The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-05-07 00:00:00

insinuating the very same thing. We will not say
which party is thus convicted of being the " silly" one;
but this we repeat, that it does not at all become those
who dwell so evidently in " vitreous domiciles" to he
the first to throw stones.

As to misreprentation, it is plain that we have made

We said that the measure was a dangerous,
most likely a mischievous experiment, and that the
Manchester Guardian allowed it to be an " experiment,"
and reasoned about it as such; and is not that state
ment, so far as it affects our contemporary at least,
PERFECTLY TRUE ? Does he not speak of a contin-
gency ? Does he not prudently calculate on its turn-
ing out favourably, or otherwise? and are not we jus-
tified in calling that thing of unknown result, thus
.launched forth, not only an experiment, but by our
contemporary's own confession, and the spirit of his
reasoning—a doubtful one ? Assuredly are we. Never
was there a truer or snore critically correct coin-

mentary on any text, nor was our contemporary ever

more out in his life than when rashly charging us with
being dishonest and misrepresentatious for making
it. Really people who scribble nonsense, and write
themselves down apes, have no right to attempt getting
out of the serape by charging others with delinquencies
of which it could be easily shewn they stand convicted
themselves.

We have anticipated the argument contained in the
remainder of our contemporary's article, and substan-
tially replied to it ; but we have no objection to repeat
the lesson—though there certainly are people of facul-
ties so extremely obtuse and impenetrable, that we
very much fear it will be thrown away upon them.

The Guardian says :
" The Standard must surely mistake the object of the
parties who ask leave to put their own property into their own
warehouses, arid must suppose that they want to. compel the
Liverpool people to send up their goods to be bonded at Man-
chester, or he could hardly talk about giving a preference to
Manchester. The people of this town want no preference or
advantage ; they only want to be put on a footing of equality
with the people of Liverpool, to which, it seems, the latter
object. They are willing to use the Liverpool warehouses
When they want them, and to employ the Liverpool brokers
when it is for their interest to do so ; but they utterly deny

the justice or the propriety of being compelled to pay for
services which they do not want' _ _

This is certainly precious argumentation. So Man-
chester does not want the assistance of Liverpool, and
is made to pay for services which she has no occasion
for. Why this Manchester " expositor" will tell us
next that Manchester has no need of the cotton of
Brazil, of the States, or of any other country, and that
she thinks it hard to he obliged to pay for it. Well,
let her do without it, say we—if she can. Let her
make calico out of chopped straw, or any other mate-

al she likes, if it be her intent so to do. Who com-

pels her to use cotton, or to pay at Liverpool for ser-
vices she does not want ? There is just the same

master, or mistress, in both cases—self-interest—and
no other compulsion. What the " expositor" means
is, that Manchester had rather inonopolise all the fruits
and benefits of commerce herself, and not allow Liver-
pool c►r any other port to divide them with her; that is
the meaning, though the story is so clumsily told.
Again, says the Guardian," the people of this town
want no preference ; they only want to be put on an
equality with the people of Liverpool." Equality in-
deed ! What a droll equality that would be, that
would put Liverpool out of the market altogether, and
transfer her trade to Manchester—.-for that is the ob-
ject ! Well, we call that equality according to the
lion's mode of partition, but not according to fair play
and justice amongst Englishmen, and we confidently
believe it will not be conceded.
If Liverpool sought for, or even desired to retain,
privileges not possessed by any other commercial port,
then indeed it would be fair to talk of equality or in-
equality ; but to speak of putting an inland manu-
facturing town on an equality with a great commercial
sea-port, is downright nonsense. Take from Liver-
pool the advantages she enjoys from situation and the
skill and labour of her people, and transfer them, even
in name, to some inland town, and you commence at
once the work, not of equalising, but of injustice and
wrong. Manchester has made the most of her advan-
tages of situation—and we wish her long to enjoy
them. We envy her not her manufactures ; we seek
no rivalry with her therein ;—her interest, and her
prosperity in this respect, are, under existing relations,
ours also. What we ask for in return is, that the peo-
ple of Manchester will leave us in the enjoyment of
those commercial privileges which have been as useful
to her as they have been to us ; and pending the ope-
ration of which both have risen to such eminence.
We would calmly suggest to them the propriety, nay,
the absolute necessity of abandoning an attempt which
can only engender petty animosities and jealousies,
and do them ultimately no manner of good. It would
seem to be the mere offspring of that " hastening to
be rich," whose tendency is so dangerous, and not
the growth of profound and deliberate consideration.
Most earnestly and seriously, then, would we recom-
mend its immediate and complete abandonment.

