The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-12-07 00:00:00

THE LIVIAPOOL STANDARD.

quence of which an amount of circulation which, under
ordinary circumstances, would have been adequate, became
insufficient for the wants of the country. As soon as the
panic ceased, thousands and tens of thousands of pounds
were taken from the hoards and deposited in banks. Par-
ties of every description made application to us for assist-
ance, with the observation, We do not want notes, but
give us confidence.' They said, Anything you do will
give us confidence; say you will stand by us, and we shall
have all that we want; do anything, in short, that will
give us confidence. If we think we can get bank-notes.
we shall not want them. (A laugh.) Charge us any rate
of interest you please.' (No, no.) I beg pardon of the
hon. gentleman who cries ' No;' hut I may be permitted
to know what was said to me. (Hear. hear.) The con-
stant application made to us was, Let us have notes
issuable by the hank ; charge us what, rate of interest you
please, 10 or 12 per cent. ; we do not want them, only let
us know that we can have them, and we shall then have
sufficient resources of our own to go on with.' "

We need not remind the enlightened commercial
community of this town, that at the time that
these entreaties were urged " the panic" had not
at all " ceased," bid was at its height. All that
was required, however, by the deputation, was an
assurance, by some overt act, that the stringency
of the act of 1844 was not to be insisted upon, and
the credit of the Bank of England perilled. They
said that any demonstration, convincing to the
commercial world of the fact that money could he
had at some price, would be suffi,.!ient to restore
confidence ; and that, with such demonstration, the
funds of the bank would not need to he further
drawn upon. That the deputations were right, and
the Government wrong in so pertinaciously refusing
to interfere until the last hour, is proved by the
fact that the prophecy of the former has been,
strictly verified.

Another conviction forced upon us by a perusal
of this debate, is the fact that a change is inevitable
in the constitution of the Bank of England. The
blame of every commercial convulsion which has
befallen us since the act of 1819, .has been visited
by our currency doctors upon the unfortunate bank
directors. They have not put on the screw suffi-
ciently early, or they hare driven it home too
rapidly. They have omitted to take this warning,
or neglected to take that precaution. There may
he, and there are, grounds, for the belief that the
Bank of England is not the best possibly consti-
tuted body to have the care of the national credit.
Its proprietary and directors have interests of their
own to advance ; dividends to create ; and, whilst
keeping strictly within the letter of their charter,
may occasionally be forgetful of what Sir Robert
Peel terms the " moral restraint," imposed upon
them by the act of 1844. But, whilst accusing the
hank of such misconduct—of unduly expanding
the credit of the commercial community at one
period, and oppressively contracting it at another ;
of encouraging railway and other speculations at a
time of apparent excess of the country's capital,
and depressing it as soon as the tide appeared to
be on the return—has the legislature, or Sir Robert
Peel himself, perfectly clean hands ? We think
not. We remember something of the mass of
railway bills, whose passing the former encouraged.
We remember a certain episode in the life of the 1
Right Honorable Baronet, in which he figured as
something between an amateur " navvy" and a
stone-mason. At this period we heard not even a
hint of the `• moral restraint"- imposed upon the
Bank of England, or of its having been exceeded
by that body. We heard, something, however, of
the advantages of " direct railways, and the saving
of distances, and expense of locomotion." Possi-
bly, in those halcyon days of speculation, the pro-
ductiveness of the revenue, increased by railroad
formation, was an object to be desired. Possibly,
with a stimulated commerce, and the industry of
the country fully employed, the blister of an Income
Tax was more cheerfully submitted to. It is not
quite fair, however, for those who have built up a
political reputation, such as it is,. upon the factitious
prosperity thus produced, to turn against and revile
the authors of their own success.

