The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-01-04 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD, TUESDAY, JANUARY 4, 1852.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS.-MONDAY, DEC. 27

The Lord Chancellor (Lord St. Leonards) took his seat
on the woolsack.
The Earl of Aberdeen. the Marquis of Lansdowne, the
Duke of Newcastle, the Earl of St. Germans, the Earl of
Clarendon, and Earl Granville occupied the Treasury
bench.

'There were a great number of peeresses present. The
Duke of Cambridge was also in his place.

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT,

The Earl of ABERDEEN;aid,-Llt is my duty to give
your lordships the requisite information respecting the
recent construction of Her Majesty's Government, and to
indicate, though briefly, the objects which will occupy our
attention, and the general policy we propose to adopt.
Before describing the proceedings which have recently
taken place, I wish to advert to circumstances which I
understand occurred a few days ago, when the noble earl
opposite declined to perform what appeared to me to be a
very reasonable request, and accused me, and those acting
with me, of having entered into a species of combination
or conspiracy to overthrow the noble lord's government.
1 believe it is an accusation which was answered at the
time by the noble duke (Newcastle) near me; but, never-
theless, I wish to add that my share in such a conspiracy
was not for the purpose of ejecting the noble lord from
office, but for the purpose of keeping him in. When it
appeared, from the ambiguous paragraph in Her Majesty's
speech, that it was indispensably necessary that some de-
claration should be made of the advantage of free trade,
my own anxiety was that the terms of that declaration or
resolution should be such as the noble earl and his col-
leagues could accept, without doing violence to their feel-
ings, and consistently with their own honour. Those
terms were framed with that view; they had the effect
intended by those who proposed them, namely, that of
enabling the noble earl to retain the office he held, by the
assistance and votes of the very conspirators themselves.
Lord Aberdeen proceeded to say, that on Saturday week he
received a message from Her Majesty, desiring his attend-
ance at the Isle of Wight. Of course, he had neither youth,
strength, nor will sufficient to undertake the formation of
a ministry without the assistance of Lord John Russell ;
and it was, therefore, with great pleasure that he found,
at a casual meeting with the noble lord, that his senti-
ments were entirely conformable to his own. In the
course of the week he succeeded in preparing an adminis-
tration which was fortunate enough to receive the appro-
bation of the Queen, and which now stood for the judg-
ment of the country. He then went on to allude to the
office accepted by Lord John Russell, and said the truth
was that for the last 30 years the principle on which the
foreign policy of the country was founded had never
failed—it being to respect the independence of foreign
states, great or small, and not to interfere in their
internal affairs. This he trusted would still be the case.
With regard to our commercial policy, he believed the
interest of the country and the feelings of the people were
in favour of an extension of that system of free trade
which Sir R. Peel commenced in 1846; and without stop-
ping to discuss the merits of direct or indirect taxation,
he could assure their lordships it was the wish of the
government to see that system further advanced. The
question of education and legal reform would receive every
attention at the hands of Government; nor would an
amendment of the representative system, undertaken with-
out haste or rashness, be excluded from its mature consi-
deration. He came now to the complaint of the noble lord
opposite with reference to the present coalition. The noble
earl found fault with him for having joined Lord J. Russell,
but he could assure the noble earl that he had long ago
arrived at the conviction that the country would be satis-
fied with no other government but one of progress. Now
Lord J. Russell, while he was in favour of moderate libe-
ralism, was also in favour of legitimate conservatism ;
and he had, therefore, no• hesitation whatever in joining
him, believing, as he was thoroughly convinced, that the
country was sick of those party distinctions which were
recognised in the terms whig and tory. In conclusion,
he moved that the house adjourn until Thursday, the 10th
of February next.
The Earl of DERBY denied that he bad found fault
with the course which the noble earl had thought it his
duty to take. What he did complain of was, that the
late government did not receive that generous considera-
tion
from parliament which it had a right to expect, and
he added, when he made that complaint, that the noble
earl would meet with better treatment at his own hands
and those of his supporters. He did not retreat now
from that complaint; and he was sure, if their lordships
would take the trouble to recal the events which had
taken place since the last election, they would be con-
vinced that this complaint was not made without just
cause. At the same time he had a good right to find
fault in bitter terms with some of the noble earl's col-
leagues. For instance, there was a right hon. baronet
who commenced his early life upon ultra-radical princi-
ples, but who afterwards abandoned those principles in
favour of conservatism. That right hon. gentleman went
down to his constituents at the last election, and declared
that the late government was a government without a
principle, and lie should therefore take every opportunity
of giving it his most decided opposition. When he came
up to town he disclosed matters in his speech on the corn-
law debate which led him (Lord Derby) to believe that
there had been a union of parties, including whigs, re-
formers, and conservatives, for the purpose of ousting the
late government. Although the negotiations which took
place would not justify his calling the movement of these
three parties a conspiracy, they yet did justify him in
thinking that the three parties acted in concert, for the
purpose, if possible, of defeating the late administration,
and they ultimately succeeded in accomplishing it. He
should abstain from discussing all the points of the
budget, but there was one point, namely, the income tax,
which must be taken up by Her Majesty's present ad-
visers, and if they could succeed in removing the ine-
qualities of that, they should have his hearty support.
He must be allowed to dissent in toto to the statement of
the noble earl, that the foreign policy of this country for
the last 30 years had been conducted only upon one prin-
ciple. The intentions of Lord Aberdeen on education
and legal reform were undoubtedly satisfactory, though
his views on the amendment of the representation were
of oracular ambiguity. The noble Earl had ridiculed
the notion of a dangerous democracy, but it remained to
be seen whether an alteration of the existing represen-
tative system might not throw too great power into the
hands of a lower and less informed class of the com-
munity. Personally, he had no feeling of hostility against
the new government, but he had no great confidence in
it, for he had no conception of the principle on which it
was based. If, however, the noble Earl conducted his
administration on a truly Conservative policy, he should
receive no evidence of public hostility.

