The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-02-02 00:00:00

CHICORY AND COFFEE.

---
By a letter from the Board of Trade, dated the 7th January,
1836, the Board of Customs are informed that when the duty of
6d. per lb. was imposed on chicory, it was not the intention of
the Board of Trade to tax that article, but merely to prevent
the fraudulent introduction of Coffee and Chicory, and that,
therefore, roasted and ground would have been the proper word-
ing. But it is proposed in the next Customs' Bill that may be
brought before parliament, to remedy this, and at the same
time to get rid of the inconvenience of its entry, as an unenu-
merated article, and for that purpose the Lords of the Commit-
tee of the Privy Council for 'I rade will submit that a rated duty
of a low amount should be inmposeJ on Chicory whets roasted,
leaving the duty of 6d the pound upon it when ground.

Note.—The complaint, as we understand it is, that Chicory
Root, before it is either ground or roasted, is imported at so
trifling an advalorern duty as to injure the trade in Coffee, and
therefore the above proposed ropilation would not meet :the
case, as Chicory Root would still be importable as an num-
merated article.

COFFEE FROM SIERRA LEONE.—Extract of a letter from the
Board of Trade, dated 15th January. 1833, respecting the pro-
duction of Certificates of origin for Coffee, the produce of Sierra
Leone, on a memorial for the admission of Coffee from the
Coast of Africa at the duty of 6d. per pound.

The act 5 and 6W. 4, cap. 66, does not require that Certifi-
cates of origin should be produced for Coffee, the produce 'of
Sierra Leone and therefore the necessity for such Certificates
falls back upon the general law and practice of the Customs.

The act further applies the duty of Gd. per lb. to coffee the
produce of and imported from Sierra Leone. If, therefore, as
the Lords of Committee of Privy Council for Trade conceive
Cape Coast Castle is to be considered as a dependency of Sierra
Leone, they are of opinion that the principle laid down by them
respecting rice is equally applicable to coffee, and that, if satis-
factory proof be given to the customs that the parcel in question
is the produce of the neighbourhood of that settlement, although
not actually within its limits, and cannot be other foreign cof-
fee, which the certificates accompanying the report seem to
determine, they are disposed to recommend that the player of
the memorialist should be complied with, and the parcel of
coffee be admitted at the duty of 6d. per lb.

PUBLIC DINNER TO TUE LATE COLWORAT[ON
OF DEVIZES.

