The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-11-24 00:00:00

LORD ASHLEY.—The Sun of Thursday, in a sanitary
article, very appositely alludes to Lord Ashley as " the
Wilberforce of the present day."
Several sermons have recently been preached in the
Town-hall of Kelso, by a boy only ten years of age. The
reason given for his thus appearing before the public is,
that money may be obtained to further his education.
On Monday, there were several dishes of raspberries
exhibited in London, at Covent-garden Market. They
were not the produce of forcing, but were natural crops,
grown in the open air in a garden near Turnbam Green,
being the second supply this season.
In consequence of the competition existing on the river
Thames, the fares of nearly all the steamers have under-
gone a very extensive reduction. Boats are now running
bztween London and Westminster Bridge, at the extra-
ordinarily low fare of one halfpenny each person.
AN AGED BIRD.—A magpie died on the sth of this
month, which has been in the possession of Mt. James
agger, of Great Chesterford, for 19 years. It was taken
from the nest when young, and it would call all the neigh-
bours and children by their names.—Cambridge Chron.
The Town Council of Sunderland have ordered a rate
of one halfpenny in the pound on the property in the bo-
rough, to sustain the expenses connected with the forma-
tion of a public museum, which is placed under the
direction of a committee of the council.
A 11 INT FOR ASTLEY'S—The directors of all the the-
atres at Berlin have resolved to substitute the explosive
cotton for gunpowder, in their representations, because
the cotton makes little or no smoke, which is not only
annoying to the public, but has an injurious effect upon
the voices of the actors.
The Tablet (Roman Catholic paper) announces the
conversion to Romanism of Mr. Toogood, late editor of
the Cambridge and Oxford Review. The Daily News
says that a jun or fellowship has become vacant at Clare
Hall, Cambridge, in consequence of the secession of Mr.
Thomas Caswell.
REAL DISTRESS.—As a convincing proof of the dreadful
state of tire trade in Kidderminster, we have only to men-
tion that during the last fortnight, no less than eighty-six
wedding rings have been purchased, chiefly from the wives
of weavers, by one jeweller residing in the Bull Ring in
that town.

POPERY IN BRISTOL.—For some time past, six sisters
of mercy, living in a small house in Pritchard-street,
St. Paul's, have exerted themselves, we are afraid, too
successtully amongst the poor of this city. Encouraged,
undoubtedly, by their success, they have lately removed
to Harford-house, Dighton-street, where they have been
trebled in number by fresh arrivals from Belgium. We
hear also that the sisters of penance of St. Dominic,
" whose labours embrace the whole works of mery, cor-
poral and spiritual." are About to settle in another por-
tion of this city.—Bristol Journal.
YANKEE NOTIONS OF FREE TRADE WITH ENGLAND.
—The New York Journal of Commerce calculate. on the
United States driving the Britisbers out of their own pro-
vision market. It says :—" An English reerchen.. who
is here buying bread stuffs, says that American flour bar-
rels are effecting a great revolution in the trade.
The practice from time immemorial, has been to sell flour
in very large and inconvenient bags, and the trade has
been confined to the millers and the mealmen. But the
great beauty and convenience of the American barrels has
brought grocers to take up the business ; and he says
that now he has orders for fifty barrels a-week from
dealers who never before sold flour at all. The English
cannot contradict this : for they have no free-splitting
ash or other timber from which to make these beautiful
barrels. So we think the repeal of the English corn-
laws will be something to us—ves, everything to us—a
home market for the supply of 18,000,000 of barrels."
Mr. Alsager, the el, y correspondent of the Times, died
on Sunday from the effects of a wound in the throat in-
flicted by his own hand on the ith instant. At first hopes
were entertained of his recovery, but inflammation set in,
and he expired on the above day, after 48 hours of dread-
ful agony. The deceased was in good circumstances, and
the cause of the act is a mystery. It is, however, remark-
able that it took place on the anniversary of the death tat
his wife, to whom he was devotedly attached.
THE LATE FORGERY IN THE POST-OFFICE.—The
deputy-postmaster (Morse) of Barnet, who is accused of
forgery, and for whose apprehension a reward has been
offered, effected the fraud with which he is charged in
the following manner :—lt was Morse's duty to receive
the money from the payers, and to furnish in return a
post-office order for the amount, such orders being duly
advised to the post-town, or money-order stations, upon
which they were respectively drawn. Thus his order
became the authority for payment, and, taking advantage
of such a position, he drew to the amount of £2OOO in
one day, upon different offices throughout the country,
making the orders payable to various imaginary persons.
