The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-01-17 00:00:00

REscrrs.—The mate of the Commodore, Liverpool and
Glasgow steamer, rescued a woman from a watery grave
on Tuesday night ; she was shaking hands with her hus-
band just as the vessel was moving off from the quay at
Greenock, when she overbalanced and fell into the water.
FATAL ACCIDENT.—About six o'clock, on Wednesday
evening last, a man, named Hall, the son of a farmer
residing at Wavertree, was returning home with a cart
laden with manure from Liverpool ; when in Wavertree-
road, he went to take hold of the horse's head, and, being
somewhat, under the influence of liquor, his foot slipped,'
and he fell before the cart, the wheel of which passed over
his head and killed him on the spot.
MASKS 'AND FACES.—Such of our readers as have not
yet visited the New Music Hall to witness Mr. Coleman's
highly interesting peformance of masks and faces, have
deprived themselves of a great intellectual treat. In giving
this series of living pictures, Mr. Colman displays wonder-
ful powers of physical adaptation, combined with graceful
and acute mental perception. Hisimitations of celebrated
characters are true and vivid, while their marking points
or eccentricities are touched off with delicacy and skill.
They abound in truthful delineation, and yet are void
of offence. An hour could not well be more amusingly
spent than in witnessing the very clever performance of
masks and faces.

INFORMATION AGAINST THE TIMBER TRADE.—At
the Police-court, on Wednesday, several of the leading
firms in connection with the timber trade, including
Messrs. Jones, Bland, and Co., Messrs. Rankin, Gilmour,
and Co., and Messrs. John Rimmer and Co., were
variously summoned to answer charges of having allowed
timber to remain on the dock quays beyond the time
allowed by the local act. The information against Messrs.
Jones, Bland, and Co., was the first taken, and the par-
ticulars of the charge being heard, a representative from
the firm explained to the bench that, in consequence of
the extreme severity of the weather, they had been utterly
prevented from removing the timber. The magistrates
held the explanation to be sufficient, and dismissed the
information, at the same time applying it to the rest of
the firms summoned on the same charge.
HISTORIC SOCIETY OF LANCASHIRE AND CHESHIRE.
—The third meeting of the present session of this society
was held on Thursday in the Collegiate Institution, John
Poole, Esq., in the chair. Some valuable donations were
announced, consisting of prints, the proceedings of various
learned societies, old and rare books, and manuscripts
containing information of the most interesting nature to
the antiquary and lover of historical lore. Several inte-
resting drawings and engravings were exhibited. Amongst
other interesting papers read was one by Mr. Stonehouse,
illustrative of the life of Mr. John Holt, who resided at
Walton seventy or eighty years ago, and who died in 1801.
In the course of his paper Mr. Stonehouse startled the
meeting with a tale of "diablerie," worthy of a German
story-teller. A print of Mr. Holt was exhibited, and, after
a short conversation, the proceedings terminated.
TUE CABMAN AND THE CARTER.—On Tuesday after-
noon a carman was driving along Regent-road, when he
attempted in, vain to pass a cart which was leisurely pro-
ceeding in an opposite direction. To remove the stolid
cart horse out of his way, cabby touched it with his whip,
when he was personally saluted most vigorously, in a
similar style, by William Morley, the driver of the team,
whose physical resources were so far superior to his own
that he was forced to call in the assistance of officer 68, to
rescue him from his burly antagonist. Morley said he
was attending to his horses, and that the cabman, who
was drunk, struck them most brutally. "Cab" denied
the soft impeachment, stoutly asserting that Morley had
one horse in his cart, and that he was far away from it at
the time he touched it with his whip. How to sift the
truth from these opposing statements seemed to puzzle
the magistrates, who, however, fined Morley 2s. 6d. and
2s. 6d. costs.

