The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-12-21 00:00:00

recent date, difficulties unknown in Scotland opposed, on .
the other side of the Tweed, the most ardently desired union.
Even now the provisions of the late marriage act, though
they may have smoothed many a real or fancied inequality,
and removed a multitude of scruples, have nevertheless left
these difficulties virtually untouched.
In Scotland, moreover, marriage is not necessarily more a
religious than A civil contract ; while in England it was, till
lately, wholly a religious ceremony, and the civil law is
often, as it is in this case, less rigid in its requirements
than the ecclesiastical. The watchfulness of the Church of
England has frequently annihilated the prospective happi- r
ness of an enamoured and giddy pair, who, in Scotland,
would have met with little impediment in regard to age, con-
sent of parents, and other matters necessary to be arranged
previous to the ceremony.
Te elude these obstacles, many a long journey to Gretna
Green (though any other village on the Scottish border would
have been equally suitable, it
.not also inure convenient, for
the purpose,) has been undertaken without much prepara-
tions tier has such been unaccompanied, in a thousand in-
stances, with danger and expense. The writer's recollec--- -
lions do not carry him back to the eventful affair of Wake-
field; but it is in his power to give a minute description of
the ceremonials commonly observed at such a marriage. In
the summer of 1832, when cholera was alarmingly prevalent
along the banks of the Mersey, near which he resided, an
excursion to the north seemed to promise him most variety
and pleasure during an interval of repose ft °in a laborious
occupation. A journey and voyage of nut more than 24
hours' length brought him to the house of a friend in Cum-
berland, where he was engaged to remain on a visit for a
week or two. Here he found himself only three miles from
Gretna Green, and in the neighbourhood of his native sce-
nery. One warm and lovely morning in the month of Au-
gust he had appointed with a friend a rendezvous at the
bridge of Sark, for the purpose of bathing in the Solway's
cooling tide, and also with an intention of spending the re-
mainder of the day at Gretna Inn. An uncle of the writer's,
who lived near, and was well kno,vn in the village, joined
the party, and introduced them to the innkeeper, Mr* Linton.
Mr. Linton, in the midst of various and common-place re-
marks, pointed out to them, in a narrow lawn or meadow be-
hind the house, a lady and a gentleman, who were walking
about at random, apparently engaged in a close end interesting
conversation. 'They had arrived at the inn before the morn-
ing was far advanced, and had described the object of their
visit in such terms as led Mr. Linton to believe that they
wished forthwith to become " one flesh." The bridegroom,
however, did not seem half so solicitous as the bride about a
speedy celebration of their marriage; but, on the contrary,
betrayed symptoms of an obstinate and vexatious procrasti-
nation. At last, the waiter, having received instructions
from Mr. Linton, entered the apartment in which the writer
and his friends were sitting, and informed them that his mas-
ter was about to perform, in another part of the house, the
ceremony of marriage, and any gentleman, if he wished,
might be present. Curiosity. induced two at least of the party
to accompany the waiter into the adjoining ro.!in. Their
object in visiting Gretna Green that day was, in addition to
the enjoyment of each other's society, to find a little amuse-
ment, and they considered that their gratification would I'e
greatly heightened by the unusual luck of appearing as wit-
nesses of a " runaway wedding."
Full of interest in the affair announced by the waiter, and
encouraged by hopes of beholding a scene hitherto only pic-
tured by their imaginations, they arose with great alacrity,
and followed their guide to the door of the apartment in
which the little marriage party and Mr. Linton, in the offi-
cial character of priest, were assembled. The door being
opened, the two strangers entered without a syllable of in-
troduction or apology. Round a small table on the middle
of the floor, they found standing, in perfect silence, one
female and two male figures. The lady was nearest the door,
and close by her side one of the gentlemen ; while a little
apart from them stood the successor of the blackimitk, exa-
mining or arranging some papers. For some time not a
word escaped any of the company to interrupt the deep
silence of the place. If it was not a moment of uncommon
interest and suspense to the bridal pair, it was so at least to
the two highly-favoured witnesses. At length, Mr. Linton
(who, by the way, was without canonicals) relieved his audi-
ence by saying, "You must all stand up." He proceeded
to the performance of the hymeneal rites, by addressing first
the couple collectively, and asking them, in a distinct tone
of voice, whether it was their desire to be united in marriage.