These orders were principally for ,£5, the highest amount
for which a post-office money letter is given. He then
went the rounds of the stations drawn upon, and signing
the orders in the names by which they were advised, no
suspicion was aroused, so that the money was paid with-
out hesitation. At the office in Charing-cross. nearly two
hundred of these orders were duly honoured. The faci-
lity with which postmasters in the provinces may success-
fully practice these frauds under the present system, will
render it imperative on the part of the post-office autho-
rities to adopt some arrangements by which they may
henceforth be prevented.
ATTEMPTED MURDER IN LONDON. On Saturday
evening, a brutal attempt was made by a man named
George Wilmot to murder a Mrs. Haines. residing in an
alley called Paradise-terrace, in the Liverpool-road, Is-
lington. On the evening in question, Wilmot, who was
well acquainted with Mrs. Haines and her husband,
called at her house, where he found her busied in pre-
paring supper. and quite alone. After some conversation,
Mrs. Haines turned towards the fire, when Wilmot
availed himself of the opportunity to extinguish the can-
dle burning on the table in an iron candlestick, with
which he then struck Mrs. Haines several tremendous
blows on the head. A desperate struggle ensued ; bat
Mrs. Haines succeeded in dragging her assailant to the
door, which she opened. She then uttered loud cries of
"Murder !" when Wilmot took to flight ; but be was
subsequently apprehended, and brought before the magis-
trates at Clerkenwell Police Court. Fiom inquiries
which he had previously made, there can be little doubt
that he had attacked Mrs. Haines with the view of ob-
taining possession of the money which be had learned
that she was in the habit of carrying about her person.
To add to the atrocity of his crime, it appears that he is
indebted to Mrs. Haines and her husband for repeated
services, and that they have frequently lent him money.
Mrs. Haines is now lying in a very dangerous state, and
her deposition has been taken, in case her wounds should
cause her death.
COAL-MINE EXPLOSION AT OLDBURY, NEAR BIR-
MINGHAM.—On Tuesday morning, an exote-ion of fire-
damp took place in one of Mr. Parker's high-pressure
pits at Round-green, New Colliery, near Oldbury, by
which nineteen men were killed, one lies in a hopeless
state, and several others severely injured. About half-
past five o'clock the first relay of the colliers went down
the shaft. About half an hour after the butty, or ma-
nager, and his son, went down in a skip; at six, four
others followed, and by seven five-and-twenty men had
descended to the works. One of these was " the doggy,"
or person whose duty it is to prove the pit with a safety-
lamp before the colliers go to work, but who on this me-
lancholy occasion does not appear to have taken this pre-
caution. After the men had been at work for some short
time, and had sent up four skips of coal, an explosion
took place, shaking the ground to a considerable distance,
and followed by the emission of smoke and flame from
the shaft.. The banksman in attendance at the mouth of
the pit instantly gave the alarm, and several men from
the neighbouring quarry went down the shaft. With df-
ficulty the bodies of sixteen men were got up, the shaft
being 180 yards in depth. Three were subsequently re-
covered alive, but died soon after they were brought to
the top. Another was almost hopelessly injured, the re-
ma;ninir four escaped unhurt. The dead bodies presented
a shocking sight, the whole b ing dreadfully scorchedand
norm ; ana torogerner vac scene was one of the most ca-

Last week a vessel of 120 tons, named the Albion, one
of the Woodbridge traders, was run dOwn off the Essex
coast, near Wotton, by the city of London steam-ship.
The crew of the Albion were saved with difficulty by the
steamer, except a young man, the son of the master, Mr.
Smith. who sank with the vessel.
On Friday, a meeting was held in Birmingham, convened
by the clergy for the purpose of an immediate extension of
the infant schools in that town. There are seven thousand
infants there for whom no means of instruction are pro-
vided. The Queen Dowager has contaibuted £5O for the
good work.
An accident of nearly a fatal nature occurred at Stony
Stratford, on Tuesday, the 3d instant. A firework maker,
named Holloway, put some damp gunpowder into the
oven to dry, and proceeding to work, the gunpowder was
forgotten. It very soon, however, made its owner aware
of its presence by exploding, and causing very great de-
struction; hut, fortunately, no lives were lost.