foreign and colonial wines be reduced to Is. per imperial
gallon.—Mr. I. BUTT gave notice that on Tuesday, the
15th of February, he should move for leave to introduce a
bill for granting a new trial in criminal cases.—Mr.
BLACKETT gave notice that after the recess he should ask
whether it was the intention of Government to bring in a
bill this session to carry into effect the recommendations
of the commission appointed to inquire into the affairs of
the University of Oxford.—Mr. JOHN M4GaeGon. pre-
sented a petition from a mechanics' institution in Glas-
gow, praying for a supply of Parliamentary papers printed
by order of Parliament.—Mr. KEATING gave notice that
after the recess he should ask whether it was the intention
of Government to take any measures for insuring unifor-
mity in the drawing up of future Acts of Parliament, and
for the arrangement and consolidation of our statute law.
The house then adjourned till Thursday, the 10th Feb.

with the dictates of enlightened public opinion ; to secure
the freedom and purity of elections to parliament ; in a
word, to maintain the honoured institutions of the king-
dom in continual harmony with the growing intelligence
of the age ;—to these objects, if you shall intrust me with
your confidence, I engage, whether in or out of office, to
devote myself with all the assiduity in my power.

" I have the honour to be, gentlemen, your most
obedient servant, " EDWARD CARDWELL.
" Whitehall-gardens, 28th December, 1852."
On Wednesday Mr. Cardwell met the electors at the
Town-hall, and addressed the meeting, which was a very
crowded one, for upwards of an hour. in a speech which
was an expansion of his address. Mr. Cardwell took a
review of the progress of the nation in well-being under a
free-trade and reforming government—which aimed at
removing taxation, not shifting it. When called upon to
give his opinion respecting the ballot, Mr. Cardwell de-
clared that he would not pledge himself to vote for it, or
for anything else, being determined to enter parliament
free and unfettered ; but that, in common with every other
measure of reform that might be brought forward by the
Queen's administration and the reforming government of
which he was a member, the ballot should receive his best
consideration. He had suffered much from bribery, at
Liverpool and elsewhere ; and when the ballot came before
the House of Commons, he, if a member of it, would re-
member what he had promised at Oxford, and the senti-
ments of his constituents. After several speakers of
extreme Radical views had delivered their sentiments, Mr.
Nathaniel Castle proposed and Mr. Alderman Spiers
seconded, that Mr. Cardwell was a fit and proper person
to represent. the city of Oxford in parliament. To this an
amendment was proposed and seconded by the Radicals,
that, in the opinion of the meeting, no candidate should
be supported who would not vote for the ballot. A general
show of hands was made in favour of this amendment ; but
it is the opinion of the best informed that Mr. Cardwell
will be returned. The meeting lasted for nearly four hours.
The day of election is fixed for this day (Tuesday).

HORTICULTURE.

THE LATE HURRICANE.

Aso -
GREAT DESTRUCTION OF LIFE AND

PROPERTY

The dreadful hurricane, which commenced on Christmas
Eve, and which continued raging until yesterday week
with greater or less violence, has not been equalled in
point of severity, and for extent of havoc, since that
which occasioned so much destruction to life and property
in 1839. We last week recorded its destructive effects in
Liverpool, and the more immediate locality ; and from the
accounts since received the storm seems to have raged
with equal violence in all parts of the kingdom. As was
predicted, it has led to many most heartrending catas-