One piece of information which the country has
derived from Government during this debate will
not be viewed as very consolatory. No immediate
measure is to he proposed to Parliament, the posi-
tion of the hank, we are told by the Chancellor of
the Exchequer, " being such that," he helieves,
" no person can entertain the slightest apprehension
of its meeting all the demands made upon it."
The same sagacious authority considers, moreover,
that the pressure amongst commercial men is ra-
pidly subsiding. Orders are pouring into the
country which will speedily set our working classes
in active employment ; and, although a few com-
mercial failures are occurring, and more may be
anticipated, they are not of the character of the
calamity which his recent letter to the bank direc-
tors, he says, " prevented"—viz., a general and
contemporaneous failure," or, in plainer language,
a national bankruptcy and convulsion ! How the
good easy people of England will be enabled to
breathe in comfort with the knowledge before them.
that on the 25th of October last they were on the
very verge of being blown up, and were only saved
from such a catastrophe by the timely despatch of
a letter from Downing-street, signed " John Rus-
sell," and "Chas. Wood"—how they can sleep in
their beds for a year or two to come, with the con-
sciousness that the same fearful magazine may at
any moment explode beneath them—we are at a loss
to imagine. But, if the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer flatters himself with the idea that the com-
mercial community of this country will be satisfied
to embark once more in extensive operations ; that
manufacturing industry will again put forth its
energies ; that capital will be embarked to the ex-
tent required to employ, to feed and to clothe the
people, whilst an engine exists with all its destruc-
tive tendencies unmitigated—an engine which has
proved itself capable of striking to the earth one
of the most extensive commercial fabrics which the
world has ever seen erected in any country—an
engine which has swept away, in a week, the accu-
mulated fruits of years of toil and thought, and
beneath whose operation the millionaire of to-day
may to-morrow morning rise a degraded and dis-
graced man—he assumes that either that commu-
nity has lost its reason, or that the voice of public
opinion, which has already loudly condemned him-
self and his theories, can be hushed to a whisper
at the bidding of an infant.
Sir Charles Wood, and those who co-operate
with him upon this qu-stion, overrate their power
of hoodwinking and deluding a thinking and intel-
ligent people. They are mistaken both as to the
present extent of improved feeling amongst the
commercial classes, and the prospective improve-
ment to be hoped for. Let them mingle a little in
the commercial world —not amongst leviathan
houses who are congratulating themselves upon
their narrow escape from the Gazette; not amongst
bank directors just relieved from the fear of a run
for gold, or for deposits ; but amongst those classes
by whom the wheels of the national industry are
put in motion—and he will be taught a different
lesson. He will learn that the commercial traveller
returns home barren of orders, and with his ac-
counts but half collected ; that everywhere restricted
operations, both of commerce and of industry, are
either in course of adoption or are contemplated.
Englishmen are of a speculative and sanguine dis 7
position ; prone to take warnings, and to receive
instruction too late ; but in great emergencies, at
least, they are capable of being startled into the
exercise of prudence and of common sense. They
have just been so startled. They have just been
t

ld that they have been trusting- to a machine
which, in the hands of a Whig Ministry, led them
to within twenty-four hours of a dismemberment
of the entire social fabric.

OUR remarks last week upon the sweeping
charge of reckless and dishonest trading, levelled
by the Manchester Guardian against the large East
India firms which have been prostrated during the
last two months, have drawn from that pa

r what
its editor, no doubt, considers to be a Satisfactory
rejoinder. We urged, in behalf of the houses in
question, the fact that the export and import trade
of the country is to a great extent carried on
through the medium of bills ; and that, with re-
spect to our most distant markets especially, it had
always been the practice to make those bills at
such dates as would, to a great extent, relieve the
merchant from the inconvenience caused by the
long period which must intervene between the
time of shipment of his goods, or produce, and
the receipt of the remittance in cash. Hence, we
contended that it was unjust to direct against one
body of merchants a censure, on account of their
adoption of a practice which was general; and the
more so inasmuch as their ruin was clearly trace-
able to the effects of our interference, unforeseen
by them, with the products of the markets to which
they traded; aided by the operation of an unsound
system of currency

Our contemporary finds it convenient to omit
all notice of the first item of our plea of injustice
to the firma in question—viz., the fact that the

practice complained of was not peculiar to the
East India trade. We presume, therefore, h,
admits that our trade with other distant market
is, to a greater or less extent, managed by an
exchange of hills between the foreigner and the
British merchant. We are all guilty, if any guilt
there be, of adopting '•‘le. Of
course, such being ad, tted, any charge ag Ist the
East India merchants particular is Unipa
They have sinned oni; ,etunate
than others in their extended operations, or in not
perceiving the power of that great monetary engine,
whose screw has proved itself strong enough to
destroy with a few resolutions the best-devised and
soundest commercial undertakings.
With respect to the second item which we
pleaded,—the fact that the East India trade had
been peculiarly affected by the-recent alterations in
our fiscal and commercial policy,—the Guardian
also admits in great part its truth, although he
does not seem inclined to give the unfortunate
body in question the full advantage of it, but rather
prefers attempting to convict us of error in some
points of detail. We give him the benefit of
quoting this part of his article, upon which we
shall offer only a brief reply :—_

