The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-07-06 00:00:00

;e under him to persevere

soon do well, ti
lied to leave.—

Hampshire Ai

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Silly 6, 1847.

total Ilttus.

THE GREAT BRITAIN.—On Friday we paid a visit to
the Great Britain, for the purpose of witnessing personally
the operations which are in progress to raise her, previous
to being floated off. The arrangements are certainly very
ingenious, but eannot be clearly described to those who
have not seen them. On each side of the vessel are driven
upon their ends into the sand, until they reach the solid
rock, a number of large logs of timber, in an inclined po-
sition. Near the top of two of these logs is to be a box or
case filled with sand, weighing about 50 tons. Upon the
top of each log is a sheave of iron, in a groove in which
runs a rope which communicates with the boxes and with
the vessel. The boxes are supported by large chain ca-
bles, and their object is to raise the vessel, for according
to the principles of mechanism, as they sink the ship rises.
There are to be twenty of these boxes, ten on each side of
the vessel. Eight of them are at present in the position
intended for them, and in process of being filled ; the rest
will soon be completed. The greater number will be
placed towards the ship's bow, where she is deeper in the
sand, nearly to the depth of four feet two inches, and
fewer towards the stern,-where she is not so deep, The
ship had been sunk seven feet, but by means of lightening,
that is, pumping out the water, and placing stones under-
neath, she has been raised to her present position. She
is now perfectly water-tight. Mr. Bremner, the eminent
engineer, is constantly on board, superintending the ope-
rations. All is expected to be ready for the final effort by
the end of the present month. A government steamer is
expected to be present on that occasion, lending her as-
sistance.—Downpatrick Recorder.
THE SARAH SANDS. —Our townsman, Mr. John Grant-
ham, civil and superintending engineer, and who furnished
the models for the Sarah Sands, thus writes to the London
Times, under date 22th ult. :—" With the'approval of the
owners of this fine screw ship I beg to hand you an ac-
count of the accident which occasioned her return to Cork,
as mentioned in The Times of Saturday. This is the more
necessary as the Sarah Sands is at present attracting much
notice as the most prominent and successful vessel to which
the screw has been applied to work as auxiliary to sails—
a principle of the greatest importance both to the navy and
merchant service. The slide valve of the cylinder is made
to work against a brass plate, and this plate is attached to
the cast iron by small pins screwed and rivetted. By a
mistake in putting this on the workman, cut off a part of it
that did not appear to him to be required, but it was after-
wards replaced by being pinned and rivetted in the usual
manner, though, as it now appears, not securely. This
piece of brass came off, and became jammed between the
valve and the face, and deranged some of the working
parts. This is an accident that does not in any respect
attach to the quality of the machinery or to the principle
of the screw, New and useful improvements are often
retarded by similar unforeseen casualties, and the screw
has not escaped this drawback. In some cases this has
been owing to the application of very badly made machi-
nery, and others, as with the Sarah Sands, to accidents to
which the best work is sometimes subject. To insure the
best engines in the Sarah Sands the contract was given to
the firm of Messrs. Bury, Curtis, and Kennedy. Before
the accident happened, the vessel had made excellent way
against the prevailing westerly winds. It was expected
that she would be detained four or five clays in Cork."

(Hear, hear, and loud cheers.), Yet in that there is a dif-
ficulty, because those duties amount to, I believe,
£5,000,000, and are considered requisite to maintain the
fiscal integrity of our country and the honour of the na-
tion. But, 1 firmly believe, and that frotn looking at what
has occured in the case of coffee, spirits, and other arti-
cles—l firmly believe that, in a very short time, if the
duty on tea were reduced one-half, we should have an
equal amount of duty to what we have at present paid,
upon the larger consumption, into the hands of the go-
vernment. (Hear, hear, and applause.) And what would
be the result ? A great increase to the_ comforts of the
poorer orders ; and here I may take the opportunity of
saying that I am most anxious to do all things that are
practicable for the raising of the poorer orders in the scale
of society. (Great applause.) Ido not want to pull down
the upper ranks to those that are lower, but, for the hap-
piness of all, to raise the lower so far as it can practically
be done; and any measure tending to that end shall be
sure of my hearty and honest concurrence. (Applause.)
Now, I believe a reduction of the duty on tea will do a
great deal towards the promotion of domestic comfort, by
inducing you, gentlemen—as most of you, lam sure, are
inclined already to do—to enjoy the society of yonr wives
and families, instead of as some have done, rather too
much have done, resorted to public houses ; and though it
is not lawful for me to attempt to bribe any of you—(a
laugh)—yet that I have no hesitation in saying that I am
for giving all your wives, and children, and sweethearts
tea at half-price. (Laughter and cheers.) Gentlemen,
these are the principal points upon which T wished to ad-
dress you. lam not a speaker. I tell you what is in my
heart, and I tell it to you honestly—(hear. hear) ; and
shall not detain you longer than to say that, if honoured
by being sent by you to parliament. I can faithfully pro-
mise,that the business of your great city, public and pri-
vate, shall be diligently discharged. Ido not pretend to
be equal to that excellent representative (Lord Sandon)
who is your member, but who is, I understand, about to
retire. I heartily wish that his principles on the subject
of religion had not rendered it necessary for many of his
ardent and zealous friends to quit him on thisoccasion. But
you have preferred principle to every other object, and you
have shown it nobly, and in the face of England, by procur-
ing the retirement of one of the best members that ever re-
presented Liverpool. (Hear, hear.) It is due to that noble
lord to say so much for him; but if you honour me by re-
turning me to Parliament, it will be doubly my duty to
t nleavour to follow his steps in all that relates to business,
and perhaps, by the blessing of God, 1 may arrive suffi-
ciently near him to answer your purposes. (Hear, hear.)
With these observations, I take my leave for the present,
hoping, on future occasions, to meet you, and to speak on
other points upon which you may desire to hear my senti-
ments. I desire to maintain the integrity of our religion,
—and if returned to Parliament what I have spoken of
as my principles, though I make no pledges, will be car-
ried out to their full extent, and you will not have reason
to complain of my flying from any of them. (Hear and
cheers.) I earnestly solicit the honour of your votes; and
I can assure those who may not, from various causes,
think it right to support me, that, if returned by others,
their interests will be as carefully attended to as if they
had been my warmest supporters. •
Sir Digby who was listened to throughout with the most
marked attention, here withdrew, amid very considerable
applause. Immediately after,
An ELECTOR asked what the gallant candidate's opinion
was relative, as we understood him, to the Irish Railway
Bill?

