The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-12-28 00:00:00

IMPUDENT HOAX

A few months ago a letter was received by the Inspector of
Police at Woolwich, bearing the date of Edinburgh, and
signed William Brandon. The writer stated that. three
foreigners had been lodging in his Louse at Edinburgh for
some time, and had busied themselves in making combustible
projectiles, which they had taken with them, packed up in
strong boxes, to London, whither they had gone in one of
the Leith steamers. The object of these foreigners, the
writer feared, was to set fire to some of the public buildings
in the metropolis. The letter contained a minute description
of the persons of the foreigners, and stated that the writer
had discovered their employment, first by observing grains of
powder. &c., on the carpet, andafterwards by observing their
motions through the keyhole. The Inspector of Police at
Woolwich transmitted this letter to Mr. List, of the county
police here, with a request that he would communicate with
the writer, and obtain 'ltalie: information. Inquiries were
accordingly set on foot, but no William Brandon could be
discovered in Edinburgh or the neighbourhood, nor was any
clue obtained to trace the writer. The matter was almost
forgoten when the public were suddenly startled with news of
the conflagration of the Tower. A few days afterwards a
second letter from the same individual, and containing the
same information, was received by Major Elrington, Governor
at the Tower, with the additional information that, when in
Edinburgh, the strangers were in the habit of frequenting all
public places, and suggesting that the writer and his son should
receive money to come to London, and by attending the
theatres, &c., be able to identify the suspicious foreigners,
who, the writer had no doubt, had set fire to the Tower. The
matter now began to wear a serious aspect; the burning of
the Tower, coupled with the warning given by this writer be-
forehand, and the circumstantiality of his information—all
induced the authorities to suspect that there might be some-
thing in it. The second letter was transmitted to Mr. List,
who inserted an advertisement in the papers, offering to meet
with the individual and arrange the means of conveying him to
London. This advertisement appears to have met the eye
of the individual, for he immediately wrote another letter to
Sir Jas. Graham, at the Home Office, demanding that an
advertisement should be inserted in ,certain papers, which he
named, and in terms which he dictated. This request of
course was not complied with ; but the third letter was also
transmitted to Edinburgh, and another advertisement was
afterwards inserted, which was equally unsuccessful with the
others in inducing the writer to come forward. Here the
matter rested for some time, and all hope of detecting the
writer appeared to be at an end, till the other day, when
Mr. List received a packet from an influential gentleman in
the county, enclosing a begging letter from a James 111`Lure,
representing himself to be in great distress, and soliciting
aid. The gentleman requested Mr. List to inquire into the
circumstances of the writer, and transmit a report of them.
On reading over M‘Lure's letter, Mr. List was struck with
the similarity which the handwriting of this begging letter
bore to those announcing the new Gunpowder Plot; and on
submitting these to competent persons, there could be nu
doubt that M`Lure was the writer of all the letters. Instead
of keeping respectable lodgings, M`Lure was found inhabit-
ing a wretched hovel in one of the closes in the Crosscause-
way, without furniture of any kind. We may add that he is
the same person who, some years ago, succeeded in obtaining
subscriptions from various parties througbogt the town, on
pretence of being employed by the Regatta Club ; for which
he was sentenced to four montheimprisonment. We regret
that the law will not reach the present impudent attempt to
impose upon the authorities. The result of this case shows
the advantage of country gentlemen transmitting the begging
letters they may receive to the police authorities for ex-
amination, previous to acting upon them.

ANTI-CORN• LAW CONFERENCE IN EDINBURG II

(From the Edinburgh Standard.)

The voluntary schismatics of this city, we learn from
various sources, are proceeding with all due order and so-
lemnity in the work of getting up a small imitation of the
Manchester Anti-Corn Law " Conference," as it was styled
—locus a non lucendo—from the parties not conferring at all.
Condemning, as we do, the selfish and unprincipled con-
duct of these voluntary ministers, we are yet tree to acknow-
ledge that, in so far as the corn-laws are concerned, we by
no means regret the course they have adopted. In England,
no event of the last twelve months—not even the general
election—demonstrated more clearly the state of public opi-
nion on this question than the late Manchester Anti-Corn
Law Conference. It is not to be denied that the opponents
of the agricultural interest are almost exclusively to be found
in the ranks of dissent. Accordingly, when the anti-'orn
league selected that field whereon to fight their battle and
show their strength, we should have expected that their
efforts would have proved irresistible. But what was the
result—what did this " demonstration" prove ? Simply,
that the great majority of the dissenting leaders themselves,
including all who are entitled to rank. es " respectable,"
were averse to the scheme of making the core-laws a religi-
ous question, and therefore took no part in the conference.
A statement and analysis of the names and numbers of the
persons who attended the Manchester confabulation appeared
some months since in Fraser's Magazine, to which we must
refer the curious and the sceptical (if there be any such) on
this point.