. -
"We shall be obliged to the Standard to inform us what
are the many most important staples' of India which
our free-trade policy has prohibited. There is nothing of
the slightest consequence, except sugar, in which recent
legislation has made any change; and the reluction in•
price. instead of being confined to sugar, extends to indigo,
silk. and cotton, the other principal staples of the Indian,
peninsula, with respect to. which `our free-trade policy'
has had nothing to do of late. But we deny altogether
that any slid' profits have been regularly gained by those
returns in nrodirv, of which. the Liverpool Standard
speaks. We know, perfectly well, that several houses in
this district, heretofore largely engaged in the trade, en-
derstanding it thoroughly, and possessing capital which
enabled them to wait for their returns, without obtaining
advances, have found it inva iably unprofitable, and have
withdrawn their capital from it. not choosing to compete
with parties who evidently had' some other object in the
purchase and shipment of goods than that of reaping a
genuine mercantile profit from their operations. There

not merely in England. but throughout Europe, has
greatly increased the losses arising from the reckless
system-of commerce which has beeo carried on; that the
fall of many houses has been accelerated by the general
monetary pressure under which the country is labouring ;
but the trade was previously cankered to the core; and
sooner or liter, the unsoundness would-have manifested
itself in facts such as recent failures have-disclosed."

We are, of course, perfectly aware of the fact, of
which the Guardian reminds us, that.. directly, our
free trade policy has not " of late,"' had much to
do with "indigo, silk, and cotton, the other prin-
cipal staples of the Indian peninsula' We have
not, as with respect to the Indian sugar cultivator,
been sacrificing the Indian silk, cotton, and indigo
grower by legislative action. But if our free trade
policy, combined with a vicious system of currency,
has had nothing to do with the cessation of the
mills of MancheSter and of Leeds ; if it has had
nothing to do with that limitation of our produc-
tion of those fabrics of which silk, cotton, and in-
digo are either the staples or components, we
should be obliged if the Guardian would tell us
what has. These two potent causes together are
depreciating in our markets the price, not only of
the produce of the East Indies, hut of every other
country. They have lowered the saleable value of
every description of property, fixed or unfixed.
They have raised the value of money until it is be-
yond the reach of every man who seeks-to carry on
a legitimate business, and to derive a fair remuner-
ation for the exercise of his enterprise or his indus-
try. We repeat that these causes fully explain the
fact on which the Guardian grounds his- charge
against the East Indian merchants, that produce
has been of late quoted-as bought in the markets
of the Indian• peninsula at prices below the rates
which could be procured for it in Great Britain ;
and renders it quite unnecessary to assume that
those merchants have been buying only. to raise
money by hypothecating their cargoes. Besides,

_ .
we would remind the Guardian thalin every period
of mercantile transition, temporary absence of pro-
fits upon the most legitimate transactions must
unavoidably occur. We have never heard it urged
against the Manchester millowners that for the last
nine months- they have been working their mills at
a weekly sacrifice of capital.
In reply to our remarks that we were unable to
see how any large amount of foreign commerce
could be conducted without drafts between the ex-
porter and importer, and the use, in some cases,
of long dated paper, our contemporary says :
" It seems tows that there is another mode, far safer
and more satisfactory, and more likely to yield a profitable
result to the merchant_ and to the country at largei—

namely, to conduct the business, as it was generally con-
ducted a few years ago, by the employment of an adequate
capital"

We are not quite aware what he means here.
There are few of the unfortunate houses which he
maligns, in whose business an ample capital was
not embarked, and up to within the last year or
two readily available. How such capital has been
swept away may be accounted for on grounds very
little creditable to the sagacity of the party of which
the Guardian is a leading organ. We shall see
whether those parties in his own locality, who
"have found the trade with india invariably unpro-
fitable and have gradually withdrawn their capital
from it," will try their fortune again, or if they do
so, can c9nduct the necessarily extended operations
required in such a trade without discounts at a
reasonable rate.

COLLEGIATE TNSTITUTION.—The Rev. V. W. Ryan,
M.A., Magdalene-hall, Oxford, has been appointed to the
office of Vice-Principal of the Collegiate Schools, vacated
by the death of the late Mr. De Butts.
ST. JOHN'S CHURCH SCHOOLS.—On Sunday last, at
St. John's Church, after sermons by the Rev. Dr.
M`Neile and the Rev. W. M. Falloon, the handsome sum
of £49 2s. 41d. was collected in aid of the schools in con-
nection with the church.