He next addressed them individually, asking the gentleman
whether he took "that woman" to be his wedded wife; and
the lady whether she took "that man" to be her wedded
husband. The answers to these, and several other questions,
prescribed according to the regular ceremony of a Seotch
marriage, being altogether satisfactory, the priest produced
two separate papers bearing the royal arms, on which he
requested first the signatures of the party, and next those of
the two witnesses. One of the papers thus signed Mr. Lin-
don delivered to the lady, and the other he retained in his
own possession. The happy swain, at the conclusion of the
ceremony, retired with his bride, leaving the priest and the
two witnesses alone to pursue their own reflections.
A broomstick has been frequently mentioned as made use
of in some part of the ceremony; but the writer is bound to
confess that, on the present occasion, its use was entirely
dispensed with. Indeed, he can confidently affirm, that the
story of the broomstick is only one of many popular errors
respecting a Gretna Green marriage.
It will trot yet have escaped the recollection of many, how
greatly public interest was excited by the famous trial of
Raymond d'Arcy Newton, fur the abduction of Rosa Matilda
Mary Bagster. Mr. Linton, besides exhibiting the signs
manual of the parties concerned,
.gave the writer and his
friend an amusing and circumstantial account of that won-
derful and expensive affair. The emoluments of the priest
vary as much in value as those who repair to the 'matrimo-
nial shrine do in condition: These, as Gretna Green is the
common resort of rich and poor, sometimes fall to half-a-
crown, while they as often rise to fifty pounds: the tying of
the marriage-knot betwixt Mr. Newton and Miss Bagster
cost forty. All this Mr. Linton justly considers net gain :
he has no occasion to say, with the polite and humble priest
of St. Gudula, at Brussels—" Accipiraus pecuniam pro bono
ecclesice,"—We only receive money for the benefit of the
church.

The Duke of Devonshire is now at Rome, in good health,
and is expected home early in February.
Men are now employed planting young trees in St. James's
Park, in the room of those which bad been blown down, and
others decayed by age.
The RULING PASSION.—At Sydney the Newgate Calendar
and Johnson's Lives of Highwaymen will sell for three times
more than any standard book of the same intrinsic value.
A letter has been received from M r. Strauss' agent in Paris,
stating Mr. Strauss, has so far regained bis health as to be
able to leave Paris on the 10th inst., and that he hoped to
reach Vienna on the 20th inst,

The Earl of Sefton has returned to Croxteth, after attend-
ing the funeral of his father in the south. From the noLle
earl's passionate fondness for country sports and occupations
it is probable that he will principally reside, except during
the session of parliament, on the valuable Lancashirelestates,
which his family have now held between seven and right
hundred years.
IRISH Loans JUSTICES.—Her Majesty's letters patent
having passed the great seal, appointing the Lord Chancel-
lor, the Archbishop of Dublin, and the Commander of the
Forces, lords justices, in the absence of the Marquis of
Normanby, these high personages were sworn in before the
privy council on Saturday.—Dublin paper.
A. CLUO FOR FIRE ARMS.—It is said there is a club for
providing fire arms, at a small village between Royton and
Rochdale, which is constituted after the plan of the money
clubs so common in manufacturing towns. Whenever the
amount contributed is sufficient to buy a gun, lots are drawn
who shall have it, and so qn in succession till each subscriber
has obtained one.

An experiment is making on part of the buildings of the
Ecole des Beaux Arts, at Paris, of a kind of oily substance,
and which, by filling up the pores, is to prevent the corrosive
action of air and water from producing the black colour that
spoils the aspect of some of the finest monuments of the capi-
tal placed in confined situations.
SINGULAR CIRCUMSTANCE.—ATTEMPT AT SUICIDE.--AI a
late hour on the night of Sunday last, a son of Figaro, the
emblem of whose trade may be seen in Friargate, having tip-
pled rather deeply at " the-barley bree," went to his lodgings,
and sunk into a profound sleep. In the course of the night
he awoke, and prompted by " the man of hell who calls him-
self despair," resolved to cut his throat. Forth he sallied from
his lodgings, and in the silence of night's 'hour, and by the
gas lamps "dimly burning," he groped his way to his shop,
which is distant from his lodgings about 200 yards. Having
entered it, he seized a razor, and, with the keen-edged instru-
ment, made a deep and dangerous incision in his throat. He
then retraced his steps homewards, and recommitted himself
to the arms of the drowsy god ; that is to say, having cut his
throat, he walked leisurely home, and went to bed. Next
morning he was found with his lubbard length stretched out,
and the clothes which he wore completely clotted and satu-
rated with the blood that had flowed during the night. In
fact he lay in a complete pool of blood. Medical assistance
was promptly procured; and although the wound was at first
deemed dangerous, it was found, on minute examination, that
the incisigo had not extended to the vital part of the throat,
and the patient is now in a fair way of. recovery.—Presto
Chronicle.
