The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-10-16 00:00:00

queen of Ireland, the blanket worn in the manner of a
toga, but without the skewer, brooch-fashion, connect-
ing the two ends in the centre, which smacks too much
of an union. After all, repeal does not go half far
enough in Ireland—it is but child's play. In due
time we shall commence an agitation for repeal in
England, restoring things to their happy state in the
Heptarchy. We must have restored to independence
kingdoms of Kent, Essex, Sussex, Northumberland,
Wessex, Mercia, and East Anglia.
" Hereditary bondsmen, know you not," &c. &c.

THE AGE OF WONDERS.
(From the Britannia.)
" Can such things be,
And overcome us like a summer cloud,
Without our special wonder ?"—SHAKSPEARE.

We wonder what Prince Albert does with his thirty
thousand pounds per 'annum ! The fears of Mr. Hume
that so much money would lead him into excesses
seem to have been quite groundless. The prince stays
at home with exemplary constancy, and presents an
example of conjugal affection and fidelity which every
young Benedict in the kingdom would do well to imi-
tate. But what can he do with his money ? He has
no opportunities of spending it at home, for there
everything is provided for him ; he has no opportuni-
ties of spending it abroad, for he rarely leaves the pa-
lace except to drive round the Park in the Queen's
phaeton. He is an amateur musician, yet we do not
hear that he does anything for its professors. He is
fond of painting, yet who can name what pictures he
has ever purchased ? He is attached to literature, yet
the extent of his patronage seems to be utterly un-
known. Does he intend to imitate the example of his
uncle, of Belgium, and accumulate stock in every state
of the world, that he may be prepared for all mis-
chances ? Such a course might be prudent, but it cer-
tainly would not be popular. But if our wonder is
great to know what he can do with his income at pre-
sent, how much will that income be increased when he
receives the additional £20,000 promised him by Sir
Robert Peel in the event of an heir to the throne being
born ? We admire the prince's domestic virtues, and
the readiness with which he has dropped into the cha-
racter of a good husband ; but we think his happiness
would have been equally consulted had he not been
burdened with an income for which, it is manifest, he
can find no means of disposal, at least in this country.
We wonder what Lord Minto could have been think-
ing of when he exposed one of our greatest national
dockyards and the ships it contained, to the risk of
total destruction, for the sake of saving a few shillings
a night to reward watchmen for guarding it ! Fortu-
nately the conflagration at Devonport has only de-
stroyed two ships and damaged a few others, but it
was by a mere chance that mischief was not done,
which it would have cost years of time and millions of
money to have repaired. Again has the " luck" of
the ministers partly compensated for their want of pru-
dence.

We wonder that Lord Ebrington should have had
the unblushing effrontery to declare he would withhold
all government patronage from the repealers, when he
knows the head of the repealers to be at the head of
the ministry, and to dispose as he pleases of all the
patronage at its command connected with Ireland! Are
we to suppose that his lordship was really sincere, and
that he was labouring under some mental hallucination,
which induced him to believe that he was something
more than a puppet; or are we to imagine that his
lordship was but fulfilling the stipulations of some se-
cret Dublin Castle treaty to talk one way and act ano-
ther? In one case we must suppose his lordship des-
titute of common sense ; and, in the other, of common
honesty. To suppose that Lord Ebrington, if he be
in a state of sanity, can imagine he may act in oppo-
sition to the will of Daniel O'Connell, is too absurd to
impose upon any one beyond the precincts of Bedlam
or St. Luke's. _ _

We wonder where Lord Palmerston finds the wealth
to support his splendid establishment ! His lordship,
independent of the emoluments of office, is notori-
ously poor; nor has he been materially enriched by
his marriage with Lady Cowper ; yet there are few
persons who live in better style than his lordship ; and
he is said, besides, to devote large sums annually to
the improvement and augmentation of his Irish estate.
Has he found Aladdin's lamp, or discovered the philo-
pher's stone ? No ; but he is our Foreign Secretary.
We wonder to how many persons, and on how
many different occasions, Lord Melbourne has written
this note :
" I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your
communication of such a date, and I have the honour to re-
main, &c. &c. &c., your obedient servant,
" MELBOURNE."
It was his answer to the Marchioness of Hastings,
when she appealed to him to proclaim the innocence of
her injured and dying daughter, Lady Flora. It was
his answer to Captain Drew, when he implored his
lordship that he might not be disgraced for performing
one of the most gallant achievements of modern times
—the burning of the piratical American steam-boat,
the Caroline. It was his answer to the owners of the
Vixen, when they besought him to ask redress from
the Russian government for having unlawfully seized
an English merchant vessel, and disgraced the British
flag. Still more recently, it was his answer to an ap-
plication from Captain Reynolds for an inquiry into
circumstances which, if suffered to pass by unnoticed,
were likely to materially impair the discipline and effi-
ciency of the army. In short, it has been his answer
to every communication upon every subject, no matter
how vital its importance, or how pressing its urgency;
and it would be his answer to-morrow, if informed
that a French army had landed at Dover. Yet what
right has the public to complain ? If they will keep
a prime minister to perform the part of a poodle dog,
to dangle after the petticoats of ladies, and amuse them
by its tricks and nonsense, they must he prepared to
submit to the natural consequences—neglect of all
public business, and stereotyped answers to all appli-
cations.