THE SEVEN CHURCHES OF ASIA.—WC see by the
placards, that the Rev. D. Meredith, from Yorkshire, is
to preach in English, at St. David's Church, this evening,
and some very interesting information is expected
respecting these churches, as they were visited by him,
during his late residence at Smyrna.
DEATH FROM APOPLEXY.—An inquest was held yes-
terday on view of the body of John Johnson, aged 40
years. Deceased lodged in Queen-street, and had occa-
sionally complained of his head, but appeared to recover.
On Saturday night, however, he was found insensible in
his room, and died soon after. Verdict, on the evidence
of Mr. P. Kelly, surgeon, " Death from apoplexy."
THEFT OF IRON.—A man named William Kelly was
yesterday charged before Mr. Rushton with stealing from
the yard of Messrs. Lomax, in Paradise-street, a piece of
iron weighing about 1001 b, and worth about 20s. The
prisoner was seen in the yard on Saturday night, soon
after five o'clock ; and a constable being sent for, he was
apprehended on coming out from the gste with the article
in question. He was committed foa trial at the sessions.
A CHILD BURNT TO DEATII.-0/1 Friday night
woman named AP Derrnott, placed her female infant near
to her in front of the bed, leaving a candle burning on
the floor, about a foot distant. The woman, who had
fallen asleep, awoke in about half-an-hour, and found
the deceased's clothes in flames, which she extinguished,
but the sufferer was so much injured that she died on
Sunday night. Verdict, at the inquest yesterday, " Died

from burning, but how caused no evidence."
THE WEATHER.—The weather during the week now
ended, has on the whole been wet, and occasionally

. Thursday was an exception. On Friday it was
raining until towards evening. Saturday was stormy, with
showers, and at night there was an extraordinary fall of
rain, in a brief space of time, accompanied by hail and
wind. The night being dark, the market people who
could not leave town early, were sorely beset in returning
to their country domiciles. Many of - lands in t'

stormy

. ctie low nE
country districts in Lancashire and Cheshire are partly
under water. On Sunday we had also squalls, with hail
and rain. Yesterday was rather more moderate. The
probability is that, after such heavy downfalls, the atmos-
phere will clear up, and we shall have frost, which would
now be more acceptable and wholesome than such a suc-

cession of cold winds and rains. The prevailing winds, for
some days have been from the S.W. quarter. Yesterday
the barometer fell slowly from 29° 421, on the previous
day to 28° 20', being the lowest at which we have seen it
for some time. The gradual fall is not, however, indi-
cative of a gale.

SOUTHERN AND TOXTETH HOSPITAL.—The annual
sermon on behalf of this excellent charity was preached
on Sunday, at St. Barnabas's Church, Parliament-
street, by the Rev. T. Nolan, A.M., incumbent, who is
the honorary chaplain to the institution. Pursuant to
custom, most honoured in the observance, the Mayor,

•
accompanied by Mr.•Aklerman Chilton, Mr. Councillor
Mann, Mr. Councillor Royden, Mr. Councillor R. L.
Jones, and other members of the Corporation attended
the church. and lent the influence of their nresence. and

something more substantial, to render the occasion valua-
ble and effective. The friends of the institution assembled
about half-past ten o'clock, at the school-room in Flint-
St., where the committee were joined by his worship and
the councillors, and proceeded in procession to the church,
which was filled by a highly respectable and attentive con-
gregation. The service commenced at eleven o'clock, at
which hour we understand that the morning

hereafter begin, being more convenient to the congrega-
tion, and not making any material difference in consequ-
ence of the alteration of the time through the country.
After an excellent discourse, characterised by Mr. Nolan's
usual piety and ability, a collection was made, and the
handsome sum of £7O was realised. Not a week elapses
that we have not to record some instance of the usefulness

of this charity, and we learn, therefore, with regret that,
at the last annual meeting, a sum of .f.. 400 was shown to
be due to the treasurer. There could not be a more worthy
channel for benevolence,

1 THE PURCHASE OF THE WATER WORKS

In our last we gave the proceedings which took place
the preceding day in London, before Robert Stephenson,
Esq., the arbitrator mutually agreed upon to determine
the price to he paid by the corporation of Liverpool for
the purchase of the works of the two water companies in
this town. The court adjourned at a quarter to four until