SANITARY REGULATIONS.—At the weekly meeting of
the Health Committee, on Thursday, Mr. Fresh, the in-
spector of nuisances, stated that in the published report of
the government inspector, who lately visited Liverpool, a
pisage occurs whicn, as it affects the efficiency of the
night soil arrangements of the Health Committee, the
inspector of nuisances trusts that he will be justified in
correcting it, by the following statement of facts :—Mr.
Lee, in his report, states that " the public arrangements
are inadequate as to extent, but the inhabitants are
required to give notice when the privies require emptying,
and they are in numerous instances too degraded to take
the trouble, &c." Now, Mr. Lee is quite right when he
says that the Health Committee require parties whose
middens want emptying to give notice thereof at the
nuisance office, but he is entirely wrong in surmising that
this is the only arrangement made to effect this object,
for former experience having shown the committee that
the inhabitants of close and confined courts are liable to
much annoyance from accumulations of night soil in the
middens of these places, they several years ago deemed it
advisable to make arrangements for their relief from these
evils by causing the outdoor staff of the inspector of nuis--
ances, the inspectors of scavengers, and the police, to co-
operate in reporting all such middens found in their rounds
in a full and offensive state. The results of this plan have
been generally satisfactory, and several thousand middens
have been yearly discharged through these agencies, over
and above those noticed by inhabitants; and in proof
thereof it may be 'mentioned, that during the year which
has just expired, 19,613 middens were so reported and dis-
charged.
POSTAL COMMUNICATION BETWEEN LIVERPOOL, MAN-
CHESTER, AND BLACKBURN. —At the request of the
leading mercantile firms in this town (says the Blackburn
Standard), Thomas Crooke Ainsworth, Esq., drew up a
memorial to the Postmaster-General relating to the com-
munication between Blackburn, Liverpool, and Manches-
ter, praying that all letters posted should be despatched
from Liverpool by the ordinary train leaving that town at
4.42, p.m., and not at 2, pm., as at present ; and from'
Manchester by the ordinary train leaving that city at 5,
p.m., instead of 2.55, pan., in order that they might be
delivered in Blackburn at 6.30, p.m., thus giving the
merchants and manufacturers of Blackburn full two
hours' later intelligence each day from those important
markets than by the present arrangements. The memorial
was numerously signed and forwarded to James Pilking-
ton, Esq., on the 6th of November last, for the presenta-
tion to Viscount Canning, the Postmaster-General. During
last week, the following letter has been received in reply. :
" General Post-office, 3d January, 1854.—SIR,—Having
laid before the Postmaster-General the memorial from
Blackburn, which accompanied your letter of the 6th of
November last, I am directed to acquaint you that ar-
rangements have been sanctioned by his lordship, which,
it is hoped, will remove the inconvenience complained of
by the memorialists, and which will be carried out as soon
as the necessary preparations are complete.—l have the
honour to be your obedient and humble servant, J. TITLEY,
Assistant Secretary. James Pilkington, Esq., M. P.,
Blackburn."

LIS CIIIIRCII ScuooLs ET MOORPIELDS.—On Friday
evening, Twelfth Night, the children of these schools were
assembled, to the number of about two hundred, for the
enjoyment of a little rational amusement at Christmas
time. The rector, churchwarden, and several members
of the congregation had contributed for the decoration of
a very elegant Christmas tree, and many of them added
to their tokens of goodwill by coming to see the distribu-
tion of the presents. Tea was prepared for about 70 per-
sons, members of the choir and the friends who! had
assisted in the arrangements. The children each received
a bun and an orange ; and, when the tree was lighted up,
each boy received from it a bag of marbles, or some other
suitable toy, and each of the girls a bag containing the
requisites for sewing. The Rev. A. J. Tomlin then told
them that the object of their meeting was not merely the
amusement of a few hours, but the revival of the good old
custom of an interchange of presents between the differ-
ent members of families, a means of promoting kindly
feeling no less useful in our rank of society than in ano-
ther. In Germany the Christmas tree and its tokens of
affection are to be, found in the poorest cottage, and since
the actions of solid charity are found in English cottages,
the introduction of acts of gentle consideration at this
season of goodwill might do much to soften some of the
ruggedness supposed to belong to a life of toil. A few
glees were sung, and everybody received some trifling pre-
sent off the tree ; and, after singing the National Anthem,
the party dispersed, evidently well pleased with the even-
ing's amusement.