The Devise, and IVittshire Gazette, of Thursday last, contains
an elaborate account of a public dinner given on the previous
Tuesday to the members of the defunct corporation of Devizes,
at which all the principal gentlemen and tradesmen of the town
and the gentry of the neighbourhood were present. This mark
of respect and kindness appears to indicate that all sense of
gratitude for past services is not absolutely extinguished in
borough towns, and also, notwithstanding the pains taken to
persude them to the contrary, that there are souse places where
the people do not entertain the opinion, that the gentlemen
who held offices in civic bodies-corporate were necessarily
"tyrants" or "usurpers," or that the words "corporation" and
corruption" were synonimous terms. But we forget—Devizes
is not an overgrown commercial town, it is only the great mar-
ket town of a large agricultural district, and its inhabitants,
unenlightened by the pompous nothings, and Penny Meg. trash,
of an Albion; by the small philippics of a Chronicle; by the milk
and water lucubrations of a Journal; or by the profound Botisms
of a Mercury, live in a most delightful state of ignorance which
—having but one newspaper—they have the extreme folly to
imagine perfect bliss.
The healths of "the bishop and clergy of the diocese" having
been drank,
The Rev. Canon Fisher observed, in the course of his speech,
that it was highly satisfactory to the clergy to receive so many
and decisive marks of approbation and encouragement with
which they have been cheered during the two last eventful
years. Supported by such friends, the church had little to
fear. But he had a stronger ground of confidence than this.
The church had nothing to fear, because she dreaded no in-
quiry. The guilty only trembled and deprecated the rendering
au account. Like the members of the late corporation of
Devizes, the church had no corruption to be brought to light,
no mal-practises to account for, and therefore she sought and
courted inquiry. She had everything to gain, and nothing to
lose by it. Defects indeed there might be about her, as about
any human institution; hut he assured them that there was no
body of men in the united kingdom more anxious that such de-
fects should be removed; than were the clergy themselves.
They were anxious for their removal, that the church might
proceed onward in her career of usefulness, encumbered by no
abuses, and, if it pleased God, defaced by no blemishes. All
they deprecated was her being handed over to the tender mer-
cies of the reckless, to those who had no religious opinions;
who, rejecting her discipline, and having separated themselves
from her communion, could scarcely be supposed to have her
real welfare at heart. He felt persuaded, however, that the
people of England would never permit this. He had that con-
fidence in the good sense, the religious feeling, the patriotism
of the people of this country, as to feel convinced that they
never would allow either the ceremonies of our church to be
mutilated, or her revenues carved out to gratify the appetite of
the demagogue; but that they would determine to support her
in her state of dignity and usefulness. (Loud and reiterated
cheers.)
The health of Mr. Clark, the late mayor, was drank with nine
times nine and one cheer more. After this gentleman had re-
turned thanks, the call for Mr. Salmon, the oldest resident
member of the late corporation, was loud and general.
Mr. Salmon addressed the meeting at considerable length in
a speech of great force. We regret that we can only afford
space for the subjoined extracts:—ln my younger days, I re-
member very little public mention of corporations, except in
tomition place jests, about mayors and aldermen, (alluding to
the borough of Devizes,) and their gowns and maces. Instead
of being Considered as formidable political bodies, they were
rather the butts at which the writings of those days might with
impunity aim their petty shafts. But lately, notwithstanding
their only really obnoxious power, that of exclusively electing
members to parliament, had been taken away—instead of fur-
nishing incidents for a farce, or the point to a dull epigram,
they have been represented as something monstrous and mis-
chievous (cheers); their officers, formerly likened to the Dog-
berries of Shakspeare, decked with a little brief authority, as
now capab!e of exercising powerful influence on public events,
(cheers,) their town-clerks in particular, as potent magicians,
ruling all things by their wands, (cheers,) as demons who ride
the whirlwind and direct the storm—and instead of being laughed
at as insignificant insubstantial pageants, these bodies have been
represented as exercing a power fill influence on the destinies of
the country, the salvation of which has been apparently made to
depend on substituting one list of nanses for another. (Loud
and reiterated cheering.) With au inconsistency peculiar to
the present time, after we had been told, from authority, that
the old bodies ought to be annihilated, because they were com-
posed of party men, no sooner does the time of elections of the
new bodies arrive, than a cry is raised from one end of the
kingdom to the other, and almost everywhere acted upon, not
to choose men merely fig their fitness for the office, but to
select, or exclude them, according as they were supposed to
lean to this or that political party; thus voluntarily choosing to
perpetuate that very system before so loudly censured. (Con-
tinued cheering.) -I cannot but consider all these views to have
been erroneous. Men did their duty honestly, when formerly
lampooned and laughed at, and were often far more useful
members of society than those who scoffed at them; and in the
present day, politics having really no connexion with municipal
government, there was more danger of corporations falling into
indolence and inactivity,..than of their becoming political en-
gines. * * * * In making some remarks on the report of
the commissioners for inquiring into municipal corporation
abuses, he said—speaking of Devizes—"They (the commis-
sioners) go 'on to say that there exists also a discontent under
the burdens of local taxation, while resources that ought to be
applied for the public advantage are diverted from their legiti-
mate use, and sometimes wastefully bestowed for the benefit of
individuals, sometimes squatt4.ered fur purposes injurious to the
character and morals of the people. Here I must remark that
no power of taxation was vested in us; and as to the tnisappli-
cation of funds, they certainly never were misapplied for indi-
vidual benefit. The members of the corporation were subjected
to expense, without the opportunity of a farthing profit. But
whilst I claim the merit for myself and my late colleagues of
honest intentions and uprOtt actions, let it not be supposed
that any of us would insinultiOhat the new body, though com-
pleted perhaps on a system OT exclusiveness, will not be ,go-
yarned by similar intentions. Let it be remembered, however,
that they enter into office with more extensive and better de-
fined powers than we had. They have the express directions
of an act of parliament, which, if like most new laws, it be at
present somewhat confused, will doubtless be expounded or
amended so as to become an intelligible guide. We were
obliged to resort to charters, often of doubtful construction, and
veiled .in the obscurity of law Latin, and to bye laws and
usages often incongruous and contradictory. They have far
more extensive powers for regulating the police; and,. above
raising
inhabitants. If then, with these aids, they
, in case other funds fail, of
e
w'or'k any miracles of good, let them have
should
hlolo,nuteihydebyay/pi
taringteot voi
their just weed of praise, but let it not be forgotten that we had
not the opportunity of trying the same rneaus.

SINGULAR DISCOVERY •OF HIDDEN TREASURE.