me. next roaming, is oeing understood that in the interim
the corporation accountant should have access to all the
books of the HarringtOn Company. The proceedings
were resumed on Tuesday morning, by Mr. Cromp-
ton, who replied at great length to the arguments of Ser-
geant Wrangham ; the principal point in his argument
being to prove that after the passing of the Harrington
Company Act of 1846, giving them power to raise addi-
tional capital to the amount of £200,000. they were clearly
a ten per cent. company, and could not claim more than
the value of that revenue on their expended capital. It
was contended, on the other hand, that as the company
could not capitalise that amount before the twelve months
allowed by parliament for the Corporation to purchase the
Works, this clause did not apply, especially as another
clause in the same act enabled them to divide the whole of
their profits up to the day when their works were bought
and paid for by the Corporation. In this view of the case
the arbitrator appeared to coincide. Mr. Crompton then
recapitulated the nature of the evidence which hail been
adduced by the Corp ration before the committee, when
prosecuting their bill relative to the defective supply,. and
the had quality of the water; and the hopelessness of
gettinsr, a more abundant supply from the red sandstone.
H 4 conclteled by moving an adjournment to Liverpool, in
order to aff ml the Crrporation an opportunity of all-
ducing evidence in support of these facts.
This was opposed by the colloid for the Water Corn,
pang, who argued that ample time had been-afforded the
Corporation to have prepared themselves to rebut the
evidence which the company was prepared to- bring for-

ward. The warits, books, and docum •nts of the company
had been invariably open to. the inspection of the offieers
of the Corporation, and the blame was their own. if they
did not inform themselves.

The Arbitrator decided that the proceedings must be
carried out in London : he, however, would himself visit

,iverpool

examine t

he state 01

he cornpany's, wor

in detail. This arrangement met the approval of bitli
parties, and it was understood that Mr. Stephenson
would proceed to Liverpoorduring the week, and examine
such witnesses as he deemed most likely to give informa-
tion on,the various points connected with this important

The liontle case was entered into on Wednesday. The
sum of £154,000 was demanded by the company for their
works,—making. with the large sum the Harrington-
Company anticipatee receiving as compensation for the
prospective increase of their income, a sum considerably
above a million sterling, demanded by the two companies.
The documents adduced by the Warrington Company
chewed a very flourishing state of their affairs. During
the la,st few years the company's revenues have increased
enormously, in the face of a diminished expenditure for
carrying on the works. The increase in their income, for
the simply of shipping alone, being £l2OO this year in
excess of 1846

We cannot avoid expressing, in•conclusion, a hope that
the Corporation will, for the good of the town, succeed in
making as good a bargain as possiblel. but we think they
would have done better had they followed our advice some
time since, to put themselves in communication with the
companies for the purchase of their rights.

LATEST INTELLIGENCE

(BY EXPRESS

LONDON CORN MARKET

-YKSTE RDA Y

The market to-day was well supplied with English Wheat,
which net a brisk sale at fully the currency of this (lay week.

A fair extent of business wis transacted in foreign air former
prices, which remark applies also to barrel Flour.

Indian Corn is in less demand ; but holders are firm, and do
not press sales under late rates.

Fine chevalier Barley is scarce, and the turn dearer, but no
improve►nent can he-quoted in other descriptions. Malt has
met somewhat more attention.

All sorts of Peas and Beans must be noted 23. lower,

Since last market day about half-a-dozen vessels have arrived
laden with Oats from Ireland.: The Oat trade continues dull,
and the sales are chiefly in small parcels to necessitous buyers,
who l urchased without difficulty.

THE SARAH SANDS

AUXILIARY SCREW

STEAMER.

Now that this fine ship has completed four voyages to
New York, and is laid up for a short overhaul, pre-
vious to her next voyage in January, it may be interest-
ing to review the results of her performance.
She was built with a view to test the practicability of
carrying on the general trade between this country and
America, by means of auxiliary steam-power, and judging
by the results the experiment seems to have been entirely
successful.

In first attempts of this kind allowance must always be
made for difficulties in the machinery;.arising from the
novelty of the various parts, and such difficulties, though
not of a serious nature, have been experienced in this
case no drawback has, however, appeared in the general

principle.
It is well known that the New York packets are
amongst the finest tradimr vessels in the world, and a
comparison with some of the best of these on the out-
ward voyage, where the greatest difficulties are eneoun,
tered, will zive a good idea of the performance of the
Sarah Sands :

S. Sands. Sailed:
Ist voyage Jan. 20-47
2d ditto April 6 „
3d ditto June 15 „
4th ditto Sept. 3,,

Time. Pkts. passed aver. time
201 days 6. 48 days
23 „ 6 3f,2 ~
34 PP* 6 47 ,9
20 „ 4- 32 „

A fact connected with the last voyage is interesting.
She took out a valuable though light cargo—a large num-
ber of passengers, and coals sufficient to work her out and
home, with eighty tons to spare, steaming the entire dis-
tance—a performance, we believe, wholly without prece-
dent in the annals of steaming. _ _

The Sarah Sands is an iron ship of 1,000 tons, builders'
measurement, and 1,300, new measurement, engines 180-
horse power, coupled direct to the screw. She has exten-
sive accommodation for first, second, and third-class
passengers, and can stow about 900 tons of goods, besides
coals, for the voyage.
The largest owners are Messrs. T. and J. Sands, of this
town. She was built from, the plans of Mr. Grantham,
engineer, and is commanded by Captain W. C. Thompson,
(late of the Stephen Whitney,) who superintended her
outfit. _ _ _

* Sarah Sands returned to Cork with machinery damaged,
and lest•l4 days, making the voyage 20 days.