We have little difficulty in anticipating the like disastrous,
or rather salutary, effect from the proposed " conference" in
Edinburgh. The facts which have been elicited at the pre-
liminary meetings of the prime movers must lead only to this
conclusion. In the first place, the "conference" is to con-
sist exclusively of dissenters or voluntaries. The clergy of
the Established Church have not been summoned, for a very
substantial reason—they won't have anything to do with such
humbug. It appears, however, that circulars to the number
of 976 have been issued to persons supposed or known to be
favourable to an abolition of the corn-laws. And how many
of this number have acknowledged or accepted the invitation ?
Why, not more than s.69—little beyond one half !! ! This
is the state of matters amongst dissenters themselves !
If the opinion of the " religious" public—we must apolo-
gise for the phrase—were to determine this question, what
would be the result? It is admitted by the parties to this
movement, that the established clergy, with four exceptions,
are opposed to the " conference," and, of course, favourable
to the existing law. The figures, which we draw from the
voluntary statistics, will then stand in the following propor-
tions :

ESTABLISHED CHURCH.

In favour of the corn laws
Against the corn laws

DISSENTERS

In favour of the corn laws
Against the corn laws....

407
569

673 1603

Majority in favour of the corn laws 930 !! !

There is a story told of two persons of distinction, the one
lived at Madrid, the other at Rome, who played a game of
chess at that distance. They were young when they began,
and though they both lived to a very old age, yet the game
was not finished. One of them dying, appointed his executor
to go on with the game.

GREAT BRITAIN AND AMERICA.—WE have reason to
believe that a very serious misunderstanding now exists be-
tween the British government and the United States, arising,
on the one hand, from the unwillingness of the American
president to apologise for the detention of a British subject
(Vl`Leod), on an unfounded charge, and, on the other, from
the alleged fact that vessels engaged in the slave trade are
notoriously fitted out in American ports. Lord Aberdeen,
as we learn, has written repeated and decided notes on both
these subjects, without as yet receiving satisfactory answers;
and, considering the fresh obligations imposed on this coun-
try by the new anti-slave treaty, it is much to be feared that
something unpleasant may occur between both governments.
—Morning Herald of Saturdag.

THE BRITISH QUEEN AND THE PRESIDENT.—Pursuant
to advertisement, a meeting, consisting of eight or ten local
shareholders of the British and American Steam Packet.
Company, took place 'at the Commercial Buildings, this day,
the mayor in the chair, for the purpose of investigating the
accounts of the concern, deemed to have been rendered neces-
sary at the previous meeting, the proceedings of which ap-
peared in the Reporter. During the progress of the meeting
to-day general dissatisfaction was expressed at the vague and
imperfect nature of the accounts, and all presort appeared to
regret their connexion as shareholders with the company.
There was also a general repugnance to meeting a demand of
10 per cent. additional to the paid-up portion of the shares,
and the list of defaulters, amounting to over £6,000, was
about being read, when Messrs. Maguire and Fitzgibbon in-
terposed, to prevent the exposure of individual names. The
meeting separated without having arrived at any decision
whatever.—Cork Southern Reporter.

