The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-04-07 00:00:00

TO CORRESPONDENTS

Owing to the crowded state of our columns we are reluctantly
compelled to omit our usual comments on political affairs.
We have the same excuse to plead for the omission of the
favours of several correspondents. We hope to be able to
bring up arrears as soon as the assizes are over.

ght ?Litnrpooi &tantrarb.

TUESDAY MORNING, APRIL 7, 1840.

In the 'limes of yesterday, we find the following
important intelligence from the East Indies and
China :

"Despatches from Bombay to the 29th of February
reached town last night. They state that all was per-
fectly tranquil in our Indian possessions. The warlike
preparations against China were, however, still pro-
ceeding with considerable activity.

" Letters from Calcutta of the 17th of February
mention that the troop-ships taken up for the occasion
were fast collecting in that harbour. It was the de-
termination of the Governor-General at first to make
an appeal to volunteers from the army, but he subse-
quently abandoned. that intention, and resolved on
employing entire regiments for the expedition. The
force about to be embarked at Calcutta was computed
at 10,000. It was however, still believed that the
armament had more for its object to overawe the
Chinese Government than to carry on actual hostilities
against it, and that its destination was the island of
Formosa, of which possession would be kept until
the Emperor should consent to pay an indemnity
equivalent to the British property destroyed by his
order.

" The intelligence from Canton brought by this
conveyance comes down to the 4th of January. No
acts of hostility had recently taken place between the
British and Chinese, but all commercial intercourse
between them still remained suspended. Captain
Elliot had made conciliatory propositions to Commis-
sioner Lin, requesting him to allow commercial relations
to be re-established on their former footing, but the
latter peremptorily refused to accede to these propo-
sitions, declaring that " the order he had received from
the Eniperor formally enjoined him to permit no inter-
course with the British, or admit any of their goods
into the country." Commissioner Lin had, moreover,
in consequence of these orders, addressed a proc'arna-
tion to the citizens of all foreign nations trading with
China, and particularly to the Dutch and Americans,
forbidding them expressly to carry any British goods
or merchandise on board, and requiring the captains
of ships, previous to their admission, to enter into a
bond to that effect.

" Two English vessels, whose captains had signed
the pledge required by Commissioner Lin, had gone up
to Canton. An English merchant of that city, to
whom one of those vessels was consigned, having
attempted to follow her in a smuggling boat, was over-
taken by a revenue junk, and carried as a prisoner to
Canton. Captain Elliott, on becoming acquainted
with this fact, sent a message to Commissioner Lin to
demand his release, but down to the date of the last
accounts the fate of the prisoner, was not known. It
was expected, however, that, on his arrival in Canton,
he would be set at liberty."

By the arrival of the Great Western at Bristol, on
Friday last, we have received New York papers to the
19th ultimo, inclusive. The Great Western accom-
plished the passage from- New York to Kingroad ;n
fourteen days and a half. Her outward voyage to New
York was accomplished in fifteen days and a half. The
British Queen had reached New York on the isth ul-
timo, the day previous to the departure of the Great
Western, having made the x'oyage from Portsmouth in
less than sixteen days. The first half of the passage
she made in the extraordinary short space of six days,
.during which time she steamed 1,338 miles, or, on the
average, 231 miles per day—a feat which, we believe,
has not yet been equalled in the annals of steam navi-
gation. After the first six days she encountered severe
adverse gales, and, on the 14th of March, a violent
hurricane from the N.N.I/V., which raged with such
fury for eighteen hours that the sails, though closely
furled, were blown away. Both these splendid vessels
have behaved themselves nobly on their last voyages.
The commercial news brought by the Great Western
is of a gloomy character. The advises taken out by
the British Queen had not caused the least improve-
ment in the monetary markets. Money, it is said in a
private letter, Was plentiful enough for, first-rate com-
mercial hills, which were in demand at six months'
date, The internal exchanges were in a shocking con-
dition ; nor, while the currency remains embarrassed,
can any favourable change be expected. The affairs of
the United States Bank were still in a very unsatisfac-
tory state, and the exposure of the Manhattan Bank
affairs kept the minds of lm,iness men in a continued
fever.