The Earl of Clarendon and suite embarked on Friday,
at six o'clock, in a steamer specially hired for the purpose,
for Dublin.
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Kean arrived here on Tuesday
last from New York, after a lengthened and highly advan-
tageous professional tour through the United States.
MR. FERRAND, M.P.—lt is said that Mr. Ferrand, M.P.,
is about to marry the sister of Lord Blantyre ! Should
the match take place he will be brother-in-law to a daugh-
ter of the Duke of Sutherland.
CORPORATION BATHS.—During the present month
the number of bathers at the North Baths, in Paul-street,
amounted to 8500. The receipts for the same period
were £B9, which is more than equal to the expenditure.
The Rev. Hugh M'Neile is now in Dublin, where he is
about to preach the Latin sermon required to be delivered
by him on his acceptance of the degree of doctor of divi-
nity lately conferred upon him. He will resume his pas-
toral duties early in August.
CRICKET MATCH.—The first elevens of the Liverpool
and Edge-hill Cricket Clubs intend meeting to-morrow
morning, for a friendly match ; wickets to be pitched at
ten o'clock, on the ground of the former, Wavertree-road.
From the well-known character of each of the clubs some
excellent play is anticipated.
THE HOLYHEAD AND DUBLIN STEAM-STATION.—
There is now in course of being built, at the yard of Mr.
John Laird, North Birkenhead, a large and beautiful
steam-ship, for the Chester and Holyhead Railway Com-
pany, to run between the latter place and Dublin, in con-
nexion with the railway. She is one of a line each of
which is, we learn, to be built by different architects, to
whom latitude has been allowed as regards model, so that
we may expect, from the competition, one of the speediest
" fleets" ever turned out.
THE WORKING ON THE ALBERT DOCK.—The fol-
lowing is an account of the vessels discharged in the
Albert Dock during the half-year ending the 3rd instant :
—52 ships from China, 6 from Mauritius, 26 from Brazils
and Havannah, 14 from the West Indies, 103 from North
America, 19 from South Amersca, and 25 from other
places ;—total, 236 ships, amounting to 104,401 tons re-
gister. From these vessels 109,999 tons of goods have
been landed and taken to account. The total time oc-
cupied in discharging during the half year gives an average
of 31 hoUrs for 400 tons register burthen.
INQUEST.—On Saturday last an inquisition was held
&fore the borough coroner, touchh4 the death of Martin
Flynn, a child of seven months old, residing with its
parents in Ellen-square, Thomas's-street. The deceased
bad been carried, on Saturday night, by its grandmother,
into a neighbour's house, where a quarrel ensued, and it
was supposed a blow had been struck at it purposely in
the scuffle; but of this there was no definite proof, no
marks of violence having been found, and, as the surgeon
who examined the body after death ascribed the death to
natural disease of the heart, a verdict was returned