EXTENSIVE EMBEZZLEMENT BY A SERVANT.—On Wed-
nesday week, Mr. Samuel Heywood was brought up at the
Salford Police-court, before E. Armitage, Esq., charged
with having embezzled about £l,OOO, the property of the
Manchester and Bolton Canal and Railway Company. It
appeared that the prisoner held a confidential situation in
the service of the company for five or six years. On Satur-
day night, the 4th instant, having paid the men their wages,
he brought Mr. Hawkshaw, the principal manager, a balance
of £BO, and then requested permission to go to Northwich,
to transact some private business, stating that he would be
back on the Monday following. As he had not returned on

the Wednesday after, Mr. Hawkshaw became apprehensive
lest some accident might have befallen him; and, without
suspecting that anything was wrong with his accounts, ap-
plied to Mr. Diggles. the deputy-constable of Salford, to
send a police-officer along with one of the company's ser-
vants to Northwich, to make some inquiries after him. This
was done, but no intelligence whatever was obtained respect-
ing him. Mr. Hawkshaw then began to suspect that Hey-
wood had absconded with money belonging to the company ;
and, having opened his drawer in the counting-house, found
a letter addressed to himself, and another to Mrs. Heywood.
In the letter to Mr. Hawkshaw, the prisoner stated that he
was induced to abscond in consequence of a deficiency in his
accounts, which he was unable to make good. Mr. Hawk-
shaw immediately communicated with Mr. Diggles, and the
latter forthwith sent a police-officer to Liverpool, to make
inquiries respecting the fugitive. The policeman ascertained,
on inquiry at one of the packet-offices, that a young man,
answering the description given of Heywood, had taken his
passage for Philadelphia on the 6th instant ; but, on account
of contrary winds, no vessel had sailed since that period.
Having learned the name of the vessel, and the day on which
she was to sail, the police-officer returned to Salford, and
was sent down to Liverpool, on the 14th instant, with direc-
tions from Mr. Diggles, to pursue her, when she had got

out of the river, and then go on board, and secure the object
of his search. The officer, in compliance with these instruc-
tions, procured a boat, arid followed in the wake of the ves-
sel, until she was about five miles outside of the river ; and
then boarded her, and took Heywood into custody. £35
were found upon him ; and, on being informed of the charge
against him, he admitted that he had defrauded the company
to some extent. The prisoner was remanded till the 18th
instant, when he was again brought before E. Armitage,
Esq. ; and, the books having been produced, the accounts
showed the prisoner to have been about £l,OOO deficient ;
with the whole of which he had debited himself. He was
committed for trial at the assizes.-. Manchester Guardian.

MANCHESTER AND LEEDS RAILWAY.—A special meet-
ing of the proprietors of the Manchester and Leeds Railway
was held on Thursday, the 2ad instant, when it was resolved
that the line should be extended from the present terminus,
Lees-street, to Hunt's Bank, Manchester, and the directors
be empowered to proceed forthwith. It was also further re-
solved that the directors be empowered to join any other
railway companies in taking a lease of the proposed new line
from Darlington to join the Dnrhain ; and that they be also
authorized to take such measures as they may deem fit for
the establishment and completion of the said proposed new
line, on the terms and principles that were then submitted to
the meeting. At the close of the business, W. Entwistle,
Esq., read a statement showing that the net revenue of the
company, from the Ist of July to the end of the present year,
would amount to £116,000. The expenses of six months,
including the half-year's salaries, would be £40,000 ; the
interest to loan-holders, minus the interest on the banking
account, would be 431,000; malting a total of £71,000 of
out-goings, and leaving a balance of £45,000 net propeeds.
Dividends of three per cent. on the old and the half shares,
and of ten per cent. for three months on the quarter shares,
would require £40,000 ; leaving a surplus of £5OOO out of
the half-year's proceeds, as a depreciation fund, without
touching any of the previous earnings.

MUTINY ON BOARD A SLAVIiIt.--MURDEIL SW TDB
OWNER.—Captain J. R. Crosbie, of the brig Elizabeth
Wood, from Nassau, N.P., sailed on the 21st Nov.,reports
that the brig Creole, from Richmond, Virginia. ound to
New Orleans, arrived at Nassau on the 9th of November,
with about 150 negro slaves on board, in a mutinous state ;
they had taken possession of the vessel, and demanded that
they should be landed at a British colony. Having wounded
and disabled the captain (Orkin), and chief mate of the
Creole, with several of the crew, they murdered a Mr. Hew-
ett, part owner of the slaver, who was passenger on board,
by severing his bead from his body, and afterwards throwing
his remains overboard; they compelled another ship captain,
who was on board as passenger, to steer the brig to Nassau,
where he made the above report on his arrival. Several of
the ringleaders were placed in prison, and the rest of the
slaves suffered to go at liberty. It was reported that the
American Consul protested agaipst thpir being allowed to
land, but without effect;

