mr.
Seagreave, from Wigan.; The hall was only half filled, but
the proceedings were of a very energetic character. Mr.
Richardson made a few remarks on the state of affairs in
Preston, where, he said, the men were still willing to
meet the masters ; but the latter had not acceded to the
proposition of the former. In accordance with propositions
made by various speakers, resolutions were passed ;-among
which were those, that subscription lists be placed at the
various trades' club-houses ; that the Trades' Guardian
Association meet every Thursday evening to receive and
transmit money for the relief of the " lock outs."
TUE LONDON AND NORTH-WESTERN RAILWAY.—Th e
half-yearly-meeting takes place to-morrow, and we under-
stand that the following remarks will appear in the report
of the auditors:--In presenting the half-yearly accounts,
the auditors regret to have to report that, in consequence
of discoveries made in January, Mr. Goalen, the principal
officer in the audit department, has been arrested, and
stands remanded, on the charge of fraud, and interception
of moneys, the property of the company, to a considerable
amount. Pending the result of the legal proceedings in-
stituted against him, the auditors deem it proper to
confine themselves to stating that it appears from the
investigation made, that Mr. Goalen has, by collusion
with a cashier at Liverpool, and by other means, succeeded
lin appropriating to his own purposes, funds to the amount
of about £8,500. Against this sum £6,500 has been
' deducted from the traffic of the half-year ending 31st
December, leaving about £2,000 as a liability against the
current revenue. Subject to the foregoing, the auditors
have pleasure in testifying to the accuracy of the accounts,
las presented ; and having made their accustomed visits
to the principal manufacturing establishments and depots
for stores of the company at Crewe, Wolverton, Longsight,
' Birmingham, Euston, and Manchester, they are satisfied,
from the result of their inquiries, that an adequate pro-
vision is made, out of the revenue, for the maintenance of
the rolling stock.
DISTRICT PROVIDENT SOCIETY.—The annual meeting
was held on Wednesday, at the Savings'-bank, Bold-street,
the Ven. Archdeacon Brooks in the chair. The chairman
said that the progress made during the year had been
satisfactory. The subscriptions had rather fallen off, but
he hoped this arose only from some temporary cause. They
had tried the institution long enough to be convinced of
its great usefulness in inducing habits of care, thrift, and
self-respect t mong 1 the class for whose benefit it was espe-
cially designed.. The society, indeed, had been exceedingly
useful to the town at large. A number of accounts had
been transferred from the different districts to the Savings'-
bank ; and many of those who began by putting by 6d.
or ls. a-week were now in an independent position by
their own savings. Though the last year had been a
favourable one with regard to the condition of the work-
ing classes,—employment generally having been abundant,
—the month of January last had been a very heavy one,
in consequence of the severe frost and the consequent de-
crease of work. The January account, however, would
not come into the present report. From the report it ap-
peared that the annual subscriptions amounted to more
than £735 3s. There were, however, donations to the
amount of £285 ls., and a legacy- of £25. The balance
in the treasurer's hands on the 31st December last was
£3B ls. 9d. The number of applicants relieved during
the year has been 2899, at an expenditure of £254 6s. 7d.
Of this number 1612 are noted in the books as English-
men ; 1169 Irish ; 29 Scotch ; 78 Welsh ; and 13 country
unknown. The greatest number of depositors in any
month has been 3694, exceeding that of the previous year
by 243. The total amount of deposits received during the
year has been £11,710 ls. 10Id., that during 1852 having
been only £10,667 19s. 9d.; your committee have, there-
fore, to congratulate the society upon an increase of no
less than £1,642 2s. ld. to this most important fund.
The total amount of deposits returned has been £11,831
3s. Bd. In 1852 it was £9,635 6s. 71d. There has been
accordingly an excess this year of £2,195 175., which is
more than proportionate to the increase of deposits. Seve-
ral gentlemen addressed the meeting, after which the
usual resolutions were passed.
- -- -

ARRIVAL OF THE GREAT BRITAIL—This splendid
steam-ship completed her second voyage to the antipodes
and back on Tuesday last, arriving in the Mersey shortly
after ten o'clock that morning, exactly six months and
three days all but five hours, after her departure from
Liverpool; in that comparatively brief period completing
a voyage round the world. She made the passage from
Melbourne, via Cape Horn, in 71 days, having left Sydney
on the 19th of November, and Melbourne on the 4th of
December. She sailed with 210 passengers, two of whom,
Mr. Currie, through his own imprudence, and Mrs. Parker,
died on the way, the latter of consumption. The Great
Britain brought 171,425 ounces of gold on freight, valued
in round numbers at about Z 700,000 ; besides which a
considerable quantity of gold was in the hands of the pas-
sengers. She brought also a valuable cargo of wool, and
the first shipment of cotton from Sydney to this port.
Her mails were likewise very heavy. Both at Melbourne
and on arriving back in England, Captain Mathews and
his officers received most flattering testimonials of respect.
At a complimentary dinner at Melbourne Captain
Mathews was presented with a superb piece of plate,
weighing 77 ounces, accompanied with a suitable address.
Similar addresses were also presented to him and the chief
officer of the vessel, Mr. Grey, by the passengers on the
homeward voyage, the latter also receiving a substantial
present, in the shape of a purse containing fifty sovereigns.
The Great Britain touched at the Falkland Islands to coal.
She reached Stanley Harbour on the morning of the 31st
of December. New Year's Day was spent there, and in
fact she did not get away till the night of the 3rd of Janu-
ary, a detention of four days for coaling. The success of
the Great Britain, therefore, on this route, is now un-
doubted; and we learn that she is to be permanently em-
ployed in the Australian trade. Rumour, indeed, asserts
that a joint-stock company has obtained a charter from
government, and that the Great Britain is to be only one
of a magnificent line of screw-steamers to ply between
this port and Australia. Her present owners, Messrs.
Gibbs, Bright, and Co., are to be the principal shareholders
and chief managers ; the enterprise could not be placed in
better hands. The success of the scheme cannot be
doubted, and the only wonder is that such a company has
not been formed before. The capabilities of well-appointed
screw-steamers for performing the service have been proved
by the Great Britain. Her first voyage out and home oc-
cupied precisely thirty-two weeks. While she was in port
last summer material alterations were made in her style
of rig, to develope her well-known sailing qualities, and
she was fitted with a Griffith's patent screw-propeller.
The result is that her second voyage out and home occupied
only twenty-six weeks and five days, while a saving of
several hundreds of tons of coal was
.effected. This ex-
cellent voyage was accomplished, too, in the face of great
difficulties, for during her late passage she had more than
an average of contrary winds. The vessel, both in hull
and machinery, is in the best possible c:ondition too, ,and
will be immediately ready for sea again. Her engines
have performed their work, since they were put on board,
in a manner which reflects the highest credit c:n *essrs.
Penn anti:Sim, of London, their makers ; and, judging by
fin and
the Great Britain is calculated to sps-
toin.and advance the reputation of the Liverpool sea-going
• titers,.