The Morning Courier and Enquirer of March 19
states that, on the previous day, the stock market was

depressed, and that prices of most descriptions had
declined. Operations in foreign exchanges had not
been so extensive as had been anticipated for the de-
parture of the Great Western. The following are the
latest quotations :—London 8 to 8-Y
-k, Paris 5. 26 to 25,
Amsterdam 39 to 40. Antwerp 35 to 40, Hamburgh
354 to 36, Bremen 78. E to -L Some few heavy sales
were made, part cash and part short credit; and both
London and Paris Southern hills were offering, as
usual, at 1 to .1- below the current rates : but unless
well known they met with little favour. A tolerable
demand had existed for inland exchanges generally,
but it had been particularly active in New Orleans and
Mobile, at the following rates of discount :—Philadel-
phia 61 to 61, Baltimore 51 to 6, Richmond 62 to 7,
Charleston 3 to 3L Savannah 51 to 6, Augusta 71 to
to 71, Mobile 4 to 5, New Orleans 44 to 5, Union,
Florida, 25 to 26, Union, Miss. 40.

In Flour, since the 7th of March, a reduction in
price had taken place of 25 cents per barrel. There
had been no demand for foreign export. The quota-
tions ranged from 5. 25 to 5. 62+ dollars.

Some sales of cotton had been made at New York,
since the 7th ultimo, at a decline of -1 cent per lb.—
The better qualities were scarce, and had brought com-
paratively higher prices than inferior. Uplands, mid-
dling, had sold at 61 to 81; fair, to good and fair and
good, 9to 91 and 911 per lb. The sales of the last ten
days had reached about 3,500 bales.

There had been some strange developments made as
to the mode in which banks had been conducted in
some of the remote south-western states ; but as these
very slightly, if at all, affected the gen€ ral monetary in-
erests of the Union, they were scarcely worth advert-

ng to.

The report of the committee of investigation into the
affairs of the Manhattan Bank had been published.
The contents of this report are said to be such that
foreign stockholders would do well instantly to recal
Their proxies from the late cashier.
The New York Morning Herald of March 19 also
says that the news brought by the British Queen had
produced a gloomy effect upon the market. With re-
spect to the cotton market, the same journal remarks,
that many of the planttrs, who were able, were holding
back their stock, This, it is added, might affect the
receipts of the year nearly to the extent which followed
from the same cause in 1837, and threw 150,000 bales
on the crop of 1838. Notwithstanding this, there was
every prospect that the receipts would be fully 1,800
bales. Prices still continued their downward course in
the southern ports. The news by the Great Western,
on reaching Charleston, on the 14th ultimo, had caused
a decline of cent on all sorts. At Mobile a decline of
had taken place, for the week ending on the gth.
The following were the prices, according to the Liver-
pool classification, at Mobile and New Orleans :—At
Mobile, good and fair 81 to 8i; good fair VI- to 8 ;
fair 7 to 71; middling 6 to 6_; inferior and ordinary
5 to 51: at New Orleans, good and fine.lol; good and
fair 91 to 91; fair 81 to 81; middling 61 to 7; infe-
rior and ordinary 51 to 6.
The President had sent down a message to Congress,
enclosing a further correspondence between Mr. For-
syth and Mr. Fox, in reference to the occupation of
the disputed territory by British forces. In the pro-
gress of this correspondence, a question of veracity,
or rather of accuracy, had arisen between Mr. Fox,
the British Minister, and Governor Fairfield, in relation
to the operations on the frontier, within that district of
country occupied by the British forces, and in which
the Governor re-asserts that the military force had been
increased, which statement is contradicted by Mr. Fox.
The British minister, however, closes his letter, by say-
ing that, if the state of Maine persists in the course
of policy which she appears to have adopted, the period
is not far distant when it will become necessary for her
Majesty's Government to adopt measures of defence.
The news from Canada, which comes down to the
14th March, is totally devoid of .interest. Both pro-
vinces were tranquil.
The New Orleans Bulletin states that letters had been
received in that city in which it was said that a division
of 1000 men had left Campeachy, with a view to give
battle to the Federalists in the vicinity of Merida. The
moment the division came in sight of the soldiers of
the Federal army, they abandoned their officers and
went over to the Federal
.party. The commandant of
the Centralists, with his staff, returned to Campeachy
without a single soldier in their company. There were
only 50 soldiers in the city, exclusive of the deserted
officers. The greater part of the inhabitants were in
favour of Federalist opinions.
News had also been received from Yucatan, from
which it appears that the Federal or Liberal party are
in the ascendant in that state. The Government sol-
diers were disaffected, and were daily leaving their
officers.