OCEAN CURRENTS.—The following has been received at
Lloyd's :—" On the 23d November, 1841, a sealed bottle
was picked up on the western coast of the Commune d'ars
110 de Re, in which was found a letter in English, of which
the following is a copy :—` On board the Lydie of Liverpool,
Captain Petree, bound to Bahia, 7th October, 1841.—We
have had, during the last few days, in the Bay of Biscay,
strong winds from and heavy seas. We appre-
hended that our voyage might be protracted on approaching
the southern coasts of this bay, in which there is reason to
fear meeting with strong currents; flow desirable it would
be under such circumstances to have a knowledge of the true
set of the currents in order to know how long one might
follow them in standing to the southward with the helm a
starboard. We are at this present time in lat. 36 57 N., and
lon. 7, by chronometer, meridian of Greenwich, having
struggled against currents which indicate either the approxi-
mation of the coast or the junction of two currents. Who-
ever shall find this bottle, is requested to make known to the.
public the:place where, and the time when, it may be picked
up, so that it may come to the knowledge of the scientific
society in England, and that it may be known we were in
these latitudes.' "
WEST INDIAN ROYAL MAIL. STEAM-PACKETS.—The fol-
lowing account of the trial of those vessels that have left
Southampton will no doubt be read with interest, as it will
show that the speed of these vessels is greater than that of
any vessel of the same class. The distance was rather more
than 15 two-thirds statute miles, and was performed as un-
der ;—The Clyde, in 1 hour 11 minutes, being at the rate of
13 miles hour; the Tweed, 1 hour 13 minutes, being at
the rate of 12 1-35th miles per hour ; the Solway, 1 hour 17
minutes, being at the rate of 12 miles per hour; the Tay, 1
hour 9 minutes, being at the rate of 13,1 miles per hour.
These trials may be considered interesting to the nautical
world, as three of these ships have precisely the same rate of
engines, viz., the Tay, the Tweed, and the Clyde, and the
difference is to be attributed to the forms of the ships them-
selves. The chief peculiarity of the Tay is in consequence
of the waive principle of the bow. The difference of these
chips in coming round from the north to Southampton,
loaded, is equally interesting. The same distance of 15 2-3 d
miles was performed as follows .—The Clyde, with 425 tons
of coal, in 1 hour 17 mingles, or 12 miles per hour; the
Tweed, 265 tons, in 1 hour 16 minutes, or 12 1-sth miles ;
the Solway, 250 tons, in 1 hour 24 minutes, or 11 1-6th miles.
The Clyde, from the river Clyde, completed her passage to
the Needles in 65 hours, the Tweed in 56, and the Solway in
73, being a distance of 650 miles, and that iiipoisterous wea-
ther.

Tile GREATEST OF MONSTERS.—Some people have a
horror of house-breakers. A strong fellow, in a fustian
jacket, with a piece of crape over his face, and a pistol in his
hand, is certainly a disagreeable visitor to a quiet country
gentleman in the middle of a dark night in December; the
hoarse whisper, conveying a delicate allusion to your money
bags or your life, is far from a pleasing method of carrying
on a conversation ; arid therefore, without descending to any
more minute particulars, or pluming myself upon my perso-
nal immunity from such visitations on the score of having no
house, I agree at once that a house-breaker is a detestable
character, and worthy of all condemnation. A murderer,
also, I am not prepared to vindicate. A knife forced into
the stomach of an elderly gentleman in a half-sleepy state
after a bottle of old port—a razor drawn across a beautiful
bar-maid's throat—or a bullet scientifically inserted through
the ear-hole of a deaf old lady engaged in secreting her half-
year's dividend in a black trunk in the garret—are disagree-
able objects of contemplation to the philanthrophic mind ;
and I therefore at once coincide in the fervent execration in
which a murderer is held by every person I have ever con-
versed with on the subject, except some students of anatomy,
and two or three popular authors of the convulsive school.
But there is another miscreant for whom I have no commis-
seration—a wretch, compared with whose atrocities house-
breaking becomes meritorious, and murder innocent; before
whose negro-like blackness—to borrow the language of
Charles Phillips—the darkness of annihilation becomes white
as snow ; whose benediction is a curse, whose breath is a
pestilence, whose name is a bell ; over whose sunless memory
shall settle the conflagration of a fury, and whose soul shall
shudder beneath the appalling convulsions of a fathomless
doom for ever ! After this description need I say that I mean
a scoundrel who neglects to prepay the post? A fellow who,
to make the paltry saving of a penny, forces his correspon-
dent to an outlay of twopence ; and you will almost uniformly
find that the unpaid letter is of a most disagreeable nature in
other respects.—Blackwood's Mayazmefor December.