has, within the last
.ewThe villageaaya, of S
been
a
scene tan
of
conse-
quence of a singular discovery of a very large sum* foreign
gold coign, computed by some at not less than )(x), ;„ a
fo
erc x, t
rMiddlesex,aardina r
yexcitement., in
ditch, upon the glebe lands of the Rev. Arthur Chauvel. It
appears that, on Saturday , evening week, the coachman and
gardener of the reverend gentleman were engaged in clearing
out a ditch, in 'a field not far distant from the church, and in
the course of their operations observed some pieces of metal
among the dirt. These they examined and found them to be
gold, and they subsequently turned out to be " louis d'ors,"
iind Portuguese coins, called " ports," or Johannes," of the
value of about 365. each. As it came on to be dark, the men
did not pursue their search the same night, but resolved on the
following morning to make a more minute examination of their
golden mine. Instead, however, of keeping their own counsel,
they let out the secret at a public house the same night, and on
reaching the field the next morning, were not a little mortified
to find a crowd of men, women, and children, assembled on the
spot before them, many of whom had been equally successful
in their discoveries, and showed several of the large and small
pieces which they had collected. The coachman and gardener
then commencer) digging about the spot on which they had
been at first engaged, when suddenly a shower of gold fell into
the ditch frame, the bank, which came from a tin box they had
forced open. A simultaneous rush was immediately made to the
spot, and the crowd jumping into the ditch, a scene of confu-
sion beggaring description ensued. The men above kept those
that were below down, till they were in danger of suffocation
" More sacks in the mill" was the cry, and it was nut till a so-
lemn promise was made to make an
.equal division of the spoil,
that the discoverers of the treasure were allowed to rise. A col-
lection was then made, and all standing in a ring—men, wo-
men, and boys—the pieces were handed round, one at. a time,
to each, the gardener and coach Man,. however, taking care to
reserve the better share for tliOnselves, and especially to keep
the larger pieces. New arrivals led to a fresh search, when
two more boxes were found equally well stored. With one of
these a farmer's man made off:Vut the bottom coming cut,
another scramble followed, and another division took place—
some getting from twenty to' thirty pieces each and others
more ; one or two to the extent of, two hundred each, and the
coachman and gardener receiving about three hundred and
twenty each. '1 he news soon obtained more extended circula-
tion throughout the town, and the whole parish flocked to the
spot, the church being thereby stripped of nearly the whole of
the humbler classes of its congregation, to the no small aston-
ishment of the parson. The cause of this defection was as-
certained by the Reverend Mr. Chauvel, after the service,
who sent for his gardener, and'obtained from him the cir-
cumstances of the case. He immediately declared the whole
of the property to be his, having been found in his glebe.
..laa-Atud demanded from the gardener the amount of lire priie.
The gardener was not disposed so quietly to relinquish his un-
expected gains, and, on consulting with the coachman, they re-
solved to put both their sums together, and consult a lawyer as
to what was proper to be done. The money was accordingly
left in charge of the coachman's wife; but no sooner was she
alone than Mrs. Chauvel, having discovered the fact, went to
her, and, working- on her fears, forced her to deliver up the
whole of her vmthsable charge, to the deep mortification of her
husband and co-partner. The money was then conveyed to
the Rev. Mr. Chauvel, by whom it was taken to a inaeistrate
in the neighbourhood, in whose charge it now is. In the mean
time the other "lucky ones" were displaying their boasted
gains in hands full, and a brewer in the neighbourhood bought
several of the pieces. at the rate of twelve shillings each; he
soon found a Competitor at thirteen shillings each; and by the
next morning a foreign servant, who lived with a gentleman in
the village, stated the real value, so that no bargains could
again be had on such advantageous terms. Several hearing of
the claims of the Parson, kept their own counsel; others came
up to town on Monday and sold the coin at its fair value to the
bullion dealers—while one or two altogether retired from the
chance of immediate inquiry. Under these circumstances, it is
impossible to collect the precise amount found, but from what
we hear it cannot fall much short of the sum we have stated.
The Parson still asserts that the whole belongs to him; but
there can be no doubt he has no legal claim to any part of it, as,
if an owner cannot be found, it properly belongs to the crown.
It is not likely, however, with the exception of the sum taken
from the coachman's wife, that much of it will be forthcoming
for any legitimate purpose hereafter. Mr. Chauvel, however,
we bear, intends to try the question how far his claim is tenable
—a point which his servants are determined to contest. We
have seen some of the coins, which are perfectly fresh, and in
good condition, and are supposed to have been buried by an
eccentric foreigner, who lived some years since near Stanmore,
was known be wealthy, has gone abroad, and has not since
been beard of. A few years back a foreigner arrived at Stan-
more, and was engaged with four men for nearly a fortnight in
searching for treasure in the same field • but without success.
It is supposed the original depositor had" described the place,
but not with sufficient accuracy to guide his agent, who went
away much depressed, intimating his suspicion that the farmer
who rented the field had forestalled him.

The Mayor of Worcester was invited to the O'Connell dinner
at. Birmingham: His worship took the sense of
,the,council
whether he should- accept the.invitation, and the council de.
cided by 9.t0 that"the invitation should be declined.--7'inses.

FOR O.IVE .21'1GLIT ONLY.
EVENING CONCERT,
At the Mustc HALL, BOLD-STR'ELT, THIS EVENING, (Tues-
day,) the 2d February.
./
MASTER HUGHES, (the Cambrian arpist,) who has
had the honour of appearing twice b ore their Majesties,
by command, and been so liberally pat raised by all the prin-
cipal Nobility of England, Scotland, Tales, and Ireland, and
Mans. PbTHONIER, the ce rated Pianist, (who will
perform extempore variations on • y Air which may be pro-
duced during the Evening,) he 1 ye to anricunce their CON-
CERT, as above, to cominenc •ecisely at Eight o'clock.
On this occasion they will b assisted by the members of the
Uverpool Choral Society, who have- kindly promised their
valuable services. Principal Vocal Performers—Miss Leach,
Mr. J. Stott, and Mr. Davies.
Tickets 3s. each; Back Seats 25.; Children Half-price. To
be had at the Music Sellers and Booksellers, and of Master
Hughes, 26, Slater-street, where applications may be made for
private parties. Programmes to be bad at the Door.