trophes on the coast. Several fine ships (some of them
emigrant vessels) perished amidst the fury of the gales,
and in one instance more than forty unfortunate creatures
met with a watery grave. It would seem that the effect
of the hurricane was first felt on Christmas Eve, and,
after sweeping round the coast of Ireland, burst over this
country. The velocity and power of the wind far ex-
ceeded anything which had been experienced on our
shores of late years.
Amongst the casualties in Liverpool two ladies (sisters)
were seriously injured in the Old Churchyard. They
passed into the yard at the telegraph tower-gate, and
went down to the front of the western side of the church
tower, to look at the picturesque, view which was to be
seen on the river. A gentleman who accompanied them
there left them whilst he went to the Prince's Dock. As
the ladies were standing looking at the splendid scene
before them, they were lifted up by a sudden gust of
wind which carried them forty or fifty yards across the
churchyard towards the Mersey-chambers. Their clothes
were blown over and twisted round their heads ; and,
after being borne along in the way described, the ladies
were dashed down on the grave-stones with considerable
force. They were both removed in a state of insensibility
to an office close by, and, on their recovery, were driven
home to their residences.

At Birkenhead and the neighbourhood the hurricane
was severely felt. A portion of the south end of the roof
of the market was carried off, and some of the brickwork
shattered. Messrs. Crow and Williams, timber-dealers
had a great portion of their yard-wall, in Oliver-street,
thrown down. During the day, owing to the extraordi-
nary height to which the tide attained, considerable diffi-
culty was experienced at some of the opposite ferries in
landing. At Woodside the water flowed up against the
pay-gates and over the quay, and the passengers had to be
landed for some time by means of planks.
There is perhaps not a town or village from one end of
the country to the other which has not felt the effects of
the gale.

In London and the metropolitan districts the destruc-
tion of property was immense. At the Eastern Counties
Railway the iron roof, 300 feet long and 47 wide, spanning
the Shoreditch terminus was completely destroyed. At
Gwydyr-house garden, opposite the Treasury, and adjoin-
ing the Duke of Buceknell's, Whitehall, a fine old elm,
about 70 feet in height, was snapped off below the level of
the ground and thrown forward to the street.—On West-
minster-bridge, eight of the old-fashioned globular lamps,
with which it was lighted were wrenched from the sup-
porters and destroyed. The venerable elm, in front of
Mr. Cole's house at the head of Upper Norton-street,
Portland-place, two hundred years old, was blown down.
A house in Red-lion-yard, Long-lane, Smithfield, fell,
burying a family consisting of a man, lis wife, and five
children ; fortunately the rafters fell so as to protect them
from serious injury, beyond severe bruises. A lofty stack
of chimneys near the Three Colts Tavern, Mile-end, was
blown down, and two persons were E 0 injured as to be
obliged to be conveyed to the hospital. At Baker's-build-
ings, Liverpool-street, Bishopsgate-street, City, an aged
female, named Sarah Holliday, lost her life, and her hus-
band was very seriously injured by the falling of a stack of
chimneys into their bed-room. An immense number of
minor casualties also took place. At Lambeth, Vauxhall,
Kennington, and other districts the destruction of trees,
chimneys, roofs. &c., was very great.
At Windsor the large gasometer on the premises of the
Royal Gas Company, near the Great Western Railway
Station, was blown out of the tank. Several large trees
in the Great Park and Windsor Forest were torn up by
the roots or blown down.

