The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-12-27 00:00:00

RAILWAY AcelDENz..—On Saturday evening the pas-
senger down-trail:llmm Chester, which is due at Birken;
head at seven o'clock, when about leaving Tranmere sta-
tion, was run into by a goods-train. "Mlle collision was
severe, but the pa.ssingers sustained little or no injury,

CECiISTRAS fIOSPITALIii.-011 Friday and Saturday
last. upwards of 70 tons of coal were distributed by the Con-
servative Association,of Abercromby Ward to nearly 300
deserving poor people• in the ward, irrespective of party,
creed, or politics, the: only recommendation being their
good character and their poverty. This benevolent un-
dertaking, which was, zealously carried out by the com-
mittee, was suggestedby Dr. Neill, who gave £lO, and was
handsomely seconded by Mr. Alderman Gardner, who like-
wise contributed a similar sum. Other gentlemen in the
ward also subscribed liberally to aid in the object by
which so happy a result was brought about.
Two INQUESTS were held before Mr. Curry, the
Borough Coroner, on. Saturday ; one on the body of
Patrick Skelly, aged three years, who died on Thursday
from the effect of injuries sustained by being accidentally
burnt on the 3d instant ; and the other on the body of
John Coffey, illegitimate infant of a servant-girl in the
service of Mr. John Hipline, Aigburth, which had died at
the house of Widow Donnelly, of Gerard-street, on Thurs-
day, to whom it had been entrusted by the mother to
nurse on the previous day. A verdict of "accidental
death" in the one, and "natural causes" in the other,
case was returned.

A DESPERATE PitisoitsE.—John Cavanagh was, on
Saturday, charged with entering the liquor-vault of Ben-
jamin Elvis, at the corner of Love-lane, on Friday morn-
ieg, and stealing five shillings from the till. He was
committed for trial._ As. he was being removed, in order
to have the depositions taken, he seized a water-bottle,
placed on the table• for the use of the bench, and was
about to hurl it at the- prosecutor, when he was secured,
and taken out of court.

DEFENCES OF LrirrurooL.—A correspondent of a Lon-
don contemporary says : —" The value of property lying in
the docks at Liverpool is reckoned by millions. Its only
defence is a small and not over strong fort at New Brigh-
ton. In case of the outbreak of hostilities with Russia,
what is to prevent a Russian steamer, commanded by
another Paul Jones and under a false flag, entering the
Mersey ? Half an hour would suffice, and you would
publish, in a third edition by telegraph, that ' the docks
were in flames.' It is not invasion by a squadron, whose
movements would be known and therefore intercepted,
that we have to fear ; it is the possible mischief that a
single armed vessel could inflict that has to be guarded
against. Let our energetic head of the Admiralty send a
single block-ship to be moored in the Mersey until the
horizon of European politics brightens. 7_ _ •

PRE3ENTATI6N TO A CLZRGI;fAIf.—On Monday week,
the congregation of St. Paul's, Withington, near Man-
chester, assembled at tea in honour of the Rev. George
Troughton, L.L.8., and his lady, and for the purpose of
presenting them with a large and handsome timepiece,
bearing the following inscription :—" Presented to the
Rev. George Troughton, L.L.8., by the .congregation of
St. Paul's Church, Withington, near Manchester, as a
mark of their esteem and respect, and as an acknowledg-
ment of the efficient manner in which he discharged his
duties as curate."—December, 1853. Though the even-
ing %%as bitterly cold, and there was snow on the ground,
yet a very numerous assemblage sat down to tea in the
school, which was very tastefully decorated for the occa•
sion. The Withington choir were in attendance, and
greatly contributed to the enjoyment of the occasion.
The Rev. Theophilus Bennett occupied the chair. Mr.
Troughton is son of the late Mr. John Troughton, of
this town.