SHORT TIME MEETING.—A sh,,rt time meeting was
held in favour of the ten hours' bill, in the Working
Men's Hall, Keighley, on Wednesday evening last. A
dense crowd attended, and hundreds were unable to obtain
admission. Mr. W. B. Ferrand, M.P., Mr Oastler, and
a number of other speakers, addressed the meeting, which
seemed unanimous and enthusiastic in attachnitnt to the
ten hours' bill.
On Monday evening last, as the driver of a cart and
two horses, belonging to Mr. Stone, of Winwick, was
returning home, his horses were frightened by the noise
of empty milk-cans in some carts which were passing on
their way from Newton Railway Station to Winwick.
He ran to the head of one of his horses, was thrown
down, and the wheel passed over his body. He died
soon after.
MILITARY APPOINTMENTS.—Lieutenant-general Sir
Benjamin D'Urban will, it is said, proceed to Canada as
commander-in chief, in the room of the Earl of Cathcart,
who held that appointment with the governor-generalship.
Major-general Brotherton, formerly of the 16,11 Dragoons,
will receive the appointment of inspector-general of caval-
ry, in the room of Lieutenant-general Lygon, lately pro-

moted.
The Morning Post revives the tale of a split in the
Cabinet, arising from the dislike of Earl Grey to Lord
Palmerston. The Spanish marriage is said to be the
question at issue. The Post Lints that the Earl of Cla-
rendon is also opposed to the Secretary ofjoreign Af-
fairs, and adds that if rumour do not err, the question of
opening the ports and of Irish policy has only been de-
cided upon by a division of the Council.
THE WINGATE COLLIERY CLERK—The fugitive clerk
who absconded from Wingate colliery, with nearly £6OO
belonging to his employer, Lord Howden, and who was
apprehended in Ghent, in Flanders, is said to he again at
liberty. Nearly the whole of the money, with the excep-
tion of his " travelling expenses," and the cost of his
" gentlemanly" outfit—his gold watch anal ring, wig, im-
perial, and moustaches—having been recovered, "it has
net been considered worth while to bring him to Durham
for prosecution."
PENAL DP;CIPLINE OF CONVICTS.—We believe that
this interesting subject is at present under the serious con-
sideration of the Government, with a view to relieve New
South Wales from its redundant convict population. It is
proposed that the transportation of males to the colonies
should cease, but that the deportation of women should
be carried to its fullest extent, in order to diminish the
existing disproportion between the two sexes. It is also
under consideration to establish a convict home colony in
the Isle of Portland, where a proportion of the prisoners
sentenced to transportation would be submitted to a com-
bined moral and physical discipline, and employed in
hewing and preparing stone.—Literary uozette.
THE DURATION OF AI ARRIED LIFE.—The tables of lamitous description.
the mean joint lifetime of males and females show, that THE HOMICIDE PARDONED.—The Home-office is pro.
in this country husbands and wives mulled at the age of reeding in the course of liberating convicts, and in some
26 live, on an average, 27 years together, the widows respects with injustice to the accused themselves. At the
riving rather more than 10 years (10.4) after their husbands' York Assizes in 1844 a man named Daniel Donovan was
deaths, and the widowers nearly 9 years (9 3) after their found guilty of homicide in having killed a person during
wives' 'deaths. Where the husband is 40, and the wife 30, a riot arising out of religious differences, in the streets of
the mean term of marr ed life is 21 years, the widows Bradford, and was sentenced to transportation for life.