SAVING OF LIFE AND PROPERTY BY MEANS OF DEN-
wErr's ROCKETS.—AhOI4 nine o'clock on the night of the
10th instant, during a violent gale from the N.W., the
" Liddell," a large brig of 328 tons, belonging to South
Shields, G. Watson, master, was driven on shore about two
miles to the northward of Hasbro' Lights, on the coast of
Norfolk. Lieut. James, chief officer of the coast
guard at Hasbro', and his men, with the most praiseworthy
alacrity, repaired to her assistance. with Dennett's rockets
and apparatus, and at the first fire sent the rocket between
the masts, laying the line directly amidships in the most
beautiful style, although the vessel was upwards of 300 yards
distant from the beach. Some delay occurred, either from
the extreme darkness of the night preventing the possibility
of seeing the line, or the people not understanding how to
avail themselves of its assistance; and. we rezret to learn
that ignorance to a great extent prevails in the merchant
service, as to the proper methods of taking advantage of the
assistance of the various apparatus which is thus provided
for their rescue on our coasts. Another rocket having car-
ried them a second line, an eight•inch hawser was bent to it
and hauled on shore by the coast-guards, and by heaving
upon the hawser, the vessel was assisted over the sand-bank,
on which the surf was breaking with great violence, and
the brig straining very much, the water in the hold being at
the time up to the beams. Had not this excellent rocket
apparatus been fortunately at hand, the vessel would have
soon gone to pieces, and all hands on board, thirteen in num-
ber, must, in all probability, have immediately perished.

SPIRITED ENCOUNTER WITH A FOX.—Last week a small
terrier of the true Dinmont breed unkennelled a large dog
fox from some whins on the farm of Treaton, and, to the
astonishment of the bystanders, kept him at bay in the open
field. After a glorious skirmish, during which the terrier
effected repeated diversions by annoying the heels of the
enemy, he was at last well entered with the vermin, and suc-
ceeded in the capture, leaving ample proofs that unless he
had been of the right sort he would not have continued in
such unequal conflict. On examination, the cause which
retarded reynard in view of such a diminuitive pack, and
which ended fatally for him, was an injury which he had
received in •ne of his fore feet from a rabbit trap.—Fffeshire
Journal.

