The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1849-02-20 00:00:00

?Loral prtus.

THE DOCK RATING QUESTION.—The bill which was
introduced into parliament with a view to alter the dock
trust has been thrown out on standing orders. Two
deputations have proceeded to London in support of the
Dock Rating Bill ; one from the parish, as promoters of
the bill, the other from the Town Council, as assenting
to it.

EXAMINATION OF MASTERS AND MATES.-At a meet-
ing of tne Board of Examiners held on the 14th instant,
Mr. George Pearce Dock. Ist officer of the North Ame-
rican Royal Mail Steamer Acadia, of Glasgow, and Capt.
John Parker, master of the Zion's Hope, of Liverpool,
were examined, and both found duly qualified for first-
class certificates as masters.
TASKER'S REGISTERED ANTI-COLLISION LANTERN.—
The ship lamp, recently invented and registered by our
townsman, Mr. Tasker, of South Castle-street, and
which has elicited much commendation from nautical
men, is now on view at the Underwriters' Rooms, and
has there also excited much interest and attention. For
defining the respective positions of ships approaching each
other at sea in the night, it appears to us to be infinitely
superior to any light, or system of light, hitherto pro-
duced.

DEATH BY THE FALLING IN OF A QUAY GATE.—An
inquest was held on Saturday, before Mr. Curry, on view
of the body of Morris Jones, aged fifty-four. The de-
ceased was generally employed as a quay watchman at
George's Dock, and was handy in giving assistance in any
kind of work about the quays or shipping. Early on
Friday morning deceased and sonic other men were
engaged in moving back into its place a new gate which,
when thrown back, runs into the shed at the west side of
George's Dock, and which gate had been run too far out
(partly over the quay) on the small wheels on which it
works, when, a handspike being used to replace it in its
position, and being loosened from its groove at the top,
it fell over on one side, and so crushed the deceased that
he died in two hours. The jury returned a verdict of
" Accidental death."

THerOWN COUNCIL.—There are, in reality, five
vacancies at present in the Town Council. From causes
to which we need not further refer, Mr. Atherton and Sir
Thomas Branckcr have absented themselves for some
time from its meetings; Mr. Danson has intimated his
intention to do the same ; Mr. G. H. Horsfall has gone
off to the West Indies, and Mr. Josias Booker is about to
take his departure to Barbadoes.
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.—On Thursday, a most destruc-
tive fire broke out in the workshops, three stories high,
of Messrs. Harkness and Dempster, joiners and builders,
Beckwith-street, Birkenbead. The property destroyed
consisted of a large quantity of workmen's tools, and
timber in course of being constructed into window-frames,
doors, &c. No cause can, as yet, be assigned as to how
the fire originated. The building and stock are insured in
the Wet of England Fire Insurance-Office. -
Loss OF A FISHING SMACIL—On the 16th January
last, the fishing smack John and Alice, belonging to Mr.
Robert Isaac, left this port for the fishing ground be-
tween here and the Isle of Man. She had on board Mr.
E. Giles (the captain), his son, a boy, and three men. It
is supposed the smack has been run down by some out-
ward bound vessel, as nothing whatever has since been
heard of her. As the crew on board were married men,-
and have left widows and children unprovided for, a sub-
scription has been got up in their behalf.

WAR STEAMERS FOR GERMANY.—The steam-ships
Acadia and Britannia, so celebrated in the British and
North American Company's mail service between Liver--
psol and the United States, have recently been purchased
from that company by one of the German governments.,
They are now in the Coburg Dock, Liverpool, under-
going the necessary alterations for their being converted
into efficient war-steamers. The passengers' saloon on
the main deck has been cleared off, so that they will be
flush fore and aft. Their armament will be of the heaviest
description.
SUPPOSED CHILD MURDER AT BIRKENHEAD.—On
Wednesday, an inquest was held at the Market Inn, Bir-
kenhead, before Henry Churton, Esq., on the body of a
female child, which was found on the steps, in Churcb-
street, leading to St. Mary's Church. According to the
evidence of Mr. Jennette, 'surgeon, the infant had evi-
dently been born alive, but?not the slightest trace of the
inhuman mother could bn discovered. - The body was
merely wrapped in an old Oece of blue cloth. The jury,
however, under the circuinstances, returned an open
verdict, in accordance with the evidence, leaving the
police to deal further with the case. - -
INQUESTS ON SATURDAY BEFORE THE BOROUGH
CORONER.-:-On view of the body of Edward Cotham, who
lived with his parents in Moffatt's Buildings, Copperas-
hill, and was three weeks old. On Thursday night
deceased was put in bed with his father, mother, and two
other children ; at seven in the morning deceased was
found dead in bed. Verdict, " Died from suffocation.
but how caused no evidence."—On view of the body of
John Drummond, who lived with his 'mother in Robert-
street, Park. He was found dead in, bed' on Friday
morning, in the same manner as the above, and, it ap-
peared, peared,had died from convulsions.—On the body of. Ann
Newby, who lived' in Peter's-lane, and was 64 years old.,
She went to bed on Friday night as usual, and was found
dead in the morning. The surgeon stated that death was'
caused by congestion of the lungs. Verdict accordingly;
—On view of the body of Flora M'Millan, who lived in'
Boundary-place, and was 49 years old. On Thursday
night last she was put into bridewell for being drunk, but
was taken home afterwards in a car, quite sober. Mr.
Wood, surgeon, who examined the body, stated that
death was caused by disease of the lungs. _