accordingly.
NEW AMERICAN TRANSATLANTIC STEAMhER.I—The
New York Tribune, of the 16th ult., records the largest
casting ever made in America, that of tAblearbshedaplil,aatelinsoof
the steamship United States (Charles H.
one of the 2,200 tons each, intended to run between New
Orleans and Liverpool. The United States will be 300
tons larger than the George Washington, and of greater,
capacity than the President, Atlantic steamer—she will
have four wrought iron boilers, and is to be furnished
with two side-lever marine engines, of eighty inch cylin-
der and nine feet stroke, each of the power of more than
1,000 horses The cost of the engines for the United
States will be 15,000 dollars more than those of the
George Washington.
FIRES.—On Friday afternoon, a fire broke out in the
cellar under the warehouse of Mr. M`Knight, Jordan-
street. The place contained a quantity of brimstone,
which it was supposed had become ignited by friction in
being discharged from a cart. Mr. Hewitt, of the fire-
station was soon on the spot with his men, engines, &c., and
soon overcame it. The damage was trifling. Mr. Hewitt,
in his zealous exertions, suffered considerably from the
fumes of the brimstone.—lmmediately after, he was called
to a fire in a dwelling-house, in Eaton-street, Vauxhall-
road, which was also speedily got under without any great
damage, though the flames had reached the upper floors.
One of the West of England engines was also on the
ground, and effectually cooperated.
INQUESTS held by the borough coroner on Friday :
On the bodies of two new-born children, one of which
was brought to the parish cemetery in a box, and the other
was found enclosed in the same coffin with the body of a
child four years old. The discovery was made by the lid
of the coffin accidentally breaking. Verdict, still-born.—
On the body of Felix Campbell, who fell into? the
Clarence
Dock on Thursday night, while in a state of intoxication.
He was heard to fall in by a porter named Grant, but be
fore assistance could be got he had sunk. When the body
was found seven shillings and twopence halfpenny were
found in deceased's pockets : he had given £2l to a per-
son who had been in his company to take charge of.
Verdict, Accidental death.
FATAL ACCIDENT.—An inquest was held before P. F.
Curry, Esq., the borough coroner, on Thursday, on the
body of an old man named George Angle, who was killed
by a fall on the 17th ult. It appeared that on the night of
the 17th, deceased had been drinking at a public-house in
Redcross-street, kept by a man named Whalley. He was li
led out of the house by the landlord, in a state of intoxi-
cation' and fell down a cellar, where he remained until
medical assistance was procured ; he was then taken to the
. Northern Hospital. The next day he returned to his
lodgings, but was unable to follow his employment from
a pain in his head, which had been cut by the fall. Ulti-
mately he was sent on board the Akbar, where he died on
the 28th ult. of erysipelas in the head. Verdict, acci-
dentally killed by a fall while in a state of intoxication.
WRECKS OF EMIGRANT SHIPS.—The Carrick, of Sun-
derland, sailed from Sligo with nearly 200 persons on
board. She encountered a strong gale on the night of
the 12th of May, and went to pieces in the course of
two hours. Not more than twenty-two of the two hun-
dred passengers escaped; the crew were saved. Two
other emigrant ships chartered by government were lost
. about the same time as the Carrick. One is the Imogen,
from Liverpool, and the other the Zenobia. The Imogen
'had one hundred and seventy-five emigrants on board,
who. fortunately, with the crew, effected a safe landing.
The Zenobia was lost off Nanadian ; she had three hun-
dred emigrants on board, who were also saved. The emi-
grant ship, Miracle, recently wrecked off the Magdalen
Island, with sixty of her passengers drowned, is also stated
to have been chartered by government.
THREATENING TO SHOOT, AT LUCAS'S REPOSITORY.—
On Saturday Richard Greatrix, an elderly man, of decent
appearance, was charged with having threatened to shoot
his son-in-law, a young man named Rigby, at Lucas's re-
pository, Great Charloete-street. Thomas Ainsworth
stated that he was standing near St. John's Market that
morning, when the prisoner approached him and said,
-" Here, just load me this pistol," holding at the same
time a large sized pocket pistol in his hand. Ainsworth
attempted to take the weapon from him, but he re fused
to part with it, and in the scuffle which ensued, he said
" he wanted to shoot his son-in-law in Lucas's repository,"
where he (the son-in-law) was going to sell some horses.
The prisoner here interrupted the witness by exclaiming,
" Don't tell lies, Tom !" The magistrate asked whether,
the prisoner was sober at the time ? The prisoner replied
that he was not, and that he was tipsy now. Ainsworth
added that he had two pistols on his person a hen appre-
hended, and also some bullets, a powder flask, and a box
full of caps ; and that there was some of the powder in
the pan of one of the pistols. Prisoner " If I had one of
the pistols fully charged that has nothing to do with you.
I was at work this morning, and took a glass or two too
much, and you, you fell nv, took notice of it !" As it was
evident from the prisoner's manner and admission that he
was the worse for liquor, he was ordered to be remanded
until to-day, when, in his sober moments, he will be again
brought up for further examination.
MADEMOISELLE RACHEL.—We are gratified in being
authorised to announce that arrangements have been
completed for the appearance of this distinguished French
actress at our Theatre-royal early in the month of August,
in three representations of French tragedy and comedy,
supported by the entire company of the St. James's
Theatre, whose recent performances in London have
been honoured by the most distinguished patronage and
success. For this classic treat we shall be chiefly indebted
to the lessee of that theatre, Mr. Mitchell, whose adven-
ture is encouraged by the Earl and Countess of Sefton,
Lord and Lady Stanley, and other eminent patrons of
histronic art and literature, and we have no doubt what-.
erhze to that the visit will be remunerative. The perform-
ancescomprise Scribe's " Valerie," Corneille's
Les Horaces,,,
Moliere's " Las Precieuses Ridicules,"
, ed
"LepherTart,,U, tr e" and "Le Depit Amoureux," Racine's
',hour's " Virginie," and " Le Roman D'une
Retire," a plentiful admixture of the loftiest tragedy and
the most sparkling comedy. The principal characters
will be sustained by Mademoiselle Rachel, Monsieur
Raphael Felix, Monsieur Marius, and Mademoiselle
Rabut. The tickets for the three representations, we
hear, are to be offered at the moderate charge of one
guinea, and as many of our fashionable townsfolk were
disappointed last year by Mademoiselle Rachel being
compelled to return to France by serious illness, without
coining here as had been promised, we look for a full and
elegant attendance.
Tx rt
BIRKENHEAD COMMISSIONERS.—Mr. William
+.l-_a_ird has published a letter relative to the proceedings of
Luc Birkenhead Commissioners yesterday week, and Mr.
Joseph Mallaby has publicly replied. Mr. Laird states,
under date Ist instant, that the remarks he made on the
occasion in question arose from his being led to under-
stand from Mr. Mallaby (the chairman) that Mr. Potter
!as an assenting party to the resolution to close the docks,
c'e.• Proposed by that gentleman ; that he had since as-
certained that neither Mr. Potter nor Mr. Lloyd were
aware that Mr. Mallaby had left London, but expected
!cam there at his post at the London offices that day; that
the Liverpool Corporation had made no claim to that
Portion of the strand on which the works of the Commis-
sioners were built ; that the only claimant was Mr. Price,
who sought to recover its value under an agreement with
h
e Commissioners previous to the passing' of the first
'lock bill, in 1844 ; that the effect of allowing the present
bill to pass in the form contended for by Mr. Mallaby,
would be to transfer this land to the crown whether it had
Imp right to it or not, and the commissioners to pay the
value under the agreement, without getting anything in
return for their money, in case Mr. Price established his
!Ale. He adds that, had Mr. Potter and Mr. Lloyd
been present at the meeting, no such resolution as that
and concludes
by Mr. Mallaby would have passed the board,
dodk_csoncludes by stating that the attempt to close the
Mr. mha:l.lasoubsiiici failed, and that they still continue open.
to enter into a
that it reply, dated on the following day, says
place at the board,
for him, especially as chairman,
next meeting oarflds.
jcussion in the papers on what had Oen
and that he should abstain, until the
from further
noticerne board on Wednesday, (tomorrow)
"take care
it contains. He adyd
properly of Mr. L.'s letter, when he should
'intended to be closedtas, that
the value of the statements
with the crown could biefa et fft
eh e t docks. never were closed or
the arrangements contemplated
ucli to deprecated." effected without a. measure so

