The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-06-05 00:00:00

ANTI-CORN-LAW FALLACY.

Our contemporary of the Liverpool Times devoted a long
article, on Tuesday last, to the purpose of controverting an
argument brought forward by Lord Sandon, during the late
debate on Mr. Villiers's motion. His lordship is reported
to have said, that, even supposing the supply of foreign corn,
for the consumption of Great Britain, to be a regular quan-
tity of three millions yearly, still a drain for specie would be
the result, as there was no probability of that amount be-
ing paid for in manufactured goods. Our contemporary ar-
gues, that although this may not be the case at first, yet that
eventually the three millions worth of corn would be exchang-
ed for manufactured goods, and the trade between the corn-
exporting and corn-importing countries become simply one
of barter. We have some doubts of such an interchange of
commodities ever being brow.-ht into operation with the con-
tinental or any other corn growers : but even admitting its
feasibility, we cannot see how Lord Sandon's position is se-
riously affected by it.

Let us examine carefully the nature of such a transaction—
call it barter if you will. We import, say from Prussia, corn
to the amount of three millions, on condition that Prussia
takes from us, in return, the same amount in cotton yarns,
cotton manufactured goods, woollens, and silks. From this
transaction our contemporary would have us conclude that
no demand for bullion would arise. We must have the raw
materials for the manufacture of these goods, and eventually
we fear that the transaction will be one of pure barter only
so far as regards that portion of the commodities furnished
by us which consists of labour and skill. The difference—
the cost of the raw material—is still to be paid for ultimately
in bullion or its equivalent ; and that difference will be found,
blind ourselves to the fact as we will, to be just the amount
which we abstract from the pocket of the English agricultu-
rist, to place in that of the foreign grower.
It is sheer folly to argue that an import of foreign corn to
any extent can take place without causing a drain of bullion
from this country, unless we pay for that corn in some article
not only manufactured, but produced, by ourselves ; and if
even we could do this, we should not, as a nation, be any
the richer by the exchange. The manufacturer individually
would be benefitted to the amount of his skill and labour,
and the foreign grower would reap the profit which otherwise
would have gone into the pockets of the British agriculturist.
It must be injurious to us as a nation to .take from a foreign
country any produce which we are capable of raising in our
own. No sophistry can disguise this fact. We are, how-
ever, sometimes obliged to import corn, and the question,
how the injurious consequences of this necessity can be best
alleviated? is one which is not to be disposed of so flippantly
as our contemporary seems to think. " Vixere fortes ante
Agarnemnonem." There have been political economists be-
fore our contemporary, who have failed in satisfactorily set-
thug this difficult point.

FATAL AccIDENT.--Yesterday afternoon, a man named
Daniel Cull, who was employed on board a vessel in the
QueUn's Doek called the Jane Way, fell down the hold of
the vessel, and was mortally injured. Dr. Moore, of Park=
lane, was called, but the vital spark was extinct.

LECTURES ON ASTRONOMYI—We perceive that Mr
Walker intends to give a course of three lectures on the
sublime science of astronomy, at the Liver Theatre. The
first of the series will be delivered on Monday next. The
attractive nature of the subject, illustrated as it will be by
Mr. Walker's splendio orrery, will, we doubt not, secure a
numerous audience.—See Advt.

Tif EATRE-ROYAL.--The performances this evening, it will
be seen by the advertisement in another column, are for the
benefit of that talented actress Mrs. Keeley, whose delinea-
tion of the character of Jack Sheppard has drawn overflow-
ing houses during the past week. In addition to this will be
introduced a new piece, entitled the " Devil in London, or
Sketches in 1840," which we believe will be found well wor-
thy of the attention of our play-going townspeople. We
trust that Mrs. Keeley will not be disappointed of that sup-
port of which her anxious endeavours, added to her ability,
to please, render her so justly deserving.

