The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-05-03 00:00:00

A LADY well known in the first society of Paris, has
just died of an unknown and mysterious malady. On a
post mortem examination it was discovered that three ribs
were crushed into the liver—the result of tight lacing.
SAVINGS BANKS. Measures are contemplated for
effecting some new arrangement with regard to the vast
amount of stocks held on account of savings banks. It is
considered that the present moment is opportune for a re-
duction of the rate of interest allowed, or for adopting
such other remedy as may appear desirable.
THE HIMALAYAN CEDAR.—The East India Company
has ordered a ton weight of the seed of the Deodar tree
to be placed at the disposal of Government. Should all
this quantity vegetate, no fewer than 16,000,000 plants
will have been acquired, and thus we may expect the hills
of Great Britain to be speedily clothed with the sacred
cedar of the Brahmins. The charge of rearing it has been
confided to four eminent nurserymen.
DR. CAIIILL.—Dr. Anderson, of the United Presbyte-
rian Church, has challenged Dr. Cahill, who is now in
Glasgow, to discuss with him the first three canons of the
Council of Trent, which he considers as " violating the
authority of God's word, the glory of the person of our
Lord, the prerogative of His mediatorial priesthood, the
sufficiency and perfection of His sacrifice on the cross,
and the priestly dignity of all His saints; yea, as being
altogether blasphemous exceedingly." Dr. Cahill, of
course, is afraid. _

•
FATAL STEAM BOILER EXPLOSION.—On Wednesday
morning an explosion of a steam boiler took place at some
chemical works, King's-cross, London. One of the men
employed was blown 100 yards distance into an open space
of ground in front of the building, and killed on the
instant. Others were injured, and conveyed to the
hospital. The whole of the upper part of the boiler was
torn from the under part, and blown a distance of about
70 feet.

PILOTS AND THEIR GRIEVANCES.—A number of the
pilots of this port have been holding preliminary meet-
ings relative to certain alleged grievances of which they
complain ; the chief ground of dissatisfaction is that the
journeymen pilots, upon whom, it is said, the most
arduous duties of the service devolve, are not propor-
tionately remunerated in comparison with the salaries
received by the masters of the boats.
SKITS AT SCOTSMEN.—A writer in the " New York
Knickerbocker" says, that one faculty peculiar to Scot-
land is the gift of second sight. A remarkable dilation of
the pupil when a Scotchman sees a shilling makes it ap-
pear in his eyes as large as two shillings. This is second
sight. To it may be ascribed his wonderful abstemious-
ness. A red-herring, in his ecstatic vision, becomes
glorified—it rises to the majesty of a silver salmon ; a
spare-rib expands to a sirloin, and a bannock o'barley-
meal enlarges to the dimensions of a bride's-cake. " You
never see," says Mr. Strachan to Dr. Johnson, " you
never see people dying of hunger in Scotland as you often
do in England." " That," replied the doctor, "is owing
to theimpossibility of starving a Scotchman."
THE ANNIVERSARY MEETINGS of the Scottish Tem-
perance League, held in Glasgow on Monday week and
the day following, were highly successful. Many of the
Scottish clergy were present, as well as the Rev. Pro-
fessor Stowe, and the Rev. Charles Beecher. Lawrence
Heyworth, Esq., M.P., who was announced to be pre-
sent, was not able to attend in consequence of the dis-
cussion of the budget in parliament. The chairman, in
apologising for Mr. Heyworth's absence. said he believed
that the meeting would agree with him that Mr. Hey-
worth was equally well employed in getting them cheap
tea and dearer whiskey.
THE LARGEST STEAMER IN THE WORLD.-012 Tues-
day last, the Atrata, belonging to the Royal West India
Mail Steam-packet Company, "the largest vessel that
ever slid down the ways since the world began," was
launched from the yard of Messrs. Caird and Co., at
Greenock. She is all iron, and has been built to supply
the place of the unfortunate Demerara. Upwards of
30,000 spectators were assembled. She was named by
Lady Octavia Shaw Stewart, the respected lady of the
lord of the manor. Messrs. Caird have only been fifteen
months in turning out this great ship. Within' the last
few days four splendid iron steam and sailing vessels have
been launched in the Clyde ; one of the latter of 1,500
tons burthen.

TRUE HEROISM.—During the voyage of the John
Melhuish, emigrant vessel, from London for Port Philip.
when in 39 deg. 11 min., south latitude, and 19 deg. 57
min, east longitude, the first mate went stealthily into
the hold, and tapped a brandy cask. The light which he
held in his hand came in contact with the liquor, and the -
hold was speedily in flames. An alarm was raised, and a'
passenger, named Hayward, thrust his finger into the
hole from which the brandy was flowing ; and, notwith-
standing the blue flame enveloped his arm, he held it
there until the fire was subdued. He was afterwards
presented by the rest of the passengers with a gold watch
and chain, as an acknowledgment of his heroic conduct.
The first mate was placed under arrest.
FATAL COAL PIT EXPLOSION.—On Tuesday another
of these frightful casualties occurred at the Old Park,
Colliery, Dudley, belonging to Lord Ward, which re-
sulted in the death of six men and three boys, and the
severe injury of three or four others. At the inquest,
Mr. Wynne, the Government inspector, said that the
explosion must have been caused by the fouling or accu-
mulation of carburetted hydrogen in the east level, pro-
duced by the lowering of the temperature of the upcast
shaft, by the leakage of the air, or by the skirting at the
end of the south air course being left open, or, by what
was not improbable, all these circumstances combined.
The jury returned a verdict of accidental death.
MERCANTILE LAW.—At the monthly meeting of the
members of the Society for promoting the Amendment
of the Law, on Monday, Mr. Stuart, Q.C., in the chair,
a report was presented from a committee on the com-
mercial laws, which expressed it to be the opinion of the
committee that it was not expedient to establish tribunals
of commerce similar to those existing on the continent;
that, nevertheless, increased facilities were required for
the settlement of disputes arising on commercial ques-
tions, and that it would be desirable to refer such ques-
tions to arbitration, and give the country and common
law courts the power of carrying out tie awards. After
a long discussion, the consideration of the report was ad-
journed to the next meeting.