LAMENTABLE LOSS OF SIX LIVERPOOL
PILOTS, IN THE OUTWARD CHANNEL.

On Sunday morning, about tide-time, several pilots be-
longing to No. 4 pilot-boat embarked in boat No. 12, for
the purpose of proceeding to their own vessel, which was
on the Hoylake station. At half-past one o'clock, the
two vessels, being but a short distance from each other,
between the Bell-buoy and the Bar, the pilots got into
the punt belonging to No. 4, and were proceeding to that
vessel through a heavy sea caused by a strong gale from
the westward, when the punt was capsized by the waves,
and the whole seven men were immediately seen struggl-
miloas E odadtsie made
stan,
ithe most strenuous efforts to save their comrades, but
they only the
wsuactceerc..deTdhien crews
of
rescuing
ane two
T h
Thomas pilot-boats
who was picked up
tnhg in the
by No. 12. The others, we regret to
say, were all drowned. The names of the unfortunates
are, Wm. Quayle, David Davies, and John Fuller,
journey-
men ; and George Bennett, Joseph Ledder, and William
Charlton, apprentices. The body of Quayle was subse-
quently picked up by the crew of No. 4, and taken on
board. He was quite dead.

INQUEST ON THE BODY FOUND,

Yesterday, an inquest wes held before the borough
coroner, on view of the body of Wm. Quayle. John
Hughes, pilot of No. 4 pilot-boat, said deceased was a
pilot on board that boat, and was about thirty-eight years
old. On Sunday afternoon, witness was on board the boat
named, sailing near the bell-buoy. Deceased and six
other men were in a small punt coming from No. 12 to
No. 4. It was blowing a moderate breeze at the time,
Whilst they were in the act of coming towards No. 4 a
sea struck the boat, and upset it. Before any assistance
could be rendered. deceased and five others of the men
were drowned. In about three-quarters of an hour after-

wards, the crew of No. 4 picked up the body of deceased,
and conveyed it to Liverpool. The body was taken to
Suffolk-street. Toxteth-park. Another pilot, Saml. Jones
was on board No. 4, and witnessed the same melan-
choly fact.—The jury returned a verdict of "Accidental
Death."—We learn that the small boat in which the de-
ceased and Eddleston had gone, (to transfer themselves in
pursuance of their vocation from one pilot-boat to the
other,) was rather too small to carry seven persons in a
seaway—four being about her complement.

We perceive, from an advertisement, that an agency has
been opened in this town for the Colonial Life Assurance
Company, which offers valuable facilities, especially to
parties resident abroad or visiting foreign countries.
CHARGE OF ROBBERY.—At the police court, yesterday,

two men, James Blackmore and Edward Tobin, were
charged with robbing, of his hat and handkerchief, John
Butler Gibb, a seaman, and also with assaulting him and
another man. The latter is still so ill, from a broken
bone, that he could not attend, and the prisoners were
remanded.
ROBBERY OF FLOUR.—Yesterday, at the police-court,
a young woman named Catherine Forrester was charged
with having, on Saturday night (with another) entered
one of the shops of Mr. Lighthound, flour dealer and
baker in this town, and stolen therefrom 13th weight of
flour from a bin, with which she made off, but_was stopped

SERIOUS CHARGE AGAINST A CAPTAIN OF A
SHIP, AND HIS ACQUITTAL.

In our last number we briefly stated that on yester-
, day week Captain Cheasty, formerly of the brig Eliza,
was brought before Mr. Rushton, to answer some charges
of having been accessory to the death of a man on board
of that vessel, on her passage from Ireland to British Ame-

ricer. as conveyed by depositions taken in that country be-
fore a magistrate ; but he wishing to bring some witnesses
in his behalf from Dungarvon, whence the vessel had
sailed, the hearing of the case was postponed until yes-
terday, when the .nccused was brought up to the bar, and
Mr. Davenport appeared for his defence. The evidence
gOne into was of great length, as were the cross-examina-
tions; but as the whole failed to satisfy the magistrates of
the truth of the accusation, it is unnecessary to supply
more than the heads :

