The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-06-20 00:00:00

IN HOLSTEIN, orders have been given that all works
under six sheets are to be regarded as newspapers, and
treated accordingly. The press is forbidden to discuss the
present system of neutrality.
SOME DECIMAL Cotres have been struck by the Stock-
holm mint on trial. The Swedish royal medalist and
mint engraver is a lady, whose talent is universally
admired.
A KING OF TRE. FOREST.—The recent tempestuous
winds felled to the ground, in Stowe park, the most
magnificent oak on. the estate. The measured esti-
mate of its workable timber is 1,000 feet and its value
£lOO.
PROBABILITIES OF THE WAR.—In talking with some
generals the other day, the emperor is reported to have
said, "It would be nothing extraordinary if next year I
should find myself with my army (the camp of Boulogne)
and the Swedish army at St. Petersburg."
SUICIDE BY A BOY.—On Tuesday morning, a boy
named Robert, son of John Sharp, labourer,.Glasgow, com-
mitted suicide by suspending himself to a nail at the side
of a window, by means of his cravat. The boy is only 13
years of age. And when found was quite dead.—
Caledonian Mercury.
GUANO DISCOVERIES.—The Washington correspondent
of the New York Daily Times, writing on May 29,
says :—"News has reached here from Mr. J. Vallamail of
immense deposits of guano on the Gallipagos Island. off
the coast of Ecuador, situated half way between San Fran-
cisco and Cape Horn."
THE CHARTERED BANK OF AUSTRALIA have issued
their balance-sheet to the 31st of December last, prepara,
tory to the meeting of the proprietors on the 23rd inst.
It shows a clear sum of £12,278 to the credit of profit and
loss—equal to rather more than. 3-1. per cent. on the called
up capital of £375,000.
THE CaYsTai, PALACE.—The Duke of Devonshire,
who was unable to attend We opening ceremony on Satur-
day week, has presented a very elegant candelabrum to
Sir Joseph Paxton, with an appropriate inscription com-
memorative of the event, accompanying his gift with a
magnificent diamond and turquoise bracelet as a present
to Lady Paxton.
A FRENCH STEAMER is being fitted out in the port of
Varna for purposes of scientific inquiry ; for English and
French interests alike demand such a scientific exami-
nation of the coasts of the Euxine. The tides, currents,
and winds which prevail there are to be carefully observed
and noted down on the charts, with the rocks, shoals, and
banks, and other impediments to navigation.
LADY FRANKLIN refuses to accept a widow's pension.
Sir John, she says, is not dead. Acting, however, in ac-
cordance with the contrary conviction expressed by the
Lords of the Admiralty, the Prerogative Court of Canter-
bury has granted probate of the will made before his
embarkation by Mr. Thomas Blanky, master of the ship
Terror.
ANOTHER MATERIAL FOB MAKING PAPER.—The
editor of the Baltimore Sun reports having just examined
some samples of paper made of reeds or cane, of a kind
which grows in great abundance in some of the States ;
and also a sample made from white pine shavings. It is
said the reeds abound upon the margin of streams, and
will make excellent paper.
EXTENSIVE CONFLAGRATION.—The immense foundry
belonging to Messrs. Bolckow and Vaughan, at Middles-
borough, was accidentally burnt to the ground on Sunday
week. The pipes for the extension of the Southwark and
Vauxhall, the Grand Junction, and the West Middlesex
water companies, were being made at these works. This
foundry -was previously blown down when not quite
finished, on Christmas-day, 1852
COURT' MARTIAL.—The Bombay Times gives an
account of an extraordinary court-martial on Lieut-
, Colonel Gidley, of the 22nd Bombay Native Infantry, and
his condemnation on charges of having in five or six
instances countenanced inferior officers being drunk while
on duty, and in not having interfered to prevent language
and scenes of gross indecency between the same officers,
in the room of the regiment. The Colonel was sentenced
to be dismissed the service, and a further court-martial
appointed to try the inferior officers, Lieutenants Laurie,
Comyn, and Fraser, and Ensigns Loft and Hammond.
CALIFORNIA WHEAT CROP.—There appears to be a
fear in Calafornia that the wheat crop will be too large,
and that the mills will be insufficient to grind it all.
Breadstuff's, they say, will henceforward be cheap, and the
money now sent to Chili and the east to buy flour will be
retained in the country; thus while the price of provisions
will be low, money will be plentiful. They further say
that flour will be soon exported from California.
TELEGRAPH FOR THE BATTLE FIELD.—An electric
telegraph apparatus, to be employed on the field of battle,
for the purpose of forwarding communications of the
operations of the army from one portion to the other,
is said to be now nearly completed at the Royal Arsenal,
Woolwich, and will be shortly dispatched to the seat
of war. Each portion is fitted in a light four-wheeled
waggon, which holds sufficient wire for a length of twelve
miles.
AT LISBON there were no British ships on the Queen's
birth-day, and as the Portuguese ships did not hoist the
English ensign, as usual, no one expected that any com-
Pliment- would be paid to the day ; but when twelve
o'clock came, up went the meteor flag of England to the
masthead of one solitary vessel the French war steamer
Le Newton, whose guns began to thunder out a royal
salute, to the delight of the English, the surprise of the
Portuguese, who, nevertheless did not join in it, and,
doubtless, to the no small mortification of the Russian
minister, who has a fine view of the river from the win-
dows of his residence.
' THE COST OF BANKRUPTCIES.--In the six years 1847
to 1852, one of the London official assignees lied 307 bank-
ruptcies committed to him. The available assets, after
deducting £37,424 for payments in full to mortgagees and
for rent and taxes, amounted to £157,915. Out of this
sum the creditors have received rather more than £90,000
in dividends; the court fees absorbed £10,265 (61 per cent.),
the official assignee took £7,897 (5 per cent.), the messenger
£7,943 (5 per cent.), the broker and auctioneer £6,937
(41 per cent.), and the solicitors £20,255 (121 per cent.),
making together above £43,000, or more than 33 per cent.!