LORD'S DAY DESECRATION.—ID answer to a deputa-
tion of working men opposed to the opening of the
Crystal Palace on Sundays, who waited upon Lord Pal-
merston on Monday, his lordship said :—For himself, he
could not be brought to see how the opening of this
pleasure-ground could be productive of the amount of
evil which had been described. He could not see the
harm of an individual, who devoted a portion of the
seventh day to the worship of his God, going afterwards
to view these pleasure grounds ; but he was only stating
his private opinions. He should not object to a measure
for closing public-houses and beer-shops on Sundays,
but he thought opening the Crystal Palace would draw
people away from such places. He certainly objected to
the desecration of the Sabbath, but was not unfavourable
to harmless and innocent recreation after divine service.
THE NEWSPAPER IN THE FAMILY. -- IS IT AN
EDUCATOR ?—A schoolmaster, writing in a recent number
of the Ogdensburg (U. S.) Sentinel, says :—I have
found it to be a universal fact, without exception, that
those scholars of both sexes, and of all ages, who have
had access to newspapers at home, when compared with
those who have not, are-1. Better readers, excelling in
pronunciation and emphasis, and consequently read more
understandingly.-2. They are better spellers, and define
words with greater ease and with more accuracy.-3. They
obtain a practical knowledge of geography in almost half
the tine it requires others, as the newspapers have made
them familiar with the location of the important places,
nations, their governments, and doings on the globe.-4.
They are better grammarians, for having become so familiar
with every variety of style, in the newspaper, from the
common-place advertisement, to the finished and classical
oration of the statesman, they more readily comprehend
the meaning of the text, and consequently analyze its
construction with accuracy.-5. They write better com-
positions, using better language, containing more thoughts
more clearly and connectedly expressed.-6. Those young
men who :save for years been readers of the newspapers,
are always taking the lead in the debating society, exhibit-
ing a more extensive knowledge upon a greater variety of
subjects and expressing their views with greater fluency,
clearness and correctness in their use of languages.

THE SEIZURE OF ROCKETS AT ROTHERHITHE.—The
proceedings in this ease were resumed at the Bow-street
police-court, London, on Thursday, and Mr. Henry, the
magistrate, gave his decision upon the first summons,
which charged Messrs. Hale with being in possession of a
greater quantity of gunpowder than that permitted by act
of parliament, to the effect that the powder, found on
Messrs. Hale's premises, was gunpowder within the mean-
ing of the act. He, therefore, adjudged that all the
powder seized beyond the allowed quantity should be
forfeited, and the defendant should pay 2t. per lb. penalty.
William Hale, Robert Hale, and James Boylin, were then
charged with having made, in contravention of the pro-
visions of the act 9th and 10th Wm. 111. chap 7, large
quantities of rockets. For the prosecution, it was stated
that from October last there were a great many workmen
in employ, some of whom were foreign refugees, and the
whole of their proceedings were evidently carried on in
the greatest possible secrecy. Police officers gave evi-
dence respecting the seizure of the rockets. Auguste
Usener, the next witness, said that he had been an officer
of Prussian artillery, and had served in the Hungarian
army during the war. He was employed by the Messrs.
Hale, in making rockets at Rotherhithe, about the close
of September last year, and worked for them to the begin-
ning of November. He knew nothing of the Hales before
he went to be employed. He was introduced to them by
M. Kossuth. He first saw M. Kossuth on the subject
last summer, on his return from America. About the .
middle of September he saw the cider Hale in the company
of M. Kossuth, at the house of the latter,
employ.
dwas then3.i
recommended by M. Kossuth to Mr. Hale's
Kossuth said his wages should be 18s. per week, and
'im
thene nd e himd t
keep
the affair
in which he was
quite secret. The
witnessrec described
ng
ri
em-
ployed in making the rockets, said that secrecy had been
enjoined upon him by the Hales, anti added that a firing
machine for the rockets had been tried at a house in.
Pickering Place, in the presence of M. Kossuth. A. Ger-
amnadnwnhaomaeldso said h
Gerlach, who had also worked in t;:e factory,
bad been recommended by 11. Kos-
suth, to the Hales, was afterwards examined. Mr. Henry
intimated that he should not deal summarily with the
case, but should send it for trial at the sessions, and th
prisoners refusing to put in bail were
removed to Horse-
monger Lane Gaol.

____..
BLAIR'S GOUT AND RHEUMATIC' PI S. Extract of a
letter, written by John .11°1ard Wheeler, ET . Collector
of Customs, Jamaica, having been handed by his brother,
at Swindon, to Mr. Prout, for publication :—" I know
you have never had occasion' to take Blair's Pills, but let
me emphatically tell you, in mercy
to any friend who may
suffer from gout, rheumatic gout, lumbago, sciatica, rheu-
matism, or any branch of that widely-allied family, to
recommend their using them. In this country they are
of wonderful efficacy ; not only am I personally aware of
their powers, but I see my friends and acquaintances re-
ceiving unfailing benefit from their use. I would nut he
without them on any account. If taken in the early stage
of disease they dissipate it altogether: if in a later, they
and effect a much speedier cure than by any
other
riatme pain,
means within my knowledge." Sold by Thomas
Prout, 229, Strand, London ; and by all respectable Me-
dicine Vendors throughout the kingdom.