The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-11-16 00:00:00

NOMINATION OF SHERIFFS.

On Monday, according to ancient custom, a council was
held in the Coutt of Exchequer, for the purpose of nomina-
ting sheriffs for the ensuing year. There were present, the.
Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Marquis of Lansdowne,
Lord Holland, the Lord Chancellor, Lord Deninah, Lord
Abinger, the Lord Chief Justice Tindal., and the judges of
all the courts of law. The following gentlemen, amongstt
others, were nominated for sheriffs:—
CHESHIRE.—Thomas Heiken. of Buttes, Esq.; Charles,
Lawton, of Lawton, Esq.; and John Toilet:nacho, ofTilstons
Lodge, Esq.

•
DERBYSHIRE.—Broughton Benjamin Steade Pegg .Buy-
nell, of Beauchief Abbey, Esq.; Edward,Degge Siduell, of
Stainsby, Esq.; and William John Bagshats, of the Oaks,
• •
Esq.

SHROPSHIRE.-Sir Andrew Vincent Corbef, . of Acton
-
Reynold. Bart.; Thomas Eyton, of Eyton, Esq.; end Peter
Broughton, of Tunstall, Esq.

STAFFORDSHIRE.—WiIIiam Moore, of Wychdon Lodge,
Esq, .
o; f
Edmund Wigan,.
q. of Lapley, Esq.; and Henry John
Pye Clifton Hall, Es

Yoaxsnias.—Cbarles Tempest, of Broughton, Esq.
Robert Milner, of Bawtrey, Esq.; and Sir Clifford Consul,'
ble, of Burton Cons!able, Esq.

YANKEE SAM WELLERISMS.

(Prom the Louisville Daily News.)
"That's an ungentlemanly insinuation," as the lady said
to her lover, yen he asked her how old she vos.
" We must live and learn," as the old gentleman said yen
he was told that the world was coming to an end.
" You till me with feelings of the most profound astonish-
ment," as the editor said to the letter, yen he opened it and
,
found enclosed the money for von year's subscription to his
paper iu advance.

epta, ssainntgl a string
allowing
How TO CATCH A PICKFOCKET.—They nab pickpockets in
B ntaking
e nai nnge(mmie)t!'ndpoctoketht-ebtrokck,
the rogues to nibble. They soon make a desperate plunge,
routisatodnit, b)a
and are regularly caught.—New York Mirror.
FALL OF ARCHES ON THE MANCHESTER AND LEEDS
RAILWAY, AT WAKEFIELD.—OH ThtlfSdliy morning, an
accident, attended with loss of life, happened at Kirkgate, in
Wakefield. As a waggon, loaded with rubbish, Was passing
over the line of brick arches adjoining the western end of the
viaduct, two pf them gave way with an instantaneous and
tremendous crash. Nine men, and a boy (who was driving
the horse attached to the waggon) fell with the ruins, and
one man, James Williams, was so seriously crushed as to
leave but faint hopes of his recovery. Another man was much
injured, but there are strong hopes of his speedy recovery.
Most of the others were more or less bruised ; the boy escaped
unhurt. The horse had its back broken, and it was found
necessary to kill it. It is apparent that the adjoining arches
have sustained such a shake as to render the utmost caution
necessary in approaching them. We have heard more than
one opinion given as to the cause of the accident, but refrain
from giving them publicity until after the coroner's inqui-
sition, before which, as a matter of course, the best scientific
evidence will be produced.--Leeds Mercury.
THE Ar.ssoN D.—The medicinal properties of the bitter
algiond are considerable; but it should be administered by
professional persons only, being a powerful poison when taken
in too large a dose. The kernels of the sweet almond are of
conaiderable use in the arts; the oil obtained from them is
used by the draughtsmen in tracing drawings on common
letter paper. It may be interesting to some of our fair
readers to he informed, that Macassar oil is merely oil of
almonds, coloured red with alkanet root; and the no less
celebrated Russia oil is the same, rendered milky by a totall
quantity of ammonia or potash, and scented with oil of roses.
Gowlard's Lotion, Milk of Hoses, Caledonian Cream, Katy-
dor, &c., are nothing but a solution of oxymuriate of mercury
in almond emulsion, with a proportion of sugar of lead, or
white oxide of bismuth. Perhaps the inventors of theie
popular and fashionable cosmetics are indebted to Pliny for'
the first idea, as he states that a decoction of the roots of the
bitter almond tree supples the skin, prevents wrinkles, and
gives a fresh, cheerful colour to the countenance..., Another
very important virtue is ascribed to the fruit of the bitter
almond, namely, to prevent or relieve intoxication. Plutarch
relates that Drusus' physician, who was the greatest Baccha-
nalian of his age, took at evey cup five bitter almonds, to
allay the heat and fumes of the wine; awing to w.bich he never
became intoxicated:—The Orchard, by C. Mackintosh.

FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE LIVERPOOL AND
MANCHESTER RAILWAY.

WHISTON, TUESDA M ORNIN G.—The luggage train vi bich
left Liverpool for Manchester last evening, met with an acci-
dent which terminated fatally to the engineer and fireman,
ascending the inclined plane at this place. The train con-
sisted of fortv•three waggons, and was propelled by four en-
gines, two in front and two behind. The rise of the road is
about 1 in 90, and the train at a few minuts p.ist eight o'clock
was seen advancing slowly up the hill at a steady pace, when
all of a sudden, the Patentee, the first engine, exploded, with
a noise resembling the firing of a cannon, the report being
heard at Prescot and other places more than a mile distance.
1.:1411 e_ugiiiklyoke away frpnythe rest of the train, and pro-

ceea;ntit Ay nig pace for 800-or 460—yi-rds -aking
was sadly shattered, and the tubes destroyed. A search was
made after the engineer and fireman immediately on the
train stoppinv. They had been blown into the fields on both
sides of the read, full 40 yards distant. Charles Warburton,
the engineer, was found in a field on the right side of the
line, his right leg was broken, and his head dreadfully
crushed. Samuel Jones, the fireman, a lad of 17 -years of
age, was blown in a quits contrary direction..
At three o'clock this afternoon, a jury met at the sign of
the Engine, public-house, to inquire touching the death of
the deceased men. John Heyes, Esq., of I'rescot, presiding
as Coroner.

William Thomas deposed, that he was a watchman in the
employ of the Liverpool and Manchester Hallway Company.
Last night he went on duty rather before his time, and while
sitting in his box he heard an explosion, and, running out of
his box, saw the engine flying past him. He had heard the
train regularly beating up the hill just before the explosion.
On going out, he ran after the engine. It was the Patentee
,v
and had run about 150 yards from the place where the explo-
sion took place. He found the engine detached from the
tender. There were no firemen with it, and the back of the
engine (the fire part) was blown away, and one of the tubes
hanging out. The tender was attached to the Fury, the se-
cond engine in the train. The other fireman asked if witness
had seen the firemen belonging to the Patentee, and they all
went in search of them. The explosion took place just as
the Prescot bells were ringing eight o'clock, and it strongly
resembled a tire in a coal-pit, or the explosion of a cannon.
Witness did not perceive that tile roof of the boiler was in-
jured. The carriage on which it ran was on fire, and the
fire was still burning in the engine. Witness had frequently
seen the engineers attach weights to the engine, and hold on
the lever attached to the valves, so as to preserve their steam
up the incline. He believed the directors of the company do
nut permit them to do so, and that they are not aware of the
practice. The deceased men were picked up afterwards, one
being blown on either side of the railway. Witness had fre-
quently seen men " weighting" the safety-valve. The Pa-
tentee engine had been running about two years. Two other
engines followed the train. It was dark at the time the ex-
plosion took place.
Mr. Melling, engineer to the company, deposed, that he
had seen the Patentee engine since the accident. The end
was blown out. Witness could nut account for the accident.
If there had been a scarcity of water, the leaden plug would
have melted, and the fire would have been put out. A burst
tube would have caused the same effect. The company
strongly prohibit the engineers from " weighting" the en-
gines, and would discharge any fireman detected in the act
of doing so. They have no right to press on the levers.
Witness could not state positively whether the Patentee has
a safety-valve placed out of the control of the engineers.
Some of tire engines have three safety-valves. The Patentee
has run five years: it belongs to the Manchester end. 'The
boiler was about a quarter of an inch thick, and was calcu-
lated to bear a pressure of 501bs. to the inch. No injury was
done to the tender, except the breaking of the drag link,
which attached it to the engine. If the deceased men had
the steam up at too great a pressure, and then applied pres-
sure to the safety-valves, an explosion might be the conse-
quence. It is more dangerous to appl) pressure on the
boiler when the engines ascend an inclined plane than on
level ground, the steam in the latter case escaping much
faster.