We wonder at the mysterious silence preserved on
a subject concerning which the government journals a
few months since were so loquacious—the " delicate
situation" of her Majesty ! How comes it that, as the
time draws on, when we might reasonably hope the
wishes of the nation would be gratified, we are not sur-
feited with descriptions of cradles and caudles, baby-
linen, and pap-boats ! The royal accoucheurs were
gazetted, we presume, at the suggestion of Sir James
Clarke, some months since ; and the total absence of
any allusion to the health of her Majesty is, at least,
remarkable. Can it be that Sir James has been again
mistaken ?

IRISH PATRIOTS.

(From the Spectator.)

" [lore's lime in this sack too! There is nothing but roguery to
be found in villanous man."—Falstaf

At the inauguration of the civic officers'of Dublin, 04) the
30th of September, Lord Ehrington took occasion to make a
strong declaration against repeal and repealers. Among
other things, he said—" I shall withhold all the government
favour and patronage, which administrations are considered
entitled to confer on their supporters, from those who take
part in this agitation."' By a curious coincidence, Mr.
O'Connell, on the same 30th of September, addressed a let-
ter from Darrynane Abbey, to the electors of Kilkenny, in
which he revives a charge he brought some time ago against
Colonel Butler, of having absented himself from the vote
which drove ministers to resign in the month of April last
year ; and of having written letters " in which he entered
into a regular stipulation that he would vote with the go-
vernment, provided that certain situations or promotions
were bestowed upon two persons whom he named." Mr.
O'Connell, "through motives of delicacy," declines naming
these persons ; but Colonel Butler is troubled by no such
compunctious visitings ; for in his counter address to the
electors he says— " I have not the least hesitation in ad-
mitting, that after having for two or three years given sup-
port to the present administration, I made an application
for professional promotion for two of my sons, where such
could not be obtained by purchase—namely, in the church
and the navy ; and I certainly considered that I was justi-
fied in so doing, inasmuch as if they went out of office, I
I could not expect that their opponents would attend to any
application on my part." To this partial admission the
Colonel coolly adds :—" As Mr. O'Connell has repeatedly
expressed a wish that I should enter fully into an explana-
tion of circumstances that occurred on my refusing to vote
upon one occasion, I have come to the determination not on
any account to do so, as I cannot place any faith in the
purity of his motive." This is excellent. No more needs
be said about Colonel Butler ; he stands confessed. But
why does Mr. O'Connell's indignation at Lord Ebrington's
hint about " the favour and patronage which administrations
are entitled to confer on their supporters," hang fire P His
small taunt at the Saint Patrick's Orphan Charity dinner in
Cork, "that the Lord Lieutenant had exhibited great im-
patience to let out his opinions, when he availed himself of
the opportunity of doing so afforded by the appearance of
the rotten corporation of Dublin before him," is merely the
suppressed whine of O'Connell mnzzled. Mr. Sharman
Crawford's Ulster Reform Association had an " aggregate
meeting" on the Ist of October, but even Sharman was neu-
tralised. The burden of the speeches delivered by the other
orators was "No Repeal," and "Support Ministers." He
did not join in the latter cry, but he wisely said nothing
about it. So it wonld appear that the O'Connellites of the
south and the Crawfordites of the north are merely getting
up a sham fight about repeal ; the former not pressing the
question in earnest, and the latter not being afraid that they
intend to do so. All that is meant is to prevent the people
of Ireland from inquiring what ministers are doing, and to
get them to vote for them as formerly.

* His Excellency understands what stuff the repealers are made
of. Since this allusion to " government favour and patronage" was
made, the following announcement has appeared in the Limerick
Chronicle: —" Seneral of the committee of the St. Patrick's Orphan
Charity Dinner in Cork have had their names erased from the list,
on learning that Mr. O'Connell intends to propose Repeal of the
Union amongst the toasts, on Monday night."

EAST INDIA TlLADE.—Mr.Stikeman, the secretary of the
East India and China Association,
compara-
tive statement of the number of
prepared a
l.wards from and to
British ships, with their
ia Company's char-
tonnage, entered into and cleared o
places within the limits of the East In
ter, from the Ist of January to thep3poetahrsof September, 1839
that the tonnage
preseriteeasrhis 185,594,
and 1840. By this statement it a
inwar4 for the first three-quarters of last
while that for the same period in the year was 182,582,
during
348 ;
thisenteringe
giving an increase of 3,012 tons, and that Ji
similar periods are 474 for last year, and 467 for thirpresent,
giving a decrease of seven ships. In 1839 the ships
period were
the London port during this Liar they
are only 324, which is a decrease of 24, while in
they have increased from 95 to 107, and in other ports there
has also been an increase. The tonnage outwards for theee
same periods is 215,809 for 1839, and 273,853 for 1840 ; and
the number of ships is 542 for the former and 702 for the
latter, giving an increase of 58,044 tons and 160 ships. How-
ever, with respect to the number of tons cleared for China
andthe Cape of Good Hope, it has decreased-5020 for the
former, and 1870 for the latter. The increase is attributed
the sending troops to India and emigrants to Australia.