We have another subject of congratulation for our
readers to-day. The Town Council has resolved to
profit by our suggestions in the matter of the West
Indian packet station, and put forward the strong
claims possessed by Liverpool to this honour. This
is right—quite right ; and now if desert could be sure
of its reward in these higgling, huxtering days, we
should feel almost as complacent in the certain antici-
pation of our own good town oer-topping all other
claimants, and carrying off the prize, as we do in the
fact of our esteemed Town Council becoming so tract-
able in our hands. It is delightful to see men coming
to their senses, and following good advice, when given
to them honestly and disinterestedly. Positively we
could embrace every member of them with the expan-
sive arms of our affection, so overflowing is the regard
we feel for the entire body at this moment.
But touching the packet station, all that can be
-necessary is, orderly to array, and fairly to set forth
before the committee the claims of Liverpool; and if
that committee possess three grains of discernment,
and do not renounce all pretence to being impartial, it
must, we say, decide in our favour. Why do the
Cunards, why do the New Yorkers, why do the
Orientals prefer Liverpool as their station ? Why—
because it is the best; and if the best for them, why
should it not be the best for the West Indian steamers ?
It is unquestionably the most central and convenient
station for both post-office, and passengers; and are
not these the principal considerations ? But in no one
particular is Liverpool excelled by any other port that
has put in a claim for the preference. We admit that

it would be for the advantage of Liverpool that she
should obtain it, and that therefore we have so far an
interest in the appointment; but we can safely stand
upon the broad principle that Liverpool is, above all
exception, the very best port for the purpose, and we
ask no more than a clear stage and no favour for the
exhibition of the fact. Would that Parliamentary
committees could always be implicitly relied on for an
honest and impartial adjudication of such claims.

By the schooner Ariel, which arrived at Halifax, from
Bermuda, we have accounts from that island to the Bth
April. We regret to state that the Ariel heard no news
whatever of the President.

We have been requested by Mr. Nightingale, the surgeon
to the Workhouse, to state that the report of a police case,
which appeared in the Courier, of Wednesday, is calculated
to convey an impression which the facts do not justify. Mr.
Nightingale is there represented to have despatched, rather
cavalierly, a female, who had been only six days confined,
from the Workhouse, and to have refused to give the police-
officer, who came in compliance with Mr. Rushton's
request, a certificate of her health. It seems that when the
officer came for the certificate, Mr. Nightingale found her
in excellent health, and perfectly recovered from all effects
of her recent confinement. Ile inquired how she was, and
on her expressing her anxiety to leave the Workhouse and
appear before Mr. Rushton, he permitted her to do so, and
still considers that there was not the slightest risk in her
exposure to the air, as the child only lived about two hours,
and the mother, a robust, able-bodied woman, was at the
time in almost her usual condition.

MERCHANT SEAMEN'S HOSPITAL FUND.--A public
meeting of the shipowners of this town was held on Wed-
nesday last, at the Shipmaster's Association Rooms, Old-
hall-street, for the purpose of adopting resolutions con-
demnatory of the proposed alteration in, the management
and distribution of the Merchant Seamen s Hospital Fund.
Mr. Alston was called to the chair. Mr. Rowett, in moving
the first resolution, offered some appropriate remarks,
showing the injurious effects which would follow (from go-
vernment having the control of the whole funds, as is pro-
posed) to the recipients of the charity resident in Liverpool.
Mr. Weller seconded the resolution, which embodied the
purport of Mr. Rowett's remarks. Captain Hunt then
moved that a deputation wait upon the Mayor, with a re-
quest that he would call a public meeting for the purpose of
taking the subject into consideration, and was seconded by
Captain Ramsay. A committee was then formed to carry
oat the objects of the meeting. A letter was read from Lord
Sa ndon, who stated his readiness to use his best exertions
for the protection of the parties in whose behalf the meeting
evinced such honourable solicitude.