THE BIRKENHEAD DOCKS.—Thellimichester Guardian
states from the proceedings in the lords' committee upon
the Birkenhead Dock Bills, it appears that the germs are
in being of a suit prolific in legal expenses between the
crown and the corporation of Liverpool, on a question of
title, the bare mention of which between two such com-
petitors, suggests any indefinite amount of litigating ob-
stinacy. WhE the bills were in the Commons, the clauses
were framed upon the principle of recognising the absolute
title of the crown to the foreshore. Since then the cor-
poration, from whom the Birkenhead dock commissioners
purchased the land adjoining the foreshore, through the
amiable activity of one of Mr. Price's agents have disco-
vered that Mr. Price, from whom they purchased the land
some years ago, was entitled to the foreshore and the
rights appertaining to it. They therefore sought in the
committee to introduce words into the bills restricting the
absolute recognition of the crown's rights and saving their
own, whatever they might be ; and they succeeded, to the
manifest chargrin of Mr. Pemberton, the able solicitor to
the Woods and Forests, a gentleman whose equanimity
was never before so much as ruffled. The corporation,
supported as they are by eminent legal opinion, are bound
by their position to assert their alleged rights ; the crown
must do the same. The prize is valued at £lOO,OOO.
The position of the Dock Commissioners will scarcely be
effected in any practical point by the issue ; but they can-
not be supposed to be so disinterested as to view the con-
test with indifference. Indeed, unless some compromise
happens, this contest will become one of general interest,
as it may lead to the strict investigation of other titles af-
fecting the rights claimed by the crown.
CASE AGAINST A PASSENGER AGENT.—On Friday, a
man named John Caulfield, appeared before Mr. Commis-
sioner Lowndes at the County Court to claim £2O from
Mr. George Saul, passenger agent. Mr. Brotherton ap-
peared for the complainant. It appeared that Caulfield
and his family (of Ireland) sailed from Drogheda for Li-
verpool with the intention of emigrating to America. On
the passage thither they met other Irish families also
bound for the same destination. They lodged together
here and paid respectively for their passages by the
Rochester, Caulfield paying £2olls. for himself and those
with him. He relinquished the lls. so that the case might
come within the jurisdiction of this court. He wanted a
separate ticket, but was told it was not needed, but a
memorandnm of the names of the parties who had paid
was written and handed in at the defendant's office. The
Rochester sailed, and was wrecked on the coast of Wex-
ford; and then all the passengers returned to Liverpool.
Air. Saul, it was said, had settled with some of them by
sending them out in the Patrick Heiiry, and others,
through sheer want, had gone hack to Ireland. The com-
missioner, after long consideration, elicited that there was
a separate taking of the passengers in each case, and some
evidence was offered corroborating this. Mr. Brotherton
contended that it was clearly a separate taking, and that
if it were decided to be a joint taking, the passenger agent
must of necessity triumph, and Caulfield must be ousted
from the jurisdiction of the court; for, the total sum paid
was £5O, but as Caulfield could not swear as to the sums
actually handed to the agent by the other parties, there
would be an end to the action. He was willing to accept
the £2O in full of all his claim in the contract, but no
joint action could now be maintained. Besides, it was
worthy of remark, that in an affidavit sworn by Mr. Saul,
and a copy of which was in court, and handed to the
bench, that genntleman viewed the payment of Caulfield
as a separate payment for himself and his family. The
commissioner, however, after taking another half hour to
cogitate, considered that it was a joint contract, made by
all parties who paid for their passages at the time Caul-
field paid for his; but at the request of Mr. Bretherton,
he allowed the case to stand over until Tuesday (this day),
in order to afford time for it to be heard before Mr. Baron
Parke, at his chambers on Saturday. This decision ex-
cited some surprise in the Court. Mr. Saul was not pre-
sent, nor any to represent him.
HOLDSWORTH'S PATENT-SAFETY TUBES FOR LIFE-
BOATS, LIFE-BUOYS, &c.—On Wednesday afternoon an
experiment was made in the Trafford Dock Basin, to show
the efficacy of the safety-tubes, adapted by Mr. Holds-
worth, of Dartmouth, for rendering any boat a life-boat,
and for life-buoys, &c. A large boat was lent for the oc-
casion by Messrs. Tucker and Jordan, boatbuilders,
Baffin-street, and a number of nautical and scientific gen-
tlemen were present to witness the test. The tubes are
of vulcanized india rubber, of great strength, and not
affected by differences of temperature. They are made
solely by Messrs. Macintosh and Co.' of Manchester, who
can provide them of any given size. Those used on this
escapement
esivervea
pens :ea
_omotnreoannpet
ergoeehfa appeared
dehtdenfetaohoir
re
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Snaaetbi,dooei
inflation,
eitherteo wt
fe two
ol
raor andnsa:
rt,hyeebaasyrdeehswt the
were
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sides
dc roes w
of tap
the
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ueder
tt
hh
ee
gitudinfalblyellaolowns;
seats. The boat was perforated four holes in her
bottom, and two on each
and,side as water line, for
expedient,
tthheespeuzperoeseproofvfidlelidn
gwiiitehrPcork bungs ormpararY ucg.sr;ssto as to be
closed when required. In a boat regularly
an occasional life-boat on this principle, lateral constructed
are
r
made to act with readiness and effect. Four men, with
two oars, were on board of the boat used, which, though
she had on board upwards of 5001 b. of iron, in weights of
561 b., it required some time to put her down so as to be
waterlogged. She was at length almost wholly submerged,
yet maintained her upright position with three of the men
standing on her bottom. On being lightened of several of
the weights, which were proportionately too much for the
comparatively small amount of buoyancy in the few tubes,
she rose considerably, and freed herself of much of the
water through the side valves under the gunnel. The
operation was successful, but would have been still more
so had she been in a tossing sea way, in which case she
would have discharged the water more freely by her undu-
lating motion or lift, than in dead water. After the bot-
tom plugs were drawn in, she was readily bailed out, and
floated as originally. The principle is not assumed to be
new, but it is a new adaptation, undoubtedly practicable,
and may be the means of saving life on emergencies. The
tubes are flexible, may be rolled up into a small compass,
and stowed away when not in use. Several life-buoys, of
similar construction, were also exhibited, of a circular
form, and extremely handy and pliable to the person. A
man amused himself with one of these for a long time,
and in a variety of postures, all indicating perfect safety.
One great advantage is, that the tubes are as strong as
thick leather, and are not liable to injury by' any violence
short of a cut or perforation ; and even if a hole be made
in one of them, there are curious plugs or rivets of the
same material that can easily be buttoned into the hole so
as immediately to render it tight. The material is 16 per
cent. lighter than water of the same bulk, and the cost of
the whole apparatus for a boat of considerable size is com-
paratively small. The agents for the sale here are Messrs.
Johnson, chemists, Church-street, and Messrs. Short and
Blake, Park-lane.

