The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1849-11-27 00:00:00

E3lstrta

H. Raikes, Esq., Registrar of this Diocese, contributed
on Thursday the sum of £5O to the Chester Infirmary as
a Thank-Offering for merciful deliverance from the late
fatal pestilence.

A canary show, at which fifty birds were exhibited, was
held at Preston on Monday week, when prizes, consisting
of coffee pots, tea-pots, kettles, knives and forks, and
coffee grinders, were awarded to the owners of the finest
birds.

THREATENED STRIRE.—The miners have given notice
to the different colliery proprietors in St. Helen's district,
•

that, in fourteen days after the 19th instant, on which it
bears date, they shall expect to be paid in accordance with
an advanced list of prices submitted.

FLEETWOOD.—On Thursday the annual meeting of the
Fleetwood Auxiliary in aid of the Church Missionary So-
ciety was held, on which occasion the Rev, H. Carpenter,
M.A., incumbent of St. Michael's, Liverpool, attended as
a deputation from the Parent Society.
Mr. W. Mayor, of Penrith (formerly of Garstang), has
had awarded to him the Honorary Diploma of the Royal
Veterinary Medical Society, for his contributions in fur-
therance of the objects of the society, including an essay
on the Anatomy, Physiology, and Patholoey of the Lungs,
more particularly as regards that fatal disease pneumonia.
SANATORY INQUIRY.—Mr. Robert Rawlinson, one of
the government inspectors, was, last week, at Ormskirk.
He heard evidence as to the sanatory condition 3f the
town on Wednesday and Thursday, and on Friday he
made a personal inspection. Mr. Rawliwon had been
similarly engaged, during the preceding fortnight, at Car-
lisle.

A BRIDE LOSING HER HUSBAND.—On Alonday week,
a wedding party left the Bird-i'th'-hand Inn, Hindley,
and proceeded to Bolton, where the matrimonial knot was
tied, and they afterwards proceeded to promenade the
streets for the purpose of seeing the " lions." Something
of a peculiar nature having attracted the attention of the
bride, she stopped to gaze at it. The husband and the
wedding party went on, and all her attempts to find them
afterwards proved unavailing, and therefore she had no
alternative but to return home by herself in the evening.
She saw nothing of her husband until the day following,
when he returned to 'Wigan, and declared that he had
been anxiously in search of his lost wife all night. The
wedding party returned shortly afterwards, and the mis-
haps of a day caused the young wife to promise " That
she would take care that she would not lose him again ?"
—Preston Chronicle.

THE MOON IN DANGER.—At a meeting, last week, of
the Preston Improvement Commissioners, (reported in
the Chronicle of that town,) Mr. German inquired
" upon what principle the streets were lighted ?" Mr.
Myers replied that so soon as the sun was nine degrees
below the horizon the lan.ps were lighted, and when he
got twelve degrees above the horizon they were put out.
That would answer very well, he said, but the great diffi-
culty was the moon. As to that lady the following ord, r
had been made :—" On Sunday nights, and all otln r
nights except on moonlight nights ; and then only during
such hours as the moon shall be less than fifteen degrees
below the horizon." Mr. German—You had better throw
the moon overboard. I believe she does no good.
(Laughter.) On cloudy nights she gives no light at all.
Mr. German moved that she be thrown overboard.
(Laughter.) Seconded by Mr. Catherall. Carried unani-
mously. Moon thrown overboard—" man" and all.
FRIGHTFUL ACCIDENT.—On Thursday a dreadful acci-
dent occurred at the cotton mill of Messrs. Swainson, Bir-
ley, and Co., Fishwick, near Preston. Mr. Oddy. the
manager of the mill, perceived an escape of gas. and gave
orders for an examination of the pipes. About twenty
minutes to seven o'clock a labourer of the name of Thos.
Lawson proceeded to search for the leakage ; it being dark
he procured a lamp, when the gas from the main pipe im-
mediately ignited at the mouth of a sewer. The conse-
quence was that the whole of the lights in the north-east
portion of the mill were extinguished ; upon which the
weavers instantly threw their looms out of gear. The
engine being relieved of a great proportion of its weight
acquired such a velocity from the impetus thus given to it
that the fly-wheel was splintered to pieces. Great da-
mage was thereby done to the machinery and the mill ; a
man named Henry Kirkham, manager in the throstle-
room, was killed, and John Cooke, engine-tenter, was
very dreadfully injured.
MEETING OF ROMAN CATHOLICS.—On Tuesday even-
ing a large meeting of the Roman Catholics of Manchester
and Salford was held in Carpenters' Hall, Garratt-road,
convened, as was stated in the placards announcing the
meeting, to rebut the calumnies of the Revs. Hugh
Stowell, Dr. 111`Neile, and others, at the late meeting of
tho Protestant Operative Association in the Free-trade
Hall. We know not whether the motly assemblage of
persons present claim to represent the Romanist body of
Manchester, but when we state that the principal speak-
ers were Michael M'Donough, Jas. Leach, Finnigan.
Whittaker, and others, most of them recently discharged
from Kirkdale prison for their share in the Chartist con-
spiracy of last year, our readers may judge for themselveF.
As was to be expected, the Rev. H. Stowell, the Courier,
and the Rev. Dr. M'Neile fell in for a fair share of cen-
sure and abuse, and the whole affair was just such an ex-
plosion of vituperative words as odr Protestant friends
may readily imagine.—Manchesier Courier.