INQUESTS, BEFORE P. F. CURRY, ESQ.—On Wednesday,
on view of the body of p, young man, aged 19, named Joseph
Mason, belonging to one of the pilot-boats, who fell overboard
in the Crosby Channel, on the 17th May. It will be recol-
lected that a reward was offered for the finding of the body.
Verdict, " Accidental Death."—Yesterday, on the body of
Catherine M`Kendrick, who died at the Infirmary on Tues-
day, in consequence of being severely burnt through her
clothes taking fire on the previous night. There was no evi-
dence as to how her dress became ignited. Verdict accord-
ingly.—Same day, on the body of Catherine Sparks, Chris-
tian-street, who hanged herself in a fit of temporary insanity.
Verdict accordingly. The deceased was a respectable lodg-
ing-house keeper.
MEETING OF THE Docx COMMITTEE.—The weekly meeting
of the Dock Committee was held in the office, Custom-house,
yesterday. The following members were present :—Mr.
Thomas Holt, Mr. Barclay, Mr. Brooks, Mr. Holmes, Mr.
Gladstone, Mr. Smith, Mr. Hornby, Mr. Bulley, Mr. Segar,
Mr. Horsfall, Mr. Mellor, Mr. G. Holt, Mr. Martin, Mr.
Dixon, and Mr. Tobin. In the absence of the chairman and
deputy chairman, who are in London prosecuting the new
dock bill, Mr. Thomas Holt was called upon to preside. The
accounts having been read and passed, the secretary read a
letter from the north harbour master relative to the remune-
ration to be paid to the ship carpenters who had rendered
valuable assistance to him on the occasion of the accident to
the ship Tweed, in the Clarence graving dock. The harbour
master recommended the sum of twenty shillings to be given
to each man. In reply to a question from one of the com-
mittee, the harbour master stated that eighteen men were em-
ployed on the occasion. Several members expressed an
opinion that twenty shillings would be too much, but on the
harbour master stating that it would be desirable to show
that useful body of men that their services on such occasions
in future would be properly appreciated, it was ordered to be
paid. The committee then separated. •
COMMITMENT TO THE SESSIONS.—Yesterday, Hugh
Pardon, was placed at the bar on a charge of having com-
mitted a serious robbery. Mary Livingstone, a widow, who
keeps a• public house in Parliament-street, said that on Fri-
day morning, about eleven o'clock, she put eight sovereigns,
a half-sovereign, and twenty sixpences into a small tin box,
and also nineteen half-crowns, twenty-two shillings and six-
pencead
pnitn
tt oh
eatnp ui
nr
tsee . a
safeT he pinutrhsee
ka
intdd
hbeonx snheenat:
ther a p pfierde in pTalpi
eerre,
was no lock on the safe. Soon afterwards, the prisoner, a
a man named M`Donough and another, went into the back
p,
ita,nadndorndleterendshseomeale.
returned Sthhee wpreinsetnteor t‘hveascenllaetr
into
the room. M`Donough went out and fetched him. They
had more ale, and she went to draw it. On her return, she
found the prisoner in the kitchen, which he left, and walked
out by the front door. She afterwards found the safe open,
and the parcel and money were gone. The prisoner was
afterwards brought back by a police constable. There had
previously been found the tin box in the prisoner's house.
On being searched, there were found upon him eight
sovereigns and a half-sovereign, also a quantity of silver
money, the whole corresponding with that missed. The
priioner was seen stooping near the 11.•csin the kitchen of Mrs.
Livingstone. He was fully committed for trial.
THE ATHENIEUM NEWSROOM.—This room has recently
been altered, and much amended in shape and appearance.
It will be recollected that the door was originally in the mid-
dle, and a boxed-off inside door was required, which had an
unsightly appearance. The bar was also partitioned off from
taken away,—so that the
sstlecuotottri.storthfl eicoi
tmecohr behind.e:isee'rnersl
the room at the south-west corner, which left only a sort of
large recess at the back, and destroyed the uniformity of the
apartment. The original door has been removed, and the
spacets
the
esat occupiedrirtetent,
tfhreo fl others t iv diai
racdatepde;
ciiiiwleroNnla,ota.
arattsnhsrhrol
de ear round-topped
spacious
e 0-s
ut oes pnl pet
eehdrhe window ot wia
taken
preciselydneoe ffr
ta et
the east end, in lieu of it. The original bar has also been
nearlyow
ng
n
ed
f
aysrhneubwiodegepfi
hpfnoanursupporting
wnserieonhngat:
ashi
ocltamepeilbtureeublstrrntoetfeketipi perfect
iattsquare,sobtourfosettotnevatide.cienh.t
t hgeeeaTtn withnhsdhue columnsee poimnfpn ocoauott
entablature
true:
uaNtoi
is
ahthinityhi
a
The room has been entirely repainted of a light salmon colour.
New chimney-pieces of black marble, and new grates, have
been provided, and new furniture has been, substi-
tuted for the old, handsome round
mahogany ta-
bles on circular pillars, and round-bottomed massy
arm-chairs of the same material, the seats covered
with crimson embossed velvet. New carpets have also been
laid down, and three handsome bronzed chandeliers of five
lights each are suspended from the roof. The new principle
of ventilation adopted is found to be efficacious and agreeable.
The fresh air is introduced by pipes from the lower part of
the front wall under the floor, and passes into the room by
oblong brass gratings fixed betwen the columns in the middle
of the room, after passing through which it is carried out by
correspond
Tbper neort
ventilators through the roof. In the lobby is placed one of
Dr. Arnott's stoves. The bar is formed at one side the
room, and is at once compact and commodious. The general
improvement produced by these alterations is obvious at a
glance, the news room being now perhaps the lightest, and
for its size the handsomest and most commodious in the
town.