living 13 years after their husbands, and the widowers 5 Ever since that time the friends of Donovan have ex_
years atter the deaths of their wives. The tables furnish erted themselves to prove an alibi,—that is, that he was
ready answers to a great number of questions of this in another place at the time of the offence, and they sue-
kind, and others in which two lives are concerned.—Re- ceeded in interesting Lord Morpeth in the cause. Now,
gistrar-General's Reports. this plea must have been established or not. It is possible,
INGENIOUS SanTGGLING.—On Monday morning, a though highly improbable, that the witnesses, jury, and
seizure of an extraordinary description took place at the judge were all mistaken, and if Lord Morpeth and Sir
St. Katherine's Dock Steam Packet Wharf, by a Custom- G. Grey were satisfied upon the point, a free pardon
house weigher. A case of live geese, brought over from ought at once to have been granted;
if not, the pro-
Harlingen in the Magnet steamer, had been landed from priety of such an excercise of the royal prerogative of
the vessel, and was being examined by the officer, when mercy on their part, may be doubted. What, however,
he thought the geese appeared enusually tall. He made is the course taken ? The Home Secretary has sent out
a more careful scrutiny, and ascertained that a quantity a pardon provided that the man's conduct has been good
of hay, forming a false bottom, had been made, on which since his transportation, and upon condition that he does
the geese were standing, and on removing that, he die. not return to Great Britain, thus perpetuating tt e seri-
covered beneath a quantity of very thin deal boards. tence of banishment. The alibi, then, which would of
These were also removed, and a quantity of cigars, weigh- course be a complete exont r .tion, is apparently matte the
ing 441b5., were exposed to view. The case, geese,-28 ground of annulling the sentence, and vet tire man is
in number—and the cigars, were immediately seized. treated as a criminal !We never rem,-tuber to have read
SERIOUS EFFECTS OF A " LARK."—On the. sth in- of anything so absurd and at the same time •co rni•eiiievons
stant a young man about 18 years of see, who had been —it is as much as saying that a man 'nay he half gul y
employed on the railway near Deal, for a sree dressed and half innocent—a proposition wlrch. •.u.p. re, will
himself as a Guy Fawkes. This he did by stuffing a ga-
receive no countenance from the law-, ffic, rs of the
bardine or large jacket he had on with straw, till, for ro- crown, or any lawyer in the kingdom.
tundity, he resembled more a Sir John Falstaff' than a GRAVE CHARGES.—At the meeting of the Surrey Pro-
Guy. It was in the evening when the young man was so testant Alliance, on Tuesday. Sir Dighy Macworth, who
amusing himself. He had a peat many squibs about him. was in the chair, made the following astounding cornmu-
Some of these got ignited, and in a moment he was Intl nicati-n :—" Mr. Gordon staled to him (the chairman)
complete blaze; and as the squibs continued to go off in that the Jesuits were in the i abit of picking up young
all directions about him, it was impossible for any one to men of talent, to whom they taught the art of rapid
approach to render him any assistance. He now lies in a writing, and thus qualwifieithd,
the they sent them for
ronthcle athees re
deplorable state, with no hopes of recovery.—Dover otters. Connected Morning Chr
were sixteen Roman Catholics. (A voice ; ' Yes, and the
Chronicle.
NEW COIN.—FIVE SOVEREIGN PIECES.—Some five editor also was a Roman Catholic.') Another paper had
sovereign pieces have lately been struck by Mr. Wyon, in its service thirteen repthe orters, of whom
orted I.adn we -
re R -
and though as -et but in the hands of a few of the authori-
ties, they stand as portion of the coin of the realm ; -but man Catholic reporter. He (the chairman would not
whether they will be called out for general use, the Go- state but those re porters
did notd iid their busineinteresss very f
.lieu+ ii
vernment have not decided. This gold piece is considered all matters which nvolve th ets o
to be the most perfect of coins. In point of size it bears But in its behalf there was at work in those
ismen a amen
resemblance to a crown piece, but otherwise it is much lar agency!" The Rev. M. H. Seymour reporie I t
neater in detail. The obverse disclays a renresentation of have made the folios, ing very grave charge :—" NI r
her Majesty, and the reverse tie tieure of her Majesty as Merewether, a Tractarian, told me that a leading Rowan
Una, guarded by the lion (standard of England), and Catholic convert in his neighbourhood had written to him
holding the sceptre. It may ne well, perhaps, to inform to state, that if Mr. Merewether would privately con-
the public, who must for some time back have noticed the form to Rome, he might trust to his (the writer's)
absence of the figure of St. George trim the new crown honour to have it concealed, and that he might continue in
pieces, that such emblem has been entirely discontinued. his living as a Protestant until such time as it would
A WOMAN FOUND WlLD.—About three weeks ago, a be convenient for him to make the matter public. The
young woman, 22 years of age, and cf the name of Ca- name of the Roman Catholic converted gentleman is Am-
therine Stewart, living in Browii-see et, in the Merkinch, brose Lisle Phillips, of Grace Dieu, Leicesterslrre. I
left home, and nobody knew where she had gone, until a stated to Mr. Mereweather that I should like to see the
day or two ago she was discovered in the woods of Lea- letter from Mr. Phillips—the letter was brought to me,
ohdin, some herds having been attracted to where she lay and in that letter those facts were stated ; and it also
by her shrieking or singing. She had retied herself up in stated that thirty Protestant clergymen had privately con-
moss till she had made herself as round as a ball. She, formed to Rome, but holding their livings until that con-
had thus lived 'or seventeen days, subsisting, it is sup- venient season would arrive, when they would come for..