HIGHWAY ROBBERY OF A BRITISH M. P. IN SPAIN.
—We have been favoured with the perusal of a letter from
Mr. Hindley, M.P., giving an account of an attack made by
a band of robbers upon the Malle Poste, when within about
20 miles of Madrid. Mr. Hindley, who was accompanied
by his lady, two children, and two servants, was robbed of
what money and valuables he had with him ; and a govern-
ment courier was also rifled. The robbers returned Mrs.
Hindley's watch, but kept that of the courier. The posti-
lions, conductor, and the male passengers, with the exception
of Mr. Hindley, were obliged to lie down with their faces to
the ground, while the diligence was rifled. Although vio-
lently threatened, however, none of the passengers sustained
any personal injury.—Morning Chronicle.
SHOCKING ACCIDENT.—On Wednesday week, as a fine
young woman, eighteen years of age, employed as a weaver
in Mr. J. Wood's mill at Glossop, was combing her hair in
the loom room, previous to going to dinner, a shaft above her
head caught the ends of the hair as she threw it upwards,
and immediately began to draw her up. On finding her hair
fast, the young woman put up her hands to release it; but her
finger became entangled in the hair. In consequence of this,
not only was the hair completely pulled off from the scalp,
but both arms were fractured, three fingers of the right hand,
and the thumb of the left were also wrenched off. Mr.
Rushy, surgeon, was immediately sent for'; but the young
woman was finally removed to the Manchester Infirmary.
Amputation of one of the arms was there found necessary ;
but on Thursday, whilst the operation was going on, death
put an end to the poor girl's sufferings.
POPE CLEMENT XlX.—The late Duke of Glocester, who
died in 1805, spent many years at Rome for the benefit of
his health. His Royal Highness, while in that capital, re-
ceived many marks of respect from Pope Clement XIX. and
his successor. It was an invariable custom, from time im-
memorial, for all carriages, on meeting that of the Sovereign
Pontiff, to deviate on one side, or, if the place was very nar-
row, to back out, and so make a clear passage. It happened
once that the Pope and the Duke entered a very narrow
street, in opposite directions, at the same time, and came in
contact where the path was too narrow to admit of either
turning. His Holiness immediately gave orders that his
own carriage should recede, to let the English Prince advance,
which was done, much to the astonishment of the Roman
people. Other acts of civility, still more distinguished, were
shown, both to the Duke of Glocester and his brother, for
which his Majesty wrote a letter of thanks to Pius VI. with
his own.hand.—Memoirs of George IV.
MATRIMONIAL LOTTERY.—At Samarang, the second
town of the island of Java, there exists a species of matri-
monial lottery, which gives rise to many singular speculations.
Orphan children, rich as well as poor, arc all brought up in
a public establishment. The most profound silence as to the
fortunes of these children is enjoined to every person em-
ployed in or about the institution. These fortunes are
placed under the management of persons at Batavia, on
whom a similar injunction of secrecy is imposed. The
female orphans are kept in the establishment until their mar-
riage. Every man possessing an annual income of 730
florins, or two florins a day, is at liberty to choose a wife
from amongst them, but the amount of her fortune is not
made known to him till several days after marriage. A ser-
vant of the military hospital at Samarang lately selected one
of these damsels with a fortune of 65,000 florins. Since his
good luck, the application for wives from the asylum have
become very urgent ; for a report has got abroad, that there
is a marriageable girl still left who will bring with her a prize
of 200,000 florins.
EXTR4ORDINARY DISCOVERY IN A CHURCH.—A few
days ago, a dicovery of an extraordinary kind was made in
the interior of the parish church of Barking, Essex. The
ancient edifice affording scarcely room for the increasing
population of that town and its vicinity, the rector, the Hon.
and Rev. Mr. Liddel, has recently undertaken, at his own
expense, to improve the chancel, so as to afford additional
accommodation. To accomplish this, it was found necessary
to cut away :a portion of the ponderous pillars by which the
galleries are at this end supported, and which were of ten
times the strength required. While the workmen were en-
gaged in removing a thick crust of plaister in which one of
the pillars were encased, and which had been put on upwards
of seventy years ago to give them the appearance of stone,
they discovered a nest of five toads, two of which were of
a very good size, and the others smaller. The reptiles on
being relieved from their place of lengthened confinement,
jumped apout the place, and seemed perfectly healthy, and
were picked uq and put in a place of security. In removing
some wooden skirting from the wall near the same spot, a
live bat was found, which must have been confined quite as
long as the toads, and which was also secured by the work-
men. The extraordinary curiosities attracted much atten-
tion, and various applicotions have been made to the recto'
for one or other of time creatures, but they were unsuccess-
ful. At the especial request of Mrs. Liddell, who is niece to
the Duke of Wellington, they are all to be replaced as near
as possible to the spot where they were found. The bat has
been already placed behind the new skirting, and the toads
will be also deposited in the pillar when the necessary prepa-
ration is made for them.

The Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of Norwich having inti-
mated to the governor and members of the Board of Guar-
dians in Norwich, his desire to give to the poor inmates of
the workhouse a good dinner of old English fare of roast beef
and plum pudding, in celebration of the birth of a prince, the
heir apparent to the throne, Tuesday week was the day for
carrying his lordship's benevolent intention into effect. There
are nearly 400 persons in the house, and for these ample pro-
vision was furnished ; plum puddings of the best quality were
made, and joints of beef of the primest kind were procured.
The tables had been arranged three in the centre aisle and
one by the side, and it being announced that all was ready,
the boys and girls in the establishment first entered and took
their places, and were followed by the men and women.
Grace was said by the bishop, and Non nobis Domine was
sung by the choristers of the Cathedral, who were stationed
in the orchestra. Mrs. and Miss Stanley and several other
ladies evinced much interest in the personal comfort and en-
joyment of the guests, particularly of the junior objects of
his lordship's bounty.

