The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-07-23 00:00:00

THE ROYAL AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION OF

ENGLAND

After considerable labour, we have succeeded in obtaining
every particular relative to the proceedings of the Royal
Agricultural Society, now taking place in this town. Every
obstacle has been thrown in the way of the press, and all
the information we have procured has been obtained at the
expense of the greatest personal trouble. The object of the
Society seems to have been to procure, for their own pub-
lication, an exclusive report of the events of the last few
days, and to prevent the local organs of the town furnish-
ing any account of them whatever, in order to dispose of a
few extra numbers of their accredited publication. It was
at one time determined to exclude the press altogether ;
but, for some reason with which we are at present un-
acquainted, one gentleman from each newspaper has been
admitted, and we therefore hope that any inaccuracies in
our reports will be attributed to the niggardly determina-
tion of the Society. The arrangements throughout have
been wretched : no information was afforded to the public,
from whom the loudest complaints have justly been called
forth.

Those who have perused the remarks made from time to
time in the columns of our journal, and particularly in our
last number, will readily accede to our very modest
assumption, that we are the warm advocates of the home
grower, and that we consider any improvement in agricul-
ture as a national advantage. In furtherauce of this feel-
ing, we several weeks ago gave an account of the Show
Ground and the Pavilion, while they were yet in embryo;
anticipating, as we thought, the wishes of the Society.
When those buildings arrived at completion, we published
a further and more detailed description, at a cost of consi-
derable time, trouble, and expense, and forwarded the
views of the Society. And how have our gratuitous
labours been rewarded ? In common with all our
brethren of the press in this town, of whatever political
principles, we have been treated by this notable " council"
as mere aliens and outcasts. Our reporter, in endeavour-
ing to obtain information that would gratify the public, and
forward the alleged views of the society, has been driven
from pillar to post, or repudiated as one who had no right
or title even to make inquiry, however gentlemanly his
tone. He belonged to the Press, but not to the press of
their choosing. He belonged not to the Mark Lane Ex-
press (a good paper we admit), nor to the Bell's Weekly
Messenger. That was enough. He was not of the pet
press of the Royal Agricultural Society of " England."
There was no printing, no advertising to be done by the
society in Liverpool, to any extent, and that only beyond
what they could help. The doors were yesterday beset
with distributors of bills to the effect that the former paper
would contain the only true and full report of the meeting;
and the few placards that appeared were brought down,
cut, and dried from London,—albeit, this county was fixed
upon to be mainly contributory to the exhibition. We do
not complain of this individually, in a pecuniary point of
view; but, as showing a partiality, not very honourable to
the parties concerned.
The reporters of this town have not, as is usual in such cases,
been admitted without cost to the show ground. On the
contrary, they, as well as others; were required to pay five
shillinga, on the morning of the first day, to see not half
of the implements alone, the better half having gone to
the trial ground; and our reporter was told that if he once
entered, and went to see the experiments, he would not
again (though he had but one hour to stop) be admitted
without an additional sum of the same amount! He of
course declined the honour of paying ten shillings to in-
spect a few subsidiary implements, the sight of which was
not worth a shilling.
But the conduct of the council to the public is as repre-
hensible as to the press. They gave no due notice to the
agriculturists of this county of the meeting. The onl3
paper in which the prizes were advertised was the Mark
Lane Express, and the parties in this districts, who
could have sent prime horses, beasts, &c., were left
in the dark, until it was ton late for them to enter,
the first of July being the last day. After this
will the society have the assurance to say, that their
object . really was the encouragement of agricultural pur-
suits this country? The whole affair, in fact, from
beginning .o end, has been most shamefully managed ; and
if the society has pecuniarily succeeded, they must place
it to the forbearance and hospitable feeling of those
amongst whom they have thrown themselves, and not to
any merit on their own part.