The allowance to the bankrupts for maintenance, Sec., was
£4,761.
IMPORTANT DISCOVERY.—During an investigation of
the ancient borough documents, contained in the muniment
room of the Town Council, by the Rev. Stantialt Steinthal
and Mr. H. C. Heard, for the purpose of selecting such as
were likely to be interesting to the antiquaries visiting
the exhibition to be held in this town in the month of
August next, these gentlemen discovered a charter of
Elizabeth's reign, conferring very important privileges on
the port of Bridgwater, not the least valuable of which is
the exemption of payment of port and harbour dues in
every other port in the kingdom, excepting London. If
this charter has not lost its force for having, so long
remained obsolete, the owners of vessels belonging to
Bridgwater will do well to adopt such steps as shall secure
to them so great a privilege as appears to be conferred by
the charter in question.—Exeter Gazette
DREADFUL Snirwascx.—The Foreign News gives
the following details of the melancholy loss of 731 Peruvian
troops :—" The Peruvian transport Mercedes, bound from
Casma to Callao, with about 800 troops on board, struck
upon a tock near the mouth of Casma harbour on the
morning of the first of May. The Mercedes was accom-
panied by the government steamer Rimac, the officers of
which rendered every possible assistance, but without
effect. The Mercedes went down soon after she struck,
carrying with her 731 persons. The conduct of Captain
Noel, commander of the lost vessel, was, from the accounts
published in the papers of this city, such as must merit
universal praise and admiration. He remained at his post
to the last, and went to the bottom with his ship, and
more than 700 of his countrymen."
BILLS OF EXCHANGE AND PROMISSORY NOTES BILL.—
Mr. Digby Seymour's Bills of Exchange Frauds Preventiim
Bill, now before the House of Commons, provides that if
any person shall, by any false pretence or by menaces, or
by force or other fraudulent means, obtain from another a
bill or note (or his signature) with intent to appropriate
or convert such bill or note to his own use, or otherwise
fraudulently to dispose thereof or of the proceeds, he shall
be guilty of felony and liable to penal servitude for six
years, or imprisonment and hard labour for three years ;
and the same punishment may be allotted to any one who
shall at any time knowingly and wilfully become the
holder of such bill or note. Also if any person, receiving
a bill or note (or signature) for the purpose of its being
discounted, or of a credit, advance or loan being made on
the security thereof, or for any special purpose or with any
special direction, whether expressed. in writing or not, shall
fraudulently appropriate to his own use or otherwise
fraudulently dispose of such bill or note or the proceeds
thereof, he shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and liable to
three years' imprisonment and bard labour ; and the same
punishment may be allotted to any one who shall at any
time knowingly and wilfully be the holder of such-bill or
note. In an action on the bill a judge on affidavit of the
fraud may impound the bill, and order the plaintiff to give

security for costs.
AN UNINVITED GIIEST AT THE OPENING OF THE
CRYSTAL PALACE.—WhiIe the police were busy clear-
ing out all intruders from the central space, there was one
who obstinately resisted all attempts at removal. A little
dog took his position in front of a group of ladies, to whom
he evidently belonged, and exhibited a degree of passive
resistance which completely baffled his blue-coated per-
secutors. The audience, wearied out with expectation,
took a deep interest in the contest, some asserting that
the dog, for whom their sympathies were cordially excited,
was a season ticket holder; otherd,
,that he came as a
representative of the Isle of Dogs ; and a third party as-
serted that as "a cat might look at a king, " doggy had a
right to look at the Queen, and, in solemn gravity contem-
plating the interesting proceedings of the day, our canine
friend remained till the close.
THE COMMITTEE ON FRIENDLY SOCIETIES have
resumed their sittings, and agreed to recommend to the
house that societies be allowed to be established for the
following purposes :—" 1. For relieving, maintaining, or
endowing a member, or the husband, wife, or relative of a
member in childhood, old age, sickness, widowhood, or any
natural state of which the probability may be calculated
by way of average. 2. The defraying the expenses of the
burial of a member, his wife, or child. 3. For insuring a
sum to be paid on the death of a member above the age of
10 years, to the person nominated in a writing to be
deposited with the secretary, or clerk of the society, by
such member, being the husband, wife,
father, mother,
child, brother, or sister, nephew, or niece of such member,
or in default of such nomination, or in case of the death of
such nominee, to be paid to the executor or administrator,
or next of kin of the member. 4. Making good any loss
or damage by fire, or other contingency, of which the pro-
bability may be calculated by way of average, of live or
dead stock, goods, implements of trade and tools, sustained
by any member, or for enabling members to purchase
food, firing, or clothes, or to purchase or hire any article
of use or necessity, in their trade or business. 5. For
the purpose of enabling any member, or the husband, wife,
or children, or nominee, of such member, to emigrate, and
of enabling the emigrants to n purchase
mlaternd
ia ls, i any of the
colonies, and the tools, implements, aor other
necessities of their trade or calling, and of advancing loans
to them for the purpose, and taking such security for the
repayment thereof as the•trustees of the society may think
fit. Provided always, that a society established under this
act shall not assure the payment, on death, of a sum exceed-
ing £2O, or any other contingency, or any sum exceeding
£100." The clause, which regulated the money payable
on the death of a child under 10 years of age, and that
only upon the certificate of a ooroner or medical man; and
the fourth clause, rendering any person establishing a
society, except under the provisions of this act, or of the
Joint Stock Companies Act, liable to a penalty of £2O,
were postponed, to allow of further evidence being received
rxwai 13..arties opposing the same.