OUR COLONIAL EXPORTS FOR THE PAST

MONTH

The exports of cotton manufactures to our colonial de-
pendencies, during the past month, continue to exhibit a
favourable aspect, in nearly every instance exceeding the
export of 1846, and very largely exceeding the average of
the three years 1846-7-8. The following, furnished by
Mr. Burns' Colonial Circular, chews the increase this year
over the three years in question, in some of the most im-
portant articles in the cotton manufacture.

Plain calicoes to Calcutta—increase 20,871,857 yards ;
printed and dyed calicoes, 508,882 yards. To Bombay
plain, 38,701,237 yards ; printed, 5,072,180. The quan-
tity shipped was nearly equal to the entire shipments of
the preceding three years. Madras—a decrease in plain
goods of 397,458 yards, and an increase in printed of
251,571 yards. Sincapore, Manilla—increase in plain
goods, 3,572.591 yards; and in printed, 1,184,789 yards.
Batavia—decrease in plain, 786,911 yards, and increase in
printed, 705,929 yards. To none of the preceding colonies
have the exports of twist materially varied, with the ex-
ception of Bombay, to which we have an increase of
2,380,688 over the average of the years 1846 to 1848, and
evidence of a regular progress since 1846 of the imports
of this and other descriptions of goods.
To Hong Kong and Canton we have a large progressive
failing off during the whole period in calicoes. The im-
portations in 1846 ..ere39,968,132 yds., and on ly 17,900,639
this year. The decrease on the average of three preceding
years is 9.368,935 yards. There is a slight increase in
printed goods, and a considerable decrease in twist.
Shanghae, however, has increased in about the same
ratio that Hong Kong has declined. The increase on
the three years on plain goods is 15,635,115 yards, on
printed 280,679 yards, and twist 57,005. The importa-
tions here have steadily progressed since 1846—have in
fact more thon doubled themselves. There is a small
increase to the other Chinese 'ports. We have an in-
crease to New Holland of 2,798,815 yards plain goods,
and 1,057,920 printed and dyed. The Mauritius has
nearly doubled its importations of both articles ; and the
exports to the Cape of Good Hope have decreased about
a third. The Coast of Africa has largely increased its
imports, the excess of the present !oar being 2,08,047
yards of plain calicoes, and 5.167,669 of printed. The
total imports in 1847 were 1,918,763, and 3,566,344 respec-
tively. Jamaica, Honduras, and the British West Indies
continue to increase their imports. St. Thomas shews an
increase in plain goods, and a considerable decrease in
I good. 'PI P- —Libited 0

printed goods. The Brazzes ex, a precisely similar
condition. To Columbia, the River Plate, and
we have a very large increase. To British North Ame-
rica there is a slight decrease, both in plain and printed
goods. The United States of America chew the fact of
a decrease of 4,348.770 yards of plain calk
crease of 11,462,556 yards of printed go'

coes, an

WHAT MUST BE DONE FOR RAILWAYS ?*

The writer of the pamphlet before us is well know
be thoroughly conversant with the question which he
proposes to discuss ; and in many respects he entertains
the same views with respect to the depreciation which has
taken place in the price of railway property to those put
forth in Mr. Scrivenor's work, which we reviewed last
week. With respect, however, to the steps to be adopted
for their restoration, he differs in some important parti-
culars, which we shall briefly notice, inasmuch as his
views are those advocated by the directors and some cf
the large holders of several of our leading lines. Mr.
Langton admits the necessity for more " responsible
management, and an efficient audit." Boards of direction
he considers have heretofore been chosen more on account
of the fact of the parties being largely interested than
from their personal fitness to undertake the duties. He
contends that a few members of each hoard should be
amply paid for giving their undividel attention to its
affairs, and hold their office so long only as they condu •ted
them satisfactorily, and in no case should one of these
acting and paid directors be the chairman. There can be
little question of .the advantage to be derived from this
course ; and, indeed, something resembling it is gradually
being adopted by many companies ; but it will only par-
tially answer the object desired unless accompanied by the
establishment of an effective audit.
With respect to the composition of an auditing body,
Mr. Langton is at issue with many authorities, who can
see no satety unless the accounts of railway companies
are submitted to the supervision of a government hoard.
" The government," he says, " can do nothing for rail-
way companies in the way of auditing their accounts,
which the shareholders cannot do much better for them-
selves if they choose ;" and he adds, " A government
audit ought to be shunned as you would shun the Unas
tree. The very shadow of it ought to be avoided." His
plan is thus explained :

" Let the shareholders of every comnany select three men of
experience and standing from their own body, to be designated
the Audit Board. Let them be altogether independent, and
above the control of the directors, and paid for their serrices.
Let one of them vo out of office annually, to be ineligible for