-- ---
NV rrsEssEs.—lt is a curious fact, that persons who in
their usual vocations can speak so as to make themselveQ
heard at the distance of half a mile, lose their voices the
moment they enter a witness-box. For instance, a sailor
who is able to stand on the poop and hail the forecastle in a
gale of wind ; or a bullock driver who could very conveni-
ently stand at the Queen's wharf and hold a conversation
with a man on the new jetty, can never be coaxed to speak
so as to enable the jury who are about twelve feet from him,
to hear a word. "We can't hear a word," complain the
jurors ; " Speak up sir," says the Attorney-General ; " You
shan't have a farthing of your expenses if you don't speak
louder," says the judge ; but it's no use, the witness will
keep mumbling on in about the same pitch that " soft non-
sense" is whispered in a ball-room, and, generally speaking,
the counsel has to stand close to him and repeat every word
he says.—Sydney Herald.

£18,221 0 0 I £55 13 0
Churchmen have given THREE
;EVEN POUNDS for every ONE

NFIRMARY.

At Churches.

1833.

At Popish and
Dissg. Chapels.

Congregational Collections! £1,128 18 911 £59 12 1
EIGHTEEN POUNDS to one in favour of the church.
The grand total produced by these sums respectively is as
follows :

SUMS SUBSCRIBED
By Churchmen. By Dissenters.
£169,995 0 6 I £5,722 8 9
Shewing a clear balance in favour of the Church of the enor-
mous and overwhelming sum of ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-
FOUR THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-TWO
POUNDS.
With the uncancelled part of the lecturer's charge of illi-
berality against the National Church, Viz., that " Civil esta-
blishments destroy the grace of liberality, as it respects the
support of Gospel ordinances., and the diffusion of Gospel
truth," I shall deal on a future occasion. I have not yet
done with the general charge. lam waiting for the return
of the respective contributions of Churchmen and Dis-
senters to the various charitable institutions of
Liverpool. In the mean time, let the young men
of this town who have formed themselves into
a " Voluntary Church Association," ponder over the above
astounding facts, and not forget that it is written, " is not this
the fast that I (the Lord) have chosen ? to loose the bands
of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens—to deal thy bread
to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out
to thy house ? When thou seest the naked that thou cover
him ; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
• Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine
health shall spring forth speedily, &c.
58, 6, 11.
I remain, sir, your obedient servant,
D. JAMES.

Kirkdale, June 4, 1840.
* Mr. John Kelly.

GO IT Bours!—A Mrs. Boots, of Pennsylvania, has left
her husband, Mr. Boots, and strayed to parts unknown.
We presume that this pair of Boots are rights and lefts. We
that Mrs. Boots is right,
cannot say, however, but there is
no mistake that Boots hiMself is left. At the last accounts
he was pursuing her with all his might. Go it, Boots.—
Picayune.