A CONDOR SA DLDED.--An American vessel has just arrived
at Leghorn, and has brought to Europe, a Senor Martin
Ootaya, his son Pamelo, and a racer of a new description,
which Senor Martin has succeeded in taming with wonder-
ful dexterity. This racer is a condor of the Cordilleras,
of an enormous size, the extent between the two extremities
of his extended wings being thirty-two feet. He has been
rendered so '()Trifle and tractable that Martin Ootaya's son
uses him as a horse, gets upon his back, and, to the astonish-
ment of all, flies with him to an immense height. young
Pamelo manages him as easily as a horse by the means of a
little stick with a steel point. His first ascension took place
on the 15th ult. at noon. He rose from the Place d'Armes,
and at a certain elevation young Pamelo stood up, and saluted
the Leghorn people by waving his handkerchief. He neXt
got astride his steed, and they disappeared in a trice. The bird
and boy reached Florence in twelve minutes, and were back
in the evening The child was the bearer of certificates from
the Florentine authorities. Everybody goes to see the con-
dor, the price of admission being two frances. Senor Martin
is proceeding with his son and condor to Milan, whence they
will repair to Paris and London.—[Surprising., if true.]
ANOTHER VISITER TO HER MAJESTY.-011
night, about nine o'clock, a very respectably-dressed young
man rang the bell at the tradesmen's entrance of the new
palace, and upon being asked the nature of his
,business by
the porter, he said he had come for the direction of his house,
as he was tired and wished to go home. Upon being asked
to explain himself, he said he had just come from Sydney,
and had been desired to call at the palace by the Queen,
who told him he should have a house to live in, and £l5O per
year, for some very important spiritual communication he
had made to her. The young man, whose every action
showed he was an unfortunate lunatic, was then told the
Queen was not in town, when he turned away, observing.'
that he would go immediately to Lord Hill, and-lay his case
before him. Visits of the preceding kind are very frequent,
at the palace, and the tales told by the visitants are many et
them of the strangest nature. It is only a few weeks since
an elderly man, having the appearance of a farmer, called at
the palace, and handing to the porter the certificate of his
birth, requested him to let her Majesty sign it. From inqui-
ries made concerning this man, it was discovered that be
was a respectable farmer in the neighbourhood of Exeter,
from which distant place he had wandered on so strange an
errand.—Morning Herald.
THE EMIGRANT STEAM-SHIP ASIA.—We intimated, tw°
months ego, that the Asia had been forced back to Plymouth,
after having been at sea for nearly a month. She sailed frorl!
Cromarty in the month of September. This vessel has 12°`
quitted Plymouth yet, and very great dissatisfaction is el'
pressed by the emigrants. It appears that the vessel was fa
from being sea-worthy, though the accommodation was eV
cellent. We have seen letters complaining also of the pro-
vision department of the ship, but it is asserted by the person
whose duty it was to see that attended to, that there is 0°
ground whatever for the complaint. We know not who is in
the right. It must be that great olame is attributable to those
who chartered the vessel, for it is most wonderful that, frail,
her damaged state, she did not go down. We copy the fev
lowing remarks from the correspondence of a London paper,
being nearly in the same words with a letter which we out
selves lately received from one of thc emigrants :—" The AO'
with 300 emigrants for South Australia, which put in six weeks
since leaky, was taken into one of her Majesty's docks at this
,e place; she was found very defective ; all her treenails were
replaced by new ones, and she had an entire new sheathing.
There is no doubt that had she proceeded on her voyage,""
South Australia, she would have gone down. Although su-
has undergone such extensive repair, she still leaks very con:
siderably, so much so that the emigrants have protestea
against proceeding in her. Really it is quite time that so!rie
regulation should be established by Government to exagone
and survey.vessels, anti to see that they are in a state to Prot;
secute a voyage, before they are allowed to take nut emigro
from English. ports."—lnverness Herald.