The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1849-07-03 00:00:00

A few days ago the workmen who are cutting through
a mass of rock at Westbury, near Brackley, Oxfordshire,
came, at the depth of 20 feet, on a layer of clay, in which
were found embedded the bones of an Ichthyosaurus.
Large importations of oranges are taking place from
Lisllon, the growth of Portugal. They are of very fine
flavour, :Ind are of considerable importance, as the arrivals
from St. Michael's have ceased.
A METAMORZEIOSIL—The Primitive Methodist Chapel,
Cowpen-quay, is at praftnt undergoing repairs, and being
altered preparatory to its beidg made into a beer-shop and
public-house.—Shields Gazette.
A large number of Highlanders, of all ages and both
sexes have, within the last few days emigrated to North
America. The Duke of Argyle has assisted 360 to emi-
grate from the island of Tyree.
Notice has been given by the Rev. Edward Postle, to
bring before the sessions on the 6th of July all the cir-
cumstances relative to the finding and custody of the
blunderbuss discovered at Potash Farm.

The Imaum of Muscat's ship Artemisia has arrived in
London Docks faom Zanzibar, with five thoroughbred
Arabian horses, which the Imaum has sent as a present
to the Queen. . .

A young French lady named Rheims, who had been
staying as governess with a family near Douglas, Isle of
Man, was found drowned a few days ago on the receding
of the tide among the rocks. From letters found in her
possession there is no doubt she committed suicide.
On Friday evening, Mr. J. Phillpotts, the late member
for Gloucester, and brother to the Bishop of Exeter, died
very suddenly in an omnibus, as it was proceeding along
Oxford-street. Death was occasioned by disease of the
heart.

A considerable trade in horses appears to have arisen
between London and the continent, for the London jour-
nals mention importation of horses, mostly consigned to
metropolitan horse dealers, from Havre, Harlingen, Os-
tend, Hamburg, and Antwerp.
ORANGEMEN.—On Tuesday, the Orangemen of the
Halifax district held an interesting festival. They as-
sembled in Sowerby-street about eleven o'clock in the
forenoon, each wearing an orange ribbon, with a blue.
rosette, round his neck, and having on white gloves.
They afterwards walked in procession, and had a grand
banquet.
Mr. W. Mynn, of cricketing celebrity, eloped last week
with the daughter of a respectable man named Jeury, who
resides at Maidstone. The father pursued the fugitives to
a place called Surbiton, where he overtook them, and
recovered his daughter.
How DID IT HAPPEN ?—The parish clerk of Kirkby
Lonsdale when digging a grave last week, found a coffin
with the lid loose and filled with shavings, but no body in
it. It has caused some excitement in the neighbourhood.
The coffin was one that had been interred about ten years
ago.
The committee of the Bible Society having, by a ma-
jority of 24 votes against 21, ordered that the meetings of
the society shall be opened in future with reading of the
Scriptures and with prayer, Mr. Brandram, the clerical
secretary, has determined to retire, under the impression
that the proposed change will lead to endless divisions.
The total amount subscribed for Emily Sandford was
£983 13s. 3d., of which £553 ss. 6d. has been expended
in providing for the wants of herself and her brother, in-
clusive of £6O given by her desire to members of her own
family. The balance (£427 7s. 9d.) remaining to be re-
mitted as may hereafter be deemed advisable.

A woman named Rebecca Smith, wife of a labourer, at
Westbury, Wilts, has been committed for trial charged
with the wilful murder of her infant child by poisoning.
The prisoner has been married 18 years, and has given
birth to eleven children, all of whom, except the eldest,
died in infancy.
Amongst the guests, with Sir Robert and Lady Peel, at
the banquet of the Lord Mayor of London, (Sir James
Duke) on Wednesday last, were—the Marquis and Mar-
chioness of Londonderry, Earl of Harrowby, Earl of
Lincoln, LDrd and Lady Wharncliffe. Sir James Graham,
and the Right Hon. G. Stuart Wortley, M.P.
Two serious fires broke out in Hull during the past week.
The first in a bed-room of the Sykes's Head Inn, had
nearly proved fatal to three invalided soldiers, who slept
in the room. The second fire, in the cooperage of a per-
son named Smith, damaged property to the amount of £4OO.
A few days ago, while an aged woman, named Thomp-
son, of Ryall, Northumberland, was proceeding through
a field to a well, she was suddenly attacked by one of a
herd of Irish cattle grazing in the field. The heifer
rushed upon her, and after tossing her, gored her so
severely that she died a few days afterwards.
A " crow's nest" has just been completed on the tower
of Gloucester Cathedral, for the purpose of taking obser-
vations for the survey of the river Severn. The scaffold-
ing is raised to a considerable height above the tower of
the cathedral, and is surmounted by a small house or cot,
which is reached by means of a long ladder.
On Wednesday, the coroner for Surrey, stated at an in-
quest, that he had received an official document from the
Secretary of State, giving orders that in all cases of
cholera occurring in union workhouses, prisons, &c., he
(the coroner) was to hold inquests upon the bodies, and
to report accordingly to the government authorities the
result of the same.

Many bones of the megatherium, myloden, and other
extinct animals, were lately found in Southwark, near one
of the railways which traverse the borough, and were sold
to a bone grinder, from whose hands a geologist rescued
several hundredweights of these interesting remains of
ancient creation, though a large quantity had already been
ground into manure.
LONGEVITY IN HULL. —There are 290 old people
lief at the Hull Workhouse, whose united ages amount to
20,958 years, averaging to each 721 years, of which num-
bet 237 are women, ranging from GO to 96, and 53 men,
from 61 to 93 years. In the house, 151 old people, whose
united ages amount to 10,474 years, averaging 691 years ;
66 men, from 60 to 86, and 86 women, 60 to 91 years.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has received in an
anonymous letter, £2O, "in repayment of a sum claimed
in error, and received from the Legacy Duty office."
Also, in another anonymous letter, £5 on account of
" an omission in a return of income to be taxed, by which
the revenue was deprived of a sum which he restores four-
fold."