Late advices from Rio Janeiro state, that the Buenos
Ayrean army had been defeated by the forces of Monte
Video, and that negotiations had commenced between
the French Admiral and the Government of Buenos
Ayres, and that the former had refused the proffered
mediation of the British minister.
Advices from Panama to Feb. 7, and from Lima to
Jan. 14, state, that in Bolivia, the reported reaction or
revolution in favour of Santa Cruz had dwindled down
to some petty disturbances. The Peruvian Govern-
ment had refused to receive Mr. Pickett, the American
charge d'affaires, or to recognise the treaty formally
concluded, ratified, and exchanged with the former
Government.

Arrivals per Queen Victoria from Dublin to Liverpool,
April 6th :—Dowager Duchess of Bedford, Lady Georgiana
Russell, Lady Rachel Russell, Dr. Cumming, &c. ; Mar-
quis and Marchioness of Abercorn and family, Mr. and Miss
Belgrave, and Judge Ball.
'APPOINTMENT OF OVERSEERS.—The Special Sessions
for confirming the appointment of overseers of the poor for
the several townships in this division for the enkating year,
and for passing the surveyors accounts for the past year,
were held at Kirkdale, on Friday last. The confirmation of
the several overseers for the different townships, proceeded
without any opposition, till Toxteth.park was called on,
when several gent emen came forward and begged that the
magistrates would not appoint the overseers named on the
list presented by the assistant-overseer, which list had been
chosen at a meeting of the inhabitants of the extra parochial
place of Toxtetla-park, the day previously ; the objections
which the gentlemen (amongst whom we recognized R. V.
Yates, Esq., Dr. M'Kee, andseveral others) made were, that
the meeting was not, lstly, a meeting of the ratepayers, but
of the inhabitants of Toxteth-park ; 2ndly, that the meeting
was so noisy that not one-fourth of the people present could
hear one word that was said, and they begged that they
might present another list of persons eligible for being al
pointed overseers. Mr. Alexander Smith, Mr. Sheppard,
together with Mr. Cooper, the chairman of the meeting,
which was held the day previously, rose to object to the list
presented by Mr. Yates, on the ground that they were not
chosen at a meeting held according to the acts, and contend-
ed that the original list was chosen by two-third of the meet-
ing, who were nearly all of them rate-payers. " Certainly
said Mr. Smith, the scenes that occurred were such as I
never witnessed before, and sincerely trust I may never wit-
ness again ; there was, during the whole of the meeting, a
dog-fight going on in the room, but who the parties were
that conducted themselves so disgracefully, 1 could not say,
but nevertheless the overseers who were recommended in
the original list, were chosen' by two-thirds of the meeting."
Here a scene ensued, which we hope will not to be tolerated
by the magistrates again ; some of the Reormers began
hooting, and crying out "chair" " order" " that's a lie,"
which continued for several minutes and after order was
restored, and after a few words from Mr. Slaeppard, who was
interrupted again by advocates of the secorM list, the magis-
trates retired and when they returned into court, declared
that they had chosen one overseer from each list, the parties
then retired, Mr. Harbourd gave a very fair and unpre-
judiced account of the township meeting, and anything like
the disgraceful scenes that occurred we never heard before.
There were on the bench, J. Formby, Esq., Chairman,
Charles Birch, Charles Taylear, Thomas Redish, R. H. B.
Blundell, and Francis Jordan, Esqrs. After the usual
business was over the magistrates heard a case of stabbing
and after hearing a good deal of conflicting evidence, com-
mitted the prisoner John Unsworth for trial at the next
assizes.
NEW INVENTIONS.—Our attention has lately been called
to two new inventions—one American, the other, we believe,
French,—which seem likely to effect revolutions of great,
though unequal importance, in the world of manufacture.
The American novelty is a machine by which woollen cloth
of every sort is produced at less than a fourth part of the cost
hitherto usual. The material is not woven, but compressed.
Two urchins, with the machine, can turn out 100 yards of
the broad cloth in twelve hours ; and where 245. were de-
manded per yard, six shillings afford the new manufacturers
abundant remuneration. We have inspected and handled
(as roughly as we liked) specimens of every variety, from the
finest scarlet cloth for officers' uniforms down to blankets
and carpets, and we certainly could not, either by sight or
touch, distinguish them from corresponding pieces made in
the old fashion.—The French device is of a very different
sort, but must also have very remarkable results. Two spe-
cimens of this new manufacture were exhibited at the Mar-
quis of Northampton's last soiree, as president of the Royal
:society, and they then excited the curiosity and astonishment
of the assembled elite of our philosophers. They were rich
silk curtains, having all the appearance of being interwoven
in gold and silver in the most gorgeous patterns of arabesque.
They looked and felt like the most splendid hangings of the
Louis Quatorze taste; but their cost is a mere trifle in com-
parison, for the gold and silver are merely woven glass. The
Queen of the French and her daughters appeared at the last
balls in the Tuilleries in dresses manufactured upon this
principle.—John Bull.
FASHIONABLE FOLLY.—What can be more preposterous
than the scanty clothing which modern fashion allows to
children ? Whilst their mothers are muffled to the eyes in
furs, and to the toes in flannels, their unhappy brats are
paraded abroad, with their legs and bottoms exposed to
every blast, and their necks left open for the very purpose
of inviting scrofula. Yet Nature gives the mother a greater
power of resisting cold than she grants to the child, so bar-
barously frozen for the sake of vanity alone.--De. rdtrarth.