FATAL COLLIERY EXPLOSION.—On Tuesday afternoon
last, an explosion of fire-damp took place at the Higher
Patricroft or Kirkless hall colliery, between Ince and As-
pull, on the banks of the Leeds and Liverpol Canal', two
miles from Wigan. The firing of coal by the miners,
which is doubtless practised to save their own labour, is,
it seems, against the rules laid down by the proprietors of
the colliery, and on this occasion was practised without
their knowledge or consent. About half-past eleven in
the morning, one of the men had been having a " blow
up," and the consequence was. the setting on fire the coal
in that part of the mine, which we are told is of a highly
bituminous and inflammable nature: The overlooker,
George Evans, on the first alarm being given, directed alt
his efforts to extinguish the fire, collected his best men
for the purpose, and sent several out of the pit for safety.
The pit is divided into two sections, one of which only felt
the effects of the accident. In this section, we believe,
thirty-two persons were the full complement employed,
or sent down in the morning. Of these, six or eight were
sent up, and the remaining portion were at the place of
the explosion. After an ineffectual attempt to put out
the fire, all the efforts of the men appear to have been di-
rected to the closing or building up that part where the
fire was burning ; and the confinement of the air, and con-
sequent stopping of the usual current in that direction,
is supposed to have caused the explosion. The overlooker
was severely injured. All possible efforts were made to
get out the injured parties. At length 23 of them were
got out, but it was impracticable to prosecute the search
with safety until the fire had been effectually blocked up.
The workings were filled with smoke where the fire- had
not extended. The workings had to be walled up, leav-
ing in them six of the workmen imprisoned. One man
(Cartwright ) was extracted lifeless, and two others (Berry
and Rhodes) were so much burnt that they died next day.
Six others are supposed to be dead. An inquest was held
before the coroner on Friday, on view of the bock of
Berry, but the evidence not being complete, it was' ad-
journed until Thursday next, when the extent of the fa-
tality will be known. Nine persons beside those num-
bered were more or less burnt—some of them very- se-
verely.