Mr. and Mrs. Plumptree, and Mr. and Mrs. 0. Mosley,
of Chancellor House, had a very narrow escape on Sunday
week. They were returning from church in a fly, which,
having come in contact with an omnibus, caused the
horse, a blind one, to run away. He fell down a preci-
pice 33 feet below the level of the road, carrying the fly
with him. The parties inside escaped without injury.
The woman whose child was stolen from her at Hull,
the week before last, was sent to Leith after the female
who kidnapped it. After a fruitless search by the police,
the poor woman fell in with the thief accidentally, and.
the child'was restored to her. It would appear that the
beggar woman absconded with the child in consequence
of having become greatly attached to it.
STREET BEGGARS.—Three men, O'Leary, Riley, and
Regan, were successively charged at Marlborough-street
Police-office, on Tuesday, with begging in the streets.
One was di unk, another abused a lady who had refused
him alms, and the third protested that he had not tasted
food for two days. In each case a sum of money was
found on the impostor. They have all been sent to gaol.
BIGHT MEN KILLED.—On Wednesday week an acci-
dent occurred at the railway-bridge now building at Rox-
burgh, over the Teviot. Eight men were on a crane,
engaged in springing two arches, and a number of others
were engaged in the quarry beneath, a depth of from 80 to
90 feet; when, without giving any warning, the pier gave
way with a sudden crash, killing the men.

SALE OF HUNTERS.—The following hunters, the pro-
perty of Mr. Baker, were during last week sold by Messrs.
Tattersall :—Mummy, 370 es. ; Whitelock, 360 gs. ' - Elec-
tion, 310 gs. ; Challenger, 290 gs. ; Mulatto, 260 gs. ; Lamp-
lie,hter, IBsgs. ; California, 170 gs. ; Wallingford, 160 gs. ;
Clinker, 150 gs. ; Lounger, 145 gs. ; Voltaire, 130 gs. ;
Mandarin, 195 gs.
We notice that the Shepping House and Church Farm
estates, situate at Mathon, on the borders of Worcester-
shire and Herefordshire, are to be.publicly offered for sale
in the course of a month. These two valuable properties
wore amongst the purchases made by Fcargus O'Connor
for the purposes of the land scheme : for reasons known to
himself, the hon. member has not completed the purchase
of either, but has preferred forfeiting the deposit-money.
THE IRON TRADE OF SOUTH STAFFORDSIIIRE.—On
Thursday the private preliminary meeting of the iron
masters of this district was held at Bolton's, the new inn
in Hanswnrth. The state of the trade was reported to be
such as to render a further reduction of 10s. a ton neces-
sary. This makes a reduction of 30s. per ton on the de-
clared prices of last quarter-day, and with no prospect of
improvement.
AN ANCIENT GOOSE.—On Sunday week, Mr.W. Turn-
ill, of Braceborough, Yorkshire, experienced a loss of a
singular nature—no less than the death of a favourite
goose, which had been on the premises at Braceborough
for 60 years, and prior to that had been in the possession
of Mr. John Smith, of Deeping St. James, for 40 years.
The bird was consequently 100 years old at his demise.
Mr. Turnill intends having the skin stuffed.
Last year the freights from Odessa to London averaged
£4 per ton. On Friday last these freights were offered at
£2 10s. the ton, but not taken. On Saturday they were
offered at.£2 7s. 6d. a ton, but not taken ; it is expected
that foreign ships will offer for less than £2 the ton. Thesa
are the first fruits of the repeal of the navigation laws.
The ruin that such a reduction of freights must cause to
the shipowner is apparent.
TURNING THE TABLES.—A few days ago, at the County
Court, held at Morpeth, a pitman from Netherton col-
liery was ordered to gaol in default of payment of a debt
of 15s. While his commitment was being made out,
however, he coolly took his hat, walked away, locked the
door on the outside, and made his honour and all the rest
of them prisoners. Some little time elapsed ere they
could get egress, and in the meantime the pitman had
escaped.
There is now living at Scalpa, in the Isle of Harris, a
woman, named Marian Morrison, who has attained the
age of one hundred and eight. She hears and sees well,
can walk on a good road ten miles in the day, and can
knit a- d darn without spectacles, which she has never
used. She has paid rents to a succession of seven pro-
prietors. She has never indulged in dainty food or ardent
spirits, but has lived on good " wholesome Highland fare.
RAMSEY HARBOUR.—The commissioners of harbours
have determined to improve and enlarge Ramsey har-
bour, for the better protection of vessels which seek
shelter during tempestuous seasons, and for the accom-
modation generally of the shipping interest. Within the
past week builders have commenced to enlarge the har-
bour, under the direction of the corn rnissioners, by clear-
ing and digging the foundation for the addition of 100
yards at the western extremity of the quay.
CHARGE OF ATTEMPTED MURDER BY A PREACHER.
—On Wednesday, the Rev. Jonathan Henry Price, a
dissenting minister at Woodham Ferris, and Priscilla
Ruffle, about 30 years of age, daughter of a widow occu-
pying a farm at High Roothing, were charged at Chelms-
ford with attempting to murder a illd found in a basket
at Widford. They were seen in gig with the basket,
which was afterwards discovered in a ditch by a person
passing the page. The prisoners were committed for