IMPORTANT DECISIONS ON INSURANCE OF LIVES.—In
the Court of Queen's Bench, on Thursday, the Northern
Reversionary Interest Company of Edinburgh brought an
action against the Asylum Insurance Company in London,
to recover the sum of £2,000, effected on the life of the Hon.
George Henry Talbot, brother to the Earl of Shrewsbury.
The defence to the action was, that his death was brought
about by excessive drinking, and this having been established
to the satisfaction of the court and jury, the latter returned
a verdict for th- defendants.—ln the Court of Common
Pleas, the same nay, an action was brought by Mrs. Borra-
daile, widow of the late Rev. W. l3orradaile, vicar of Wands-
worth, to recover the sum of £l,OOO, effected in the same
office, on the life of her husband. The payment was refused
on the ground that, the rev. gentleman having committed
suicide, the policy was void, there being an express stipula-
tion to that effect. Evidence showed that the rev, gentleman
had thrown himself into the Thames, and the question was
whether the act of destruction by an insane person vitiated
the contract.—The learned judge, in summing up the case,
said that he should leave all the points to the jury; first,
whether the fair and reasonable construction of the contract
was that the condition in question should not attach, unless
the act of self-destruction was the act of a person of sound
mind ; secondly, whether the deceased did throw himself
from the bridge with intent to destroy his life; and, lastly,
whether, at the time of his death, the deceased was of sound
mind.—The jury retired shortly after nine o'clock at night,
and, after having being absent about an hour and a half, re-
turned with a verdict, " That Mr. Borradaile voluntarily
threw himself from the bridge,. with the intention of destroy-
ing life ; and that at the time of committing the act, he was
not capable of judging between right and wrong." The find-
ing was, therefore, in favour of the plaintiff.

FlRE.—Very early on Monday morning a fire broke out in
the residence of Mr. Perring, one of the proprietors of the
intelligeacer, in Hanover-square, Leeds. About half-past
one o'clock Mrs. Perring, who slept in the front room of the
first loor, Mr. Perring being at the time out of town, was
awoke by a strong smell of burning timber, and imagining-
that it was occasioned by some chips which the servants might
have put into the oven to dry, she went down to verify her
suspicions, but discovered nothin: amiss. On returning,
however, the smell had so much increased, and smoke had
become so decidedly visible, that she became satisfied there
was fire in the house, and after snatching her youngest child
from the crib in which it was sleeping by the side of her bed,
she went into the rooms above, to call the rest of the family
and the servants. By the time that they had all got safely
down stairs, it became apparent that the fire was about the
nursery, which is to the rear, on the first floor, immediately
over the drawing-room, as the smoke was issuing from the
wash-hoard near the nursery door': None of the furniture
was injured, but the damage is estimated at £soo.—Leeds
Intelligencer.

REGISTRATION OF VOTERS.—We cannot too strongly, nor
too often, urge upon the attention of all conservatives the
absolute necessity of maintaining their ground. The 3lst of
Janusry next is the very last day on which a conveyance of
freehold should be executed, to entitle a voter for it to send
in his claim to be registered next year. An occupier to the
amount of £5O per annum, must have been in the occupation
of his qualification on the 31st of July last. Any person,
however, who may come into possession of a qualification by
descent, succession, marriage, dev!se, or promotion to any
benefice in a church, or by promotion to any office, at any
time within such respective periods, will be entitled, in re-
spect thereof, to have his name inserted in the list then next
to be made out by the overseers. Besides freeholders and
£5O tenants, the following may claim, viz., owners of copy-
hold property, leasehold for lives, or leasehold for any term
originally created for not less than GO years, to the amount
of £lO per annum in each case, or leasehold for any term ori-
ginally created for not less than twenty years, of the annual
value of £5O. There are also other ways in which an inte-
rest, derivable from real property, may confer a vote, as in
cases of mortgagees in possession, and annuitants, &c., all of
which should receive a searching investigation by conserva-
tives, in order that their ranks may be numerically strength-
ened to combat an enemy whose vigilance and perseverance
in their generation are exemplary, and whose motto seems to
be " nunquam dormio."