DOCK COMMITTEE, YESTERDAY.—Present—Messrs. Benn, HOTS-
fall, Aikin, Holmes, T. Holt, Quayle, G. Holt, Bulley, Tobin, Evans,
and Ripley, The Sub-committee of Works reported that the deep-
ening of the Queen's basin had been completed.—Mr. Shipton, who
rents a small basin from the Corporation, applied to be accommo-
dated with room for his river craft on the east side of George's
basin, at the period when his notice to quit his present place should
expire. The general opinion of the committee was, that they could
not grant any exclusive privilege to any person within the docks.
and especially that portion of the trade which contributed nothing
to the dock estate.—Mr. Tobin again introduced the subject of
closing the Canning and Salthouse Docks at the same time, and,
after a good deal of conversation, he ultimately moved, that the
Canning Dock should not be closed, but worked through the
George's at the time the other alterations were going on, but his
motion was not seconded, and the subject dropped.—A letter was
read from the Master of the Formby Light-ship, stating, that on
Wednesday last that vessel was run foul of by the barque Levenson,
and some little damage done.' He said lie thought also that it should
be generally known that parties are now liable to a penalty of £2O
for damaging lightships.—David Morgan, one of the crew of the
Liver tender, was appointed third keeper of the Rock Lighthouse,
in the room of Thomas Hughes, discharged for neglect of duty.—
The Comet duplicate light-ship was ordered to be brought into dock,
and several improvements made in her.—A new life-boat, on the
model of the Liverpool one, was ordered to be built for the Hoylake
station.

INSTRUCTION IN SINGING.—Mr. Venables, who is well
known as an able and excellent instructor of music and
singing, has left Chester to settle amongst us. He is very
capable in his art, and can produce Food recommendations.
We have heard him well spoken of, and from some little ex-
perience can give testimony to his merits.

TILE ALPACA.—A portrait of this remarkable animal,
which excites no little attention at the agricultural show, has
been, we perceive, drawn and lithographed by Mr. Machre,
and published by Mr. Waring Webb, of this town. The
introduction of the alpaca into England will be the forerun-
ner of a great improvement in the produce of wool. .A very
clever treatise on the subject of the alpaca has been pub-
lished by Mr. Waring Webb, and the attention of agricul-
turists is particularly drawn to it. A. perusal of it will be
highly instructive, as well as interesting, and will convince
all who are sceptical, that this sheep can be reared to advan-
tage in this country.

PRESENTATION. —On Wednesday evening, a few gentle-
men met in the Clyde Hotel, and presented Captain M'Arthur
with an elegant Silver Tea Service, bearing the following in-
scription :—" Presented to Captain John M'Artimr, of the
Princess Royal, steam-ship, by the passrAgers and a few
friends, as a memorial of that vessel's first voyage from
Greenock to Liverpool, on 11th of June, 1811, performed in
the unprecedently short period of fifteen hours and twenty-
five minutes ; and, also, to mark the respect in which he is
held as an excellent sailor and a worthy man."—Glasgow
Herald.

ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS.—This evening a grand gala will
take place at these beautiful gardens. Very great exertions
will be made by Mr. Atkins to render the fete more than
ordinarily attractive and entertaining. The pyrotechnist
proved himself, on Monday, an artist of great ability and ta-
lent. Some of his fireworks were novel and extremely fanci-
ful, as well as beautiful. We recommend strangers and
visitors to attend the fete, they will be highly pleased. The
capital baud of brass instruments adds greatly to the enjoy-
ment of the scene.

SUTTON, NEAR EASTIIAM.—This pleasant little village
has been the scene of festivities during the present week.
On Monday the friends of Sir P. G. Egerton and Mr. Toi-
lemache met together at the house of Mr. Thomas Porter, to
celebrate the return of the above gentlemen to Parliament,
when a numerous and hig,hly respectable party sat down to
dinner, which was prepared in a manner fully to bear out the
culinary lame of Mrs. Porter. During the evening a quan-
tity of loyal and conservative toasts were drank, and after an
evening delightfully spent, the party separated. The mem-
bers of the Loyal Brotherly Society, assembled at the house
of Mr. Warburton, to celebrate their anniversary, when,
after walking in procession, they sat down to a very excellent
dinner, prepared in first-rate style by the worthy hostess ;
when, after enjoying themselves, they adjourned to meet their
wives and sweethearts in the mazy dance, which they kept
up with vigour until the morning dawned.

