The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-03-26 00:00:00

LOCAL NEWS,

ROCK HARMONICON BALL.—The ball at the Music-hall
takes place this evening, when the " rock harmonicon '.' will
be played upon by Mr. Davies and the inventor's three sons.
It is expected that it will be well attended.
CAUTION TO CARTERS.—Yesterday, a carter named John
Evans, was brought before Mr. Rushton, at the police-court,
on a charge of having been driving his cart in Highfield-
street, on the 17th instant, whilst in a state of intoxication.
A policeman stated that he saw the defendant driving, and
owing to his negligence a man named William Howard, who
was crossing the street, was thrown down by the horse and
had his collar bone fractured. He was now lying in the
Northern Hospital. The excuse of the defendant was, that
the cart did not belong to him, that he had merely been
asked by the owner to drive it home for him, and that the
injured man was hurt by his own negligence. Mr. Rushton
ordered him to pay a fine of 20s, with costs, amounting to
£1 4s. Gd. The defendant said he had not the means to
pay, as he had a wife and family, and that he would not for
he was not blameable. Mr. Rushton said he had been to
blame, and he must pay. One-half of these carters were
greater savages than the beasts they drove. As to his hav-
ing a wife and family, what must become of the wife and
family of the man whose collar bone he had been the means
of breaking, whilst he was confined in the hospital, perhaps
for weeks ? The money must be paid, or the defendant must
go to gaol.
NUISANCE TO SHIP MASTERS AND OTHERS.—It is not
perhaps so generally known as it should be, that numbers of
crimps and lodging house keepers of the lowest class make a
practise of forcibly intruding themselves on board of vessels
while they are being worked from the pierheads to their
berths in the docks. These parties frequently conduct them-
selves in the most insolent manner to those who are in cm-
'nand, and persist in pursuing their vocation of kidnapping
the poor sailors, whom they frequently contrive, on such oc-
casions. to render unfit for duty by clandestinely supplying
them with spirits. It will be found that at the meeting of
the Dock Committee yesterday, Mr. Chapman forcibly no-
ticed thislnuisance, and proposed, as a remedy, that notice
boards should be placed at the several pierheads, lettered to
the effect that for the future, such parties so forcing them-
selves on board of ships, either entering, or departing from,
any of the docks, without permission of the officers in charge
of the vessel, shall be ejected by the police or by the dock-
gatemen, who are special constables, and whose services are
available for the protection of shipping. As the parties com-
plained of are for the most part as ready to purloin any loose
article as to seek whom they may devour amongst the sailors,
we think a new regulation passed by the proper authorities,
imposing a fine upon all such offenders, found on board with-
out authority, would probably render the proposed caution
more salutary and effective.

INGENIOUS ATTEMPT AT SWINDLING.—Two respectably-
dressed sharpers, who gave their names Charles Stuart and
James Reid, were placed before Mr. Rushton on Tuesday,
on a charge of having attempted to swindle a Welsh farmer,
of simple and unsuspecting appearance, named Evan Morris,
who stated that he lived in Merionethshire, of a sum of money
which they conceived him to have been possessed. The age
of the prisoner Stuart seemed to be about thirty, that of his
companion thirty-eight, and both exhibited the contour of
shrewd, intelligent fellows, who, having once determined on
plucking a simpleton such as complainant proved himself to
be, put every means in requisition for follohing up that de-
termination to the desired issue. Mr. Dowling stated, that
though the complainant had fortunately no money about
him, yet the prisoners used the most ingenious contrivances
for plundering their dupe. After treating him at a public-
house in Castle-street, they took him to the Dr. Syntax, and
resorted to all sorts of expedients to induce the poor old man
to exhibit the contents of his pockets. They exhibited a
number of bank-notes, purporting to be for £5 and £lO,
dated Birmingham, and issued by the Bank of Elegance; but
all their efforts failed to accomplish their purpose, and whilst
the conversation was going on, the landlord, suspecting that
all was not sight, sent for a police-officer, who took the pri-
soners into custody. Mr. Rushton, after advising the na-
tives of the principality to follow the example of the com-
plainant, and carry no more money about them in Liverpool
than a couple of shillings, sentenced the prisoners to be com-
mitted to the House of Correction, as rogues and vagabonds,
for three months. It appeared that the prisoners have for a
long period lived by swindling the unwary out of their money.
Stuart has been only a fortnight out of Kirkdale Gaol, where
he was confined under the vagrant act. Reid has been se-
veral times committed on similar charges, and keeps a house
of ill-fame in Charles-street.

On Saturday morning a large party of the friends of Africa
assembled at Woolwich, on board her Majesty's steamer
Albert, commanded by Captain Trotter, one of the three
iron steamers which form the Niger expedition, for the pur-
pose of witnessing some experiments in the speed of the
vessel, and on the novel and interesting apparatus for venti-
lation, and for medicating the air to be supplied below in
tropical climates. The Albert left her moorings off Wool-
wich about eleven o'clock, and stearsteamedrapidly down the
river against a strong south-east wind, returning to her
moorings about two p.m. On the passage down various ex-
periments were made, under the immediate superintendence
of Dr. Reid, on the ventilating apparatus, which proved
highly satisfactory. Smoke and the vapour of several es-
sential oils were diffused through the five compartments,
into which this vessel is divided, and withdrawn with the
same facility; thereby showing complete command of the
powers of ventilating every part of the ship when required in
a tropical climate. Amongst the company present werp Sir
Powell Buxton and family, Hon. Sir Ashley Maude, and
others The expedition is expected to sail from Plymouth
the first week in April. On Tuesday his Royal Highness
Prince Albert visited the vessels destined for Um expedition.
nAwufittleellriya, enxamining every thing on board the Albert very mi-
ParnindcNeiaArlyb,earetcodnelspcaennideed by
descended into the pinnace of the
the officers, to be con-
veyed to the other vessels, the band of the royal marines,
who were on board the Albert steam-vessel, playing the
National Anthem. The wind, which was at this period
blowing quite a gale, and the tide running down with great
velocity, caused the pinnace in which his royal highness
was seated to come across the bow of the William and. Mary
yacht, and in getting clear, broke the staff, on which was
supported a crown, similar to those on the end of a sceptre,
which was fixed at the stern of the pinnace, and the crown
appeared to fall in the river. The prince laughed heartily at
the narrow escape the officers had from losing their hats
when they came in contact with the guys of the booms of the
William and Mary. Matters were, however, soon righted,
and, after visiting the Soudan and Wilberforce, his royal
highness landed,at the dockyard, where Sid Hugh Dalrymple
Ross, commander of the garrison in the absence of Lieute-
nant-General Lord Bloomfield, was presented to him.