STEAMING POTATOES.—The secret of " steaming" pota-
toes is very little understood, and rarely carried into full
effect, although it is indispensable to the nutritious develop-
ment of the vegetable. The whole mystery consists in
suffering the steam to escape, and at the same time keeping
the potatoes hot, When the cook throws Off the water,
under the jurisdiction of the cookery book, what is she to
do next ? The steam rushes out, and she places the vessel
opposite the fire; but, fearful that the potatoes may cool in
the meanwhile, she puts on the cover. Thus she undoes
one process by the other, for the steam no sooner escapes
from the potatoes than, being confined by the lid, it con-
denses rapidly, and falls back in water upon the vegetables.
And thus, through the ignorance and obstinacy of our cooks,
we are perpetually served with what are familiarly called wet
potatocs7a sort of vague excuse which helps to throw the
fault against the season or the gardener, or anything or any-
body rather than the real culprit. The Irish peasant woman,
wholly ignorant of science, but with instinctive sagacity, gets
rid of the difficulty by the simplest process imaginable.
Placing the vessel without the cover in a slanting direction
opposite the tire, so as to hasten the process of steaming by
, she throws a napkin over the potatoes,
w
and
retains so much of the steam as does not
etlff'heeiccethx ercnitrteseeasivciaelis7e a,twhile it performs the equally essential office
of preserving the heat to the vegetable below.

LIVERPOOL COLONIAL MARKET, DEC. 24.
Sugar.—As is usual at this season of tke year, the bu iness has
been extremely limited, and the sales of B. P. barely reach 100
hhds., at former prices. 1000 bags Bengal have been taken by the
Grocers at the quotations. Foreign.—The sales have again been
extensive, and amount to about 450 cases and 400 bags and brls.
Brazil, at 135 6d to 163 6d for very low to good brown, and 18s
per cwt. for a few ordinary whites. No sales to notice in Molasses.
Coffee.—The transactions in Plantation have been very limited,
comprising only 60 casks Jamaica and a parcel of Demerara, with-
out change in prices. 50 bales of Mocha brought gOs. per cwt.
Nothing done in Foreign. 400 bags Bombay Ginger brought 14s
per cwt., 50 bags Pimento 3d to 31d, and 400 bags black Pepper 3d
for Eastern, and 31d to 4*d per lb for Malabar. Nothing done in
Cocoa or R ce. Rum.—The business is confined to 60 puns.
Demerara, 28 to 32 per cent. 0. P., at 3s gd to 4s, and a small parcel
of Brazil, 17 per cent. U. P., at is 2d per gallon.

MANCHESTER CORN MARKET, DEC. 24.
Great languor has prevailed throughout the week in every
article of trade, and the sales of Flour and Oalmeal have been on
the most limited scale to consumers, barely supporting the pre-
vious rates. Owing to Christmas Day our market was held this
morning, at which there was a very slender attendance, and,
without change in the quotations of this day se'nnight, few trans-
actions of importance occurred in any article.

LIVERPOOL PROVISION MARKET, DEC. 27.
There has been very little business transacted in Butter since
this day se'nnight ;—we may, however, correctly state that the
price of the finer qualities is not lower, Belfast being worth gas
to 100 s. The more indifferent sorts may certainly be purchased
cheaper ;—but nothing bearing a tolerably respectable brand, can
not be had under 88s to 90s. We do not notice any alteration in
provisions or Bacon.

LIVERPOOL HAY AND POTATOE MARKET,
DECEMBER 27
We have a fair quantity of Potatoes. to hand from the Isle of
Man, Scotland and Ireland since the 23rd inst.
The country dealers as usual at Christmas, are now buying very
sparingly, but the demand for town consumption continues steady
at the current prices of Friday last, viz., Manx, Sc otch, and Irish
Cups Is Hid to 2s Id; Round and Rough Reds 2s 2d to 2s 4d;
Seedlings 2s 3d to 2s 4d.
The market for cur local farm produce is pretty well supplied, and
sales made as under noted:—Pink Eyed Potatoes 2s 3d to ,s 6d;
Cups 2s I d to 2s 4d; Short Tops Is Qd to 2s 3d; Cattle Is 6d to is pd
per 90 lbs.
Turnips 22s to 26s 6d ; Manglewurzle 20s ; Carrots 40s to 45s per
ton. Old Hay 8d to I 1 ; new cid to 12d; Clover 7d to II d per 201bs.
Wheat Straw 4d to sd; new 30 to 4d; Barley 2.1 d to :lid per 241bs.