Roxisn INTOLERANCE.—On Thursday evening a meet-
ing of Roman Catholics was convened at the Temperance
Hall, Bond-street, by one of the itinerant Popish lecturers
of this town, who make a trade of abusing the Church of
England, and, by inviting members of that Church to dis-
cussion and promising fair play, succeed in entrapping
many Protestants to attend. The principal object of the
meeting was the organization of a society, which should
counteract the successful efforts of the " Liverpool Work-
ing Men's Protestant Reformation Society," established
under the patronage of Mr. Alderman Molyneux. Among
those invited by public placard were Mr. J. Parsonage,
president of the above-named society, Mr. C. P. M`Carthy,
and Mr. T. Worrall, special missionaries in connexion
with the parent society, and other gentlemen, all of whom
attended, being induced by the false promise of fair play
and honourable discussion. It would be impossible for
language to describe the scene that took place when Mr.
M`Carthy rose to reply—the hooting and yelling which
were unceasingly kept up during the whole time he at-
tempted to address the meeting, when contrasted with the
silence and attention that were given to his opponent, who
occupied an hour and a half, was a faithful reflection of
that system of ignorant bigotry and blind superstition
which fears free discussion and fair play, as also an in-
stance of truly Christian forbearance upon the part of the
Protestants present, which was worthy of the cause of
truth. We understand Mr.. •M`Carthy will lecture on
Thursday and Friday evenings next, in the Temperance
Hall, Bond-street, when these disgraceful proceedings
will be exposed,_

LIVERPOOL WA.RETIOUSES.—In the London Court of
Bankruptcy, on Friday, Mr. Commissioner Goulburn gave
judgment in re Williams and Marchant upon a proof for
£2,000 and interest, which had been tendered by one
David Price against the separate estate of 'Williams. The
matter was originally argued before Mr. Commissioner
Goulburn alone, and subsequently before that commis-
sioner and Mr. Commissioner Holroyd: The disputing
parties having decided to abide by the decision of this
court. The claim on the part of Price arose out of unpaid
purchase money alleged to be due to him by the bankrupt
for the sale of his (Price's) share of certain warehouses in
Liverpool, which had been their joint property, and Price,
in the first instance, asked that he might be permitted to
prove, without prejudice to his lien on the warehouses,
for the said unpaid purchase-money, no conveyance hav-
ing been executed by him to the bankrupt. On the part
of the assignees the latter condition was objected to, and
ultimately the lien on the property was abandoned,
and the whole matter in question was left to this court.
It appeared that on the 24th of July, 1849, an inden-
ture was made between Price, the bankrupt Williams,
and Hughes, the trade assignee. This was a deed of
dissolution of a partnership theretofore subsisting be-
tween Price and Williams, who had for some time pre-
viously carried on the business of warehouse-owners
together, under the style or firm of David Price and Co.
No articles of partnership had ever been executed between
them, but Price and Williams mutually agreed to
dissolve partnership upon certain terms therein mentioned.
His honour, in pronouncing judgment, after some intro-
ductory remarks, said the claim was preferred under the
bankruptcy of Williams and Marchant against the sepa-
rate estate of Williams. The claim was grounded upon a
covenant in the deed of dissolution between Price and
Williams, dated July, 1849. The assignees had no per-
sonal interest whatever in the matter beyond seeing that
a certain trust was fulfilled. The principal acting assig-
nee was surety for the performance of the covenant in the
deed alluded to, and he was nearly connected with Wil-
liams, and had throughout shown a friendly disposition
towards him. The only other party who opposed the
admission of the proof was Williams himself, who was
practically interested in its rejection. Price, by the deed
referred to, obtained a lien on certain portions of the pro-
perty, until the debt to him was liquidated—in fact, until
Williams had performed his part of the contract, Price
was to continue with the rights of an unpaid vendor. But
it was contended that the deed was inoperative in that, as
Williams was induced to make it through misrepresenta-
tion, fraud, and falsehood. He
,(the Commissioner), how-
ever—and he also expressed the opinion of his learned
brother (Mr. Commissioner Holroyd)—intimated his opi-
nion that there was no fraud or falsehood, and that no-
thing could be more unsatisfactory than the evidence of
Williams himself on this head, his memory appearing to
be, as far as all important points were concerned, a perfect
blank. His honour now went through all the evidence
with great care ; and, having adverted to the numerous
cases which had been cited pro and con., came to the con-
clusion—a conclusion, also, in which his learned brother
Holroyd concurred—that Price was entitled to prove his
debt and receive his dividend. The costs to be paid out of
the estate.
GENERAL INTELLIGENCE.