DOCK COMMITTEE.—Mr. Charles Turner presided at
the monthly meeting on Thursday, and read a letter from
Mr. Halhead upon behalf of the timber trade, requesting
to know when it would be convenient to the committee
to receive a deputation from the trade. After a few words
from Mr. Evans, it was agreed that the deputation should
be received at half-past one next Thursday. Mr. Smith
brought forward the motion of which he had given notice,
for the appointment of a committee to consider the 'sub-
jeet of dock extension, first stating that he was the more
impressed with the necessity of taking up the matter
from the returns which had been published by the com-
mittee, showing the amount of tonnage which had entered
the port. To go back as far as 1830, he found that the
tonnage of the port; upon an annual average of five years,
was 1,312,000 tons ; in the next five years, 1,600,000 tons,
or an increase of 24f per cent. ; for the five years ending
1840 it had increased to 2,100,000, or 28} per cent. ; in
the next five years, ending 1845, it was 2,5001000 tons,
or an increase of 221 per cent.; for the five years ending
1850 it was 3,300,000 tons, or 301 per cent. increase; and
taking the three years ending June, 1853, the increase
had been going on, giving an actual increase on 1850 of
465,000 tons, or 131 per cent. Even during the last six
months there had been a large increase over the previous
half-year. The returns showed that the coasting trade in
sailing vessels had been nearly stationary, while the in-
crease had taken place in the sea-going vessels and
steamers, and these were the two branches of trade for
which more dock accommodation was required. From
1830 to 1863 the increase in sea-going vessels engaged in
the foreign trade was 217 f per cent., and in the same
period the increase in steamers was 413 per cent. With
reference to the steam trade particularly, as a member of
the harbour masters' committee, he could state that they
had received application after application during the short
time he had sat there, showing that an increase in sea-
going steamers might be anticipated to an extent which
could scarcely be imagined. New lines of steamers were
also in course of formation, and a larger amount of dock
space would be required. There was another point of
view on which he wished to put the question. In 1830
there were 71 acres of water space to work 1,312,932 tons,
or about 130,000 tons to every seven acres ; in 1840 there
were 112 acres of water space to work 2,107,440 tons, or
about 138,000 tons to seven/ acres ; in 1853 there were
207 acres of water space to work 4,008,963 tons, or about
134,000 to seven acres. Mr. Smith concluded by moving
for the appointment of a committee. After a lengthy dis-
cussion, in which Mr. Malcolmson, Mr. Barber, Mr.
Holme, and Mr. Evans took part, the chairman put the
amendment of Mr. Malcohnson for the appointment of
the whole committee to consider the question, which was
rejected by 'nine to eight. For the amendment, Messrs.
Royden, Greg,son, Robinson, Steele, Malcomson, Evans,
and Barber. Against it, Messrs. Langsdale, Holme,
Tobin, Rounthwaite, Smith, Rankin, Lockett, Shand, and
the chairman. Mr. Barber said the motion was grounded
chiefly on the want of water space, and though some
statistics had been brought forward to show the necessity
for the measure, still a great deal might be said as to the
working of docks in connexion with warehouses on the
quays. Mr. Tobin thought that docks with warehouses
round them must form a great element in the plan. Mr.
Evans agreed with Mr. Barber. From a statement by
Mr. Cowan, the Albert Dock showed an increase of 125,000
tons. The Prince's Dock a decrease of 50,000 tons. Mr.
Smith's motion was adopted by a majority of 10 to 6.