Tne two principal witnesses, James Matthews and
James Martin, seamen in the Eliza, both, deserted the
ship on the other side, and had, afrer being imprisoned
there a short time, been sent home here in the steamer
Cambria, as witnesses against the Captain. Their story
went that the vessel sailed from Dungarvon itt atober
la:; . bound to a place called Buctush, near Ricitehtictoo.
After they hid been a day or two out, a man• named
Creene, a tailor by trade, was found to_ have concealed
himself in the hoed with a view to obtain a passage with-
out payment. Wherr the vessel was out four days,• and
sometime between eight and twelve o'clock at nighc.the
captain (said they) resolved to have "a lark" with- the
tailor who had smuggled himself on board, and wit tethis
view called him on deck, and after taking two glasses.
fern a pint jug of run (given to others), cou►pelted hits
to drink the remainder, and- afterwards brought the wit-,
ness Martin to wres,le with him on the deck which he-
did,-an his own account, getting nearly the worse,
of it. The witness Matthews said that the captai-u com-
pelled him to drink the rum by taking a knife, and threat-.
ening to cut his threat if he did nit.

The other witnesi, Martin, spoke to his being required
tttdriiik the rum from the jug: but said be then went away
immediately, and saw no knife vsed. or any threat 'nada
They both spoke to the second mate anti the captain after.
wards wrestling with the deceased;. but emisideted that

the parties were in good humour. They also spoke to
some blows being inflicted upoo (Wceased with a flat stick.
and-to his being placed on a sail' opts a grating, and
cold water throw', over him, as he-was drunk. D.2eeasedt
diet about four days afterwards. It appeared the captain,
after finding him ill, gave him some castor oil and

rum mixed.- The captain, it was admitted, behaved well
and kindly to nis cress, throughout, and-no du wet had, it
was admitted, arisen between the two main witnesses and
the captain, until be had taken possessiot, of their clothes,
snspecting, that they were going to desert from the ship,
after her arrival at Bucktush. They, did afterwards de-
sert, and were caught in the wood a few days after.
Being brought before a magistrate, they were committed
to gaol for fifteen days. The two witnesses stated that ou
leaving the ship they had sent a message-by the ship-boy
to.the captain, stating that they wished to-go-on shore to
apply with .respect to their clothes, and aleso,thetreatment
of the man Greene on board. The ship-boy said that no
such message had been sent by him--all . that he was to
say being merely that they wished to go.- on, shore, and
that the mate was sent to them, and ordered them to
work, whiCh they refused to do.

it appeared from some witnesses for the-defence, that
deceased was in a bad state of health before he got on
board. The circumstance of the man's death was noticed
in the log=book, and he was buried at sea in the usual
manner.

The defendant on being asked what he had to say, said
that he was as innocent of the act shared• as any on*
present. All the rum .he had given him was two table-
spoonfuls ; and he gave it. him, thinking as he was ill with
dysentery, it would do him good. The man had been ill
for days, and had been able to take little or noloocl.
Mr. Rushton said that he did not believe the story got
up against the captain, and noticed some COll tradictione
in the evidence. It was itnpossable fir any one to. believe
such a story, and lie regretted that the captain had been
detained, but there was no alternative after tliedocurnente
were sent froth America. Ha concluded by discharging
the prisoner.-

ITTENDANCE OF PILOTS.

TO THE EDITOR fil? THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

SIR,—I observe a letter in your last, complaining that
the New World, packet-ship had to lay off Point Lynas,
on the night of. the 27th of November, twelve hours,
without being able to procure a pilot.
I have deemed it my duty to instigate an inquiry into
the circumstances, and subjoin the result from the master
of No. 11 (Mr. Parry), who said he was first on.. the turn
on the western station on the 27th November„ along with
No. 10; second On turn, Nos. 6,5, 2, and 9 on the inner
stations ; it was hazy throughout the day ; that about 6,
p.m., the weather cleared away, when they saw a.vessel'a
light off the Skerries, the wind being from the-eastward.
On No. 11 approaching the light, after nearly .two hours'
chase, found the vessel to be the New World,.ftirnished
her with a pilot. at 8, p.m., 14 miles to N.Wi of Lynas,
and 6 to the westward of the outward station.

I hope that this explanation will acquit the pilots front
all charge of neglect, and am yours obediently,

Dec. 3, 1847,

J. COOkE.
Superintendent of Pilots

It is calculated that in the last fifteen months-we have
spent X33,000;000 in the importation of food.