MURDER.—SENTENCE OF DEATH.—At the High Court
of Justiciary, in Edinburgh, a man named William Cum-
ming, a seaman, belonging to Leith, has been convicted of
murdering his wife. He was sentenced to be executed on
Monday, the 9th of January next.
THE WEST RIDING OF Yoßx.--The greatest extent of
railway is in the West Riding of York. The length is
420 miles, 3 furlongs, and 192 yards ; and the land
occupied by the railways is 5,391 acres, 3 roods, and 4
perches, out of 565,158 acres, 3 roods, and 36 perches.
SINGULAR SUICIDE.—On Thursday se'nnight a lady, a
remarkably fine-looking woman, committed suicide in a
cab in London. It appeared she hired a cab and directed
the driver to proceed to London-bridge. On arriving at
the Old Pancras-road toll-gate, it was discovered she had
cut her throat. Subsequent examination made it also
apparent that she had swallowed a large dose of the essen-
tial oil of almonds. A verdict of " temporary insanity"
was returned.

REPRESENTATION OP SOUTH STAPPOEDBRIEB.—Lord
Paget has announced himself as a candidate for South
Staffordshire, vacant by the death of the Earl of Dart-
mouth, and the consequent elevation of Lord Lewisham
to the peerage. Lord Paget has issued an address to the
electors, in which he declares himself an adherent of free
trade, and an intended supporter of the new Reform Bill
to be introduced b Her Majesty's ministers.
Tns PANAMA. 'RAILWAY. According to the latets
accounts, every effort was being made to complete this
railway as soon as practicable. 1,700 labourers were em-
ployed upon it, and additions were being made every
fortnight by the steamers from Carthagena. Besides this
two ship loads of Irish labourers were daily expected from
the Emerald Isle, who would commence work with an
equal number of Coolies now on their way to Panama.
A SHOCKING ACCIDENT occurred on Wednesday at
the Windsor station of the South Western Railway, to
Charles Allen, a porter belonging to the company. He
was discovered on the line, opposite the Queen's waiting
room, lying under a heavily-laden truck, with one of his
legs literally smashed, and the other dreadfully lacerated.
The cause of the accident is not ascertained, it being wit-
nessed by no one, and the man when taken up being in a
senseless state.

FIRE IN GREENOCIL—On Wednesday morning a fire
broke out in the store-room of the large cotton-spinning
mill, situate above the town. The men were at work, and
assisted by the mill girls, succeeded in confining the fire
to that part of the building where it originated, which was
entirely gutted ; a fire-proof wall was tie principal means
of preventing the fire from spreading. This mill is one of
the largest and finest buildings of the kind in Scotland,
and its water-wheel is unequalled in size, and hundreds of
men and women are employed in it.
GALE ON THE NORTIIITMEERLA.NE COAST.—On Thurs-
day week, the coast of Northumberland was visited by an
easterly gale of great severity. Several colliers, beating

between-the Tyne and 'Whitby, Were overtaken I;rilie
storm, and endeavoured to obtain shelter from its fury by
running for the Tyne. On crossing Tynemouth-bar, one

of them, the Sylph, was struck by a tremendous' sea,
which ove in her stern, unshipped her rudder; and
le imminence

her with water

Perceiving

the South SI

of the pilois, went to the rescue, and fortuua-te-fir
sue-
ceedeti in saving the crew. The vessel soon afterwards
drovedn among the rocks at the Old Prisn, and went to