OPPOSITION IN:; MANCHESTER TO THE LIVERPOOL
DOCKS RATING BILL.—The Liverpool Docks Rating Bill,
now before parliament, excites considerable interest
amongst the manufacturing and mercantile classes of
Manchester and the neighbourhood. The object of this
bill, which stands for a second reading in the House of
Commons on Tuesday, is to rate, in support of the local
burdens of Liverpool, the dock property, which hitherto
has been exempt from such imposts. On Wednesday, a
conference on the subject took place in the mayor's
parlour, at Manchester Town-hall, when, amongst others,
the following gentlemen were present :—His worship the
Mayor (Mr. J. Potter), Mr. James Aspinall Turner
(President of the Manchester Commercial Association),
Mr. Thomas Bazley (Chairman of the Chamber of Com-
merce), the Mayor of Salford, the Mayor of Stockport,
the Mayor of Bolton, and the Mayor of Ashton-unde-
Lyne. After a conversation, in which the gentlemen
present expressed themselves to the effect that they ought
to oppose, and do all in their power to get thrown out,
the Liverpool Docks Rating Bill, it was resolved that a
deputation should proceed to London with the view of
using all the efforts in their power to defeat the object of
the promoters of the bill.

PLANS AND ELEVATIONS FOR BATHS AND WASH-
HOUSES.—London : Simpkin and Marshall, and John
Williams and Co. ; Liverpool : G. J. Poore.—The sana-
tory condition of the country has long been a topic to
which the earnest attention of our readers has been
claimed, and it is to us highly gratifying to find that our
townsman, Mr. William Fox, prompted by the practical
benefits that have accrued from the public baths of this
locality, has published (in a large, handsome volume) a
series of plans and elevations for such establishMents,
which are alike creditable to himself and all concerned.
It would be imposiible, in the limits of our space, to do
ample justice to the sixteen plates which illustrate the
object : they exhibit a diversity so great, that it would be
somewhat strange if one of the plans were not perfectly
applicable to any conceivable circumstances. In the in-
ternal arrangements there is much talent displayed ; and
as Mr. Fox h.* nnly I.:•w•eseal 4f 11
features of the existing buildings, but coupled with them
many important and hitherto neglected improvements,
we cannot do less than strongly recommend this work to
every corporate town. The plates are lithographed by
Mr. Poore, of Castle-street, and certainly surpass any-
thing of the kind hitherto produced in Liverpool, if not
in London.
THE LIVERFOOL AND LONDON FIRE AND LIFE IN-
SURANCE COMPANY. The annual general meeting of
this company was held on Thursday. The chair was
filled by Mr. William Earle. The report (which was
read by the secretary, Mr. S. Boult,) stated that there
was no addition to the capital of the company during the
year. In the fire department, notwithstanding the dimi-
shed receipts of premium here, the surplus, after dischar-
ging all claims, and providing for all known liabilities,
was considerably larger than that of 1847. In Londoh;
and other places the business had increased. The life
business had steadily increased since 1846, the premiums
last year being £4,410. No addition had been made to
the reserved surplus fund, and it therefore was the same
as at the date of the last report; £129,458 15s. At the
credit of the profit and loss account would be found the
sum of £71,860 14s. 10d., being the balance of the year
from which to take the dividend. After paying the divi-
dend of 10s, a share, less income tax, and five per cent.
on the uncalled capital, the balance to the credit' of the
account will be £35,481 13s. 6d. A nrotracted and some-
what angry discussion followed. Mr. Evans found fault
with the mode in which the business of the company had
been conducted, and asked if it were true that the losses
had amounted during the year to £lOO,OOO. The losses,
it was stated in reply, only amounted to £B,OOO. Mr. J. B.
Neilson arraigned the conduct of Mr. Boult, the secretary.
That gentleman defended himself, and attributed Mr.
Neilson's opposition to a private pique which he had
against him. Ultimately a list of directors proposed by
Mr. Shiel was carried. A sum of £BOO was voted to the
directors, after which the chairman received the usual
compliments, and the meeting broke up.
The Farmers' Royal Insurance Office has appointed an
agent in this town, and the advantages offered by the In-
stitution are detailed elsewhere. The announcement
relative to the medical fee is a novel feature in life in-
surances.