The deaths in London lasi week were 1,600; being an,
increase of 60 per cent. above the average,

The Birkenbtad iron steam troop ship was at Cork oa
the Ist inst. She embarked at Davenport 934 bags of
rye-meal for Haulbowline.

- The estate of Messrs. A. A. Lackersteen and Co., who
failed last month, shows about nine shillingsin the pound.
The liabilities are £173,115, and the assets only £30,702.
DEATH OF' THE REV. THOMAS MAGUIRE.—That
perish priest of Ballinamore, the celebrated Father
Maguire, of no little fame as a controversialiA, is no
more, intelligence having been received announcing his
death by typhus fever.
The progress of the investigation of the accounts of
Truetnan and Cook continues to develope more favourable
results than were at first anticipated. There is a prospect
of an early dividend and ultimately of twenty shillings in
the pound.

MURDER IN TIPPERARY.—Another murder has been
fully perfected by the death of James Devoae, ploughman
to the late Mr. Waller, one of the victims of the Firm*
tragedy. Devane was attacked on his return to Borris.
okane, and his head literally beaten in with stones. He
lingered in dreadful agony until Wednesday, when he
expired.

SIGNS OF THE TIMES.—The solicitor for the Provin-
cial Bank of Ireland has put upon the files this term no
less than 800 " declarations," the subsequent proceedings
upon which, while holding out promise of an abundant
harvest to be reaped by the " profession," afford but an
indifferent prospect of an improved state of monetarT
transactions.

Amongst other reports rife in Dublin during the week,
it was said that an attempt had been made upon the life
of Lord Crofton, and it now turns out that there was a
solid foundation for this statement, inasmuch as his lord-
ship has been obliged, by the interposition of his friends,
to leave Ireland, and thus escape the otherwise inevitable
doom that was, beyond all doubt, known to await hint
there. Lord Crofton's estates are situated in the county
of lbscommon.

In the Common Pleas, on Saturday, an action was tried
which was brought by Miss Smith (the plaintiff in the
I ite action for breach of promise of marriage against Earl
Ferrers) against the proprietor of the Britannia news-
paper, for an alleged libel; which consisted in some com-
ments made in that paper upon a pamphlet published by
the plaintiff, which denied many of the statements made
on th 3 trial to her discredit.

TILE VOYAGE FROM VALPARAISO.—The steam sloop.
Cormorant arrived at Portsmouth on Friday, from Valpa
raiso. She occupied 97 days in the passage, and much.
interest was felt in her voyage which was considered a.
sort of test of the relative advantages of the route vies,
Cape Horn and of that via Panama. The number of days
occupied on the passage from Valparaiso to England, vie
Panama, by means of the Pacific and the Royal Mail
Steam-packet Companies' steamers, is 73. The difference
against the Cape Horn route. as shown on the present oc-
casion, is, therefore, not less than twenty-four days.

CHURCH FEES.—In the Cou.t of Queen's 13enthp
on Monday, the cause " King v. Alst m" was heard.
The plaintiff is the Reverend Joshua King, rector of
the parishes of St. Philip, Bethnal-green, London. and
of Woodchurch, Cheshire; the defendant was perpetual
curate of the former parish, and the action was brought
to recover two-thirds of the fees for chit' thing, baptizing,
christening, and marrying, which the plaintiff claimed as
his right, although he had resided since 1820, when hewas
appointed to Woodchurch, in addition to his London
living, whichhehad held since 1809, principallyin Cheshire.
It was agreed that the fees in dispute should be taken at £3O.
For the defence, it was alleged that, on account of the po-
verty of the parishioners the defendant charged nothing
for baptisms or churchings, and, out of his salary of £2OO a
year, he had to p: y £9O to the organist, beadles, &c. ; while
the plaintiff, independently of the living of St. Philip's, the
value of which is £4OO a year, received upwards of £9OO
a year for his living at Woodchurch. It was contended
that, in point of law, the action could not be maintained.
inasmuch as the order in council did not provide that it
should be the duty of the defendant to collect the fees
claimed by the plaintiff, though it was undoubtedly his
duty to pay over to the plaintiff two-thirds of the fees, in
the event of his demanding and receiving them. A ver-
dict of £3O was entered for the plaintiff, subject to the
opinion of the court on a special case.

LIVRPOOL :
TUESDAY,E DEC. 7, 1847.
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED
EVER TUESDAY MORNING,
Y JOSHUA FLETCHER LACE, of 53, Grove street, and
LEONARD ADDISON, of 14, Great Orford-street,

At No. 4. ST. GPPROE'S CRESCENT, LIVERPOOL..
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