FINANCIAL & COMMERCIAL SUMMARY.

The money market continues easy ; but it is not con-
cealed that a further drain upon us for specie must take
place, as the vast supplies of food grown for us in the
United States come into this country. It is true that
our manufacturers have large orders on hand for goods to
be taken in return to American produce. Unfortunately,
however, as buyers come into the market the raw mate-
rial is forced up until the manufacturer has no longer a
margin of profit left. America, moreover, in her anxiety
to get her grain supply forward to market, is keeping
back her cotton. There is, therefore, no prospect that
any considerable business can be done for some time to
come, unless a greatly enhanced price for goods is sub-
mitted to by the foreign buyer. The country trade is
rather more active, but not so as to encourage a return
to full time of working. The condition of the operatives
throughout the manufacturing districts is deplorable.
It is becoming more and more clear that we must take
measures to rescue ourselves from the almost exclusive
dependence upon America for a supply of cotton, under
which our manufactnring interest is now suffering. Upon
this point the monthly circular of Messrs. Ferguson and
Co. speaks very decidedly as follows :
" It is obvious that higher prices than the present must rule
in this market before manufacturers will generally run their
mills full time; and it t ecomes a question of some moment,
how far our productive ener ies may be circumscribed by the
limited supply of the raw material, and its consequent high va-
lue- Looking to the future, and presuming the weather prove
auspicious during the next month, we should expect that the
low and unremunerative rates of the staple products of this dis-
trict. at present current, will attract the attention of capitalists,
as affording opportunities of eligible investment. Already an
anxiety is evinced by buyers to enter into contracts at old prices,
whilst manufacturers to-pay are firmly asking considerable ad-
vances. It appears to us highly desirable that the great inter-
ests of this country liable to be affected by the vicissitudes of
the cotton plant, should take the necessary steps to widen the
sources of supply. The fertile lands of British Guiana need
only an adequate amount of the free labourers from the coast of
Africa to produce abundantly the finest staple, and it is to be
hoped that some public effort will be made to facilitate emigra-
gration in that quarter, as well as to foster and develope the
culture of cotton in such other of our colonies and possessions
whose climates may be favourable to its growth. In order to
maintain our manufacturing pre-eminence, to find employment
for our teeming population when American supplies may fail
us, and to benefit this country and our colonial empire by re-
ciprocal advantages, some effort seems necessary to encourage
and stimulate the cultivation of cotton in India and our colo-
nies. We are led into these observations from a belief that the
expansion of our trade this year will be materially abridged by
the high rates likely to be obtained on cotton, arising from a..
deficiency of supply to meet the European demand."
The Indian Mail, arrived on Tuesday last, bring the
manufacturer nothing of an encouraging character. Every
thing was dull ; and, although stocks were not heavy,
sales of manufactured goods could with difficulty be forced
at ruinous sacrifices.

Sir DIGBY replied that this was just one of those points
interesting to Liverpool upon which he should make some
inquiries. (Hear, hear.)
There were here loud calls for Mr. Horsfall, but the
worthy alderman declined to address the multitude, it
being then near four o'clock; and the proceedings ter-
minated.

MR. FREDERICK DOUGLAS AND THE AGENTS
OF THE HALIFAX STEAMERS.