Joseph Greenall, the road engineer to
.the back engine,
deposed, that they last night had the assistance of the Lion,
a new engine, and consequently they agreed to take forty-
three waggons up the incline at once,as they had four engines.
The Hercules had previously, by herself, taken up seventeen
waggons, and Patentee sixteen. The two hindmost engines
had scarcely felt the incline, when the explosion took place.
The clothes of the deceased men were torn to pieces, and the
trowsers and shoes of one of them separated from the body.
Jones lived at Manchester—he was about 18 years of age;
and Warburton, who was married, lived there also. Witness
had occasionally seen engineers apply weights to the engines,
and thinks that there is scarcely an engineer on the line but
does so at a pinch. Warburton wished to go up the line
with thirty-three waggons only,but the firemen agreeing with
witness on the probability of getting the whole !lain up the
incline, they started with forty-three.
The jury returned a verdict of "accidental death," with a
deodand of 205. on the engine.—From a Correspondent of the
Courier.

WESLEYAN METHODIST MEETINGS IN
MANCHESTER.
UNPRECEDENTED coNTRIBuTtoNs.

The commencement of a general movement in this large
and zealous body has been made in this town during the pre-
sent week, with a view to commemorate the centenary of
Methodism. We believe that the establishment of what is
termed " itinerancy," in the preaching of the society, was
made in 1739, and that it is intended at the conference next
year (July, 1839). to celebrate the centenary by the founding
of several institutions, and the total liquidation of certain
debts on various chapels connected with the society. A con-
siderable number of the preachers and Influential laymen of
the body, from various parts of the kingdom, came to this
town on the occasion of these meetings. Amongst the preach-
ers were Dr. Bunting, Dr. Hannah, the Rey. Robert New-
ton, &c. On Wednesday and Thursday, at the tneetings in
Oldham-street Chapel, atter prayer, and some statements
connected with the proposed intention to celebrate the cena
tenary of Methodism in a way worthy of its progress, a num-
ber of gentlemen came forward, and announced donations of
large amounts, for the carrying out of the objects proposed.
We have been disappointed in our expectation of receiving
a full list of names and amounts, and therefore we are only
able to mention a few of the most prininent.—Mr. James
Wood offered, as his contribution, a thousand guineas; Mr.
G. R. Chappell, a thousand guineas; Mrs. Begley, of Rad-
cliffe, a thousand guineas;, and her sons, Mr Adam Bealey,
and Mr. John Bealey, five hundred guineas each; Mr. James
Heald, of Stockport, a thousand guineas; Miss Heald (his
sister), a thousand guineas; and another sister, five hundred
guineas; Mr. Sands, of Liverpool. a thousand guineas; Mr.
Farmer, of London (treasurer, we believe, to the Wesleyan.
Methodist Missionary Association), a thousand guineas; Mr.
Irving, of Bristol, a thousand guineas ; Mr John Fernley,
five hundred guineas; Mr. James Garstang, five hundred
guineas; with many other names for equal as well as for
smaller amounts. On Thursday night, we believe, the ag-
gregate amount of the contrMutions was something like
twenty-seven thousand three hundred pounds. Yesterday
morning it was increased to upwards of £25,000; and at an-
other meeting held last evening, further amounts were an-
nounced; so that it is very probable that, before the termi-
nation of these meetings, not less than £30,000 will be con-
tributed towards the objects named in this town alone. It
was originally proposed, that, in the whole Wesleyan com-
munity in the united kingdom, the sum of £50,000 should be
raised, and it was then intended that that amount should be
apportioned for various objects, as follows :—For building an
edifice for a theological institution, furniture, &c., £35,000;
to the chapel loan fund, in order to liquidate dents which
have long pressed on some of the chapels, £20,000; for the
erection and establishment of a new mission-house in Lon-
don, £15.000; in aid of the two, schools connected with the
body, at Kiii,gswood and Woodhouse-grove, £5()00; to pur-
chase a vessel for islands in the South Seas, £3000; -leaving
£2OOO for some other purposes connected with the extension
of the preaching of the gospel at home or abroad. We have
said that this was the original intention; .but we understand
that, since the manifestation which has characterised the
commencement of this revival, many of the leading preachers
and others in the society say they would not limit the sum
to £80,0(X), but determine on raising nut less than £100,000;
and, of course, if this intention be fulfilled, the distribution
of the vast funds must be matte in a somewhat different man-
ner. The disposal and apportionment of the centenary fund
will, of course,. be confided to conference.—Manchester Guar-
dian of Saturday. . .