Vottrp.

THE PENNY POST

Of all the posts, the penny post
Is that which 1 delight in most,
Since now my letters, few or many,
Come with the friendly prepaid penny.
So, be they full of wit or phlegm,
My only tax is reading them.
Thus, housemaids now can send their letters
As free and frank-ly as their betters ;
And waft a sigh, in strains of Pindus,
From kitchen fires are far as Indus ;
Or launch their passion hot as coals,
To warm their lovers at the poles.
All hail, then, penny-letter trade,
(The best reform the whigs have made)
Whose flaky showers, like March-tide hail,
O'erspread the earth by ev'ry mail.
PHILO-DENARIUS

Emprr la! Varltanunt.

HOUSE OF LORDS.—THURSDAY.
Many petitions, chiefly for and against the repeal of the
corn laws, were presented.
The Marquis of LONDONDERRY presented petitions from
officers of the British auxiliary legion, complaining of the
treatment which they had experienced, and the delay in the
payment of their claims. His lordship entered into very ex-
tensive details on the subject.
The Earl of CLAREYDON said that the best answer he
could give would be to read the report of the commissioner
(Mr. Alcpck) appointed on the part of the legionists.
Among other matters, it set forth that 3415 certificates had
been signed by the commission ; that credit had been given
for 1500 warrants„on which no claims had been preferred ;
and that £9OOO had heen set apart to meet those claims ;
that the whole amount claimed was £280,000 ; and that of
such sums, claims to the amount of £260,000 had been
allotted. It transpired that those warrants had not been
paid, were not negotiable, and did not bear interest.
The Duke of WELLINGTON inquired whether there would
be any objection to produce the commission ?
Lord MELBOURNE answered that there would be. no ob-
jection to present the report of the commissioners.
The report of the Metropolitan Police Courts Act Amend-
ment Bill (as amended in committee, with two new clauses
to counteract the machinations of " common informers ")
was presented and agreed to.
The Marquis of WEiTMEATH gave notice that on Thurs-
day next he would move the appointment of a select com-
mittee to inquire into the working of the poor laws in
Ireland ; after which their lordships adjourned.