posed, on nothing but moss. She was taken home imme- ward to avow their change. to avow their Popish princi-
diately, almost reduced to a skeleton. She is recovering, plea. Now, you have the facts, and you have the riarries,
but on account of the great shake such an unexampled said the reverend gentlemen, as he resumed his seat."
state of existence, for so long a time, must have given the TREMENDOUS FIRE AT Gaexeszern—FOßTY Houses
constitution, the progress is naturally slow. It was never CONSUMED.—ShAtIy after twelve o'clock on Friday
thought she was wrong in the mind, though she was ob. morning, the town of Gravesend was the scene of an-
served duller than usual for some time back.—lnverness other calamit consuming no fewer than forty houses,
and numerousy, other buildings. Singular to say, its lo ca.
Journal.
A BRITISH FRIGATE FIRED ON BY THE PORTUGUESE. lity is the same as former fires, West-street, extending
—ln the intelligence given in another column, brought along the water side from near the town pier to the
from Lisbon by the Marys, "The American frigate" is Rosherville-gardens. The fire was first observed from a
said to have been disfeasted by the batteries of Oporto. body of smoke hovering over the premises occupied by
We copied the statement as we found it; but we think Mr. Garretts, grocer, adjacent to the Pier Hotel, at the
that the America, British frigate, must be meant, as she corner of West-street. The flames soon burst forth with
had just been ordered by Admiral Parker to Corunna, such violence as to light up the whole town and the oppo-
with instructions, as she passed Oporto, to demand satis- site shore, creating a general alarm. The inmates having
faction for an insult recently offered to a Mr. Noble, a been got out in safety, steps were taken to bring the cor-
British merchant, and, if our memory do not deceive us, potation engines, which were soon on the spot, into ope-
consular agent, in that city. This would satisfactorily ration : but the defective state of the water mains enabled
account for her attempt to enter, and tor the hostile the flames to extend themselves to the buildings on each
reception she met 'with. The America is a raeeed 74; it side. The mayor and several of the town council arrived
will be recollected that she recently returned hem
ar
the within a quarter of an hour after the discovery. The
Pacific, and that her captain, the Hon. John 6ordon, Wy at Tilbury Fort had previously been mustered by
youngest brother of Lord Aberdeen, was tried by a court- the commanding officer of that fortress. Their efforts,
martial for having quitted that without per mission however, were of little avail in stopping the confl igra.
from the admiral commanding.— 13, iionnia. tion ; for at least four honrs the wind, which was blow-
from
TnouseND PcitiS DS SUPPOSED LOST. AND ing a violent gale, completely baffled their operations, and
FOUND..—On Wednesday low 1..4., a person from one increased the magnitude of the fire to a frightful degree.
of our city banks was despatched t the agency in Falkirk From the south side of We
est
ce-sntre treet th
the e
to fire ra
ged
utroyp-
-
with a parcel containing a large sum tit money, amounting, wards, in the di of wn,
it is said, to £3hoo in notes. The man, on alighting at his ing in its course a great number of low dwelling houses in
destination, found himself minus the parcel. and gave in- the various courts. These were generally tenanted by
timation accordingly, to the alarm of the ags nt, who took poor fishermen, hawkers, labourers, &c., &e. No check
measures to apprise the po
lice authorities here and in to the fire was effected until near seven o'clock. At ten
Edinburgh by the train whic arrives at either end elmrtly o'clock, however, an immense body of fire existed in every
after midnight. The Glasgow s eerintene• of etilleJ part of the ruins. The principal portion of the houses
started in search on Thutsdae te the earliest morning that are erected on the sire of the fire in West-street are
train ; but, on his arrival at Falkirk, the cheering news consumed, together with boil) sides of the street from
was communicated that the parcel had been found in High-street to King-street. Amongst the buildings de-
safety in the carriage which the messenger left at Falkirk, stroyed we may mention 'he Pier Hotel, Talbot Inn,
on its arrival at the Edinburgh terminus, It is likely Punch Bowl Tavern, end all the intermediate wharfs and
that the man had fallen asleep, and left the parcel behind buildings. Wit resectt
to t th
resulte originof,
accident . suspicions
The
are
him on the confusion of a sudden awakening.—Glaagew entertained that ih t wasp nee
paper. lass is estimated at nearly £30,000.