COVENT GARDEN TIMATRE.—The gross amount of rent
last year was £5,890, and the rent which the proprietors had
agreed to pay to the Duke of Bedford was £2,085. The
taxes amounted to £791, and the salaries for collecting the
rent to £2.50. The watch and firemen cost £7O, and repairs
£37. The theatre was not insured, as the lowest rate at
which the insurance could be effected would be four guineas
per cent, amounting to £6,000, or more than the proprietors
received. Mr. George Robins thought that the landlord
would be a lucky man if be could aet £1(X10 a-year for the
bare walls. As a methodist chapel, he thought £2OOO might
be secured; that beiiig the more popular speculation. Mr.
Robins, to show how theatrical property had been depreciated,
stated, that he had been endeavouring in vain to find a tenant
for Mr. Braham's theatre, the St. James's, at £2OOO a-year.
He remembered the time when Drury Lane was let to Mr.
Elliston for £11,200 a-year, while at present he did not be-
lieve it realised more than £lOOO. He thought the rent
which Mr. Macready paid for Covent Garden (£2055) too
much. He attributed the depreciation of theatrical property
to the existence of seventeen theatres in London, when four
would be sufficient. It was proved that £2202 had been paid
last year for repairs of scenery, wardrobe, and decorations.
The machinist and decorator of the theatre established the
value of the properties under his charge at front £BOOO to
£10,000; and the carpenter valued the rest of the heavy
scenery at from £15,000 to £20,000. He said the ropes in
the theatre were more than sufficient for a first-rate man-of-
war, and they required to be renewed every day. The mas-
ter of the wardrobe proved that the value of the wardrobe,
the armory, and the shoe department, was between £9OOO and
£lO,OOO. All the performers, male and female, with the ex-
ception of Mr. Macready, were supplied from the wardrobe
of the theatre.

THE RAILROAD Morsornm—We have been assured from
a quarter where we repose confidence, that negociations have
been going on, on the .part of the London and Birmingham
Railway, for the purpose of buying up the only two or three
remaining coaches now running between Loudon and Bir-
mingham, that an exclusive monopoly in the conveyance of
passengers, parcels, Btc., may be in the hands of the railway
company. If the British public be so lost to itself as not to
sustain a successful competition as a practical and necessary
check to conduct so unwarrantable in a free state, it will truly
deserve to be railway-ridden at the mercy of the dictators of
this mode of conveyance. We understand it is in the con-
templation of sonic spirited individuals to put two of Mr.
Stafford's suspension safety coaches on the road. if this
should be the case, the dictators of our pocket interests, and
of the mode in which we shall travel in our own native coun-
try, may find out their mistake to their own ultimate loss.
We are constantly hearing of the delays and inconveniences
to which passengers are subjected, with their persons and
luggave, and of the insolence of the underlings, and of the
various company's " gendarmie," uninformed as policemen,
on any remonstrance for such conduct t— Worcester Journal.
—[This is one of a long series of similar absurd paragraphs
which sonic of the midland newspapers have latterly teen
publishing—possibly, because the directors of the London
and Birmingham Railway have not done so much as they
could wish in the way of "buying up" them—in other words,
have not given them so many advertisements as could have
desired. It is as discreditable however, to the press to invent
such absurd statements as it is to any part of the public to
believe them. Since the opening of the railway, it is noto-
rious that the coaches have been running for very little more
than half the fare they were previously in the habit of
charging. Either, therefore. they had a most lucrative trade
before, or they must • be reduced* to a very losing one now.
The latter is the true state of the case; the coach-owners at
first attempted to compete with the railway in point of price—
a little experience toll them that this was as futile an effort
as to match then in point of speed; and one by one the
stages have discontinued running, until, we understand, there
are now only two left. These travel to London by a route
very different from that traversed by the railway; anti we are
told, are almost entirely maintained by intermediate passen-
gers, whom the railway would nut accommodate. The pro-
prietors of these stages, we presume, will keep them on the
road so long as they can make them pay : and certainly, the
directors of the railway will never attempt to prevent them
doing so. As to the intention of "some spirited individuals"
to starr fresh coaches, there cannot he the least objection.
We venture to pledge ourselves, that the railway directors
will never seek to "huv!them up"—whether they may not
very speedily run them ileum is another matter. "If this
"should be the case, the dictators of our pocket interests, and
"of the mode in which we shall travel in our native country,
"may find out their mistake, to their own ultimate HanchOier Guardian. - - •