Much damage was done to a portion of the works of
the new Crystal Palace at Sydenham. A large moveable
platform, erected for the purpose of raising the arch of
the nave, was blown down among the columns and mas-
sive iron girders, bearing a considerable number of them
to the ground along with it.
At Oxford it caused very great damage in and around
the city and University. A poor woman was killed at the
workhouse by the falling of a chimney. A stack of chim-
neys fell into the dining-room of the President of Mag-
dalen College, making a total wreck. Happily the venera-
ble president escaped without injury. One of the pinna-
cles of all Souls' College-hall was swept down, and falling
on the roof of the hall, broke quite through it in two
places.

From Bristol the accounts are very bad, scarcely a
house escaped without sustaining more or less of damage.
Roofs were partially dismantled, chimney pots blown
down, and trees torn up or broken down in all directions.
At Clifton the gale was most severely felt. The windows
of Clifton Church were forced in, and the Roman Catholic
Church of the Holy Apostles was denuded of 'a portion of
its roof.

At Nottingham the circular roof of the Arboretum
was blown off, and the factory of Messrs. Mallet and Bur-
ton blown down.

The steeple of Trinity Church, Stockton-on-Tees, was
blown down, and, falling on the roof, broke through it,
carrying away in its fall the gallery beneath, and smashing
the seats in the aisle. Several houses have been over-
turned at Hartlepool. Mr. Marshall Fowler, of Preston-
hall; near Stockton, had a narrow escape. A tall chimney
stack that had stood for 25 years was blown over, and fell
through the roof and floor into the room below, where
two children were sleeping. The rubbish fell all round
them and a heavy stone within three inches of one's head ;
fortunately, they were not hurt.
At Banbury it did considerable damage, blowing down
a building at the Oxford and Birmingham railway station.
At Preston, (as detailed in our last,) two cotton mills
and several other buildings were destroyed, and the
hurricane was succeeded by an inundation, which, for its
magnitude, is without parallel in living recollection.
On Monday afternoon, the Ribblebecame so much swollen
by the incessant rains and the continuous freshest, that it
overflowed its natural channel, and speedily laid all the low-
lying country round under water. The river was fully 30
feet deep in the channel, or 14 feet higher than the tide
height marked in Holden's tables, and quite one foot
higher than it was during the hurricane of 1839. It
reached the arches of,the East Lancashire Railway Bridge
over the river, and spread over the adjoining fields to such
an extent that the tops of the hedges were barely visible.
On both sides of the Ribble, gardens and fields were
covered ; and the dwellings on the banks were inundated
to a great depth. At Ribble Place, a street at the bottom
of Fishergate, the water was five feet deep ; the cellars of
all the houses were filled, and the flood even reached to
the second story. A boy named Dickson was surrounded
by water, and would have perished had not a Mrs. Bailey
rushed to his rescue, and dragged him into her cottage,
which was near. Her house, however, was speedily in-
undated, and to such a height did the water rise that she
made signals of distress ; and a boat was brought, in
which all occupants were rowed to a place of safety. The
four cellars under the bonded warehouses were filled with
water, and about £2,000 worth of currants, belonging to
Messrs. Humber, merchants, were nearly all spoiled. About
£4,000 worth of wine, brandy, and rum, the property of
Mr. Breakell, spirit merchant, was floating about ; but
as the bungs were perfectly tight, it is expected that the
loss will be very small. On Monday and Tuesday, 100
men were employed in pumping out the water from the
vaults. The damage to the farms on the banks of the
river is immense, in the destruction of crops, garden pro-
duce. and farming stock. Several walls washed down on
both sides, and great injury done to the vessels in the
river and the cargoes with which they were laden.
At Fleetwood, which is so much exposed to the Irish
sea, Morecombe Bay, &c., the fury of the storm was
appalling, but no loss of life has been reported. The
greater part of Sir Hesketh Fleetwood's estate was
submerged.