We thought that the question at issue between the
Messrs. Mc. Iver and Mr. Douglas was settled by the
letter addressed by the former gentlemen to the London
Times. It was clearly shown by that letter that it was
not on the ground of colour that Mr. Douglas was refused
a cabin passage in the Cambria. It was because, known
as he was to be an anti-slavery lecturer, his presence in
the cabin would most likely produce, as it had before pro-
duced, an interruption in the harmony of the passengers
most prejudicial to the interests of the proprietors. Some
people, however, are never satisfied with explanations;
and Mr. Fredelick Douglas appears to be one of those
unreasonable people, and, if the epistle which he has re-
cently addressed to the Times, in reply to Mr. Mc. Iver,
be a fair sample, he is rather disposed to lose sight of
reason in the attempt to fasten a charge upon these gen-
tlemen. A quotation from his letter will show this.
Mr. Mc. Iver's letter, he says, contained the following
statement :

"The whole point of my remarks amounted to this—that he
(Mr: Douglass), when coming from the United States, some
months ago, in the same vessel, the Cambria, as a steerage
passenger, was invited by some of the cabin passengers into
the saloon, and was the cause, whether intentially, or uninten-
tially, of producing, by the observations he made use of, a
serious disturbance, which required the authority of the cap-
tain to quelltin order to restore peace and safety."
There is certainly nothing in this' passage which shews
an ill-feeling towards Mr. Douglass or his class—nothing
to prove what was imputed to the company, that they
were willing to pander to American prejudices against a
black skin. Let us see his reply:—
"Sir, I deem this a serious charge. I have little in this world
but a character for uprightness, and, I hope, gentlemanly con-
duct, and trust you will not think me too anxious to preserve
that. In reply to the above statement, I beg to say (and regret
to be compelled to say it, for all contradiction is unpleasant to
me), it is not true that I went into the saloon of the Cambria on
the invitation of any passenger or passengers; so far from it, I
repeatedly refused to go into that part of the ship at their invi-
tation; and it was not until invited by the captain himself that
I stepped into the saloon ; I deny that I was the cause of the
disturbance to which the agent refers. The logic which would
make me such would make my stolen purse the cause of theft,
or my burning dwelling the cause of incendiarism. It is adding
cruelty to injustice to attempt to fasten such a charge upon a
man in my circumstances. There was disturbance, I admit;
but who made it ? Five or six republican slaveholders, setting
at defiance, on shipboard, as they are accustomed to do at home,
all law and order, and threatening to administer to me the code
of Judge Lynch, because I spoke a few words to persons who
wished to hear some account of the workings of American
slavery. For this some of the slaveholders gravely proposed to
throw me overboard, and might have executed their murderous
design but for the timely interference of the captain, who had,
on behalf of the passengers, invited me to the saloon deck.
This, sir, is the foundation of the charge of causing a disturb-
ance. In America, where the police are almost always with the
mob, I should probably be held accountable for the disturb-
ance, but in England it must be otherwise."
There is nothing her but, in the first instance, a paltry
quibble, and, in the next, a full admission of the justi-
fiable grounds upon which the agents of the line acted.
Mr. Douglas says that he was not invited into the saloon
by " some of the cabin passengers," but by the captain.
Some of the cabin passengers, however, had repeatedly
invited him ; and the captain no doubt invited him at
length at the request of those " who wished to hear some
account of the working of American slavery." He denies
too, that he was the cause of any disturbance, and yet
he admits that the disturbance arose " because" he
" spoke a few words to persons who wished to hear some
account of the working of American slavery." Of course
he did not whisper,—of course there was a row ; and, as
it was most probable that in the saloon of the Cambria
there would have been, on the occasion when he was re-
fused a cabin passage, some other persons who would like
to know all the atrocities of American slavery, there
would have been a disturbance again. Much as we dislike
slavery in America or elsewhere, we cannot see why the
Halifax or any other steamers should be subjected to the
annoyance of these disturbances. If they did so submit,
we should see shortly somebody advertising a Line, " war-
ranted not to carry an anti-slavery lecturer."

Our market for cotton, as may be expected from the
foregoing observations, has been very active throughout
the week, the sales being 72,720 bales, of which 28,700
were taken by speculators, and 4629 by exporters. Prices
advanced Old.
. _ _

The following is from the monthly circular of Messrs.
Hughes and Ronald, wool-brokers, Liverpool :

" The continuance of favourable weather, the glowing ac-
counts of the appearance of the crops all over the country, and
the comparative ease in the money market, have all tended to
produce a more healthy tone in the wool business, and should
the reduction in the rate of discount by the Bank of England
be determined on, as seems to be expected, it will further con-
tribute to a more active demand, and lead to a more full em-
ployment in the manufacturing districts. We have greater
confidence in this than in the expectation of any material ad-
vance in prices.
„

