The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-04-03 00:00:00

DESTRUCTIVE CONFLAGRATIONS AT FORDINGTON

FIFTY-FOUR HOUSES BURNT.—On Monday and Tuesday
week, the village of Fordington, adjoining Dorchester, was
the scene of two devastating fires, which raged with astonish-
ing rapidity, and were attended with very great destruction
of property, particularly amongst the poor. These occur-
rences fortunately took place in the day time. That on
Monday broke out in the chimney of the brewhouse, attached
to the residence of Mr. Elliot, which soon extended to six
othei: houses, covered with thatch ; all of which were speedily
consumed. That on Tuesday broke out in the chimney of a
house occupied by Mr. Short, a carpenter; before the flames
could be subdued, 46 thatched houses caught fire ;. all of
which were destroyed. These calamities have rendered
about 100 families, comprising
.more than 250 individuals
entirely homeless. A subscription has been opened for the
sufferers.—Abridged from the Dorset Chronicle.

PRIVILEGE versus LAW.—As we anticipated at the outset
of the quarrel between the Commons and the Queen's Bench,
the former have been forced to yield. A little more histori-
cal reading might have saved Lord John Russell the humility
of his defeat ; for he would have found that, in all previous
quarrels, the courts of law came oft' victorious. Whether
the attempt to legislate will succeed any better than the
attempt to brow-beat, is exceedingly doubtful. It is not
likely that the House of Lords will be inclined to give any
aid to the Commons in extricating themselves from the false
position in which they stand. At all events, the predicament
in which the whigs have placed themselves is miserable.
They are forced to appeal to that house which, only a few
years ago, they declared a nuisance, by every organ they
possessed ; for protection against Stockdale ; in the perfect
knowledge that Stockdale is stimulated and aided in his pro-
ceedings by many eminent members of that body to whose
shield they appeal for protection against the common law.—
Tait's Magazine for April.
LOCAL DEPRAVITY.—In Middleton and the vicinity there
is stated to be upwards of 150 hash shops, or houses where
ale and spirits are sold without license. The keepers and
frequenters of many of these places have lately instituted as-
sociations, under the name of gully clubs, for encouraging
disorderly and immoral sports. The members meet on Sun-
day mornings, and contribute small sums, such as 3d. or 6d.
weekly, which are allowed to accumulate till the arrival of
some holyday, when the money is expended upon such bru-
talising sports as they may determine upon. The members,
however, are often deluded, and perhaps deserve* so, by
the parties employed as treasurer. Last week the members
of one club were swindled to the tune of £B, and, at no dis-
tant period, another body was defrauded of upwards of £2O,
by the mistress of an unlicensed beer-shop. The local con-
stables, who ought to interfere to check these irregularities
(but who are mostly chartists), not only manifest a total in-
difference to the evil, but, in many instances, actually join
the gully clubs. It is to be hoped, however, that the intro-
duction of the county constabulary, which is close at hand,
will very soon work a reform in the neighbourhood.—Man-
chester Guardian.

IMPORTANT ARRIVAL !—As we expected, the remarks
which we made last week upon the report, that a certain fo-
reign lady had arrived in this country, have excited strong
attention. We would not unnecessarily rouse public curio-
sity to watch the proceedings of individuals, but when public
interests demand to be 'satisfied that such proceedings are not
connected with matters which seriously affect the empire—we
deem it most necessary to continue our observations. It is
certain that the countess, half-an-hour after her arrival at an
hotel in Bond-street, sent by the porter a letter to an illus-
trious personage, and also another to a noble lord, who seems
to act as puppy of all work. His lordship soon afterwards
waited upon her in a state of considerable anxiety—upon
what business must be left to conjecture. It is also certain,
that the French authorities endeavoured to detain the Coun-
tess in France, and that the English steam packet directors
had a hint to keep her arrival a secret. The proprietor of the
hotel where she stayed released thelady's carriage and bag-
gage from the custom house, and she now resides at Wind-
sor. We can state also, that a monied man has since waited
upon a party interested, offering £40,000 on loan in case the
matter required it. Does this account for the silence observed
upon the subject? Be this as it may, we shall deem it our
duty to make the strictest inquiries, and our readers may
rely upon it that the parties in this untoward affair shall be
perseveringly hunted out and exposed.—Argue.
AVERAGE PRICES 01 CORN.—As " facts are stubborn
things," we think that a consideration of the following list
of the average prices of corn, which is taken from an official
source, may be made very profitable at the present time,
when so many foolish attempts are being made to deceive
the public on the subject of the corn-laws :
Prices per qr
Average price of corn for the ten years ending 1838, s. d
since the present graduated scale commenced, from
1829 to 1838
Average of ten years previous, from 1819 to 1828,
both inclusive, before the present corn-laws were
enacted
Average of the eleven years from 1818 to 1828, inclu-
sive
Average of twelve years, from 1817 to 1828, inclusive 63 6
1812 and 1813, average price ll5 0
1814 and 1815, ditto ...... 67 0
1792 to 1828, inclusive, average of 37 years 7l 10
ARMY AND NAVY or EUROPE.—The following is the
strength of the armies of Europe actually kept up, with the
number of vessels of war :
Vessels
Men. of war.
England ....114,000 600
Russia
France 330,000 300
Austria 297,000 4
Prussia
Holland
Spain 70,000 0
Belgium
Sweden
Denmark
Naples ..

55 10

58 6

Vessels
Men. of war.
Sardinia 30,000 8
Norway •• • . 23,000 0
Greece lO,OOO 3
States of the
Pope 9,000 1
Portugal not
known exactly
Hanover .. 16,700 1
Bavaria 40,000 0
Saxony 12,000 0
Wurternberg 15,000 0