At Blackpool (the well known fashionable bathing
place), near Fleetwood, the damage done was considerable,
several houses being blown down. The tide rose higher
than known for many years, the sea running mountains
high, and washing the whole front beach and road away;
the waves breaking against the houses and bow windows,
washing up many of the rail posts and palings at the front
of them ; and in many cases the water ran right through
the houses and out at the back doors.

At Clifton, Lea, and vicinity, situated near Preston, en
the banks of the river Ribble, great losses have been
sustained by the farmers. Many hundred tons of turnips
have been washed away ; and Mr. Dixon, of Lea Gate,
lost fifty sheep, drowned in the flood, which, notwith-
standing the confining and deepening of the channel by
the recent operations of the Ribble Navigation Company,
spread over the fields as far as the eye could discern,
causing most fearful devastation. The damage done
amounts to some thousands of pounds.
At Patricroft a larce three-storey cotton-mill, which
was being erected by Messrs. Withington and Whitehead,
of Pendleton, was blown down. The loss is estimated at
£2,000.

At Stockport the high wind upset three of the caravans
belonging to the late Mr. Wombwell's menagerie of wild
beasts, and by the fall a fine full-grown Bengal tiger was
killed. This is a serious loss to the proprietor, the animal
being valued at £3OO.
At Wigan a Baptist Chapel, recently erected near
Chapel-street, was blown down, and altogether destroyed.

At Carlisle a spinning factory, belonging to i\lr
M`Knight, was reduced to ruin.

In Ifanchester scarcely a street has escaped, and in one
row of new houses half-a-dozen are nearly levelled with
the ground. Two pinnacles of the tower of St. Paul's
Church, at Kersal-moor, now building for the Rev. H.
W. Al' Grath late of St. Ann's, were blown down, one
crushing in half the roof, the other breaking the Caen
stone font, and doing damage that will cost £5OO to
repair.
At Tattersall railway station, near Lincoln, a man was
killed by the engine-shed being blown down.
In the neighbourhoods of Ruthin and Denbigh the
country is one mass of water, the high winds being
accompanied by heavy and almost incessant rains. The
beautiful vale of Clwyd is so completely inundated as to
resemble a large lake ; and in the vicinity of Holywell the
depth of water is such that not only boats but large ves-
sels might sail upon its surface. A most terrible gale has
been experienced at Carnarvon. The force of the tide
was such that the massive wall which forms the quay was
forced down in five places, huge stones being scattered in
all directions, and the spray dashing furiously up to the
walls of the ancient castle.

In Dublin immense damage was done to property, and
we regret that in one district (Milltown) three lives were
lost. It appears that, between six and seven o'clock on
Sunday morning, a large tree was overthrown at the
Milltown Factory, which, falling on the gate-house
attached thereto, carried down the roof, floor, and walls,
burying the inmates, six in number, underneath. Three
persons were suffocated under the ruins, namely, Mrs.
Ryan, the owner of the lodge, her daughter, Margaret
Ryan, and her son, Phillip Ryan.
Life was lost in Limerick likewlse. A young man
named Vaughan, a printer and glazier, while returning
home, was lifted from the ground in 2ary-street, cast
against a wall, and his brains dashed out. A letter from
Alit:lame city mentions likewise that theso.utWy for miles