" The Principal arrivals have been from the west coast of
South America, consisting of alpaca and sheep's wool, the latter
chiefly washed : we have also received a few parcels of Medi-
terranean wools, of various kinds. Until we see the course the
prices of British wools are likely to take, there will not be much
demand for foreign wools, which have for some time been used
as a substitute : the demand for other kinds of foreign conti-
nues steady, and prices without change. The trade have been
principally engaged at the public sales in London, which com-
menced on the 10th ultimo, and closed on Thursday last : the
total quantity brought forward exceeded 30,000 bales. At the
commencement buyers acted with great caution, under the idea
that so large a quantity could hardly be got through at the pre-
sent time; but it is gratifying to find that, although the prices
are shockingly low, they have succeeded in disposing of the
greater part, and have only been compelled to withdraw a small
portion, and the result is considered quite as satisfactory as
was to be expected under the circumstances,"
The corn markets throughout the country continue to
droop, affected as well by the present splendid weather as
by the prospect of large supplies from other countries_
On the Continent, the crops of all kinds are most pro-
mising, and, with a few weeks more of sunshine and
warmth, we shall be placed in the possession of abundance.

SIR R. PEEL'S OPINION OF RAILWAYS.—At the din- ,
ner given at Tamworth on the opening of the Trent Val-
ley Railway, Sir R. Peel said:—" Gentlemen, it is pro- -1141
bable that many of you who are present this day may be
struck by the forcible contrast which this ancient town
suggests. It is a town the origin of which is lost in the
obscurity of a very remote antiquity. Gentlemen, on the
eastern part of this town there stands a monument of the
reign of Ethelflreda, the daughter of Alfred. On this
spot, on the western part of the town, we are inaugura-
ting a memorial of the reign of Queen Victoria. (Hear.)
Gentlemen, that mound which you see on the other side
the town was raised by Ethelflneda for the purpose of
protecting the town that then existed, from the irruptions
of pagan barbarians who had desolated that town and the
neighbouring country. It presents to you a record of
barbarous manners, of terrible civil conflicts, and of a
divided people. (Hear.) This day we are met to cele-
brate the completion of a work which presents to us the
triumphs of science, of knowledge and civilization. (Ap-
plause.) The interval that has passed between those two
periods, between the reign of Ethelflteda and that of Vic-
toria, comprises not less than ten centuries,—
. "A thousand years their cloudy wings expand."
And, gentlemen, we cannot contemplate without admira-
tion the wonderful contrast that it has presented to us.
This day we celebrate a work, a signal example of one of
those wonderful discoveries in science which probably will
effect as great a revolution in the social state as any that
has been effected since the period when the art of print-
ing was discovered. (Hear.) It is impossible to over-
estimate the effect which this wonderful application of
science may produce. My confident belief is, that the
effect will be for good; that it will promote the moral
and social welfare of this country, and add to its political
security. (Applause.) Within a few months, we shall
pass along this railroad ; our bodies will be conveyed with
the fleetness of the wind, and our thoughts by the agency
and with the velocity of lightning. (Hear.) Gentlemen,
let us all hope, as I confidently trust, that the effect of
this will be for good ; that it will cement family affec-
tions, by facilitating the intercourse of relatives—(hear) ;
—that it will tend to abate prejudices, to advance know-
ledge, to promote civilisation. (Applause.) Looking at
its political effect, I see nothing but cause for congratu-
lation. I see this country, with its insular position, un-
able to support more than a limited military force (hear);
—I see that in the event (which God avert !) of the re-
newal of hostilities, we shall be exposed to a fearful con-
flict. (Hear.) It is difficult to say what may be the effect
of steam navigation upon maritime warfare ; but of this I
am sure, that the progress of railways, by enaolinc, you
to transport that small military force, which, actuated
by the spirit of Englishmen, and remembering the pre-
vious examples which had been set them by their prede-
cessors, will be able always to contend with armies more
powerful in number ;—I feel convinced that a new ele-
ment of political security is to be found in railway con-
veyance, by enabling you to transport, suddenly, and
without fatigue, to the threatened point, that military
force which you can command. (Applause.) Gentlemen,
it will draw closer the great metropolis of the empire with
those great towns, each of which also is the metropolis of
an important district ; it will facilitate the means of com-
munication ; it will cheapen the cost of conveyance. If
we are to be exposed to rivalry with the industry of other
countries, can there be a doubt that the diminished cost
at which the transport of our articles, either of agricul-
tural produce or domestic manufacture, will take place,
will enable us to bear that rivalry with the greater chance
of success ? (Applause.) But above all, gentlemen, the
completion of this railway will establish new bonds of
connection between this country, and the sister kingdom
(hear) ;—it will facilitate the intercourse with Ireland ;
it will bring us nearer to that country ; and the whole
result will, I trust, be, to promote commerce, to diminish
any impediment there may be to profit, to unite the peo..
pie of this country in the bonds of reciprocal good feeling
towards each other, and to make us all the loyal and
affectionate subjects of a Sovereign, who, if zeal for the
interests of her country, and an example of domestic vir-
tue—(applause)—constitute a claim on the affectionate
gratitude and devotion of her subjects, has that clairit to
prefer in at least as strong a degree as any Sovereign that
ever sat on the British throne, could prefer a claim on,
the affections of the people. (Great applause.)" •

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