BRA wr's COFFEE POT.----No wonder that this Coffee
Pot should have become so universally in request, when we
having tested its merits, recommend it to the use of otir sub-
scribers. It is decidedly the best contrived of the present
day, and one that will become yet more extensively in use.
DEAFNESS.—The great number of cases of nervous deaf-
ness successfully treated with warm medicated vapour by
Mr. Cronin, has attracted so much attention that we are in-
formed it is becoming the general treatment of every dis.
pensary where diseases of the ear are properly attended to in
this country. When it is recollected that warm :vapour and
baths are constantly recommended for nervous affections of
other parts of the body, we are not surprised at the decided
success attending Mr. Cronin's practice in Chester as else-
where. We beg attention to the remarks of some of our
contemporaries in our advertising columns.

TRIAL or SKILL AND SPEED. Yesterday, a most
amusing and interesting contest took place, on the river, be-
tween one of the Seacome steamers and the New Brighton.
Both the packets started from the pier-head, for their re-
spective destinations, about eleven o'clock, when the captain
of each vessel was determined to try his skill and the speed
of the respective boats. They started even, and kept close
together until midway across the river, when the old Sea-
combe, one of the most useful vessel on the river, shot a
head, and maintained its position to the Seacombe slip ; in
fact winning, as our horse-racing friends would say, in a
canter, amid the loud cheers of the spectators. The betting
was 5 to 4 on the New Brighton.

STEAM-SHIP PRESIDENT.—A lecture for the benefit of
the widows and orphans of the crew of this mysteriously-ab-
sent vessel, is to be delivered on Wednesday next, at the
Liver Theatre, by Mr. Mackie. Mr. Raymond has kindly
given the use of the theatre on the occasion. We trust that
the friends of humanity, the benevolent and the kind-hearted
will not fail to use their most strenuous endeavours to fill
the house to overflowing.

THE BARON DR Cussos's PICTURES.—Amongst the
crowds of visitors in Liverpool at present, there must be a
great many who possess a love of art and are picture fanciers
and picture purchasers. To such we can contidently recom-
mend a visit to Mr. Lacey's rooms, in Bold-street. where
the Baron de Cosson's pictures are now on view for sale.
We have noticed these very superior works of art in a late
number of the STANDARD, therefore further comment upon
them is unnecessary, Since that notice many of the pictures
have been disposed of. Of those left there are works that
need not be hidden when placed alongside of first class pic-
tures.

LAUNCH OF THE TROUBADOUIL—The launch of this su-
perb vessel, the largest iron steam-ship yet built in Liverpool,
took place on Wednesday last. Great interest has been
created by the building of the Troubadour, in the minds of
those interested in the introduction of iron as a substitute
for wood in the construction of ships ; and, notwithstanding
the unpropitious state of the weather, a great concourse of
spectators congregated together, on the morning appointed
for the launch, in the yard of Mess's. Vernon, Hodgson and
Co., the spirited and enterprising builders of this beautiful
specimen of the art of ship-building. A few minutes before
one o'clock. just at the top of the tide, the last props or stays
were knocked away, and she glided off the stocks into the
broad bosom of the Mersey with the most perfect smooth-
ness ; not a vibration to the right or the left was discoverable ;
and, when fairly floating on her destined element, she was as
true in her trim as the most fastidious skipper could desire—
a gratifying proof of the correctness of her lines, and of the
truth of the principles upon which she has been constructed.
After the launch, a cold collation was given to the chief of the
company present, in the moulding-room of the establish-
ment, at which the utmost conviviality prevailed. The
of Messrs. Vernon and Co., Messrs. Redmond and
Co. (the owners), Mr. John Vernon, the lovely sponsor of
the vessel, together with success to steam, iron ships, &c.,
&c., were given with enthusiasm, and called forth from ar..
propriate parties some pertinent and well-timed observations.
Previous to the ship quitting the stocks, Ice inspected her
carefully, and feel justified in asserting that for compactness
of jointing, excellence of finish, and for skill in so disposing
the berths that each one shall contribute its quotum of ser-
vice to, and at the same time assist, its neighbour, we do not
think her equal exists—certainly not her superior. This
noble steamer is intended for the Irish and Bristol line, and
is the property of Messrs. Redmond and Co. Captain Hunt,
a gentleman distinguished for his lectures on marine law and
in whom are combined the sturdy, undaunted British sailor
with the man of education and polished manners, is chosen
for her commander ; and we predict for the Troubadour a
career of renown to her builders, of credit to her cow=
menders, and of profit to her owners.